Beautiful Blogger Awards

Today I was thinking about interviews.  Once the internship application process starts, I’m sure there will be one floating my way.  Which is why I started to randomly quiz myself on questions that I’ve had in previous interviews, and thought about how I might answer them.  I’ve always thought one of the toughest questions asked is, “How do you handle stress?”  I’ve definitely had some embarrassing moments with this question.  Such as the time I got flustered and all I could come up with for an answer was, “I go running.”  Which is true.  But somehow I don’t think they liked the thought of me going running everytime I got stressed on the job. 😉

Sometimes stress is a good thing as long as it’s controlled and being handled okay.  It’s enough to get people to change their bad habits sometimes, and it can also help motivate (think of that feeling of stress when an exam is coming up!)

But when stress gets to be too much, it’s important to take a handle on it.  For example, today I was driving home in icy, white-out conditions.  I felt myself clenching up and my shoulders felt really tight.  I asked myself if getting stressed was doing me any good in the current situation.  No!  I instead decided to focus on some deep breathing and praying, flicked the radio to a calming music station and just convinced myself to stay calm and to not panic.  Worked like a charm! 😀

How do YOU handle stressful situations?

This morning was cold—very cold—and windy.  No other breakfast but banana oats would do the trick. 😀

• 1/4 c. each of oatmeal and oatbran
• 1 c. milk + 1/2 c. water
• cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
• 1 very large banana (1/4 saved for the top)
• toppings:1/4 banana, 2 T. pumpkin flax granola, 1 T. peanut butter

Oatmeal is by far the breakfast of champions.

Due to the frigid, cold weather, I knew that layering was a must for my morning run.  I piled on sock after sock until I knew that my sneakers could take no more.  Then I threw on several shirt layers, and topped myself off with a thick wool hat.  I’ve finally discovered that the secret to being comfortable on a run is to figure in the fact that the temps will feel about 20 degrees warmer once I’m running, and to dress accordingly.  Usually I’ll dress a little warmer for the shorter runs too, because I tend to stay cooler for a longer amount of time.  Today’s 4-mile run and frigid temps warranted the extra layering.

Post-Run Fuel

• glass of milk
• homemade granola bar

Great snack! 😀

Management class is definitely the best time for me to eat lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I have a good 15 minutes to sit down and munch before class officially starts, which means I don’t have to worry about the extra loud “crunch” factor.  It’s nice being able to chew to my heart’s content.

Last night I prepped my lunch by throwing together a hodge podge of leftovers.  Turned out to be a rather tasty meal! 

• about 1/2 c. brown rice
• 1 c. kidney  beans
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• lots of ginger
• 1 tsp. low-sodium soysauce
• cajun powder
• pepper

Next time I’m adding pineapple and lots more ginger to the mix!

On the side I had some kashis and a cheesestick.

With a Whole Foods nearby and a two hour break between classes, I decided to head over and pick up some much-needed grocery items.  I was tempted to buy some corn grits and medjool dates, but I resisted.  Tragic, I know!   However, I did stock up on some more oatbran (that is a necessity to my mornings!) and peanut butter.  I also splurged with some of my “miscellaneous funds” by buying a tall, sugar-free cinnamon dolce soy au lait from the coffee shop.  So incredibly delicious. 

While sipping on a cup full of warmth, I ate the rest of my packed snacks which included an apple and some almonds. 

The icy roads made for a long commute home (one extra hour of travel time!) so I’m glad I had packed the extra snacks that I did.  It saved me from wanting to eat everything in sight once I came home!

First up, I had a nice big salad complete with snap peas!

And piled together the most delicious lentil taco wrap.  So delicious!  This meal is right up there on my list of favorite foods. 😀 

Jasmine at Eat, Move, Write nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger Award!

I’ve always enjoyed reading Jasmine’s lovely blog, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had been nominated.  The idea is that I list 7 random facts about myself and then pass the Beautiful Blogger Award on to 7 Beautiful Bloggers! 😀

 

7 Random Facts About Myself

1.  When I was in highschool, I raised an adorable black labrador retriever to be a service dog for a man with muscular dystrophy.  It was the most challenging and rewarding experience I have ever had! 

2.  When I was younger, I hated exercising and healthy foods!  It wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I began running once in a while to burn the freshman 15 30, and I began realizing how much I actually enjoyed healthy foods and being active.  What a revelation!

3.  I’ve been homeschooled for my entire life—up until college of course!  My mom was hard-core in teaching my siblings and I…we definitely weren’t a “lounge in your pajamas all day” kind of family.  We had to be up by a certain time and school wasn’t over until at least 3 o’clock.  I love my mom for being so devoted to teaching us! 😀

4.  I took piano lessons for 11 years but didn’t really learn to appreciate (or enjoy!) it until after I stopped taking lessons!

5.  I am obsessed with goats.  It’s true.  I plan on owning a goat farm someday so that I can learn how to make my own goat cheese and soaps.

6.  I love country music!  Whenever I commute to school, the country station is always cranked up in my car…Brad Paisley is a personal fave! 😀

7.  Before majoring in nutrition, I wanted to be either a psychologist or a sociology major because I love studying human behaviour while helping people make lasting changes that make them healthy and happy! 

I wish I could nominate all of you to be Beautiful Bloggers!!  It was incredibly hard limiting it to only 7, but I decided to nominate:

• Eve at Nutrition By Eve—Eve is always listing practical and sound nutrition advice that anyone can take advantage of.  I think it’s awesome that not only is she a practicing RD, but she takes the time to share her knowledge with everyone!
• Nicole at Simple Moments—I love how well my sister balances life and work, enjoying all the simple moments that life has to offer.  She’s such an inspiration for me, and I love her like crazy!
• Kim at IlaxStudio—Kim lives a healthy lifestyle and always has the most thought provoking/motivational/beautiful posts. 
• Janetha at Meals and Moves—Janetha always makes me laugh, and always has such fun posts.  😀
• With a Side of Sneakers—She runs.  She eats.  She has great foodie posts and thoughts.  What’s not to love? 😀
• Katie at Yes, I want cake—Katie is full of wonderful meal ideas, many of which I have (or plan on) taking advantage of.  Plus, her blog is just really fun to read! 😀
• Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point—Caitlin is constantly bringing awareness to healthy eating, active living, and reminding women that they’re beautiful the way they are.  I think she’s incredibly inspirational! 😀

 Thanks again Jasmine!!  You totally made my day. 😀