The beginning of another school year sneaked up on us, along with an opportunity to meet new people, join new clubs and do better in our classes (okay well I like to tell myself this, at least).  Unfortunately, it’s also the perfect opportunity to gain weight via late night pizza runs and all you can eat dining halls.

Thankfully, for those of you reading this, I have a suggestion, a small tweak really, that might just save you from packing on the pounds.  You ready for it? Like, really, really ready?

OK, here goes: only drink water (and if you must, the occasional coffee).

No soda, no calorie-laden smoothies, fruit juices, or any liquid edible substance with calories.  You would be surprised how much those added calories from beverages add up! Read More »

Much like everything else in a college girl’s life (finding the perfect pair of jeans, balancing relationships, deciding where to party, etc.), sugar seems complicated. And I’m sick of complicated, so I’m going to break it down for you.

Should you go for natural or artificial? Low-cal or all natural? Corn syrup or aspartame? Honey or agave nectar?

Here’s your guide to satisfying your sweet tooth in the healthiest way possible.

What It’s Called
There are secret code names for sugar that you’ll find in everything from crackers to vegetables. Look for: Sucrose, Fructose, Glucose, Corn Sugar, Sorbitol, Dextrose, Maltose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Aspartame, Lactose… and more.

What It Does To Your Body
Carbs and sugars turn into glucose, which gives us energy to function. Glucose determines your blood sugar level, which affects your appetite, emotions, athletic performance, and more. You do not want to screw with this system – ideally, you want your blood sugar level to stay pretty even all the time. Usually people do this by eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and things that get metabolized at a steady rate in your body.

Sugar has two parts. Besides the glucose, there’s fructose, which is in added sweeteners, and in smaller amounts in fruits and veggies. Either way, eating too many calories from glucose or fructose is a sure way to gain weight and mess up your blood sugar level. Read More »

I am destined to be big-boned. That practically became my mantra throughout high school as day after day I sat next to my beautiful, svelte friends and felt like a blob. While I clearly couldn’t metabolize chocolate-covered pretzels and pizza like they could, looking back I realize that even I slimmed down just by correcting a few errors in thinking. If you’re so fed up with dieting that you’re ready to cry, a few simple tips may help you finally break through.

1. Do not skip meals.

Sleeping through breakfast seems like the easiest way to cut calories and lose weight, right? Wrong! In high school, I did just that. I also decided to spend my lunch period most days talking instead of eating. I would never put food in my body until 3PM, and I wouldn’t stop eating until around 10PM. I justified my grazing by saying, “Hey, I haven’t eaten all day, after all!” By the time my body got fed, it had no idea what to do with so much disgusting, unhealthy food. The pounds finally started to budge when I put my body on a system. Eat something wholesome (oatmeal, whole-grain toast, an egg) as soon as you wake up. Give your stomach something to work on all day. Our tummies love consistency, so don’t forget lunch and dinner, either!

2. EAT your calories.

Even on days when you don’t think you’re eating much, you might be loading up on “blind calories” — calories you don’t even realize — just by what you drink. Anything other than water, black coffee, or plain tea is a weight conscious gal’s worst nightmare. While sports drinks and mineral water may be alluring, the sugar and additives are sure to sidetrack your best intentions. It’s the common misconception that fruit juices are must-have staples to a diet. The truth is, you are getting loads of sugar from the fruit itself (even if it’s unsweetened juice, check out the grams of natural sugar) and none of the fiber. Don’t have a glass of orange juice – eat an orange. Same goes for apple juice or cranberry juice or…, well, you get the idea. In general, allotting your calories for food rather than beverages will leave you much more satisfied. Read More »

Beauty products are super expensive; trust me, I know. Even as a self-proclaimed beauty addict, sometimes it kills me to spend money on overpriced creams, treatments and all that other stuff beauty companies tell us we need. Which is why, on a quiet (read: boring) Saturday night in, I scoured the internet for at-home remedies to all our beauty problems.

Turns out, there’s a cure to most of those beauty problems in your very own kitchen. And I tried ‘em all.

No more wasting $30 on a zit cream- just use toothpaste. And no need to get some fancy hydrating cream when you can use sweet, delicious, cheap honey. Watch the vid for more tips!

While I have not done an algebra equation since the 10^th grade my stomach still churns in the same way every time I attempt to decode the nutrition facts on my favorite foods. Reading food labels can leave any head spinning with questions about daily caloric intakes and serving sizes (especially knowing that some of them are way off!). But navigating a food label doesn’t have to be as hard as finding a decent guy on a college campus; with this simple guide you will have the power to understand any ingredient that comes your way and make instantly healthier choices in the grocery aisles.

Let’s start at the beginning and work our way down.

Serving Size: Ever wonder why the French are so skinny? They actually pay attention to the word “serving.” Don’t be deceived by products that look like one serving size; there can actually be two or three servings packed in! The facts on the nutrition label are based on one serving; if you are planning on two, plan to double all the info on that sucker. Read More »

I’m sure most of us (myself included) don’t really stop mid-bite to ponder the effects of different foods on our teeth.  And while it doesn’t need to be at the forefront of our thoughts, we should still think about them chompers from time to time.

I don’t know about you, but I would rather not spend countless hours, dollars, and shrieks of pain getting dental surgery because I didn’t take care of my teeth early on… and refused to give up my daily coffee/candy bar breakfast routine.

Read on for the food rules of healthy teeth. Read More »

We all feed our stomachs daily, but are we really giving them what they want and deserve?

Sometimes it’s hard to fit healthy food into a busy schedule, making it even harder for us to keep our digestive tract happy and healthy.  Unfortunately, one of the most common side effects of an unhappy tum-tum is bloating (ew).  Luckily, with a few easy tweaks to our diet, we can get on our way towards a fitter and flatter stomach.

Tummy Tip #1: Drink tons of water.  Water is probably the closest thing to a silver bullet you’ll ever find.  Not only does it improve the look of your skin and stimulate mental clarity, it also aids in digestion.  This translates into a flatter, bloat-free stomach for you.  Make sure you’re getting enough agua by listening to some advice from the Institute of Medicine.  They recommend that the lovely ladies, like ourselves, drink about 9 cups of H20 a day.

Tummy Tip #2: Hold the salt. As a general rule of thumb, wherever salt goes water will follow.  This is good for maintaining a good balance of minerals in the blood, but can be bad when it comes to belly bloat.  You don’t have to cut out salt completely to diminish bloating, but try to avoid overly salty foods like chips, canned soups, frozen meals, and salted nuts. Read More »

I have an obsession with cupcakes that is so intense, sometimes, I think that it borders on addiction. If someone offers me an adorable little sugary cake of pure bliss, there’s just no way I can refuse. And, whenever I have a craving for one, I won’t be able to stop thinking about it until I satisfy my inner voice screaming, “feed me cupcake!”

Not to mention that once I’ve consumed a few bites of one, it’s all downhill from there and I find myself consuming way more calories than I would have prior. Frosting is my gateway drug and I cannot control myself when I’m near it.

Up until now, I always thought my problem was completely mental and something I just had to force myself to get over. Then, I read an article in the Washington Post on Dr. Kessler, a Harvard-trained doctor, lawyer, medical school dean and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, who spent months dumpster diving behind chain restaurants such as Chili’s to find out the real amount of fat, salt and sugar used to make dishes like the Southwestern Eggrolls.

What he discovered (and details in his book, The End of Overeating) was surprising and clued me into why this high intake of sugar had such a great effect on me…

“Foods high in fat, salt and sugar alter the brain’s chemistry in ways that compel people to overeat.” So it’s not just me! The sugar is actually f-ing with our brains! Sweet, sweet validation (no pun intended). Read More »

Chocolate and Peanut Butter. Seriously, is there anything better? These cookies are flourless (gluten free!), fabulous, and perfect for a quick pick-me-up for yourself and friends when everyone is in need of some serious sugar therapy.

What You Need:

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1/2 cup chocolate chunks

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 small bag of mini peanut butter cups Read More »

Um, I’m really not into the Olympics. Sorry.

Yeah, I get it, nations get together and compete to show that their differences aren’t all that big after all, blah blah blah. The truth of the matter is, sports has never brought nations together. Maybe they can put their differences aside for a few minutes for the sake of the cameras (and to try for that gold medal), but the moment they leave the venue, the world is back to the way it was.

But, hey, I do like dessert. So, to honor the Beijing Olympics in the only way I know how, I propose a making delicious Chinese dessert: deep fried watermelon. Yes, it’s fried, but, hey, at least it’s fruit!

Happy sporting!

What You’ll Need

1 10 pound watermelon

2 beaten egg whites

11 tablespoons of flour

7 tablespoons of cornstarch

3 cups of vegetable oil Read More »