Food does matter! (WEEK 2)

Before I divulge my progress thus far, I wanted to share a film I think everyone might enjoy. I viewed an excellent documentary last week entitled, "Food Matters" which provided me with excellent information regarding the importance of a healthy diet. It re-emphasized the saying, "you are what you eat" and experts from the field of nutrition provided nutritional facts that unfortunately are not common knowledge. I encourage everyone to watch it, because I guarantee you will learn something new...I did!

Since my last post, I have have been wholeheartedly active in achieving my goal, which I am very proud of! Usually after class I grab a quick bite to eat with friends, which can be problematic because after class I'm famished and I'm almost always craving a big (unhealthy) meal. My typical meal of choice would be a sandwich with french fries, chicken fingers, pasta...see a running theme here?? However, since I started this blog I can honestly say that I have been choosing the healthier option which includes plenty of fruits and veggies. For example, last week I ate out twice with friends and opted for salads on the menu with balsamic dressing. Bonus points for me for choosing a healthy dressing considering my favorite is ranch!

What is the reason for my sudden change of heart? My motivation to change stems from my desire to be healthy and to have more energy throughout the day. The day to day grind involves a lot of stress stemming from work, school, etc. Often times I find myself physically exhausted and drained of energy. I believe this lack of energy is due to my diet, which in the past has been lacking in fruit and veggies but abundant in carbs and calories. I think that it's time to take responsibility and instead of complaining about being tired all the time, I'm going to do something to change that! Incorporating fruits and veggies into my diet hasn't been that difficult so far and although it might be too early to tell, I'm hoping that this diet makeover will provide me with more energy to tackle the day...wish me luck!

Welcome to the Veggie Chronicles (WEEK 1)

As a current graduate student, making sure I eat right is often difficult to prioritize in my day-to-day routine. Considering I have a cupboard full of snacks and an empty vegetable/fruit drawer in the fridge, I thought it would be beneficial to me to limit my snacking and incorporate fruits and vegetables in my daily diet. I've also realized after a recent trip to the grocery store that I usually purchase the same items: frozen foods, unhealthy granola bars and a variety of chips and snacking items. In order to improve my nutritional habits, I have decided to create a nutritional goal for myself that I will try to achieve during this academic semester. My overall goal is to eliminate the unhealthy snacks I eat from my diet (i.e. chips, cookies, etc.) and incorporate at least 4-6 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Each week I will be providing an update of my successes and possible missteps (hopefully there won't be many of those). In order to help myself along the way, I will commit to creating a list of healthy foods to buy when I visit the grocery store so that I don't purchase and consume unhealthy snacks. I will also look into recipes in which I can find versatile ways to incorporate fruits and veggies into my diet. Wish me luck on my journey to creating a healthier and more nutritious version of myself!!