College Tips for Crunchy Kids: Exercise

In the first installment of College Tips for Crunchy Kids, we talked nutrition.  Once you've got down those basics, you're ready to move into movement--specifically, movement for those with other obligations and a minimal amount of money to expend.  Movement for college kids, crunchy or otherwise.

1. The first tip here is to stick with what you know.  If you love baseball, you might consider joining the baseball team at your university.  Similarly, if you're already acclimated to running or jogging on sidewalks, you might adopt the sidewalks around your school for this purpose.

2. For those who don't have one particular passion, try new things.  The fitness center at (or affiliated with) your school might offer group fitness classes like yoga, Pilates, or Zumba.  If you have a few extra credits to burn and you think you might not be able to fit in fitness otherwise, consider taking an introductory dance class, archery, or any other fitness class that suits your fancy.

3. No matter what you do, make it a part of your daily routine.  If you don't have the option of taking a group class or joining a team sport, this tip still applies to you.  One option is to punctuate study sessions with physical activity.  What works for me on days where I have no other plans is to alternate between studying for twenty minutes and intense activity for three to five minutes--whether that activity is a Blogilates pop song challenge or shaking in Qoya or just jamming out to my new favorite song on Spotify (Crystallize, by Lindsey Stirling, is awesome).  Sadie Nardini has some seriously challenging yoga sequences, if you've got a little more time on your hands, too.

Also, walk whenever you can, and take the stairs.  Just do it.

4. Do something with friends.  Dance parties totally count as exercise.  So does a game of basketball in the gym, or volleyball out on a grassy knoll.  You could even get creative and make exercise out of seasonal musts, if you live in the appropriate climate:  in the fall, traipse across campus to collect leaf piles in which to jump; in the winter, bumble through thick snow to wrangle up a snowman.  Whatever it is, make it fun--that will encourage you to stick with it rather than burn out and wind up on the couch watching season after season of whatever it is you watch on Netflix.

Well, that's all I've got for now! Next time we'll talk sanity--specifically, how to maintain it while in college.

College Tips for Crunchy Kids: Nutrition

So, last month I turned 18, but I'm actually on my second year of college.  My friends that are my age are just now gearing up for college, so I've got new beginnings on my mind.  Fellow 18-year-olds, fear not: I come armed with tips to help you feel more college-ready in all the ways that your counselor won't know how to address.

Behold: College Tips for Crunchy Kids (like myself).  Today we're gonna talk about how to eat healthily while in college.

1. First and foremost, scope out the scene.  If you are living on campus, ask:  What does the cafeteria already serve?  Are there multiple options?  If you're allergic or sensitive to something, your first step is to talk to nutrition services.  Can they accommodate your food sensitivities or dietary preferences?  Don't just assume that the people handling your food will automatically know all the places that gluten can hide, or that cross-contamination is a major problem when it comes to peanut allergies. Further, it is not enough to tell the staff what doesn't work for you.  Let them know what you CAN eat!  You must be your own advocate.

If allergies and sensitivities aren't as much a problem for you, or if cross contamination is no biggie, the salad bar can be the perfect place for a crunchy kid to nosh.  Not all of the options at a salad bar are inherently healthy, however crunchy they may be (croutons, for example).  Load up on the greens, choose lean proteins and seek out or even bring in an inoffensive vinaigrette.  Whole fruits are likely to be provided, and as far as grains go--you know which are or aren't appropriate for your own body.

2. The kitchen is there for you to use, so use it.  Especially if cafeteria food isn't gonna cut it, you should seek out the kitchens available for student use.  There might be one in the dorm.  Keep in mind that others will be using this kitchen, as well.  It might be worth educating your regular kitchen-mates about your dietary peculiarities, if you are allergic, sensitive or averse to any particular foods.  No sense suffering from cross-contamination if cooperative camaraderie is a request away.

Consider making big batches of food to consume all week.  Hard-boiled eggs, muffins or roasted chickpeas might be a good place to start for grab-and-go food.

3. Invest in dorm or apartment-friendly appliances to make your life easier.  A mini-fridge can be immensely helpful to any college kid, crunchy or not.  Ask administration (or whoever is in charge) what appliances are or aren't allowed in the dorm.  Blenders might be helpful for making on-the-spot smoothie meals (I like this little Ninja, which has held up amazingly well through regular use for the past year and a half).  A crock pot might be useful, too, depending on how much cooking you're willing to do.  Talk to your room-mate, as well--if he or she is interested in using the gadgets, you could go halvsies on the cost and share.

4. If you are pressed for time (who isn't?), check out minimally processed convenience foods.  Hummus and veggies, almond butter with apples or celery, trail mix, quality energy bars like Thuro Bread or Aztec bars, grass-fed jerky like Nick's Sticks or even an organic rotisserie chicken from the local health food store (if you've got a way to store it) can be a lifesaver.  Figure out what works for you, and keep those things in mind when finals week rolls around. (You'll be glad you did.)

Please avoid using caffeine as a substitute for real-food-derived energy.  You'll feel better and perform better in the long run, and you won't end up with an addiction to coffee or energy drinks out of the bargain.

Old-hats, got any tips to share?  Bestow your wisdom in the comments below.  Newbies, got any questions?  Let me know so they can be addressed! 

*It's worth saying, as well--I am not compensated for any recommendations that I make in this post.  All the resources I mention here are things I've used or that I would consider using for real.  Complete transparency here.  :)

Chicken and veggie broth

Homemade broth is a simple way to "make something out of nothing," as I like to say.  It is a way to make use of otherwise un-useable odds and ends: chicken bones and giblets, celery greens and less-than-crisp stalks, woody vegetable stems, and clean carrot peels can all be tossed into the bubbling brew. 

Chicken broth is soothing to the digestive system, because it contains gelatin.  Homemade broth can be especially beneficial to those who are unable to consume dairy products, since the broth can also have a high mineral content.  I add apple cider vinegar to my broth, since the acidity of the vinegar helps to leach minerals from the bones.  Veggie scraps add flavor and nutritional content, as well.

Store-bought broth will not have these nutritional benefits, and may contain artificial flavoring agents and MSG.  

With a good homemade broth in the fridge, flavor and nutritional value can be added to soups, grains (think risotto!) and hotdish-like recipes, like mustard chicken and veggies. 

Here, I've got a pot with squash seeds and pulp, kale stems, and a chicken carcass ready to go.

The "recipe" for a homemade broth is incredibly simple: toss leftover bones and vegetable scraps into a 4-quart pot.  Add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.  Cover the pot's contents with filtered water, and bring it to a boil.  Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for three to six hours.  Then, strain and discard the bones and vegetable matter.  I like to store my broth in glass jars, but you can also pour it into a pitcher.  Use or freeze the broth over the course of one week.

 One clever idea to get you in the swing of broth-making is to collect bones and vegetable scraps, over the course of the week, in a plastic bag in the freezer. 

DO use peels from organic vegetables, especially from aromatics like carrots and onions.  It's a frugal way to get the most out of your produce--and you don't want to  make pesticide soup!

DON'T add liver or brassica vegetables like broccoli or cabbage to your broth.  Liver will make your broth taste bitter, while brassica vegetables will make it taste (and make your house smell!) sulfurous.

The things that make you YOU

In the past year or so, I have gone through some pretty amazing transformations, health-wise.  Daily stomach aches are a thing of the past, as they have been for a while now.

However, in the past month (or three), stress has taken a pretty heavy toll.  I had been so busy with school, all the while trying to process a shift in a friendship, that I had neglected myself.  I buried myself in schoolwork and housework and a million little errands and obligations, and when I finally surfaced I found myself sulking about and suffering through stomach aches all over again.  My nervous system was running on overdrive.  When my alarm clock went off in the mornings, I would wake up and my heart would race or I would start shaking.  Obviously, something had to change.


When I visited my naturopath last week, in addition to homeopathic support, she gave me words of wisdom.  The words that most resonated with me were these:

Don't give up the things that make you YOU.

So that's what today's post is about--slowing down, clearing out the hustle and hurry from day-to-day life, and making space for the things that matter most.  The things that define you, that will make up the most memorable parts of your life.  We all have things that we have to get done, but it is important that we not to let to-do lists compel us to hurry our lives away.

For me, this means putting away homework and all of the various forms of digital distractions at each meal, so that I can to sit down and actually enjoy my food.  It also means that in addition to my daily to-do list, I need to keep another (equally important) list of things that I need to do for myself during the day.  Sometimes this means crochet, curling up with a good book, taking a hot bath, going on a walk, journaling or practicing yoga.  Today, it meant blogging before bed and taking a break from homework for twenty minutes of Qoya (which, over the past few months, has re-taught me the joy of dancing that I seem to have lost during a phase of adolescent self-consciousness--but that's another blog post).  When I have too much on my plate, rather than let anxiety drive me crazy, I practice asking for help and saying 'no' to new commitments. 

Another thing that helps me 'just be' is to take a few minutes, when I first wake up in the morning, to think about the way I want my day to go and the things that I would like to accomplish.  I breathe in and think about the situations that might come up over the course of my day, breathe out and visualize my ideal response or the way I would like things to go.  In, input; out, outcome.

These few simple changes in my daily routine have made a world of difference for my peace of mind.  After instituting these new principles in my daily life, contentment is once again attainable, and I find myself making better use of my work time.  With the additional help of homeopathic remedies prescribed by my naturopath, the stomach aches and the morning shakes are gone.  I've also started to meditate, via journaling, on the best way for me to address the recent changes in a friendship, and found that the same principles hold true:  I do not have to jump ship; rather, I need to establish a new set of boundaries.

As always, I would love to hear from my readers:  What makes you YOU?  Do you make a rule of taking time for yourself?  And if you don't already, in what ways might you begin?  Do these changes necessitate introspection or an outreach for help?


This post is linked to Party Wave Wednesday 10/30/13 at Holistic Squid and Tasty Traditions 10/30/13 at Cultured Palate

How to eat your veggies, and like it too!

There's one piece of advice that you'll hear from health gurus of all philosophies, whether they espouse Paleo, vegetarian, vegan, or traditional food diets:  Eat your veggies.  So, if it's so universally known that vegetables are the ultimate health food, then why isn't everyone loading up on the greens? 

Vegetables are difficult to make friends with, but is it any wonder why?  We lovingly craft the perfect pie crusts to frame fruits, vegetables' sticky-sweet cousins; we celebrate proteins with customized spice rubs; and we fry grains and other starches for optimal crunch.  These foods are easy to love, so we focus on loving them.  Steamed broccoli just isn't going to cut it.  In order to compete for room on our plates, vegetables just need a little more love.



How to love on veggies

1. Dress up your salads
Once equipped with a variety of simple and delicious salad dressing recipes, you might find yourself making--and enjoying--salads more often.  I know I do!  Here are a few ideas:

• My brother loves a simple vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar and olive oil, but I prefer a dijon mustard vinaigrette.
• Play around with different vinegars: lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, coconut vinegar, balsamic vinegar (have you ever heard of blueberry balsamic?  AMAZING)
• Play around with different oils: olive oil, toasted sesame seed oil, pure orange oil, flaxseed oil, avocado oil, and nut oils are all flavorful options.
• Add other "goodies," like nuts, seeds or spices; Chef Amber Shea's spiced tahini vinaigrette is next on my list of things to try.

2. Dip them in something good
As I write this, I am munching on carrot sticks and a split-pea hummus modeled after the Sunshine Spread recipe from Oh She Glows.  I basically lived off of this recipe during Easter Break!  In order to make it SCD-compliant, I soak the split peas for about 12 hours in water and apple cider vinegar, then rinse and cook them for about an hour. In my new favorite variation, I add a couple of roasted red bell peppers, a few cracks of black pepper, and about twice as much tahini as called for in the original recipe.

3. Sautee with other "goodies"
Here are some of my favorite examples:

• Chop up half a cabbage into long, skinny strips, and wilt it in a pan with onion, garlic and fresh or dried thyme.
• Pan-fry green beans with chopped baby portabella mushrooms and pre-cooked chestnuts (which you can buy at Trader Joe's), until the beans are al dente.  The chestnuts add a pleasant, nutty sweetness.
• I haven't tried it yet, but once I am done with the SCD diet, I will be making the Detoxinista's recipe for sweet potato noodles.

4. Roast it
This is my family's favorite way to eat carrots and sweet potatoes:  sprinkled with Italian herbs and roasted until the edges turn dark and candied.  I have also had pretty good luck with roasting other vegetables, such as eggplant and zucchini.

5. Give it a sauce
Nothing says "comfort food" quite like a rich sauce.

• In the warmer seasons, I roast a spaghetti squash at least once a week.  We eat it with marinara sauce.  (Eden Foods sells jars of organic crushed tomatoes that make a pretty good sauce when properly seasoned.)
• A good curry, too, warms me from the inside out.  If you find a good recipe or a jarred curry sauce that you're pleased with, it's great served over cauliflower "rice".

Got more ideas?  I'd love to hear them!  Comment below with your Pinterest name or email, and I will add you to my brand new Veggie Love board.

This post is linked to Party Wave Wednesday 5/8/13 at Holistic Squid, Whole Food Fridays 5/10/13 at Allergy Free Alaska, Fresh Bites Friday 5/10/13 at Real Food Whole Health, Thank Your Body Thursday 5/9/13 at Thank Your Body, Sunday School 5/12/13 at Butter Believer, Family Table Tuesday 5/14/13 at The Polivka Family, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday 5/14/13 at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Tasty Traditions 5/15/13 at My Cultured Palate and Real Food Wednesday 5/15/13 at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Super easy SCD ideas

I recently began following the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) to heal a bacterial imbalance, and was dismayed to find that the diet seems to disallow many of my former staples--canned coconut milk, gluten-free tortillas, sweet potatoes and others.  To further complicate matters, I have also been advised to limit my fruit consumption to one fruit per day, and to avoid even the natural sugars that are SCD legal, like honey and dried fruit. 

So, what does somebody eat when nearly all carbohydrates are off-limits?  Protein and fat, of course.

Today I'd like to share with you some of the easier, SCD-legal, dairy- and egg-free snacks and meals that have worked well for me.  Hopefully I can provide someone with ideas that will help their day run a little more smoothly.

Fruit and nut-based
If you're going to consume only one fruit per day, you'd better make it count!  I like to use fruit as a vehicle for protein and healthy fats, especially at breakfast.  Often, I also sneak in some extra veggies in my attempts to round it out.  Here are a few of my favorite combinations:

• Scoop up sunflower seed butter with apple slices.  Melted dark chocolate is also delicious, although not SCD legal.
• Top frozen strawberries with a liberal amount of tahini (ground sesame seeds) and coconut flakes
• Blend up an orange, half of an avocado and a handfull of baby spinach.  I like to top this with nuts or seeds; the crunch masks any orange-bits that a regular blender might be unable to fully integrate.  The nuts also provide more protein.
• Smash a banana with a few tablespoons of tahini and a splash of coconut water or milk of your choice.  Sometimes I also blend this mixture with baby spinach.  Top with coconut flakes and eat like pudding.
• Dice a ripe, juicy peach or mango and pour full-fat coconut milk (not canned, if you follow SCD) over it.

I've also been told that cantaloupe is delicous with thinly sliced prosciutto, if you can find a "clean" brand. 

Legume-based
Since I have begun following a specific-carbohydrate diet, I have not done much legume-eating.  Lentils, peas and some beans are SCD-legal, although many SCD followers choose to eat a more paleolithic-inspired diet.  The following are legume-based recipe ideas that I have yet to try:

• Veggies dipped in homemade hummus, made with soaked navy beans instead of chickpeas.
• A lentil-based "oatmeal," like the recipe on Stir, Sift & Savour, but cooked with a apples or a sweet squash rather than raisins. 

Meat or fish-based
If one does not consume eggs or dairy products on the specific carbohydrate diet, meats and fish become an especially important part of the diet.  Some of the ideas and tips that I use are as follows:

• Mix some wild-caught, canned salmon with sliced pickles, celery and tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.  Scoop into half of a pepper, and top with your nut/seed of choice.
• Roast two chickens or a large turkey at the beginning of the week and use the leftover meat for salads.
• For especially busy days, seek out some "clean" sausages or pre-cooked shellfish and store them in the freezer. 
• Find new, minimally processed condiments to make luch more interesting: olive oil-packed sundried tomatoes, calamata olives, guacamole, fresh salsa and jarred curry sauces are just a few examples.

The Learning Curve

Prior to any dietary restrictions, my mom did most of my family's grocery shopping.  She could run in and out of the grocery store in about 35 minutes, zipping through the aisles in record time. 

Now, I always accompany my mom on trips to the grocery store.  Expert label-reader that I am, it still takes a good deal of time to comb through a store--actually, several stores--to find allergen-free foods.  And then, as complicated as grocery shopping can be, it's only half the battle.  Sometimes, the real struggle takes place in the kitchen.

There's a learning curve, but after a period of transition, the process of shopping for and preparing food becomes streamlined.  Here are a few of the lessons that have helped me in the past few months:

1. Focus on fresh, whole foods.  When it comes to finding allergen-free food, the outer ring of the grocery store is your best bet.  In a conventional grocery store, you're much more likely to find peanut, soy, or whatever else-free meats and produce than cookies and crackers.  In this way, food allergies are a blessing in disguise:  they give you an extra kick to eat healthily.

2. Find new favorites.  Rather than try to replace old favorites with an exact allergen-free equivalent, which can be disappointing, sometimes it's best to find new favorites entirely.  You might be amazed what variety of fruits and vegetables your local grocery store offers.  You also might be amazed to realize which ones you haven't yet tried. 

Another good place to search for new favorites is the ethnic food aisle.  My favorite things from the ethnic food aisle are canned coconut milk, red and green curry paste, puppodums, rice paper wraps, dried legumes and grains. 

You could also purchase more exotic ingredients, such as blueberry balsamic vinegar or flavored extracts, online.

3. Keep snacks around.  It's a good idea to keep some quick-preparing pantry staples on hand.  Gluten free crackers aren't always very tasty, but you'll sure be glad you thought to purchase some when the fridge is empty.

4. Don't be afraid to mess up.  This one is key.  Especially with baking, mistakes happen.  Not everything that you make is going to taste good, but that's okay.  It's part of the journey.  You won't learn anything if you never try anything new. 

5. Figure out what works for you.  Some people like foods that others might not, and some people are willing to put more time into their food than others.  Every body is different, so take all advice with a grain of salt.

Well, that's it for today!  I'll be back next week, possibly with a recipe for gluten free sourdough.  See you then!