Echinodermity: 5 Healthy Ways to Live Like a Star
Echinoderms are a phylum (Echinodermata) of five-based marine invertebrates including the ever-popular sea stars (“starfish”), as well as brittle stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, sand dollars, feather stars, sea lilies, and a wide variety of other delightful creatures. The Latin word Echinoderm literally means “spiny skin,” and all echinoderms have some level of spiky armor, which as a sort of prickly introvert I find inspiring.
This young lady has the right idea.
I recently took a poetry class at my college where I created a short book of poetry that I decided to base around the theme of what humans can learn from marine (and other) invertebrates. Entitled Invertebration, that class assignment has inspired my current personal trend in my philosophy and writing: how can I write like a human and let myself live and love like a sea star? Here are 5 lifestyle tips from the realm of echinoderms:
- If it’s closed, pry it open and drain every drop of its nourishing juices.
- If s/he climbs on top of you to get closer to the sun, you climb right on top of him/her and get even higher.
- If the tides are crashing and trying to wrench you away from your rock, solidify your malleable form to fit the place you want to be, and harden your musculature so nothing can pull you away.
- If it bites off your armored arms, grow back more colorful and stranger arms with fancier spikes.
- If it piques your instinct, seize and devour it.
Image credits in order of appearance:
By E. M. Grosse – The echinoderm fauna of Torres Strait: its composition and its origin (1921) Clark, Hubert Lyman, 1870-1947, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38650232
By Sebastian Grajales – Colombia, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5102157
By Steven Pavlov – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16279384
A Delicious Resolution
It’s that time of year again…time to make New Year’s Resolutions. Time to punish ourselves for our perceived shortcomings in years past, and set our minds to changing our entire personalities in the future, starting at precisely 12:00:00 AM on January 1st. Some will resolve to be a better person, others will resolve to improve their memory, and a huge mass of people will resolve to lose weight. These determined souls will undoubtably jot down their plans and goals on a piece of paper – or their Smartphone – and see a brilliant, shining future ahead of them in which they are changed people. And for a month or so, they make an effort to live up to those goals. The nasty resolver will begin to smile at acquaintances she hates, if she remembers and isn’t in too bad of a mood that day. The forgetful resolver will sign up for some free online memory-training program, but will keep forgetting to play the memory-training games each day. The weight-loss people will try numerous techniques, from buying some outlandish exercise equipment that looks like a torture device, to starting a fad diet, and everything in between. But the fact is that many of these people will end up relinquishing their resolutions by the next week, or month, or couple of months, having gained nothing from their attempts to change but bitterness and failure.
In my view, the problem with New Year’s Resolutions is that many people will resolve to change their entire being, attacking intrinsic elements of themselves. The only possible outcome of this drastic action is giving up on the whole thing (or getting a personality transplant.) Since a personality transplant is too expensive for the typical New Year’s resolver, there’s nothing to do but beat themselves up even more for being unable to become someone else.
Don’t get me wrong: I don’t have a problem with making resolutions. I think it’s important to reflect on oneself, one’s place in the world, and to think critically about ways one could change for the better. But these changes should not be so drastic as to replace the whole person. I believe that, instead of a great existential change, we should resolve to make a change in our actions and their impact on others. For instance, instead of being nicer, the nasty lady should resolve to do specific, manageable nice tasks, like bringing cookies to work once a month or saying a cordial hello to that hated acquaintance if he says hello first. Who knows? Maybe after she gets in the habit of doing these nice tasks, she’ll be able to build up to nicer and nicer things until she becomes a truly saintly individual.
Or not. If she wants to be mean and nasty at home when no one’s looking, let her knock herself out. If some undesirable quality happens to be part of one’s identity, one should strive not to cut it away from oneself but to be mindful of it, and learn to express it appropriately. If you’re forgetful, start putting post-its everywhere telling you what to do so you’ll see them at the time you need to remember them. Starting small is the only way to build up to a big change of any sort.
For the weight-loss resolvers, I say think of it as a journey and not a result. Any extra pounds that weren’t in urgent need of removal on December 31st will not be in any more urgent need on January 1st. And in case you haven’t heard the news yet, fad diets – don’t work. The only way to lose weight safely and permanently is with a doctor-approved, reasonable diet and exercise. Weight-loss resolutions should be thought of more as health resolutions, and gone about as a journey, not a destination, because if you want to keep the weight off for good, you’ll have to continue practicing healthy habits for the rest of your life.
And again, resolve to change actions, not the self. Hating your body is not a healthy attitude and will never lead you to satisfaction. Instead of resolving to be thinner, resolve to make an appointment with a registered dietician to discuss what diet and exercise plan might be right for you. Have a plan, and stick to it. Focus on actions: the act of choosing whole grain breakfast cereal over candy crunch is a step towards a healthier lifestyle, and will probably end up helping you lose weight too. Don’t be discouraged if the scale doesn’t change right away – these things take time. That’s why every dieter needs a sustainable plan that they can thrive on long-term.
Furthermore, New Year’s is not the only time to make resolutions. Any time can be the perfect checkpoint to reflect on one’s life and what one could be doing better. Whenever I realize something missing from my actions or my life, I make a plan right away to correct that. Sometimes my plan works, and sometimes it doesn’t. But it’s much more likely to work if I set small goals, and focus on my actions and taking it one step at a time.
This year, I have a number of blog-related resolutions. They are as follows:
1) To use a wider range of ingredients in my recipes, and try new things. I just did this today with my Caramel Apple Cookie Butter Cookie Cake, which was the first recipe I’ve made using cookie butter.
2) To make more savory recipes, since at the present moment I feel like I’ve unintentionally created a dessert blog. Yesterday I made a great savory Italian Breakfast Casserole.
3) To make more family-friendly recipes, or at least recipes that serve more than just one person. (I’ve made enough mug cakes to last a lifetime!) A couple weeks ago I added some Yam Muffins to my grandmother’s holiday table, and my family simply raved about them.
And that’s about it! Notice how all these resolutions pertain to specific actions, which all will (hopefully) lead me to a loftier goal of having a better blog for all you guys out there. So with that I wish you a successful, healthy and happy New Year!
Caramel Apple Cookie Butter Cookie Cake
Photo Credits: (chronological order): http://www.sessions.edu/notes-on-design/uncategorized/new-years-eve-ball-drop/
http://www.chriscade.com/2009/10/i-feel-like-a-failure-a-successful-dentists-true-story/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/86623992803281939/
http://maketravelfair.co.uk/2012/04/20/oh-be-morning-runner/
Skinny Strawman
We are currently learning about logical fallacies in my English class: arguments a writer or speaker makes to obscure the truth, to create a somewhat inaccurate understanding of an issue in the eyes of the audience. This can lead to audience action that may not be warranted. Influential people, such as politicians, will sometimes use these fallacies to their advantage. This is why experienced readers must be aware of all different types of logical fallacies, so they can be recognized and the writer will not be able to manipulate the reader.
Eating disorders are like fraudulent politicians. They enter the brain and attempt to gain control by rallying emotions that are stronger than rational thinking. This is why a person taken over by an eating disorder loses some of their ability to think rationally, and becomes a sort of slave to the eating disorder, robotically performing commanded tasks that don’t really make sense. Why would a reasonable person push themselves past the limit of health or comfort, exercising rather than hanging out with friends, eating meals meant for rabbits rather than enjoying a balanced meal diverse in food groups? Why would that person insist upon being the skinniest person in the room, even when this goal is certain to lead to hospitalization? Why would anyone with the ability to think rationally let a dictatorial power invade the brain, imposing a cage that closes in around the victim on all sides, growing tighter and tighter and shutting out all light?
I have never studied psychology, but I do know that in order for such things to happen, very persuasive thoughts must enter the brain. They must build in strength and numbers, until their voice is louder than the voice of common reason. The perverse thoughts do this through riveting emotional appeals that, when examined closely, can be characterized as logical fallacies. While the brain is under the control of these thoughts, they seem very real and forceful. They make us feel as if our only choice is to follow them and do unhealthy things to our bodies in pursuit of their goals. I want to recognize and acknowledge that it is extremely difficult to rise above these thoughts. When they are very real and imminent, it can be very helpful if one seeks the aid of a psychiatrist. I am no psychiatrist myself, but I do know these thoughts are tough to conquer. In order to rise above illogical thoughts, we must first recognize that they are illogical.
Here are some common types of logical fallacies I have been learning about in school. I feel each of these has a parallel in the brain when it comes to eating-disordered thoughts. They should be treated in the same way: recognized as unreasonable and then disregarded. In this blog post, I will discuss three particular logical fallacies that closely parallel eating-disordered thinking.
The Bandwagon Appeal
One logical fallacy we see every day is the “Bandwagon” Appeal. “Everybody’s doing it!” As an adolescent in the midst of today’s media jungle, pressures are constantly being applied from various sources to look and act a certain way. Teens of both genders feel the need to look cool like the airbrushed, plastic-surgery-ed celebrities in every magazine, on every billboard. And if looking like an anorexic model means eating like one, many teens will make that decision, thinking they aren’t cool if they do not. Many teens think being popular depends on being thin.
The error in this reasoning is that one won’t be popular if one is a brainless (skinny) jellyfish, floating aimlessly through life, lacking the energy to entertain others, let alone ask that cute boy for his number. The truth is that starving oneself is not normal, and in fact those who do starve themselves are whispered about and ostracized, often by that very same popular crew who created the bandwagon in the first place.
A good way to avoid jumping on this fatal bandwagon is to have a role model. One who stands out from the homogenous mass of skeletal celebrities, as a unique and powerful person who isn’t afraid of his or her own body. My role model, at least in this respect, is Kate Upton: she has a great feminine body and embraces it. By thinking of Kate Upton, I can feel like there is at least one like-minded celebrity out there. I belong to a group, just not the group on that bandwagon that’s driving to no good place.
Slippery Slope
A cute example of the “Slippery Slope” is Laura Joeffe Numeroff’s beloved If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, in which, as we probably all know, one action leads to another and another until ultimately the consequences of one cookie are quite enormous. (Spoiler alert for those who haven’t read it!) The reason a “slippery slope” is a fallacy is because it is usually designed to frighten the audience into desperate avoidance of an action that, in truth, may not produce such dire consequences as the writer or speaker would like the audience to believe.
Eating-disordered thoughts can work this way as well. For example: “don’t touch that cookie! If you eat one cookie you’ll eat another, and another, and soon you’ll eat the whole bag! Then you’ll be fat, you’ll never get a boyfriend and everyone will make fun of you.” The slippery slope lubricates itself with help from its sister the bandwagon appeal, combining to show you the treacherous path ahead if you eat one cookie.
When thoughts start to get out of control, it’s essential to first recognize this. Realize that there are many paths ahead, not just the one that leads down a steep cliff into the dreaded abyss. It is completely possible for a health-conscious person to determine to take the path of eating just one or two cookies, then stopping right there. Moderate eating includes the occasional indulgence, and it is perfectly safe and acceptable to eat a cookie every once in a while. So let yourself feel safe, and take the right path to earn your own trust.
The Strawman
When politicians can’t address a daunting issue, they will often set up a fake issue to tackle so the public believes the politician is taking action. The “strawman” is the imaginary, wicked opposition to the good of the people. The politician creates a strawman in his/her speeches just to knock it down.
Teenagers live in a world of angst. Our lives are fraught with insurmountable expectations, social pressures, and stressful situations over which we have little or no control. But I think sometimes we tell ourselves, “I do have total control over my life! I can make everything rosy if I just get skinny.” Losing weight can be hard, but it’s not as hard as ensuring one’s success at being accepted into Harvard, or getting the most popular guy in school to ask one out. Losing weight is a mathematical function based on scientific principles: you put in one number, and another comes out. No mind-reading or charisma necessary. It’s a relatively easy strawman to knock down. I think this is why we often tell ourselves all our problems will disappear if we lose weight: we are putting off dealing with an ambiguous reality.
But losing weight isn’t really the solution to all the problems of a stressed teen. In fact, if eating-disordered thoughts take over, it is difficult to accomplish much else. While the teen is slaving for hours at the gym, her crush will take out some other girl for ice cream. While the teen is in the hospital being force-fed, the other kids will be busy building up their resumés and applying to college. So none of the original problems have been solved. In addition, more problems are created, what with everyone gossiping about the mysterious absence, and the huge hospital bill that just might have to come out of the Harvard fund.
No, it isn’t possible to control every aspect of life. But if one sets up the weight-loss strawman, one’s life may just spin even more out of control. Personally, I try to put stressors such as college or social issues in perspective, so they don’t seem so big and scary. I accept that I will not be able to control everything. But at least I can control everything in my power. I apply myself at school and do my personal best at every endeavor I choose to take on, realizing that all I can do is all that can be done. When something is out of my hands I often have to remind myself that there is no point in agonizing over it; life goes on and the flow of things will take me where I am headed, with the compass of my best work pointing the way.
I could go on forever. Every logical fallacy in the book is employed by the irrationality of eating-disordered thoughts. Frankly, eating-disordered thoughts are consummate liars. The logic behind them is thinner than spider silk, and they take over the mind through manipulation like the most rotten politicians in history. As thinkers, we need to be savvy about which thoughts deserve any of our precious time, and which need to be disregarded at once. If your mind is being overrun by forceful, irrational thoughts, do yourself a favor and think twice. Stay strong, be unique and be you! You don’t need to be the skinniest person on the planet to be a good, successful and happy individual.
Pear and Chocolate Smoothie
In the crazy rush of life, always being pushed to do this and that, it’s nice to treat oneself every once in a while. In fact, it is necessary to slow things down from time to time for the sake of sanity. Everyone needs to unwind, or else we risk suffering a nervous breakdown!
How do you chill out? Maybe you take a spa day, or spend a weekend watching brain-draining t.v. OR… you could spare your wallet and your brain cells, and make this easy, delicious smoothie instead. Take a sip of icy pear and chocolate serenity, and let it wash over you, bathing you in calm. Ahhh…this must be the real meaning of “chill out.”
While you’ll find tons of super-healthy smoothie recipes all over the internet, bursting with leafy greens, premium seeds and esoteric fruits only to be located at the exotic goods auction miles away, and all that stuff is great, sometimes you just need something sweet and simple. Something that maybe doesn’t require you to dole out your life’s savings to an auctioneer in exchange for a little bag of fibrous seeds. (You might as well have spent the money on that spa day!) This smoothie is inexpensive, tossed together with ingredients you probably already have lying around at home.
And the results? Scrumptious. Pear and chocolate make an unusual, but amazing duo. To make this smoothie even more indulgent, I topped mine with a little squirt of whip and a sprinkling of chocolate chips. So it may not be as healthy as some of my other smoothie recipes. But sometimes it’s okay, necessary even, to take a break from obsessing over the nutritional quality of one’s diet. Just enjoy something that may be a little less healthy! It’s still relatively nutritious, what with the protein and calcium from the yogurt, and fiber from the pear.
And get this: people who are super-duper strict with their “healthy” eating plans, are more likely to give up completely at some point and start eating a crazy amount of junk food. On the flip side of this, those who allow themselves to “cheat” a bit, with planned transgressions which are truly minor, will stick to their healthy eating plans in the long run. I consider this smoothie a “minor” offense, as it is nearly as healthy as some of my other smoothies. Enjoy as a dessert, snack or even a super-indulgent breakfast treat. I won’t tell anyone.
Pear and Chocolate Smoothie
serves 1
Ingredients:
smoothie
- 1 banana
- 1 medium pear, chopped roughly
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 Yoplait brand chocolate mousse style yogurt
- 3 small ice cubes
optional topping:
- handful of semisweet chocolate chips
- dollop of whipped cream (I used 365 organic)
Directions: Place all smoothie ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour into a glass, and embellish with whip and chocolate chips, or personalize with your own toppings!
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In Distress? Time To De-Stress!
It’s currently what I call the most stressful time of the year. Forget the Christmas shopping stampede, back-to-school season is truly the season of the most headaches (and backaches!) every year. If you are a high school student like me, you know the sudden, unwelcome flood of work, expectations, unfamiliar teachers and obligations filling up your schedule that arrives the moment the first bell rings. And stays like an unwanted guest, hours past the time you get home and drop your 50-lb backpack on the floor. It hangs over your shoulder while you power through that stack of homework, and breathes down your neck as you try to relax and get to sleep at a reasonable hour (yeah, right!)
In this post, I will share some de-stress methods that I use throughout the day and find effective at lowering my anxiety. I’m not saying I’m the queen of zen by any stretch of the imagination. But I do have school-proof methods that work for me to reduce my anxiety, morning, noon and night. In this post, I have divided my strategies into a Dawn-To-Dusk De-Stress Plan. I hope you give a few of my ideas a try, and maybe customize them to be optimal for you. Everyone has unique methods to cope with stress. If you have a great relaxation technique that isn’t here, feel free to mention it in the comments!
The Fall 2013 True Healthy Me Dawn-To-Dusk De-stress Plan
Mornings:
1. Have a schedule during the week. Set your alarm so you wake up early enough to get ready and sit down to a healthy, satisfying breakfast before heading out the door. This way, there’s no morning drama or fear of lateness (is anyone else deathly afraid of walking in late to a silent classroom? Or is that just my personal weirdness?). The more time I leave myself to dress, eat, etcetera, the less likely I am to rush out the door and forget something, saving me from more stress later on. (“Everyone take out the 500-page essay that none of you left on your desks at home because you can’t turn it in late.” Oops.)
2. Speaking of breakfast: very important. Fuels your brain and helps you wake up. I don’t drink coffee, but I often find myself more awake than other students early in the day because I take the time to plan and eat a good breakfast.
During the School Day:
3. Don’t think too far into the future. I learned from my mom to just think about what I’m doing at the moment: right now I’m walking to science class. Not: when I get to science class I need to do a group activity and after that I have to go to music and we have a playing test and I might get a bad grade and my GPA will drop and I’ll never get into college. Sometimes I find myself thinking like this, but then I remember that it’s more effective to take things one step at a time. Just like if I’m playing music, I can’t try to play all the notes at once (that would get me an F for sure!) It’s important to think ahead a little, but don’t worry ahead.
4. Find things to smile/laugh about. Some studies show that laughter not only helps one relax and feel good, it can be beneficial for blood flow and it just makes people happy overall. So hang out with people who make you laugh!
5. Be organized. Write down all your homework so you don’t have to frantically scour your friends and the rarely-updated teacher websites when you get home. And keep all your classwork in a binder or folder, in some sort of order that makes things easy to find. In elementary school, my desk was the messiest area in the classroom. One day the teacher made me clean it up while the other kids did a fun activity. But once the horrid mess was removed, everything I needed was easier to find! That lesson stuck with me forever, and now I keep all my papers reasonably organized. As for my desk at home…that’s another story. But I do find that the neater I can get it, the higher my quality of life is while doing homework.
After School:
6. Take a shower. If I’ve just arrived home from a hard day at school, I like to take a little break before starting my homework to just feel the warm water rushing over me. It feels like I’m washing off the dusty drudgery of the day. When I come out, I feel rejuvenated and ready to work!
7. Don’t procrastinate. Do your homework as soon as possible, after maybe a quick shower and/or snack. Break projects up into little pieces as soon as they are assigned, and plan when you will do each step.
8. Have something to look forward to. I know how trying it is to sit down to a pile of homework after a whole day of tedious classwork. What I often do is take a fun little quiz on Blogthings (most take less than 5 minutes) and don’t let myself see the result until I’ve done a set amount of homework. I will also wait to look at emails from friends until I’ve done some homework. Keeping that little reward just out of reach motivates me to do my homework faster.
Evenings:
9. Get to bed at a reasonable time. I try to make sure I get at least 8 hours. Even if I’m still working on something, unless it’s the most important thing in the world and due tomorrow, I will quit at 10:00 or 10:30 to make sure I get enough sleep. This way, I’ll be refreshed enough to make more progress on my work the next day. I avoid having to work all night because I start working on projects the day I receive them.
10. When I’m lying in bed, just before I fall asleep, I think of eleven positive things that happened to me during the day. I’ve been doing this since seventh grade, when my English teacher told us research suggested this procedure could turn a pessimist into an optimist. It hasn’t quite done that for me, but what it has done is helped me reflect on my day. I always find myself remembering little funny or exciting things that happened that I’d forgotten about. The positive things can include achievements, new opportunities, laugh out loud moments, a compliment someone gave you…anything you find good. And you don’t have to limit yourself to eleven.
In General:
11. Plan your schedule for the year in a realistic way. I know people who are taking 4 or 5 AP classes, plus are involved in high-level orchestra, athletics, and/or honors societies. Unless you want to get into the University of Over-Achievers, where your life will be even more stressful what with 100-page dissertations due every day, please be realistic with yourself. In my view, it’s more important to focus on a few areas of study that are genuinely important to you. Then push yourself to do more in these areas, and take harder classes that directly relate to your interests and passions. This will help you truly excel in these areas, which is also a plus on that college resumé you’re so worried about. 🙂 For instance, I am only taking one AP class, which is English, something I am interested in and fairly good at.
12. Exercise. Just like laughing, exercise can release good chemicals in your body. Sometimes when I’m really angry or stressed, I go for a short run to burn off my bad feelings. I also enjoy yoga, though I haven’t taken a formal class in some time. Just before getting into bed I sometimes do a few poses, or at least child’s pose (my favorite!) I also occasionally do a bit in the morning. I feel like it helps release tension building in my body.
13. Pursue hobbies. I find baking to be a great stress-reliever. Painting, drawing, writing, and reading help get my mind off anxiety-provoking topics. Blogging is not only a hobby but also a way to express my feelings. Letting out feelings helps them seem less upsetting and frightening, so it’s important to have an outlet.
14. Keep everything in perspective. There will be times when you forget something or are running late or just feel like the end of the world is upon you. I myself tend to blow issues out of proportion. Then I tell myself in my head, no one’s going to execute you. And I realize it’s true, and stop worrying so much about a little slip-up I’ve made. I’ve also taught this strategy to my mom, who says it helps her as well.
15. Have a rest day. I am Jewish and don’t do schoolwork on the Sabbath, which is Saturday. Even if you are not religious, it is nice to take a day off at some point during the week. Having that rest day helps me have something to look forward to during the busy week. It also refreshes my attitude, so I am ready to work when the Sabbath is over.
I hope these tips are helpful to you in your quest to find peace in today’s anxious world. Have as good a back-to-school season as possible!
Sources: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter
Mediterranean-Inspired Salad
Finally! The school year dragged itself out as long as possible, but it is FINALLY OVER. Today was my first day of vacation. Even though it was kind of gloomy and practically drizzling, we braved the June gloom to visit the pier.
We saw some cute little ground squirrels on the walk there. They were just minding their own business, nibbling at the grass and skittering away from anyone who came too close. They didn’t take too kindly to paparazzi, but I was able to snap a few good shots:
Did I ever mention that I finally got a new camera? I got it about a month ago, and it takes really nice, clear pictures. Like this one:
The squirrel on the left seems shocked at my rudeness: “Why are you taking my picture while I’m eating? What if I have grass blades stuck between my teeth?”
Then we got to the pier, enjoyed the rides and the gloomy view of the sea, looked at the really overpriced souvenirs but didn’t buy anything, etcetera. I won’t bore you by blogging about that.
What I noticed about the food situation at the pier was that it didn’t really cater to people who want to eat healthy. I saw several churro stands, popcorn stands, and ice cream vendors, a store selling greasy burgers and fries, another selling greasy pizza, and a funnel cake store. Those ground squirrels would have been shocked at the level of junk food offered. “Why don’t they sell any grass salads?”, They would have asked. I myself was puzzled. I mean, maybe no one wants to eat grass, but I’m sure some pier-goers would appreciate a light meal option such as a salad.
When I got home, I made myself a little salad. It was sort of Mediterranean-style, except the only cheese I had was cheddar, so I didn’t quite keep to the Mediterranean theme. But the cheddar cheese mingled wonderfully with the other ingredients, and I actually recommend using it.
For those looking for a light summer lunch that doesn’t include grease or funnel cake, here is a delicious, single-portion-size salad. Make like a ground squirrel and eat your vegetables!
Mediterranean-Inspired Salad
makes one serving
Ingredients:
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves
- 6-8 cherry tomatoes
- 3 artichoke hearts (I used Cara Mia brand)
- 4 pimiento stuffed manzanilla olives
- 1/4 of an avocado, cut into smallish pieces
- 2 tbls Sargento brand 4-State Cheddar shredded cheese
- 2 tbls roasted red pepper hummus
Directions:
Make sure spinach and tomatoes are washed. Place spinach, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, avocado, and cheese in a medium salad bowl. Add hummus and toss. Enjoy!
Ground squirrel level:
getting better…
human level…
awesome level!!! Yay!
The hummus really makes the salad.
What is your favorite ingredient in a salad?
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Weekday Breakfasts, Updated! Friday: Medit-American Breakfast Pita
Choco-Banana Breakfast Mug Cake
Before I start the obligatory sparkling description of this recipe, I want to say a few words about something totally different. Just a few. If you are overcome with impatience and MUST have this chocolatey delight right now this instant, of course feel free to skip to the recipe.
This evening I attended my school’s Dance Showcase. This is a bi-annual performance put on by the dance classes to present what they have been learning (and wear incredibly revealing costumes!!!) I thought the performance was outstanding. I wish you could have been there, every dance had a backstory and some were funny, some were sad, some were more than a little disturbing. There were so many different girls performing, each one with a different body type. And I can honestly say that I thought all the dancers looked amazing onstage. They were really getting into it, infusing the dances (some of which were choreographed by the students) with their own personality. And in the moment, as they all carried themselves with confidence and style, as they all danced with heart and soul, they all had “perfect bodies.” The impression I got was that they were all just having too much fun to feel fat, and therefore none of them were. I have mentioned before on this blog that I don’t think there is such a thing as a perfect body. It’s all in how a person works with what she’s got. If we all went through life with the same energy, the same passion, I think no one would ever have to complain or feel self-conscious about their body ever again. Maybe we should all attend the dance class at my school.
Why don’t I take dance, you ask? Eh. I have two left feet when it comes to dancing. Yoga is much more up my alley since in yoga I rarely have to look perfect or get out of anyone’s way onstage. Good thing my school offers a yoga class as well. Both yoga and dance are great ways for students to build a better self-image. (Yuck, I sound like a teacher at Open House. Okay, I’ll stop now.)
Now, for the totally unrelated recipe: breakfast cake. Two words that aren’t supposed to go together. But if you know me, you know I love bending the rules and having dessert for breakfast. This is a mug cake, and a good one at that, with a perfectly moist texture and lots of chocolate. I added banana, walnuts and coconut for extra flavor and fiber. Melty chocolate chips really made this mug cake a masterpiece.
The only thing I might change about this cake is adding just a tad more sweetness, possibly more banana or more agave syrup. But other than that it had an awesome texture and taste. And with whole grains, nuts, and fruit, it is perfectly acceptable for breakfast even with all that chocolate!
This cake will make you want to dance!
Choco-Banana Breakfast Mug Cake
adapted from this recipe on my blog, which I originally got from Chocolate Covered Katie
Serves 1
Ingredients:
cake batter
- 2 tbls whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur brand)
- 1 tbl Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbl brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 of a banana (or try more for more banana-y flavor)
- 1 tbl + 2 tsps water
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp organic light agave syrup (or try adding more to increase sweetness)
mix-ins/toppings (feel free to switch these up!)
- 1 tbl walnuts
- 1 tbl sweetened coconut flakes
- 15 pieces/ about 1 tbl semi sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
In a very small bowl, mash the banana with a fork.
In a microwave-safe mug, combine dry ingredients. Add banana and other wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Stir in most of the walnuts, coconut flakes and chocolate chips, but reserve some for topping.
Microwave for about 45 – 50 seconds. Top with the remaining topping ingredients. Let cool for a minute or so, and enjoy!
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Blueberry Cinnamon Swirl Steel Cut Oatmeal
When I was little I liked to watch videos after school. (Ah, the days when I had that much extra time!) One of my favorites in elementary school was “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory“. Not to be confused with the Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, this is the older movie based on Road Dahl’s classic book (which I also read several times.) I just remember loving the movie for all its fantastical elements and outrageous characters: Veruca Salt,the quintessential brat, the unnamed little orange Oompa-Loompas who also happened to be talented singers, and last but not least, the obnoxious gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde. It was always fascinating to watch the old-school special effects transform the gum-chewing girl into a blueberry when she sampled Willy Wonka’s prototype gum. That’ll teach her not to chew gum anymore! Though the scene strangely always made me think of eating some blueberries.
What was your favorite childhood movie? Fave scene?
Now, for the health lecture: blueberries. Extremely low in calories, packed with antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they prevent the oxidization of other cells. Cell oxidization is needed to a certain degree, but if it occurs in excess it may cause certain diseases. Studies are currently under way to see if antioxidants could even be used in medicine to prevent problems such as heart disease and cancer. Blueberries just happen to be an excellent source of antioxidants, containing 5562 TE per 100 grams. (For more information on this, see this article.) Blueberries also contain many vitamins such as vitamin B-6, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and folic acid. These are nutrients that help the body metabolize food. Pretty amazing, that all this good stuff can be packed into such a tiny little fruit. But wait, there’s more! Blueberries are a good source of fiber, and contain chlorogenic acid that may help lower blood sugar levels and control glucose levels in type-II diabetes patients.
Are you ready to eat some blueberries? Me too. Let’s have some delicious steel-cut oatmeal with the healthful stuff. To make it even better, this oatmeal has a cinnamon swirl in it, reminiscent almost of a cinnamon roll. But of course much healthier. This tasted awesome, of course. How could one go wrong with oatmeal and cinnamon?
Blueberry Cinnamon Swirl Steel-Cut Oatmeal
makes one serving
Ingredients:
for cinnamon swirl
- 1 tsp Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- sprinkling of cinnamon
for oatmeal
- 1/4 cup steel-cut oats
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup vanilla almondmilk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- about 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries, for topping
Directions:
To make the cinnamon swirl: Blend the Earth Balance with the brown sugar and cinnamon until the mixture is homogenous. (I guess I’ve got chemistry finals on the brain!) Set this aside.
To make the oatmeal: In a medium pot, combine the warm water and almondmilk. Heat on high until it boils. Then turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the steel-cut oats and the vanilla. Cook oats for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When oats are done cooking, remove from heat. Pour oats into serving bowl. Top with the cinnamon swirl mixture and allow that to melt a little as you ad the blueberries. Swirl the cinnamon mixture into the oatmeal with a spoon.
Allow oatmeal to cool for a couple of minutes, then enjoy!
Please note: 1/4 cup of blueberries is not a full serving of fruit. So go ahead and enjoy more yummy blueberries alone as healthy snacks, as well as accompaniments to yogurt and such throughout the day!
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Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_radical_absorbance_capacity, http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/blueberries.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant