I NEED ICE CREAM, STAT!!!

Hello! How is everyone? Good? Great? Grand?

Perfect! Let's jump right into things this beautiful Wednesday afternoon, shall we?

Emotional Eating. 

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Blech. 

To say I've been stressed out lately might be the understatement of the year. In the past 2 weeks, I have gotten my bike stolen, lost my wallet, and destroyed my Macbook - all while trying to prepare for multiple friends' weddings, write a maid of honor speech and find an apartment to move into in less than 3 weeks. AHHH!

Before my ankle surgery, my solution to any kind of stress I've dealt with was to throw on my running shoes and hit the pavement for a good 7 or 8 mile run.... double digits once the weekend came. But since that is obviously not in the cards this summer, I found myself resorting to the next best thing - food.

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It took about 2 weeks and a minor panic attack due to yet another pair of clothing not fitting, to realize what I had been doing.... emotional eating.

"I'm so stressed out, I need a cookie."

"Happy hour drink? Please. My week has been a nightmare."

"My water bottle leaked all over my computer, I need ice cream STAT." 

With two impending weddings and just wanting to feel better about myself, I sat down and took a couple of minutes to assess the situation and address the following questions - what can I do differently and how can I change the situation. 

The solution was simple - don't buy the junk that promotes emotional eating. That bag of dark chocolate that you think you can have one morsel and stop after dinner. That bag of sweet potato Pop Chips that let's face it, can be downed in one sitting.... don't buy them. If they're there, they will be eaten. If they're not there, you can't eat them!

Some other things that can help when you've hit your max and all you want is a gallon of ice cream:

• Call up a friend and chat. 
• Ask yourself why you're eating. Are you hungry? Are you bored? Are you going to feel any better after chugging that milkshake?
• Go for a run or a walk.
• Read a chapter in a good book. 
• Write in a journal. 
• Keep a food journal. 

I found the below picture on Pinterest. It's a pretty decent flow chart on what to do when you feel like you need something. 

Now I know all this is a lot easier said than done. But next when you feel like you just need that cookie, or you deserve that self-serve frozen yogurt, take a minute and ask yourself why you're eating it. 

Emotional eating happens to the best of us. 

Don't let it control you. 

Stay Healthy, 

Friday Fun

Hey guys!

There seems to be A LOT going on in the wonderful city of Columbus this weekend:

• Capital City Half Marathon (and quarter and 5k)
• Cinco de Mayo
• Short North Gallery Hop
• Columbus Clippers baseball in town
• The President of the USA visiting Ohio State on Saturday

Anyone partaking in any of the above events? I'm curious to see how this whole half marathon race and Obama's appearance pan out. I wonder if there has ever been a road race that includes running through metal detectors... just a thought. 

So in light of all the fun stuff going on, I wanted to switch gears for a moment and do a fun, light-hearted post to kick things off. I think a lot of people who are trying to lose weight, eat healthier and exercise more sometimes get too wrapped up and uptight about everything. Eating healthy should be a lifestyle, not a prison sentence. With that being said, here are some fun things/photos I'd like to share with everyone. 

The Onion.

This was a big deal in mine and my roommate's summer last year. Each morning we would wake up to see noteworthy, overnight growth. We might have even discussed taking the story to the local news at one point we were that amazed. We suspected we had an alien onion, however a less than amused response from my roommate's mom proved otherwise. 

What can I say, it's the little things in life that amuse us!

My Best Follower and My Worst Critic.

My little sister, Kelsey, is a regular reader huge, die-hard fan of Everyday Eating. However, she is also a die-hard fan of calling me out certain things said on the blog. Drinking whole milk and only having 1 adult beverage on St. Patrick's Day are just the beginning of her bratty little sister comments. (haha, kidding). So in effort to prove her wrong, I decided to document some evidence. Remember my post on new ideas for dates - The Dating World? Well, here ya go:

Me and my perfect grip at the driving range. 

Healthiest Appetizer Option at Happy Hour:

Health-IER Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Last Thursday my sister and her two friends drove over from Athens for a concert at Nationwide arena (Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert). Me, being the overachiever and people pleaser that I am, wanted to have a little something for the girls once they arrived at my apartment. Since I'm all about finding ways to make things a little less bad for you, I whipped up some chocolate chip cookies, using some yogurt in lieu of eggs and some of the butter. I found a recipe online that I used, with a few modifications due to lack of supplies:

•  preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake cookies for 8-10 minutes  

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Chobani Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

The good thing about these guys is they taste great... the girls said they were, and I quote - "phenomenal" without even knowing they were a bit healthi-fied.

Well, that's all the fun things I have for now. I could go on forever, but that would mean less reasons for ya'll to come back.

Everyone have an awesome, safe and fun weekend.
Make the best out of every situation.

Stay Healthy,

Heart Healthy Start

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Happy Valentine's Day!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Valentine's Day has a reputation for sweets, chocolate and more sweets. 

And while I'm all for receiving boxes of chocolates (hint, hint) here is an awesome way to start off your V-Day with a heart healthy bang... and yes, chocolate is involved. 

Valentine's Day Strawberry Banana Oatmeal

In the Mix...

• 1/3 cup vanilla soy milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 banana, chopped
• 4 strawberries, chopped
• cinnamon to taste 

On Top...

• 1 tbsp almond butter
• sprinkle of kashi cereal (just for some added crunch)
• Valentine's Day special toppings

I throw my oatmeal, liquids and chopped banana in the saucepan all at once and let it all cook together. This gives the oatmeal a natural sweet taste from the banana without having to add any extra sugar, and also gives it it a creamy texture. 

Okay, now that I have you all wishing you had this for breakfast, here are the heart healthy benefits of this lovely little Valentine's Day treat I enjoyed this morning:

• Oatmeal. Full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear. 
• Strawberries. Full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. 
• Soy. May lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it's still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet. 
• Almonds. Help lower cholesterol. They pack more fiber and calcium than any other nut, are lower-cal than most other varieties, and are an excellent source of vitamin E.
• **Dark Chocolate. The cocoa ingredient may lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels while preventing diabetes and improving the health of blood vessels.
• Cinnamon. Cinnamon may help stabilize blood sugar by helping insulin work better. 

Oh! And what would breakfast be without an ***appropriate amount of coffee!

I have to give thanks to my mom for my 2011 Valentine's Day mug. Hi Mom!

The caffeine in coffee can speed up metabolism and fat-burning, which helps lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity. And black coffee is one of the lowest-calorie drink choices around.

I'll cheers to that!

Hope everyone has a good, healthy and fun Valentine's Day!

Stay Healthy,

• **Dark Chocolate. As much as I would LOVE to say eat as much dark chocolate as you want to, I can't. Chocolate should be consumed in moderation and infrequently. The little Dove heart seen in my oatmeal above is plenty for the day. Proceed with caution....

• ***Coffee. Limit your intake to 2 cups a day. People with high blood pressure, who are sensitive to caffeine or have high anxiety might want to consider skipping the morning cup of joe. 

blog content taken from health.com