FreshmanFoodFrenzy

First, let me start off by saying that I apologize for the lack of posts for the past week. I just made it through my first week of college and I am as overwhelmed as can be! The good news is, I’m back now and will be more regular on this blog. Today’s topic is water. The amount of water in the human body ranges from 50-75%. The truth is, many people, myself included, aren’t drinking nearly as much water as they should be. In my opinion, the best way to get someone to do something, is to help them understand why it is the best thing to do. With that being said, water is involved in many of our body’s vital functions. For example, cell life, chemical and metabolic reactions, transport of nutrients, and body temperature regulation. Aside from everyday functions, water can also help to reduce menstrual cramps. This is because drinking water helps prevent your body from retaining water, and bloating. Water also helps get rid of a cold. Both water, and warm lemon water help loosen congestion and prevent dehydration when you are sick. I have been sick for about a week now and I have noticed that I am much more energized when I continuously drink water. As I said before, I don’t drink enough water either. Let’s work together to drink more water everyday and be healthier overall. Comment below with the number of glasses you drink per day and how you plan to increase your water intake. Lastly, aside from those that I mentioned, water has many other things that it can help with. Below are a few links of places to visit about the benefits of water. 

Water To Get Rid of Acne: http://www.allgoneacne.com/Get_Rid.html

Water To Speed Up Weight Loss: http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040105/drinking-water-may-speed-weight-loss

Water To Help Control High Blood Pressure: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20046974

Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/in-depth/cold-remedies/art-20046403
http://www.nestle-waters.com/healthy-hydration/water-fonctions-in-human-body
http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/menstrual-cramp-remedies

Lately I have been talking about my mom’s cooking a lot! That is mostly because I am leaving to college tomorrow and I want to get as much of it as I possibly can. Here are the recipes of some of my favorite dishes! Be sure to comment and let me know what you think of them!

Recipe card-2

The last few weeks have been crazy!! I know I haven’t posted in a while but there is so much to do and I feel like time is moving faster than ever! However, I haven’t stopped making healthy snacks! Since my last post I have made zucchini fries, kale chips, mango salsa and bean dip, tomato-peach salad, and my favorite, grilled vegetable and fontina pizza! Unfortunately I can’t post pictures now, but I will hopefully be able to post them soon! 

Steamed vegetables with seasoning!! Ok, I will be totally honest, I hate these vegetables, but I think it is time to start eating them more often. To motivate myself, and anyone else who hates vegetables, I have decided to post the nutritional value of eating something like this. In this mixture I have peas, carrots, string beans, and corn. A study done in Mexico City showed that daily consumption of green peas with other legumes decreases the risk of stomach (gastric) cancer. There also unique characteristics about green peas that provide us with important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Moving on to a slightly more colorful vegetable, carrots are a great source of potassium, which help maintain healthy sodium levels in the body. Aside from this, carrots are a rich source of beta carotene which is a powerful antioxidant. Among many other things, it can be converted into vitamin A in the body to help maintain healthy skin. Green beans are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C helps heal cuts, scrapes, bruises, and even burns and surgical wounds. It is also good for cancer prevention. Lastly, when talking about corn, the question often comes up of whether or not it is truly healthy. Much like other starchy vegetables, like potatoes, corn contains fiber. Eating enough fiber helps protect against chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. Overall, I guess now would be a great time for me to drastically increase the amount of vegetables that I eat everyday. Although I can’t say I have made vegetables a large part of my diet thus far, I can say with utmost confidence that it is time for me to start
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Made a fantastic lunch with avocado, tomato, lemon, salt, and pepper. It was my attempt to stay full in a healthy way. The mixture offers a perfect balance between the spice from the pepper, the tanginess of the tomato and lemon and a creamy flavor from the avocado. In terms of calories, we are looking at about 240 calories for the avocado and about 20 calories for the (medium-sized) tomato. Studies indicate that avocados are a great source of potassium, with more per weight than bananas. They also contain about 4 grams of protein which is more than most other fruits. Although some people regard it as a fat, and therefore something to stay away from, I think as a “good fat” it is a great way to get the nutrients one needs without being unhealthy. The benefits of consuming fruits like tomato and avocado are endless. Tomatoes are widely known for their high antioxidant content. Quite honestly, I hated tomatoes until very recently. I realize now that tomatoes add a component to the dish that not many other things can add. This juicy, tangy fruit offers a truly unmistakable taste.  Try this quick and easy dish next time you are in a time crunch and want to stay full for as long as possible.

Thank you all for your comments! The advice that you offered has inspired me to create a food log to use for every meal! This log consists of healthy serving sizes for each food group as well as a place to input how much we eat everyday. Feel free to print it out and use it for yourself! As a side note I have an idea for a healthy, delicious lunch that I can make, so check back to see what it is! Daily Food log

I keep telling myself that I won’t gain the Freshmen 15 when I move into college, because I will work out every day in the brand new gym that I have access to. I neglected to think about the time in between. This summer after college applications, prom, and finally graduation, I had nothing left that I had to “look good” for. Or so I thought. In my 62 days of summer vacation, I have eaten so much yummy food, and visited all my favorite restaurants…with the excuse that it is my last summer before I leave and I will miss my Mom’s cooking and these wonderful places. I have three weeks left. Do I work out? Do I wait till I get to college? As someone who is working on her Girl Scout Gold Award to guide kids on being healthy, I have to make sure I follow my own advice.