Stress Eater vs. Finals Week

Hey girl, I see you sippin' on that 44 oz. soda and poppin' those Dorito's. STOP. Let me help you! Finals week will NOT get the best of us my friends. I can tell you right now that your diet during finals week is probably not ideal. Here are some foods that help with stress, AND some foods that help you think better (aka brain food).

Asparagus- these lean, green machines are high in folate, a vitamin that helps you keep your cool

Avocados- blocking certain fats that cause oxidative damage, avocados help you breath and they are full of B-vitamins, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and folate.

Berries- filled with antioxidants, berries will keep you healthy as well as sharpen your cognitive abilities. (Who doesn't need their cognition improved during finals week, am I right?)

Cashews- Since cashews are filled with zinc (a mineral that has been associated with fighting off depression & anxiety), it's the perfect snack for studying. It's also full of protein and carbs so it'll give you plenty of energy to keep on keepin' on.

Chamomile Tea- It's been said that this type of tea calms your nerves as well as helps you sleep

Chocolate- Believe it baby! Dark chocolate has been shown to lower your blood pressure! It can also put you in a better mood, no seriously!

Garlic- Garlic is full of antioxidants which you'll need if your stress levels are fighting your immune systems to the death.

Green Tea- this has been found to enhance your mental performance!

Oatmeal- Oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate. Complex carbs tell the brain to produce serotonin (a feel-good chemical) Plus the carbs will give you the energy that you'll need to start your study day off right. Oh and if you throw on a pinch of cinnamon that could help with your memory!

Oranges- Once again with the antioxidant boosters, oranges are filled with vitamin C.

Oysters- zinc machines! (the mineral that fights off depression and anxiety, remember?)

Walnuts- Walnuts are filled with alpha linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid) which can help prevent memory loss. I would also add that fish is packed with Omega-3 fatty acid!

Spinach- this leafy green has been related to dementia prevention (folate, vitamins E & K are the magicians inside spinach that do this trick)

Grape Juice/Red wine- packed with polyphenols, these drinks can give your brain the boost it needs!

So get to the grocery store and stock up on these foods before your next final or study session! Along with these awesome foods make sure you're getting plenty of sleep, regular meals, & plenty of water in order to stay healthy and keep your energy up during this stressful time!

GOOD LUCK and thanks for reading!

Information curated from these web articles:
13 Healthy Foods that Fight Stress
10 Foods that Help Boost your Brain Power

Fresh Fruit Vs. Dried Fruit

What's the big deal with dried fruit? I've had a request from a friend to post about dried fruit!

My friend posed the question,
" I really love fruit but sometimes it's hard to keep it fresh for so long and I absolutely HATE grocery shopping!  So what's the deal with dried fruit?  I hear good and bad things. I love dried mangos but I know most of them are loaded with sugar. My friend bought some dried bananas and strawberries called "Crunchies" freeze dried fruit. It's delicious!  But I don't know how to tell if they're really considered a "healthy" snack or not. I was thinking maybe you could help me!"

First of all, what is dried fruit? 
Fruit is dehydrated of the majority of the original water content. This is done on a specialized dryer, dehydrator, or dried from the sun. 

Why is it so popular?
Dried fruit has a really long shelf life! Most dried fruits can last MONTHS in the pantry and even YEARS in the fridge/freezer! This can be really attractive as most non-dried fruit lasts about a week usually if it's not frozen. It's also extremely convenient to throw a baggie of dried fruit into your bag to munch on for the day. It isn't going to smash in your bag or bruise as the day goes on. 

Is it really healthy?
As of today there are no known food-borne illnesses related to dried-fruit. Dried fruit can have almost the exact same nutritional value as it's non-dried counterpart. There are sugar-infused dried fruits which do contain added sugar content, but most fruit is dried without added sugar. My cousin actually has a fruit dryer and she dries her own fruit. This would be the ideal way to prepare your dried fruit if you're worried about nutrition content. Fruit dryers aren't as expensive as you would imagine. Just like regular fruit, dried fruit has a low sodium content, a good amount of fiber, potassium, essential nutrients/vitamins, and minimal amounts of sucrose. I looked up the "Crunchies" brand that my friend mentioned. These are prepared in a vacuum chamber to dehydrate and freeze dry. According to Crunchie's website there are no added sugars, no GMO's, gluten free (which I can go totally off about because gluten free is so dumb but I'll save that for another post), no additive preservatives, low sodium, and low/no fat. So overall, it sounds like a great product to me! Be aware that the serving content is different for fresh and dried fruit. 1/4 cup of dried fruit is equivalent to one serving. If you are trying to lose weight, fresh fruit might be the way to go. It will make you feel more full because one serving is considerably larger than one serving of dried fruit.

Is it worth it?
Honestly, if you hate grocery shopping every week for fruit that goes bad before you can finish it, I would highly suggest dried fruit! It's so convenient and it has basically the same nutritional value as fresh fruit. If you are not a fan of fruit, try dried! You may find that you actually like dried fruit better than fresh fruit. For example, I'm not a huge fan of fresh, sour grapes but I LOVE all types of raisins. While dried fruit can be pricey, if it's worth it to you, it's great. 

Monthly Workout Calendars

Happy Planksgiving, have an Ab-crunching Christmas, and a New-Bod-New-Year! Need some motivation this season? A workout-timeline is usually very helpful! Check out these awesome Holiday (or monthly) Challenges! I got most of these from Pinterest so feel free to find your own or make your own if these won't work for you. Setting up a timeline is a great way to stay on track and to make sure you're doing something daily to work towards a goal. Work-out calendars work great for any time of the year. Push yourself this season so you'll be swimsuit-ready before it's too late!

 (oh and sorry if some of the dates are from previous years! Adjust them as needed!)

Oh and here's a link to a this awesome printable!

Fast Food: If you have to have it, what should you have?

Whether you choose to dine out at your local MickyD's or you have no choice/time you should be informed on what's actually the best food options available there. Do you think the salad is always better for you than the cheeseburger? You may be wrong about that...

Wendy's

McDonald's

Carl's Jr.

Burger King
(Almost 1200 calories for a sandwich! Can you say heart-attack?)

Dairy Queen
(only food items)

In order to reduce your calorie intake:

1. Look for lighter/less calorie menu options
2. Try grilled rather than crispy!
3. Size small rather than the Large (portion sizes)
4. Skip the dressing on the salads or do a side salad instead
5. The less fatty condiments the better
6. Instead of soda, take the water cup!

All Nutrition labels can be found on the websites of fast food restaurants. This information has to be available to the public. If you ever have a question about the nutrition facts, just ask! :)

Also, 

Just because I have listed fast food restaurants does not mean that numbers aren't similar if not higher in regular restaurants. Portion size has a huge impact on the numbers! 

THINK BEFORE YOU EAT! :)