good advice for anyone

Go out exploring, today, and you are bound to find a few pleasant surprises. Whether you just take a walk around the block or you book a flight to some faraway country, there are new people and places for you to get to know better. You're curious right now, and the same old same old will not satisfy you. When you get out of your element, your creativity gets a boost, and your attitude gets a makeover. Happiness comes when you are getting acquainted with new things.

Grrr...Whole Foods

I had lunch yesterday with Carolina, made a fantastic salad with some new ingredients!
New, Never Before Had my LMO :
Lemon Tahini Dressing
Falafel
Blackened Tofu
Thai Chicken

also had:
olives, spring mix greens, broccoli, feta, purple cabbage, a mushroom slice, water crescents, red and yellow bell pepper!

After lunch I wanted to grab some annie's honey bunnies ( never had them before) and annies mac and cheese b/c it was on sale and I had a coupon! I also grabbed a bag of bridge mix ( big mistake!)...
I forgot to give them my coupon!! I hate that!! And then I had half of a serving of the bridge mix... I grabbed my feedback to my response paper on American Indian Health Disparities and headed to do some home-therapy with Jacob! I left jacobs feeling sick.. naseaus, almost like my stomach was empty but in a weird non-hunger way...

I couldnt figure out what was going on... so I went to Jeff's hockey game, and had a grilled chicken breast on top of salad in the car ( it was a 40 min drive away)... thinking it would help me feel better. Alas, it did not. We arrived home and I reached for the Bridge Mix purchased today-- It EXPIRED AUG. 21 2008... . 2 Weeks Ago!!! EEEWWW!
I was awake all night, in the bathroom, in bed, in the bathroom... yuck! I am planning on returning them and complaining... its not the $2 that bugs me its the fact that I was sick all night from it! Ew!!

That meant I woke up late and now have to get ready for Andrea's Bridal Shower!
I also forgot my camera before lunch so No pics either!

Body:
Yoga 40 minutes., Elliptical 20 minutes

Mind:
Read one article due wednesday, Read feedback on response paper, Played 3 games of suduko!, Had an insanely intelligent deep conversation with Caroline at lunch about government, health policy, poverty, ellectoral college!

Soul: Therapy with Jacob, 4 yr. old boy with autism that I used to teach... I had a dream I was crying because I missed him so much!!

Update on Laural's Closet Sale

36 shirts 4 dresses 4 skirts 10 pairs of pants 4 shorts

( here it is laid out on our guest bed and all hung up on the closet.. see anything you like...let me know ?)
I still have to go through the yellow basket on top of the closet, and another bigger one in the bottom of the closet.. and I had to hang multiple things on one hanger...

The stuff my sister gave me is cute but she is 5' 2" 110 lb ish and i am 5' 4" 120 lb ish... so it fits except its too short for me... And alot of my stuff I got thinking "oh i will have it taken in" then didnt...and it still has the tags on it

early early early

Jeff woke up super early, before 6! Which woke me up and Icouldnt sleep so I made smoothies ( He told me how excited he is for them, he loves them! horray!)

I made two 16 oz glasses with the recipe, and I also had a black plum ( which i didnt like nearly much as the apricot-plum "Pluot")

1.75 scoops pure protein
1 T ground flax
frozen blueberries
frozen cherries
frozen banana
1 tsp peanut butter
a few ice chunks
1.25 cups 1% milk

Since that breakfast was at 6:30 ... (even though smoothies tend to hold me for at least 4 hours...) I will probably have an early mini lunch soon and I am meeting a good friend Caroline for lunch at Whole Foods at 1:15! so excited to seemy friend!

Very, VERY VEGGIE!

After class I stopped at Fresh Market just to make me happy, grocery shopping usually de-stresses me... how odd i know.

So this is what I got from there:
(missing is the onion bread squares for burgers this weekend!!!)

The loaf is Rosemary Olive Oil and Sea Salt bread... IT IS AMAZING!!!! I seriously could eat the WHOLE LOAF!
The roma tomato is for the Frittata Tonight, The other is for frying along with the zuchinni and eggplant to go with the burgers!

I finally got to buy Pluots ( and a red plum and two black plums) .... They were on special for $1.48/lb ~ I tried the Pluot for the first time while cooking dinner.. Very Veggie Frittata













The Recipe is:
3 eggs
4 egg whites

splash of 1% milk

caraway seeds

dash low sodium salt

dashes black pepper
sprinkle of mixed cheese... total about 1/4 cup

I had mixed all of this with the veggies described below, then poured it into my pan on medium heat... when it was just about done I put it all into the cake pan , laid the sliced tomatoes on top and sprinkled with cheese, broiled for 15 minutes at about 400

veggies... I had used a bag of mix frozen asparagus stir fry ... I microwaved them earlier today with a dash of lemon pepper... the mix includes:
-asparagus

-red pepper

-carrots

-broccoli

-cauliflower

-yellow squash
i LOVE it... how many awesome veggies is that and I never have to worry about them going bad b/c they are frozen!! as you can see above, I do love fresh veggies too but I have to try really hard to use them before they go bad.


Here is the finished product, which looks like a pizza!!

Here is my plate, which is 3 servings of vegetables, 1 lean meat ( the protein packed eggs), 1 grain

Today's Adv. Nutrient Metabolism class

I love this amazing accomplishment feeling! Adv. Nutrient Metabolism was all about fiber and which types of fiber are insoluble/soluble... insoluble, nonfermentable fiber is better for treating constipation and soluble/fermentable fiber is better for lowering cholesterol. I asked why is it that psyllium seed is a common laxative yet is a soluble fiber ? prof. said he didnt know!

We also learned the pathways for how and why the fiber lowers cholesterol... The soluble fiber binds to bile salts (stored in the gallbladder, transported into the small intestine when fat arrives in it).... and carries them out the colon for waste... less bile salt is then returned to/ available in the liver so the liver must pull cholesterol from the blood in order to make bile salt, in order to breakdown fat/CHO etc... so it pulls the cholesterol from the blood... reducing blood cholesterol.
Cholesterol drugs often given to high blood cholesterol patients have a similar effect, they block the re-absorption of bile salts, and help carry out bile salts to waste - thus creating the need for the liver to pull more cholesterol out of the blood!


What the grossest part of the class was not the constipation stuff for me-- it was the fact that there are ANTS all over the floor in that room and one crawled up my ankle and bit me!! EEEWW!! They were all over/inside my bag last week... and now i had to keep my feet up off the floor!

The cons: I didnt get my check because I apparently never signed the letter of student aid award!
The pros: I signed it, the money will be ready next week! horray for borrowed money!

The cons: the meredith campus gym was closed between 9:30-11

The pros: I ran around campus TWICE plus an extra half mile or so... and walked an extra half mile or so... It felt great, based on timing I ran about 3.5 miles ! (no pain!!) walked another 1 mile total for cool down. I cant wait to build back up to 8 mile runs


Lunch: ( right to left)
-Frozen Alaska Salmon cooked in the pan, with some lemon pepper seasoning . On top is a drizzle of hot sauce, and a drizzle of brown mustard.

-Some left over rice from last night ( 0.25 serving)

-Romaine Salad with cabbage, carrots, romaine, gorgonzola, red peppers, asparagus

-a few Kashi Country Cheddar Crackers (yum! way better than cheez its which I dont even like!)
Big green mug of water

BBQ..abs

How funny- my lifting splits are BBQ.. Back, Bicepts, Quads and abs

I thought it was hilarious , anyhow- I am BBQ lifting at home, heading to school for my loan refund check (hooray for money! even if its borrowed technically)... then study adv. nutrient metabolism, then cardio/run!

Question of the Year

What do I want to do with my one, wonderful life?

I remembered!

I remembered to take a breakfast picture! Maybe now people will actually start reading my blog...

My protein smoothie was about 10 ounces, the other 16 oz I gave to Jeff! I really wanted oatmeal too because I havent had it in what seems like forever!
So I made 1/3 cup oats, with water... sprinkled them with cinnamon and then a teaspoon of that smart balance peanut butter smeared onto the side- I always smear it on the side so I can take a bite with pb or take a bite without. PB is loaded with calories-(that great healthy fat is dense!) not that I am concerned but its more that I could down 5 tablespoons but I really just want to savor the taste!

The most unexpected surprise? I felt adventurous so I took my spoon of oatmeal and dipped it into the protein smoothie -- IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! I figured I would try it for the heck of it but then actually wanted to eat the rest of it that way!

from the Beach this weekend!

Thats the moo-moo dress before my mom took it in! I will have to get an after the next time I wear it!

And behind us in the sand is the sea serpent we made!

NY for Kri's wedding in 9 days!!!

Accomplishment

I think my overwhelming sense of accomplishment today is a result of my accomplishment lists on this blog and even more so because I loved class today!
Accomplishments Since Lunch:
-Printed out my paper

-Printed out articles for Research Methods Class

-Met with my group for Res. Methods and talked about our plan for the project ( and how silly our gastronomy class was yesterday- we watched Babettes Feast)
Asked a billion questions in class because it was such an interesting topic and speakers today!

Did you know the biggest health crisis to hit North America was in 1492 when European settlers brought with them diseases due to domestication of animals in Europes' cities... The Native American population in 1492 was estimated at 10-15 million, by 1900 that population was dessimated to a mere 237,000 people! Good news, they are now back up to about 3 million!

I cannot believe our governement, moreover The USDA, shipped loads of lard, and white flour to Indian Reservations as a way of providing food sources. And now the biggest components of Native American diets consist of "Fry Bread" ( lard and flour), and mutton stews/sammies. One of the main chronic diseases that affect American Indians/ Alaska Natives is Diabetes, and also (along with everyone else in the US) Heart Disease and Cancer.

Diet and physical activity are two majore preventative behaviors that can improve the prevalence and incidence of these chronic conditions... Maybe I will write my thesis on this because I am in awe of tons of other statistics/facts that I learned for this class!

On to dinner... Buffalo Grilled Chicken, Whole Grain Parmesean Rice, Mixed Steamed veggies...

YUMMMM! This is one of my favorite meals ! I try not to eat the "same" thing for lunch and dinner as i did today with chicken and veggies.
This meal is 2 servings of vegetables, 1/2 serving of rice , 1.25 servings of lean meat.

Paper is Done

My first response paper for Minority Health is done! My goal was to finish it by 11 am and I did!

Breakfast was half a protein Smoothie and a Banana with PB! (8:00 am)

Last night I had pasta and chicken sausage with a salad! I took a pic but i need to upload so i will edit it soon

Yesterday i went to the gym and did 35 minutes on the elliptical/arc trainer combo.... I was rushed for time b/c I had to read for class and pick up my car. Turns out my tires were rotated on friday ( for te 55k mile service- i HATE going to the Toyota dealership).. which caused the alignment to be off because one of my tires pulls to the right b/c of pressure/damage from speed bumps/curb hitting ( Which i swear I try so hard not to do!)

Anyway, it cost (Jeff- cuz he paid) $70! They told me they cant really fix the pulling because of the damage to the wheel ... Even though once again- I didn't hit anything! I did bump a curb three years ago but I find it odd that all of a sudden three years later it is pulling to the right after service ( it wasn't on the way there!)

11:00 AM ( starting to feel a tiny hunger, thought i would note the times) ...

I am heading to the gym for hopefully a good lifting session and run, then back to home for shower and lunch, then out to campus to print my paper, research for research methods class and meet with my group before class.

*Gym : Lifted CSTH...chest, shoulders, triceps and hammies! Ran 2.5 miles no pain!! Arc Trainer with alternating resistances 25-45 for 15 minutes~

**Lunch: Grilled chicken strips with broccoli (South Beach Living, Chicken Caprese.. I looked at the ingredient list and all where understandable real ingredients except modified food starch... which I am okay with since I usually stay away from it!)... salad was romaine american salad with gorgonzola crumbles, kashi crackers ( i think like 10-15).

I have NO idea what to do for dinner but I think tonight I will hang the bamboo blinds that do fit...and read biohemistry for adv. nutrient met. tomorrow! and do some "Laural's Closet Sale"
gathering

oh i missed you smoothie

Back to Smoothies today! ( reminder* i need bananas among other things)

Recipe for two:
1.75 scoops pure protein
1/2 c frozen cherries
1/2 c frozen blueberries
1 cup 1% milk
a few small ice cubes
2 T chobani greek yogurt
1 T ground flax
some smart start oat bites ( the last of the box was shreds, so i gave jeff the last six whole pieces and the shreds were great making the smoothie thicker!)

Reading for class now- I read some last night too- Physiology of Taste

"The taste decides; the teeth are put into action, the tongue unites with the palate in tasting, and the stomach soon commences the process of assimiliation."-

"Taste is te sense which communicates to us a knowledge of vapid bodies by means of the sesations which they excite"

" Taste, which has as its excitement appetite, hunger and thirst, is the basis of many operations the result of which is that the individual believes, develops, preserves and repairs the losses occasioned by vital evaporation."

Brillat Savarin

Whirlwind!

I was looking foward to this weekend for a few months now! How silly ! It was great to see my family and meet my parents new neighbors. Jeff caught one of the biggest large mouth bass (on that creek ever !? ) . I ate tons of food , non of which I took pictures of because I could never seem to find my camera and we were just busy chatting/fishing/running/going to the beach/playing. I also needed some relaxation and rest- I remembered a few times to take a picture but then I thought it was more stressfull to go find my camera than it was just to enjoy my meal! I will get this blogging thing down soon enough!

Accomplishments:
- Exchanged 2 Bags EACH of clothing with my sister who lives 4 states away!
-Went for a three mile run without much pain ( afterwards was not too pleasant so I stuck to walking the rest of the time)
- BEACH!!!
-FINALLY had my new favorite dress taken in (Thanks Again Mom!!!)....no moo moo anymore!
- Got up before 8:30 am everyday
-Left with a top-to-bottom clean house, and came back to a Clean House!
-Window Treatments!!!! Mom gave me her bamboo shades that she had ordered for her entire house, only they weren't seemed shut at the edges... somehow she got to keep the defaults and got an entire new order. She gave me the un-edged ones to hang here! We desperately need window treatments that are not $2 mini blinds covered in dirt! ( i really hope they fit!!)
- Read two chapters and three research articles on Native American/ American Indian Health Disparities .... I need to conjure my thoughts for a response paper to these readings due Wednesday afternoon ( gees my time/day is all off with Labor Day Travels!)
- Had a brainstorm idea about my clothing/life.... I have TONS of clothing, some of it doesnt fit but some does and I just dont wear it. In attempts to simplify my life, I am going to organize a "Laural's Closet Sale" I will invite my co-workers, friends, etc and just have my clothes out for them to try on/take. I think I will have a "donations not needed but cherished" so that way if anyone wants to give a contribution they can without feeling guilty? I already have four dresses, 24 shirts, 3 pairs of pants, 6 pairs of shorts, 4 skirts. I have three more closets to go through, and three "winter" boxes.


Need to Do:

For the house:
- wash walls
- hang the bamboo shades (mount the brackets on the frames)
- check out lazyboy for sofas, loveseats,
-check out online shopping or furniture

For Classes:
- Read Brillat Savarin for tomorrow nights class
-Start and Finish Response Paper to Native American health
-Adv. Metabolism notes-questions- go over, transfer, make new binder for that class
- Search for research articles on college female dining and meet with group (wednesday) for research methods class


Buffalo NEW YORK in 10 Days for Jeff's cousin's Wedding and his moms birthday!!! I have had my dress hanging up for about two weeks!

Weekend Wrap Up on Food:

Friday Night- some mini mini cookies after arriving at mom and dad's
Saturday:
B: Egg whites, ww wheat english muffin, banana, smart balance chunky peanut butter ( my mom had it and it was AWESOME! she also sent me home with Organic Smuckers All Natural- Thanks Mom!!)
L: Light Wheat Wrap with turkey and roast beef, lots and lots of veggies snacked on throughout the parents party... lots of fresh fruit too ( pineapple, grapes from the neighbors vine, cherries, watermelon, cantelope)
Snack: a few mini cookies, a slice of heavenly buttercream frosted cake.. really i kept it at about a tablespoon of icing and a bite of cake- it was really all i wanted/needed!
Dinner: chicken, veggies, roasted potatoes
Dessert: a brownie, a mini cake ( i mean mini- it was about 1/2 inch wide and high)
a glass of white wine

Sunday: pretty much the same thing... except no snack of cookies-- instead I had a TLC Dark Chocolate Cherry granola bar at the beach... Dinner was chili! I made a cornbread pudding that turned out seemingly fantastic

Today : Lunch I had more of a salad with grilled chicken strips, tomatoes, cucumber, green peppers, then on the way home had another Kashi Granola Bar, Dinner we went to the best pizza place around- I got a big ny style slice and a small greek salad....