It's a new year... try some Couscous!

When thinking of New Year’s Resolutions, I wanted to get a head start!  To go along with the theme of my health conscious, guitar practicing devoted Christmas break, I decided to get creative in the kitchen!

COUSCOUS- popular Mediterranean dish made from Semolina wheat, in the form of pasta like grains

Couscous is available in most grocery stores, and is very easy to prepare.  Combine with veggies or meat to spruce it up!

My kind of Couscous:

1 cup cooked Couscous (I like the Toasted Pine nut flavor)

corn

1/4 avocado sliced

diced tomato

sliced jalapeños (just the juice if you don't prefer the jalapeño kick) 

jalapeño juice 

a little pepper

Bonappetit!!!

Use Your Break to Get in Shape

A break from school shouldn’t mean a break from good eating and exercise habits.  I know it’s not impossible, but I will be the first to admit that it was tough staying in shape and eating healthy all of the time during my first semester of college.  Since exams are over and I wouldn’t have anything to study even if I wanted to, I have decided to dedicate my Christmas break to getting back in shape and learning a few songs on my guitar!

About getting in shape… it’s not just about improving outer body image!  Where that is really important to me, being in shape is just as important for my inside.  Having Diabetes, my body is already working extra hard to make up for a non-functioning pancreas.  Eating healthy and exercising goes hand in hand with controlling blood sugar and ultimately reducing the wear and tear on my organs! 

My exercise routine that only takes about 45 minutes… no excuses!!!

1.  CARDIO-

            Walk/run on the treadmill for 30 minutes

2.  ABS- 

            20 crunches

            20 calf lifts- 20 pushups

            1.5 min plank

            1 min side-to-sides with 10 lb. weight

            1.5 min plank

            20 calf lifts- 20 pushups

            20 crunches

3.  STRENGTH-

            20 one-arm rows (with each arm)

            20 overhead tricep extensions

            25-30 lunges

           

DONE!!!

Roomie Love!

The thought of going to college, being away from your family and thrown in a room with a complete stranger (more times than not), is so scary to think about.  All of the “horrible roommate stories” that people tell you make the thought of going to college even scarier.  First off, don’t take everything you hear to heart... personally speaking, I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate!  I don’t even think I told Sarah I had Diabetes until after we decided to room together!  I wasn’t trying to hide anything, its just one of those things that I don’t go around broadcasting.  I can't say that when I meet someone new, the first think I tell them is, "Hi, my name is Ashley and I have Diabetes."  (I would think I was weird)!  When I did tell her, it was just sort of a… I have this, and rarely ever have problems but if this or this happens, this is what you’re supposed to do.  It’s not an awkward convo at all… I don’t even know why people would think that!  Having Diabetes is something that the people you live with definitely should be aware of.  Last week, I exercised several times in one day.  Burning calories caused the amount of insulin and glucose in my body to become un-proportional, so I woke up with dangerously low blood sugar (30 something), in the night.  I ended up being fine, but it really scared me!  I started thinking, what if something had happened and no one knew about me having Diabetes... I would have been in a lot of trouble!  I feel completely safe knowing that Sarah will always be there to step in if something were to happen!  She’s the best :)