what i'm up to this month...

you know when people go through phases?
the years that i would only wear my hair in a ponytail...
or braids...
or that i haven't had the same hair color for over a year since my sophomore year of college...
like the time i went through my i-must-have-a-jeep-or-i-will-die phase? (oh wait... that one's still going...)
eating a bell pepper every day for lunch.
learning to play the guitar...

i am a creature of habit, while also being very fickle. 
how does that work?

but speaking of "phases", my mom has been doing some research on cold thermogenesis. 
my mom is definitely the expert on this (she has been doing most of the reading. i have mostly acted as the devils advocate here...) but what sounds like a ridiculous idea, actually is starting to make sense in my head. 
i mean... who in their right mind would ever take an ice-bath? i won't mention the fact that i tried it once when i was a freshman in college... it didn't last very long. cold showers i can handle! especially when it likes to linger around a very mild 100 degrees here...

why cold thermogenesis?
from what i have leeched from my mother, we are "programmed" to store fat during the summer, and burn it off in the winter. well... historically that has been the case. the problem with our current society is that we no longer are subject to our environment. we artificially create our environment. so the fat that we store in the summer... stays in the winter. and then packs more on the next summer... we never get that "hibernation" effect (you know, like bears in winter?) 
so what do you do? 
i know you're just dying to know what all this crazy talk actually means...
beyond the fat loss potential of cold thermogenesis, there is another "side effect". 
think of michael phelps... and swimming in cold water... or maybe the fact that lance armstrong has a gigantic fridge in his house where he exercises on his bike. is there anything significant about these two athletes? they seem to have tapped into some kind of superhuman "power" that enables them to be the best. according to dr. kruse (a neurosurgeon who is one of the main proponents of CT) there is a connection! check out this link for more info. 

more of my own observations to come! 
and i just might try this out... (but it might take some more convincing. i really like my hot showers...)

The Complete Cold Thermogenesis Guide
http://home.trainingpeaks.com/training-and-nutrition-plans/preview.aspx?planid=33738&af=trainingpeaks3%20
Doing this daily will speed up fat loss and recovery. It can enhance athletic performance. That is why Michael Phelps and the other Olympic swimmers train in 50 degree pools. Also Lance Armstrong trains in an industrial size freezer that he had installed in his house. Notes: COLD THERMOGENESIS (CT) This should gradually be added to the Leptin Rx reset protocol (not everyone will need this). CT training should be done at sunrise or after dinner. CAUTION: If you have a serious health condition, please consult a medical doctor before beginning a CT regimen. Immediately stop treatment if you experience light-headedness or a pale pink to white coloration of the skin. Cold Thermogenesis Benefits: Lower body fat Increase hormone levels Reproductive fitness! Fertility Reverse diabetes Cut food cravings Kill fat permanently Strengthen adrenal function Fix thyroid disorder Super immune function Deep sleep Pain management Sense of well being and better attitude Cut visceral fat first Promote cessation of eating disorders BEFORE every CT session: Eat a high fat and/or protein meal Immediately drink 16-32oz of ice cold water. DO NOT drink more than 32oz. Face Dunking: What you need: skin thermometer, a timer, ice, and a bathroom sink or larger bowl. Remove make-up or facial products Get the water between 50-55 degrees Dunk your face into the ice water and hold as long as you can Record time and dunk again Continue for the next two weeks and work your way to using less breaths DO NOT let your skin temperature fall below 50-55 degrees Compression Shirt & Ice: Lay down flat on your back Place a 20-40 lbs block of ice on your torso (whilst wearing compression shirt) Try to extend your time 5 minutes a time until you get to 60 minutes You will notice your skin is pink to cherry read and numb in places If you can complete the 60 minutes- remove the compression shirt and place the bag of ice directly on the skin *Note: If you develop cold urticaria at this time, this is a sign you have high levels of tissue and serum omega six content. Stop the experiment and adjust your diet until you have a blood omega six to three ratio that is below 10 to 1 using a ketogenic paleolithic diet. When you can tolerate the skin being covered for one hour with pink to cherry red skin you’re now ready for the Cold Tub step! Full Body Immersion with Ice: Fill the bathtub with cold tap water Wear socks, gloves, and a knitted cap to keep the heat in your body Add 20 lbs of ice to chest and abdomen When your body is use to the ice you can remove the socks, gloves, and cap DO NOT let your skin temperature fall below 50-55 degrees Stay for 45 minutes Continue daily 2-5 times a week Full Body Immersion with NO Ice: Jump into a pool, lake, or hot tub from the neck down Stay for 10-20 minutes Pay attention to skin color.

good luck! and stay cool! (literally)

swirling tides

you know that feeling you get when life is changing? 
it's like standing in the middle of a river. 
you can feel the current pushing you forward... or you can fight it and try and walk upstream. 
(i don't usually recommend the latter)
i have this theory:
life is going to work out.


i get so caught up in the fast-paced lifestyle... that i forget to stop and smell the roses that are blooming all around my house...

i keep thinking that everything has to be done NOW!
there is no time to breathe. to think. to do anything other than stress about life.
but you know what?
it's all going to be ok.
so sit back. 
breathe.








i have a slight obsession with this song.
:)

the garden. 
my mom didn't get the memo that slavery was abolished...
at least it gives me something to do while i am looking for a job. (any takers?) my dad says that i have "slave labor" written on my forehead. 


speaking of change, my mom talked me into doing a diet... (shhh! you can't tell anyone...)
being an exercise physiology major, i personally find all of these things fascinating... so i am considering this more "research". 
it's all about becoming "leptin sensitive"
so what is leptin you ask?
it is a protein hormone that plays a "key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including appetite and metabolism." thank you wikipedia for that flash of inspiration...
basically. if you are "leptin sensitive", you don't get hungry. it's a natural appetite suppressant. 

basically... the mouse on the left is you without leptin.

i'm kidding.

there are 5 basic rules to this "leptin reset"

(the foodie in me died a little when i read this.)

rule 1:  never eat after dinner.  

rule 2:  eat three meals a day.  

rule 3:  do not eat large meals.  

rule 4:  eat a breakfast containing protein. 

rule 5:  reduce the amount of carbohydrates eaten.

if you want to read more in-depth about these rules see here.

what i've learned is that WHEN you eat is much more important than WHAT you eat. (this is only partially true... but you will need to do a little research on your own from here on out.)

suffice it to say, when i get munchy around 9:00 every night, the rest of the family packs up and leaves the room. ;)

the basic way of eating follows the paleo-diet. if you've never heard about it, just think caveman. if you didn't have a wal-mart down the street, and instead lived a million years ago, what would you be eating?

and then you eat it. 

and ONLY that.

which is all fine and dandy until you drive past the chinese buffet... 

self control might need to undergo an overhaul as well...

so we're still in the intial stages of this "experiment".

i'll keep you updated.

only 4 more weeks to go...

--------------------

if you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. 

for where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained.

keep adding, 

keep walking, 

keep advancing.

saint augustine

i need to eat a skinny person.

so i'm in a nutrition class... consequently, being the food junkie that i am, food is always on the brain. 

does this present a problem for a food-addict like myself?

quite possibly.

(how am i supposed to go to class and feel good about my eating when i was looking up super-yummy-and-not-remotely-healthy-recipes online last night???) i don't know if the class is supposed to make you feel guilty, but it's too late. i'm conflicted. 

will i change? 

probably not. 

so in honor of "eating healthy" (BAH!) and other diet-related bizness...

and to make sure that the whole world stays right:

self-saucing chocolate pudding.

i actually have a cake recipe like this one, but i am really liking the idea of "single serving"...

not necessarily because it is smaller, mind you.

because it's all mine.

no sharing involved!

wanna know what i'm going to buy myself?

i saw these babies and fell in love.

besides, winter is coming and i need some new boots.

***

this last weekend i watched general conference.

and i swear - every time they talk, they are talking specifically to me! (except maybe the parenting ones... i have no idea what they are talking about there...)

this was one of my "favorites"... if that is really possible.

love in the kitchen

it's been almost a week, and i still haven't made it home.
i thought living out of a suitcase for 4 months was hard... having to make it through one more week was even harder. i packed some clothes way back in april for my family to bring down with them when they came to pick me up... i don't really know what was going through my mind when i packed them. was i really thinking that i was going to make it through a whole week with two pairs of pants??? thank heavens my mother is smarter than i am. she knows when i am thinking crazy and brings shorts with her.
my savior!

you know i'm a foodie.
the last three months have been killing me.
gazing longingly inside the kitchen... wishing i could be in there, learning, observing, burning something...
it's good to be home - even education week you couldn't even keep me away!

food is an important part of a balanced diet. [fran lebowitz]

one of my favorite classes was by chef brad.
i think i have a new foodie crush.
for all my love of food, i never realized just how many different types of grains there were. i live in a wheat bubble. i'd heard of spelt and quinoa... but amaranth? triticale? sorghum? and there are three different kinds of wheat???
you're blowin my mind...

the breakfast slimes, angel food cake, doughnuts and coffee, white bread and gravy cannot build an enduring nation. [martin h. fischer]

this was our class today.
religion + food
you can do miracles with food.
it's true.

if you feed someone spiritually, you need to make sure that their tummies aren't growling.
gospel principles taught in the kitchen:
work ethics (who didn't feel like they were forced into slave labor when they were a child?)
enduring
getting along with others/manners
faith/prayer (there is a reason we pray before we eat. sometimes we can't be sure that went on in the kitchen...)
service
the divine roll of motherhood (yeah. that's spelled right.)
the power and strength of family
compassion
health and nutrition: "are you regular?"
(your body doesn't function right when you don't eat the right kinds of foods...)

the divine roll of food in the family
(ha ha ha)
feeds the body and brain
feeds the spirit

they aren't supposed to be healthy.

they should be drippy and gooey and wonderful - why ruin it?

anchors us together

going home is my favorite thing.
...mostly for the nummy food,
kinda for the sibs. 
(just kidding! but seriously...)
nurtures the body
nurtures the spirit
binds us together
heals wounds of spirit, body and mind

"all sorrows are less with bread." [miguel de cervantes]

homemade bread... 

yum.

"bread smells like love." [chef brad]