On that Note

From elementary school to my second year of high school, my breakfast usually consisted of the nutritious flat flaky piece of… bread? Is that what you call it? Well, whatever it is, I normally ate two Poptarts for breakfast with several glasses of milk in which I would dip the Poptart in the milk and savor every bite. If that didn’t fill me, I ate a bowl of cereal too or something else that would later make me gain unhealthy weight as a teenager. I loved Poptarts and, of course, I still do. However, I wouldn’t dare eat one. I know they taste good and I had a sudden craving for one when I saw they came out with new flavors, but why bother to eat one when Poptarts are truthfully unhealthy?

Yeah, I eat cake and ice cream basically every night. And yeah, both equally have a ridiculous amount of sugar so what’s my justification for not eating Poptarts?

In my mind, I think cake and brownies or whatever has sugar because that’s what makes them so delicious and it’s needed. Sugar is just a main ingredient for cake, ice cream, etc. As for Poptarts, they add unnecessary sugar. This is all my opinion and my own way of tricking myself into not eating Poptarts.

Besides, I try to stay away from any packaged foods. Eating cake from Whole Foods that’s vegan isn’t going to kill me. It’s not like it is entirely ‘healthy’, but it’s better than the package Twinkies that are guaranteed to last another century. Give or take. Poptarts are just junk and the makers just want children addicted to them. The main ingredients in a Poptart include: enriched flour, sugar, dextrose, vegetable oil, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sodium acid, gelatin, and partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Remember, I am leaving out about ten other add-ins. Then, one Poptart is about two-hundred calories with nineteen grams of sugar with 220.0mg of sodium. Nothing in a Poptart is nutritious for you.

So, as much as I would want a double fudge chocolate Poptart, I’d rather stay clear of all the additives and make my own. Here is a recipe for double chocolate poptarts that you can always healthify yourself:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/29472-double-chocolate-pop-tarts

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On that note, I would like to mention things you will not see in my blog.

1. Recipes besides that one up there. That’s the only exception.
2. Cooking/baking – I can’t bake or cook or make myself a meal that doesn’t involve more than two steps. Luckily, I still live at home and my mom cooks for me.
3. Fashion – I barely dress cute.
4. Anything on The Royal Wedding – I’m sick of it. Who cares? When Britney Spears has a wedding, then I’ll get excited.
5. Religion – True, I go to a Catholic school and have been since the third grade, but I am no means religious. I go to church, but currently I am agnostic. I have no problem with people who are religious though.
6. Amazing photos of food – Half of the photos I take with my cell or I just quickly snap with my Canon.

Those are the things you will not see. Is there anything on my blog you do want to see though?  A song of the week? Clowns? That’s a no. I hate clowns.

Honorable eats:

Crab + mushrooms + cauliflower+ zucchini

Ribbon cake + raspberry filling

By the way, go check out Megan’s GoMacro Bar giveaway @ 
http://myveganstory.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/gomacro-review-2nd-giveaway/

Were you ever addicted to Poptarts or something similar?
- They have such amazing flavors now that I want to try them! You think it’s worth it?

What blogs should I check out?

P.S. In my next post I’ll talk about running since it’s been going great!

Don’t Even Get Me Started

It’s no surprise that I love magazines.

I have subscriptions to Runner’s World, Women’s Health, Fitness, Health, and Shape. Then, occasionally I buy Self and Oxygen. Sounds like a waste of money, yeah? Maybe, but I don’t care.

I recently picked up the newest issue of Self Magazine since Gwyneth Paltrow was on the cover with smokin’ abs.

I mostly love every article in Self, yet lately their ‘meal plans’ have been irritating me. Their idea of a snack is an apple – no problem there – and four almonds. Four almonds? If you go over, you had better get your fat ass on the treadmill. Lunch was a peanut butter sandwich with (yes count ‘em) ten baby carrots. I guess I just find it silly to put such a limit like that on carrots or something healthy like a vegetable when I eat a pile of brussels sprouts with my two fish fillets, corn, and rice. I know these magazines are for women who generally want to drop a few pounds, but eating over ten carrots isn’t going to make you gain weight.

People at my school are normally alarmed at how much I eat. Half of them think I don’t eat actually so I’m lying, yet they are shocked that I can put away so much food. Women can eat over the range of 1200 – 1500 calories? With exercise, I can easily eat more than that. Even on days I take it ‘easy’ (let’s face it, I don’t do that), I can eat. I eat dessert every night if I want it. Ice cream is my food staple. According to these ‘fitness’ magazines though, I should be wider than a school bus. I suppose I am just breaking the rules of how women should eat and exercise. Don’t even get me started on women getting ‘toned’ and lifting weights.

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Yesterday I ran. Yes! Today I ran. Woohoo! I only ran for ten minutes today and it was on the oh so fun treadmill and without shoes. I ran in my socks. I realized that I am a huge heel striker on my right foot, which is my injured foot. I hope to change that when I get some Vibrams over the weekend, hopefully. My fingers are crossed. Just to clarify, my whole foot isn’t injured. I only get pain in my big toe or on the left side of my right foot. I have started icing again and soaking my foot in Epsom salt. Supposedly Epsom salt will reduce the swelling of sprains and bruises. Maybe it’s helping. I don’t know. Maybe I should do some foot stretches though to make my foot stronger…? Any tips?

I am torn between getting a pair of Vibrams or these:
http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Product.mvc.aspx/22877W/0/Womens/Barefoot-Pace-Glove?dimensions=0

I still think I am going to go with the Vibrams.

Now onto to some honorable eats:

White bean spinach salad with onions and an egg

This was Heaven

P.S.

I got my braces off yesterday! I would show a picture, but I’m going to wait until I don’t look like a lazy bum realizing that they have this thing called makeup and jeans.

Do any fitness magazines irritate you with their health tips and articles?

Who else hates the evil treadmill?
-I just want to run outside forever and ever and ever. Damn foot. FYI, I ran outside yesterday and the hard surface bothered my foot.

“Strive for that greatness of spirit that measures life not by its disappointments but by its possibilities.”  -W. E. B. Du Bois

Oh the Stars

I’m sorry for my absence. It’s safe to say that I am a person that never gets stressed out. It takes a lot for me to worry about a situation or to even cry. This week, however, has been entirely stressful with piles of homework and a scholarship application due tomorrow. Also, my senioritis has kicked in to about full blast.

I’m feeling less stressed now though. My application is done and my homework is finished. Not that much longer until I graduate. Whew.

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Like any American, I read the tabloids. Apparently I believe Charlie Sheen affects my day to day life because I have to pick up those gossip magazines any time I am in the store just to get my quick fix of Lindsay Lohan or what Katie Holmes is wearing this week. As for the Royal Wedding, can it just happen already? I’m sick of those beautiful people and their beautiful accents.

Any time the tabloids feature a celebrity workout and diet, I pick it up. I don’t know why I care, but I do and I find it genuinely interesting how they stay fit. (FYI, I am not on a diet or looking to lose weight. I just like reading celebrities’ diets.) Granted, some probably don’t eat, but for the most some are actually rather healthy.

I adore Cameron Diaz’s body mostly because she is tall. I’m only 5’2. I also really admire her arms.

Katy Perry claims she stays fit by, of course, working out. Additionally, Katy Perry has everything in moderation and indulges every now and then (like we all should).

Okay. I have a confession. I am obsessed with Kardashian family, especially Kim. Kim has one voluptuous body and she is absolutely gorgeous.

“I never aspired to be a size zero. Although one time I tried on a dress with a size-8 label when I thought I was a size 4. It turned out it was a UK size 8, so actually it was my normal size. But it made me think, “Why do I even care?” I couldn’t care less if it said 14. It’s just a number. ”

Then there is the lovely Anna Paquin from True Blood, which is one of my favorite shows.

“Anna is a very easy going, fun person to be around,” says the True Blood star’s long-time trainer Clay Burwell, owner of High Performance NYC gym. “She is also an incredible athlete who can run ten miles a day, box for over an hour and then do Pilates – all before 11 AM. She truly loves exercise, and to her, it’s just fun.” 

 I am also a huge fan of Emma Roberts. I recently read her interview in Women’s Health and was just really impressed.

“Sexy when I was younger always meant boobs, and I’ve never had boobs in my life, so I always felt that sexy was out of the question for me,” the Scream 4 star tells Seventeen‘s May issue. “I used to really want to be that kind of voluptuous girl, and I’ve just kind of embraced that I’m not.”

And obviously I appreciate any celebrity that runs…

Yeah, Scarlett Johansson is wearing Vibrams

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Thank goodness it’s almost Friday. I have some plans for the weekend too. My mom is going out of town (holla party at my place) so Saturday night I will be seeing Scream 4 with some friends. I see frozen yogurt and thai food in my future. Then, Sunday I am going to a running expo/meeting at Lululemon. I’m nervous since they are doing a short run and I don’t want to run if I hurt at all. My foot for the most part has been feeling better and not so painful. Maybe like a 3/10.

Now on to some honorable eats. Sorry for the crappy cell phone photos.

Ice cream + cottage cheese + cereal + apple cake

Are you obsessed with celebrities like me?
Any favorite celebrities?  

How do you de-stress?

Enlightened by Kombucha

I recently became obsessed with something. No, it’s not chocolate mint ice cream (okay, it is a bit) or lemon scents, but it’s a drink. I always drink water. I drink either water, water, or more water. I have milk in the morning then for the rest of the day I drink water. What is the drink that I have become fanatical about you may ask? Well, it is GT’s Enlightened Kombucha.

I see this drink constantly on blogs of runners and yoga fanatics. I became interested and searched it out in my grocery store. Three bucks for an ‘enlightened’ drink? Count me out. I could buy a magazine and some protein bars for that amount of money. I was outraged so I never tried the drink.

In the last few weeks, I have seen this drink on four blogs. All of them claimed how amazing Kombucha is. I normally don’t give into peer pressure and no one was pressuring me to try it, but I felt like I had to experience Kombucha.

During my lunch break at school a day ago, I bought the Synergy: Trilogy Kombucha Tea.

I loved it. I loved it so much I took a classy picture of myself with it in the bathroom. I loved it so much that I bought again today.

Fortunately, it is worth every penny and I guarantee that it lives up to its hype.

Not only does it taste delicious, it has many health benefits.

According to GT’s website, Kombucha…

• Increases energy level
• Improves digestion
• Is beneficial for healthy skin and hair
• Has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties
• Good source of  Folic Acid, Vitamin B1,Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3,Vitamin B6,Vitamin B12

Try it! It’s great.

Moving on…

Thank you for all the comments on my ‘guilt’ post. I have not had a blog for that long and already I feel so welcomed in this blog world. I really appreciate it. Thanks again.

I really tried to not focus on calories today and just listen to my body. I was starving all day it felt like. However, I failed. I went to Subway and told myself I didn’t need a 6 inch sandwich so I got the mini to reduce what I ate. The result? I was hungry afterwards since it only had veggies on it. I am ridiculous.

So, I really want to do a FAQ post soon so you guys can get to know me more personally instead of just knowing me by my eats and workouts. If you have any questions for me about anything, feel free to leave some below.

Honorable eats:

Vegan curried tofu

Oatmeal and hazelnut butter

Any big plans for the weekend?

Have you tried Kombucha Tea? What do you think of it?