It seems as though America’s decided that our cuisine consists of anything sugary, buttery or covered in batter and then thrown into a deep fryer. Whether it be pickles, candy bars or guacamole, our fatty specialties are constantly getting bad reviews from angry nutritionists. Instead of trying to put a stop to these seriously unhealthy treats, I vote we continue this heart-disease-inducing practice and make even bigger discoveries in the culinary art of boiling oil.

initiating the gallery...

Would you eat any of these ridiculous fried foods? What else do you think would taste yummy battered and fried? What do you think about America’s unhealthy obsession with the deep fryer?

Since most of us won't get near those nasty tubs in the communal bathroom, I've got a few better ideas for relaxation...

October is a busy month. Between midterms and registration, and finding the perfect Halloween costume, things can get pretty crazy there for a while. But it’s important to remember to take a step back from it all for a while. Relax. Enjoy the little things. Relieve some stress.

Here’s how…

10. Indulge in some junk food. This probably isn’t the best advice, since eating your feelings isn’t exactly healthy, but chocolate cures all. At least for a little while. So just indulge for a little bit. Something sweet, or something salty, or something sweet and salty (chocolate covered pretzels…mmm…). Just a little pick me up. Besides, isn’t dark chocolate good for you anyway?

9. Dance it out. Yes, I am totally ripping off Grey’s Anatomy here, but the “twisted sisters” know what they’re talking about.  Dancing is an excellent stress reliever and you don’t even have to have any rhythm whatsoever. (Trust me. I would know.) Just enjoy yourself. And relax.

8. Shop. “You know that thing when you see someone cute and he smiles and your heart kind of goes like warm butter sliding down hot toast? Well that’s what it’s like when I see a store. Only it’s better.”  Oh Becky Bloomwood, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

7. Get that heart rate up. “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.” –Elle Woods. (I apologize for that one but Legally Blonde was on WeTV this week.)

6. Organize and categorize. Maybe it’s just me but I’ve always found the process of putting things in order to be extremely calming. Freaking out about a big test? Make a study schedule. Nervous about a date? Plan the perfect outfit. Once you know exactly what you’re doing it will be a lot easier to get it done.

5. Get in some quality BFF time. Whether you and your friends are staying in with pizza, beer, and bad TV, or heading out in heels, a good old fashioned girls night cures all. Who cares about what’s happening next week when you’re having the time of your life right now? Let loose. Have some fun. Let your friends distract you. Nothing will seem as bad the next day (except maybe that hangover…).

4. Curl up in bed and watch a movie. Or you know, have a Gossip Girl marathon. The point is that losing yourself in someone else’s drama will distract you from your own. Whatever you have going on won’t seem nearly as terrible after you’ve seen Jenny Humphrey’s eye makeup.

3. Laugh. Search some YouTube videos. Visits Texts from Last Night. Call up your funniest friend. Look at last weekend’s Facebook pictures. Just let off some steam and enjoy some absurdity.

2. Catch up with CollegeCandy. You need some downtime to just breathe and be? Put on your favorite pair of sweats, get comfy, grab your laptop and start reading. Want to feel inspired? Check out this article. Or maybe you need a good laugh? Morning after stories will do that for you.  Or just scroll through the feed and see what you missed.

1. Make a list. Like I said when I took on this column, list making is my life. It keeps your organized. It makes you feel like you have some semblance of control of everything going on around you. It gives you a focus for just a little while. It makes you feel good when you get to cross something off.  And the results are always entertaining.

How about it, ladies? Has this week been as stressful for you as it has for me? What do you do to let off some steam? Let me know in the comments below!

It goes without saying that this month didn’t go according to plan for me, but interestingly, I think I learned a lot more than I had originally expected.

I created this challenge for myself, as I stated in week one, to figure out a way to cope with my problems that didn’t involve eating junk food. Going in, I was struggling with boyfriend and family problems that had been causing me to eat random sweets that I’m not sure I was even enjoying. I wrongly assumed that this pattern would continue. Instead, I lost my interest in food completely when my boyfriend and I broke up.

This has been such an interesting journey for me in so many ways, especially because I went through different phases throughout the month. I started with a sweet tooth, then I transitioned into a complete distaste for any food, but now I am accepting the fact that I have to work food into my daily routine. This is why I will not be giving up junk food again. I have a very different perspective on it now, mostly because now I’m not dreading my cravings. They are what they are, and if I make the right choices most of the time, those (wonderful) moments with mozzarella sticks won’t be such a big deal.

Last week, I challenged myself again to go from eating rice cakes, celery, and Cheerios to actually eating healthy meals. I’m not going to say that I ate well-balanced meals three times a day, but I definitely did better this week than last. Or any week before. In fact, I am just returning from a dining hall meal that included vegetables, beans, and rice! It doesn’t sound too exciting, but it’s a step for me, especially the protein, which has been the most difficult thing to incorporate back into my diet.

By next Friday, I will be allowed to eat junk food again. I’m not sure if I will (wait, yes I am), but I do know that if I have a craving, I won’t deprive myself. People often say that life is about balance and that could not be more true than with my diet. I definitely need to make a change – something I knew before this challenge began – but it needs to be one that realistically fits in with my life and the way I deal with it.

So, yeah, I guess I “failed” at my original challenge to give up junk food, but this month ended up being a win. I learned a lot about myself, about how I deal with things and about how I can deal with things in the future. I’ve begun to really think about the food I put in my mouth and am now more conscious of the choices I make. Even if those choices are fried or dipped in chocolate.

New month, new challenge! Come back next week to follow Emmy as she goes vegetarian!

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. And this month Meredith is giving up junk food. Yes, really. Her first week was good. Great, even. Then life got in the way. This week, she's turning things around.]

I ate mozzarella sticks. And I’m not ashamed.

Not much has changed since my tough week last week. I’m still adjusting to the single life, which I love more and more every day.  The nausea is the only thing that has really persisted, which means that I will unfortunately probably have to see a doctor just to make sure that nothing is medically wrong with me. Though I’m convinced it’s nothing more than the residual effects of Lady Gaga’s meat dress. Ew, I don’t even like thinking about it. Even if she was wearing a lean protein.

So finally on Tuesday, I felt up for a late night snack at the dining hall. The good news is the mozzarella sticks smelled like heaven. The bad news is they definitely did nothing for my post-breakup bouts of nausea. I could have sworn that they would have healing powers, that I’d take one bite and instantly feel happy and free and content. But alas, I woke up the next morning as sick as ever. I’m definitely not mad at myself for eating them, though. If everything this month had gone according to plan and I was eating like Jillian Michaels every day, then I probably would be pissed at myself for eating disgusting fried cheese mid-month. But, that’s not the case and if anything, I needed the calories.

Of course I knew that I can’t continue to barely eat because I feel like I’m going to puke and then chow down on junk food when I finally feel up to having some food. That seems to totally contradict what I set out to do this month. So on Wednesday I took a trip to the grocery store. The goal was to get some healthy food that I loved, but were bland enough to stomach. Now my dorm is fully stocked with rice cakes, wheat bread, celery, and Cheerios. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re living like I am right now, always having food around for when I can eat is very important.

It may sound like I’m not making progress, but I am. I’m eating much more than I ate last week and I believe that trend is going to continue. But, because this whole month is about challenging myself and meeting goals, I’m going to set specific goals that I want to meet by the next time I write about this, and I want you guys to hold me to them. (Well, as much as you can from wherever it is you’re reading this.)

So here goes: by next week, I want to be eating full meals complete with protein, whole grains, and vegetables. This means no more slip ups, no more mozzarella sticks, no more excuses. I wrote at the beginning of the month, “The idea is to do more than merely give up junk food, though; it’s to adopt a generally healthier lifestyle.” I really want to work on that this coming week.

Wish me luck!

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month we followed Ariel as she went a(n almost) full month sans Facebook. This month things are getting even crazier. Yes, Meredith is giving. up. junk food. Oy.]

I will be the first to admit that I put on some unwanted pounds this summer. Towards the end of August, I was having some boyfriend troubles and was coping with the fact that my dad was getting married in about a month. Because of this, I ate. To name a few favorite treats that I indulged in, I ate funfetti cake, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, fruit snacks, Cape Cod potato chips, Starbursts, Chili’s Chocolate Molton Lava Cake, and many other delicious things.

And it was good.
But no more. For the month of September, I am GIVING UP JUNK FOOD.

I Googled “junk food” just to see what I’m dealing with and the first definition that came up was, “food that tastes good but is high in calories having little nutritional value.” I’m going to stick to that for my definition. No more cake, ice cream, cookies, gummies, chips, pizza, cheeseburgers, frappuccinos…basically anything that contains empty calories. The idea is to do more than merely give up junk food, though; it’s to adopt a generally healthier lifestyle. I’m going to try to introduce more whole grains into my diet, drink more water rather than Coke Zero (one of my many horrible addictions), and work out more. Basically, I’m going to take every aspect of my life, then ask, “Would my hero, Jillian Michaels, approve?” God, I love her.

There are a lot of people out there who will give me a hard time for what I’m doing. They will say that I’m crash dieting and that every snack is okay to eat in moderation. I don’t disagree that food is great in moderation, but to me, that’s not what this is about. This is about finding a new way to cope with my problems that doesn’t involve eating sweets. I want to deal with issues by talking them out with my friends, going for a long run, or even immersing myself in schoolwork. I’m not doing this so that I never eat junk food ever again and I know that I’m never going to look like Jillian Michaels. Instead, I’m aiming for a journey more like Hayley Hoover’s (of YouTube fame). Although she didn’t opt to give up junk food as I am, she struggled with similar problems as I do. Months from now, I would love to be in the same state that she writes about in this inspiring blog.

It has already been a couple of days sans junk food and things have been going fairly well. The best thing so far has been enlisting the support of my friends. I have friends cutting down on junk food as well, friends who are giving me food recommendations, but most importantly, everyone is supporting my cause and telling me that it’s a fantastic idea. So far I really love it. I have eaten more vegetables and whole grains in the past couple of days than I would normally eat in a week, just because I’m counting on them to get the nutrients and the calories that I need. I’m not going to lie and say that it has been all easy so far, though. I definitely wanted to grab a slice of chocolate cake at the dining hall the first night. And the second night. Plus, I forgot how delicious the pastries in Starbucks look behind that glass case, especially after an early morning class.

So far, I’m staying strong and enjoying this process. Just as long as no one dares eat a bag of potato chips in front of me. Let’s hope things only get easier as this month goes on.

[If you’re curious, or looking to give up junk food yourself, you can check out my Twitter - @br8ybrunch - and track my progress...and the inevitable long list of my daily cravings.]

Your mind says no, but your body says yes, yes, yes!

About to pop the lid off of that pint of Ben and Jerry’s? Ripping open a huge bag of salty chips? Read this before digging in.

New findings from the University of Texas Southwestern’s Medical Center suggest that the fat found in certain foods actually make their way to your brain before they add the dreaded cellulite to your hips and thighs. Once there, they order the brain to send messages to your body’s cells, telling them to ignore the appetite-suppressing signals that stop us from stuffing our faces (well, sometimes).

And the worst part? This only happens when you’re eating good (read: bad) food, so you’ll end up overeating foods high in calories and fat instead of healthy options like fruits or veggies.

“Normally, our body is primed to say when we’ve had enough, but that doesn’t always happen when we’re eating something good,” said Dr. Deborah Clegg in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, where the study was published this month. “Our findings suggest that when you eat something high in fat, your brain gets ‘hit’ with the fatty acids, and you become resistant to insulin and leptin.” So our brain abandons us, and we’re left with an empty bag of chips (or three) and an unhappy number on the scale the next morning.

According to the study, we can blame this all on palmitic acid, the saturated fat found in butter, milk and beef. While this acid encourages us to keep eating, oleic acid (found in “good fat” foods like olives) has no negative effects on the insulin and leptin activators. So that’s why you’re pretty unlikely to overeat carrots, or celery, or anything else that would prevent you from dreaded weight gain. The study shows that this mechanism is triggered in the brain long before physical effects can be seen on your body.

And the last piece of bad news (as if we need any more)? While conducting the study, researchers found that the palmitic acid often quieted the body’s appetite-suppressing signals for about three days. This explains why you often find yourself starving on Sunday morning even though you and the roommates demolished a pizza pie only a few hours before.

Get a lock for the refrigerator? That’s the only option I see…

We seriously curbed our smoking habits after a pretty serious waffle binge a few years back, but we let loose – munchies and all – once a year. And that day is comin’.

We’ve already started stocking up the CollegeCandy fridge with all of our favorites: Cheez-its, tater tots, Boboli, Double Stuf Oreos, peanut butter M&Ms, etc… Now all we need is some good ole’ hashish; good thing they deliver that sort of thing in NY.

People seem to be pretty particular about their munchies. Some like it salty and others like it sweet. Some like a little crunch, while others prefer things that don’t require chewing. We are very intrigued by this (probably because we are high right now), so this week we asked the CollegeCandy writers what they prefer to chow down on after hitting the bong/bowl/brownie.

What do you crave?

Laura – St. Johns: Anything with peanut butter… Mmm.

Brithny – Duke: POCKY!!! Although I was born on Pocky Day, so I’m a little biased :]

Sarabeth – University of Texas: Don’t judge, but it’s Frito chips with a little cream cheese. nom nom

Thu – USC: Hot brownie + ice cream = HEAVEN

Kari – FSU: 3-d Doritos….sadly they don’t make them anymore.

Kathryn S.: Chips and salsa all the way, baby!

S.E. – Fordham: My favorite munchie would definitely be chicken rolls at the local pizza place by campus. Every time I’m drunk/high I crave one of them.

Caitlin – University of Alabama: Chinese food and brownies mmm

Kiki – University of Missouri: I eat disturbingly large quantities of Special K Red Berries cereal straight from the box, no milk necessary.

Sara C – Fordham: Haagen Das chocolate sorbet. I convince myself that it’s healthier because it’s sorbet. Or, anything with peanut butter!

Donnette – Manhattanville College: Cheetos, Cheez-its, trail mix, Reese’s (in all forms). Pretty much anything with dried fruits, peanuts, cheez, and/or chocolate.

Elizabeth – UC Berkeley: Applesauce – no lie.  The texture just does it for me!

Lauren – University of Michigan: Um. Anything? Seriously, if I can get my mouth on it, I want it. (Wait…that came out wrong.)

Charlsie – Hollins: Anything sweet. I am obsessed with candy as a meal option; I usually eat it for lunch.

Leah – Ryerson: Cheetos, cupcakes and nachos… just not at the same time.

Ashley Elizabeth – CU Boulder: Graham crackers and peanut butter M&Ms

Cristina – Michigan State: My favorite munchies would have to be…actual Munchies. Doritos, Cheetos, Sun chips, Pretzels. Heaveennnnnn.

Erica – Kent State: I love those little cheese cubes.  Or hint-of-lime tortilla chips with mango (or peach) salsa. Mmm!

Carly – Grinnell: Mmmmm. This coffee shop near my house makes these amazing cookie bars called “wilderness bars.” They have raisins, nuts, sesame seeds, chocolate chips… ahhh, they’re so good.

K – GWU: If still cognizant of my health, blueberries or green apples are so tart and good, but is anything better than being stoned with a bowl of cereal? Chocolate Special K and Lucky Charms come to mind

Liza M – Minnesota: Cheesy breadsticks WITH blue cheese. OMG.

Kelly – Simmons University: French bread and gouda cheese

Jess T – Columbia University: Chewy candy (Laffy Taffy, sour belts, Now & Later, etc.). Great, now I’m hungry.

Celebrities, campaigns, and informative guides have all tried to help alert the public to the dangers of additives and saturated fats, yet we’re still far from the natural and organic palate most of us are striving to achieve.

In particular, E-numbers have caused a stir for a good few years now. Despite the banning of some, there are still a great many present in our everyday favorite drinks and foodstuffs: candy bars, fizzy drinks, crackers, and more.

For example, E102 (also known as ‘Tartrazine’) is used to color jams, cereals and drinks. It also happens to be banned in Norway and Austria, as it has been linked to thyroid tumours, chromosomal damage and asthma. Worrying? I certainly think so.

Not all e-numbers are harmful to the human body, though whenever I happen to come by an E-number on a product I find in the supermarket, I will still flinch, and occasionally put it back on the shelf. In addition, a great many manufacturers are phasing out their E-numbers and replacing these with natural colors and/or flavorings (Nestle Smarties being a prime example). This can only be a good thing for both manufacturer trust and consumer health.

Unfortunately, more organic foodstuffs tend to be priced higher than their ready-meal counterparts, an obvious testament to the cheap cost of mass production. Although the special offer on ready-made lasagna may seem tempting at first, remember that even though your purse won’t pay for it in the long run; but your body certainly will.

For more information regarding food and cosmetic additives, I recommend visiting Explore E-Numbers and CureZone.com for a list of E-numbers, and their associated side effects.

When I Googled “things that are bad for me” and Chicken Pot Pie came up, I was surprised I didn’t eat more of it. I happen to specialize in loving all things bad. I am a bad things virtuoso. I cuss, I eat candy bars for breakfast and I drink more wine than water.

If I thought of Chicken Pot Pie as something harmful, would I crave it every evening? Probably. I look at it as comfort food to eat on winter nights while wearing thick wool socks, something that just fills me up and doesn’t take any serious toll on my health and in turn, I haven’t eaten a Chicken Pot Pie since I was about eight.

When we want what we shouldn’t have, is our want purely psychological because our cravings are forbidden? Just as rules are made to be broken, “bad things” are made to be desired.

For Instance:

Frappucinos– I blame this one on Britney Spears, because anytime she waddled out of a Starbucks her best accessory was her Venti sized Mocha Frappucino (whipped cream included) Why is it bad? 500 calories in a beverage is just too many.

JUNK FOOD– The term junk came around for a reason. Case in point: I spent twenty minutes staring at cookie dough in the grocery store today, simply because I knew I shouldn’t buy a BUCKET of cookie dough because I may have an instant heart attack after I finish the whole thing, uncooked. Or I may get a serious case of salmonella. I’ve never spent 20 minutes staring at grapefruit or kale, because who desires ‘effing KALE?

*Founders Favorite Coldstone Creamery- love it size, 1,290 calories.

*Chiptole Chicken Burrito- 1,270 calories (sour cream included, sorry folks I love my cream)

*Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookie- 127 per serving, who eats one cookie? Come on. Who?

*Marie Calendars CHICKEN POT PIE- 550 calories, 34 grams of fat.

*Margarita- 740 calories!!!!! This is enough to send me into a deep, deep, depression.

THATS JUST ON THE FOOD SIDE.

How about all of the bad ex-boyfriends we’ve gone back to? The men we’ve dated and shouldn’t have? The crushes on boys wearing leather and tattooing their arms with pictures of naked women?

[Oh, maybe that's just me.]

The cigarettes we’ve puffed (not to mention the other outlawed greenery to smoke), the crushes on best friend’s boyfriends and the people who bring out your inner crazy girl.

MEN, FOOD, TOO MUCH SEX, TOO MUCH OF…well anything is (apparently) generally bad. If we did a week long experiment, judgement aside, and indulged in all of the bad DELICIOUSNESS, would our cravings for it simmer down? Would we find feeding a “hunger” is actually healthy or would all of it be less coveted?

What bad things do you crave, and why do you think you crave them???

P.S. I forgot to mention how much I ADORE bacon. Thank you and the end.

Actually, who are we kidding? It’s always that time of year. When is there a time when we don’t wish that our jeans were a little looser, our abs were a little tighter, and that we could resist the temptation of that evil bag of chocolate chip cookies lurking in the kitchen (that always seems to magically disappears within an hour while cramming for finals)

You and I both know that stress = Get me some good food now por favor. Add that with the festive holiday treats from gingerbread lattes to potato latkes, It’s no wonder the average American gains 7-12 lbs during the holiday season.

But, winter break is around the corner and while shoveling down yummy treats may help us cope with the fact we have to learn a whole semesters worth of econ in three days, come the end of finals, we are going to feel (and look) like a big ball of grossness. Sure, Santa’s belly full of jelly is cute and cuddle-y on an old guy in a plush-velvet, red jumpsuit- but I’m thinking not-so-much my look. Especially when i’ll be spending some quality time post-finals on the beach…

Whether you want to drop a few dress sizes or just maintain your weight, foodfit.com gives us some tried and true tips from weight loss specialists to help us avoid those pounds that just seem to sneak up on us.

Remember: Each pound of weight lost requires that you either consume 3500 fewer calories or burn them off with exercise (and let us not forget, one shot = 100 calories. And really- who takes just one?)

1. Figure out what 1,500 calories looks like. If you’re trying to lose weight on a 1,500 calorie meal plan, you need to maintain a healthy mix of those calories – at least five servings of fruits and vegetables; six of whole grain breads, rice, crackers and other grains; two of protein foods; and three of nonfat dairy products. Learn about serving sizes: 3 ounces of lean meat, fish or poultry (the size of a deck of cards) is one serving. One slice of bread is one serving, while a large bagel may equal almost five!

2. Keep a food journal. Studies show that the act of writing down what and how much you eat helps you identify problem areas and times when calories sneak in. It also helps uncover unconscious eating and helps you spot and prevent overeating patterns. (click here for an online one to get you started!)

3. Don’t deny yourself. Cutting favorite foods out of your diet will only set you up for bingeing later on. You can still enjoy your favorites if you limit portion sizes.

4. Move your body! The only way to keep weight off is with regular physical exercise. Start out slowly, and then gradually build up your time, intensity and frequency from there. We typically underestimate how much activity is needed. Most people need to exercise 4-5 times per week for about 45 minutes. That can be broken up into 2 or 3 segments. The ideal fitness program alternates aerobic activity such as brisk walking, running or bicycling, with strength training using hand weights or gym equipment. Even with your sedentary job you can find ways to get up and walk around, take the stairs, park in the far end of the parking lot, etc.

5. Eat slowly. It takes about 15-20 minutes for the stomach to signal the brain that it’s full. Allow that amount of time for each meal.

6. Eat at regular intervals at least three times a day. Never skip breakfast or lunch. Skipping or under-eating meals often triggers you to overeat later in the day and can cause a drop in your metabolism.

7. Eat enough food. Studies show that the key to losing weight and keeping it off is eating foods with lots of volume yet few calories. This means plenty of things like whole-wheat pasta, beans, vegetables, fruit, and only low-fat dairy, chicken or meat. A cup of broth-based soup as an appetizer could cut the edge of your appetite without many calories. Choose 1-2/3 cups grapes over 1/4 cup raisins. Both provide 100 calories, but the grapes are more satisfying.