Learning to Balance

Hi friends.

Back at it with the blog posts, and I mean I am really going to try harder this semester to get on here more often and throw some cool recipes and meaningful moments your way! I appreciate all of you who follow me, and for those who have just discovered my blog, welcome!

I’ve been a busy little bee over here once the semester started, and while it can be slightly (HA! slightly…) stressful, I’m learning to love being busy and eating up the empty time I have in-between my classes to study and be a part of more things here on my campus. I’m also starting my training for a half marathon this spring with my run club and I am OVERLY EXCITED FOR THAT (!!!!!!!!!!).

While all seems peachy, I’ve had some struggles this semester once again, and instead of hiding them I’d like to share what I’m experiencing and potentially help others who may be in the same boat as I am.

I touched on this last semester, but I am still struggling to find a happy medium here with food intake and how I respect my body. Unfortunately, I’ve reached some spells of negativity and found myself having a very hard time being in touch with my inner self. Not something I thought I’d be experiencing, as I was so excited to leave for college; but none the less, it is not something you can ignore or hide. It is what it is and this made me decide that my new year’s resolution was to move away from the eating habits I’ve developed and live more fully without dwelling on the past. It’s been a journey so far, and no, it is not easy to break habits I’ve built up…. but I guess I’m working on it.

Why do I bring this up?

I need to learn to balance things in my life better than I have, and I think that is something a lot of people can relate to. We (as in most of us) are constantly stuck in a fixed mindset that tells us right from wrong. In some cases, that’s great! You can’t go stealing things from Whole Foods! But in other cases, it may be apart of our demise. For myself, I know that is completely true, and it was very hard to come to terms with that.

I believe that my fixed mindset is a HUGE factor in why sometimes when the pizza comes out, I eat a lot more than feels okay in my body. I am constantly living in this world where I feel I need to be healthy ALL. THE. TIME. And then when I break that “rule”? Shit. Let’s get all the food down in one bite and go for more!

Let me tell you, that is NOT fun, and is NOT the way I have ever approached food. I love food, and I want to have a healthy relationship with it.

I guess here’s my point for this post: learn to love yourself and learn that every once in awhile it is okay to let go. A lot of times I feel like we get wrapped up in different things that surround us. The media, people who live near us, goals… and it’s hard when we feel like we aren’t perfect… But…. News Flash: we are not perfect. It is time to accept that. It is time we find a good balance. It is time that we love ourselves for even those small things we hate and it is time that we embrace body and mindful peace.

A challenge: break that “fixed mindset” once a day. See how good it feels, and try to incorporate it more. My goal? Leave it in the past for good. But for now, once a day seems reasonable.

Oh, and remember, balance your life, but also your relationship with food. Healthy, and not so healthy.

‘Cause pizza is reallllll good.

 

Simple Almond Flour Waffles

I love a good waffle just as anyone, but unfortunately when you go away, most waffle mixes available to you are highly processed, and chocked full of ingredients I can’t understand.

As you can probably guess, I haven’t been eating waffles at school since I got there. And that makes me incredibly sad!

Waffles have been a huge part of my life ever since I started to recover from anorexia two years ago, and they have stuck in my life as I have continued to grow my interests in cooking and holistic food choices. I have constantly upped my game, and am always searching for new recipe including fewer, more complex ingredients to make the perfect, crispy waffle (as I like mine!).

This morning, I craved a darn waffle and I knew I wanted to try something with an almond flour base as I tried Simple Mills over Thanksgiving break and fell in love with the concept of it. I decided this morning would be the morning to give it a shot, and boy am I glad I did!

Few mistakes were made: forgot to oil my waffle makes (DUHHHH!), and I also forgot to top with pure maple syrup…. THE STRUGGLE OF MY LIFE, FRIENDS.

Don’t worry, they’re still amazing no matter if they need to be yanked from the maker or you just eat them plain (dipped in black coffee, anyone?). Waffles are waffles, no matter how messy your morning turns out to be.

Poor Walter!

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Makes: 3 small waffles, or one large

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 C. plus 2 TBSP. Almond flour (I used Almond Pro)
• 1/4 C. Unsweetened almond milk (Califia Farms)
• 2 Egg whites
• 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
• 1/2 TBSP. Coconut sugar
• 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 TBSP. Coconut oil

*optional toppings:  banana, blueberries, pure maple syrup, nut butter, etc….*

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1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Make sure they are all consistently blended together. I like to use a fork to press them into each other.
2. Melt coconut oil into the waffle maker (unlike I did!) to ensure the waffles come right off!
3. Evenly divide your batter into three parts as you cook your waffles.
4. Top those babies right away with any fruit or nut butter, pure maple syrup, honey  , etc…. and dig a fork in while they’re still hot!

Surviving Semester One

The end of the semester is coming around the corner *cheers dramatically*.

College, unfortunately, is not some walk in the park and I think we’ve all come to figure that out as we began our journey almost three months ago. The stress levels are killer, you have to unlock the bathroom door every time, and your favorite shower is almost always taken.

Don’t get me wrong, though, although it’s stressful, it’s a blast all in one. The people you meet and the experiences you have are incredible; and I can finally say that I feel like I’m really getting into the swing of things. With studying and buddying, college is a whole whirl wind of things going on. For someone like me who prides as a creature of habit most days, this can be freakin’ overwhelming.

The first month and a half, I struggled hard here at Iowa State. My eating was off, I could barely sleep, and the thing I thought about most was when my family was coming to visit me. I often sat there, eating junk food thinking “I wish I had my kitchen and my two dogs”. My running was depleted and I felt like the joy I had coming to college was smothered by this sadness.

I woke up, then, and realized; I am in the time of my life. Sure, residence halls blow, and hair balls in the bathroom are killer, but I am on my way to becoming what I want to be when I grow up. I am surrounded by people struggling JUST LIKE ME. So why the pity party? At this moment, I felt like I grew up and now I’ve put together an awesome lists of ways YOU can survive your first or second semester too. Because no one deserves to be unhappy; you gotta live and you gotta live NOW!

1. Find your hobby

Whether it be running, drawing, biking, reading, laying in a field; find something you love to do that can distract you when times are getting tough. A major component of overcoming stress and even sadness sometimes, is to spark a little joy by doing a favorite thing.

2. Use that hobby, and find others that do the same

I cannot stress this enough; finding people who are involved in your similar interests can rock your world more than you think. In high school maybe you had clubs or sports you participated in daily and now you feel detached because college is so big and what if I don’t have those great things? Good news, bud. There’s tons of people interested in the same things you are. Get out there, join that club or sport and hang out with cool people that you can connect with on a level other friends may not be able to. For me, I found run club and culinary club. Obsessed with both, and the people bring me MAJOR joy.

3. Make friends with people on your floor or in your building

It is so scary coming into a place you don’t know anyone, and sometimes, you feel alone. The thing is, there are tons of people “feeling alone”- therefore, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I remember my first night here I went to bed and was like “oh my god I am friendless and no one is here for me help me, MOM COME BACK!”. Then, the next day I went to dinner with my floor and I met some of my greatest friends here on campus. It involved capture the flag and an accidental butt grab; but hey, I have friends now!

All I can say is having people close to you that can share a friendship is something you will need, especially when a homesickness feel hits and you can’t survive without an immediate hug.

4. Hit up Group fitness classes

Every person and their mother is going to tell you to “WORKOUT” because freshman 15 and all that jazz. Sure, weight gain is NOT fun (lol, me! it’s okay- you will probably experience it; it’s a part of life!), but it’s not irreversible and it isn’t some initiation into college. Something to utilize, especially if you aren’t into working out alone, is group fitness. There are SO many classes you can take, ranging from cardio cycling to yoga to belly dance.  I utilize the yoga classes at least twice a week, and it’s great to feel motivated by others to get in some good exercise. Even if you like to work out on your own, like me, these classes are just fun!

5. Journal

Every single day, I start my morning with writing 25 daily gratitudes. I cannot tell you the difference this has made in my life here. In the beginning, I was struggling with binge eating to comfort me (not a good thing to do!), and then I felt sad and terrible more than I would like to. Then, one morning, I decided that this was not something I wanted, and I forced myself to write 25 things I was happy about that day. From that day, I had continued this and I have been BINGE FREE! I’m not some miracle cure, but just someone who needed to remember that there is good in my life, and I shouldn’t throw away the progress I made from my previous eating disorder.

 

Get cute pencils from eathealthydesigns.com !!!

Journaling is the key to opening up when you just can’t speak. I’m almost on journal number two! Another great thing to do is to write down all your fun adventures. You can look back and smile when you think of all the crazy things you’ve done!

6. Seek help

Whether it be from a tutor or a therapist, if you are struggling, do not fear to reach out to someone. As I stated above, I struggled with my eating and I have now found myself with a therapy appointment on Thursday mornings. It was scary at first, but I realized that to better myself, I needed the extra help. This goes for classes, too. If chemistry doesn’t click with you, don’t ride the semester out feeling down and unworthy of a good grade; ask for help! There are so many tutors available, as well as review sessions for tests!

7. Be you

This is cheesy, but just be yourself. No one can be cool as the real you, and the great thing about college is that there are so many people just like you that have the same interests and even the same humor. Don’t change who you are.

 

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I hope this post on semester one survival tips was helpful because these were some things that really helped me ride out this semester. I still have a few weeks to go, but I’m ending this semester feeling like Emily again, and I only wish to bring that to other people that may be roughing it their first months of this newness. Let me know if you ever need anything, or have more tips on how to survive!

STUDY FOR YOUR FINALS!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

I’m sure so many of you indulge in pumpkin pie around the holidays. I mean, it is the season!

And while some love pumpkin pie, some love a good pumpkin spice latte. Well, this girl loves a darn good bowl of oatmeal as it comes to November and December.

Okay- I love oats all the time- just, bear with me for the sake of the cheesy opening to my recipe!

Anywho, I’ve been bored lately, and so I’ve started really working on creating new things I can munch on in my dorm room which is super fabulous because I’ve truly missed cooking and have felt extremely detached from a part of me that I really enjoy. So I woke up this morning, and remembered the organic pumpkin that was on sale at target I bought on Friday! I also received pie spice from my friend’s mom on Saturday, and knew oats were on the way.

This breakfast literally kept me full for hours on end, powered my workout, and celebrated fall all in one bowl! Now that’s what I call a good start to a Tuesday morning!

I also named this skeleton Fredrick for October, and since I have to put him away…. he needed a small appearance!

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prep: 5 minutes

cook: 2 minutes (in microwave!)

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. raw rolled oats
• 1 tbsp. chia seed
• 1/3 scoop vanilla protein (Sunwarrior)
• 3 tbsp. organic pumpkin puree  (Simply Balanced)
• 1/2 C. unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp. pie spice (Penzy’s)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3 C. water
• Small banana*
• 2 tbsp. granola (Lovegrown Foods)*
• 1 tbsp. almond butter, raw (Woodstock Foods)*

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1. Add to a bowl your raw oats, chia seed, pumpkin and protein. Stir the ingredients until mixed. (if you are using a stove, this should be a pot over medium heat!)
2. Now add in your water and about half of your almond milk. The other half will be used to top the oats.
3. Stir this around until creamy and smooth. You may need to add a touch more water.
4. Start adding your spices, and stir these into the mix.
5. If you are using a microwave, cook for two minutes. The stove top requires a longer time frame, and should cook until the oats have absorbed all the liquids.
6. Add another sprinkle of cinnamon and top those suckers with all them toppings and your left over almond milk!
7. SMASHHHHHH!!!!!

*Toppings are not necessary but are HIGHLY recommended. I mean, what’s a bowl of oats without some killer toppings???

Cacao Coffee Overnight Oats

Here we go- another darn bowl of oats.

Nah, I’m kidding’ you- these oats have been inspired by my drive to add more variety and spunk to my diet again after some serious hard times of eating the same things and ending up gorging on foods my system does not like. It’s a long story, but starting this week, I’m making it my goal to eat new foods, and explore some fun recipes for my dorm.

These make the list.

I had a concert last night, so of course I want a breakfast I can grab to run to class, and give myself a couple extra hours. Then, when I was thinking about that, I remembered that I didn’t finish a cup of coffee from the morning.

“MR. KRABS, I HAVE AN IDEAAAAAAAAAA”

I took the coffee, grabbed almond milk and some cacao powder and went ham.

Then, I layered some Siggi’s yogurt, banana slices, coconut chips, hemp seeds and cacao nibs for the most perfect bite in the morning I’ve ever had.

Love ya overnight oats!

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serves:1

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 2-3 hours; or overnight 

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. rolled oats
• 1 TBSP chia seeds
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder  Sunwarrior)
• 1 TBSP. cacao powder
• 1/2 C. brewed black coffee
• 1/3 C. unsweetened almond milk (Califia Farms)
• 1/2 container of plain Siggi’s
• 1 banana
• 1/2 TBSP. hemp seed
• 1 TSP. cacao nibs
• 1 TBSP. coconut chips

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Instructions:

1. Find a cute ass jar.
2. Now add the oats, chia seed, cacao  and protein powder. Make sure you stir the dry ingredients around before adding liquids!
3. After you stir the dry ingredients, add your coffee and almond milk until you get the consistency you enjoy.
4. Stir and stir WELL! You don’t want chunks of chia, now do you???
5. Slice a full banana and add half, then layer on the yogurt To the oats.
6. Layer the other half of the banana on top of this, then add the rest of the toppings as you like!
7. Scoff this sucker down!

Curried Bean Bowl (Dorm Friendly!)

I wasn’t sure what to call this.

I think I have  a problem with that….  like, naming recipes and all that jazz? It’s so confusing because I really just like to throw stuff together and NOSHHHHHH before I can think of something clever to call it.

Oh well, Curried bean bowl it is!

 

This bowl is simple, delicious and quick to make when you have long days and the hanger strikes as you pull your sick bicycle into your residence hall bike rack after a long freakin’ day of classes and exercise or vegetation. Also super easy to make when the only things you have available to you are a microwave and a mini fridge.

Can you tell that that’s how my days have been going these past few weeks?

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Curried Bean Bowl

serves: 1-2 (pending on your hunger)

Serious yumminess.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup organic chickpeas and black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 to full sweet potato
• 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/4 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 tablespoon cumin
• 1/4 tablespoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups mixed veggies (I used carrots, peas, corn, onion, cauliflower, mushrooms, and tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

*Optional toppings: nutritional yeast, sriracha, avocado and tahini. Optional, once again. BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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1. Pierce your sweet potato with a fork and microwave on high for 5-6 minutes, depending on size.
2. Place beans, spices, and raw vegetables into a bowl.
3. Add tomato sauce to the mixture and stir away!
4. Once the potato is cooked, place bean and veggie mixture into the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes.
5. As this is “cooking”, deskin potato and chop that baby up.
6. Throw your greens and potato into a bowl, and once the bean mixture is done, place that in the bowl as well.
7. NOW TOP AWAY, GRAB A FORK AND SMASH!

 

Cheap, easy and damn delicious. Just the way we broke college kids like it.

A Girl Uncovered: Revisiting Summer and Now

Week one of college is officially over.

I think I can actually say I’m a college student now, and to me, that’s pretty neat considering I’ve been dreaming of this opportunity for a long time. It’s been a transition for sure, but one I’m really starting to enjoy.

But before I embark on this four year adventure, I wanted to revisit something that’s bothered me over the summer; something I’ve come across here at my campus this first week; and something I plan on working on to better myself once again.

I preach balance, and for months on end, I lived it in the best way possible. Unfortunately this summer, I came across a road of late-night food shoveling and some nasty times of eating way too much; and continuing because I already dabbled in it. I don’t want to label it bingeing, but to some extent I think I am or was. And that concerned me deeply.

Yet I couldn’t change my habits. It was hard and I found myself really feeling bad about what I was doing with my food. I love food, and here I felt as though I had begun to abuse it again, just in a different way than I did two years ago.

My main thoughts that provoked it were probably due to emotional and stress problems leading up to such a big change in my life. At points, I’d think- “this is okay because I had a bad day” or “I’m stressed so… ben and jerry’s?”. These thoughts are far from what I preach, and as the summer had begun to end, I really was upset by how it played out.

I want to make something clear as I continue. I don’t see this as a “oh god I’m going to get fat” problem. As a girl who has learned to respect and love her body, I want to be far away from that type of thinking. It creates a problem, though, when I respect my body so much, yet push my stomach to limits and eat foods that hurt my system because I don’t know how to control it. That’s where my problems arise.

I took a lot of time to evaluate this before I even thought about posting; but I know many young people and older people alike struggle at some points with this. As a kid now going into college, I wanted to offer what I’m doing to help the situation. In no way am I a professional. But I am a human.

I first looked at what’s been going on, and that’s a lot. I’m moving away from home, leaving friends and family, encountering new obstacles with food, fast meals, fast times… yada yada. Then I came up with what I think I need to do.

1. Journal when emotions and stressors come into play. This is HUGE! It gives you a moment to pep talk or to hash out feelings you may throw other places.
2. Evaluate how I’m feeling and why I feel the need to reach for food.
3. Enjoy what I’m eating; and not think about when it will be gone or how I would want more.
4. Start preparing and trying new things. Being in a rut causes your body to have more cravings than normal.
5. Honor my cravings with healthier options, that way when I do reach for a “treat” or a “balanced” type meal, it feels good. Not bad.

I’m hoping I can make it work because I truly love the life of balance and I can’t wait to find it again. Let me know if there’s any questions or concerns you ever need answered and remember…

 

Balance is key.

 

Foodie Essentials: College Edition

It’s August.

I kid you not, this is August and on Monday, I leave for college. Summer flew by quickly, and here the big change is coming in only a couple days. And what am I doing these few moments before I leave for my adventure?

Last minute shopping because I love procrastination!

I’ve been thinking a TON about what I’m going to be bringing for college and as a foodie, one of my biggest things is where I’ll be storing my essentials for meals on campus. Sure, I’ll be using the dining hall; but we all know you can’t survive off of that! In this post, I’ll be sharing some of the fun finds and key pieces I shopped for to bring with me for my dorm room.

 

Snackities

Hummus

I am ADDICTED, i repeat ADDICTED to hummus. Hope foods hummus has just recently been a part of my rotation, so I couldn’t help but grab a HUGEEEE container of it at Costco with my mom. Pray it fits in the mini fridge!

Bean Snacks

These little roasted beans are a serious must for a salty craving that is chocked full of healthy proteins and carbs. As a vegetarian, I wanted to make sure I had a snack I could rely on in-between class changes that would fuel me the right way, and it so happened that these were also at Costco! I often make my own roasted beans at home, but since I won’t have an oven, these are great.

Bars

Bars are something I stay sort of away from just because you never know what the ingredients can come out to be. But, as life moves fast, you also need fast snacks! I love lara bars, kind bars, perfect bars, etc. as they have ingredients I can understand and trust. They’re more for emergency, but we all have emergencies, right?!

Dates

If I didn’t have dates to dip in nut butter or create energy bites, then I would die.

*other snacks I’m bringing include: brown rice cakes, plantain chips and popcorn kernels!

NUTS AND SEEDS

Chia Seeds

Chias are perfect for snacking too, especially when made into a simple pudding so these will have to be a staple at all times. I’m always throwing them into my oatmeal, sometimes adding to my toasts. They add a healthy fat and protein in a quick pinch!

Raw Nuts

I think my go-to snack is almost always a good serving of raw nuts just because there’s never added sugar in them and they really help to keep you full when you won’t be eating again for quite sometime. My favorites include pistachios and almonds, and this one pack has pecans thrown in there, too!

Almond Butter

So this is a hugeeeee and delicious jar of almond butter that will hopefully last me awhile! I’m obsessed with nut butter. It’s good on everything.

*also bringing my tahini, homemade nut butters and hemp seeds!

Grains:

Quinoa

I’m in love with quinoa, and Ancient Harvest has some of the best blends so a huge bag is necessary for the microwave cookin’!

Brown Rice

I got this small pack of brown rice at a fest that I went to, so it’s pictured but I do have more short grain brown rice I’m bringing with also to be cooked in the microwave! Super great for those macro bowls to fill up on cheap, yet nutritious food!
*other grains include Ezekiel bread, Engine 2 wraps, raw oats, bean pasta and coconut flour!

Random extras:

1. Containers and a lunch bag: How else would you carry your stuff around campus?! I got a ton of rubbermaids, cute collapsable salad bowls, and regular containers for storage.
2. Tea Towels: Gotta have cute towels when you’re instagramin’ some weird looking meals, am I right?
3. Cute bowls and plates: ^^^^^^
4. Almond milk: Duh.
5. Cutting board and knife
6. Can opener: Hello, I only eat beans like 8 days a week.
7. Sriracha and nutritional yeast: goes on everythannnnnng.

 

There’s so many other essentials I’m sure I’ll be packing, but for now, here ya go! Let me know what types of essentials you use daily and would bring where ever you could!

What I Ate Wednesday 7.20.16

It’s been so long since I’ve done one of these; I’m excited to be back!

Lately, I can’t stop eating vegetables (like always!). But, it’s becoming intense. Most days I’ll wake up and actually crave vegetables for a bit. But after I drink some water, then I kind of realize I don’t want a bag of spinach for breakfast…
This was actually my Monday meals, but since I got a full day of pictures when I wasn’t working during the day, I figured it would work out fine for our purpose!

Breakfast

  I’ve really been wary of how much dairy I consume as it messes with my stomach. For some (wonderful) reason, greek yogurt doesn’t usually create any pain or discomfort, probably as it’s cultured.. As a person whose been working on getting more proteins into my diet, especially in the AM, a good ol’ Siggi’s dairy yogurt bowl (and black coffee!) with my homemade vegan muffins and granola works perfectly and kept me full through my hot yoga sesh! With breakfast, I always try to hit the three macros: protein, carbs and healthy fats.That way I get the best start to the day.

Lunch:  

Lately, I’ve been insanely interested in middle eastern food. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve always been in love with spice, and now it’s really kicking in. An inspiration of mine recently has been Caitlin over at frommybowl ! A vegan food blogger and youtube, she’s helped me start to think about recipes and different things to try. I hate being stuck in ruts and unfortunately I’ve been eating a lot of the same things. THIS BOWL THOUGH! Curried lentil “chana masala” (or at least close???) With a ton of spices, flavor and paired with quinoa and greens. I’ll have to post my take on it.

Snack:

 

I picked blueberries (10 lbs, people) the other day so right after lunch I devoured like, half a container. I’m obsessed, okay?

 Then I went shopping for dorm things, and ate raw nuts and ended up at our local farm where i bought a pickle. Not in a jar either. My first ever fresh as heck pickle. Super neat. Once home, I did some ab work, made my lunch for the following work day and threw together a really pretty salad to eat at work later that night because I have to work at a desk for five hours and I need some good food to tide me over…

Dinner:

My amazing salad: bed of greens, roasted sweet potatoes (cold! the best way to eat them!), balsamic tofu, roasted veggies and roasted red pepper hummus from Cedar’s (not pictured). The only way to get through my night.
 

That was my day! What types of things do you use to fuel your weekdays?

 

 

 

 

Change and Moving Forward

Hey everyone!

It’s been incredibly long since I’ve posted, but it’s due to good things coming into play. Life has been full of hustle and bustle; grad parties on the weekends, full days of work during the week, and of course long runs, cooking and baking…. what else can you expect!

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, and it has to deal with changes coming into play as I begin my journey moving forward into college, as well as life after college. I’m leaving home, and am starting to walk down the path of what I may do for the rest of my life; and that’s incredibly scary! But while it’s scary, it’s also incredibly exciting and I can’t wait to share my view on change.