There are days when I terrify my roommates in my search for something to eat. When I am hungry, I have no patience and I must eat at that very moment. I like this recipe because it’s incredibly easy and it’s ready in minutes. When I am really in a hurry I use brown rice I have frozen or quinoa because it cooks quickly.

Today I finished “expertly” shoving all of my belongings into the back of the car (I pride myself in being an expert at car-Tetris). While packing I realized I am incredibly thankful this is my senior year, mostly because I am so tired of packing and unpacking two, almost three, times a year. It’s exhausting. I find myself incredibly tempted to pick one suitcase and my backpack and say forget it to the rest. Unfortunately that would be mean I would have very little to wear and my roommates and I would be eating cold food off the counter.

The good news is that with my moving comes more time for blogging and more ideas. I have a busy year ahead of me, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

First on my list (other than unpacking) is decorating my dorm. I can’t wait to share my new ideas.

Almost every day at work I get emails from PR groups that feature their clients’ latest samples and products. I get packages in the mail from companies that want us to review their products. I get to see a lot of yoga gear before it’s available for sale, especially clothing.

We all know the old adage that beauty is from the inside, but author of “Beauty Pure and Simple: the Ayurvedic approach to beautiful skin,” Kristen Ma, proves just how true this may be. Ma, an Ayurvedic practitioner and esthetician, breaks down complex Ayurvedic concepts and skin conditions into easily understandable chapters. Her solutions to problems like acne, dry skin, sensitive skin, and many other skin ailments are simple to understand and easy to follow.

Ma incorporates the whole body’s health in the belief that the skin reflects trouble brewing underneath. She also explains why conventional skin products and medication aggravate and can create many skin problems. The book details the best skincare routines for every problem or skin type without pushing products or turning into a TV “infomercial”.

This book is a must for anyone who struggles with acne, dry skin, sensitive skin, rosacea, eczema, aging, or who just want to make their skin as healthy and beautiful as possible. Ma guides readers to look internally and find what may be the true cause of their ailment and how to best reach whole body health and a healthy, radiant complexion.

It’s “the most important meal of the day,” and also the one many college students (and Americans) skip. When you are running late or rushing off to the next thing, it’s easy to cut out breakfast.

Because I value sleep just as much as starting out with a good meal, I like to eat things I can bring with me to work or my first class. I bring this protein-packed oatmeal in a commuter mug and eat it with a spoon when I’m on the go (the commuter mug keeps it steaming hot, even when I can’t dig in right away. It also contains the mess – just close the spill proof lid and toss it in your bag for the rest of the day.)

Protein-Packed Oatmeal

1/3 cup thick cut rolled oats
2/3 cup soy milk or water (I use soy for flavor and protein)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Dried or fresh fruit
Cinnamon to taste (I just shake it in until I like the flavor)
Nutmeg to taste (same as above)
Sugar, agave, honey, jam, or another sweetener to taste (or no sugar)

Follow directions from oat packaging for cooking.

Total protein: 15 grams

Homemade Body Butter Ingredients:

This part always makes me hungry. The coconut oil smells great and it looks just like a piece of a yummy dessert.

Place your butter into an air tight container and store in a cool place away from sunlight. (If the oil gets too hot it will melt and harden as it cools, losing its whipped texture and making it much harder to use.)

With the recent hype in the media about probiotics, companies are scrambling over one another to tell consumers about how great their product is and how powerful their probiotics are. By now most people know that probiotics support digestive health, the immune system, reduce inflammation, and support overall good health. What most people don’t know is how to find the best sources or product.

Fermented foods like yogurt and kombucha are a good source of probiotics. However, your stomach begins to break down the good bacteria before it reaches your intestine, so it is not the heaviest dose of probiotics. With that said fermented foods are still a great way to increase the amount of good bacteria in your digestive system.

How to pick the best probiotic

If you choose to use a supplement, there are a few things to keep in mind according to Dr. Shekhar Challa, author of “Probiotics for Dummies.” Be certain that the supplement:

1. Has at least five strains of bacteria.

2. Has at least 3-5 billion microbes. If you are currently experiencing digestive system problems or illness than you want to look for 5-10 billion.

3. Is encapsulated to protect it from your stomach and ensure that the microbes make it to your intestines.

Ads flash by me on the walls of the BART tunnels. The magazine I read on the train is at least 30 percent advertisement. As I walk out of the station and into the Financial District of San Francisco, I watch the people surge toward the street corners and take note of what they are wearing, driving, or riding. I get to work and I open boxes full of samples from companies who want them featured in the magazine and instantly decide if it’s something I like or not. 

On my lunch break I run the Embarcadero and wish I had a new running top for cold days and headphones that didn’t stop working as soon as I got sweaty. I like that girls shoes, I wish I had a bag like that, what if I had a bike like that guys. 

I’m bored while I eat lunch so I sneak online and I see what the best running headphones are, how much would a new shirt cost, wouldn’t it be great if I could own a shirt just like that sample sitting on my desk?

I know I’m not the only one to notice the advertisements and pretend like I don’t only to find myself thinking about the product later in the day. And it’s not just the ads, but also the people around us and what they have that make us want more things. 

This summer has been a constant struggle for me to balance these wild, and sometimes practical, consumer desires. In order to reduce just how many items I am buying to save not only money, but also the resources and environmental impact I have been:

1. Avoiding malls and stores. I only go when I have an absolute necessity and then I stick to my list.

2. I make a list of things that I absolutely “need” and things I would like. The items have to sit on that list for at least a week but ideally more than two. If after two weeks I realize I lived without it just fine I either delete it or move it to the want/like list. So far this summer I have added at least 20 items to my like/want list, and all except for one were deleted.

3. Look for another option. I have so many possessions already that I’m bound to already own the solution. I don’t need that bag because I have one that I can make work. I don’t need another running shirt if I do a load of laundry midweek. I don’t need a notepad because I can just divide the one I already own in half. It turns out I can fill my needs with what I already have for the majority of the things on my need list. 

4. Let it go. So what if I like something better than what I have? What I have works, and I liked it when I first bought it. It’s time to like what I have and realize that they are only objects, and if it’s not functional, I don’t need it.