"ideas worth spreading"

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend an event known as TEDxUNC. I didn't really have any expectations, which is (for me) sometimes the best way to approach a new experience. For anyone new to the term TEDx, or TED, this is a nonprofit that is dedicated to "Ideas Worth Spreading". Essentially I signed up for afternoon to watch and hear inspiring people from around the globe. I have to say that I left feeling inspired, not sure for what, but inspired nonetheless :)

One of the most fascinating speakers for me was Kavita Shukla, here is a copy of her bio from the TEDxUNC website:

Kavita is the Founder & CEO of Fenugreen, a social enterprise taking on the massive global challenge of food waste with a simple innovation, FreshPaper. Kavita holds four patents, and has received several international honors as an inventor, designer, and entrepreneur, including the INDEX: Design to Improve Life Award – the world’s largest prize for design. Her work has been featured by CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Oprah Magazine, Glamour, and The Today Show. Kavita was also recently featured as one of the “7 Entrepreneurs Changing the World” by Fast Company and on the Forbes “30 under 30” list.

Pretty impressive for under 30 right? What's more impressive is the message she shared. She encouraged people, young girls in particular, to honor their inquisitiveness and to have confidence to keep pursuing an interest or solution for a problem. Before I give more detail about what she developed, I think it will be more fun to give a quick synopsis of how she did it. 

Kavita visited her grandmother, I believe in India. She had been repeatedly warned not to drink the water, but her junior high brain forgot and she gulped a glass after brushing her teeth. She instantly remembered the advice and then began to worry about getting sick. Kavita's grandmother created a concoction of spices and herbs and told her to drink it. Magically, Kavita didn't get sick. This baffled and fascinated Kavita, so at the ripe old age of 12 she began to experiment with rotting food and spices in her garage back in the States. If I remember correctly, one of her high school science teachers told her she was really on to something and encouraged her to get a patent. Longer story short, after some entertaining attempts during and shortly after college to get her product out there, she, her co-collaborator and an intern landed an interview with Whole Foods. Now you can buy their product on the shelves. Pretty neat to think a garage science experiment is now a product that could have great impact in the world.

So what exactly did Kavita develop? FreshPaper. This product is literally a sheet of paper infused with organic spices that can keep fruit and vegetables fresh longer. If you can preserve fruit and veggies from harvest to kitchen, that might afford people an opportunity to actually consume more healthy foods. She feels this product can chip away at global hunger by decreasing food waste. We (the world) produces a lot of food, yet much of it never makes it in to people's mouths. Click here for this eye-opening infographic on food waste. 

I have yet to try out the product but plan to do so, because purchasing for my own benefit can actually help benefit those who need it most. If you give it a try, let me know what you think. 

I tell you this not to pawn a product but instead because 1. this little invention may help you eat more healthy foods, 2. this little invention could help others eat more healthy foods, and 3. the next great thing can literally come from your own backyard. 

I'm taking this as an inspiration to aim to keep solutions simple. I think this will be particularly important for my career path and personal life. Perhaps it might be helpful for you too.

Until next time :)

The many ways in which time flies.

It feels like I just blogged yesterday. Well, maybe not quite yesterday, but it sure doesn't seem like one month ago. Since I, and perhaps you too, often do not know where the time goes, I thought it would be fun to compile a random list of ways in which time flies. And I promise to make some sort of wellness connection for you :)

But before we get to that, let's check in on any goal setting you did around the new year. What goals did you set? How are you doing? Where are you struggling?

Let's reflect on some of the tips I mentioned about setting yourself up for success. Do you remember what they were?

• Start small. If you've never walked/jogged/run a 5K distance, perhaps hold off on the marathon plan and instead begin with the Couch to 5K program.
• Be true to you. If your friends want to hit up the pool for water aerobics but the idea of luke-warm water on a cold winter day doesn't get you jazzed about hanging with your friends or being active, then think about alternative forms of activity for yourself and perhaps get friend time in some other way.
• It's not too late. Do you feel like you've already fallen off the wagon? What if instead we re-frame the situation? You haven't fallen off, you are just fine tuning your plans and goals to better suit your needs. If you think about it, life is a work in progress. Why would your work toward goals be any different? Truth be told, I often don't meet the goals I set for myself (even for something as small as my daily to-do list. By the way, today's list isn't looking so good...).  But instead of throwing in the towel, I reflect, plan/readjust, and keep on trucking.
• S-M-A-R-T~R goals. Have you laid out a very clear plan for yourself? If not, that is an important place to start. See January's post for a refresher or more details. 

In honor of another month passing us by. Let's look at a random mash-up of ways time flies and keeping life simply nutritious.

Where has the month gone for me? School. The semester started soon after the new year, so a majority of my time has gone to settling back in to school mode. It's the most stimulating brain-drain ever. I have to say I really enjoy my classes and feel they have fun and pertinent projects. One of my most fun classes is Physical Activity Epidemiology and Public Health. If I were you, I'd be wondering what that even means. Essentially I will be getting a broad overview of physical activity and how it impacts the public's health. Now you're probably saying, "Well duh Courtney, it's good for us and we should do it". And I would agree with you. But in case you, or someone you love, is still skeptical- check out this video 23 1/2 hours.

The cool part about this class is that I'm learning much more about the methodology behind where recommendations come from and measuring people's physical activity. The content is also very important and applicable for every day life. On our first day of class, our professor (who also happens to be my mentor) asked us to sign a physical activity pledge. I had to sign a commitment (or contract for you formal, business people out there) with my activity goals for the semester. I also had to pledge to help at least one other person to reach his/her physical activity goals for the semester. Commitments/contracts are a great way to formalize your intentions. Consider creating a commitment of your own. You and someone else could sign on to whatever lifestyle changes you are working towards.

In taking my class commitment one step further, I would love to help anyone reading this. I'll continue to blog monthly and hopefully offer easy-to-implement tips. But if you have anything specific, reach out to me. This commitment process is a play on the goal setting process. I thought it would be neat to share my experience and struggles with goal setting and working to reach those goals.

Here's how it went down: In knowing what my physical activity looked like last semester, I felt it was very important to be realistic about what I could commit to, but I also wanted to push myself to meet at least the minimum recommendations for health. Do you happen to know what those recommendations are?

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans state that adults should:

• Avoid inactivity (something is better than nothing)
• Achieve at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week
• Do muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days per week

 My goal is to achieve at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity and at least 2 days of muscle strengthening each week. What is a moderate intensity activity? Walking at least 3 miles per hour (mph) or bicycling 10-12 mph are some of the easier to grasp examples. In order to avoid inactivity, my goal is to mostly stand while I'm at work. I have rigged a pseudo-standing desk that allows me to at least be on my feet.

Now let me further explain my rationale behind my choice for the way this goal is constructed. I chose the lump time of 150 minutes per week instead of saying I will exercise 30 minutes, 5 times a week. I know my schedule and I will need to take advantage of any opportunity to get physical activity. If I can get 40 minutes at once- great- but if I can only get 10 minutes in- awesome. It all adds up. I bring this up as a way to think outside the box and give yourself as much flexibility as possible in obtaining your goals. Just because you usually do 50 minute Zumba classes doesn't mean it has to be an all or nothing. Perhaps you don't have 50 minutes for a class but you have 25 for a walk- go for it. Remember, something is better than nothing!

How am I doing with the goal? I'm moving in the right direction :) Have I hit the mark every week? Most of the time yes, but it has taken daily and weekly adjustments. My activity gets scheduled in to my calendar just like any class or meeting. Mornings work best for me, so I tend to block it in there. Some mornings I don't get to it, so I either look for other ways or times to get it in. My challenge to you is to think about those things you are committed to. Once you know those things you wouldn't consider missing, how can you share that with the new behaviors you are working to make a habit? I also highly recommend working to become more flexible- something is better than nothing. Something is better than nothing (for any goal, not just physical activity).

I have to say that Emma is reaping benefits from my goal. If I could record her snoring, I would. I have been told that on days we have a morning walk, she has to be woken up for her mid-day potty break.

Sleepy puppy.

Time can also fly while planking. Say what? When 2:30 hits at work days (and I'm not in class), it's time for a quick Fitness Break. This started as part of a holiday challenge at our Center, and we have really rolled with it. This 10-minute period turns in to a great bonding, stress-relieving, brain-invigorating, body-pumping time. Have I sold you on it yet? My friend/colleague has created a master playlist of pick-me-up tunes to inspire our activity for the next few minutes. We started simply doing push-ups, wall sits, and planks for at least 30 seconds. Over the course of a month we worked to increase time and repititions. Now we do a variety of things. One of my quick favorites is the 7-minute work out. There is a free app in case you want an animated voice to count and blow a whistle to signal the next activity. What would it look like for you to build in your own fitness break throughout the day? Who would you invite along? What would you do? Just think, you could intrigue and inspire those around you. And a quick mental break will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated to focus on whatever task you face next.

Time flies while watching tv. Many of us spend lots of time watching televisions, tablets, and other sources of media. I bet may of you are watching the Super Bowl at this very moment. Since I'm short on time, I'll come back to it in a supplementary post. But just as a little teaser, I'll share some big news headlines over the past couple weeks.

"Lack of Exercise More Deadly Than Obesity, Study Suggests"

"Can't Exercise for 30 Minutes Today? Any Activity Is Better than None"

"Just how little exercise does it take to get healthier?"

Last, but not certainly not least, birthdays are an indication that time flies. Today is my mom's birthday- Happy birthday Mom! I can only imagine she has reflected a little bit on how her time has flown. I'm hear to tell you that she has yet to slow down. She has a boundless amount of love and energy, and I look forward to a 'roadtrip' visit from her soon.

Listening to my mom's parents sing her happy birthday. I heart facetime.

My mom has taught me the art of "piddling". You might ask what exactly piddling is. I would define it as an inability to sit still for any length of time. It is finding an excuse to move something from the kitchen to a bedroom; it is standing at the counter flipping through a magazine. It is anything that keeps you moseying around the house. As soon as I leave campus, I plan to go home and piddle while the Super Bowl is on, although I think I've missed half of it at this point (thank you biochemistry). Thank you mom for passing along your inability to sit for long periods of time. In honor of my mom's birthday, perhaps you can piddle a more in your life as well :)

Since I can't spend time with her this year, other than a facetime call, I thought I would share a throwback to last year. I realize it isn't #tbt or #fbf, but perhaps I will start #sweetreminiscencesunday.

My mom, my sister and I started the morning with a favorite workout class (BarreAmped) at B3 Fitness Studio. If you are in the St. Louis area, I highly recommend you check it out. The teachers and the people are wonderful. It's a tight-knit little community

And then we met up with the guys (Dad and Josh) to treat my mom to her first waffle since she had to switch to a gluten-free way of eating. Melt you were amazing. Gluten-free for mom, meaty things for the guys, a latte for Mal, and a vegan waffle with avocado for me. It was simply divine.

Yum. No leftovers.

Wow- time flies when I write these blog posts. Time for more homework and sleep!

Don't forget to let me know how I can help you achieve your physical activity goal (or any goal for that matter) over these next few months. We can work at this together! Until next time :)

Happy new year.

I loved scrolling through instagram and facebook this morning- I got to peek in to the glamorous ways my family and friends spent the last night of 2014. What is it about new year's eve that generates so much excitement and makes us want to dress up in our finest? (I will have you note that after a yummy home-cooked meal, Josh and I put on our finest jammies, played cards, and had a Nerf gun battle. Not quite the excitement of new year's eve past, but hey, that's what happens when you get older, right?)

Perhaps new year's eve offers anticipation of a fresh start. After the best or worst of years, the turning of the clock offers new promise that this next year just might be better. I have the opportunity to become my best self yet- emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, financially, and/or physically. I can do more good for others. I can improve relationships with others. I can slow down and smell the roses. The list can go on and on.

In order to capitalize on this promise, many people set resolutions. Resolutions get a bad rap- the media highlights losing weight and getting fit, companies may capitalize on them, and they are forgotten by the Super Bowl- but I really think they have a place. I applaud any all who set out to do something, so let's talk about how to make your goals or resolutions more personalized for you:

• Set S-M-A-R-T (R) goals. This is a fun acronym I learned many years ago, and it has withstood the test of time. Set goals that are:
  Specific- Measurable- Achievable- Relevant- Time-oriented, and then ~(R)eward.
     - Specific: Think about who, what, where, when, and why. Making very clear goals will help prevent you from wondering what you really meant :)
     - Measurable: You want to be able to track your progress and eventually gauge whether or not you achieved your goal. A couple ways to measure include how often or how much you do something
     - Achievable: Be realistic. Don't plan something out of reach, but be sure to push yourself. Also think about what skills or resources you need to achieve your goal. Make it possible to achieve your goal.
     - Relevant: Choose something that matters. If it isn't really important to you, you probably won't work towards it. Also consider whether this is the right time to tackle this goal or task.
     - Time-oriented: Give yourself a deadline. Even if you procrastinate, it's still possible to achieve the goal before the deadline. You might have a long-term deadline of 6 months from now, but it may also include daily actions (or deadlines) you will take to achieve the bigger goal.
     - Lastly, plan some sort of reward. It is important to honor your work and achievement, so be sure to plan a small celebration of some sorts. This may mean an extra 30 minutes to read your favorite book, 10 minutes of quite for yourself, a movie with friends, or anything else that is meaningful to you!
  
• Start small. Lao-tzu once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Set a goal based on the criteria above and jump in. Another tip is to pick a something that you know how to work towards and feel confident that you can achieve. Then continue to build on your momentum- you'll be moving mountains in no time.
• Be true to you. What is important or necessary for you, is probably different from your friends and family. Own where you are and what you need, then go for it!
• It's not too late. Maybe the new year isn't the best time for you to make changes. Think about other times of the year to find a fresh beginning- your birthday, the beginning of a month, a random Wednesday. The point is, even if you fall off, it's never to late to pick right back up and get back to it. 

As I've gotten older, I've struggled with new year resolutions. Are they really necessary? The answer for me is, no. If I don't feel strongly about anything on that date, then why change it? Instead, I've decided to set or modify goals as needed. Last year I didn't have anything in mind but on January 1, I stumbled across a great article from a photographer who changed her life perspective simply by photographing something she was grateful for each day for 1 year- 365grateful. I made it about 6 weeks before my photos fizzled. I always had plenty to be grateful for but often couldn't find a picture for it. I think I shall consider modifying that goal to better suit my abilities and access. Instead, I could keep a running list in a note in my phone. My notes are accessible on any technology, so it will be much easier for me to jot down a note of what I am grateful for. I also gifted Josh a 'Jar of Happiness' that would be an easy spot to drop a note in each day :)

The year before that, I chose a mantra- "present". Every day I reminded myself to be present. I found that this helped me slow down and focus on who I was with or what I was doing. I felt more stimulated and less stressed. Maybe I should bring this one back for a second go around... :)

In spite of all the planning, goal setting, and hard work, sometimes you need a little luck. This year we indulged in a southern tradition known as Hoppin John. Eating this dish on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. Greens on the side are supposed to add to wealth since they are the color of American currency. I also threw together some homemade applesauce for a sweet treat. I tweaked the recipes just a bit- doubled the celery and green peppers in the Hoppin John (don't tell Josh or Michael), used brown rice instead of white, and I only used the brown sugar in the applesauce.

Kale, boiling apples, and Hoppin John.

Even if the luck doesn't pan out, we started the year off with a yummy, nutritious family dinner. What more could you ask for?

I hope that 2015 will be the year you make it to be. Be your best self in whatever that means for you and aim to live simply and nutritiously.

Until next time.

A twist on trick or treat.

Eeek. Another month, and then some, has come and gone.

Did you have a Happy Halloween? We had an awesome time eating yummy homemade pizza and checking out costumes.

We love homemade pizza. We typically have all items on hand, and it is a great way to clean out the refrigerator. Our favorite crust recipe comes from eatingwell.com. Then we like to make a simple sauce with canned tomato sauce, tomato paste, any leftover veggies (don't tell Josh), and a random blend of seasonings. Typically we use oregano, basil, parsley, and garlic or garlic powder. Lastly, we top the crust and sauce with whatever tickles your fancy. I tend to make Heavy Veggie for me and any other brave souls. Heavy Veggie means I load the pizza with whatever veggies are available. This might be standard things like mushrooms or bell peppers, but I've also been known to add squash, kale, and broccoli. With all these veggies, the pizza can end up quite heavy. Sometimes I roast the veggies with olive oil and herbs while we prep the dough, this gives them a little more flavor. We also make a Man Pizza. This one is topped with whatever meat is available. Most often the guys end up eating it- hence Man Pizza. It isn't as healthy as the veggie, but but by making our own pizza, we at least give ourselves the option to amp up the nutrition.

Now let's talk about the costumes we saw while eating this yummy pizza. I'm not sure why, but it has been a couple years since we've been able to check out Halloween costumes. We've been fortunate to get pictures of our sweet little nephew and niece's costumes, but we have definitely missed out on the trends. The most popular costumes in our neighborhood this year were ninjas, gypsies, and Disney's Frozen characters. What about you? Our vote for best costume went to the bubble wrap boy- he had created a suit of bubble wrap.

Trick or treat. Halloween is all about candy right? Well, we switched things up this year. In addition to candy, we offered temporary tattoos. Thanks to Aldis for offering these super cheap candy-alternatives! Some of my classmates gave me a hard time. Yes I am "that nutritionist", and I'm okay with that. The tattoos could have been a bust, but they weren't. The kids thought they were cool. The tattoos also came in super handy when a little boy walked up and said something like: Trick-or-treat. I have a peanut allergy. Fortunately none of our candy had peanuts in them, but I couldn't be certain about the peanut exposure during processing (at the candy factory) or the severity of the boy's allergy.  I could be certain that the tattoos were safe, and the boy's father was incredibly grateful for the alternative. I'm sold on non-candy alternatives for Halloween. What about you?

Fun Halloween alternative. 

My aunt then told me about the Teal Pumpkin Project. The campaign is designed to raise awareness of food allergies by providing non-food treats. You can participate by having a teal pumpkin- the color of food allergy awareness- and a printable sign from the Food Allergy Research & Education group. I realize this won't help you this year, but it's something to consider in the future. I'll be sure to have my teal pumpkin next year.

I'm going to keep this post short and sweet. No pun intended :) Emily- thanks for the prompt to get a little something out there. But I will tell you, after Halloween night we got to jet-set home for 36 hours to share in my cousin Derek and Hillary's wedding day and visit with family. In my next post I'll do my best to update you on the fun things we've tried in North Carolina.

A day in the life.

In  case you didn't notice, I haven't posted any updates in 4 weeks. I'm so incredibly sorry for my disappearance! I intended to write about once a week, but who knew 17 credit hours and work would be so time-consuming?!

Well I'm back. And I will do my best to make sure we don't spend another month apart.

Since I've been gone so long, I thought I would give you a snapshot of a day in my life and what I'm doing to stay my healthiest during this time of transition.

7 weeks. That is how many weeks of school I have completed. I have begun to count my life in weeks- one reason is that it helps me keep track of time, kind of. If I've spoken with you in the last month, I may have mentioned that I'm not always fully aware of the day of the week or date of the month, but I somehow make it where I need to go with what I need. Steph tells me this is normal for graduate school....I'll take her word for it, hope that I'm on the right track, and remain grateful for my phone's ability to sync all my calendars and random notes. Another reason I think in weeks is that it helps me keep track of all my class syllabi- what readings do I need to do? Do I have assignments, quizzes or tests? And lastly, it is helping me gauge how I feel about where I am. This may not be a good long term strategy, but for right now I can say "Oh it's only been 5 weeks, give yourself some time".

So what do my days look like?

5:00 a.m. hour- This is for getting up to take care of Emma and to either get some quick form of exercise (running, yoga or dog walking) or finish homework/reading for the day.

6:00 a.m. hour- This is for getting myself ready for the day. You know coffee, packing food, etc.

7:00 a.m. hourish- I'm out the door by 6:50 and traveling for the next 1+ hours. I catch the first bus by 7:15. The next 45+ minutes gives me time to study while someone else drives me to campus.  Although this has greatly extended my travel time, I'm able to get some work done. More about the buses in future posts.

8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.- Each day is a little different, but it involves some combination of studying, catching buses to work and back to campus, work and class.

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.- This is travel time home- walk to the bus, ride the bus, then drive home.

The evening hours involve some food, more studying, and trying to get a little time with Josh and Emma.

My goal is to be in bed by 11:00 p.m., or sooner if I fall asleep sitting at my computer ;).

This makes for a pretty packed schedule, which could make it super easy to skip out on a healthy lifestyle. I feel fortunate that I have spent so much time working with people about how to incorporate healthier choices in to their lives, because now I'm using some of their, and my own, advice. If you lead a hectic life, believe me I empathize. A student income and public transportation has given me great perspective, but I realize there are people who face more time, stress and money constraints then me. This experience will only make me a better researcher and practitioner to help people live healthier lives, no matter their circumstances.

Am I sleeping as much as I would like, or eating exactly how I would like, or exercising as consistently or as much as I would like? No. But I do feel good about what I can and choose to do. Here are some ways I choose to build in healthy choices each day. Hopefully one of these tips will provide inspiration for how you, or someone you know, can continue to build a healthy life in spite of craziness.

• I'm working to stay realistic. Sure I know all the recommendations, but the reality is I have to prioritize and do the best I can. 
• I plan activity in to my day. 
• I have a plan for the number of days I will exercise and what I will do. This plan allows for flexibility so that I can change things around when needed. For example, yesterday my running plan called for 4 miles. I stayed up later than anticipated and was really tired, so I opted to snooze once and cut down to 3 miles. And some days that assignment needs to be completed before I walk out the door, so I slide my exercise to the evening or to a day that I originally planned as rest. Something is better than nothing :)
• I get off and on the bus before my 'stop'. This allows me to walk a little extra each day.
• I started taking a multivitamin. I wasn't ever one for supplements, but since my eating can be sporadic and unpredictable at times, I have opted to take a basic multivitamin as a safety net.
• Hello coffee. I love you. But I limit the caffeine to 2 cups in the morning. The rest of the day it is water or hot herbal tea (non-caffeinated)- oh and of course the occasional happy hour. I'll tell you about Linda's another time. I carry a to-go mug and a water bottle with me at all times. This allows me to refill any time and stay hydrated. 
• I pack meals and snacks for the day. I think I already told you about my snacks- fruit and nuts. They are easy to tote around and provide great brain fuel. I also pack my breakfast and lunch. Breakfast involves fruit and either yogurt and nuts or bread and peanut butter. Lunch is a gamble but usually involves some sort of leftovers.
• One final thing that has made a huge difference, but probably won't be an option for many, is my awesome roomies. Many long days I have come home to a balanced dinner. Let's be honest, some days I would probably just eat peach cobbler and milk if that was what was available, not that I have done that or anything ;) When I don't have help with meals, I cook a lot on the weekend and eat leftovers for the week, or I plan things that take 20 minutes to prep. In that case, I still make extra so that I have lunch or another dinner for the week.

That's all for now. I have so many ideas and topics to share with you! I look forward to getting back in to more of a routine.

Until next time :)

Do you know the Veggie Van?

Last summer I joined my first CSA through Local Farmer Crop Boxes. What's a CSA you ask? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically at the beginning of a season, when a farmer's costs are at his or her highest, you can buy a share of the farmer's crops. In return you receive weekly or biweekly produce and farm products that are in season. The cool thing about these programs is that patrons support their local farmer (business, families, and community) and in return get fresh, local, nutritious foods.

Here are other reasons I loved being part of a CSA:

• My food had a story. I could see who grew my food and he could tell me about the process. 
• The taste was amazing, so amazing that even Josh would dive in to some of the fruit and veggies :) When you eat more local foods, they can continue to grow and ripen in nature instead of the truck or airplane used to transport them to your local store. Only those foods ripe and ready are picked for you to enjoy. Peak taste and peak nutrition can go hand in hand.
• I love a surprise. I enjoyed the challenge and opportunity to try and prepare new foods each week. I often didn't know what I would get until the day before pick up. 
• I ate more variety. I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to buy the same things at the store. This little gift I picked up every two weeks gave me the opportunity to eat a greater variety of foods and thus expand the flavor and nutrition I offered my body. 

Having talked about all the wonderful benefits of a program like this, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that not all of these programs will fit in to a food budget. As much as I loved my CSA, I had a change in food budget and thus could no longer indulge myself. I really missed those Thursday pick-ups at the market.

On a happier note, let's flash forward to the present. Within one week of starting work, I learned about a program that delivers fresh produce to our office. What? I'm at work every day- how convenient would that be? Can I afford this?

After doing a little investigating (because that's what I do), I found out the Veggie Van is so much more. The Veggie Van delivers produce to work places and other central locations, and it also delivers fresh produce to the community. Veggie Van is part of a research study looking at the impact of a mobile food market (meaning the fresh foods come to you) on children's food intake and body weight status defined by BMI. BMI stands for body mass index and this is a calculation of height and weight. It is a very rough estimate of a person's percent body fat. The study is also looking at how and why this mobile market might lead to changes in food intake.

Veggie Van is part of a larger organization called Community Nutrition Partnership. I found out that a colleague of mine, and someone who I feel played a huge role in mentoring me through the graduate school decision and application process, created this program when she was a student at the University. She definitely left a legacy, I can only hope to do the same :)

The mission of the Community Nutrition Partnership is "to grow healthier communities by increasing access to fresh, local, affordable food." They use market-based approaches to increase access to healthy, local food for all people of all incomes and backgrounds. Essentially this means they buy in bulk from the farmers. Buying in bulk allows them to provide foods to the public at a lower cost. For me, the highlight of the program is the sliding scale for the produce. The box delivery program charges a slightly higher price and you can always pay more than what is posted. The 'extra' money from is then used to offset the lower cost charged to the community-based portion of the program. This allows more people to afford healthy, local, yummy foods. I love to think that my commitment and interest in eating healthy is a little help to let others do the same :) The Veggie Van is kind of like the Tom's shoes concept. Buy a pair and donate a pair for the same, slightly higher price.

No doubt about it, eating healthy can cost more than the processed convenient foods that are readily available. But that doesn't mean you can't eat relatively healthy on a lower food budget. (I can come back to tips another time.) My nutrition policy seminar will continue to teach me more about the big-picture politics behind why less healthy foods are cheaper (think financial support from the Farm Bill), but in the mean time I want to share a link to a pretty provocative and interesting question, "Could taxing packaged foods reduce obesity?"

The last thing I would like to bring light to this week is hunger. September is Hunger Action Month. I feel like this ties in nicely to my focus on healthy foods and helping others gain access to those same foods. Oftentimes we associate hunger with developing countries, but it exists in the United States.

Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Their mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger. Their statistics show more than 1 in 5 children lives in a household with food insecurity. This means they do not always know where they will get their next meal. The United States Department of Agriculture has defined varying levels of food insecurity with or without hunger, but essentially this means people have a reduced quality, variety and desirability of food intake.

What would it look like to be food insecure? You can take the SNAP Challenge and find out. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Think of this like the ice bucket challenge that supported ALS. By accepting the SNAP Challenge, you will commit to eating all of your meals from a limited food budget comparable to that of a SNAP participant- $1.50 per meal. If you're not up for the challenge but would like to read about people who accepted, just google it.

Without good, consistent nutrition children and adults will experience physical and mental health problems.

Instead of a list of tips, I want to challenge you to come up with one small way you can impact hunger in a local organization, community or the nation.

Until next time :)

Here. we. go.

If you noticed my post is (much) later than normal, you might have guessed school started. In that case, you would be correct. Even though this post is later than my original plan for publishing, I have to say this Friday afternoon writing session with a hot peppermint tea is actually quite stimulating. This might be my new way to wind down the week.

Yes part of our swag was a USB bracelet :)

It's real people. I had the first day/first week of my next 5-ish years. I am officially a PhD Candidate. It sounds prestigious right? I'm not sure that's the case; I might be more crazy than anything. But on those days when I'm wondering what I'm doing, I'll tell myself it is prestigious :)

I will be working on a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Nutrition with a focus on intervention and policy. What does that mean? Well, I want to learn how to effectively plan, carry out, and measure programs (also known as interventions) that will improve people's nutrition, health, and lives. I will also learn how to make the changes that work a more permanent part of our environment (policy).

If you mash it all together, I had about 1 day of orientation to learn about the Graduate School at the University of North Carolina and the Gillings School of Global Public Health. I knew I had my sights set on a good school and program, but I didn't realize it was this good. To say I'm excited about the opportunity to be part of such a prestigious, yet gracious program would be an understatement. I learned the Gillings School of Global Public Health is the #1 public school of public health. Hm. Okay. The Department of Nutrition is also the top-ranked in its field. Not bad. Ignorance was bliss when applying and interviewing. Too late to be awestruck now, I'm already lunching and chit-chatting with people who's papers I have previously read and cited. And to Josh's credit, the basketball team isn't half bad either.

With all these rankings flying around, one might think there could be some ego-concerns. There might be, but I have yet to encounter that. Everyone is so down-to-earth and is genuinely interested in your success and thoughts. I have to confess that it was also pretty cool to have the academic leaders of these respective divisions of the university welcome us then tell us to "stop and smell the roses. Your dissertation will still be there."

I've hit burn out before. It wasn't pretty. So I think hearing this message several times just reinforced my intention to approach this next segment of my life with perspective, focus, and realism. What does that mean? I'm going to make it a point to dedicate myself to my studies and take advantage of the opportunity I have been given, but I'm also going to impose limits so that I can dedicate myself to family, friends, and other aspects of life. I was able to lunch with the Director of the Department of Nutrition and she essentially said- well Courtney, this is really the rest of your life. It will be important to figure out how to fit things in and make it a life. Well said.

Did I mention that the school is also beautiful?

Mostly undergrad (or at least how I perceive it) part of campus

The school of public health- where I take classes.

I mean look at this place.

I will say the honeymoon phase is over. I didn't realize how quickly my body would forget what those 10 - 12 hour work days felt like. The downside is that now I need to study after that. The silver lining is that I'm all over the place in terms of intellectual stimulation and combining work and school. To quote one of my classmates (we technically call them 'cohort' because we started together), after the first day she had a combination of "buyer's remorse and cold feet". My thoughts exactly. Knowing I'm in a such a wonderful position and have quite a rigorous training program in front of me, it's a bit daunting to live up to it all. It's also a little unsettling to dive in to anything but routine or comfort. I think I shall start a count for the number of times that I wondered what I got myself in to/did I make the right choice. Currently we are at 2. One time was a few months ago when it all became very real that we would be moving, etc. The other was last week.

What does it look like to be a graduate student? Well my 'contract' includes 20 hours of work per week for my mentor. I will tell you more about that another time. It also includes 17 credit hours, but I just found out late this afternoon that I got approval to exempt 1 class. Woo hoo! So technically I'm down to 14 credit hours. If graduate school is foreign to you, 9 credit hours is considered full time student status. If you add it all up, this will keep my schedule pretty full.

The beauty of this is that I love the classes. Nerdy perhaps, but I'm happy to embrace it :) My courses include:

• Nutrition biochemistry. This focuses on the processes in our cells that allow our bodies to break down, build up, or make energy from fat, protein, and carbohydrates. You all know those terms- not so hard right?!
• Epidemiology. This is a way to look at large populations of people and to describe the patterns of health behaviors or outcomes. 
• Doctoral seminar. We go to different presentations to engage with other researchers on campus and begin to critically analyze other people's work.
• Nutrition policy seminar. I will learn about many examples of policy's impact on nutrition.
• Research methods for intervention design. I will learn how to design research questions and studies to answer those questions.
• Interdisciplinary health communication. We will explore how communication and messaging can be used to improve people's health decisions.

More to come about all of this. I promise.

While figuring out this new routine I've learned some important things. Some might be applicable only to my position as a graduate student, but some will apply to living a healthy life, which is what I promised you from the start.

Here we go:

• Over prepare. It will turn out to be just enough. 
• Bring a water bottle. Refill whenever you can. 
• When you have time or a see a restroom, use it. See previous point.
• Pack a lunch and healthy snacks. My days are long and the commute can make it that much more unpredictable as to when I actually get home and can eat. Having my lunch and snacks saves money on the budget, prevents random (less healthy) visits to the vending machine, and never leaves me hungry. It also keeps my brain fueled for all those challenging questions and conversations. I like to carry dried fruit and nuts for a quick, sustaining pick-me-up. My favorites right now are raisins and almonds. 
• Start the day with a fully charged lap top and phone. Bring appropriate charging supplies. Plug in when you can.
• Use a back pack so that you can fit everything in one spot and be as kind to your body as possible.

Try setting yourself up with a healthy snack or water bottle, and let me know how it works for you. 

Until next time :)