I adore Pinterest. It is so full of wonderful healthy snack ideas. And with the colder face-stuffing weather surfacing, healthy snacks are a MUST for a woman like me who craves treats every fall and winter. While browsing Pinterest a couple days ago, I came across a recipe for frozen Greek yogurt bites with banana. Not only did I try this recipe out, I dolled it up with some cinnamon and honey. The turn out? Cool, creamy, healthy and delicious!


   This is a very easy recipe! Just mix it all in a bowl until it's creamy, but the bananas shouldn't be completely smashed.Then spoon the mixture into a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Finally, cover the pan with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for two hours. Then wala! A delicious, healthy treat! They can also be added to smoothies! Enjoy!

There's a slight chill in the air in central NC. I can feel autumn clacking through my brain like the Headless Horseman on a foggy night in Sleepy Hollow. Last week, despite my desire to stay in bed, I tossed a cardigan over my shoulders and went to class. Chemistry can be pretty boring, but normally I can focus on the lectures. As soon as fall came breezing through, everything turned to static- even my attention span.

It's funny how a changing of seasons can funk up our perception. Some researches have said it has to do with the shifts in sunlight. It has also been linked to a change in barometric pressure. Then there's the need to slow down and prepare for hibernation. Though humans don't exactly hibernate, our bodies do react to everything napping around us, and the cold messes with our body temperatures, causing our blood vessels to narrow and bodies to shiver. It takes energy for our bodies to maintain homeostasis.

This sluggishness was also followed by the familiar cool-weather urge to push aside my nightly salad and shove my face into a pot of mashed potatoes. Like the squirrels harvesting their acorns, us humans feel the need to harvest fat. Survival of the fittest! And by harvest fat, I mean gorge on ham, pies, candied apples, hot chocolate and Boo Berry cereal, (Mmmm Boo Berry cereal....).

Even though the merge from summer to fall wreaks havoc on our bodies, I'm welcoming it. Bring on the gorgeous colors of North Carolina's changing leaves and the smell of pumpkin spice. I'm ready for boots, jeans, soft sweaters, crocheted scarves, and other fall fashion necessities. I've never been more excited about scary films and watching Jamie Lee Curtis scream in a closet for the hundredth time. Most importantly, I'm looking forward to family. Their always worth feeling a little static.

Scales aren't always reliable when determining weight loss. Have you ever noticed how we usually weigh more at the doctor's office than we do at home? I often find scales to be as discouraging as the mirrors in a brightly lit dressing room. Those of us trying to live a healthy lifestyle can all relate- the digital flicker of a few numbers can impact how we feel about ourselves. One day I'm down a pound, and then I'm up four pounds the next! This happens to many of us, which can give us a sense of failure, even when it's not!

When we step on a scale, our weight in the morning always differs from our weight in the evening. We have to consider water weight, C02 levels after waking in the morning, food consumed, etc. Also, muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out, you may be losing fat, but gaining muscle. These are factors our scales can't read, but our eyes can.


When we look in the mirror, we view the little details our scales fail to project. We can see muscle definition, how our jeans loosen around our waists, and the slimming of our different body areas. These small, subtle changes are definite PROGRESS that our eyes can see, and it's fuel for motivation, rather than scale-driven disappointment.

Scales are needed for weight averages and other medical diagnostics. Monthly weigh-ins are also very useful when tracking your weight loss progress. But using a scale to weigh yourself daily or even weekly can throw you off your game. That's why I prefer mirrors and do not own a scale at home. Real results are results we can see. Besides, we're human beings, not numbers.

When we sit down to dinner, or grab a burger at the nearest burger joint, we don't stop to think about how a pound of beef could harm the planet. Until I watched the documentary, Vegucated, I didn't realize the amount of water and energy even used to make a pound of beef. The answer? Between 1,700 and 2,000 gallons according to various sources. And that is just the water! You still have to factor in energy and Co2 emissions. According to The Independent, "Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together."

Another sad reality is the fact that many Americans consume too much protein. The average woman only needs between 50 and 60 grams of protein a day. A very active person doesn't need much more. One 4 ounce chicken breast contains over half that. When you add yogurt, milk, cheese, nuts, legumes and any other meat a person may eat through out the day, you get protein overload. Maybe the three-meal meat staple is to blame for this. For decades Americans have enjoyed bacon for breakfast, a meat sandwich for lunch, and another portion of meat for dinner. This made sense back in the 1930's when small farms were abundant and many people had to eat what they could just to stay healthy during war time. People also expended more energy back in those days due to the lack of technology we have now. Labor was much harder.



Like with many foods, it's all about moderation. I could never personally quit meat, so I'd never suggest that to anyone. I do suggest meat in moderation, though, and that's how I try to maintain my health. I only eat meat once a day, usually at dinner. The above photo is two night's worth of steaks for my family of three, and by three, I mean my boyfriend and teenage son. Rather than serving up a plate full of meat with a few side items, we bulk up on veggies with meat as a side. I'm taking care of my body and shrinking my environmental footprint by only enjoying a small portion of meat with dinner, so it's a pretty win-win way to meal plan. I've also noticed more energy since I started eating less meat. Maybe you would to! If not for yourself, at least try it for our children's future.

Though I've been super busy with school, I have been following Chef Jamie Oliver and his campaign against sugar.  Bravo, Sir! Thank you for speaking out and spreading the 411 on the sugar epidemic.

Sugar is a HUGE problem not only in the UK, but in America as well. Sugar is delicious, addictive and hiding in EVERYTHING. Even your child's school lunch is packed with hidden sugars. Ketchup, which is actually considered a school lunch "vegetable" has 4 grams of sugar per tablespoon. These hidden sugars add up over time, eventually contributing to obesity and worse- childhood diabetes.

Now I'm not saying sugar is bad. I've seen the how to "QUIT SUGAR!" articles all over the Internet, which are a bit ludicrous. Sugar is part of a natural diet. It's found in fruits, nuts, berries and even some vegetables. It's a great form of quick energy for birds and bees and other living things, including us. It came in pretty handy before we had cars and grocery stores and had to be continuously active to survive. Unlike fat, sugar is energy that is ready to be used as soon as it's consumed. Fat is stored to be burned later. If you eat a pasta-heavy dinner (remember, carbs turn into sugar), and plop down on the couch without putting the energy you consumed to use, it will turn into fat.

As with all things, and again I stress, MODERATION. No child needs a 12 ounce soda with their lunch. No child needs Pop-Tarts or sugary cereals for breakfast. Some people do not know or understand this. They were raised in households where sugary, processed foods are an every day, normal way of life. I was one of those children, and I was extremely obese as a child because of this. My dad didn't want me to be obese or unhealthy, he just didn't know any better. He himself was raised in the same type of "clean your plate" household he grew up to recreate.

What makes things worse, is when people start becoming more educated on sugar, their first go-to is low fat, low calorie processed foods. Even I am guilty of this. I enjoy fat free Greek yogurt. It's wonderful in smoothies and helps with good gut bacteria. But when I checked the label, I was shocked to find there were 17 grams of sugar in one serving of it. To make up for the lack of fat, the company doused it with extra sugar, which again- will turn into fat unless I work out or do something active. Tricky, tricky, right? I could not find ANY Greek yogurt, with or without fat, that did not have added sugar. What if I don't want sugar in my yogurt? Or my peanut butter? Or anything else I eat that companies feel need extra sugar?



READ LABELS! Eat more fresh foods and less processed foods. And stop giving kids so much damned sugar. I promise you, when you cut back on sugar, you will eventually notice just how sweet many processed things are. You won't want as much sugar, in fact, a regular Coke will make you scrunch your face. And while you're at it, check out what Jamie Oliver is doing and educate yourself and friends. We can beat the childhood obesity epidemic together.

Believe it or not, I've read things on the Web that actually shame body positivity. It's a little ludicrous to shame a movement that's trying to end the shaming of a group that's being shamed. Just typing that made me roll my eyes. However there is a thin line between being thrilled with who you are and being healthy. And I've stepped over that line.


America, next to Mexico, is the fattest country in the world due to fast and processed foods, a lack of nutrition education, poverty, and a horrible food industry that puts revenues before human lives. Even though I know these facts, am in school to study nutrition, and know the rights and wrongs of my own personal health, I am human, and am tempted just like the children who think pizza is healthy because it's served in schools.


Last week I went to the doctor, weighing in at 167 lbs at the height of 5'8. After some research, I learned I was 1 point above my BMI, and that made me view myself a little differently in the mirror. I'm fine with not being model thin. I love my round booty and wide hips. Curves are where it's at now! But even though a positive mental attitude about yourself is extremely healthy, too much weight is not. Obesity will cause complications down the road and will even your life span. Still, I'm hardly obese, but I could easily become so if I don't make some changes. I'm almost 40, my metabolism is slowing down, and as they say on Game of Thrones, "Winter is Coming," which brings cookies, cakes, and glazed hams along with it. I suppose it's time to shew away any offerings of gravy pie. And sadly, my favorite- hot chocolate.

In a few days I will be returning to school and starting my second year of study. I'm already loathing the lack of time that will soon be upon me, but knowledge is addicting. It's funny how as a youth I didn't care a thing about school, but now, many years later, I can't learn enough.

I'm enjoying this greater appreciation I now have of things, all the way down to the little cells we can't see that help us function. We, as humans, are pretty huge compared to our cells. I often forget about them. But everything we do- what we eat, drink, how long we sleep, and when we chose to take a breath, has some kind of impact on them. It really makes me look at the world differently, especially since it's MUCH bigger than we are, and that everything WE do impacts it.

My cat, Nip, for example has conquered it with only two paws.



Prost!