I moved!

I'm Back!

IM ALIVE! I'm back and it feels better than ever. It was an unexpected goodbye to the blog as my summer progressed...  but as my break begins to dwindle down, I'm getting back into the swing of things. This summer has been one of growth-- I have never had such a busy summer! As you all know, I was a part of the orientation team, and my summer was full of incoming freshman and their parents. After two months of long days, I happy to say we ended in success. I cant thank my SOAR team enough for such an amazing summer-- WE MADE IT!

I have one week to relax before I begin my new position at the RAC as Assistant Program Director ( I get a desk and everything!). I have worked at the RAC since I was freshman, and I can honestly say that I never thought I would work my way up to something as awesome as this. While I am a little bit nervous to embark on such a position at the brink of my hardest semester ever... I am constantly giving thanks for these opportunities. Like I said, this fall is notoriously a dietetic majors hardest semester, as we prepare for our internships. Not only am I beginning to seriously fret about this internship, but I am studying for the GRE. Im not sure who invented standardized testing, but they can take a hike. Also, I plan on doing research with one of our professors, which seems pretty exciting to me! So, with a packed next few months, please keep me in your thoughts! The future is looking pretty bright!

I saw a friend in the grocery store today, she asked, "are you still veggie?"... with a little giggle I replied of course! I am happy to say that it was officially one year of vegetarianism this past month, June. A change I thought I would never make!

CANT WAIT to start writing again! Here are a few pics of my summer!

Summertime: Steak and Shake

It has been way too long. I miss writing but this past three weeks has just been way to crazy too sit down and write. I need to be better about this! Well, its official; ITS SUMMER! ... oh and I am a senior in college! Its so surreal to think that by this time next year I will be off in the world somewhere, no more Statesboro. I came out with a 3.76 GPA for the semester, I was very happy to see that! (:

After finals I headed home to Atlanta for a few days. As you all know, I will be doing SOAR for the entire summer, so this was one of my few chances to hang with my family. Although it was just a few days, it was much needed. I convinced my parents to go to Kennesaw Mountain for a few hours... I think they really enjoyed it. This is such a good way to plan a day for free. Pack a lunch and get moving on the mountain! You can enjoy nature, soak up some rays, and get that heart pumping!

Sunday I spent Mothers Day with none other than my mom (: We had a complete girls day, full of shopping and getting mani/pedis :) It was definitely an awesome way to end a nice break! I woke, ran a few errands, and headed back to the boro on Monday. I had some work to get done before I could start this May Training for SOAR. Our SOAR family celebrated my partner, Keonnies, birthday the night before! ..and it was a good start to the week... by wednesday morning at 10 am, I was ready to go. Our training is 2.5 weeks from 10am to 10pm. Needless to say, I am nothing short of exhausted. BUT, I would not trade this time with my team for anything. After May Training, we start our freshman sessions! I AM SO EXCITED :)

So our training is slowly coming to an end, as this week marks the last 3 days of 12 hour days. Also, added to the list, I began one of two summer classes. Environmental Sociology... and I am loving it! Yeah... it is definitely added stress to finish up all my work, but I am enjoying this class a lot more than I expected. Today, I took some time to finish up a couple modules, that way I can get ahead and not be AS stressed :)


I want to write about something today that really gets at me. In the past few weeks, Statesboro has had the new edition of Steak and Shake. Now I cant completely knock it, because back in the day, I was quite the fan of this place. But, I want to share with everyone about the foods. That away, you can be more aware :) It amazes me the amount of people that are constantly in line... I read tweets like : "I may go to steak and shake when it looks like Jesus isn't signing autographs inside." ... needless to say, its packed, packed with people consuming more than their daily.


Steak and Shake has been so kind as to provide the nutrition facts of their food. So please, let me highlight some things that are shocking to me.





One of the most popular: The frisco melt. With 750 calories (about half of your daily calories), 480 from FAT, 17 grams of saturated fat and 1160 mg of sodium (your daily limit is 1600-2000mg)


Wait, cant forget about our french fries... SCARY. That is calories for the first column, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat,.... and the very last number is sodium.



Then for the most popular selection... the milkshakes. This is one choice at Steak and Shake and don't let the "dark chocolate" health claim fool you...



OKay people! This is your chance to make good decisions... I know its cheap and its quick... but don't compromise your health for all that nonsense! Its okay to occasionally indulge, but don't make this an everyday thing! I am off to watch My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding... guilty pleasure if I don't say so myself. Its memorial day tomorrow!


Have a great week everyone!

The Final Stretch!

A week plus... yup I have been slacking with writing in this! You know how finals are... right? Well, happy Monday and happy first day of finals! Luckily, I have completed 3 and only have 4 left. 7 finals? That just doesn't seem okay with me. I guess teachers think we take on some superhuman form in the last two weeks of finals. Well, reality check, I am still me... no super powers to study for 7 tests! So much has happened in the past week! I didn't write about it on my last post, but I want to share my exciting news! So, about two weeks ago I attended the 15th Annual Student Leadership Awards Night. First of all, let me just say how honored I felt just to be there, be in SUCH GREAT company. The room was full of student leaders from all over campus. Second: I just want to say how PROUD I am of my SOAR family.

 Third: Sending out a huge thank you to my boss for writing a nomination for me. After dinner, awards started, and I was blessed to receive the Southern Talon Award. Presented annually to students with above 60 credit hours who have exemplified a commitment to enhancing campus life at Georgia Southern. Students must demonstrate outstanding involvement at Georgia Southern. This is a one-time award. Its days like that one that make me feel all my hard work is for something.

This past week was also the Annual CRI End of the Year Banquet. Its always  bittersweet attending this. It is one of the few times of the year that the whole CRI family gets together. But, it also signifies a large chunk the family saying goodbye. I have been with group fitness now for 2+ years, so I have been there through lots of hires/changes/etc. This year really holds a special place in my heart- I have worked with some of these graduating seniors since I was hired. Even though I hate to say goodbye, I know the future holds great things for each and every one. 

Speaking of graduating seniors, Saturday marks the day for commencement. Yet again,  I feel like I am repeating myself, but this is a bittersweet thing. With such a small major, we have built quite the system within. I am sad to see all of our seniors head out into the real world but I know they are off to an awesome places. That is the beautiful part of our profession: we will always be able to help someone. Congrats and good luck to all seniors. 

                            

On that note, I can not believe where time has gone. IM GOING TO BE A SENIOR! ... not before this summer is done of course... but for real where did time go? I remember moving into Centennial like it was yesterday. 

May training for SOAR starts next week. M-F, 10am-10pm. Also, the second week of that, I start one of my summer classes. I think its Environmental Sociology? Gotta love that minor. Then, making our way into SOAR sessions. Gonna be a great summer.

Off to study for my next final. I wish all of you the very best of luck. 

I know it is hard, but try and sleep, it is the very best thing you can do... other than eating balanced meals :D Good luck and stay motivated. Hey... we are almost done!

Listen to your body!

And another week is done. All I could think about all week was this advanced food science test, and yes I probably didn't study hard enough, but I think I did alright :D On top of that test, I had a whole list of things to do. 8 page paper, presentations, plenty of SOAR stuff, blah blah blah. The next two weeks will be nothing short of miserable though. Trying to keep a positive attitude though because its almost summertime! I have a full weekend ahead as well. Farmers market, brunch, teaching spin, CRI banquet, girls day/night, and SOAR time! Oh, lets add in homework somewhere in there. The weather has been weird this week, but I'm definitely enjoying the nice weather right now! Go outside and get some vitamin D!

                               

For all of you who follow my blog or just know me in general, you know I suffer from a migraine a couple times a month. About a month or two ago I wrote about a drug called Topomax. I was put on this as a "preventative". Take it once or twice a day and it should prevent my migraines. Well I was on 200 mg, which is a very high dose and it didn't touch it for the most part. I ended up taking myself off it after about 4ish years because of two things. First, I did my research on it and well needless to say, I wasn't liking what I was reading. Second, the side effects were starting to appear. While reading the news today, I found an article on CNN called "Preventative medicines can help migraine sufferers." As I started to read, I became more and more angry. "Many migraine sufferers could have fewer, less severe headaches if they took preventive medicines, but few eligible patients do, say doctors releasing updated treatment guidelines Monday." Saying that out of the 40% that are qualified for the meds, only 3-13% take them. "You have a lot of gun-shy patients because of a lot of bad experiences," says Michael John Coleman, founder of the patient group MAGNUM, also known as the National Migraine Association. Many spend months or years taking medicines that don't work and make them miserable, he says." Yeah I would agree with that... I mean when the side effects include: 

1. Unusual sensations, such as burning or tingling (paresthesias) -- in up to 51 percent of people
2. Dizziness -- up to 32 percent
3. Fatigue -- up to 30 percent
4. Drowsiness -- up to 29 percent
5. Mental and physical slowing or delays -- up to 21 percent
6. Nervousness -- up to 19 percent
7. Upper respiratory infection (such as the common cold) -- up to 18 percent
8. Coordination problems -- up to 16 percent
9. Weight loss -- up to 16 percent 
10. Loss of appetite -- up to 15 percent
11. Taste changes -- up to 15 percent
12. Confusion -- up to 14 percent
13. Difficulty with concentration or attention -- up to 14 percent
14. Nausea -- up to 14 percent.

... of course people would doubt the effectiveness of this drug. I experienced many of these side effects and thats why I stopped taking it. Not to mention all these commericals that say, "If your taking Topomax and have given birth to a baby with cleft palate...etc" Oh, that really makes me wanna take the drug now???!  Just as Emily Guzan, 26, a lawyer from Pittsburgh who was diagnosed with migraines in 2008. After taking the dosages, she began having nightmares, an altered sense of taste, an unwanted 30-pound weight loss and memory problems... oh wait and don't forget that she was in the hospital at least once a month with migraines (even on this medicine!!). After trying a few more meds and getting off Topomax, she began a few lifestyle changes which she says has helped WAY more than this drug.

I guess my take-home message is just to be do your research and be aware of what you are putting in your body. It is the most precious thing we have. Listen to your body!

Have a wonderful day! Enjoy the sunshine!

A Uniq Day :)

Happy Sunday! Are you ready for this week to start? I made a "to-do" list and well, needless to say I have no life this week. I am NOT ready for finals. At all...


This weekend, like I said in my previous post, my good friend Kylee came in from Auburn. So, it was a good time for all of us to get together!

Saturday morning, I woke up and got ready for my mom and aunt to come! When they finally got here, mom and I headed to Savannah for a girls day. Came home, after getting caught in pouring rain, and had dinner with Buck. We woke up this morning and had Sunday brunch at Sugar Magnolia, where I was able to get some fresh granola! YUMM! Then, my favorite part of the day.... we decided to tye dye! i dyed some shirts and my sheets!! I forgot how fun it is to be a kid!

Sadly, mom had to leave pretty early.... so I made some cous-cous spring salad (recipe coming soon) and cut up something pretty awesome. Its called a Uniq Fruit. Looks pretty gross... but the inside is a hybrid between tangerine, grapefruit and Seville orange. And it tastes so yummy!

Have a GREAT week!

Protein in a veggie diet

Cant believe another week is gone. I cant keep up with time anymore. Only 2 weeks left till finals and well, till we all go a little crazy in the head. On that note, how was everyone week? Did you participate in No Impact Week? Walking around campus this week, seeing all the No Impact shirts, was definitely awesome! The farmers market, as always, was yummy! 

I am pretty excited for this week to come to end though... a good friend who recently transferred to Auburn, will be coming in Friday! Then, Saturday morning, I get to spend the day with my mom and aunt. I don't think I have seen my aunt in like 8 years... so... this will awesome. Gonna head up to Savannah and have a girls day :) 

Lately, my vegetarian lifestyle has come up A LOT in conversation. Most of the time, with people who still eat meat, and all asking the same two questions. "WHY!!?" and "So... how do you get your protein if you don't eat meat?" I love sharing the knowledge, and well, I guess Ill share with you both of my answers.

Why Did I Go?

Hmmm. Rewind to, well, my whole life. I grew up on everything meat. Chicken almost every night for dinner, hamburgers from my favorite restaurants, and one of my favorites, BBQ. I did not go one day without meat in diet. Also, let me point out that I never really got into "healthy" living until my junior year in high school. A friend of mine, Ashley, and I, always joke about our earlier "healthy-living". a diet coke, a turkey and cheese sandwich, and maybe some Wheat Thins.... my oh my how things have changed. So anyways. Moving on to the college years. When I declared Dietetics as my major, I never had a clue how much it would impact my life. There is no way NOT to look at food the same way after you know just about everything about it. Between my major and many food documentaries, I still never thought I would make the change. Just to hard, right? Then last July, while at a fitness convention, I sat in on a lecture about The China Study. If you have never read the book or watched Forks over Knives, please take the time, it will impact you on some level. As I sat there and listened to this MD from the Hipprocates Institute, I could not help but want to change. And that very day, after listening to his amazing lecture, I made the switch. Just quit all together. I told myself, "Just try it for a month or two, and then depending on how you feel... make the decision then." ... never thinking I would actually stick to it. A friend of mine gave me maximum 2 months of sticking (haha proved you!). It just happened that when I returned home from that conference, I had to see my doctor for some blood work. She ran lipid panels on me (checks the fats in your blood/cholesterol/all that good stuff). With an official beginning number of my blood work, being a vegetarian became a little experiment for me. Would it really effect my blood, make me feel better, give me more energy? At almost a year now, I am happy to say, my good HDLs have risen and LDLs lowered, my energy has increased, I have rid a thyroid disease, face cleared up... I mean I cant describe how amazing I feel. My overall happiness with life is just incredible. Feeling good is contagious.

major+documentaries+lecture+food not being the same as it used to+more sustainable= briannas reasons.

So... what about protein?

This is my favorite question, because for the most part, people are just not educated on food. Which is fine, I totally understand, nutrition is not exactly the easiest thing to study!! So, for all you non-believers out there, this is where I get my protein!

1. Beans. Need I say more? Packed with everything a food could ever need. Minerals, vitamins, fiber, protein, good carbs... hmmm jsut a good food. 12-14 grams of protein for one cup... but lets be real, I probably double that portion haha. If you were to add lentils to that mix... 1 cup of lentils contains 18 grams of protein!

2.Greek yogurt. Yum. How can you turn yogurt down? 15-20 grams of protein per 6 ounces. Greek yogurt is a protein powerhouse, with twice the protein and half the sugar and carbs of regular yogurt (same amount of protein as a piece of lean meat). This plus a handful nuts will give you your daily serving of protein... just at breakfast!

3. Tofu. I always told myself how gross tofu was and that I would NEVER eat it. Well, I take all that back. With 8 grams per serving, I add this to just about anything. Burritos, sushi, and even veggie lasagna. In my food science lab, we even made a chocolate 'silk' pie with it. Surprisingly, it was very good! YUMM

So, those are a few of my favorites, but protein in non-animal sources is not just limited to these examples. Nuts, eggs, and avocados are all also very good sources! And, each and every one of those has its own awesome benefits! So eat up!

Well, I am off to bed here soon. I went to yoga tonight with a good friend, Corey, and well, I am nothing short of relaxed. I hope everyone has a wonderful, healthy, weekend! Tomorrows Friday, TGIFFFF!

Glass Half Full

HAPPY MONDAY! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, full of good people :D This week I have absolutely NO tests, which feels 100% weird. Of course, I have like 3 presentations, but nothing we cant get through, right! I had a wonderful weekend to top it off. Friday, I met with my boss to discuss, well lets just say, my future. All this internship stuff is starting to kick in, I am more nervous than ever before. I cant believe that in one year I will be done with college and HOPEFULLY chosen for an internship. If all that doesn't happen, then off to some nonprofit organizations. My dream... yeah get ready for this... would be to work overseas, say Africa, feeding the nutritionally deficient children. I know everything will work out though, I suppose I should just stop worrying. Oh dreams... haha. I ended Friday night at the RU free movie! Yay for free stuff!

Saturday I woke up and shocker here... went to Sugar Magnolia for brunch with Buck. I cant say how much I loveeeeee that place! YUMM! Spent the day at the pool and ended the night with a potluck. After passing out pretty early... I woke up feeling very refreshed on Sunday. Made some breakfast, worked out, made some eggplant lasagna and even juiced! Had a delicious dinner, in the beautiful weather, with Buck and Addy. 

This is my beet, apple, and carrot juice and the pulp just looked so pretty... I had to snap a pic. FULL of good stuff!

Today was the start of No Impact Week here on campus. So, the challenge today was to reduce your amount of trash. I cut up some tshirts yesterday and made some headbands, then came to campus today and realized they were doing the same thing! So, I made some more! Then tie-dyed, followed by donating some clothes to a clothes drive! Even if you didn't sign up, you should try and do a little! It is all really easy! Tomorrow, the farmers market will be on campus-- so eat local. Wednesday- ride your bike to school or wherever. Thursday- Earth Day celebration, even though its not ED. Friday- Activities at RU (11-1) and the last day will be Monday the 23rd when we have the CEO of Seventh Generation come speak!

So, have a great week! I really want to tie-dye some more... maybe that will be tonight's project! I am being inducted to Sigma Alpha Pi. I am super honored to be apart of a honors-leadership society! 

Be the change you wish to see in the world!!

sushi and cinnamon

Hello all! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend, even if you just stayed in the boro! I definitely stayed here this weekend and even though I was sick a majority of the weekend, it was still nice! Friday I spent a little time with Buck in the lab and for the first time I was able to see what he actually does for hours on top of hours. Needless to say, my mind was blown. After sitting in the lab we decided to go out for some sushi :D I cant tell all of you enough how much I ALL THE SUDDEN LOVE sushi. I guess Buck has instilled this in me, but its a new obsession. Its just an awesome combination of great things that my metabolism LOVES. Seaweed, veggies, and rice.... all good stuff!  We also had seaweed salad... YUM! Quite the date night... haha sitting in the lab with phytoplankton and eating sushi :D Saturday I woke up and headed over to Sugar Magnolia and had some brunch! Followed by a farmers market visit with my SOAR partner, Keonnie! Finished the day off with the pool (+a burn), pizza with Bucky, and a good nights rest! Woke up Sunday, had some Easter breakfast, did homework ALL day, and had a nice dinner prepared my Bucky. Definitely a good weekend in my eyes ! Here is the remainder of his homemade sushi... I think I'll keep him

So today, I thought I would write on something I found pretty awesome. I came across this article entitled "9 Spices with Super Healing Powers" . Last week I happen to turn on the TV to Dr.Oz. He was doing some show on alternative cures, naturally I tuned in. I have this really bad habit of picking hangnails, its a bad nervous habit, and Dr.Oz happened to be talking about it. He said applying Tumeric to the surface would help this. You all know my stance on the healing power of food, so I thought I would look up more cures in the form of spices. So, here is some things I found!

Cinnamon-- (my FAV!)

Packed with all sorts of good things, Cinnamon is a powerhouse of antioxidants. These antioxidants keep cells from oxidative stress and all the free radicals we come in contact with. Also, LOTS of studies have been done about this spice and its effect on Diabetes. With 1 and 10 Americans suffering from Type 2, cinnamon has been linked with lowering blood sugar levels-- yay, the power of food :D Last but not least, studies have shown that it helped restore cognitive levels and correct movement problems in the animals: possibly helping prevent Alzheimer's. So, aim for a quarter- to a half of a teaspoon, a couple times weekly. Whether its on your oatmeal or sprinkled over apples, this is definitely a yummy and healthy choice!

Tumeric--

"Turmeric's health benefits are through the roof," says Reardon. "If I could only have one spice for the rest of my life, it'd be turmeric." Used in Indian cuisine and medicine for a millennium, Western medicine is FINALLY catching on to this wonderful antioxidant. Tumerics active ingredient, curcumin, has been shown to fight off cancer, amyloid plaque development, etc. This spice is helpful with things such as regulating triglyceride levels, regulating the immune system, and protecting the cardiovascular system. This is my favorite part-- Tumeric contains something known as COX-2 inhibitor -- like a non steroidal anti-inflammatory. Studies have shown that a daily dose has the same effects as Ibuprofen on patients with osteoporosis of the knee. So, like I said, applying this to my red/inflamed hang nail would be very effective!! Aim for a teaspoon of turmeric at least three times a week, not too much more than that because this can have some negative effects on your body as well --- effecting things such as: blood clotting and exacerbating existing gall blabber issues. So just be careful :D

Ginger--

Along with my new obsession of sushi, comes a new taste of Ginger. They always place this with your sushi to 'cleanse your palate" , but I guess it has a lot better things going for it than just your palate! With just the right amount, Ginger has been used for quieting nausea, speeding food through the digestive tract, and protecting against gastric ulcers. With the same properties or Tumeric, COX inhibitor is found in Ginger. This can help with just about any type of pain, from menstrual cramps to migraines (haha both of which I suffer from). Make sure to check with your doctor before consuming much more than a dose a day. This could possibly cause drug interactions, gas, heartburn, and exacerbation of existing gall issues.

Chili Peppers-- (another fav!)

Used for almost 10,000 years, chili peppers have been thought of as an ingredient to spice up your food or speed up your metabolism... while each of those is true, chili peppers hold some other pretty awesome qualities. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in CP, has been linked to a great topical pain reliever for headaches, arthritis, and other chronic pain problems. Inhibiting the release of things called "P-Proteins", chili peppers interrupt the pain signals getting sent to the brain. Just 1/8 of a teaspoon has the health benefits you need... so eat up !!

MMMM! feel free to look at the rest of these spices, I just thought I'd spark your brain a little! Have a wonderful Monday and if you'd like a little workout tonight, come see me at pilates! 5:30 tonight :D

Brianna

#happy

It has been forever since I have written. Saddest part, I had no tests this week BUT I was still running rampant. I am starting to feel the affects of it too- first sore throat in about a year. I'm curing that with some hot tea and honey. I feel as if I need to update my life! This past weekend, like I said, I was super excited to get away to a wedding... well it was nothing short of awesome. Buck was the best man in his best friend, Chris', wedding. The wedding was absolutely stunning and the bride, Anna, was beautiful. The whole weekend overall was great! I returned Monday to a pretty relaxed day, lots of catching up to do, but pretty relaxed. Monday was also the day I found out about how our nutrition internships were divided up. I don't know if any of you ever hear me talking about this internship and how competitive it is... but I think this year definitely proved it. Sunday was the day that every dietetic applicant found out their fate for the next year. I am happy to say that one of my good friends and fellow bloggers  (<--- check her out! )received quite a dreamy internship. Ashley Harper Evans will be heading to Jacksonville in the summer to begin her internship at The Mayo Clinic. I cant congratulate her enough. 


Tuesday, my busiest day, was pretty typical in that I was going ALL DAY LONG. I think Wednesday tops my week by far. A few weeks ago, Paige and Erin, my SOAR bosses, brought up to the team that there would be a 'chili cook off'. Instantly, I agreed to head this, along with another teammate... having NO idea what we were getting in to. Wednesday, the day before this cook off, I met with the director. Basically, in a nut shell, he said prepare for ~400 people. WAIT WHAT??? No one told us that. We had a $50 budget, no pot to cook in, and oh what about time to prepare for 400 people??? Thanks to the grace of God, we found a big enough pot and prepared veggie chili and cornbread for 2.5 hours. 

The result was a very successful chili. We ALMOST won peoples choice :( People were a little skeptical at first, but it turned out to be a success, I am very proud! Thank you to everyone who came out and tried our veggie chili :D :D :D

I woke up this morning, thinking I would have a nice day at the pool. Cue freezing cold weather and RAIN. So, Ill just take the lazy day instead! Luckily, I am not the only one in the boro this Easter weekend. Maybe the sun will come out and we can all get a pool day tomorrow!


FARMERS MARKET TOMORROOOOW!!! 
Have a wonderful Easter weekend!
Brianna

finally, something I can agree with.

Hello all, and happy Tuesday! I just got out of my advanced food science test... and um, I guess we will see how that one went. I never really considered how much goes into certain processes of cooking, or why adding certain things to a egg foam with affect it, until I got in this class. This particular test was over sugars, eggs, and fat. So, if you ever wanna know why an acid prevents synergesis in egg whites, just let me know. OMG... definitely didn't choose the food science profession for a reason. Anyways-- I still have 2 tests and 3 quizzes before the week ends. So, wish me luck. Also this week former Mayor Guilliani will be visiting campus. I cant wait to go see him!


So how about I stumbled across something I actually agree with... something from the FDA. Typically I write about how much some of their decisions dont really sit right with me, but this one definitely makes me happy. 


Lets rewind back to the year 1977. This was the year that the FDA began and never finished the process of banning penicillin and tetracycline, widely used antibiotics in animal feed. While these help with growth of animals, when used in such high amounts, humans consuming these animals and ultimately these antibiotics, develop a resistance. These antibiotics are prescribed with NO prescription at NO sign of sickness in these animals. Farmers were so impressed by the fatter animals that they kept adding these to feed and water. 
"Eighty percent of antibiotics bought in the United States are used in animals, not humans. Meanwhile, outbreaks of illnesses from antibiotic-resistant bacteria have grown in number and severity, killing thousands." -- NYTimes

So, now fast forward to 2012. Just two months after the Obama administration announced the restrictions on agricultural uses of cephalosporins, which treats things like strep throat and pneumonia, a federal judge ordered to open the case that the FDA left unfinished 35 years ago."In a ruling handed down Thursday, Judge Theodore Katz said the FDA must begin steps to withdraw approval of the two antibiotics for routine use in animals." Antibiotics would not be able to be immediately halted from feeds, the drug companies will need time to adress and scheldule a public hearing. "If, at the hearing, the drug sponsors fail to show that use of the drugs is safe, the FDA commissioner must issue a withdrawal order," ruled Katz, a judge in New York City."

So whats the big deal about antibiotics in feed? Right, thats the question you're asking. Read this, I'm not sure if I wrote it... that it would make the least bit sense.
"The science is clear on two points. First, by inappropriately giving antibiotics to livestock*, we promote the growth of new strains of bacteria that are resistant to existing antibiotics and can infect humans. And, second, that those antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a serious, expensive, and sometimes fatal, risk for humans. The humans at risk, by the way, are not only the humans who eat meat or work with livestock. All humans are at increased risk for infection by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including vegetarians and those who never have and never will set foot near a chicken, turkey, pig, or cow." -- Representative Louise Slaughter 

So, like I said, this makes me pretty happy. I think that the FDA is making steps in the right direction. What are your thoughts?


Have a wonderful Tuesday... and I think you should come visit me tonight at AA and Cardio Sculpt! 8 and 830 :D

Sharing a Smile

Happy Sunday and hello to all! This has just been a wonderful weekend! While I should of been inside studying because I have about 5 tests this week... I chose to procrastinate in the beautiful weather. Yes, I know Saturday was rainy, but I cant say I didn't enjoy it. I was able to get SOME work done, followed by spending the day with my roomie, Megsss :D We ventured over to the new boutique in Statesboro, Entourage, and well... fell in love. This place is awesome if you have not been! Very affordable :D 


Saturday night we got together with some friends and it was just lovely! I woke up this morning to the sun shining and beautiful weather. After I grabbed some breakfast, I headed over to Bucks, grabbed Addy, and flew out to The George L. Smith State Park. This place is pretty awesome if you have not been. You can picnic, walk the trails, canoe, ride bikes... I mean you name it and this place is ideal. Well, for the statesboro area... haha I'll take it. After about an hour of walking the trails we rented a canoe, threw Addy on, and headed out! It was so beautiful out and actually the rowing turned out to be quite the arm workout! Very satisfied with the day and I think Addy was too :D

This week is going to be hectic. Like I said, I have 5 tests/quizzes + everything else. But, I have a nice weekend to look forward to (haha its Sunday and I'm already wanting the week to be over... how sad!) Heading to Savannah area for a wedding and thanks to Entourage, I have the perfect dress!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday night and a great week! 

haha this is what I feel like... 

paleo?

What a rainy Saturday! I love this though, I don't feel so bad being inside preparing for my week. Although... this week was pretty full of AWESOME weather, we needed this! This past week was surprisingly not bad at all, not many things to worry about at all. Haha, don't get me wrong, days are FULL, but not having 734856874 tests feels great. I also received this awesome reader feedback, I NEED to share it with you all. This made my day, people are so great! :D


Hey Girl,
I haven't posted on your blog yet but I just wanted to tell you that I have been keeping up with it for a month or so now and am really enjoying reading it. I appreciate how you not only provide your opinion but the scientific backing behind your stances on nutrition and pharmaceuticals as well. I also love your recipes! I've been a vegetarian now for a few months and am trying to incorporate more vegan options into my diet (as a result of reading the China study and watching too many documentaries on netflix) and your blog definitely helps! I know we haven't really talked since high school but I just wanted to drop you a line and say keep up the blogging it's great! Hope you're well!


So, will all the new hype about the new CrossFit gym here in Statesboro, I decided to research some aspects a little more. I think I am a little biased towards the workouts since I work with fitness professionals, so I have decided to share with you my thoughts on the Paleo Diet-- the recommended diet for those using CrossFit. Please remember I am not yet an RD. Aesthetically these dieters look great, but I am not so sure about their insides.

Starting off with what I can accept about this diet. I love that it asks you to cut out all processed foods while sticking to a whole foods diet. Second, I love that push fruits and veggies. For obvious reasons, this is always going to be better for you, and with the average American population not consuming close to what they need... this is fine with me! But, other than that, I must argue some things about this diet.

1. No legumes? No grains? Hmmm... I understand that legumes have lots of carbs, but compared with the amount of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein... I think legumes should be a staple in just about anyones diet. The amount of animal protein this diet asks you to consume is outrageous-- with that much (saturated) fat and protein and little fiber in our bodies, what is the meat supposed to do? Sit there in our digestive systems and take a very long time to digest. Which leads me to my next issue...
2. The amount of animal protein ingested. Compared to a plant-based diet with  NO saturated fat in it, animal products are packed with this stuff. High saturated fat intake leads to lots of things. One of the most concerning for our day and age, heart disease... the #1 killer in America. Not to mention the current meat industry. This is NOTHING like what it used to be. I guess one of the reasons I went veggie... but still... the meat we eat today is not even comparable to what is was even 50 years ago, much less 10,000. Between the hormones, antibiotics, slaughter method, and the conditions they are kept in... I think I'll pass.
3. I disagree with the current amount of carbs we as Americans take in... but we cant completely cut those out either. So if you cant eat carbs... where is the energy for your brain going to come in? Carbohydrates=glucose=brain fuel. Simple as that. 
4. >protein <carbs: Hmmm. Let me take you through a little biochemistry. 
• Protein is made up of Nitrogen compounds. While protein is INDEED necessary in our bodies, it is not required in such high amounts.
• Nitrogen converts to uric acid the body. If found in high amounts, the uric acid in our bodies can damage our kidneys, which I don't know about you... but kidneys work magic in our body. Kidney failure is no good...
• Then carbohydrate intake... which this diet says to cut out. But, if adequate carbs are not ingested, this can lead to something called Ketosis. This leads to muscle wasting... which I guess is the complete opposite of what CrossFit would want, right?
5. Dairy consumption I'm mixed on. Humans are the only mammals to consume dairy from a cow after infancy. So, yes, I guess limiting would be a better alternative than straight up CUTTING it out. 

So anyways, just some thoughts on the diet :D I know lots of people try this and see great results, but I just wonder, at what cost? Sometimes we get so caught up in what the outside looks like that we forget how much we are hurting the inside :( 

Last night Buck and I ate some sushi and edamame. This is what resulted from that outing... goober.

Today I went over to the Herb Shop and got some blueberry green tea, its so yummy! So I'm out to drink this and do my homework... yuck. Stay dry and have a wonderful weekend! :D