Walnuts: Winning

My Turtle Doves –

Holy cannoli it’s almost Christmas! The time has been flying; mostly thanks to me having to study for exams and do projects and other educational stuff, but I’ll take it. I officially finished my first semester of grad school on Friday!!! It was definitely a difficult learning curve, but I think I’m getting a handle on it.

How has everyone been?

I don’t know about you guys, but I have NOT been eating as awesomely as I would like the last two weeks (thanks, school), and I’ve been seriously slacking on my juice intake. Soooo this winter break will hopefully get me back on track. I feel gross, even though in the grand scheme of things I haven’t really been that bad, just bad for me.

Which leads to me to the point of this post… walnuts! One of my top favorite nuts, and they happen to be amazeballs for you. Cue fun facts:

** NOTE: You can potentially gain all the below mentioned benefits from walnuts by eating just one ounce of walnuts a day, that’s only about seven shelled walnuts. **

1. Cancer-Fighting Properties. Supposedly, they help reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer and (in mice) have even slowed the growth of prostate tumors.
2. Heart Health. Thanks to l-arginine (amino acid), walnuts have a multitude of vascular benefits to people with heart disease or an increased risk. Walnuts also contain ALA – an omega-3 fat – that has anti-inflammatory properties and can help prevent blood clots. They also support healthy cholesterol levels.
3. Powerful Antioxidants. Antioxidants, as I have mentioned before, help fight free-radicals in your body, which are bad guys. Walnuts have some antioxidants that aren’t commonly found in most foods, so start cracking!
4. Weight Control. According to studies, snacking on these bad boys can help maintain ideal weight over time; they also increase the feeling of satiety.
5. Improved Reproductive Health in Men. Male fertility bonus points via improved sperm quality and a bunch of other fun things like vitality, motility and morphology.
6. Brain Health. Have you ever noticed that walnuts even look like a brain? That actually means something, for they do support brain health. They contain a solid amount of neuroprotective compounds (Vitamin E, Folate, Melatonin, Omega-3 Fats to name a few).
7. Diabetes. A huge issue in today’s day and age, sadly. However, walnuts can improve metabolic parameters in people with Type 2 diabetes – that’s the “adult onset” one mostly associated with obesity/overweight issues that can actually be prevented or delayed with a healthy lifestyle.

Did You Know? Walnuts belong to the tree nut family, along with Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, and pistachios. Each has its own unique nutritional profile.

ALSO, when you eat walnuts… keep the skin! That is the outermost layer when shelled and is usually flaky or whitish. They may be bitter, but it’s one of the healthiest parts to consume and contains a boat load of the awesome antioxidants. Also, aim for organic and non-GMO if you can.

Okay… I’m going to go be lazy and maybe productive. Stay awesome, friends.

 

 

Mental Strength

Dudes and Dudettes –

I came across an article a while back about building up mental toughness. The holiday season can sometimes be stressful, so I figured now was as good a time as any to share the wealth. Happy humpday, you’ve got this!

Be a mental boss with….

1. Emotional stability
2. Perspective
3. Readiness for change
4. Detachment (focus on what you can control)
5. Strength under stress
6. Preparation for challenges
7. Focus
8. The right attitude toward setbacks
9. Self-validation
10. Patience
11. Control
12. Acceptance
13. Endurance in the face of failure
14. Unwavering positive outlook
15. Contentment
16. Tenacity
17. A strong inner compass
18. Uncompromising standards

Remember my turtle does, becoming a mentally strong person takes practice and mindfulness, so don’t be discouraged if changes don’t occur overnight. Identify your bad habits, learn from and replace them with good ones. You are all awesome and should treat yourself accordingly.

“Prime” 2016 Destinations

Fellow Travel Bugs,

I just booked a trip to Tucson, Arizona!!! I’m super excited (I’ve never been to AZ before) AND I will be going during Winter Break in January, so I’ll escape some of the brutal New England cold *hopefully*. Plus there are rocks, rocks and more rocks for me to climb. Eeeee.

If anyone has any Arizona recommendations, even if it’s outside of Tucson, please let me know! I always appreciate the advice and feedback.

I use this website called student universe where they give you discounted tickets if you’re a student or faculty member. They also send me the occasional email, and one that I received recently was cool, so I figured I would pass it along. They claimed 7 prime destinations for 2016 with reasonable travel price tags, and they are as follows:

• Reykjavik, Iceland. Cue Northern Lights, hot springs and geothermal beaches
• Hong Kong, China
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Kyoto, Japan
• Venice, Italy
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Queenstown, New Zealand

… okay, so who’s coming with me?!? But really.

 

Norway Photo Skills

Hi Friends.

Happy Mondayyyy! I’m currently at the office rocking out to the Bloody Beetroots featuring Steve Aoki and Martin Garrix (hence the amped up level). Hopefully everyone’s weekend was good – I did some Holiday shopping at local bazaars, picked out a Christmas tree, attended a department Christmas party and saw a Led Zeppelin cover band (whose lead singer was female..?) amongst other things. Is anyone else feeling a bit weird about this weather? I didn’t even wear a coat while adventuring around Wickford Village on Saturday. Hello, December???

Anyway. Here are eight Norwegian photographers that Time recommended; they’re pretty darn cool, so you should check them out. Also, click here to see the pictures. Number 19 is pretty wild.

Les Artistes:
Jonas Bendiksen
Mathilde Pettersen
Anne-Stine Johnsbraten
Knut Egil Wang
Margaret M. De Lange
Terje Abusdal
Tomm W. Christiansen
Ivar Kvaal

Sorry folks, but that’s all I can afford for right now. Finals are creeping ever closer and I have oodles of work on top of that. Godspeed! xoxo

How Dogs Do It

Hey Baby Loves,

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving 🙂 I ate lots of tasty food, spent time with family and drank copious amounts of wine and champagne because well… why not? Antioxidants, yo. There was an underlying hint of sadness to the holiday for me [though I hate to say it]; mostly because my boyfriend and I broke up the week prior so it was my first holiday sans partner. We were together for 5 years, so suddenly not seeing or talking to my best friend has been difficult, but life continues. I’m trying to stay distracted so if anyone has any advice, I’d love to hear it.

That’s all I’m going to say on that depressing subject SO to lighten the mood… these pointers are derived from this article which focuses on 10 Things We Can Learn From Our Dogs That Will Make Us Happier and Healthier Humans. Being an avid dog lover, it’s extra fabulous. Anyway, here they are:

1. Live in the moment. Each day is new and singular with great possibilities untainted by the lens of past experiences; take it as they come. Don’t dwell on past disappointments and don’t fret over the future, good or bad. This moment is all any of us has for sure.

2. Forgive. Don’t analyze why people did what they did, don’t harp on understanding it. Simply forgive you. The past is gone and time is precious. Every day matters.

3. Reward yourself with treats once in a while. It’s OK. Treats are good! Treats are part of being in the moment, showing love and appreciation to yourself and those around you. Treats can be small and include time spent together away from the complicated busy-ness of the world.

4. Take good care of yourself. Take naps, clean yourself, get exercise, get pampered, get regular checkups, take walks in nature and enjoy life without guilt. Make time each day for basic care so you are vital and ready for challenges and opportunities. Be the best you and be happy.

5. Attitude is everything (and body language and tone of voice matter). We’re here together now and that’s what matters.

6. Walk in nature. You’ll feel better, notice the natural beauty and let the stress of the day go.

7. Hugs matter (and kisses even if you have dog breath). Touch matters. I want to sit next to you and lie next to you and look you in the eyes so you will know how much I love you because I can’t put it into words, so I will show you.

8. Know your real needs. We don’t need a lot of stuff. Remember that.

9. Take time for the simple things (like laying on the furniture together). It doesn’t matter that I don’t like the Real Housewives of anywhere but I’m lying next to you and you’re happy. That’s enough.

10. Love is the only thing that really matters. If you are breathing, it’s a good day. Neither of us is perfect and it doesn’t matter. Real love sees no flaws. You will love me regardless to the end of my days. And I will do the same for you as long as I can and after.

Stay fabulous. Woof.