They’re herrrreeeee
Posted: May 2, 2012 Filed under: Life, School Leave a comment
It’s finals week at temple university and because this is my fourth week.of college finals I have developed a pretty solid method of dealing with the anxiety of the season. Here is my survival list to avoiding a panic attack during the biggest week of the year…
1. Exercise often and do it outside of the dorm
Exercise is the guilt-free version of procrastination.
2. Throw in some yoga
Maybe the yoga instructor within me is biased towards this method of stress releif, but really taking time to be mindful can help your brain to not fill up too fast and actually increase your productivity.
3. Take breaks for snacks and make them healthy.
My personal favorite is a bagel with provolone cheese and apple slices
4. Stock up on different types of teas
Black for caffeine, green for health, herbal for relaxation, and if you are a science major you might also want to pick up some ginger for nausea.
5. Don’t isolate yourself
Although locking yourself in your room may seem like the best idea, being alone is often the worst thing you could possibly do during study week. Being alone can lead to anxiety, nervousness and depression. Don’t do it. Or do it for small periods of time. But on the other hand, it is important to keep in mind what kind of friends you want around you during this time… It might not be wise to spend an evening with your party friends when you need to memorize physics formulas.
6. Dress comfortable, but don’t look like a scrub
It’s true that you want to be able to be comfortable during your studying but looking like a complete slob can lower self-confidence thereby making a person more prone to depression and anxiety. Two emotions that really should be avoided during finals.
7. Jellybeans
I realize that earlier in the post I said to take breaks for healthy snacks, but for my hypoglycemic self this is not enough. A constant stream of sugar (not too much!) can actually help focus your brain and avoid sugar crashes that will lead to binge eating later on. This is why I pop sour jellybeans while I study my hardest subjects. It keeps my brain awake and focused and gives me a little treat to look forward to at then end of every page.
8. Have a pump up playlist for when you need a pick-me-up
It is recommended that during studying you listen only to classical music. Scientists say this is best for your brain. However, when you just gave two hours of your life to a subject you don’t care about sometimes you need a little mood booster. Blast the music that is closest to your heart, or the music that makes you feel sufficiently bad ass to help you take on that last minute paper.
9. Treat yourself
Insomnia cookies has great sales during finals season! And there is nothing wrong with a little chocolatey reward to keep you going during long nights in the books.
10. Know this is all temporary
The Buddhist in me. A good philosophy for life in general. One day the test will be over. And that will be that.
Good luck and may the curve be forever in your favor.
Control freak yogurt
Posted: April 30, 2012 Filed under: Food Leave a commentWhen buying a flavor of yogurt you put a lot of faith into the company of choice. It is up to them to satisfy your appetite and your tastebuds, creating the most ideal ratio of fruit to dairy. But for control freaks like me I can’t handle putting so much into the hands of a major company. Hence… Fruit on the bottom
Now you mix it yourself, having the option to mix as much fruity sweetness into your yogurt as you want. But there is one flaw with this…. What they give you is never enough
And when it comes to dragonfruit flavor… There is no such thing as enough.
Urban running
Posted: April 30, 2012 Filed under: Workouts Leave a comment
Last night my best friend called me and asked me to run a 5K with her in a few weeks. My initial reaction to this was helllll no.
My secondary reaction was like well fine. So I went over to the gym expecting to take a leisurely jog around the indoor track. However after a day long of last minute final studying, I found out that the gym had long been closed. I was too late.
I thought about giving up. I thought about heading over to qudoba and treating myself to a vegetarian taco salad but no. Because exactly two miles away from where I was standing stood the most recognizable building in philadelphia, city hall. And off I went. Running at night in the city alone is not something I am really “supposed” to be doing. But it was the most beautiful and stress relieving thing I had accomplished in awhile. City running may occasionally set off my asthma, but really the excitement and beauty of it is enough to make stuffing an inhaler in my sports bra worth it.
Hungover and hypoglycemic
Posted: April 28, 2012 Filed under: Food, Life 1 CommentWaking up on a saturday is never easy, especially when you have a day of studying ahead and a pounding headache. Today I woke up to a phone call for a job interview. Gave me a push of optimism that one day I will be able to afford real ingredients…. The good life.
So after a spongebob squarepants episode worth of calisthenics, it was time to give my stomach something to keep it occupied.
My breakfast:
Egg, tomato, provolone cheese melt
Using a tomato slice instead of a bagel to put my egg on top was absolutely delicious. Gave it more flavor and texture while completely cutting out carbs. I also loaded it with black pepper as an extra metabolism boost and kept the yolk runny. Just for fun 🙂
Just what you need the day after… Fat, grease, and protein. Just don’t forget the green tea!
Now study time until I finally get to see my one true love later tonight… J Cole.
Vegify It! Low-cal pasta
Posted: April 28, 2012 Filed under: Food Leave a commentThe problem that most people have with losing weight is typically the same old one, portion control. It seems impossible not to eat an entire bowl of pasta and then want seconds. In response most people try to reduce the portion of what they are eating, leaving themselves feeling deprived. However, now begins a new revalation in portion size.
In order to fill you up you need to add volume, not take it away. Vegetables are the perfect way to acheive this. So take your food and vegify it.
One Pot Pesto Pasta Vegified
Whole wheat spaghetti
1 Asparagus bunch
2 cups of cabbage
1 can of artichoke heart
pesto sauce or sauce of choice
(optional garlic, onion, mushrooms… I would have sauteed these ingredients and added them at the end it if I had made it to the store. Oh, well. Either way is delicious!)
Start by boiling the water.
Chop off the tough parts of the asparagus stalks and slice them into about 1/2 inch pieces diagonally.
Add the whole wheat pasta and cabbage and let cook for around 5-6 minutes.
Throw in the asparagus and cook until pasta and cabbage are tender.
Drain and stir in artichoke hearts (also drained) and about 1/4 cup of pesto sauce (depending on how much pasta you added).
If you made other veggies to go with it, add them and enjoy!!
I love this recipe because it has so much interesting texture. The cabbage kind of acts like an extension of the pasta because of its shape and its ability to absorb sauce and take on its flavor. The asparagus and artichoke hearts are two of my favorite vegetables and go AMAZING with pasta and pesto sauce. Really though when it comes to vegifying there are no rules but to do it up and do not fear the green.
My Yoga Future
Posted: April 28, 2012 Filed under: Food, Life, Workouts Leave a commentSo, today while I was in the cafe I happened to run into my favorite student yoga teacher. I started up a conversation with her asking about how she got her certification and that led me to sign up for a weekend long certification class that begins at the end of May. I immediately applied for a yoga teacher job as well at my school’s gym. Instructor certified here I come????
This being said my workout today was a simple yoga routine.
It was the best way to calm my pre-final nerves and end the last week of the semester on a mindful note.
To end my yoga workout I needed a quick energy snack…
I decided on half a bagel with peanutbutter and banana, half with honey and banana and loaded them both up with cinnamon on top. Just what I needed.
Chopticks and Cafes
Posted: April 27, 2012 Filed under: Life Leave a commentAtmosphere is everything. Studying in the dorm is unfriendly, lonely, and way too quiet. That’s why I came to the barnes and noble cafe. Even though it is filled with crazy people singing hall and oates and the temptations of cakes and frappacinos, it is my favorite place to do work…
And eat of course.
But it is not just where you eat but how you do it. Drinking normal coffee and eating normal salad is just not for me… This is why I always bring my own temple university coffee cup, add cinnamon and mocha powder to my eco-friendly drink, and most importantly eat my salad with chopsticks.
Everyone knows eating is about style not just content. Especially in public. Using chopsticks are not only the ultimate in cool but allow you to prove your cross-cultural skills. Chopsticks enhance the eating experience making it more fun and more unique. They make every bite count and most importantly, chopsticks are a useful way to force yourself to slow down and take life one craisin at a time.
Irish salad. Shaken not stirred.
Posted: April 27, 2012 Filed under: Food | Tags: food Leave a commentWhen you live in a dorm you dont have the time or the required amount of clean silverware to toss your salads. Thats where tubberware comes in.
I called today’s salad an irish salad because the base is cabbage. Also included are bean sprouts, black beans and craisins. Topped off with some balsamic dressing. Today, I’m taking this one to go.
Simple hummus sandwich
Posted: April 26, 2012 Filed under: Food Leave a comment
Since my breakfast was pretty hardy I decided to make lunch a little more light. So I made my favorite sandwich. It even looks healthy.
My favorite vegan sandwich
Everything bagel thin toasted
Hummus
Layers of tomato, bean sprouts, and cucumbers
(If you have avacados… Throw that on there!)
Rainy day brunch
Posted: April 26, 2012 Filed under: Food Leave a commentAfter the workout I satisfied my tired muscles with a mug of warm chocolate milk and some jazz music. Somehow this seemed fitting for a rainy day like today.
After that I made what I consider to be my new favorite omlette.
Asparagus, pesto, provolone omlette
2 eggs
Butter for the pan
1 slice of provolone cheese
5 stalks of asparagus
1 tbsp of pesto sauce
Boil water and chop the asparagus into 1/4 inch chunks. After the water is boiling add salt and the asparagus chunks for about a minute or until they start to becone a brighter green. Drain and put aside.
Grease a pan with butter or margarine and warm to medium eat. Beat together 2 extra large eggs and add them to the pan. Allow the eggs to cook and be sure to evenly distribute throughout the pan. After they start to firm up top with provolone cheese and the aspargus. Then fold the omlette over and give it about 90 seconds on both sides. To serve spread pesto on top and enjoy while its hot.
Calories: about 450
veggiesarecheap 