a healthy balance

I’m so bad at this game…My brother got +108,000...

Sat, 26 May 2012 19:36:00 -0700

I’m so bad at this game…My brother got +108,000 points and the high score today was 2.8 million! My cousin wears a poke-ball pedometer and we took about 6500 steps in 3-4 hours around Disneyland lol. I also ran in a treadmill for 8 pace miles today! I’ve never ran that long on a treadmill before…Watched some Tron (Quorra), Avatar Korra, and Zorro (the governor takes Zorro’s baby!!!) while treading.

I’m glad I decided to go I my cousin’s high school...

Fri, 25 May 2012 01:20:23 -0700

I’m glad I decided to go I my cousin’s high school graduation! It feels good to have a big group of family greet you =)

There’s this ridiculous slide in my neighborhood that is...

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:56:33 -0700

There’s this ridiculous slide in my neighborhood that is NOT safe for kids to play on…watch me scream my head off all the way down. I thought I was going to fly off after the bump lol…don’t do this in a dress. Can’t believe I didn’t get hurt.

thanks :). Hey! Did you see any bears at Yosemite? I went camping at Yosemite and my friends said they saw bears, but apparently I missed all of them...

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:44:25 -0700

NO I didn’t get to see a bear either! I think one of them came through our campsite though:

I also saw fresh bear poop on the way to Mirror Lake…but I won’t post those photos lol. I was sad I didn’t get to experience a bear encounter because they make for great stories =)

Morning Everyone! This week, I’ve been having Almond...

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:27:20 -0700

Morning Everyone!

This week, I’ve been having Almond Breeze’s Chocolate Almond Milk as part of my breakfast. I’ve been looking for low-calorie, no-added-sugar version of chocolate milk for a while so I’m glad I found this. It’s refreshing with just the right amount of cocoa to make you forget about any chocolate cravings! At just 45 calories a cup with 45% of your DVR of Calcium, it can easily be part of your daily diet.

Some ideas for use:

Add to cereal for more flavor.
Mocha Latte
Chocolate Banana “ice cream”

Is it safe to leave the mask on your nose over night ?

Wed, 23 May 2012 11:49:00 -0700

I wouldn’t leave it on my ENTIRE face (only on small problem areas) for more than 15 minutes because it’s drying and can absorb the moisture from your face. But it seems to help suck out stubborn blackheads that don’t even come out with nosestrips overnight.

SAFETY wise, the ingredients in the mask are Water, Kaolin*, Bentonite*, Glycerin, Zinc Oxide, Propylene Glycol, Sulfur*, Chromium Oxide Greens, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance**, Methylparaben.

* are natural clays that have been used for 100s of years and are non-allergic.

**are fragrance chemicals which can cause people with sensitive skin to react.

My guess is that if you have sensitive skin, you should not leave it the mask on longer than 15 minutes.

I found a way to get rid of blackheads! I was so excited with...

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:22:09 -0700

I found a way to get rid of blackheads! I was so excited with the results that I had to share :D

Cover your problem area (for me, it’s my nose) with Queen Helene Mint Julep masque. It should be thick, opaque layer.
Let it dry and sleep with it overnight.
Rinse away masque in the morning.

I’ve never tried this before, but I woke up with noticeably clearer skin! Some of it rubbed off on my pillow, but the masque doesn’t stain. I’m definitely trying this again.

The sales people at Costco were feeding my mom sorbet and...

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:39:00 -0700

The sales people at Costco were feeding my mom sorbet and smoothie samples and she came home with a new Vitamix 5200…lol well I’m actually excited to try making soups and green smoothies with it! It comes with a cool recipe book too. So, is this going to be life changing…?

Great for summer! There’s not that many high SPF lip balms...

Tue, 22 May 2012 19:51:27 -0700

Great for summer! There’s not that many high SPF lip balms out there, so I’m glad I found Banana Boat’s for $1.99.

I caved…I got the new Nike yoga mat I saw at TJ Maxx!...

Tue, 22 May 2012 14:24:00 -0700

I caved…I got the new Nike yoga mat I saw at TJ Maxx! It’s SO light and makes it easy to carry to school, from class to class, and with a full backpack. I’m taking yoga 2x a week this summer so it will still be in good use.

Hi! I've just recovered from multiple injuries from a car accident. It took me two years to recover, and in those two years, I did very light exercise because I didn't want to strain by back by pushing too hard. Before my accident, I used to be quite athletic, but now I am at a moderate fitness level. How can I work my way back up to eating healthy and being athletic? I have a home gym, but I just need baby steps to help me get there. Stats: Female, 5'5", 145lb. Thank you!

Tue, 22 May 2012 13:45:00 -0700

Hi! I’m so glad you’re recovered and able to be active again! Did your doctor say its okay to start doing more intensive exercises? Great job keeping yourself in shape and not letting yourself go during your injured days!

Eating Healthy Starter-Kit

Clean out the fridge and pantry! Bite down your guilt and just throw away packaged foods and cereals with more than 5g of sugar per serving. Chuck all artificial drinks and junk foods! I know…it’s hard to throw stuff away. I’m Asian, I get it >.<
Make over one meal at a time: Start with building a better breakfast. Once you get the hang of that, move on to other meals.
Snacks should always be natural.
5 servings of vegetables a day
Start finding substitutes for white, refined flours (i.e. lentils and beans with brown rice instead of white rice)

Ready to get fit:

Work out upper body, lower body, and core each 2x a week. You don’t have to do them all the same day.
Mix in cardio like jump-roping (do you have cardio equipment like a treadmill?)
Good equipment to have: balance ball, 5-15 lb weights
Aim for 30 minutes in your home gym, 4x a week.
Always start with warm-up exercises.
Always stretch after your workouts to prevent any other injuries
Remember fitness is a combination of cardio, strength, and flexibility. Hit all 3 and you’re doing great!

So I've been walking and running a lot over the past few months, drinking pretty much only water, as well as eating better and less calories. I'm a seventeen year old guy, 5'11", and I'm now at 140 pounds. I've dropped about 20 pounds in the past 3 months by eating around 900-1500 calories a day, with a binge day maybe twice a week. Is this healthy? I've been getting mixed reviews, and I'm also curious what I could do to change?

Tue, 22 May 2012 13:19:00 -0700

Hi, you’re current routine is definitely not helping you. At 5’11 and 140, you shouldn’t be losing weight. Even at 160 lbs, that’s still pretty lean. What is your goal? How do you want to improve? What pressures you into eating so scantily? Not even me, a 4’11 female eats 900 calories a day to lose weight. You’re at a good time to start weight-training because it looks like you hit your major growth spurt already. With good nutrition, I bet you could squeeze in a couple inches in the next 3 years! This question makes me nervous because I’m sensing eating disordered thoughts…

What can you do to change:

Relax. Ask yourself why you’re putting yourself through this.
Eat at least 2000 calories a day.
Consume a high protein, moderate fat, moderate complex carb diet.
Eat 3-5 meals a day.
Start weight-training to build muscle. (you may not develop a lot at this age, but it’ll be good for you and give you a strong looking physique)
Continue drinking mostly water, but also milk or other calcium fortified drinks.

I don’t like calling it “binge days” because eating healthy and moderately is something we learn to do and enjoy. Also, calling something a “binge” meal has negative connotations. Sure, people should have treats and indulge in something interesting once or twice a week, but let’s not call it a “binge” because we always want to be mindful of what we eat. We don’t BINGE. We enjoy something extra once in a while =)

P.S. my brother is 15, 5’8, and 140, size 31, and he’s thin and athletic…he’s never eaten less than 2000 calories a day since he turned 13. He mostly eats more than that now too, especially on soccer practice days.

11” x14” Acryclic Tenth Doctor Conundrum Photo 1:...

Tue, 22 May 2012 08:24:00 -0700

11” x14” Acryclic Tenth Doctor Conundrum

Photo 1: Grisaille

Photo 2: Glazing

I’ve been taking a little breather from blogging these last couple weeks because I’ve been working on things like this! Also, I had a Voice Recital (sang my first solo, “Over the Rainbow”), Modern Dance final (choreographed Paradise by Coldplay), Yosemite trip, Disneyland this week (not a huge fan…), Cancun in a week, and lots of essays due before June 1st!

BUT I have a really cute giveaway coming up!!! I’m editing photos and writing the post today =)

P.S. I hope this gets on the Doctor Who tumblr ! >.<

Panorama Trail in Yosemite was simply amazing.

Mon, 21 May 2012 23:52:00 -0700

Panorama Trail in Yosemite was simply amazing.

Hiking Panoramic Trail to Glacier Point and make to Yosemite...

Sun, 20 May 2012 13:50:00 -0700

Hiking Panoramic Trail to Glacier Point and make to Yosemite Valley. 11 miles round trip, including a grueling and steep 4 miles down hill, peak elevation of 7214 ft. It was an amazing experience with waterfalls, rivers, and some of the best views in the world. But views don’t come easy!

Hey everyone I’m hiking in Yosemite this weekend!...

Sat, 19 May 2012 07:34:00 -0700

Hey everyone I’m hiking in Yosemite this weekend! Scrambled through an old rock slide yesterday and today my group is doing Nevada Falls, pizza (I hear theres salad and light cheese options) at Camp Curry, and star gazing in the meadows!

One of our chickens laid her first egg today on Mother’s...

Sun, 13 May 2012 19:19:23 -0700

One of our chickens laid her first egg today on Mother’s Day! She’s the first of our hens =] It was so cute watching her nest.

Hey! I've been running for about 3-4 years now but suspended my routine for the past 6-7 months because I also do dragonboat and have work (my work=walk/jog/run up and down stairs for 3.5-4 hours). Despite all of this, I continue to gain weight. In the past 6 months, I've gained 15 pounds. Help? I now weigh 145... (And sorry I'm anon, but I WILL read this if you answer.)

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:21:00 -0700

Everyone know what Dragonboating is? It looks intense!

How many days are you dragonboating and/or working a day? If you’re only currently active only a couple days, you may be working out less than you were when you were running consistently.
Are you going long hours between meals? It’s easier to overeat when you go 5+ hours between meals and fill up on the most accessible foods. Try splitting your meals in half and eating them 2-3 hours apart.
How are you stress levels? Do you have a lot to do during that day that you just want to go home and vegg-out?
Are you going out to eat more with your team and have more social events?
A couple pounds is most likely muscle too! Since you’re building arm strength from rowing and quad/calf/hamstring muscles from running up and down stairs. These muscles don’t get worked as intensely during moderate running.

Weight seems to creep up on us when we change our lifestyle, and but necessarily in a bad direction (i.e. if we move places, new schedule, new job or school). Meals may be harder to eat at regular intervals, time to exercise is never that convenient…but being able to adapt is what makes us stronger. By paying more attention to your diet, you can lose these 15 lbs in HALF the time it took you to gain it.

Well this is what came to mind; hope it helps!

I'm currently on a "diet" that restricts my calorie intake to around 1,200. I'm doing well with that amount for the most part but have been noticing that I'm sometimes about 200 calories under but several (like 12 grams) OVER in protein. I usually fill up the 200 calories with veggies, fruit, etc, but my protein level is still WAY to high (according to MyFitnessPal com.) Is this bad?? Do you have any ideas for lower protein healthy snacks?

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:01:00 -0700

I think you’re doing good by eating more protein than MyFitnessPal suggests. This may be why you’re feeling satiety with an intake of 1200! Those are guidelines anyways and 12 g is not a big deal. People usually want to know what snacks are HIGH in protein because there are sooo many healthy bites that are low in protein, but high in carbs. I wouldn’t stop eating your high protein snacks; but other ideas include: airpopped popcorn, bran flakes+almond milk+berries, carrots & hummus/sweet potato hummus, or Fruit Parfaits. Keep eating healthy!

…that was a lot of answered “asks…” need break. But I’m so grateful...

Tue, 08 May 2012 23:01:01 -0700

…that was a lot of answered “asks…” need break. But I’m so grateful that you are reading them! =) makes it worth it!

Now to finish my Home Yoga project and choreographing of Coldplay’s Paradise…