homelessness

The organization I am involved in at Texas A&M is called W-power in women.  Our goal is to educate people about poverty, help the current situation as much as we can, and raise support!  So this week we put on a poverty demonstration, where we were homeless for 3 days.  We slept outside in Rudder Plaza without food, drink, pillows, blankets, toiletries, etc.  We could only use what was provided for us... and it was quite tough!

I learned a lot from this experience,  but unfortunately what I learned most was how little people care about the homeless.  It was so sad to hear people mocking us, The Battallion, our school newspaper, getting the facts wrong and not even caring, and having people just straight up not care!

A little bit about my 3 days:  It was cold!  Well, I thought it was cold... it gets much colder in other cities, such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.  It was really difficult to sleep!  Try getting practically no sleep due to the cold, hard ground, loud noises.  I woke up more tired than I was when I went to sleep.  It was very difficult to rely on others for food.  Don't get me wrong, we were provided food by other Aggies at almost every meal... but that is not the case for most homeless people.

Although W is not religiously or politically affiliated, I personally joined because my faith is the basis of my deeds.  My love for Christ is the basis for my love for others.  The bible commands us to love others, to help the homeless and widowed...

More than anything this is a challenge to love others.  My experience allowed me to understand how little others care about the poor... So it is our our job to love on others, to care for them, and to take care of them!

just for fun.

what kind of oxidizer are you? featuring jillian michaels

Jillian's Quiz...

In the morning, you 
A. Don’t eat breakfast 
B. Have something light like fruit, toast, or cereal 
C. Have something heavy like eggs, bacon or steak, and has browns 

At a buffet, the foods you choose are 
A. Light meats like fish and chicken, vegetables and salad, a sampling of different desserts. 
B. A mixture of A and C 
C. Heavy, fatty foods like steak, ribs, pork chops, cheeses, and cream sauces 

Your appetite at lunch is 
A. Low 
B. Normal 
C. Strong 

Your appetite at dinner is 
A. low 
B. normal 
C. strong 

Caffeine makes you feel 
A. Great-it helps you focus 
B. Neutral-you can take it or leave it 
C. Jittery or nauseous 

The types of foods you crave are (sugar is not listed because everyone craves sugar when they are tired or run-down) 
A. Fruits, bread, and crackers 
B. Both A and C 
C. Salty foods, cheeses, and meats 

For dinner you prefer 
A. Chicken or fish, salad, and rice 
B. No preference-choice varies daily 
C. Heavier, fatty foods like pastas, steak and potatoes 

After dinner you 
A. Need to have something sweet 
B. Could take dessert or leave it 
C. Don’t care for sweets and would rather have something salty like popcorn 

The types of sweets you like are 
A. Sugary candies 
B. No preference 
C. Ice cream or cheesecake 

Eating fatty foods like meat and cheese before bed 
A. Interferes with your sleep 
B. Doesn’t bother you 
C. Improves your sleep 

Eating carbs like breads and crackers before your bed 
A. Interferes with your sleep, but they’re better than heavier foods 
B. Doesn’t affect you 
C. Is better than nothing, but you sleep better with heavier foods 

Eating sweets before bed 
A. Doesn’t keep you from sleeping at all 
B. Sometimes makes you feel restless in bed 
C. Keeps you up all night 

Each day, you eat 
A. Two or three meals with no snacks 
B. Three meals with maybe one light snack 
C. Three meals and a lot of snacks 

Your attitude toward food is 
A. You often forget to eat 
B. You enjoy food and rarely miss a meal 
C. You love food and it’s a central part of your life 

When you skip meals, you feel 
A. Fine 
B. You don’t function at your best, but it doesn’t really bother you 
C. Shaky, irritable, week and tired 

Your attitude toward fatty foods is 
A. You don’t like them 
B. You like them occasionally 
C. You crave them regularly 

When you eat fruit salad for breakfast or lunch, you feel 
A. Satisfied 
B. Okay, but you usually need a snack in between meals 
C. Unsatisfied and still hungry 

What kind of food drains your energy? 
A. Fatty foods 
B. No food affects you this way 
C. Fruit, candy, or confections, which give you a quick boost, then an energy crash 

Your food portions are 
A. Small-less than average 
B. Average-not more or less than other people 
C. Large-usually more than most people 

How do you feel about potatoes? 
A. You don’t care for them 
B. You could take them or leave them 
C. You love them 

Red meat makes you feel 
A. Tired 
B. No particular feeling one way or the other 
C. Strong 

A salad for lunch makes you feel 
A. Energized and healthy 
B. Fine, but it isn’t the best type of food for you. 
C. Sleepy 

How do you feel about salt? 
A. Foods often taste too salty 
B. You don’t notice one way or the other 
C. You crave salt and salt your food regularly 

How do you feel about snacks? 
A. You don’t really snack, but you like something sweet if you do. 
B. You can snack on anything 
C. You need snacks but prefer meats, cheese, eggs, or nuts. 

How do you feel about sour foods like pickles, lemon juice, or vinegar? 
A. You don’t like them 
B. They don’t bother you one way or the other 
C. You like them 

How do you feel about sweets? 
A. Sweets alone can satisfy your appetite 
B. They don’t bother you but don’t totally satisfy you 
C. You don’t feel satisfied and often crave more sweets 

When you just eat meat (bacon, sausage, ham ) for breakfast, you feel 
A. Sleepy, lethargic, or irritable 
B. It varies day to day 
C. Full until lunch 

When you eat heavy or fatty foods, you feel 
A. Irritable 
B. Neutral-they don’t affect you 
C. Satisfied 

When you feel anxious 
A. Fruits or vegetables calm you down 
B. Eating anything calms you down 
C. Fatty foods calm you down 

You concentrate best when you eat 
A. Fruits and grains 
B. Nothing in particular 
C. Meat and fatty food 

You feel more depressed when you eat 
A. Fatty or heavy foods 
B. Nothing in particular 
C. Fruits, breads, or sweets 

You notice you gain weight when you eat 
A. Fatty foods 
B. No particular food. You gain weight when you overeat 
C. Fruits or carbs 

What type of insomnia, if any, applies to you? 
A. You rarely get insomnia from hunger 
B. You rarely get insomnia, but if you do, you often need to eat something in order to fall back asleep 
C. You often wake up during the night and need to eat. If you eat right before bed, it alleviates the insomnia 

Your personality type is 
A. Aloof, withdrawn, or introverted 
B. Neither introverted nor extroverted 
C. Extroverted 

Your mental and physical stamina are better when you eat 
A. Light proteins like egg whites, chicken or fish and fruits 
B. Any wholesome food 
C. Fatty foods 

Your climate preference is 
A. Warm or hot weather 
B. Doesn’t matter 
C. Cold weather 

You have problems with coughing or chest pressure. 
If yes, “C”: if no, move on to the next question 
You have a tendency to get cracked skin or dandruff 
If yes, “C”:if no, move on to the next question 
You have a tendency to get light-headed or dizzy 
If yes, “C”: if no, move on to the next question 

You eyes tend to be 
A. Dry 
B. Fine 
C. Teary 

Your facial coloring is 
A. Noticeably pale 
B. Average 
C. Pink or often flushed 

Your fingernails are 
A. Thick 
B. Average 
C. Thin 

Your gag reflex is 
A. Insensitive 
B. Normal 
C. Sensitive 

You get goose bumps 
A. Often 
B. Occasionally 
C. Very rarely 

You are prone to 
A. Constipation 
B. No stomach problems 
C. Diarrhea 

When insects bite you, your reaction is 
A. Mild 
B. Average 
C. Strong 

Your body type is 
A. Short and Stocky 
B. Average 
C. Tall and thin 

Your nose is 
A. Dry 
B. Normal 
C. Runny 

Scoring your metabolic typing test 

• When you have finished the test, add up the number of A, B and C answers you have circled A____B____C____ 
• If your number of C answers is 5 or more higher than your number of A or B answers, you are a fast oxidizer. 
• If your number of A answers is 5 or more higher than your number of B or C answers, you are a slow oxidizer. 
• If your number of B answers is 5 or more higher than your number of A or C answers, or if neither A, B, nor C’s are 5 or more higher than the other two, you are a balanced oxidizer. 

If you are still not certain, you can try these two other drastic tests. 

1. Niacin test: Take 50 milligrams of niacin on an empty stomach. If you experience and immediate flush, you are most likely a fast oxidizer. If you feel a moderate flushing effect, you are a balanced oxidizer. If you experience a significantly delayed flushing or nothing at all, you are a slow oxidizer. 

2. Vitamin C test: Take 8 grams of vitamin C in equally divided doses over 8 hours. The fast oxidizer will respond by feeling acidic and uncomfortable, and may even experience other symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea or increased intestinal gas. A true balanced oxidizer may find that his or her stomach feels less acidic. A slow oxidizer will have no response at all. 

*Fast oxidizers 

• You require foods with higher percentages of protein and fat than carbohydrates. Make sure there is protein in everything you eat including snacks. Your ideal macronutrient ratio is 20 percent carbs, 50 percent protein, 30 percent fat. 
• All proteins are not created equal. The ones that are best for you are high-purine proteins, which are commonly found in fattier meats. This is not to say that you should cut out chicken and fish, but you need the heavier proteins most because they help slow down your rate of oxidation. Choose from this list of proteins when deciding on a meal or snack. 
• High purine:organ meats (pate, liver, etc.), herring, mussels, sardines, anchovies. 
• Moderate purine:beef, bacon, dark meat chicken, duck, lamb, spareribs, dark meat turkey, veal, wild game, salmon, shellfish (lobster, shrimp, crab), oysters, scallops, octopus, squid, dark tuna 
• Low Purine:cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, white meat chicken, turkey, fish 
• The best veggies for protein types are asparagus, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms and spinach 
  
• The best fruits are avocado, olives, apples and pears(in limited quantity and never without protein on the side or better yet first) 
  
• It is best to avoid grains altogether, but the best grains would be sprouted grain bread. 
  
• The best legumes would be tempeh and tofu. 
• The best nuts are (in order of protein content) walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, filberts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachios, coconut and macadamias.
• Good fats are butter, cream, almond oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil and walnut oil. 

*Slow oxidizers 

• Your ideal macronutrient ratio is 60 percent carbs, 25 percent protein and 15 percent fat. 

*Balanced oxidizers

• Your ideal macronutrient ratio is 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat. 
  

abc (alphabet) workout

Give it a try, it actually looks challenging!

best web site ever :o)

Food network offers a web site with all kinds of recipes, shows and more.

Great meal ideas for everyone... quick and easy recipes for college students... and my personal favorite section provides amazingly delicious healthy meals for those of us who are tired of George Foreman grilled chicken and microwave broccoli!

take my breath away: fun ways to enjoy god's creation & burn some calories simultaneously!

I love nature. A lot.

One of my favorite things to do is enjoy God's creation. Although College Station, TX does not have any beautiful sites as does the picture to the left there are many ways to explore nature while working out! Here are a few ideas of mine...

1. Lake Bryan.

No, it's not the most beautiful (nor the most clean) lake, but it is still beautiful. Here you can mountain bike, cycle, run, hike, or relax (yoga is awesome when you are near water)!

2. PARKS: central park, research park, wolfpen creek, tanglewood park, etc. google map parks, there are soooooo many.

Going for a fun bike ride with friends, going for a jog or walk, playing touch football. All of the mentioned are great things to do in a park! And... parks are beautiful.... trees and little streams or ponds!

3. College Station Historic District.

Many of the students and professors live in these houses across from campus. Not only are there some really awesome homes around the area, but the trees are huge and so pretty. This is a great place to jog.

4. Go Discover.

For real, you can go drive around and find cool places, then tell me about them!

want to splurge?

Ever wish that for just one day you could eat whatever you want and not feel guilty about it? Well, I say splurge one meal a week or LESS, but careful what you wish for. I found some of my favorite foods to splurge with are the worst for me! Foods such as chicken fingers, may favorite restaurant treat! Check out 7 food you should stay away from!

Instead, splurge on delicious foods that can also be healthy for you. Craving french fries? Here is an original recipe (owed to by good friend Ashley) to help out with that craving, replacing regular potatoes with sweet potatoes! I actually think that sweet potato fries are much tastier!

Use: 1 whole sweet potato, peeled, cubed

2 tablespoons olive oil

Garlic pepper, salt, & pepper to taste.

Set oven temperature to 450.

Bake until soft inside, about 15 minutes.

Serves 2.

Try it! Not only are you saving yourself calories, but you are in-taking more nutrients this way!

to eat, or not to eat? that is the question.

Have you ever watched Gilmore Girls?  Have you ever wondered how Lorelai and Rory eat so much junk (and so much food in general) and yet stay so thin?  Well, I used to wonder the same thing.  I mean, it's just not fair!  Then I discovered their secret: ACTING!  Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel don't do that... Lorelai and Rory, the characters that they play, do that.  It's just plain unrealistic.  I would love to live like that, but it's not realistic nor is it beneficial.  Just check out the information I found on what Lauren and Alexis really live like.  All this dramatic television crap just isn't real.  Although I am an avid Gilmore Girls fan it is important to distinguish what is real from what is not. :)

Check out Lauren Graham's diet and exercise plan.

hi

Thanks for logging on and reading! The purpose of this blog is twofold:

1. for my personal training clients to have updated information.... nutrition, workout info, etc.
   
2. for me to blog my thoughts on emotional/spiritual well-being... not that I am all-knowing, just a place for my thoughts.
   

I firmly believe that spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being all go hand in hand but at the same time have a ranking hierarchy...  Most important being spiritual, then emotional, and last but not least physical.

Now, when I say spiritual I do not mean a general "spiritual" life. The fact that you attend a yoga class weekly does not make you spiritual, however it may help with you emotional well-being. When I talk about spiritual I mean: How are things between you and the Lord?