I cannot rave enough about how incredible apples are. They're not only my FAVORITE food in the whole entire world (aside from my guilty pleasure of pasta), but they are also so so good for you!
They help with weight loss, lower cholesterol, and cancer prevention, contain tons of antioxidants and vitamins, keep your bones strong, regulate your blood sugar, and help increase your metabolism. After all that...why wouldn't you eat an apple?!
My biggest tip is that you HAVE to pick up the habit of eating an apple a day at a scheduled time. For example, you can get into the routine of eating an apple as a healthy snack alternative when you return home from work, school, or sports.
This is internal beauty that will really reflect on the outside! If you're healthy and putting good foods into your body, it will definitely show in your skin glow and in your healthfulness. So go ahead and do a little good for your body and pick up an apple right now! xox
November 15, 2011
November 10, 2011
Obsessions: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!
Welcome to the first installment of my brand-new series, Obsessions! I will be blogging about anything that I've been recently obsessed with, from entertainment to clothes to everything in between.
As you probably know, the VS Fashion Show taped yesterday at Lexington Ave. Armory in NYC! It looked absolutely amazing and all the models were so gorgeous. VS is a huge obsession of mine because the Angels are stunning and promote healthy living. They're not stick thin like other models, and they're wonderful, real girls inside and out.
The clothing was out-of-this-world fantastic! It was so magical and unreal, and I am so excited to see the whole show on November 29th.
In the meanwhile, I've been keeping up by watching videos on their Youtube page! xoxo
As you probably know, the VS Fashion Show taped yesterday at Lexington Ave. Armory in NYC! It looked absolutely amazing and all the models were so gorgeous. VS is a huge obsession of mine because the Angels are stunning and promote healthy living. They're not stick thin like other models, and they're wonderful, real girls inside and out.
The clothing was out-of-this-world fantastic! It was so magical and unreal, and I am so excited to see the whole show on November 29th.
In the meanwhile, I've been keeping up by watching videos on their Youtube page! xoxo
November 6, 2011
Beauty Bar: Shredded Carrots
This is my first-ever Beauty Bar post, and I am so excited to kick it off! Well...I have a fantastic secret to share with you all.
I am absolutely obsessed with Bunny-Luv Organic Shredded Carrots! They are so delicious and pre-washed. The best way to prepare these, in my opinion, is just to lightly salt them before eating. Whenever I'm hungry, I always turn to these because they're a healthy and tasty snack.
I ate a lot of carrots when I was younger (to the point that the undersides of my feet are actually a bit yellow from all that beta carotene!), and I have always loved carrots as one of my favorite vegetables. I think that these shredded carrot bags are a perfect way to get your daily carrot and to have a healthy snack you can eat on the go. They are reasonably priced for being organic.
Carrots are nutritionally sound -- plenty of Vitamin A, fiber, potassium, calcium, and anti-aging and disease-fighting nutrients. The only thing I would warn you about is this -- raw carrots are better for you than cooked ones, because raw carrots don't have as high of a glycemic index (in other words, it's better to eat raw carrots to keep your blood sugar regulated).
They're so good for you and keep you beautiful and healthy on the inside! I think (personally) that carrots also give you a really healthy glow because of all the yummy nutrients in your body. :)
Do you guys like carrots?
I am absolutely obsessed with Bunny-Luv Organic Shredded Carrots! They are so delicious and pre-washed. The best way to prepare these, in my opinion, is just to lightly salt them before eating. Whenever I'm hungry, I always turn to these because they're a healthy and tasty snack.
I ate a lot of carrots when I was younger (to the point that the undersides of my feet are actually a bit yellow from all that beta carotene!), and I have always loved carrots as one of my favorite vegetables. I think that these shredded carrot bags are a perfect way to get your daily carrot and to have a healthy snack you can eat on the go. They are reasonably priced for being organic.
Carrots are nutritionally sound -- plenty of Vitamin A, fiber, potassium, calcium, and anti-aging and disease-fighting nutrients. The only thing I would warn you about is this -- raw carrots are better for you than cooked ones, because raw carrots don't have as high of a glycemic index (in other words, it's better to eat raw carrots to keep your blood sugar regulated).
They're so good for you and keep you beautiful and healthy on the inside! I think (personally) that carrots also give you a really healthy glow because of all the yummy nutrients in your body. :)
Do you guys like carrots?
October 8, 2011
Workout Hiatus!
Hey dolls!
I used to be obsessed with working out, but I haven't done it in over a month! With school starting and all the hectic days, my exercise really got pushed to the side, and I am feeling fat and unhealthy. I really don't like it, and I want to get back into working out again! I'm really out of shape.
So today I did some simple get-your-heart-rate-up exercises -- just 100 jumps on an imaginary jump rope, 100 butt kicks, 100 high knees. Just to kind of get myself back into that vibe a little bit.
I'm really looking forward to getting my butt back on the treadmill :) I have seen a ton of weight gain on my body since I've been away from it, and I want to go back now!!! But I've just eaten dinner, and I can't do that, haha.
Also! I am so sorry for neglecting my blog. Again, like I said before, getting into school and having homework and tests and all that stuff has pushed all the important things in my life to the side. I really need to learn how to balance out everything.
I have become recently obsessed with Victoria's Secret! The Angels are absolutely incredible. I have spent countless hours on vsallaccess.com (the blog) and youtube.com/user/victoriassecret. These girls are beautiful, fit, healthy, sexy, and so inspiring to me as role models. I love them to DEATH! I would 1 million percent recommend watching their videos and learning from them and being inspired by them.
Anyway...that's all that's new with me :) I am getting back into my healthy self...eczema is getting better (woo hoo!), winter is coming (double yay! that means cozy sweaters and knits), and I am starting to drink more water again (starting with right now, haha...I have a 1L bottle right in front of me, waiting to be sucked up into my little body :) - well, not so little because of my lazy butt!).
Hope you're all doing well - miss you & love you all - leave me a note, lovelies!
xoxox b
I used to be obsessed with working out, but I haven't done it in over a month! With school starting and all the hectic days, my exercise really got pushed to the side, and I am feeling fat and unhealthy. I really don't like it, and I want to get back into working out again! I'm really out of shape.
So today I did some simple get-your-heart-rate-up exercises -- just 100 jumps on an imaginary jump rope, 100 butt kicks, 100 high knees. Just to kind of get myself back into that vibe a little bit.
I'm really looking forward to getting my butt back on the treadmill :) I have seen a ton of weight gain on my body since I've been away from it, and I want to go back now!!! But I've just eaten dinner, and I can't do that, haha.
Also! I am so sorry for neglecting my blog. Again, like I said before, getting into school and having homework and tests and all that stuff has pushed all the important things in my life to the side. I really need to learn how to balance out everything.
I have become recently obsessed with Victoria's Secret! The Angels are absolutely incredible. I have spent countless hours on vsallaccess.com (the blog) and youtube.com/user/victoriassecret. These girls are beautiful, fit, healthy, sexy, and so inspiring to me as role models. I love them to DEATH! I would 1 million percent recommend watching their videos and learning from them and being inspired by them.
Anyway...that's all that's new with me :) I am getting back into my healthy self...eczema is getting better (woo hoo!), winter is coming (double yay! that means cozy sweaters and knits), and I am starting to drink more water again (starting with right now, haha...I have a 1L bottle right in front of me, waiting to be sucked up into my little body :) - well, not so little because of my lazy butt!).
Hope you're all doing well - miss you & love you all - leave me a note, lovelies!
xoxox b
August 24, 2011
Discounted Forever 21 Sweater
Hey girls,
The Colored Dots Crochet Sweater that I mentioned in my Summer Fashion roundup is on sale at Forever21.com! It was originally $32.80, which is why I cautioned against buying it in my post unless you thought it was an absolute must-have, but on the website, the sweater is now highly discounted to an affordable $22.99. Of course, that's still not completely reasonable, but if you absolutely adore the sweater and think you HAVE to have it, then this is a great steal :)
Just thought I would let you guys know. I was perusing the site and found this little tidbit!
xoxo
The Colored Dots Crochet Sweater that I mentioned in my Summer Fashion roundup is on sale at Forever21.com! It was originally $32.80, which is why I cautioned against buying it in my post unless you thought it was an absolute must-have, but on the website, the sweater is now highly discounted to an affordable $22.99. Of course, that's still not completely reasonable, but if you absolutely adore the sweater and think you HAVE to have it, then this is a great steal :)
Just thought I would let you guys know. I was perusing the site and found this little tidbit!
xoxo
August 23, 2011
Workout Journal #14
Helloooo everybody!!!
I just worked out! Actually, I am still sweaty and gross typing this, so that's how recent my workout was. :) It ended just maybe like 5 - 10 minutes ago.
I wanted to change up my workout and do a really big "marathon" kind of workout today, because I didn't work out for a whole week because of my vacay. I also ate a ton of junk during my trip -- a ton of cream cheese (no idea if it was full or low fat), white bagels every morning, white bread most days, white pasta every day (sometimes twice a day), and often a little pastry/muffin type thing in the morning along with my breakfast. So I knew I really needed to work super hard to get all of that off, although miraculously I didn't add too many pounds to my pre-trip weight.
I went with Blair Fowler's workout (the one she has talked about extensively that she did recently). If you're unfamiliar with it, basically you walk for 3 minutes, run for 3 minutes. You do this as long as you want -- she did it until she couldn't go any longer. I did it for an hour. It felt soooooo goood!!!!!!
3.47 miles, 354 fat calories burned, 567 calories burned.
IT. WAS. AWESOME. :) Then after I finished, I just did one minute of wall-sitting and 100 crunches. I am already slimmer! I feel amazing!
Adios!
xoxox
I just worked out! Actually, I am still sweaty and gross typing this, so that's how recent my workout was. :) It ended just maybe like 5 - 10 minutes ago.
I wanted to change up my workout and do a really big "marathon" kind of workout today, because I didn't work out for a whole week because of my vacay. I also ate a ton of junk during my trip -- a ton of cream cheese (no idea if it was full or low fat), white bagels every morning, white bread most days, white pasta every day (sometimes twice a day), and often a little pastry/muffin type thing in the morning along with my breakfast. So I knew I really needed to work super hard to get all of that off, although miraculously I didn't add too many pounds to my pre-trip weight.
I went with Blair Fowler's workout (the one she has talked about extensively that she did recently). If you're unfamiliar with it, basically you walk for 3 minutes, run for 3 minutes. You do this as long as you want -- she did it until she couldn't go any longer. I did it for an hour. It felt soooooo goood!!!!!!
3.47 miles, 354 fat calories burned, 567 calories burned.
IT. WAS. AWESOME. :) Then after I finished, I just did one minute of wall-sitting and 100 crunches. I am already slimmer! I feel amazing!
Adios!
xoxox
Talking About My Diet
Hey guys!
So I'm back from vacation...I went to Cancun, Mexico, for a week, and it was absolutely GORGEOUS. It was hot and sunny most of the time except for 2 days near the end (second to last and third to last days). The third-to-last day was really rainy and windy so we couldn't do much but thankfully we had finished the last of our excursions that morning when it was still humid/hot but just cloudy. When we got back to our hotel all hell broke loose and it was just pouring and so windy that we just hung out in the hotel for the rest of the day. The second-to-last day wasn't as bad -- it was cloudy but not so rainy-windy. It rained on and off for several hours of the afternoon/evening, and we were able to take a little walk down the street to a big mall in the evening right before dinner, which was fun. It was our last evening in Cancun and we did a little window shopping (we didn't buy anything, most of the shops were designer stuff like Gucci and Hugo Boss).
Anyway! I thought I would do a welcome-back post about my diet. I get a lot of questions about this in real life because people are shocked at how limited my diet is, hahaha. However I'm still very healthy! I'm about 5'3", and I weigh around 118 - 120 pounds, depending on whether I've eaten or not. Today after lunch I weighed myself and I was 119.6, which is pretty much what I weighed before I left for vacation, give or take a few tenths of a pound. That was really exciting for me :) Of course it was because I basically maintained my diet throughout the vacation and still had a ton of fun.
I am a vegetarian (oops...I typed vagatarian before this -- nope, that's nowhere near right, LOL!) so I don't eat ANY meat -- no seafood, no chicken, no cattle...NOTHING. I also don't eat sugar at all. I am totally cold turkey on this. I had a major sweet tooth growing up, so I gained a lot of weight from all that sugar when I hit puberty. Now, I realize how bad sugar is for me, and also sweets don't taste good to me anymore (they make me feel like vomiting if I eat them), so I actually don't eat any sweets at all. I tried a Cinnabon cinnamon roll when we were in the airport on the way to Cancun (because I needed breakfast and couldn't find anything else...I had a choice between hash brown potatoes or a cinnamon roll, and I HATE fried food, it's so disgusting), and about halfway through I just wanted to throw up. I could barely finish it, I made my mom finish the rest for me, and I just had a queasy stomach the rest of the time until I had lunch at the hotel. I also tried a doughnut in May when someone brought some to school for a little party, and I literally just wanted to vomit after eating it. I was so nauseous and just wanted to gag. So NO sugar for me, haha.
I also have eczema. This has been a blessing and a curse. Blessing because it taught me humility and to be grateful for everything I have, and I have a unique perspective on life that most others don't have - I therefore had a different childhood and got to spend a lot of time nurturing my brain instead of my body, haha. It also increased my tolerance for pain. Curse because it looks bad and I can't wear a lot of clothes like tees and shorts and short skirts, and it just is uncomfortable, and, well...it's not fun. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, it's a skin disease. People with eczema are missing one skin barrier that blocks out a lot of toxins and pollutants in the environment from entering your bloodstream, so you get a lot of toxins in your blood. This aggravates the skin and makes it itchy, so naturally you would itch. I think the best way to explain the itch is by saying that it's like a poison ivy itch. I've never had poison ivy so I don't know if it's the exact same but just from hearing people talk about it, I think it's basically the same sensation. You cannot resist the itch, it's SO strong. Also, people with eczema are allergic to some foods. The allergens that cause the itch can be food, fabrics, or just things in the environment around you. I am allergic to all nuts, artificial flavors, eggplant, and raw eggs. I am also allergic to foods that are rich in protein, because too much protein aggravates my eczema. I am also taking a medication for eczema that requires that I don't eat bell peppers, cilantro, or sugar. Therefore, my diet gets really limited. (Oh, and pancakes make my stomach hurt. So those are also out of the question.)
However, I really get to eat very healthy because of my restrictions...and I LOVE IT! My idea of an afternoon munch snack is chopped carrots (lightly salted) or dates or raisins. Sometimes if I'm REALLY hungry I will even reach for the cereal and have breakfast in the afternoon (because often I wake up really late and have my lunch as my breakfast). I also love fruits. ADORE them, actually. I will eat almost any fruit (except some I haven't tried or don't like: kiwi, grapefruit, jackfruit, pineapple, papaya). I think I make my parents spend so much money on fruits just because I will max out all the fruits in the house. I eat up to six nectarines a day when they're in stock at our house, that's how much I love them. I eat tons of blueberries (so good, they're amazing for eczema too because they have antioxidants that clean out your blood!), apples, oranges, cherries, peaches, nectarines, bananas, pears...I LOVE all of these fruits, couldn't live without them, and live for them, basically. I also eat ONLY organic food and whole wheat bread and all that, because that is really important to me. I want to put only the best of everything into my body to keep my body running and as healthy as possible.
My family eats a lot of rice. They eat white rice, but when I realized how bad white rice is for your health I started to eat only brown rice. However, that started to aggravate my eczema (I think, I'm still navigating this one), because my eczema started worsening once I started eating brown rice. So I'm back on white rice -- I just hope I can balance it out by working out a lot, which I'm really making an effort to do.
So that's my diet! I really do try to stay healthy and put only good things into my body, and I hope I can succeed in that. If you have any questions about what I eat or my health routine, etc, please feel free to leave me a comment. I would LOVE to answer! :)
xoxox
So I'm back from vacation...I went to Cancun, Mexico, for a week, and it was absolutely GORGEOUS. It was hot and sunny most of the time except for 2 days near the end (second to last and third to last days). The third-to-last day was really rainy and windy so we couldn't do much but thankfully we had finished the last of our excursions that morning when it was still humid/hot but just cloudy. When we got back to our hotel all hell broke loose and it was just pouring and so windy that we just hung out in the hotel for the rest of the day. The second-to-last day wasn't as bad -- it was cloudy but not so rainy-windy. It rained on and off for several hours of the afternoon/evening, and we were able to take a little walk down the street to a big mall in the evening right before dinner, which was fun. It was our last evening in Cancun and we did a little window shopping (we didn't buy anything, most of the shops were designer stuff like Gucci and Hugo Boss).
Anyway! I thought I would do a welcome-back post about my diet. I get a lot of questions about this in real life because people are shocked at how limited my diet is, hahaha. However I'm still very healthy! I'm about 5'3", and I weigh around 118 - 120 pounds, depending on whether I've eaten or not. Today after lunch I weighed myself and I was 119.6, which is pretty much what I weighed before I left for vacation, give or take a few tenths of a pound. That was really exciting for me :) Of course it was because I basically maintained my diet throughout the vacation and still had a ton of fun.
I am a vegetarian (oops...I typed vagatarian before this -- nope, that's nowhere near right, LOL!) so I don't eat ANY meat -- no seafood, no chicken, no cattle...NOTHING. I also don't eat sugar at all. I am totally cold turkey on this. I had a major sweet tooth growing up, so I gained a lot of weight from all that sugar when I hit puberty. Now, I realize how bad sugar is for me, and also sweets don't taste good to me anymore (they make me feel like vomiting if I eat them), so I actually don't eat any sweets at all. I tried a Cinnabon cinnamon roll when we were in the airport on the way to Cancun (because I needed breakfast and couldn't find anything else...I had a choice between hash brown potatoes or a cinnamon roll, and I HATE fried food, it's so disgusting), and about halfway through I just wanted to throw up. I could barely finish it, I made my mom finish the rest for me, and I just had a queasy stomach the rest of the time until I had lunch at the hotel. I also tried a doughnut in May when someone brought some to school for a little party, and I literally just wanted to vomit after eating it. I was so nauseous and just wanted to gag. So NO sugar for me, haha.
I also have eczema. This has been a blessing and a curse. Blessing because it taught me humility and to be grateful for everything I have, and I have a unique perspective on life that most others don't have - I therefore had a different childhood and got to spend a lot of time nurturing my brain instead of my body, haha. It also increased my tolerance for pain. Curse because it looks bad and I can't wear a lot of clothes like tees and shorts and short skirts, and it just is uncomfortable, and, well...it's not fun. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, it's a skin disease. People with eczema are missing one skin barrier that blocks out a lot of toxins and pollutants in the environment from entering your bloodstream, so you get a lot of toxins in your blood. This aggravates the skin and makes it itchy, so naturally you would itch. I think the best way to explain the itch is by saying that it's like a poison ivy itch. I've never had poison ivy so I don't know if it's the exact same but just from hearing people talk about it, I think it's basically the same sensation. You cannot resist the itch, it's SO strong. Also, people with eczema are allergic to some foods. The allergens that cause the itch can be food, fabrics, or just things in the environment around you. I am allergic to all nuts, artificial flavors, eggplant, and raw eggs. I am also allergic to foods that are rich in protein, because too much protein aggravates my eczema. I am also taking a medication for eczema that requires that I don't eat bell peppers, cilantro, or sugar. Therefore, my diet gets really limited. (Oh, and pancakes make my stomach hurt. So those are also out of the question.)
However, I really get to eat very healthy because of my restrictions...and I LOVE IT! My idea of an afternoon munch snack is chopped carrots (lightly salted) or dates or raisins. Sometimes if I'm REALLY hungry I will even reach for the cereal and have breakfast in the afternoon (because often I wake up really late and have my lunch as my breakfast). I also love fruits. ADORE them, actually. I will eat almost any fruit (except some I haven't tried or don't like: kiwi, grapefruit, jackfruit, pineapple, papaya). I think I make my parents spend so much money on fruits just because I will max out all the fruits in the house. I eat up to six nectarines a day when they're in stock at our house, that's how much I love them. I eat tons of blueberries (so good, they're amazing for eczema too because they have antioxidants that clean out your blood!), apples, oranges, cherries, peaches, nectarines, bananas, pears...I LOVE all of these fruits, couldn't live without them, and live for them, basically. I also eat ONLY organic food and whole wheat bread and all that, because that is really important to me. I want to put only the best of everything into my body to keep my body running and as healthy as possible.
My family eats a lot of rice. They eat white rice, but when I realized how bad white rice is for your health I started to eat only brown rice. However, that started to aggravate my eczema (I think, I'm still navigating this one), because my eczema started worsening once I started eating brown rice. So I'm back on white rice -- I just hope I can balance it out by working out a lot, which I'm really making an effort to do.
So that's my diet! I really do try to stay healthy and put only good things into my body, and I hope I can succeed in that. If you have any questions about what I eat or my health routine, etc, please feel free to leave me a comment. I would LOVE to answer! :)
xoxox
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