I Am Not Stopping Here

                Happy March and welcome back to Amy On the Go. I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading my blog so far and have had positive takeaways from my previous posts. Starting my blog during the winter season was quite difficult. But ultimately it was necessary to begin implementing change to my eating habits now, to make it easier to apply to the spring season of this year and beyond. My whole goal with my blog was not only to create beneficial improvements towards my college diet, but also educate others on the importance of healthy eating for a longer and happier lifestyle. As you may recall my blog began with one of my mother’s key teachings about the importance of having breakfast every morning. Then proceeded onto replacing my daily coffee drink with green tea, to including the necessary fruit and vegetable servings in my everyday meals. My first three included important food practices I wanted to grow accustom to, but my last post was more on the ways in which I can execute my plans to becoming habits of mine. I used an article inspired by health coach Chelsea Hunter that spoke about the importance of self-discipline and educating ourselves on the best options for our bodies. Overall I learned that it is ultimately up to me to decide what I will put in my body, the food I will keep in my dorm, and most importantly how I’ll satisfy my cravings healthily.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/49891508345563622/

            Now that I’ve learned fundamental tips regarding making the best food decisions within my college campus I felt the need to also apply them to the outside world as well. Yes many people attend college for four years, six years or more, but there are always the options of eating out. After practicing breakfast options and disciplining myself to treat my body the best that I can, I wanted to test my knowledge in a different setting. Seeing how difficult making the good decisions was even in a limited setting, I would make it my goal to prove that it was possible with a larger range of options as well. So now the question becomes; where do you go if you get tired of eating in your school or work cafeteria?

            First, I had to do research. Figuring out what restaurant options were around campus and preferably within walking distance would be my first step. I live in Dunne residence hall on the corner of Market and Lafayette Street. My best options include walking left on Market Street toward The Alameda making my way down the street. After I figured out the general location of the restaurant options I sought, figuring out meal options and cravings was the next step. The options down The Alameda include Wicked Chicken, Taco Bell, Subway, Round Table Pizza, Chalateco’s Latin Food, Wrap This Mediterranean Food, Ike’s Sandwiches, and Ramen Taka. But the problem with these choices, well at least for me were none of them meeting my meal options, nor satisfying my cravings. In searching for options that better suited my cravings my friend and I decided on Bill’s Café on the corner of The Alameda and Newhall Street.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymondyue/5838552896/

            On Saturday February 28^th, my friend Alex and I longed for a tasty brunch option that would be within walking distance of our residence hall. Being from the area she highly recommended Bill’s Café just about three blocks away from the previous restaurants just initially down The Alameda. Enjoying the sunny 75-degree weather we happily walked to Bill’s. Bill’s Café is a family friendly restaurant, known for daytime dining that includes an extensive breakfast as well as lunch menu. They are known for serving breakfast all day for those customers wishing to sleep in a little during the weekend. Their hours of service are from 7:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. This is not only a great option for college students on a budget, but for anyone looking to spend no more than five dollars to about thirteen dollars on a full meal. In addition, as mentioned on their website, their menu includes a variety of options ranging from Greek Lemon soup to Chilaquiles and the Chorizo Scramble.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33020-d1057188-Reviews-Bill_s_Cafe_on_the_Alameda-San_Jose_California.html

            An option like Bill’s Café is exactly what I was looking for that morning. We waited no more than twenty-five minutes to get seated and were immediately attended once we got to our table. I ordered a fresh orange juice with the Jalisco Scramble. The dish included eggs scrambled with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, pork carnitas, black beans, and freshly made salsa. I can barely find the right words to describe how delicious this plate really was. Not only did it completely satisfy my cravings for a breakfast with protein and vegetable options, but the walk to the actual restaurant were all beneficial to getting me started on my morning. Seeing as breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day, I would highly recommend going to Bill’s on occasion and try eating out of your normal setting to explore new food options. I cannot wait to go back another weekend to try one of their famous omelettes or maybe even their Belgian waffle options. I can feel my mouth salivating just thinking about a strawberries and cream waffle.

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bills-caf%C3%A9-san-jose-9?menu-item=jalisco-scramble&select=jiYqQsh4VZ-n6oO-nuqVTg#jiYqQsh4VZ-n6oO-nuqVTg

http://www.medclient.com/2012/01/15/fda-to-test-imported-orange-juice-for-fungicide/

            The next day I definitely slept in more than I should have and decided to explore some lunch options. Coming to Santa Clara University I would say one of the number one spots to look into is Ike’s Sandwiches just about a block or so away from campus. I could not wait to try a brand new sandwich. Ike’s is a restaurant that was found in 2007 by a man named Ike Shehadeh. His goal was to make every customer feel special and unique knowing their bread was baked fresh to order with ingredients delicately placed to perfection. Santa Clara’s Ike’s includes over seventy options of sandwiches varying from about nine to fifteen dollars depending on how many extra ingredients you include. Although it is a bit pricey for a sandwich I would say it’s completely worth it. The cooks take their time making every single sandwich and you could even see them make your sandwich behind the counter.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahljay/6264881453/

            Every time I go to Ike’s I feel this sense of contentment with the way my sandwich will be made and how happy I know I will be after I eat it. I am sure everything on the menu is incredibly delicious, but I would have to say that my ultimate favorite is Mrs. Robinson. The sandwich includes buffalo wing sauce, fried chicken, provolone cheese, ranch, lettuce, tomatoes, and any additional ingredient that one wishes to include. Even though I should be getting healthier options, last weekend this was the option that would much rather satisfy my craving than any other sandwich. Like health coach Chelsea Hunter mentioned in her way to eat healthy in college, “eat high quality junk food.” Therefore when considering cravings one must also consider quantity and portion sizes as well. Ike’s is known to have fresh ingredients and a preparation process that is seen before our eyes. Even though getting your order may take a few minutes longer than a Subway or Quiznos Subs, knowing how your food is being made and with what ingredients makes eating your meal a more fulfilling and carefree process.

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ikes-love-and-sandwiches-santa-clara-2#jym4L7lYhDbW68B0yhx_GQ

            All in all I could only say that my breakfast at Bill’s Café and lunch at Ike’s last weekend was delicious. I not only enjoyed my meals but felt completely satisfied with what I ate. Exploring my surroundings and eating outside of campus was a nice change. Getting out of my usual routine forced me to work harder to prove to myself my capability of making the best options for my diet on my own. Slowly but surely I can definitely see myself improving in the way I eat, and the quality of the food I am choosing to eat. Using my new knowledge from our class as well as my blog research I know how hard it is to pay attention to every single thing we are eating. But that is what makes every single meal worth it; knowing that what you are eating won’t affect your overall health or make you feel sick because you put in that extra effort to find the best options for yourself. I propose to all my readers to continue on this journey to improvement in our diets and caring more for our bodies to the best of our abilities. It is our responsibility to respect every aspect of ourselves and make sure we are all doing our best to life happy and healthy lives. Will you join me on my mission to continue my efforts in living a well-balanced life?

Please comment about your experiences if any at either Bill’s Café or Ike’s. What did you eat? What are your favorite places to dine out around campus?

Works Cited

"Our Story." Ike's Place. Castro Merchants, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. <http://ilikeikes

place.com/story>.

"Welcome." Bill's Cafe. Bill's Cafe, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. <http://billscafe.com/about-

            bills-cafe/>.

If There Is a Will, There Is a Way

                Hello everyone and welcome back to Amy On the Go. As many college students approach the end of their winter quarters like myself, it's a good time to reflect on choices from the previous quarters that could use some improvement. Not only does the cold winter weather cause feelings of sluggishness, but I know I tend to slack off on choosing the most nutritious meal options for myself. When it’s cold outside I tend to get tired; the weather makes me want to stay in instead of go outside or to the gym to workout. But lets be honest the things I just mentioned are all excuses, excuses that many use during difficult seasonal changes or just during busy times in college. With my goal to seek more healthful ways to live my college life, I decided to read through some articles on ways to eat well in college. Some of the main tips aren’t just useful for college students, but for people always on the go, or individuals with busy schedules and responsibilities to attend to, or just readers looking to live healthier lives. I hope you all can find useful or at least connect to, some of the tips in the article. I would still like to remind you that not every piece of advice will be useful to everyone, but I highly recommend keeping these ideas in mind if you truly wish to improve some habits.

http://www.healthydietadvisor.com/why-should-i-start-eating-healthy/

            The article that stood out to me the most was, “10 Easy Ways to Eat Healthy in College,” by Elizabeth Kiefer from Teen Vogue magazine. Teen Vogue like Vogue magazine focuses on the latest fashion trends, celebrity news, and general lifestyle tips for teenage girls. Growing up, I subscribed to the magazine and enjoyed reading about some of my favorite celebrities and ways I could practice healthy habits. Although I recognize that not everyone would want to read from a magazine targeting teenage girls, the information delivered by author Elizabeth Kiefer is centered on advice given by health coach Chelsea Hunter. Author Elizabeth Kiefer has been an online features editor for Teen Vogue for over eight months now. She is also currently a writer, editor, and content strategist for other major news sources like Refinery29, Marie Claire, and BUST  magazine. She’s young, she’s fun, and she has a great amount of experience writing. Since her time at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Columbia College Chicago she gained plenty of experience interning with different magazines and even ABC news. Blogging about fashion and marketing different brands also fill up her resume.

http://www.polyvore.com/teen_vogue_collage/set?id=85784097

              With all this in mind it becomes much easier to understand her approach to the topic of eating healthily in college. Accompanied with research, her article follows health coach Chelsea Hunter from Atlanta who works on figuring out the best tips and tricks to a healthy lifestyle. Hunter’s past includes being a professional dancer and athlete, therefore it was easy for me to understand how maintaining the best shape is something she always keeps in mind. She now works as a fitness, nutrition, and wellness entrepreneur and personal trainer in the Los Angeles area. Her main goal is to help educate her clients and all individuals on ways to make their lifestyles easier and better for their health.

http://www.wellnessbuddha.com/

http://newhorizonhealthandwellness.com/services/diet-nutrition

              The online article begins with a sub topic that suggests that, “Just because [one] live[s] in a dorm doesn’t mean that [one has] to give up on good food.” Not only does Kiefer, alongside Hunter’s knowledge, inform readers that college makes choosing the right food difficult, but she says that college is a crucial time in developing habits that will follow us throughout our lifetime. Hopefully those habits are good patterns that when practiced early will make it easier to continue in the future. Published in early spring of 2014, the article really portrays their information in a very liberal and unbiased way. The context of the whole piece focuses on the idea of college and ways in which choosing the best food for our bodies can be easier. But after reading the article the advice given can be taken by anyone that wants to develop better eating habits for themselves. The 10 tips are listed below:

1.     Stock up on healthy staples

2.     Always take the fruit

3.     Eat high-quality junk

4.     Think of the dining hall as a classroom

5.     Listen to your body

6.     Experiment with what you’re eating

7.     Order in

8.     Find your food confidence

9.     And find food-spiration

10.  Establish a routine

                 Wow, was I expecting something else. Like any major changes that I’ve had to begin in my life, establishing healthy eating patterns in college does not sound easy. But the number one recommendation that I see as key to success on this area is self-motivation and inspiration to want change for oneself. This change starts with me, and with the information that was portrayed throughout the article I felt that it really connected with the mission of my entire blog. If change was to come within my dietary patterns in college, everything would have to start with my own initiation towards improvement.

                  The major claims of the article are choosing the best options within our limitations in college. It is important for me to go out of my way and go to my local grocery store or even the Cellar in downstairs Benson and purchase fruits and vegetables to keep in my refrigerator, or buy items with long shelf life. Then in dining halls we have to make the choice to eat our daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and when we do crave some sort of junk food, we have to make sure its an option with higher quality ingredients. Being able to make the smartest choices also comes down to education and knowing what options are out there. I have to know what SCU offers in order to make the best decision. But it is also crucial to listen to my body, be willing to try new things, and sometimes even order the food we are craving. In addition to educating ourselves in making the best choices, it is also important to trust that we can take care of ourselves. For example if I trust that I know what food I like, what I want to eat, I find so called, “food-spiration” that will then make it much easier to establish my own routine. I will know when certain dining places are open on campus and depending on where I am or how my schedule looks I will get my fruit, but also a wholesome meal choices. Once I figure out what I want I have to go after it and get creative with my meals. When things are fun, they seem easy and in no time I will have established a routine for my days as a college student.

http://healthlivingyoga.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/good-health-tips.jpg

                  Even though Teen Vogue does target teenage girls, the article’s main purpose is to educate all readers on the few steps in beginning to make the best decisions for ourselves. In no shape or form is the tone aggressive, but I will say that when I read it, the way it was written was as if it were something that is very easy to accomplish. Eating the necessary fruit servings, trusting myself to know the food I want, and having some kind of routine in place are some of the few things I’ve already begun to practice in my previous blog post. I see a direct correlation in the goals I have for my readers and the goals that can come with whomever decides to take a look at this article.

               Although there was no direct evidence showing these steps work, there are many people that have worked with health coach Chelsea Hunter and have seen life-changing results. Being connected with the work I’m accomplishing within the blog I feel the need to express that I am a testimony to this pieces’ advice. My posts serve as evidence to the importance of fruit servings, routine, dining hall options, and the importance of knowing the right things our bodies need. I am convinced from that the 10 ways work with the author’s argument, although I do not agree with the sense of simplicity just because it’s taken me a whole month to accomplish less than half of the ten tips. Additionally, like I mentioned before these things may not work with every individual and their personal needs, just the way my blog may not resonate with everyone’s college experience. But the presentation of the piece and the way the author goes into details of how to begin to execute the tips is really useful in the way it is laid out. I appreciate the way the author writes because you seen the ten ways all bolded in a slightly bigger font, and right underneath it an explanation with details of ways of carrying out the points they are bringing up.

https://colombod2.wordpress.com/tag/quotes/

              I really enjoyed Kiefer’s piece because I saw it as a validation to my entire goal for Amy On the Go. My practices from my previous posts have not been easy, but with time having breakfast, drinking less coffee, and trying to include more servings of fruits and vegetables becomes easier. The patterns I’m establishing now will definitely help me in the future and will only become easier with becoming accustomed to ways that will form into beneficial habits for myself. Lastly I hope to continue my future posts with incorporations of more of my mother’s advice with some of Chelsea Hunter’s tips of the execution process. I will list a piece of advice from my mother, but then read about example of ways to asking the process easier with the article. I hope you all enjoyed reading about my experience with Elizabeth Kiefer’s, “10 Easy Ways to Eat Healthy in College.” Even if its not right now, I hope you all can take at least one connection you may have had with the piece that can somehow be incorporated in your daily routine. Try having more fruits and vegetables at home, bringing them with you in your bag even if you don’t want them, and listening to what your body wants you to eat. All these points added together will bring the results that healthy and happy individuals want for themselves. Please comment and give examples of ways some of these things may or may not have worked in your life. I hope we can find ways to include these helpful tips already in your daily routine and maybe even come up with our own that I can publish later for others to also become inspired.

https://colombod2.wordpress.com/tag/quotes/

Work Cited

Kiefer, Elizabeth. "10 Easy Ways to Eat Healthy in College (It's Possible, We Promise!)." Teen

Vogue. Condé Nast Digital, Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2015. <http://www.teenvogue.com/

my-life/health/2014-03/healthy-college-eating>.

A Bite of Freshness and Nutrition

            Welcome back to Amy On The Go. I hope everyone’s long weekend was filled with delicious food and plenty of rest. Since my last two posts I have tried to continue my commitment to eating breakfast and replacing coffee with green tea. Trust me, it is not as easy as it sounds to break old habits. So far, my breakfast streak has been on and off in eating full meals. But what I have learned to do is grab a granola bar, fruit, or even a smoothie when I might not have that much time on my hands. If any of you have other easy, nourishing options please comment or email me; I’m all ears. On the other hand replacing coffee with other morning drinks has not been that difficult for me. I’ve tried going to bed earlier so I don’t have to depend on caffeine waking me up, or I’ll just have tea throughout the day to keep me going.  I hope that my effective results have inspired or maybe just gotten some of you thinking on ways to improve negative dietary habits.

            This weekend I was able to go home to Los Angeles and actually have my mom disciplining what I ate. I know it doesn’t sound like fun, but I honestly prefer to have her narrow my options rather than having to make up my mind all on my own. I couldn’t wait to arrive Saturday morning and have a delicious home cooked meal at my favorite chair in our round, glass kitchen table, with the smell of cinnamon candles my mother always keeps in our kitchen. As luck would have it, this was not the case at all. I woke up Saturday morning to chills, heat flashes, a sore throat, and cough. To make this morning even worse, my flight got delayed by half an hour, preventing me from getting home as soon as possible. Nature seemed to be against me that morning.

http://brothatech.com/lax-airport-tech/

            I finally arrived around 11:07 a.m. and going through the front door of my house, I felt this unexplainable awe that automatically made feel at peace. All I wanted to do was sleep. My body ached even more than it did in the morning and I expected a lesson from my mother with the way I looked. She obviously hugged me and told me she missed me, but then questioned my illness. She asked why it seemed that I was getting sick every other week. “Are you not taking care of yourself? Are you not sleeping enough, showering too late, or not washing your hands enough? Have you been eating all your fruits and vegetables?” As she overwhelmed me with questions, I knew most of the answers I would give wouldn’t be good enough for her. Even though I spent the whole three days at home sick, one of her questions really stood out to me. Was I getting my full amount of fruits and vegetables? My answer was obviously no.

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/children-are-still-not-eating-enough-vegetables-but-heres-a-solution

According to the center for Disease Control and Prevention an eighteen-year-old female like myself that does more than sixty minutes of physical activity a day should eat about two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables. The websites states that, “Your age, sex, and activity level determine how many calories you need each day, and your calorie needs determine how many fruits and vegetables you should eat” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In other words, fruit and vegetable servings vary for individuals. Below is the link for the website that includes a fruit and vegetable serving calculator where you can input your age, sex, and amount of physical activity to see how many cups you should be eating.

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/fruitsvegetables/howmany.html           

            Once you figure out how much fruits’ and vegetables’ you should be eating the question is why comply with these calculations. According to the “Choose My Plate” website sponsored by the USDA, eating the right amount of fruits and vegetables provides many health benefits. Both help reduce risk of some chronic diseases, maintain a healthy body, and can even serve to reduce calorie intake.  Many people don’t realize how fruits’ and vegetables’ nutritional advantages really aid with health related problems, and the prevention of many illnesses. I knew that I was definitely not getting my two to three cups of fruits and vegetables here at Santa Clara. Obviously all those patterns needed to change if I wanted to build a strong immune system that would fight back against all the germs that were roaming around campus. It was true I was getting sick too often for me to even count, and we all know being physically sick away from home is not fun at all. Ok, so I need fruit in my system. The question is how do I begin including that in my diet without having to carry around a bag filled with fruits and vegetables. Here are some ideas I will try to continue practicing from this weekend to develop a better immune system during college.

http://www.hellawella.com/why-a-juice-cleanse-is-a-waste-of-your-time-and-money/6495

First option is to go to my nearest grocery store and buy actual fruits and vegetables. Both can be eaten raw and taste delicious. My mother always keeps fresh grapes, oranges, bananas, raspberries, carrots, celery, and broccoli at home for us to eat as snacks. But I don’t have all of this in my room. So I sought out the Safeway that’s across the street and a couple blocks from my residential hall. I purchased three bananas, two organic apples, and two oranges. These three are easy fruits that easily fill me up in the morning accompanied with another snack for breakfast or maybe just a snack throughout the day. The banana will be approximately 200 calories, includes protein, about 28 grams of sugar and both vitamin A and C, iron, and calcium. Apples are about 65 calories; include 13 grams of sugar, both vitamin A and C, iron, calcium, but no protein. Then oranges have about 85 calories with 17 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein, vitamin A, a lot of vitamin C, calcium, and iron. All these fruits as well as others can be great options, but the amount of fruit and getting the correct number of cups is crucial for my daily intake.

http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/safeway/melbourne

            Not having an actual kitchen in one’s dorm can make it difficult to keep some of things from going bad. Another way of getting one’s daily servings is smoothies. Not only do Mission Bakery, The Sunstream café, Cadence Cyber café, and even the Bronco’s Fresco make fruit/vegetable smoothies, but you could also ask them to make them with just water to get more natural taste. Some of my favorite smoothies include Straw-Nana (strawberries, bananas, frozen yogurt, apple juice), Super Sunshine (orange juice, mango, bananas, frozen yogurt), and Tropical Vacation (Pineapple syrup, coconut syrup, mango, and frozen yogurt). Although they all may sound delicious, they don’t all include the best fruit options. Each drink can be customized and made into healthier options when ordered. Each probably contains maybe half the servings of fruit one should have and ranges from 300 to 600 calories. When considering options like smoothies taking into consideration the huge servings of sugar is critical to not exceed the amount of daily sugar intake.

http://smoothieideas.com/2013/03/what-is-a-smoothie/

            Having fruit options is important, but not forgetting about one’s vegetables is also crucial. Vegetables can also be bought and eaten raw the way many fruits are. Some of my most popular picks include carrots, broccoli, and celery. The three options include significant amounts of Vitamin A and C, calcium, and iron. Each vegetable is known for different health benefits. Such as carrots helping eyesight and broccoli helping reduce cholesterol. Like fruit, it is up to the consumer to what they choose to eat. It may become difficult to eat veggies at times so I’ve suggested a few ways that getting one’s daily dose of veggies will be easier and fun. Try eating your vegetables with ranch, humus, or maybe even lime and salt. When on the go and looking for an easy snack, vegetables are always a wholesome option. Then if you want to include your vegetables during a full meal sautéing them are always a delicious option.

http://www.cakechooser.com/vegetable-platter/

            Getting creative with what you eat may be hard, but doing so makes it easier to eat the healthy choices. It is important to become educated on all the different food groups and the benefits of including each of them in our diets. From our daily servings of fruits to the necessary greens, every serving counts in avoiding many health risks. I hope you all takeaway at least one advantage from eating delicious, all natural, fresh fruits and vegetables because not only are they filled with nutrients, but every bite leaves me wanting more. Try mixing up some meals with fresh produce here and there and I know you won’t regret it. Please stop by and comment on the fruits and vegetables you tried or made recipes for and I’ll be glad to share them on my next post.

http://recreation.gmu.edu/2013/02/february-love/

Works Cited

"Food Groups." Choose My Plate. United States Department of Agriculture, 2015. Web. 17 Feb.

2015. <http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/>.

"Results and Recommendations." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. USA

Government, 28 June 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/

fruitsvegetables/results/women.html?age=18&gender=female&activity=active&folder=U

SCDC_466&email=>.