Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

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My Water Woes
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My Water Woes

I’m sure we’ve all heard that we need to drink eight glasses of water a day. Many celebrities boast that their camel like habits gives them great skin and trim waistlines. And doctors say that drinking water can reduce hunger, help us be more productive, and helps with digestion. All great reasons to drink eight glasses of water a day right?
So last week, I decided to keep count of how much water I consume each day. I usually only drink water at work, I rarely buy juice or soda, and have more water again in the evenings with my workouts. I was sure I drank at least eight glasses, if not more. I placed a check mark on my post-it each time another glass was consumed. On my first day of recording, I had only drunk three glasses! I had a glass in the morning with breakfast, another with lunch, and another during my afternoon break. I didn’t have any at home. So the next day, I tried to pay attention, and keep my water bottle filled at all times. I still only drank five glasses that day. I was shocked- I thought my water consumption was much higher. In order to start reaching eight glasses a day, I filled my water bottle right when I came to work, before I even started my computer. Each time my glass became empty, I would fill it again. I also started cutting back on my soda consumption, because I would substitute them with water. It became a game to me, making sure I could check off each glass each day. Now, I am much more aware of much water I drink. I challenge you to try to get to eight glasses a day as well. Start by seeing what you consume in an average day, and find ways to add in more. That may mean cutting back on your coffee drinks or sugary juices, but will only benefit you in other places. Good luck!

February 21, 2011
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New Chip Love: Pita
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New Chip Love: Pita

I have an unhealthy obsession with Doritos. Or really, any kind of chip. But once I started buying two family size bags of Doritos a week, I knew I had a problem. I tried to cut out chips completely, but that wasn’t satisfying me. So instead, I decided to try a healthier chip. I found Stacy’s Naked Pita Chips in the healthy food aisle at my grocery store, and decided to give them a try. I bought them to go along with the spinach dip that I had also bought, but I found that I liked these bare chips by themselves as well. Stacy’s carries a line of pita and bagel chips, all that can be eaten plain or with dips and salsas. I went to Stacy’s website and found their philosophy, which boasts about their natural pita chips and offering a basic, uncluttered snack that still tastes delicious. The chips are thicker and crunchier than most chips, and I find myself not mindlessly munching on them like I would with Doritos. I eat a handful, and then I feel that my crunch and salt craving has passed. Since I started buying the pita chips, my Doritos consumption has plummeted. There are many different flavors offered by Stacy’s and I would recommend you to give them a try. The pita chips and spinach dip have become a big hit at my work potlucks!

February 19, 2011
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Double Delicious Cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld
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Double Delicious Cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld

I am no culinary genius. Not by a long shot. When I am looking for a recipe (which isn’t often) I’m googling “fast, easy, few ingredients” in the search engine. My life is extremely hectic and I don’t have a lot of time to spend grocery shopping and cooking meals. When I received the new cookbook from Jessica Seinfeld called Double Delicious! I promised myself to try at least two recipes. The front of the cookbook claimed simple recipes for complicated lives, and healthy recipes on top of that. I try my best to incorporate healthy whenever I can- whole grain noodles here, reduced fat butter there- so I thought this cookbook could possibly turn into my best friend.
No luck. I can’t even find one recipe that I would cook. They all have at least ten ingredients, which to me, is frightening. The steps are complicated, and there weren’t a lot of recipes that I was excited about attempting to make. Plus, many of them needed a vegetable puree. Do you know how long it takes to make a vegetable puree? I did after I looked it up. These recipes are not simple. I didn’t attempt making any of them so I’m not sure on the taste of any of the dishes. But if you are looking for a cookbook with fast and simple recipes, I would not add Double Delicious! to your list.
Rating: 3

February 8, 2011
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Why Are We So Fat?
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Why Are We So Fat?

A headline from Yahoo! Heath caught my attention: “Why are American’s so fat?” Well, why are we? According to this article, written by David Zinczenko, it’s because we are consuming far more calories than we need. And I agree with that. Each time I open my Shape or Women’s Health magazine, I am learning about consuming too many calories and how to cut them down. I even started using a calorie counting website to help me figure out what exactly I was putting in my body.
According Zinczenko’s research, the food we eat is often filled with extra calories, especially in mass produced foods. Sure, that can help make the food taste better, but it’s only bad news for your pant size- and your health. Zinczenko helps uncover which foods contain more calories than necessary, and where to find healthier options of the same food.
One example is a new favorite food of mine. I recently tried guacamole and fell in love at first bite. I thought the guac was healthy for me (it comes from avocados after all) but that’s not always the case. The truth about premade guacamole dip is that it often times lacks a punch of real avocados. When you see the word “dip” after guacamole, you can assume that is contains less than 2 percent avocado, and is instead filled with chemicals and fillers. So where can you find real guacamole dip? Zinczenko suggests Wholly Guacamole to buy in stores, or making it yourself. Avocados are filled with fiber and mono-saturated fats (good for your heart) and can be easily made from home. Scoop out the flesh of two avocados, combine with two cloves of minced garlic, a bit of minced onion, the juice of one lemon, chopped cilantro, one medium chopped tomato, and a pinch of salt.
Be sure to check out the full article filled with more foods that could be upping your calorie intake!
Source: David Zinczenko, Yahoo! Heatth

January 17, 2011
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Mari Winsor Pilates for Pink DVD
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Mari Winsor Pilates for Pink DVD

I was looking to add a new Pilates DVD to my workout collection, and I have found the best results with Shape DVD’s. I found the Mari Winsor Pilates for Pink DVD, which included a pink exercise band and donated $1 from my purchase to breast cancer research. There are three separate sections, and you have the option to do them separately, or all together for a fifty minute workout. There are sections on upper body, lower body, and abs. I thought the workouts were okay. They were less challenging then other Mari Winsor workouts I have tried, and I got a little bored through some of the sections. They feature basically all of the regular Pilates stretches, but they were more difficult with the added resistance of the band. I think having the band included makes the DVD worth it, and if you are a beginner to Pilates, I would suggest picking this one up.

January 16, 2011
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Health Tests Women Need
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Health Tests Women Need

I read an article from Fitness Magazine that was titled “Eight Medical Tests Every Woman Needs,” and knew I needed to pass the information along. Not only is it important for women to know what tests they need, but they should know how often they need it and why. The writer, Donna Fennessy, did a great job at breaking down the eight different tests. Here are three that she touched on, and be sure to read the entire article yourself.
TEST: Pap Smear
WHO TO SEE: Gynecologist
WHY: Collecting cells from the cervix during a pelvic exam is the best way to tell if your cervix is healthy — cell changes can lead to cervical cancer.
HOW OFTEN: Starting at age 21, most women need to be screened every other year or less, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Once you turn 30 — and you’ve had three consecutive negative tests and no abnormal history — you can get it done once every three years.

TEST: Skin Cancer Screening
WHO TO SEE: Dermatologist
WHY: She can ID weirdly shaped moles or other growths that might be cancerous or precancerous.
HOW OFTEN: Get new or changed growths assessed ASAP. If you’re a current or recovering tanning-bed or sun lover, are fair or dotted with moles or freckles or have a family history of skin cancer, see the derm twice a year. If not, go annually.
FAST FACT: Derms are better at diagnosing melanomas than primary-care docs, finds a recent study. The result of better screening? Higher survival rates.

TEST: Cholesterol Panel
WHO TO SEE: Your GP
WHY: High cholesterol means higher risk for heart disease. You want total cholesterol under 200 mg/dL; LDL (bad cholesterol) under 100 mg/dL; HDL (good stuff) 60 mg/dL or more; and triglycerides under 150 mg/dL.
HOW OFTEN: At least once every five years, starting at age 20.

January 9, 2011
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Household Hazards: Candles
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Household Hazards: Candles

Recently, I have developed an obsession with candles. I have a candle on the stove, on the kitchen table, on the countertops, and in the bedroom. I love lighting one each night and smelling the cinnamon or lavender or whatever scent I have chosen, spread through the house. But after reading an article in October’s edition of Women’s Health magazine, I might need to consider pulling back on my candle lighting.
Women’s Health published an article titled ‘Beat Bad Air Days’ and it featured common household items that can pollute the air inside your house. Candles were number one on the list. Turns out, “paraffin candles emit chemicals that are linked to liver damage, neurological problems, and leukemia (page 76). Say what? Even more- the black soot that is released each time you light that wick, could be damaging your lungs and heart tissue.
So do I throw all my candles away and go for the plastic candles with LED lights to achieve that cozy ambiance? That was one suggestion from Women’s Health, but another was buying soy candles. Soy candles burn at a slower rate and emit less soot than the regular paraffin counterparts. I now have soy candles on my shopping list, and you may want to consider going the healthy-air route too!
Information from: Women’s Health Magazine, October 2010 Edition, by Katherine Bowers/page 76.

December 22, 2010
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My Reward for Working Out
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My Reward for Working Out

I love checklists. From grocery lists, shopping lists, daily to-do lists, I make them all. I love checking items off my list so much, that sometimes I add an item that I’ve already completed to a list, just so I can have the satisfaction of checking it off. A little overboard, perhaps, but my checklists help me accomplish my goals.
One list in particular has been on my mind lately, and this is my workout list. Each month I make my new workout list, dividing the month into four weeks. Week One is my warm-up week, the week with the least amount of activities. Weeks Two and Three are the hard weeks, the ones where I really have to push myself to get each workout complete. And the Fourth week is my cool-down week, not quite as simple as Week One, but definitely easier than weeks Two and Three. I alternate between going to the gym, completing workout videos at home, and doing my trusty workouts I tear out of magazines such as SHAPE or WOMENS HEALTH.
I have been doing this workout list for about a year now, and I love it. My neurosis for checklists comes in handy here, because I want to be able to check those workouts off. If I instead had no list and just told myself I’ll work out when I can, I know I wouldn’t be as motivated to get myself to the gym. But lately, I’ve noticed myself slacking off. I make excuses: the cold weather, boyfriend is hogging the TV playing Xbox, Dancing With the Stars is on…whatever it may be. I wasn’t completing my weeks in time, therefore I wasn’t able to check off those workouts. I needed a new plan, a way to motivate myself even further to always have time for my workout routines.
I’ve read in a million different places that rewarding yourself is a great way to keep up with a diet or workout plan. Don’t drink a soda all week- get that hot fudge sundae you’ve been craving. Complete all your workouts on time- get that hot fudge sundae you’ve been craving. My problem with this solution- if I want a hot fudge sundae, I will go out and buy myself one. I’ve never been good at limiting what I eat, especially if it involves ice cream. Or chips. Or candy. Anyways, you get my point. So what would motivate me?
Money! Everyone loves money. This is my new plan: Take $20 out of my checking account at the start of each month. Five dollars represents each week. If I complete a week on time, that five dollars can go back in my wallet. If I fail to complete my week on time, that five dollars will go into my darling pink piggy bank with all my loose change, not to be seen again until the bank is full and I go cash in (usually take around 9-12 months to fill). Now technically, this is a win/win for me. I win, I get my money back. I lose, I put my money into savings, which is a good thing. But I have a difficult time putting my hard earned dough into a savings account, I want to keep it in my greedy wallet. So in order for me not to lose five dollars a week or twenty dollars a month to Miss Pink Piggy, I will have to keep up on my workouts, and keep crossing them off my list. I just started this new plan last week, and I’m happy to say I finished in time and the five bucks went back in my wallet 
Does anyone else have a workout plan? How do you keep yourself motivated to get your sweat on? I would love to hear anyone’s suggestions!

December 2, 2010
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Indulging vs. OVERindulging
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Indulging vs. OVERindulging

Indulging. Over indulging. What is the difference between the two? I know that I have been lucky to never really struggle with my weight, I have good genes and the motivation to work out to thank for that, but I am trying to be more aware of my diet now that I am getting older. My metabolism is bound to be slowed one of these days, so I try to be conscious of what I eat. I hate hearing celebrities and models say they never eat chocolate. Fried foods. A bag of Skittles. I mean seriously, where is the fun if all you ever eat is grilled chicken and lettuce and wash it down with some green smoothie? Over half of my social outings consist of meeting in a restaurant, trying out new desserts or the loaded nachos. Is there really no other way to achieve a tight bod unless we throw all the foods we love out the window?
I wasn’t buying it. Not only do my taste buds clash tremendously with healthy foods, I have a sweet tooth, plain and simple. Mix that in with the fact that I can’t cook, and eating out becomes a staple in my life. So could I really get myself to eat better with all these obstacles in my way?
I have posted before on how I switched up my diet recently, drinking fruit smoothies for breakfast and replacing Kit-Kats with yogurt. But I found that the more I forced myself not to eat the things I love, the more I desperately craved for them. I needed to find a balance, a way that I could enjoy the best of both worlds with starving myself, or finding myself bingeing on unhealthy foods because I missed them so much.
The answer came one day when a co-worker brought it donuts for breakfast. I flew to the conference center and grabbed the biggest sprinkle donut, preparing to demolish the thing in five minutes. I took my first and closed my eyes with happiness, a donut over my strawberry-banana smoothie tasted a thousand times better. I took another bite, glaring at the bottle on my desk filled with my smoothie. It glared back. A third bite, and I stopped. What if I only ate half the donut, then drank my smoothie? I would still be able to indulge my sweet tooth, but not over indulge on a sugary breakfast.
And viola, the solution to quit over indulging stared me in the face. It’s okay to continue eating the things I wanted to eat, as long as I wasn’t going overboard. All things are good moderation, and I believe this includes sweets. Instead of banning myself from that bag of Skittles, I will eat a handful, then put the bag back in my desk. When hunger strikes again, I will get out my yogurt, instead of reaching for more Skittles. It’s not easy all the time, nothing really ever is, but I feel that with consciously being aware over indulging, the less likely I am to do it. So next time you reach for that piece of cake, ask yourself: are you indulging, or over-indulging?

November 9, 2010
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