Why Marriage Matters

Last October, on the eve of my second biochemistry test of the semester, I got a phone call from my mom that will forever be burned into my memory; My grandfather on my dad's side was in the hospital and they had discovered four large tumors on his spine. Immediately upon hanging up with her, I burst into tears and did not stop crying until the middle of the afternoon the next day (including all the way through my biochemistry test, which needless to say was not my best). Knowing that this could be one of my last opportunities to ever see my grandpa, I canceled all my weekend plans, threw some clothes and homework together, and departed for Illinois to visit him in the hospital.

That weekend was one of the most difficult weekends of my life. I could barely stay in the room because it was so emotionally taxing and I hated seeing such a strong man, one I cared about so much, confined to a bed and knowing that he was in pain. That being said, I'm so glad I went down there. I know it meant a lot to him, and by Thanksgiving (the next opportunity I had to make the trip), he had declined so rapidly that he couldn't even tell what was going on. The morning after I returned to Minnesota from that Thanksgiving trip, I got the call that he had passed on.

That trip to the hospital in October was the last time I got to see and talk to my grandfather like old times, like I remembered him. Thinking back on it, I'm incredibly grateful that it ended up happening the way it did. I got my chance to say goodbye and to some extent, that gives me a little peace.

But I can't help wondering what would have happened if something different would have happened. What if he had been in a car crash? Or what if I had to work that weekend and couldn't have gone down to see him? What if I never got that chance to see him in the hospital? I would have been devastated knowing I never got the chance to say goodbye and it would have made the process of mourning, one that I'm still going through to some extent today, even more painful and pronounced.

The story of my grandpa's last few months is not something I particularly like talking about as it was a very dark period in my life and it's painful to even bring up. However, I'm sharing it for a reason and that reason is something that is very important to not only me, but to many people in the state of Minnesota.

Hospital visitation rights is one of the many rights afforded to married couples, ensuring that those couples have a better chance of saying goodbye to someone whom they've spent a significant portion of their life with. It also allows a spouse to make crucial decisions about medical care for their spouse, as an accident victim's spouse probably knows more about what their significant other would want than does the emergency medical staff who have never come in contact with this person before.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to deny someone the right to visit their life partner in the hospital, possibly on their deathbed, but there are so many people who do. In November, Minnesotans will go to the polls to vote on a constitutional amendment to permanently ban marriage for same-sex couples. This would leave same-sex couples, who have spent their whole lives together, laughed, cried, and possibly raised children together (Woo hoo for adoption and surrogacy!) unable to be their for the last moment's of their partner's journey on this planet. Permanently.

But hospital visitation rights aren't the only things that same sex couples would be denied. There are hundreds of benefits awarded to married couples that same sex couples wouldn't be allowed to have, or would have to jump through loopholes in order to get them. As a social scientist, I find other unspoken implications of the amendment more worrisome. For example, this amendment sends a message to children who are being raised by same sex parents that there is something wrong with their family or that GLBT youth are somehow different in a negative way. Do you really want to send this message to children? Do you really want to send the message to them that it's okay for them to discriminate against their peers because they're different? Is that really a healthy environment for all children?

I know personally, this amendment has already taken it's toll on me. Hearing all these negative things about how I'm disordered or there's something unnatural about something that I didn't choose has made me quite honestly feel like crap about myself. I'm scared to go out, even in my own neighborhood. And how do you think it feels that people who don't even know me are investing their time and effort to actively write discrimination into the constitution of my home state, a state I've grown up in and worked my damn hardest to make a better place?

This amendment accomplishes nothing, as same sex marriage is already illegal in Minnesota. And really, even bringing it up has just made neighbors turn against each other. Please take the time to think of how you vote impacts real people, and think of all the people, gay and straight, young and old, who will be hurt by this amendment. Take a moment to think of the broader consequences.

This amendment hurts me and if you really care about me, and the many other people in your life who will be negatively affected by this amendment, please vote NO.

This must be it, welcome to the new year

I'm not a fan of making New Year resolutions for two reasons: The first is that I never keep them. Remember that year I resolved to stop swearing? Didn't last a fucking week. The second is related to the first and stems from me being a psychology nerd. Anyone who mentions to me that they're going on one of those d-words that is related to changes in your eating habits in an attempt to loose weight gets a stern lecture about how said d-words don't work and they really should be making lifestyle changes instead. I hate to hit you with the beating stick of reality but you're not going to be able to eat healthy for six months and then go back to eating the processed, sugar pumped, deep fried, greasy shit you did before and be able to keep the weight off. The psychological literature also suggests that people who attempt to diet will ultimately fail when placed in a cognitively taxing situation.

Wow, it sounds like I'm writing a research paper.

Obviously this applies to other areas of life besides just the d-word. This is why instead of making a New Year resolution, I'm making a NEW YEAR LIFE STYLE CHANGE.

Gwen is excited about lifestyle changes.

I realize I'm a bit late to the party but I really wanted to think this one over seeing as, unlike a resolution, this is going to be a permanent change, I wanted to make sure it was just right. Finally, while I was supposed to be meditating during yoga tonight (Whoops!) I thought of something absolutely perfect.

I do this thing where I'll meet someone, we'll be friends for a while, and then they'll mysteriously become really busy, not contact me on their own, and generally, you know, be a lousy friend. Instead of just moving on, I'll keep trying to be their friend. Well, no more! I'M FINALLY GROWING A PAIR.

 

When this happens, I'm going to tell them they're an asshole and send them a flaming bag of poop and then delete them from my life.

No, I'm totally kidding. What I am going to do, however, is stop making an effort with people who don't make one with me. So when one of these yayhoos makes an appearance in my life, instead of desperately clawing at them and showering them with baked goods, trying to make plans with them, and searching for amusing videos of little girls being headbutted in the ovaries by a raging sheep, I'm just going to stop contacting them.

That's not to say I'll IGNORE them. You have to REALLY send me into a raging whirlwind for me to ignore you. If we run into each other, I'll still be like, "OH HEY GURL HOW YOU BE?!" But I'm not going to go out of my way to see them. I'm not going to text them and be like, "Let's hang out!!!" And I'm definitely not going to spend my time looking for ovary hating sheep. If they really want me in their life, they'll put forth some effort. Friendships are a two way street and it's not healthy for one person to put in ALL of the effort. No one ends up happy that way. It took me a long time to realize this and I'm not saying the lifestyle change will be easy. But I think in the end, it'll ultimately be worthwhile.

On a lighter note, I'm starting to figure out my busy concert going schedule for the year. I love going to live shows but unfortunately this little thing called "college" sometimes get in the way. Oh, that and money. Boo. Here's a short selection of what I have planned so far:

Jan. 29th- Los Campesinos!

April 2nd- The Ting Tings
April 7th- First Aid Kit (possibly, assuming someone will go with me)
April 16th- Cults

Coachella?!?! (Dependent on funds and line up)

May 4th- Neon Indian

June 23rd-24th- This mystery festival that's supposedly happening in Minneapolis

July 20th-21st- First Avenue's festival

August 3rd-5th- Lollapalooza, dependent on funds and line up

Now, clearly there's a large gap in there and my calendar is not near as full as I'd like it to be. Hopefully I'll be making that change as the year really gets going and more artists start touring.

If you're excited about an upcoming show, let me know in a comment! And let me know how you're going to be changing your life this new year!

#40ThingsAboutMe Part 1

One of the trending topics on Twitter right now is #40ThingsAboutMe. Twitter limits your posts to 140 characters, however, so it's pretty much impossible to fit 40 facts into a single tweet and tweeting 40 times in a row makes you a real asshole so I've decided to share my 40 facts in blog form. This provides the double benefit of allowing everyone to come back and read it whenever they want. So go ahead, memorize away!

Actually, please don't memorize because that's a little creepy.

Also, due to laziness and lack of ideas for blogs, I'm going to break this into four parts. So here are 10 facts for now. Read and enjoy.

1. I have an irrational fear of getting diabetes. When I was younger, I used to be terrified of sugar because I was completely convinced it would make me diabetic. Obviously I still ate it, I just at it in terror.

2. One time I sang backing vocals on stage with a small group of other people for Jenny Lewis.

3. The band I've seen live the most times is Motion City Soundtrack, followed by Paramore.

4. I have a lot of social anxiety. I have a hard time starting a conversation with someone I don't know well.

5. I'm especially bad at talking to guys, even if I'm not interested in them in a romantic way. I will, without failure, read into everything as a sign that they hate me.

6. If I am interested in you, I show it in weird ways and I become highly terrified of you. More than anything, I probably will become really awkward and subdued when I talk to you.

7. Mushrooms are the bane of my existence. How anyone can actually enjoy them is beyond me.

8. Online shopping will be my downfall. There's something really exciting about clicking purchase and then the anticipation of it coming in the mail... Ohhhhhh yeah!

9. I LOVE science and I share a lot of articles about it on my various social networking accounts. I feel like it annoys a lot of people but I really don't care. Science rules, man.

10. I take lots of naps. Not just 20 minute naps but more like 3 hour naps. If it were for the need to eat, exercise, and go to the bathroom, I'd probably sleep all day.

CARDIO, Y U NO BE MORE EXCITING?!

As I so often seem to start sentences in here, I'm going to start another one with "For those of you who..."

For those of you who don't pay attention, know me at all, or are just mildly mentally challenged, I enjoy fitness and exercising. And by enjoy it, I mean I force myself to do it in the hopes of some day attracting a male... even Jillian Michaels has admitted that she doesn't like to work out (or at least that's what an ad on a website told me). My point is that I'm really into fitness. However, lately I've been really lacking the motivation to do most of my cardio workouts. I don't want to run. Running is so... bleh and repetitive.

So, like any person who lacks a social life off the internet, I'm turning to you, my wonderful blog readers and Twitter randos and randos from Germany (seriously, I keep getting random views on here from Germany) for some advice. What the fuck do I do for cardio that's less dull? Keep in mind that I'm cheap and fairly poor so I don't want to go shoveling out a ton of money for new equipment unless it's gonna get me really ripped.

I'm also open to new forms of non-cardio exercise as well (know a great yoga place that's cheap? LET ME KNOW). Doing the same things over and over gets old fast.

Live fast, die young?

I'd like to start out with some exciting news... I found another purple food!!!! Apparently, one variety of kale is partially purple. Who knew?! Obviously I had to pick up a bunch and now I'm looking for something to do with it because... what the fuck do you do with kale?

Anyway, I read a disturbing article today that the US is WAY behind other developed countries as far as our life expectancies go. I found this a bit shocking because I've always been told that we had one of the highest life expectancies. As I got near the end of the article, it became clear why ours is so low: Obesity (as well as smoking). This leads to today's angry Joey rant.

*clears throat*

GET OFF YOUR LAZY FUCKING ASSES AMERICANS AND STOP EATING SUCH CRAP. Yeah, I know it's a lot more fun to sit around and eat chocolate and ice cream and deep fried shit all day but do you realize what it's doing to your body?! It's disgusting. So suck it the fuck up and MOVE. You can spare half an hour a day for activity. And fuck, you can even take two days off a week and still be fine! And quit bitching about how healthy food tastes like shit. Ever thought that maybe you're not doing it right? DON'T BLAME CARROTS.

What's amazes the fuck out of me is how people still manage to be lard asses even though we have tons of resources for them to loose weight and stay at least relatively healthy. I mean, running is FUCKING FREE. GO DO IT. You can look up yoga videos online FOR FREE. You can get a Jillian Michaels DVD for like $10. You don't need a gym! Just get out there and MOVE. And stop eating at McDonalds. We all know how crappy it is.





This concludes our Joey rant for today. Thank you for your time.

Taste the rainbow

Earlier this evening, I had the pleasure of seeing a wonderful acoustic set by the Head and the Heart. If you haven't heard of this band yet, I pity you. They're so wonderful. Their voices harmonize so perfectly together and you can tell they're genuinely enjoying themselves up on stage. Also, I had a chance to talk to them very quickly afterward and they are incredibly nice.

You can check out a song from them here:



As I was driving home, I thought back to a post I made a few days back with some fitness and health advice for busy people. I realized that I forgot to include a tidbit of nutrition advice that I always try to follow but I guess it's just as well (but I miss your face like hell. [Watch the video if you don't get this]) because it's really great advice for everyone, not just busy people... and it gives me an excuse to share a recipe!

In my other blog, I said that it's a good idea to try to eat a lot of foods that are brightly colored (but not artificially colored!) and this kind of builds on that. I like to call it the "Rainbow Rule" and no, it's not just for gays. In case you didn't imply this from the name, you basically make sure that you get at least one food that's every color of the rainbow somewhere in each of your meals throughout the day. What's the reasoning behind this? It makes sure they you get a variety of nutrients as foods with different colors generally will have different nutritional content. It also encourages you to get foods from a variety of different food groups.

Of course, some of the colors (read: blue and purple) can be difficult to find. Off hand, I think of blueberries for blue and... nothing else. Purple makes me think of eggplant, plums, and grapes. For that reason, I usually combine these two colors into one and if I can get both, great!

That brings me to the recipe I mentioned earlier! A couple friends and I were making dinner the other night and, me being me, I insisted upon it being mostly healthy. My friends took care of making garlic bread, a fruit salad (for dessert... As Marge Simpson once said, "Fruit is nature's candy!"), and an improvised baked pasta while I was in charge of a salad. Obviously, I wanted to pack as many nutrients as I could into the salad. Everyone seemed to enjoy the salad so the next week when I was looking to make a quick, healthy meal for myself, I decided to bust out the salad again, but this time with a slight modification to add yet another color that wasn't included in the original salad. I ended up enjoying it even more the original so I thought I'd share the recipe with you all.

And by share the recipe, I mean I'm going to give it a name and tell you what's in it. I'm going to give you any specifics or measurements or anything because it's a fucking salad. So let's call it Rainbow Salad because it's very colorful. Can everyone agree on that? Good.

So start with a big ass bowl and fill it with some spinach. Notice how I said spinach and not lettuce. Spinach=darker green=more nutrients than lettuce. You'll want about as much spinach as you think will feed however many people you're serving (duuuuuh!) unless you want to have left overs for later (double duuuuuuh!) Use your best estimation skillz.

So yeah, we're off to a great start and we already have green! But we're not going to stop the green there. Oooooh, no. Next up is cucumbers! I usually cut some into circles and then cut them into four pieces after that. I also keep some in thin circles to put on top of the salad at the end.

Next, git yerself sum peppars! Or, in English, get yourself some peppers! More specifically, you'll want red, orange, and yellow peppers. After washing them, cut them into small squares and then toss them into your bowl. Bam! Four colors down. God, isn't this amazing?! I feel like Emeril.

Now comes the really exciting part... AS IF SPINACH ISN'T EXCITING ENOUGH. Are you ready for it?!

BLUEBERRIES.

Holy. Fuck.

Mind blowing, right? Right. So wash yourself some of those deeeeelicious blueberries (I recommend using organic for less exposure to pesticides... Blueberries are on the EWG's Dirty Dozen!). There's blue! Woo! You've got all your colors, more or less! Now you're ready to toss the salad. Soooo... toss the salad. And I mean that in a non-sexual way, you pervert.

But we're not done yet! For an added dash of red, let's add some strawberries, why don't we? I also recommend getting these organic for the same reason. I've also noticed that the organic strawberries at my local grocery store tend to be straight up better quality than the conventional ones. Slice the strawberries into the thin slices and spread them nicely across the top along with any cucumber slices you saved. Awwww, now it looks awesome, too!

If you feel the need for dressing, which I highly recommend against because it's basically empty calories, go with olive oil as a healthy alternative and make sure you only put on a light amount. Trust me, this salad is so flavorful you won't even need dressing!

So there you go. My half assed approach to sharing a recipe. Try it, let me know what you think. Also, if you have any blue or purple foods you can think of, let me know!

I Felt You Drain the Blood

I've noticed that I tend to do, or at least start, most of my blogging late at night. Why this happens is a mystery to me still. Maybe I'm slowly turning into an owl or maybe I need some stronger sleeping pills.

Late Saturday night, however, I had a little too much excitement going on to be blogging. But let me start the story of my weekend at the beginning.

Wednesday, I was at Minnehaha Falls with a couple of friends. We were heading back to our car when my nose suddenly began to bleed. This was unfortunate because no one in my group had tissues and we were still pretty far off from the main pavilion. I held my nose and managed to stop most of the bleeding long enough for me to get back to pavilion, get some tissues, and clean myself up. After it had stop, I pushed it from my mind and thought nothing of it.

Skip ahead to Friday (Friday, Friday, getting down on Friday!). I had a few friends over for the evening and we were hanging out, playing this really awesome game called "What If." Around 1:30, my nose started bleeding again but this time, blood was gushing out. I'm usually pretty impatient when it comes to nosebleeds so instead of applying pressure like you're supposed to, I just shove tissue up there and let it sit for a while until the bleeding stops. I tried doing that but as soon as I got the tissue wad in my nose, the little piece that was sticking out started turning red and then proceeded to drip. This was my first clue that this was not your typical run of the mill nosebleed. I decided I'd give in and apply pressure to it until it stopped. Finally, after half an hour of holding my nose, the bleeding subsided.

I woke up early the next morning (Read: 1 in the afternoon) and went to water my garden. Upon returning inside, my nose again began to drip blood at an alarming rate. It took me another half an hour to get the bleeding to stop but I really didn't care for that evening, I had a date with the lovely Chelsea Handler.

I left my house and went out to dinner before the show and then we arrived at the Target Center. The show was great. Brad, Josh, and Heather from Chelsea Lately all opened for Chelsea and they were each hilarious. Then it came time for Chelsea to come on and I was pumped. This is one of the pictures I managed to take...

...before my nose started gushing blood AGAIN, which goes to show that even fourth row floor tickets can be nosebleed seats. My friend who I went with didn't have any tissues but she very generously took off her top shirt and let me use it to hold my nose... Thanks, Kristen! Was I about to get up and leave to get tissues or seek medical attention? Fuck no. This is Chelsea goddamn Handler we're talking about! Unfortunately, I bled for about 45 minutes... and just as I finally got it to stop, Chelsea's set was over. She was still hilarious, it just sucked having to spend the whole time holding my nose.

As we left the Target Center, I began to feel a little out of it and light headed, like I was in some sort of fog. We made it to our car and I got home alright but I just didn't feel right the whole time. I got inside and I was feeling really weak. I had some salad left over from lunch so I started by eating that (Obviously spinach will cure whatever's wrong with me... right?!). Not feeling any better, I floated over to the couch and collapsed onto it. Like any normal person, I then proceeded to check my Facebook. My friend Brooke happened to be online and I told her what had happened. She offered to take me to the hospital because, let's be honest, all that blood loss had obviously taken its toll on me.

We go to the hospital and I arrive, feeling like a jackass for having to go to the emergency room at midnight on Saturday for a freakin' series of severe nosebleeds. This feeling was further enhanced when I was put in a room next to a guy who was over dosing on some unknown drug. Needless to say, my problem felt like it wasn't that important.

The doctor looked at my nose and then spoke a word I had hoped I'd never hear from a doctor's mouth: Cauterization. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of cauterization, they basically use either chemicals or heat to burn a bleeding blood vessel closed. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!! The doctor grabbed a spray bottle with a long red straw and held my nose back. He then sprayed whatever the fuck was in there up my nose and it felt like tiny little ice shards had penetrated my nasal cavity. My eyes began to water and I was coughing. NOT FUN.

I then find out that that was not, in fact, the actual cauterization but just some numbing spray. Note to medical researchers out there: Find a numbing spray that doesn't hurt. A few minutes later he came back with a silver nitrate stick and the actual cauterization took place. After locating the devious blood vessel that was causing me problems, he took the stick and rubbed it along the inside of my nose. "That's not actually that bad," I said. "I was expec... OH MY GOD MY NOSE IS ON FIRE!!!!" That shit HURTS. Thankfully, there's a solution to the pain of chemical burns... MORE NUMBING NASAL SPRAY!!!!!

They did some blood work and said that everything seemed normal and that I should just go home and rest and I'll be fine. Still feeling light headed and loopy, we returned home. I immediately went to bed and did not wake up until early after noon. I unfortunately still felt like I had smoked some sort of whacky weed so I spent most of the rest of the day sleeping. Finally, after a solid three hour nap, I woke up and felt semi-normal.

Obviously, that was not how I wanted to spend my Saturday but hey, I guess you can't really decide when your body's going to fall apart.

The take home message from this blog is this: Be kind to your nose. Don't do things that may cause it bleed excessively. A good example of an activity to avoid is cocaine usage. That's generally not good for your nostrils, nor the rest of your body for that matter. But also don't pick your nose, stick crayons up there, try using your nose for some type of really weird kinky sex, etc.

Stop Telephoning Me

I finished one of the books on my summer reading list, "Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me"! Yahoo!!! I can't recommend this book enough. It's not quite as good as her previous books, which may be because she didn't actually write most of it, but it's still a hilarious read. One story in particular that stands out is by her assistant about a time when she takes a couple Excedrine from Chelsea's medicine cabinet. I won't say more than that to ruin it for any of you who choose to read it, but trust me, it has a hilarious twist!

Speaking of Chelsea Handler, I'm going to see her on Saturday! I can't wait!! Kristen came over tonight and we started making shirts to wear to the show. We're currently waiting for the front to dry so we can work on the back but they're going to be pretty awesome. Maybe Chelsea will notice them!

On a more serious note, the WHO today announced that it would be classifying cell phone use as possibly carcinogenic. This is kind of a disturbing revelation but it doesn't surprise me in the least because I've been cautious about possible risks from cell phone use for a while now. I'd rather be overly cautious than end up with a brain tumor down the line. There are still so many unknowns about cell phones seeing as they haven't been around for that long and many public health risks take years to show up and it's a bit disturbing how quickly we've changed our whole lifestyle to revolve around this new technology. Also, studies have shown that cell phones are linked to the decline in the bee population as well as have been shown to be able to have sometimes lethal effects on other animals.

Am I advocating that we all get rid of our cell phones? No, not at all. Just be smart about using them. Use speaker phone option when it's possible, text instead of calling, and use a headset to reduce your radiation exposure.

So what am I personally doing? All of the above. I've always hated talking on the phone anyway so it's not like I'm really giving up that much by relying mainly on testing. I also ordered a really cool headset that looks like a classic corded phone that I can plug into my phone for longer phone calls. I'm going to make sure I'm more prudent from now on and keep my phone out of my pocket when not absolutely necessary and not make phone calls in areas with poor reception. I also made sure when I bought my cell phone that it had a low SAR rating, which is a measure of how much radiation your body absorbs when the device is transmitting data. Actually, my phone is one of (if not the) lowest SAR rated phones available currently. (Some bad news for those with smart phones: In general, smart phones have some of the highest SAR ratings)

What am I NOT doing? Freaking out or doing anything drastic like not using my phone all together. I'm cautious to a point but when being cautious becomes TOO much of an interference with normal functioning, I'm not going to go there based on this announcement.

Keep in mind the following two things: First, don't listen to what the cell phone industry is saying about the results of any studies. They obviously hold a huge stake in this as it would be a HUGE blow to them if cell phones are definitively linked to cancer. Also, for those of you who actually read the research, be wary of studies that are even partially funded by the cell phone industries. It's amazing how money can corrupt even something that's supposed to be as unbiased as science and lead to whacky results.

Second, keep in mind that there is not yet a DEFINITIVE link between cell phone use and cancer. There is just evidence that suggests that it may cause cancer so don't panic. The announcement today wasn't based on any new research but instead a review of research that has already been done. Don't run to the doctor or toss your cell phone yet. Again, be prudent. If you'd like more information on what you can do to limit your exposure, visit the Environmental Working Group's page on cell phone safety. They have lots of fantastic tips, ratings on accessories, and you can even look up the SAR rating of your phone to see how much radiation you're exposed to. Stay safe, everyone!

Let's Get Physical

The inspiration behind this post comes from my friend Ashley. Much like myself, in addition to being a student Ashley is extremely involved on campus. Earlier this year, Ashley snagged herself a prestigious position as an orientation leader. For those who don't go to the U of MN, orientation leaders lead students through orientation all summer long and then assist with our welcome week we have for incoming students. It's a HUGE time commitment and, from the sounds of it, you're basically the university's bitch for a couple months.

A few days ago, Ashley wrote a blog about her orientation leadering experience and quite honestly, I almost had an aneurysm from reading about how unhealthy her lifestyle has become. She's not eating right, not sleeping much, and not having time for exercise. As someone who makes his health a top priority, this greatly disturbs me. Because of this, I wanted to share a couple of health/fitness tips for busy people. I know that I sometimes have a hard time fitting in sleep or exercise but I've found that cutting them out only makes things so much worse. I generally feel like a fatass and have a tendency to spiral into a mental breakdown (see also: me during finals week).
Keep in mind that I'm not a doctor but I do have an extreme passion for fitness and health so I spend a lot of time reading up on them and I make sure that all of my sources are basing their claims on empirical evidence and not just pulling it out of their asses.

If you can't find time for a solid workout, break it into 10 minute chunks throughout the day. It's recommended that you get your heart rate up for thirty minutes a day most days a week. Sometimes you just don't have time to devote a solid thirty minutes to exercise. If this is the case, break it up into 10 minute chunks. The key there is make sure you're moving for at least 10 minutes because any less and exercise really isn't as effective as it could be. Of course, if you can squeeze in a full 30 minutes that's still preferable. Personally, I generally will do 40 minutes right when I wake up to get myself energized but sometimes I'll break it into a 10 minute and 20 minute chunk if I'm really busy.

Make sleeping a priority. Ashley describes in her blog that her mood has been affected by her spotty sleep patterns and I am not surprised at all. There are numerous studies showing that lack of sleep, for lack of a better term, fucks you up. You should ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS make sure you get enough sleep. Studies have shown, too, that college students who get more sleep actually perform better than those who don't. As a psychology major, this makes complete sense because it allows for your brain to recover and make more neural connections. From a weight loss/health perspective, sleep is extremely important in maintaining a healthy weight. When you sleep, you burn a TON of calories and all the hormones in your body get back in sync. Not getting enough sleep can, and probably, will lead to weight gain. Now what do you do if you have little time for sleep? Nap. Not a long one but take a 20 minute nap and you'll feel surprisingly refreshed. I suggest against taking a nap much longer because research tends to show that that can leave you feeling groggy or mess up your sleeping cycle.

Don't think you can escape getting the full amount of sleep you need each night. Everyone needs a different amount of sleep. Some people need significantly less and others may need up to 10 hours to wake feeling refreshed. However, for most adults, it averages around 8 hours (this number changes with age). If you don't get this amount, you'll be fine for a day or two but your body will develop a sleep debt and you'll have to get that sleep at another time or have it take a toll on your mental and physical functioning. Again, try taking naps. Otherwise, there are resources on the internet that can teach you how to alter your sleeping schedule so you need less sleep and the sleep you get is more effective. However, I am not sure what the scientific literature says about the safety or effectiveness of these drastic lifestyle changes (yes, they're drastic!) so I do not in anyway endorse them and urge you to use caution if you decide to test them out.

Incidental movements are your BFF. I'm sure you're like, "What the fuck is an incidental movement? Is it like a spasm?" No, it's not a spasm. It's a term for non-exercise movements that you happen to do throughout the day such as walking across the room, brushing your teeth, shaking your legs, or walking up and down stairs. While each individual action might not burn that many calories, they add up. That's why finding ways to add more movements, even if they're little, can greatly benefit you. That being said, don't expect to get ripped via this method. They'll help stave off fat and are a great addition to an exercise regime, but they're no replacement for actual exercise.

Combine activities. I used to do this when one of my psychology classes offered online lectures. I'd download the recordings and listen to them while I ran or did yoga. This way, I was both getting exercising and studying done at the same time. If there's any way you can do something while exercising, do it! Bring your reading with you to the gym and do it on the treadmill. Be creative!

Eat foods that are nutrient dense. Calories are not a bad thing. In fact, you need to get a certain amount of calories per day just to maintain basic functions  (For an estimate, multiply your body weight by 10. If you weigh 140, you need 1400 calories before your body starts using muscle tissue for energy). Of course, the more activity in your day the more calories you need. The key is to make sure that each calorie you intake is accompanied by as many nutrients as possible. Finding foods like this is actually a lot easier than it may seem. Look for (non-artificially colored) foods with bright colors. For example, spinach is more nutrient dense than iceberg lettuce so making a salad with spinach instead of lettuce is a great way to improve your diet. You'll feel better and by taking a few extra moments to think about your meal choices, you'll be healthier and feel better.

There's a lot more I could share but I think this is a good start for most of you. Start slow and stay committed! Your life will be so much better by just taking a little bit of time for yourself each day to remain healthy.

If you have any tips you'd like to share, feel free to post them in the comments! I'd love to hear what works for you!

2011 Resolutions

I've decided that rather than coming up with any specific resolutions for 2011, I'm just going to resolve to take better care of my health. We only have one chance and one body and I want to take care of mine. I'm going to start by continuing my switch to using all natural and/or organic bath products. I'm going to continue this by also trying to eat more organic and natural foods when possible. I need to get back in the habit of exercising as well. I saw this every year but I'd really like to get in decent shape. I did a good job of regularly exercising most of last year but I've severely slacked. Time to pick that up.

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy new year. It's going to be a good one!