Ballin' on a Budget

Pizza.

Ramen Noodles.

Doughnuts.

Fries.

The items listed above are both a blessing and a curse. They are both a moment of pleasure and a feeling regret. But most often, they are difficult for a penny-pinching college student to avoid.

After a concert, a game, or any weekend night after celebrating with friends, you can find a very large amount of students congregating at one of many fast-food restaurants on campus. The late night binges are just not restricted for weekends though... Any good study session consists of a dozen delectable Crispy Creme doughnuts or a Papa John's pizza.

Not only are these foods alluring enough with their taste, but the price is what really keeps us coming back... even during hours when a perfectly healthy meal can be purchased or made. Specifically for college students, who are typically on a budget, inexperienced in the kitchen, and often have busy schedules, it seems sensible to consume a meal that offers absolutely no nutritional value and that will cost hours at the gym to work off.

There is no question that the freshman fifteen exists... I have experienced it personally. But what people  don't talk about is the sophomore twenty, and the junior twenty-five that happens if you do not change the freshman habits of visiting Cook-out on Thursday, Friday, Saturday... and Sunday. (Yes I am speaking from experience).

Here is how...

Don't get me wrong, there is not a special medication that cures the deep desire for a crunch wrap supreme, but there are a few substations that can save you from the senior thirty...

Concern: I do not want the freshman fifteen, but I also have to survive on my minimum wage paycheck.

Suggestion: Get creative.

I fit under many of the categories that I previously listed... Inexperienced in the kitchen, on a budget, and often on-the-go. It is hard to even find a place that their food doesn't make me automatically feel 800 lbs after consuming. But there is one that fits the criteria for not directly causing me to gain the senior thirty... Chipotle. Now if you are not familiar, Chipotle is a Mexican Grill that prides itself on their natural tendencies. They have plentiful amounts of vegetables and fresh meat selection. My go-to meal consists of the following: Lettuce and (Brown) rice bowl, black beans, grilled peppers and onions, and double double pico de gallo. The best part about Chipotle is not just their fresh and healthy ingredients, but you are allowed to put as much pico de gallo, rice and beans on your order. This results in a finished product that is much more than just one meal. I have gotten three meals out of my to-go order. Now, my final price for my concoction is always $6.83. That price is hard to compete with other fast food selections, but when you make that $6.83 into two or three meals, that is worth it. Also, it is a meal that is just as good a few hours later (when refrigerated). I often eat half of my bowl for dinner and save the other half when I am craving Taco Bell nachos at 2am.

It is the little things that count and substituting a healthy Chipotle selection for a McDonalds burger will help the waist line and will not break the bank!

Hold the bun... and the fun

Bread. 

Pasta.

Beer.

The items listed above are all excluded from the diets of individuals with celiac disease.

But how can one possibly live without the decadent taste of an insomnia cookie, and the mouth-watering piece of Papa Johns pizza? 

Let me tell you how...

I am one of the lucky (sarcasm) few who are allergic to the substance, gluten. Gluten resides in almost any packaged or processed food, which seems like just about anything. This can be an extremely difficult diet for someone to abide by, especially a penny-pinching college student like myself. What many people do not know is that there are many ways that living a gluten-free life can be easy, delicious, and healthy. 

Luckily for us with allergies, cutting gluten out of the daily diets of American’s has become a fad. This has resulted in many companies and restaurants coming out with abundant amounts of gluten-free items. Sometimes they are just hard to find.

Concern: Gluten-free life is inconvenient.

Suggestions:

1.     Eating out: Domino's, Mellow Mushroom, Jimmy John's, Noodles and Company, Olive Garden, PF Changs… These restaurants are just few of many that I have enjoyed delicious gluten-free options. My personal favorites are the pad thai from Noodles and company, and the “umwich” from Jimmy John’s.

2.    Eating in: Betty Crocker, Annies, Pillsbury, Chex, Bisquick… These brands can be commonly found in any grocery store. These brands are few of many that are offering gluten-free variations of their usual recipes. The Betty Crocker vanilla (gluten-free) cake mix and Pillsbury (gluten-free) chocolate chip cookies are a personal favorite.

As you can see, living a gluten-free life can be very attainable. Luckily you no longer can only shop at expensive specialty markets and restaurants!

Green, Lean, Cancer-Fighting Machine

Kale.

Carrots.

Spinach.

Apples.

Cinnamon.

The most unlikely combination of the ingredients listed above can create a healing and reenergizing concoction. 

The latest "green juice/smoothie" craze has left many individuals curious about what juicing can offer. It is often over looked and automatically labeled as a fad, which carries a negative connotation. But after hearing the success stories, I decided to do some of my own research, to see what the hype was all about.

I had seen on multiple occasions a "juice cleanse," which appeared to be some sort of a fast. Many examples I have seen are 1-5 day segments where an individual cannot eat any solid food. They simply drink a juice drink or a smoothie in place of their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is supposed to "restart the metabolism." 

While this cleanse appears to be a little extreme for my taste, I decided to try a smoothie/juice without the whole solid food fasting part... And I was very pleased with the results! Many of the recipes are surprisingly delicious, and they are extremely nutrient-dense. It is an easy way to incorporate vegetables into a diet without much preparation at all.

The main reason I decided to look into juice and smoothie recipes is because of the benefits they have on individuals going through chemotherapy. My Aunt had her first treatment this week, and she expressed how tired and "sick" her body felt. Before we began, my other Aunt came up with the perfect recipe for her to drink every day of her treatment! 

This week I would like to share with you the recipe she is using!

Concern: Lack of nutrients, lack of energy, nausea 

Suggestion: Green juice

My Aunt has been drinking her green juice every morning and she said it has been working wonders! The juice offers abundant amounts of vitamins that boosts the immune system. During chemotherapy, it is very important to keep the immune system strong, so the juice is a great natural way to do so!

3 apples

1 (full size) carrot

1 stick of celery

Half a cucumber

Spinach (1 handful)

Ice (1 cup)

Kale (1 handful)

Pinch of cinnamon 

Lime juice (1 lime)

I have also found great recipes on this website!

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9904/10-cancer-fighting-juice-smoothie-recipes.html

The Eye (Lashes) of The Beholder

Hair loss.

Vomiting.

Loss of eyelashes.

Lack of energy.

The symptoms listed above are just few of many that are to be expected for a woman battling cancer.

After all of these symptoms and side effects, what is left for a woman to feel feminine? What is left for a woman to feel confident and beautiful?

Last month, my Aunt was diagnosed with stage three, breast and lymphatic cancer. She is expected to receive a double lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation within the next few months. She is not just my Aunt, but my God Mother, my source of happiness, and one of my very best friends. From living together during high school, I received a front row seat watching her overcome more than one individual should ever endure in a lifetime. Her perseverance, optimism, humor, and love for life has gotten me through my hardest days.  So it became my mission to help get her through hers.

            After coming home to see her for my spring break, there were many concerns that she disclosed. This included her fear for the unpredictable future, as well as the heinous side effects that come along. I am not a doctor, or a nurse, so there are many aspects of her road to recovery in which I am undereducated. But there was one conversation we had that I felt I could provide assistance. She expressed to me that she wanted someone to “make her pretty” when she was going through chemotherapy and radiation. This was absurd to me, because she is always drop-dead beautiful in my eyes. As she talked about how she would lose her eyelashes, she would lose her hair, and how she would be drained of her energy, I began to understand how this could easily strip a woman of her self-confidence.

My mother and I began to seek assistance to how we could help her with her request in anyway that we could. So far I have found a few promising suggestions that my Aunt will be using as steps to becoming a healthy, strong, and confident cancer survivor.

My focus for this week is my aunt’s favorite asset, her eyelashes.

Concern: Loss of eyelashes

Suggestion: Latisse

 There is a product called Latisse that is a topical prescription for hypotrichosis, which means “inadequate or not enough lashes.” One of my friends had previously used this product when she went on the acne medicine, Accutane. She raved about the product, saying that it gave her even better and more beautiful lashes than before. I then researched online to see if it was safe and effective for women going through chemotherapy. After looking on informational websites, blogs, and the actual Latisse website, the general consensus for many women was that Latisse prevented them from ever fully losing their eyelashes at all. Recent studies, and consulting with her doctor have proved that the product does not interfere with her treatment. We have already bought my Aunt a bottle of Latisse, and we are excited to see her beautiful and full lashes!