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