I Don’t Just Want To Be Fed Information

My legs are so ready for this tropical vacation coming up.

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Julianna shared a photo of her burpee knees the day before on Snapchat

At least the chlorine from pool therapy is keeping my legs smooth. The chemicals are basically burning off the [already minimal amount of] leg hair that I have.

This week has been hectic, a little weird, but really great overall.

  • Hectic because of work and domestic duties (miss you, Madre).
  • Weird because of earlier wake-ups and seeing a severed squirrel on the ground one day.
  • Really great because of the little laughs/blessings that all add up. Also, SUNSHINE!

Food scenes from the week:

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nectarine banana overnight oats in a peanut butter jar

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classic ♥︎ 

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roasted green beans (olive oil, salt, pepper, and lots of garlic @400F for 25-30 min)

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overnight oat smoothie with greens added in the morning before blending

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a gigantic bag of kale cooked down into four servings (sautéed in olive oil with onions + tossed in spicy mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper — my favorite kale recipe!)

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impromptu baked chicken thighs (half a jar of Victoria’s tomato basil sauce, fresh basil, lots of garlic, baby carrots @ 400F for 30 min, topped with freshly grated parmesan and broiled for 5 minutes)

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leftovers for lunch

Favorite moves and grooves this week:

This Blogilates ab workout. You will be cussing her out in your head, it’s that hard. My abs don’t usually get sore, but this made my abs sore for two days. And this 16 minute workout (4 rounds, 30 seconds work, 10 seconds rest):

  • burpee tuck jump
  • up down planks
  • goblet squats
  • staggered pushups
  • burpees
  • side lunge with twist

Bonus: I got ONE strict toes to bar last night right before going to bed! It made all my muscles hurt.

The busyness and weirdness this week were dampened by the fact that my family is leaving for a tropical vacation, as mentioned above. We’re celebrating my parents’ 25th anniversary and my brother’s graduation from college. I’m obviously just along for the ride.

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I won’t have wifi, since we’ll be on a cruise in the middle of the ocean, but I’ll be sure to share the shenanigans when we return. Please pray that we have safe travels! The cruise company contacted us about the possibility of contracting the Zika virus, so *thumbs up*.

I’ll pray for you too if you have any travel plans coming up 🙂

Lastly, I have a Five Minute Friday vlog today! It’s about how I am trying to more actively stay connected with current events and worldwide issues.

link to video!

p.s. here’s one of Demi’s rant tweets:

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and happy July!! Happy 4th to all my American friends too! (I was about to say, “May the fourth be with you,” but that’s two months off.)

Goodbye for a week or so. I’ll miss you!

So tell me:

Do you find that you let information/news/opinions be fed to you, rather than read up and formulate your own opinions?

What is your favorite way to eat kale?

What are you doing this weekend?

 

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Current Mood(s)

It’s been a funky weekend.

My mood is currently a slurry of the following:

Upset, confused, uneasy, and heartbroken by the shootings (Christina Grimmie + mass shooting at Pulse) in Orlando this weekend.

I’m having a hard time just typing this blog post, because I’m watching several videos, reading tweets/statuses/articles, and just grappling with the whole situation and with the state of the world. May God be merciful to all, and may He grant rest to the souls of those who died and console their loved ones.

Friends, keep loving more deeply every day. Reflect on your purpose in this world. I don’t mean to be preachy right now, but when it comes to life and death, it’s important to ask yourself: What if my life on earth ended today? 

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Enraged, saddened, yet awe-inspired by the powerful letter the Stanford rape victim read aloud to her attacker.

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Unsure if cutting down on dairy is helping my tummy troubles. I’m currently drinking Lactaid milk (surprisingly, it’s exceptionally tasty milk) and avoiding Greek yogurt and cheese. I think I feel better with less Greek yogurt in particular (*tear*).

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the day before my mom picked up some Lactaid // carbs+pb isn’t the same without a glass o’ milk

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leftover green banana pancakes + banana cream sauce + glass o’ Lactaid (← doesn’t have the same ring to it)

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overnight oats made without Greek yogurt but with extra Lactaid milk, chia seeds, and half a scoop of vanilla protein powder — not bad!

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classic banana egg white oats (video tutorial coming soon!)

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baked banana bread oatmeal for this week’s breakfasts

I’m also unsure because I’m weak. I had a tiny bit of ice cream Saturday night with our leftover apple strudel from the farmers’ market 🙂 And I had a few cheesy jalapeño Popcorners yesterday.

I didn’t keel over or anything though, so it’s all good.

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Another likely culprit is definitely stress. I don’t notice my stress, but I think my body/mind has objectively been stressed these past few weeks.

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All that being said…

I’m ashamed and disappointed in myself. Honesty is the best policy. I feel ashamed that maybe my tummy troubles were actually coming from a few too many days of eating until I was stuffed, even if it was just a bunch of vegetables.

I have definitely not been binging by any means, but I do know that I sometimes stress eat and/or eat too quickly when I’m stressed. I was struck by the possibility that maybe my insides haven’t been cooperating because I just haven’t been too kind to them in regards to the volume I eat.

So I’ve been more aware of my stomach cues (without worrying about calories or anything), which (DUH) has been helping me feel more comfortable. I’m tempted to beat myself up about my recent eating habits, but I know that will just do me a disservice. Evaluate, learn, make the changes, and move on.

Somewhat off topic: Lunches these days have been all about eggs, which I find are easy on my stomach.

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two egg omelet with greens and onions + cherry tomatoes + avocado toast

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avocado toast with sunny egg and sriracha (among other things) for lunch on Saturday

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delicious bowl of quinoa, roasted broccoli, sautéed greens, onions, cherry tomatoes, chorizo + sunny egg + sriracha added post-pic

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Thankful that my body can move and exercise. I always try to be, but I’ve had to especially remind myself to be thankful this weekend because of some recent body image issues that I’ll talk more about tomorrow.

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Mom and I have been doing 7 minute workouts and Pilates together. So wonderful to move and groove with Madre.
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Working at a rehabilitation hospital has also done wonders for my perspective on physical ability, movement, and health.

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scene at lunch break

Saturday’s workout was a doozy! 4 rounds for time:

  • 10 burpee tuck jumps
  • 20 crazy Russian twists (10 each side, 15#)
  • 30 side jump lunges
  • 40 air squats with side leg lift
  • 50 mountain climbers

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HUSTLED on those last squats and mountain climbers when I saw that I could finish at 20 minutes

I did this yoga video yesterday, since everything was sore and my body had been craving good, organ-nourishing twists.

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Happy that I get to spend quality time with my parents on the weekends. We went out for sushi on Saturday night after Mass, followed by an evening walk.

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Mom and Pop’s sashimi for two

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cutest soy sauce dish

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my order: “Soho roll” (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, rice, roe, wrapped in soybean paper) + eel cucumber roll

Ain’t nothing like gooooooood sushi.

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Excited for friends and family in their adventures and endeavors. It’s so cool to see loved ones explore the world, learn, grow, and allow God to work through them.

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So there’s a lot happening in the head and the heart right now. A lot of it is growing pain, I think, which is encouraging and comforting. God is good, always.

I’m sorry if this post seems like a big, negative smash on your Monday, but that’s not my intent. This is just a reminder to myself and to all who read this that we need to support and uplift one another. Joy, beauty, heroism, and love exist, and it starts with you.

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So tell me:

What are your current moods?

Have you ever gone through periods of “meh” eating habits, even if you have a healthy mindset?

What are you thankful for today?

What is the best thing you did this weekend? Mass + dinner and walk with the parents ♥︎

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Fascinating Friday Links #5

This week went by quickly for me! Hopefully you feel the same way, unless you wanted to savor it for whatever reason. This school year as a whole however, is moving as slow as a snail. I got really sad yesterday when I told my friends, “It already feels like the second semester…But it’s not.” Meep. What a downer I am. Even then, I am thoroughly enjoying senior year because I’ve got some great teachers and, of course, my best senior buddies (cheesy cheesiness)!

Also, the fall weather here in New York is just splendid, I must say. I love how people can wear short sleeves or a light sweater and be comfortable either way. My mom did help break out the boots–my favorite kind of footwear. Now I’m just anticipating the colorful foliage, which is kinda one of my favorite parts of living in the northeast.

Anyway, another Friday, another collection of fascinating links for you all to read, drool over, and ponder. 🙂

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Fitness and Health

[Keep the brain sharp] How Physical Fitness May Promote School Success via New York Times

[Great tips] Healthy Eating on a Budget via Cait’s Plate

[This looks like a doozy!] 360 Rep Time Challenge via Purely Twins

[Benefits of steady state and high intensity workouts] Sprints of Steady? via The Fitnessista; 7 Reasons to Do HIIT Training via Purely Twins

[Don’t underestimate walking] The Most Underrated Exercise via It’s Progression

[ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS and fellow high school seniors!] College Student Fitness and Nutrition Guide via Hungry and Fit

Helpful Hints

[Start your day with a filling, nutritious breakfast] Three Ways to Amp Up Breakfast via The Real Life RD

[Tweet tweet] 4 Ways You Can Better Promote Your Posts on Twitter via Jennifer Grayeb

[Because mornings can be rough] 19 Ways to Make Mornings Less Terrible via Thought Catalog

[Some of the best advice for anyone and everyone] Advice for the World via The Lean Green Bean

[I’m still learning] 10 Ways to Build Your Blog as a Brand via Perfection Isn’t Happy

[Whole Foods is even more awesome that I originally thought] Whole Foods Market: An In-Depth Tour via Me and the Mountains

Fall Food Frenzy

[Anything with streusel or crisp has my attention] Apple Streusel Bread via Running to the Kitchen; Apple Crisp Muffins via Iowa Girl Eats; Maple Pecan Streusel Bread via Healthy Food for Living

[Three of my favorite things in a muffin?!] Fig and Goat Cheese Honey Muffins via Running with Spoons

[Totally want to try this] Vanilla Honey Chai Latte via Back to Her Roots

[More fantastic fall flavors {I am on a roll with this “F” alliteration}] Pumpkin Spice Ginger Walnut Muffins via Daily Garnish

[All raw. Not even a fall food, but that’s completely ok.] Banana Ice Cream Sundae with Chocolate Sauce via This Rawsome Vegan Life

To Make Your Heart Swell

[You MUST watch this. The sweetest duet ever.] Tonight You Belong to Me (Cover)–Me and My 4 y.o. via Benjamin J. Ames on Youtube

[Such a beautiful reflection] What Nicaragua Gave Me via The Real Life RD

[I can relate so closely] Dear Body… via The Healthy Maven

[A tear-jerker] A Father Gives His Girls the Best Surprise Before Dying of Terminal Cancer via Viralnova

Happy Friday!

So tell me: Did your week go by quickly? How’s the weather where you live? Which links did you enjoy?