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HellO 2011, HellNO Special K

This time of year the gyms are packed and everyone seems to be on a "diet." The new year is a great time to have new goals, cleanse, and set an intention for the year, but what I would advice against is buying into corporate pushed diet plans that may work for short term weight loss, but do not work in the long term and often deprive our bodies of nutrients and the pleasures of food.

Having a well balanced diet does not mean you are on a "diet," it simply means the foods that you habitually eat are nutrient rich and you are getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development. The word diet, is such a misunderstood word.

I read a really well written blog post today about the Special K Diet Challenge that I think is important to share. While so many people look for a quick fix to weight loss, a diet filled with processed foods and high fructose corn syrup is certainly not the answer!

Read the blog post here

The new year is a great time to rethink what we put into our bodies and how we treat our bodies, I know I've set a few new intentions for 2011 that have to do with food and nourishment. I also believe that after the holiday's and when the idea of a fresh start is still, well, fresh, this time of year is great for a cleanse. More to come on safe cleansing next week though.

Until then I leave you with a few of my Goals for 2011, perhaps they will inspire you to set a few of your own, omitting of course, the corporate backed high fructose corn syrup diet that is the Special K Challenge.

My Goals for 2011:

• graduate from college --not doubt this will be achieved, I just love the satisfaction of crossing things off a list :-)
• waste spend less time on the internet
• read a different book for pleasure each month
• floss every day
• have variation in my workouts (yoga, strength, cycle, running)
• drink more tea 
• use the microwave less
• run the Cherry Blossom 10 miler
• keep in touch with my friends from home better
• bake my own bread
• soak my own beans instead of using canned
• eat less kashi cereal  --although a better option than Special K it's still a processed food
• run a race with my mother
• ......... etc. 

Happy New Year!

Chickens say WWOOF

Pictured above, myself, Melissa Eddison and Erin McCluskey, had an incredible experience working on a rural organic farm in Panama this winter break. One of the most gratifying jobs we were given was to tend the chickens. Although I consider myself a learned gardener, chickens were a new ball game for me. They squawk and peck at you and flap their wings a ton when they get flustered and it just makes me flustered and I start flapping my arms like a chicken too. On the farm, I really had little choice, either be a chicken or be above the chicken. I did my best to accomplish the latter.


Erin was very calm around the chickens, a chicken whisperer, if you will. This chicken was named Petcho, he was too rogue for the coop and escaped every time we put in him there. He just foraged around the farm for worms and bugs, too cool for the chicken feed.

These were the meet hens and we about 6 weeks and 1 pound away from being dinner! They sure were cute though.
More posts about our time on the farm coming soon and maybe even some video!!