Snack Attack

NUTRITION

There's no way of getting around it; most of us munch between meals. In general, "munching between meals can actually reduce your overall caloric intake by curbing overeating at your next meal...[it] can help you stay on track. (Noelcke) However, a lot of individuals struggle with their health/ fitness progression, because of  their snacking. In order to progress/ maintain your health you must recognize your snack cravings and do your best to make healthy snack decisions. Thanks to Joseph Erdos of Kitchen Daily here are some alternatives to some of the most common snack cravings: 

1. Popcorn vs. Chips: Popcorn (without butter, of course) is a great alternative when you feel the need to munch on chips. Despite, the fact that popcorn generally has more sodium content than chips, it has less calories, fat, and carbohydrates - Overall, "1 oz. [of chips]  provides 150 calories, while 2 cups of popcorn provides 110 calories… 1 oz. of chips contains 10 g of fat and 2 cups of popcorn contains 6 g of fat. ..If you are following a low-carbohydrate diet, chips are worse, as 1 oz. contains 15 g of carbohydrates, while 2 cups of popcorn contains 12.6 g of carbohydrates." (Willet, May 26, 2011) 

When I snack on popcorn I add cayenne pepper, garlic, butter flavor, and a little bit of  salt. It's tasty and it satisfies my craving for chips. 

2. French Fries vs. Pretzel Sticks: Eating french fries raises your bad cholesterol levels. Pretzel sticks are a much better alternative--choose the whole-wheat kind. Pair them with a wrap sandwich and you have a healthy lunch option. 

While, I do like pretzels, I can't seem to give up my french fries. So, when I really want to eat some french fries I make them at home. I cut 1 potato into french fries and then place them into boiling water for a few minutes, so that some of the starch comes out. Then, I rinse them and place them in the oven with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and some seasonings. At the end my homemade backed french fries contains approximately 230 calories. Not bad, right? It's healthier than fried french fries that you would get from a fast-food place and they taste better. 

3. Cookies vs. Rice Cakes: Rice cakes are a good alternative to cookies. Many brands have sweet versions, but you can also jazz up plain rice cakes by spreading them with your favorite nut butter. Also try brown rice cakes, which offer more fiber.

I like to eat Quaker's Caramel Corn Rice Cakes, which contains 50 calories.

4. Ice Cream vs. Yogurt: Who doesn’t crave ice cream from time to time? I know I do. However, not only are many ice creams high in saturated fat, they also contain corn syrup and artificial flavorings or colorings. Try frozen yogurt or plain yogurt instead. But if you don't like it plain, take a cue from the Greeks and enjoy your yogurt with a spoonful of honey or stir in a spoonful of natural applesauce or fruit preserves.

My diet consists of Dannon’s Light & Fit Vanilla flavored yogurt, which contains 80 calories; I like to add granola and fresh fruit to it, which makes it contain approximately 200 calories.    

5. Doughnuts/ Cakes vs. Fresh Fruit: These breakfast favorites are easy to reach for, especially when there's a box of them at the office. Store-bought doughnuts are coated with sugar and are loaded with trans fat, making them very bad for your long-term health. If you're looking for a sweet snack, turn to fresh fruit.

My favorite fruits to snack on are: strawberries, blackberries, banana's, apples, and grapes. Recently, I've taken a great liking to Muscadine Grapes.

Click here, for more 

snack alternatives!

Content mostly by J. Erdos; Images by C. Kelbaugh 

Blooming Winter Flowers

FASHION

"Flowers are in full bloom this year...Despite, the fact that spring and summer are well known for their floral prints,  fashion designers are attempting to change that. Numerous fall/winter 2012 collections contain floral details from Tory Burch's flower barrettes to Marni's floral collars and Dolce & Gabbana's floral embroidered bags...” (Pure Love) 

Click here, to see more! 

Little Girl

LITERATURE

WARNING! The following poem contains very graphic yet powerful descriptions of a “little girl” in need of guidance. Although, some of the language used maybe offensive to certain individuals, the poem contains a sensible message that cannot afford to be overlooked nor misunderstood. If you are up to it please do continue reading…

Little Girl 

by 

Jasmine Mans 

Just because your feet fit perfectly in your mother’s shoes

That does not make you a woman

Little girl

Cherry popping

I wonder if you put lip-gloss on your vagina

Draw pubic hairs with your mother’s eye-liner

I wonder if you try on tampons just to see what a penis feels like 

Only difference is you pull out when you want to

I wonder if you rape yourself in your sleep

Too young to ever understand how to love yourself properly

Sticking your Crayola fingers in between your thighs

It always hurts the first time

Maybe tomorrow you won’t cry 

I wonder if your mother recognizes the blood stains

In your Cinderella underwear

Or if she ever cared enough to acknowledge the fact that there there

And a part of me wants to blame your daddy

But some fathers are like God

You never see them but you know that they exist

And some little girls would rather die

Before letting their dead beat dads come

And save their lives

I wonder if you stuff your bra just to distract people from your heartbeat

But the Corona on your breath

Does not hide that Similac residue on your teeth

You are still a baby

And Kotex and Pampers are two different brands for a reason 

Penis and pacifiers are not both made for teething

And the thirst of your soul will not be quenched with a man’s semen

Who cares about your bra size when you see cups as half empty

Im sorry that Beyonce made you trade in your Holloween costume for a Freakum dress

But Halloween is not the only day that exposes damsels in distress

Just don’t crash

Just tell me how long will you let yourself be susceptible to cat calls and whispers

Just to get a fucking glass sleeper

You know the same men that you are waiting on to come and save you 

Are the same men who’s cum made you

The same men who put you on ships for 76 days and raped you

The same men who will tell you that knights in shining armor will make you feel protected

These are the same men writing scripts for the Disney channel

Convincing you Princess Tiana is green and Pocahontas was never molested

Save your soul because the coldest nights are not the ones spent alone

The coldest nights are the ones spent holding yourself

Realizing your body’s hollow

Pick your pinks back up

Enjoy the days when you and Dora the Explorer could relate

Because soon Blue won’t have all the clues

and the Tales of Dragons will be locked away safe

You go ahead and tell me who finger fucked your childhood out of you

And tell them that I challenge them to a thumb wrestling match for it back

Because that is just how much I love you

Hear it here!

Image Source

Happy Wednesday

POP CULTURE

Do you know what today is - what every Wednesday is? I did not know until recently that every Wednesday is considered Hump Day. I guess that shows how out-of-touch (uninformed) I can be when it comes to youthful lingo. Still, I try to remain current; I'm 23 years young for Christ's sake.

For those of you who are out-of-touch, like I was, and do not know what Hump Day means, the Urban Dictionary defines it as:

1. The middle of a work week (Wednesday); used in the context of climbing a proverbial hill to get through a tough week.
After hump day, the weekend gets closer.

2. Wednesday, or the hump of the week
The absolute BEST day of the week, the day of maximum hope that maybe, you might make it out of this week alive. A particularly good hump day can last you the rest of the week, and by Doomday morning (Monday) you survive by anticipating hump day. Nothing goes wrong on hump day...

Hump day has nothing to do with sex. Unless one wants it to. I like to declare the existence of hump day just to see people's faces. Usually being conservative and all

"Do you know what the best thing about Tuesdays are? Its the day before Hump Day!" 
"What's hump day?" 
"It's the hump of the week!!" 
(they all shake their heads in pity)

Click here to get further understanding of this fairly new American English term.

Breathtaking

WORLD NEWS

“The 2012 London Olympics were destined to be notable for female participation when…three countries – Brunei, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia – added women to their national teams and ensured that this would be the first time every country represented sent at least one woman to the Games. Female participation in the Olympics has increased steadily in recent decades, but even accounting for that, the sheer amount of women punching holes in the barriers that once existed is breathtaking.” (Waldron, August 3, 2012) 

Women like Megan Repinoe, Gabby Douglas, Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani, and Sarah Attar (pictured above) are inspirational to the world of sports. They are making everyone recognize the potential of all female athletes regardless of their color, nationality, sexual orientation, shape, and size. As a result, their achievements are impacting international women’s rights; although, the impact is small, it is a step in the right direction. 

Learn More Here!