Health in College Part 4: Exercise

Morning! Hope you had a fun time last week! I had my first week of school, so life has been busy and good to say the least.

For me, health--while not crucial--definitely helps contribute to happiness, so that's why we are continuing today with the fourth part of our series Health in College. We've talked about body image, sleep, and diet. As you may have guessed, I am a big fan of exercise--being active and moving around is a hobby that I enjoy so much!

Why is exercise so important? Well, it improves circulation and breathing, it provides stress release, it challenges the mind in a different way, it keeps your body strong, and it's fun! These are some of my favorite reasons to exercise, but even more can be found by clicking here.

Despite all of these benefits, researchers have found that younger generations aren't as strong or active as previous ones despite the fact that workouts are more accessible than ever. (There are millions of workouts on YouTube that you could do in your own home!)

I'm actually working in a health psychology lab now and wanted to share a possible recent finding. Researchers have found that if they compensate people for exercising with a certain amount of money, those people were more likely to continue exercising far into the future even after they are no longer paid. There are multiple hypotheses as to why this occurs, but one of the top ideas is that it is because while they are being paid, people realize that they are physically able to work out. What? That's a little weird. Please allow me to go further into depth.

Society seems to think of fitness as a hardcore thing. Like, you need to be a dedicated bodybuilder or athlete in order to frequent the gym. We hear about High Intensity Interval Training and Crossfit, and when you visit any fitness center of sorts, you see people in expensive workout clothes, sweating buckets, and benching at the very least seventy pounds or running ten miles. It's a lot to take in as a student, who just wants to scrape by with a C in the first hard semester of Calculus.

But that's where our perception can deceive us.

Exercise can be performed in a huge variety of ways, with a huge amount of varying commitments and intensities. You don't really even have to go to the gym in order to get good exercise--a brisk walk in the morning before lunch is still getting some circulation flow.

And although running a mile sounds intimidating at first, it really isn't that much when you realize that it's only ten minutes of very slow jogging.

So, when people try going to the gym for about two or three weeks just so they can get paid by the psychology researcher, they realize how capable they actually are of doing what is good for their bodies and then the habit sticks.

Unfortunately, I can't pay all of you $1 for every time you go work out to help motivate you for a month, but I hope that this post has helped you see that you don't have to be the "gym type" to be healthy.

clubsolutionsmagazine.com

Smile on,

-Riley XO

Health in College Part 3: Nutrition

Good morning! It has been a while, but last semester I started a mini-series called Health in College. I had completed two posts, one on body image and one on sleep, before I realized that it was almost the end of the school year and that the things I had to share wouldn't be as applicable! So to make things come out in a more timely manner, I put the mini-series on hold. Since we are on the verge of the end of summer and a lot of people are starting to make plans about moving back to school, it is time to reopen the series! So I bring you the third part, which will be all about nutrition!

Before we dive into today's post, I just wanted to throw in a quick recommendation for you to add something to your browser: Tab for a Cause. One of my Facebook friends suggested me to add it to Chrome, and basically it donates a cent to a charity every time you open a tab. These charities help supply education, water, and medical help to third-world countries, promote human rights, and help the environment. One cent doesn't sound like much, but I personally open up a lot of tabs throughout the day, and if everybody added this app it could make a big difference! If you are interested in adding Tab for a Cause to your browser or just learning more about it, please follow this link.

I am so excited for this part of the series because today we get to talk about one of my favorite topics in the whole wide world: FOOD!!!

giphy.com

School can be stressful, and when things get stressful, it is easy to fall into the habit of some sort of unhealthy eating habit--whether you tend to over-eat or under-eat. I personally tend to stress eat, so it can be a pretty rough day when I'm studying a ton and have my hand in a bag of chips the entire time. Do any of you guys have any bad habits too? If so, this is the post for you!

Nutrition is another thing that interests me (although not nearly as much as sleep does!). Your body is a complex system full of different chemicals, and what you eat affects the balance of chemicals. The balance of these chemicals in turn affect your metabolism, your energy levels, your cognitive abilities, and overall health. Kind of weird to think about it that way, no?

Anyhow, it's pretty easy to get caught up in unhealthy eating habits during college. There's unlimited food, there are a lot of dining options, and it is kind of like going to a buffet every day. Furthermore, it is tempting to eat more food during the year because, for a lot of people, eating is a social event. (To be honest, I don't think that the infamous "Freshman Fifteen" comes from living around so much food--it comes from those few occasions when you go home on holidays and splurge on delicious home cooking.)

Although it is easy to get into bad habits, why don't we start believing that it is also easy to get into good habits?

There has been a multitude of research on nutrition, but two of the best models for maintaining a balanced diet are the Healthy Eating Pyramid and the Healthy Eating Plate, which are shown below (click on the links in the captions to enlarge):

nutritionaustralia.org

health.harvard.edu

Both models are great, and each has their pros and cons, but for me the Healthy Eating Plate is especially easy to follow in the dining halls. 

I usually try to limit myself to one plate, dedicating half of it to a salad of sorts. Then on the other half, I'll get a bit of pasta or brown rice, and then a piece of chicken or fish. If there is already protein mixed in with the pasta or rice, then I just get a little more of that. I usually try to limit myself to one plate, but if I'm still feeling hungry after my meal, I'll drink some fat free milk or add some cottage cheese to the side.

My nutritional philosophy (if that's a thing) is that it is okay to eat a lot so long as you are putting good things into your body. Eating a giant salad with fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and limited amount of dressing can be satisfying, and your body is able to process these things much more efficiently. But I also admit that I have a weakness for particular junk foods--namely ice cream and pizza. Giving up your favorite foods entirely sounds kind of extreme (and depressing) to me, so eating pizza once or twice a month during study sessions or friend times and getting some cake to treat yourself after a hard test is encouraged by me, too!

My nutritional plan has a couple holes, but I've found it pretty useful for staying in shape and getting everything I need in order to exercise daily and conduct all my activities with two meals a day. Reflecting on my health from last year, I would say that eating healthier definitely helped my body do everything I needed it to during the busy year despite the in general lack of sleep college students will get. 

Overall, it is also pretty easy--I came into college used to eating a plate that was not so balanced, but the transition was simple for me. So if you're looking for a quick, painless method for eating healthy, I definitely recommend splitting your plate between the main components.

Pacing oneself while eating also helps control portion size. It's best to eat slowly so that you can tell when you're full. I would start out with a plate of food, and if that isn't enough, go back for a little bit more at a time. Obviously, a football player weighing at least 200 pounds who exercises three or more hours a day will need a whole lot more food than me, a 115-pound taekwondo player. Even those seemingly minor characteristics, such as whether you are male or female, will affect how much food your body needs. Portion size really depends on your body and its needs, so listen to it! 

I must also emphasize the value of water. You may have already heard this, but a lot of times when we feel hungry, we are actually thirsty. Water is important for circulation, regulating the biochemistry occurring in your body, and getting rid of toxins. I personally drank about two liters of water a day and that was plenty for me. I would enjoy have a cup of tea every morning (contrary to what experts said, I skipped breakfast last year), and if I brought a water bottle along with me to class it was enough to sustain me until lunchtime.

foodenthusiastmag.com

Now, this post was pretty informal and was based mostly on personal experience in the dining halls, so for more factual information and advice on general nutrition, please take a look at Harvard's article on what you should really eat.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day! To close, I just wanted to share this video--it's just some good food for thought:

Smile on,

-Riley XO

Summer 2014

Good morning, everyone! It seems kind of crazy to be thinking about the end of summer already, but it's come to the point where next week is my last week of work and I'm already making plans to move into my new home. This summer has been sort of a transitional period in my life, and although I didn't picture it to have gone this way, I am grateful for the peace I've been gaining as a result of it. Today I just wanted to share my summer experiences (and plans for the school year) and hearing all about yours. Please let me know all about the highlights of your summer or exciting plans in the comments below!

From wacky sleep cycles, to making money, to getting ready for the new school year, to Skyping with a special friend, to learning yoga, to consuming way too much sugar, it's been a lazy schedule overall. I think that when I'm living at home, I tend to enter some sort of state of hibernation. I learned the other night that when you don't get enough sleep on a night, you start to accumulate sleep debt, which can be made up for by sleeping a little longer within the next few nights. Considering my sleep schedule (or lack of it) during the year, I shudder to think about how much sleep debt I probably have. But the good news is that I've been paying off the deficit gradually.

Speaking of debts, I did my best to work a whole lot to help minimize that student debt. Last week I worked 38 hours, which is the most I've ever done. This week, I'll just have 28 hours which will be pretty nice. I surprisingly have a lot of expenditures: club fees, taekwondo competitions, plane flights (I'm hoping to visit my uncle sometime this year), and of course going out to movies and meals with friends. I recently started tracking my budget through mint.com, and I was utterly astounded at how much food I bought. People with mortgages will probably laugh at me, but I spent so much money on food this summer! I was quite impressed with myself. Anyhow, this summer it dawned on me that living can get pretty expensive. So, I went on to apply for two jobs and managed to land both of them.

The first job is probably the one that you'll care more about (I'll explain why): working the front desk at the residence hall I'll be living in. I've got the graveyard shift, guys. There won't be very much to do during these wee hours of the night, so I'll probably be writing to you during these times! I can't make any promises, but we might step it up from one post a week to two posts a week. I guess we'll see how it goes! My semester is going to be a lot busier because I'll also be working as a tutor and also got a position as a research assistant in a health psychology lab. I am definitely excited to be busy this semester after a relaxed spring semester fresh from transferring and the lazy pace of this summer.

Some of my friends found it hard to believe when I told them, but I haven't practiced any taekwondo this summer! There were just too many conflicts with my work schedule and personal things going on too. I try to console myself by saying that I've been doing yoga. Don't get me wrong--the meditative style of yoga has helped with my flexibility and is great fun. It's a form of exercise that I'm hoping to incorporate into my morning routines during the school year because I do enjoy it, but I missed taekwondo quite a lot. Anyhow, these are two of my favorite yoga classes by Ali Kamenova that I've found to be awesome for beginners and have been trying to master lately:

Other than that, I had a wonderful experience going on a cruise around Scandinavia and Northern Europe earlier this summer! We ate lots of delicious food, met many incredible people, and saw lovely sights. It was an absolute pleasure and I am grateful for that family time.

Well, those are my highlights. What are some of yours? And what are you most looking forward to for the year? Let me know in the comments! Next week, I'll be writing a post on what working in the food industry has taught me, so don't forget to subscribe!

Smile on,

-Riley XO

Sign of Beauty?

Have you guys ever seen Life is Beautiful? I think that it's one of those classic films that everyone should eventually see since it makes such a powerful statement on happiness, self-sacrifice, and love. (I rarely recommend movies on this blog, so if you're reading this and haven't seen the film yet...there is my nomination for the next movie night!)

Anyhow, I'm thinking about Life is Beautiful this morning because I came across a quotation that I wanted to share with you guys:

I admire the few gifted people who manage to find the best in those around them, and often do my best to be like that. But, I would like to explore this thought a little further.

For instance, the protagonist of the film Life is Beautiful undoubtedly portrays remarkable inner beauty and a noble sense of character, but he isn't actively seeing beauty in others. He is only close to his small inner circle of friends and family. The sign of a beautiful person must then be broader.

People are beautiful if they have a genuine love for others in their hearts. 

Love is a complex thing. (Understatement of the century, right?) I mean, have you ever thought of love as an action? This is one idea that's been around philosophy for a while. Let me illustrate:

Let's say that Person W loves Person X. Every time W sees X, his/her heart starts swelling up with love, and s/he has this wonderful feeling in his/her heart. However, W constantly treats X with a tone of condescension, constantly ignores X's phone calls, and while they're together, W is often dismissive and in general fails to go out of his/her way to do nice things for X. Does W really love X then? Can W be said to be beautiful in her/his "love" for X?

Or, more plainly, if you love somebody but don't really do anything so that the other party knows that you love him/her, do you really love them significantly? 

I've mentioned agape in one of my posts before, but the most basic definition of the term is "pure self gift." One way I think of it is sort of a selfless version of love, one that puts all mankind before the self, or individual. 

So, yes. In order to show love to a person, there is a necessity to put some sort of value into her/him--to see his/her beauty. But, the beautiful person will take it further. The beautiful person not only feels love--the beautiful person does love.

Smile on,

-Riley XO

Health in College Part 2: Sleep!

'Ello there, hope you had a wonderful Easter Sunday! Welcome to the second week of our Health in College series! We did a little bit of reflection on body image last week and today I wanted to talk about something that affects most--if not all--of the college students I know. Catching those Zzzz's.

If only we could all sleep like babies!
efficientlifeskills.com

Sleep is one topic that interests me a lot. The neurobiological responses that occur during sleep are weird; dreams are bizarre and for me having a dream is entertaining and suspenseful like reading an adventure novel since I'm a lucid dreamer; and we don't even know why we need sleep or how sleep heals the body after demanding days--I think that just makes sleep mind-boggling in and of itself.

For those of you who don't empathize with my conviction that sleep as one of the most complex and fascinating topics in psychology, this video is for you:

Anyhow, I saw one of those memes that said "If you are in college getting more than eight hours of sleep a night, you're doing something wrong." This seemed kind of silly to me because college isn't about staying up all night--it's about learning, spending time with friends, discovering yourself, making new memories, and of course earning your degree. I guess it's fair to say that if a person sleeps all day every day, then that person won't be successful with accomplishing everything she or he needs to do. However, I'd say that there's a certain threshold you can reach that would make having less sleep impact your performance negatively.

As a lot of you probably already know, I believe that each person should do what's best for herself or himself. It's hard to know the right amount of time you should be sleeping, because each of our bodies functions differently, but I happened to do some of research that is helpful for getting enough sleep. So all I can really do now is compile some options for getting a healthy amount of sleep and feeling more alert and upbeat during all the activities and events that happen throughout the busy day. I hope you find something that fits you. Basically, research on REM sleep has made it possible for ordinary people to drastically reduce the amount of sleep that we need--possibly to only two hours every twenty-four hours!

I. The Monophasic Cycle
This was the first sleep schedule I was exposed to. It's the most standard/common one, so I won't spend a ton of time on it. Basically, there are 24 hours in a day and a well-balanced lifestyle will divide those hours into three portions: one for work, one for play, and one for sleep.  Research shows that it's best to get around 7-10 hours of sleep a night because it gives people the right amount of REM cycles. This is probably the most common one and is easiest when it comes to planning things. But some science has been done to find alternatives for those who don't have as much time to sleep, and these are discussed below.

II. The Byphasic Cycle
Basically, you sleep for five hours a night and then take a twenty-minute-long nap sometime after lunch. I personally used this schedule first semester of college because I had several classes that started at 8:00 and would usually not go to bed until 1:00 or 2:00 (AM) doing work and spending time with friends or Skyping or whatever. Now-a-days I alternate between the byphasic and monophasic cycles because my schedule is different and allows me to get to bed early some nights.

mrwallpaper.com

III. Napping Cycles
There are a couple other cycles that essentially consist of not having a main block allotted for sleep and instead focus on taking several naps throughout the day. I'm kind of scared of trying these ones for a couple reasons. Firstly, I spend a lot of time on the computer, and looking at the screen that much makes it difficult to fall asleep, and I feel like the whole nap time would be spent trying to fall asleep. Secondly, these cycles are based on staying in the lighter stages of sleep, so I question if these cycles would be healthy in the long-term, since I personally believe that deep sleep is important for the body to recharge. (I don't know anyone who's done this cycle for their whole life, if reported benefits are unique to the few people who try them, etc. The woes that come with uncertainty!) Thirdly, if you miss a nap then you'll be in big trouble, so these sleep schedules require very careful and strict planning; this can be a problem especially with busy days. Fourthly, I like my warm and comfy bed.

But it looks like several people have used these, and if you're interested in trying them out, here they are:

1. The Dymaxion Cycle: Four 30-minute long naps a day, five hours apart. 
2. The Uberman Cycle: Six 20-minute-long naps a day, each three hours apart.

Maybe I'll try each of these out for a week or two and report back to you guys in the future. If you would like to learn more details on each type of sleep cycle and see pie graphs, follow the link to Collective Evolution's article Alternative Sleep Cycles: 7-10 hours are not needed.

Have you ever tried any of these schedules? Do you think you're getting the right amount of sleep? Let me know in the comments below!

I wish I could write a whole series just on sleep, but this is all for today. To see Part 1 of this series (on Body Image!) click here. And to make sure you receive updates on the next parts of the series, please follow me on Twitter or Bloglovin'! (Or subscribe by email on the right sidebar!) Thank you for reading and I'll see you around next week.

Take care,
-Riley XO

Health in College Part 1: Body Image

Hello there! Has everything been going well for you? I hope it has. Last night, two special friends and I stayed up super late studying for a Chemistry exam and on the way back to our dorm we saw the blood moon! Did any of you see it too?

Well, as some of you may know, I was at Taekwondo Collegiate Nationals  a couple weeks ago, so I've been thinking a lot about fitness and health lately. And it's been a while since I've done a series, so that little light bulb flashed in my brain and I thought, "Why not do a series on health? Whoa!" (Okay, so I'll admit that was a bit of an exaggeration, but I'm still pretty excited to share some of my fitness routines and ideas with you all.) Let's get started!

Today I wanted to focus on body image, which is one of the trickier things to deal with in college. I personally believe that I have never put so much thought into my physical health until I got to university. To be honest, I think a large part of it has to do with the double-edged presence of dining halls and the college culture. I've had a relatively excellent experience with dining halls at my school because there is a huge variety of options and it is literally a source of pride for our campus. However, it's bad because there is nobody limiting you. Like a lot of college freshmen, there is a transition from eating mom's home-cooked meals every night, with the occasional excursion to a restaurant, to being in a buffet atmosphere for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You really learn to control how much you're eating and make smart decisions about what you're putting into your body. People who don't make the right choices of how much and what food they're eating end up having, as one would naturally assume, unhealthy eating habits.

And as for "college culture"...

I'm not going to talk about how sex culture affects body image in college because it honestly varies between campuses and even friend groups. But as for the overall "college culture," there is the general belief that your college years mark the prime of your life. This is the last chance for kids to be kids. The time to make mistakes, the time just before metabolism starts slowing down, the time to party, hang out with friends, to laugh and live. So with this comes the pressure to also look the part of a college student. People at "the prime of life" are supposed to be healthy, strong, and fit.

I believe that the college student's body image is formed by these pressures.

It is important to have a good body image because having a misconstrued body image can be detrimental to self esteem.

So what makes a good body image?

The media sends us a clear message, but the message makes us insecure. It makes us insecure because the media shows only one image that all people should project. Men should have washboard abs, a broad chest, strong jawline, muscular shoulders, and height. Women should have luscious hair, the right curves in the right places, flat stomachs, and glowing skin. White hairs, wrinkles, and fat are abominations that everyone must be rid of. You see, society doesn't help us find a good body image because society only has one body image. Society doesn't account for the fact that there are billions of people here, and none of them fit perfectly into the box that they've constructed. People don't fit into boxes. We are meant to be free, to explore, to do things.

We need to find the good body image by looking into ourselves, because body image is unique to each of us.

The human body is like a vessel. 

You wouldn't have much fun on a cruise ship if it wasn't beautiful on the outside in--or if it didn't even have functional parts. There are certain things that the cruise ship needs in order to make it a cruise ship, to make it float and do its job: music, food, sleeping areas, a well-functioning engine, rudders, etc. However, if the ship is too decked out, it wouldn't even be able to leave the dock!

Image from bangkok-cuises.com

This is how our bodies are too. Not caring about what we eat, throwing proper hygiene out the window,  and avoiding exercise is like using a bad quality of oil, not cleaning the pools, and not checking up on the engine to ensure proper function. And on the flip side, if we are too concerned with maintenance, what fun is it if we don't have the time to do anything else? Balance is key when it comes to health (and many more things too--but those discussions will just have to be saved for future posts).

One part of body image comes from loving myself and knowing that I am blessed to be who I am. Another part of it comes from setting goals--not only that, but it actually comes from the progress I experience as I'm moving toward my goals.

Let's do some reflection with our lives and start finding a positive body image that is our own.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What do I want to do with my life? - Do I want to go hiking, swimming, and dancing during the weekends? Do I want to live longer with less concern about getting sick when you're older? Do I want to make new friends by joining a team? Did I know that healthy people tend to be happier too?
• How good of physical shape must I be in in order to accomplish my goals? 
• What can I do to reach this physical shape that I must be in? - How many times can I go to the gym in a week? What makes a good, balanced diet? How much sleep am I getting? What can I do to maximize my time and health?

The next posts in this series will serve to address these questions and promote healthy habits. I hope you'll find them motivating and helpful as we go through the weeks. My vision for this series is to help us recognize the beauty we each have and work to preserve this beauty. Health and happiness are beautiful things, don't you think? 

If you have any insights or suggestions of things you would like to see, please email me or leave a comment below!

healthunlimitedbiz.wordpress.com

Take care,
-Riley XO

No Mirrors Challenge!

Greetings, person of the Internet! A while ago, my Genders Studies professor encouraged us to go without either technology or mirrors for a week. Since staying in contact with my friends and family was important to me, I chose to forgo looking at my reflection. It sounds sort of silly at first, I know. But in the end, I ended up taking a lot more out of it than I expected to. It was surprising how much I look at my own reflection and how difficult it turned out to be! Today, I will be sharing some of the takeaways I got from this experience. (Warning: At the end, you too will be challenged to try a mirror fast.)

truthinwords.wordpress.com

To be honest, I didn't think that living without mirrors would be very difficult for me. I believe myself to focus on seeing inner beauty of the people around me, and since I try consistently to see beyond the physical appearance, this challenge seemed like cakewalk. Sure, it would be kind of awkward when I couldn't look straight forward while brushing my teeth or washing my hands, but it really was only a couple minutes of the day. When talking to my other classmates about how they coped with the mirror challenge, my reliance on mirrors was definitely not the same as theirs. I was literally shocked to hear that some girls would refuse to even leave the dorms when they felt like they could not control and monitor their own appearance. Soon after the first day, however, I started experiencing some version of stress over the challenge.

It wasn't only mirrors that I was supposed to avoid looking at, but pretty much everything that could give me a glimpse of my physical appearance: polished glass, computer/phone screens, windows, clear pools of water, etc.

Something inside of me changed. I felt out of sync with myself because I just didn't have any feedback about what I looked like. Mirrors helped me regulate what was going on in my body all the time. "You have some dark circles; a nap wouldn't be a bad idea. You look a little pale; let's get some juice," I would often say to myself as I washed my hands. It's easier to know how you feel when you can visualize how it is affecting you. Without this sort of sense of self-monitoring, I felt out of touch with myself. Isn't it strange how that turned out?

When I needed to avoid mirrors, I started to realize how often I look at myself, too. Even if it's merely a passing glance at my reflection on a shiny black car, I get a sense of self-affirmation when I see my reflection. I tell myself that I'm beautiful. I smile at myself on nice days and give myself pep-talks on hard ones. Treating yourself well is a must, and I hadn't realized until this mirror challenge that looking at yourself and knowing yourself goes into treating yourself well.

I've also learned to focus on looking at the right things. American society is so preoccupied with looks and appearances; a lot of people look in the mirror, but instead of seeing beauty and the capacity to create and love, see fine lines, wrinkles, flaws.

So, now that I am able to look at my reflection again, I feel very blessed to know what I look like and have started to love my facial features and expressions more than before. I don't mean it in a vain way--I mean it in the healthy way. (Would you rather go through life filled with self-loathing, or with a sense of sound self-love?) I think that, especially in this culture that we exist in, it is helpful to take away something first in order to appreciate it more later.

And now I encourage you, dear reader, to try it. Can you make it through a week without looking at your own reflection? How do you think mirrors have impacted your life? What will you learn?

If you do the mirrors challenge and reflect on it on your own blog, please share the link to your post in the comments below. And if you have any initial thoughts about what I've shared with you today, please let me know about them as well. Your opinions are so valuable to me!

Take care,
-Riley XO

5 Hair Care Tips

Hello there everybody! How was your last week? I am still adjusting to college life and have been in the process of getting plugged into everything that's been going on around campus. I've been having a great time though, and even though there's so much happening here I'm so happy that I'm finding time to keep this blog up. I wish I could post twice a week like I was able to during the summer, but Tuesdays will just have to continue being our special day. Thank you for visiting time to time because I really enjoy your readership!

College life. Word.

This Tuesday is all about hair. I actually meant to write this many weeks ago, but let's just say that life happened. Last summer, I developed a random obsession for hair because I decided that I wanted to grow it out and then donate it to Locks of Love. My mom made me cut my hair pretty much all the time and now that I'm a college student, I thought it'd be fun to let it be long for once in my life. This being said, it became important for me to take better care of my hair to prevent split ends so that it could be healthy and grow to its full length.

(On a side note, I would not consider myself to be a master of beauty, but I've found that when I focus more time on my appearance my confidence increases. I also find myself being more alert during the day. So that is why I'm sharing a little bit of this today.)

Wow, I just noticed how pale my face looks in this picture...fail.

Anyway, I've found that college keeps me so busy running everywhere to get things done that it's been harder to set a lot of time aside for beauty. But it doesn't mean you shouldn't ever feel pampered! This post is especially for fellow college students who want to look and feel their best and spend little time doing so. Without further ado, here are my top five hair care tips for busy college students!

Tip #1: Don't wash it a lot.
Okay, this initially sounds kind of gross, but in all actuality, we wash our hair way too much. It is important to remember that hair is at its best when it's in its natural state. Secondly, when we wash our hair, it actually strips the hair of good nutrients too. If hair is washed too frequently, your body naturally compensates by producing more oil (which is no good because we want poofy, soft hair). The best thing to do is to only rinse your hair if you shower every day until it starts getting oily--then shampoo only when it starts collecting oil. You'll see soon enough that your hair will be less oily for longer amounts of time, and when it's in its natural state, it will grow stronger and longer.

Tip #2: Use a wide-toothed comb.
When I get out of the shower, I always want to brush my hair right away because tangles drive me insane. Hair brushes aren't very gentle, though, so I use a wide-toothed comb which still does the job. I've actually noticed that my hair falls out less because of this. So, hey, that's cool right?

Tip #3: Condition!
I'm currently using Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner, and I condition every time I wash my hair. However, I also recommend purchasing a leave-in conditioner. I use Pantene, and it's designed for overnight care, but it's helpful because whenever my hair is looking dry or a little frizzy, I just apply a little squirt of it, and--voila!--instant results. A lot of people recommend deep conditioning treatments, but for me I don't have enough time to leave product or DIYs in my hair for half an hour because I like being out and about. But if you ever have some spare time during a long weekend or something, I recommend using honey, olive oil, and/or egg for a nice DIY hair treatment.

dingo.care2.com

Tip #4: Trim it every two months.
So the photo of me up above was posted to Twitter because I was so proud of myself for trimming my own hair for the first time. Trimming your hair gets rid of split ends, which in turn prevents hair breakage. I decided to trim my own hair because it seems like salons always take off a little too much. Since I'm growing my hair out, I only take a quarter of an inch off each time I cut it just to get rid of the split ends. Also, it's better to have one length (no layers) for donating hair, so trimming on my own is very doable for me.

Tip #5: Avoid contact with heat.
This is a no-brainer, but unfortunately we've reached the extent of my hair care ideas that I have found the most helpful. I almost never use hair dryers or straighteners, which helps my hair stay healthy and happy.

And that's about it for today! I hope you found these hair care tips useful, and if you'd like to see some more quick beauty tips for college life, please let me know in the comments (or feel free to share your own ideas in the comments, too!).

Have a great week and take some time out to pamper yourself!

Take care,
-Riley XO

5 Ingredients of Inner Beauty

Happy Tuesday! I stayed up the other night with some of my friends to watch the meteor shower last week. Did any of you make wishes on some "shooting stars"? Let me know in the comments!

I've been thinking about inner beauty quite a lot ever since I read Bailey's comment in a previous post. The manner in which she phrased it was so encouraging and it got me all excited about writing this post, but then I had to stop myself. Because, well, what in the world is inner beauty? It seems like beauty (inner or outer) is something that we can recognize but cannot ever fully define properly.

I believe that inner beauty is essentially the health of your soul. And like physical health, there are many variables which affect the health of your spirit. Having a positive attitude despite adversity is a discipline. Putting others before yourself takes exercise. And training yourself to be confident (note: confidence and arrogance are different) is a draining process because you need to find what you are confident about. Then there are all of the factors that you are putting inside yourself, your diet. How do the books you read or the movies you watch impact your perspective on life? Do your friends and family give you unconditional love and support? Do you go to church?

There are so many components to inner beauty, and they are intertwined and complex--you don't even have total control over some of them!--so for today I decided to talk about a couple that really stand out to me. Many of the other "ingredients" will probably surface later on in future posts, so five of them is sufficient for now. This post will be guided by two quote-pictures (does anyone have a better name for these?) that I found on Facebook a while ago and have been saving for a while.

So with all of that said, let's get started!

#1: Love
There are many types of love. Someone could probably start a whole new blog discussing even just a couple forms of love. (I mean, I suppose there are already thousands of blogs out there about romantic love, so I wasn't even exaggerating on that statement.) I'm going to try to keep it as brief as I can on this point since there are four other ingredients to discuss, but the most beautiful people I know have a lot of love in their hearts. Love for what they do, love for the people around them, love for themselves, love for God. Mother Teresa's famous quotation is "Do small things with great love." And guys, when you have love in your heart, everything in this world become so much more powerful, so much more meaningful.

Genuine, raw love is the greatest blessing that mankind has. It seems rare because it is so easy to complicate. What inspired me to start fostering love in my heart is Mother Teresa's quotation above. To do this, I started developing genuine interest for other people. When I meet someone new, one of the first questions I ask is: "What is your passion?" And swiftly following up: "Why do you do it?"

Developing love also involves tearing down walls and misconceptions. Before, it was difficult for me to feel attached to other people because I'd been betrayed by those who I'd cared about. Walls were naturally built, as a way to protect the heart. And the tragedy is that although these walls screen out pain, they also screen out love. Each person may have their own reason to have built a defense mechanism, but don't let the pain caused by a few lead you to neglect the thousands of people whom you have the opportunity to help during your lifetime. And if you are dealing with pain or when you deal with pain in the future, it is crucial to remember that it is ultimately your own choice to let it crush you or fight it--ultimately becoming a more mature, able person in the end. 

"The heart is a muscle. When it is broken, it grows back stronger." (Unknown) 

Society also plays a role in our struggle to love. Society teaches the concept of a social ladder: one that successful people are to climb. There is this hierarchy, where those on top generally look down on those at the bottom. Talented people are applauded, while those with modest or "average" abilities receive no recognition. But instead of considering those around you in a vertical manner, it is better instead to think of all people--big or small, black or white, religious or not, male or female, rich or poor--on a horizontal spectrum. While it may be natural to compare this trait with that one,  it is very easy to start "stacking" traits up. So upon meeting another person, it has helped me a lot to recognize the fact that s/he has his/her own story, strengths, weaknesses, and tribulations. Each person does--even you. And I am trying think more to myself, "What can I do to make their day better?" and "What can I learn from their story?"

This sort of mindset is one to take on for a loving spirit.


#2: Honesty
To me, it seems that usually people preach about being honest when it comes to matters dealing with "white lies." Lying vs. telling the truth is definitely a topic of deep philosophical meaning, so that will have to be reserved for a future post.

Anyway, today for this ingredient, I wanted to focus it more on the terms of self-reflection. Some unhappy people I know are dishonest with themselves on opposite extremes. Do you know anybody who tends to put him or herself down? It's an unrealistic way to look at oneself detrimentally because each person has both positive and negative qualities. Confidence is an important feature of inner beauty, so it is important to recognize your good traits, the ones that make you unique and fun to be around. Maybe you're a good listener, or are always there to lend a hand, or have a nice smile.

There is a fine line between confidence, or arrogance, though. So while being aware of the positive qualities is essential, it is also crucial to maintain a sense of humility--arrogance is a negative trait.

#3: Truth
Here is a value that is distinct from honesty. Honesty is mostly about being frank with yourself and others--asking questions like "Did I mess up?" "What did I do well today?" and "What can I do better tomorrow?"

Truth is slightly different because it's less reflective and more active. Truth is something we seek. It's obtainable by filling up your mind, by drinking in knowledge and wisdom. Read books, question others' opinions, learn from what others have learned. Find truth.


#4: Respect
Does it seem to anyone like our generation is losing respect as a whole? We don't seem to respect our parents in the same way they respected theirs; gossip destroys friendships; a sense of unsettling pessimism seems to drive the conscience of many. Drug abuse is a form of disrespect to our own bodies, and it's becoming a major problem.

Respect yourself, respect others, and respect the environment.

Treat others as you would have them treat you. So give them the benefit of the doubt, share with them, help them if they seem to be going through a rough time--even if you don't think they deserve it--because who knows? Maybe you'll be the person in need of some care and respect in the future.

#5: God

Having a relationship with God is the most important ingredient of inner beauty because it ultimately embodies all of the other ingredients. Praying to him gives you a sense of peace because you know he'll take care of your problems. He has set a pure example for loving those around us and instills a spirit of sincere compassion. Find him, and you will find truth, unconditional love, self-sacrifice, and a fulfilling lifestyle.

 

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And there are five ingredients of inner beauty. I hope you have a wonderful week and I will blog again soon!

 

I moved here to college safely, and I just wanted to thank all of my friends and family of supporting me through this process, especially my parents. I am also so happy that you also had a chance to read a little bit about my experiences through the series Get Ready For College With Me. Please subscribe and leave many comments--I love hearing from you guys and am willing to discuss just about anything!

 

Take care,

-Riley XO

7 Things To Do When You Don't Know What To Do

Hello everybody! Fancy seeing you here again. Have you ever had a day off and just wanted to spend it by yourself? Alone time is great--it can be so relaxing and spiritual if spent well. But sometimes I find that when I have such "alone time," I end up sitting in front of the TV for a few hours too long. It almost inspires a sense of guilt in me, because watching TV stimulates even less of your brain than sleep does! While it's a nice break every-so-often, it's not an ideal way to spend a lot of time doing, right?

Well, here is a brainstorm of quick, doable ideas that you can use if you're bored and would like to spice up your day. Enjoy!

1. Call up an old friend. Remember those good ol' days in high school (or middle school, depending on your age)? Well, contact your friends! Just talk to them, ask them what they've been up to, wish them a good day. Maybe you could even schedule a fun time with a couple of these friends to reconnect. Here is a quick list of 8 things you could do!
2. Lose yourself with a pen and paper. Okay, this one's easy for me to say because I love writing and try to do it every day. Writing is cathartic. It helps you sort through your thoughts, channel emotions, and gets those juices in your head flowing. I recommend writing a journal entry, poem, or short story. But if writing isn't your "thing," you could always try drawing something too. :)
3. Go for a walk. Just be one with your environment. Enjoy the sky, the grass, and buildings around you. If you happen to have a dog, walks are all the more fun--Blizzard (my little doggie) loves going to the park, and seeing him that happy brightens my day.
4. Start a 30-Day Challenge. Not a bad way to fill up some of that spare time. Watch this video for a bit of inspiration to start a new habit or end a bad one:
   
   
   
5. Try a work-out challenge. I have been trying to conquer the "Abs on Fire" workout by Blogilates. My results are embarrassing (mostly consists of me rolling around the floor in pain while she continues on her happy way), so that's why I like to do this on my own.
6. Learn something new. Watch a couple videos on iTunes U (right now I'm watching a series of lectures on personal finance...boring, but helpful), or I also like Vsauce on YouTube for little interesting tidbits.
7. Treat yourself. Go out and buy some frozen yogurt or try a simple new recipe that's sweet and delicious. Here's a bit from Blogilates again:

So there is a simple list of possible activities you can do when you are completely at a loss. If you have any fun ideas, please feel free to share by clicking on the comment bubble at the top of this post!

Have a great day, and take care!
-Riley XO

Being Active!

Hello everybody! How are you today? I'm not doing too bad myself. The other day for tae kwon do, I tested for my red and black belt. I'm not bringing this up because I'm super excited that I am just so close to getting my black belt...

Okay, that's partly the reason XD
image from mtviggy.com

However, the test was pretty intense and reminded me to get a quick post out regarding fitness, and give you a little bit of insight of how I stay active to hopefully inspire you guys to keep leading healthy lives.

I don't think I can stress the importance of working out--there's a plethora of reasons:

• Exercise will help you live longer.
• When you keep your body moving, you speed up your metabolism and blood circulation. This means you are more resistant to disease and diabetes.
• The Bible says that your body is a temple. We can take this as a lesson regardless of religion. You only get one body, so this body is so valuable (like a temple). We should take care of it, make it the best it can be because we are so blessed with this life.
• Working out increases your level of confidence. Having the motivation to get up and do cardio every day is quite a feat, after all.
• While exercising, your body releases endorphins. Yes--you can increase your happiness through exercise!

Like I said, there is a plethora of reasons. Those five are the main ones for me personally, but you can click the link 100 Reasons You Should Work Out if you want more.

So my routine is pretty straightforward and doable. I have to tell you guys that I am a complete nerd, one who spends so much time sitting down, whether I'm studying or on the Internet or practicing my violin... I'm on my bum for a majority of the time.

The moral of this story is: if I can do it, you can too!

Here's a schedule of what I do:

1. Wake up. I like to exercise in the mornings because it gives me a great feeling that carries me through the rest of my day.
2. Drink a glass of water. I usually also eat a small piece of bread or a little bit of fruit so that my body has something to process and doesn't kick into starvation mode when I start working out. It's important to put water and maybe a bit of food into your system especially if you're exercising in the mornings so you don't get weak during the workout.
3. Get in the zone. Have a routine or establish some visual cues before you work out so that your sympathetic nervous system will start preparing your body to get active. I splash some water on my face, put my hair up in a scrunchie, and dress in comfortable athletic gear.
4. Cardio for 30 minutes. I prefer doing the elliptical because I like reading while I exercise. For me it's like killing two birds with one stone. The elliptical is also nice because you can adjust resistance; it's also easier on your knees than a treadmill is. I'm currently reading Follow Me by David Platt. (During the school year, I bring textbooks. Like I said earlier, I'm a complete nerd.) I will read for 25 minutes, establishing a steady pace. And for the last five minutes, I push myself into a sprint and finish strong.
5. Cool down. I usually walk around, to relax my muscles and to catch my breath.
6. Stretch! I do tae kwon do, and flexibility is important or else you can seriously injure yourself. Stretching helps get blood into your muscles so it's good for muscle tone. It also helps with posture and prevents injury. I stretch after cardio because stretching on cold muscles is uncomfortable for me.
7. Strength training. My arms are the size of twigs and since I'm training for my black belt, I need to work my body so it will be able to do 100 squats, 100 sit-ups, 100 pushups, and 100 leg-lifts for that five-hour-long test. I give most of my attention to my abs and shoulders, so a lot of sit-ups, leg-lifts, and pushups. I also do a little bit of stretching in between to release tension.

This usually adds up to lasting an hour. When I'm done, I eat breakfast (a banana, or granola bar), take a cold shower and then I feel refreshed, in a great mood to tackle the day.

That's how I exercise in the mornings. An hour is such a small investment to how great I feel afterward. It's a pretty simple and straightforward routine, but the nice part about it is that you can make adjustments depending on your needs.

Again, being active is correlated to confidence and happiness. And you know what? Summer is the best time to be so because it's warm, bright, and comfortable.

If you have your own methods to working out or any other tips to share, please feel free to share in the comments below!

Take care as always. And happy June!
-Riley XO