I'm baaaack

One mini 1.5 day hiatus later, I am here to blog once again. I know I skipped dinner last night, but it wasn't the best dinner anyway. I had this Ramen-esque Miso soup and veggie deal and it tasted alright but looked pretty bizarre before it was cooked. The tofu, seaweed, and veggies came dehydrated in a tiny packet. They grew in the microwave though, kind of like those little foamy creatures you place in water and watch grow overnight. I have a few more varieties of this stuff, so I'm sure I'll have one again and actually provide a picture. Maybe my first one. The soup warmed my tummy and soul and provided me with 48% of my daily sodium need at the same time! That percentage would probably make anyone in their right mind run to another aisle at the grocery store, but I felt compelled to try it out because my sodium need is sky-high. Long story short, I have a knack for fainting (in a myriad of situations: being stressed, getting blood drawn, talking about graphic injuries, etc.) and after many efforts to find out the cause, I just recently learned it's because I have abnormally low blood pressure. This means that in situations where BP falls normally, mine does not have the room to fall and I go down. 

The only problem with it this sodium bit that consuming an excessive amount each day makes me so darn thirsty! Last night was no exception, and I was kind of bored with straight up water but didn't have anything else, so I tried to quench my thirst with random snacks: dried fruit, Vitamuffin, PB, etc. Not the best idea, I know. Actually, it wasn't even a remotely good idea because duh, Jessie... thirst can't be quenched with food. Oh well. Live and learn. I felt kinda guilty about it (sometimes I can be an emotional eater and I think last night's snackiness was also due to anxiety related to my course load this semester) but, to steal a line from Hairspray, "yesterday is history and it's never comin' back." Right on, Queen Latifa. Right on.

That being said, let's talk about today!! For breakfast, I enjoyed one of my all-time favorite cafeteria breakfasts: whole wheat toast dipped in cottage cheese. Sounds weird, but the textures and flavors together rock my world. Every. Time. I also had a side of grapes. Looking back later in the morning, I realized that breakfast was kinda small, so I made up for it with my pre-workout snack: 1 McIntosh apple and a packet of Quaker maple and brown sug. oatmeal. Good thing, too... my workout today was a bear! I did 60 minutes on the treadmill and gradually increased my speed every 8-10ish minutes until I reached 7 mph... which is a lot for me, especially to sustain. I've had asthma since grade school and at one time, I couldn't run 1 mile without wheezing. Exercise really is the best cure. 

For lunch I had a little less than 1 cup of leftover tomato soup and a biiiiig salad with all sorts of goodies: spinach, hardboiled egg, chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, cantaloupe, feta, and some fat free honey mustard. It was a very beautiful salad. I do wish I photographed it but I keep forgetting!!! I should write it on my forehead or something.

This is an obnoxiously long post. Wow. Dessert from lunch: 1 melt-in-your-mouth frosted sugar cookie. Dinner: Slim' pickins: a pita filled with hummus, turkey, tomato, and swiss. 1 cup veggie soup... I'm diggin the soups lately. Plus 1 cup skim milk.

The end.

Feeding the addiction

I am typing this as I sip on yet another cup of Mate Vana. I think I might be hooked... because I feel incomplete without a cup a day. Best Christmas present ever from my boyfriend's family: 4 kinds of tea plus cute little canisters, a "Perfect Teamaker" that is prob. the most convenient thing I've ever owned, and some rock cane sugar to sweeten! Actually, it was second best only to his: a beaaauuutiful aqua colored, dip-dyed looking tea set. My first one! Hi darlin :)

This is going to be quick because the to-do list keeps growing but I just want to maintain the blog even if the posts are short!

Brekkie today was 1 packet Quaker weight control maple and brown sugar oatmeal. I'm not dieting or anything, but I tried this out because the product claimed to be very "satiating." With 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, those Quaker folks weren't lying! It held me over very nicely for a 45 minute interval workout on the treadmill. Along with an apple for crunch.

When I got back, I refueled with a slice of Ezekiel bread and some Dark Chocolate Dreams PB from Peanut Butter & Co. All I can say is wow. This company will sure get my business again. Tastes like Reeses but with no cholesterol, 170 cal/2 TBSP, and therefore, no guilt!! (Not that my favorite candy usually makes me feel guilty... only when I overindulge on occasions like Halloween... and the weeks after that we have leftovers ;) )The Ezekiel bread was kinda meh, only because I like the English muffins 10x better.

For lunch, I had a healthy version of hot pockets with Kashi's Chicken Rustico frozen sandwich. It contained chicken, spinach, red peppers, mushrooms, and a savory sauce and tasted absolutely perfect with a cup of Campbell's Healthy Harvest tomato and basil soup. What a pair. I'm a sucker for soup and sandwich combos and this one did not disappoint.

Here's a pic of the sandwich, though not one I took: 

You should buy it.

Later, a friend asked me if I wanted to grab lunch. I already had (obviously), so I just had half a no bake cookie and sipped some mint tea. No bake cookies are one of my school's fortes. The lunch selection, on the other hand, missed the mark a little: breaded chicken filet, onion rings, tuna melt, french fries, and pizza. At any rate, it was quite refreshing to enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea and crumpet... er... cookie without rushing.

Time to tackle that list! Back later (maybe with original pictures! We'll see how brave I'm feelin') Stay warm! I know I will-- we have an illegal space heater. (Shh... no one from school reads this to my knowledge!!)