Rice Drink!

This has changed my life, and definitely helped me cut back on dairy. I started buying Trader Joe's "Rice Drink" in the original flavor..for about 2 bucks a container, and only started using it once I ran out of regular organic milk. I already poured a bowl of Cheerios and figured, "hey, I have this...might as well use it"

The thing is- it tastes like milk, and my cat can't even tell the difference! She waits for me to finish my cereal, and I give her whats left. AND, there's no soy in it, its vegan, there's added B vitamins, and a whole list of perks. The biggest perk is that its NON DAIRY and I have been trying to kick my dairy habit(dairy is bad for us!)

I challenge you all to try it- its pretty awesome! (OH, and you can buy a bunch since it doesn't go bad until ten days after its opened-)

everything I knew about my qi was wrong

I survived the acupuncture. I had needles in my toe, feet, legs, stomach, hands, arms, and ears. I am not going to lie- I could feel them, but it wasn't bad at all. I think I came out ten times better than I went in, actually, and everything I knew about my qi (or chi) was wrong. Well, maybe not my qi, but definitely my health!

I seem to have digestive problems, which also go hand in hand with sinus problems. I already knew that by eating certain foods, my sinus issues would be worse, but I had always believed that I needed the same high fiber/high veg diet that every other dieter needed. I found out that I should stay away from foods that make the digestive system work hard, like whole grain rice and wild rice mixes. Also, I need to eat my veggies cooked, and eat more warm foods. I have to start making ginger tea, and drink more clear broth soups. If I eat fruit, I need to keep it out of the fridge and let it get to room temp. White rice is ok, and lean meats are ok too. I love hearing the thing about dairy- that nobody past the age of 6months is supposed to have it! I try to tell people this, but I get the same responses "NO, thats wrong! We need milk for our bones and for calcium!" Well, we can get all of that stuff from eating other things. I am cutting back on my frozen yogurt and frozen fruits, and leaning toward a nice, easily digestable diet. Along with consistant accupuncture and a good diet, I'm on a good path to finally shrink my belly fat.

Dieting for the month of July

My July/August issue of Women's Health has some very interesting, yet obvious, things to point out. Some things were surprising, some weren't.

Some Slightly Obvious Ones
-Hawaii has one of the highest rates of drug and alcohol abuse, while Utah ranks lowest.
-Utah has the highest rate of psychological distress, Hawaii- the lowest.
(lesson learned? have a drink, relax....)

-People who eat at least one serving of veggies daily cut their lung cancer risk by 50%
(-news flash- eating the recommended servings of fruits and veggies daily slashes cancer and other disease risks immensely! don't you think your body runs best on the stuff God gave us for it? Trust me...I've tried, and I can't go with out fruits and veggies, or at least a multi vitamin)

-Energy drinks rot your teeth. duh. Tip: with energy drinks, if you feel you must have them (and coffee, for staining reasons) use a straw.


Things You May Not Have Known
-Studies have shown that people who take green tea extract burn 17% more body fat than those taking a placebo. Holy moley!

- People who suddenly cease their awesome exercise routines may gain up to 7% of their body fat back within as little as two weeks! (that's what happened over my grad month)


Back to the diet/health thing-
I'm sure there's a whole lot more, I just haven't gotten there yet. My tips?:
- Get Trader Joe's fruit floes popsicles in Caribbean, strawberry, or mango. At 80 cal each, they make a good on the go breakfast OR snack. They save me when I'm running late for class
-Snack more during the day
-On top of your normal workout routine, add another 20 minutes at a different part of the day doing something really fun- and DON'T count it! Its your "extra"-and it helps a lot!
-If you're short on time, make sure you mix up your quick cardio sesh with different intervals and speeds/inclines.
-Grapefruit in the morning!
-Cut back on all sodas, even diet sodas. Except when eating at Chipotle :) (or, pick your own fave place to allow yourself that)
-This one is big for my friends out in Riverside- GO OUTSIDE!! I know the air is dirty, but there are some amazing hikes (some easy, some hard)- bike trails- parks. Play frisbee, run someone's dog, do something outdoors!
-Write it down. Calories, Work outs. Everything you do- I stopped doing this and started putting weight back on.
-Have healthy snacks around already cut up and ready- like carrots in water in the fridge. Celery or apples and peanut or almond butter after a work out. Fudgesicles are ok too!
-Get an accountability partner if you have to.
-Eat real oatmeal for breakfast! Even TJ's has a real instant oatmeal.
-Last- for now- don't stray off a good diet too much, make sure to include things you normally eat (like Del Taco, umm Chipotle) and treat yourself once every week or so (even if its something small). This assures that when you hit your goal, you won't gain your weight back that easily if you decide to slack off.


I am such a yo-yo dieter, and a few years back I never would have pegged myself as that. Once I get there, I let myself go- even though I am always a very active person. I just need to remember that in my own diet, I'm not the kind of girl who really has all that room that a lot of people have. I am accountable for everything I put in my body, and have to work ten times harder to get it out. I'm stoked though for some changes.