Monthly Challenge Numero Tres: Writing Positivity

Ok, so I can tend to be a Debbie Downer [or Negative Nancy, whichever you prefer] more often than I am an Opal Optimism. [Wow, that was a bit much. Right?]

I tend to focus on the disappointments in my life and in the world as a whole more often than I think about the pleasure and joy that this world and the things in my life have to offer. So, I will take this month to write in-depth about something positive personally or globally. I will post some of these writings on here, but I may choose to keep some more private. I know this is a bit hokey, but I don't care. If nothing else it will help my writing skills. I am not going to commit to writing something every day because life tends to get in the way and then I get discouraged and give up [see?], so my goal is to write positivity most days this month. This is really an exercise in personal growth and enlightenment. I know that I have been very vague about what I am going to write about and I have done so intentionally [insert plug for the intentional vagueness of OWS here]. I may write about something I am thankful for, I may write about people who inspire me, I may write about something beautiful I have experienced. My only "rule" is that it be positive vs. negative. There is so much negativity that surrounds us these days, I just feel like I need a little joyous inspiration.

I hope you join me, and if you do, write about whatever you feel you need to get out [or put in, like me]. I think this will be a fun exercise!

Road Trip the Healthy [and Cheap] Way

I love road trips. Mainly because I love to drive, think and sing [not well, mind you]. Road-trips are usually chock-full of gas station "food", energy drinks and Mickey D's. On our most recent road trip to Bozeman I decided to have a fun excursion without all of the sugar, preservatives and taurine. It was actually pretty easy, but it did take a bit of preparation.

A little grilled chicken for some tasty lean protein.

Carrots to keep those eyes healthy [and alert].

And we just love cheese, so I had to throw some in there. There's really no great redeeming quality about cheese, but I eat it almost every day because I love it.

Avocados are a wonderful source of good fats [monounsaturated and polyunsaturated]. Plus they are really delicious. Although, I did have to bring a knife to cut these bad boys.

Bananas are perfect on-the-go food, they come in their own little wrapper. They are high in potassium, magnesium and vitamin c which is helpful because no one wants to get sick on a road-trip.

Apples and applesauce. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Enough said? [Oh, and don't forget a spoon for the applesauce]

Trail mix. Ok, so I am not quite sure if what we made is considered trail mix or just granola. It consisted of granola, almonds, walnuts, pecans, raisins, and other dried fruit, so you decide. Whatever you want to call it, it was a delicious and nutritious snack.

Lunch meat. I will be the first to admit that lunch meat is not the healthiest option, but it is easily transported and paired with cheese is a great little snack [and you could do a lot worse].

Hard-cooked eggs are a great on-the-go protein. I always make sure that we have some in the fridge in case I need some quick protein.

Finally, any road-trip would not be complete without coffee.

This fed us for two days, it was healthy and much cheaper than if we had relied on fast food or dining out. And all it required was a little prepration, a small cooler and some basic dining utensils.

Let the healthy road-trips continue!

Bozeman ♥

Recently Christian and I decided that we don't want to spend the rest of our lives earning minimum wage at service jobs [I know, right?]. So, that brought us back to the idea of school, which we had put off in part because it was nearly impossible in California with tuition hikes and Sac State not even accepting applications. Being in Montana [1 of 2 U.S. states running a surplus], it is actually possible to go to school because their education system has not suffered the major cuts that many other states have experienced. So, Christian and I applied and were accepted [!!!] to MSU Bozeman. He is going into their engineering program, and I have not decided between English and environmental studies [opinions and comments would be appreciated on that one].

So, a few weeks ago we decided to drive down and check out the campus and the city [we didn't want to pull another Seattle]. In short, we love Bozeman! The campus is really beautiful, they even have a warmed pond so that ducks stay all year round! The area is picturesque. Bozeman offers tons of outdoorsy [< that's actually a word] stuff and the school has all kinds of equipment rentals for super cheap. And there is an awesome co-op downtown! Obviously we have decided to go, we start in fall 2012; so we will be moving down there late spring or early summer. Yay!

This is a portion of the campus.

See, how cute?

A glimpse of downtown and the Co-Op.

Some swag.

My cousin, Chad, graduated from MSU. After he passed, this bench was erected in his memory at a Bozeman park. It was nice to finally see his little memorial :)

And here, Christian and I are sitting on a climbing rock that was partially donated by my aunt and uncle in memory of Chad.

We had a really awesome trip in many ways. We were able to see the school and fell in love with Bozeman. And I was able to visit a little piece of Chad. It was really wonderful.

Monthly Challenge Number 2: No Gluten November

Doesn't have the same "no shave November" ring to it, but hey I can only do so much. And I may participate in no shave November - it's gettin' cold 'round these parts and I'll take warmth however I can get it. Current temp: 35° and it's almost noon.

[Sidenote: SO. SCARED. OF. WINTER.]

Back to gluten.

So, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley.

So, why is gluten bad? Gluten gets a bad rap these days. There's gluten-free this and no-wheat that. But what exactly makes gluten bad for you? Well, gluten is hard for the human body to digest. Often gluten will sit in the intestines, undigested, and create a sticky barrier between the wall of our intestines and the food we eat preventing proper absorption of nutrients. This can result in malnutrition. Gluten can also cause allergic reactions in certain people. It has been estimated that a third of the American population is gluten sensitive. Even worse, it is estimated that one in 133 Americans has Celiac disease, although the vast majority of those people have not been diagnosed.

So, what is Celiac disease? Celiac is a very serious autoimmune disease that affects the small intestines. When a person with Celiac consumes gluten, it causes inflammation in the small intestines, which can eventually lead to permanent damage. Currently the only treatment for Celiac disease is an extremely strict, life-long gluten free diet.

So what is gluten sensitivity? Gluten sensitivity means that your body has an adverse reaction to gluten, but you do not experience an autoimmune response and you are not actually "allergic" to wheat. However, people who are gluten sensitive should avoid gluten.

So, why am I giving up gluten? Well, because I believe that if gluten is bad for most people, it is at least not good for everyone. That can be disputed and I have read up on differing opinions, but I hold to my belief.

So, you want to join me? Here is what you need to know. Gluten is found in traditional flour, rye flour, soy sauce, condiments, and a lot of other stuff. Check your labels carefully. The label will not list "gluten" under the ingredients, it will list "wheat," "rye," or "barley". There are other forms of gluten, but those are the most common. Oats on their own do not contain gluten, however, they are often processed on the same machinery that is used to process gluten-rich foods. So, if you want oats or oat-flour make sure you get those that are labeled "gluten-free." You can have rice, quinoa, and many other grains. If you are stuck, just do a quick google search to see if the food you want contains gluten.

So, wish me luck this month!