Healthy Tips with Jada Hallmark

Healthy Tips with Jada Hallmark by alisongodbe

How to make Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry!

Power of friends and family

After an overloaded week of tests, homework, swim practice, and a cluster of friend's 21st birthday celebrations, I was feeling the effects of my serious lack of sleep. So when I finally had a chance to shut off my alarm clock and sleep in as late as I wanted, I was more than ready to take full advantage. But of course, at 9 am I get a skype call from my parents that I couldn't ignore. As you can imagine I was not a pleasant person to talk to and was fully prepared to spend the rest of my day with that poor demeanor. Yet I noticed as the conversion with my family continued, I had completely forgotten about waking up on the wrong side of the bed and even found that as the video chat ended I was the happiest I've been all week.

While I realize that friends and family are sometimes the cause of frustration in our lives, there is something about the feeling you get from talking to loved ones that can make the foulest mood turn around. Whether it is feeling the cathartic effects of venting about issues that come your way, or just the feeling of connectedness you get from these relationships, talking to close friends and family can instantly make you happier. 

Today I challenge you to seek out a friend you haven't talked to in a while, or call up your family, and reap the mood boosting rewards. In this new age of technology it is so easy to write a quick email or facebook message to a group of friends and family and keep them update on your life. Even as I skyped my family today I realized how sad it was that I wasn't utilizing all of these great tools we have to stay connected. Even a quick text message or a "words with friends" game can bring you closer to those around you!

Most Popular Mediums For Staying Connected:

1. facebook

2. text message

3. email

4. skype

If this post didn't boost your mood then this picture should...

During my skype chat with my family, I was telling a hillarious story (or so i thought) and they were all laughing really hard. Turns out they were laughing because of this... 

Looks like they had drawn a mustache on my face during our conversation. Not cool

Music for Motivation

This past week, while most students had already begun their Spring Break festivities, the Rice Swim team was competing in the season closing 4 day CUSA competition. After a year of misfortunes, countless injuries and illnesses and the obvious disadvantage of a nonexistent dive team, we entered the CUSA championship as the severe underdogs. Yet somehow, with a little luck and our hard work finally paying off, we became CUSA Swim and “Dive” Champions for the first time in the history of our school. But what comes next is three long weeks of freedom from the pool, sleeping in, staying out late, actually finishing homework and… attempting to do a work out on land! While for the next few weeks we aren’t required to put mileage into the pool, we are expected to stay in shape and be prepared for off-season training. With that in mind, I’ve found it extremely difficult to find motivation in working out! It is so disheartening to think that in the peak of training we are swimming roughly 6 miles a day, yet when I hopped on the treadmill, finishing 1 mile of running felt like an impossible task. 

In an attempt to increase my productivity at the gym and make it past that daunting 1 mile mark (pathetic, I know), I grabbed my ipod and cranked up the volume. Whether it was Salt and Pepper telling me to Push It or Willow insisting I whip my hair back and forth, I ended up hitting mile 5 with ease. Can music really make that big of a difference in performance and motivation? The science says YES! According to multiple studies, listening to music while exercising reduces the sensation of fatigue, increases mental arousal, improves motor coordination and promotes relaxation. There has also been research that looks into what type of music allows for the greatest increase in performance. A study with 50 college males and females showed that stimulating music showed a large increase in strength on a grip test in comparison to no music or white noise. Whether it’s the way the music distracts you from the pain or monotony of a workout or the how the desire to get through a great song can push you a little further, music is a huge motivator when it comes to improving your fitness.

Here are some great workouts to try that are centered around music:

Spinning: A stationary biking class that uses music to create a high-energy atmosphere and rhythm to bike to. It’s a great cardiovascular exercise that burns a high amount of calories!

Zumba: A dance fitness program that uses today’s most popular music to get people moving. Even if you don’t burn any calories dancing around, your abs get a great workout as you laugh at yourself and your friends trying to keep up with the well rehearsed instructor.

Nike + ipod: A sensor that you place in your shoe that is connected to your ipod and tracks how many miles you run or how much exercise you complete. This is a great way to watch your progress while staying motivated by the songs in your ipod.

My favorites songs to exercise to (feel free to make fun of me, but I promise they work!):

No Stress – Laurent Wolf

Break My Stride – Matthew Wilder

Memories – David Guetta

Black and Yellow – Wiz Khalifa

Forever – Walter Meego

All of the Lights – Kanye West

E.T.- Katy Perry

You Make My Dreams- Daryl Hall and John Oates

The Show Goes On- Lupe Fiasco

Top 5 Reasons You Should Eat Chocolate This Valentine's Day

1. Live Longer

2. Bye Bye Stress

3. For Your Heart

4. Stops Sore Muslces

5. Anti-depressant

1. Live Longer: Chocolate has eight times the amount of antioxidants found in strawberries! Antioxidants are so important for one's longevity since they protect the body from free radicals. These free radicals damage the bodies cells and organs and are the cause of aging and diseases like Cancer. 

2. Bye Bye Stress: A study done at The Nestle Research Center in Switzerland showed that participants who rated them self as having high anxiety showed a decrease in stress levels after eating 1.4 ounces of chocolate every day. However, those who were given greater amounts than 1.4 ounces showed an increase in stress levels due to the fact that they were gaining weight. Like most things in life; moderation is key. 

3. For Your Heart: Studies have shown that eating small amounts of dark chocolate every day will reduce your cholesterol and blood pressure. This is because Chocolate, like many fruits and vegetables, comes from a plant and is full of Flavanoids. Flavanoids are a type of antioxidant that reduce the risk of heart attack by preventing blood from clotting in the heart. 

4. Stops Sore Muscles: Polyphenols, another type of antioxidant that is associated with Flavanoids, is found in chocolate and helps reduce the amount of severity of sore muscles in those who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome. So if you find yourself craving chocolate after a workout, don't feel guilty when taking a bite!

5. Anti-depressant: Ever devour a box of chocolates after a bad test grade or rough break up? Well turns out that chocolate increases serotonin levels in the brain which combats depression and causes feelings of happiness. It also acts as an endorphin which is the chemical associated with feeling pleasure. 

**Disclaimer:  Chocolate may be a delicious addition to your healthy diet but limiting the amount of calories is essential. You only need a small piece of dark chocolate to see the benefits that dark chocolate has to offer. 

A Twofer

Among the thousands of uninformative articles on the top things to do to better one’s mood, I found a real diamond in the rough with the Reader’s Digest article on the 20 simple ways to get happy.

Take a dog for a walk and Volunteer, were the two tips on the list that stood out to me the most. Since my roommates have banned me from ever owning a pet again after our disastrous experience with a hamster by the name of Optimus Prime, this task seemed out of the question. Then, in perfect timing, I happened upon an email looking for dog-walkers at the Houston Animal Shelter. Not only would I literally be taking a dog for a walk but I would also be volunteering, a task shown to increase all six aspects of well-being.

While this is based solely on my own personal reflections, I whole-heartedly believe volunteering and dog walking are proven mood boosters. It was a great way to put aside all of my worries and stress and focus on these animals that were dealt a bad hand. I encourage everyone to try a volunteer project such as this one and see the impact it can have on your life. 

It's All Greek To Me

Greek Yogurt is the new miracle food that is sweeping the nation. With twice the amount of protein and far less the amount of carbohydrates, sodium, fat and sugar than other yogurts on the market, choosing Greek is a no-brainer. So imagine my disappointment when I ran to the store and stocked my fridge with the stuff, only to take my first bite and nearly puke from the sour taste and odd consistency! Coming from a girl whose mom has dubbed the human garbage disposable due to her ability to eat anything and everything, this statement carries a lot of weight. However, the endless list of health benefits were far too lucrative for me to give up on the yogurt so quickly. With the help of online resources, advice from friends and some experimenting of my own, I compiled a list of recipes to mask the sour taste and take advantage of the creamy texture. Here are a few of my favorites...

SUPER Easy Eggs:

1 whole egg, 1 egg white

1 1/2 tbls plain non-fat Greek Yogurt (I use Fage)

1/3 cup cheddar cheese

pinch of salt and pinch of pepper

Extras:

green and white onions, mushrooms, tomatoes...etc. 

Directions:

Mix the eggs, Greek Yogurt and Cheddar Cheese in a bowl then add to medium pan and cook up some eggs. (If you don't know how to scramble eggs, then we have a lot of work to do)

Banana Berry Smoothie: 

1 Banana (preferably frozen)

1 cup blueberries (preferably frozen)

1/2 cup strawberries (preferably frozen)

1 package of Greek Yogurt

Extras: you can change out any fruits you like and add honey if you want it to be a little sweeter!

Directions:

Add all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Brownies! (in a health blog? YES!)

5 oz Greek yogurt

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tbls vanilla extract

2 eggs

3/4 cup flower

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat medium size pan with cooking spray. Mix the wet and dry ingredients SEPARATELY. Then add the dry mix to the wet mixture and add the chocolate chips as the final touch. Place in the over for 25-30 minutes.