Everyone is going to be cranky and sleep deprived. Prescription drug deals will be happening at every bus stop. This is real (college) life. To help you fight the good fight this semester, we've rounded up some of the best and worst ways to help you stay awake while you're studying...
Sometimes all you need to spruce up a dull salad or your run-of-the-mill Wednesday dinner is an ingredient swap. If chicken caesar has lost its bite, and you simply can't look at another plate of turkey and veggies without yawning, say hello to my leetle friend (sorry, had to!): shrimp!
If I were to tell you that eating certain foods in the right combination will make you more alert and focused, would you give them a try? How about if I told you that some of your food choices are literally draining your brain power? Would you think twice before chowin’ down on them?
College life isn't kind to the carnivore. Meat is often expensive and time-consuming to cook, not to mention extremely perishable, and the Mystery Meat served in the caf won't exactly sate a craving for prime rib. So what's a girl gotta do for some quick, cheap, protein? Short of settling for cold cuts, which could possibly shorten your life and are very high in sodium, why not take a page out of the vegetarian handbook and opt for filling, delicious chickpeas?
Today, my fellow foodie lady friends, we examine the wonders of the ever-delicious, ever-nutritious egg. You already know they're distinctive in shape, taste, and texture, and you already know they're good for you, but why, exactly?
Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday I wake up and head to the gym. (OK, so sometimes those Sunday morning workouts don't happen, but I digress....) Sometimes, I will take a class or meet with a Pilates instructor. Usually, however, I hop onto the elliptical, set my iPOD to F-U-N and set myself up for a 45 minute cardio challenge.
Every health-conscious girl knows yogurt builds stronger bones and is a good source of protein. But did you know that not all yogurts are created equal? Check out the nutrition label on the cups in your fridge--many "light" and fat-free yogurt brands substitute extra sugar and preservatives for fat. For a leaner, creamier, alternative, try Greek yogurt.
After pulling on your Nikes and adding that new Jason Derulo song to your iPod, you drag yourself to the gym for an hour. It's hard to get started, you're just so tired, but twenty minutes later the endorphins are kicking in and you're feeling great. You finish your workout, do a little stretch, and walk home feeling happy as a clam.
I get it. Trust me, I get it. It’s getting nice out and the last thing you want to do is spend an hour or two inside the gym. Who wants to sweat indoors when eating ice-cream by the lake is so much more appealing (and yummy?) But on the flip side, you'll be donning a bikini before you know it (like, ahem, next week) and you want to look h-o-t.
We all love to talk about metabolism. A lot. Some of us love it (like that girl who never goes to the gym and eats french fries for every meal and somehow still wears a size 00) and some of us hate it (when we eat an apple and our thighs starts rubbing together). But does anyone really know what metabolism is or how it works?
Do you loooove breakfast, so much so that you often eat it again for lunch, and dinner? You could pull off the thrice-daily cereal routine -and yes, I've been a culprit - but as great as three servings of Frosted Flakes tastes, I've got a dish for you that is as wholesome as a hot breakfast, delicious as a quick lunch, and hearty as a home-cooked dinner. It's easy, it's quick, and it's ethnic to boot.
We talk about pumpkin around here a LOT. A lot, a lot. But we can't help it; the stores and restaurants only bring out their pumpkin goodness for a few months every year and we're trying to soak up as much of the tasty goodness as we can before it goes away. And we're left with nothing. Except winter-induced Seasonal Affect Disorder. Sigh.
I have never really liked meat. The idea of a bloody steak with neatly criss-crossed grill marks on my plate has never been appealing to me, and I have basically limited my carnivorous intake to the occasional chicken breast. My boyfriend is a vegetarian, and I can go for long stretches of time without eating any meat at all. So why am I not a vegetarian, too, already?