It has been a while..

Hello everyone! I can't believe that it has been like 5 months since I last posted. It's funny because the semester is finally over and the last post was talking about that semester.
So, what have I been up to? Well, for one thing, I actually got into a nutrition class. It's a Nutrition Counseling and Education class. It's a new prerequisite for some classes and I was super surprised that I got in. Seriously, twenty people tried crashing the class. The cool thing is that I plan on graduating Spring 2016. If everything goes right and I get into my classes, it'll happen.
Another thing is that I just finished my last final today. I get one week of break and then I start summer classes. I'll be taking two summer classes, throughout the whole summer. It's going to be marathon mode until winter break.
Another update is that I have a boyfriend! I'm so happy that I met him. He's a really great guy. Things have been going really well with him and I've been pretty happy.
There isn't too much to say now. Balancing being a full time student, working part time, and relationship is hard and tiring. But, it's worth it. I have until next year (when I graduate) and then things will be easier.
I guess that's it for now! Remember to check out my other blog, Hevil's Healthy Devil.

What have you guys been up to? 

What's Coming Up Next Semester

It has been a while since I had posted here. At least it is not a three month gap I had last time! I am extremely sorry for being spotty on posting here but my main blog is Hevil's Healthy Devil.

I am keeping this blog because it has archived my life for the past few years and I don't want to lose it.

Anyway, life has been crazy. The past few months have been crazy and stressful. I decided to take this semester off after trying to take the second part of chemistry for 6 weeks. The only way to drop the class was to drop the semester, so, I did. Crazy things have happened since I got a novio during the summer til the time we broke up (and after). I have also been working more since I took the semester off.

The FAN Club (Food and Nutrition Club) has been doing pretty well this semester. We had a Nutrition Panel and it was a good experience.

So, my plan for next semester is to get into a Nutrition Class. It's ridiculous how there are not enough nutrition classes for our major. I register for classes on Wednesday but the classes I can take for my major are all full. I can't take further nutrition classes until I take this one class. This class is a new prereq for some classes that I need to take. It is actually a new class, since it has only been a year since they have offered it.

The classes that I KNOW I will be taking next semester are Spanish and Mandarin. I'll have to see if I can get into a nutrition class. If not, I will be taking random classes next semester to get the units.

Another thing I didn't mention in my other post is that I probably won't become a Registered Dietitian. My plan is to get a BA in Nutrition and get a Master's in Public Health. Becoming a Dietitian means a lot of science and it isn't really for me.

I guess that is it for now. I will continue posting here once in a while but be sure to follow my other blog, Hevil's Healthy Devil.

Work + Updates

Hi everyone! I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted here. I have been so busy and have been caught up with so many things.

What can I update you guys on? Well, I had a boyfriend. Let's just say that being with a divorced alcoholic has its problems.  I'm taking this semester off from school. And, I decided to study nutrition instead of dietetics. I decided that dietetics is not for me. I was taking the 2nd part of general chemistry and I decided it was not for me. I also have a job with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. I have been working there since July.

I also ran a half marathon on October 5 and ran my first 5k on the 25th. My half marathon time this year was terrible. It was hot that day and I finished about 16 minutes slower than last year. I did great on my 5 k though. I ran it in 27:20.

That's pretty much all I can say for now. I am the Public Relations officer for the Food and Nutrition Club and we had some great events. There isn't much to update on. There are a lot of more updates on my other blog, Hevil's Healthy Devil.

How's life?

What have you been up to?

Updates + Half Marathon Training

It's been a while since I last posted. I can't believe it. My summer class ended a few weeks ago and I passed! Those were a hard 6 weeks, I tell you. The class itself was already hard enough during the semester, which is 16 weeks. I had to learn 16 weeks worth of information in 6 weeks. I'm pretty proud of myself.

Anyway, this summer has been pretty busy and quite productive, if I say so myself.

For one thing, I forgot if I mentioned this, but I am one of two Public Relations Officers for the Food and Nutrition/ Dietetics Club at my school for the upcoming year. I have so much planned for this position. It is a new position and we are playing along with it as the year goes on. I'll be updating the Facebook and Instagram accounts for the club. More will probably be added later but we'll see how the year goes! We had two officer meetings so far before the year starts and I think it's been pretty productive.

Another thing I want to mention, before I forget, is that I will be running the Urban Cow Half Marathon again. Here is my plan. I also posted this on my other blog, Hevil's Healthy Devil.

My time last year was 2 hrs 1 min 48 sec. I want to beat that time this year. That means I will have to train hard. Wish me luck! 

I guess that is it for now. I have been super busy the past summer, which was kind of unexpected. I didn't know how my summer would turn out. I like how my summer is going though. Don't worry. I'll do my best to post at least once a month here. I will never stop posting here, even though I have another blog. I started off here and there's just a lot of memories here. 

What have you guys been up to? 

Have you guys ran a half marathon?

Summer Class: Nutrition and Metabolism

The summer has been going by so quickly! 

I am taking a summer class, called Nutrition and Metabolism, my birthday was last week, and my grandparents are visiting from Canada. I've been so busy!

Here is just part of the summer work I've been doing. 

I have an exam this week. I've been studying hard for it. In three weeks, we learned 8 chapters! I have about three more weeks of summer class left. 

As for my birthday, I went shopping with my cousin, got a foot massage, ate at the Cheesecake Factory, and went dancing for a bit. It was fun. 

I so wanted this dress. 

 

Please excuse my face. lol. I liked the dress. It was from Nordstrom but I was just window shopping. I think it's a nice dress though. 

I would have taken a picture of the food at the Cheesecake Factory but the lighting was a bit dim. The pictures of the food wouldn't have turned out well. I ordered a Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake for dessert, which I split with my cousin. The cake was delicious! 

I guess that is it for now. Hopefully, you guys can learn a bit about nutrition and metabolism from the picture of my notes! 

Remember to check out my other blog, Hevil's Healthy Devil. 

How are you guys doing?

What have you been up to?

Summer!!!!!

Happy Friday everyone! How are you guys doing today? I'm doing fine, thank you very much.

Here's a song that shows how I feel right now.

It's summer time! Well, it is until my summer class starts the week after next. I will be taking Nutrition and Metabolism. Fun!

I guess that is all I can say for now. I won't be running the half-marathon I planned to run but that's okay. I will be running one in October, the Urban Cow Half-Marathon. It'll be a yearly tradition for me!

How have you guys been?

What are your plans for summer?

Lately

Hey hey everyone. It's been a while since I posted here. Head over to my other blog, where I post more often. It's called Hevil's Healthy Devil.

I still post here because I have so many memories with this blog. I captured my entire China trip experience here! Oh, memories. Anyway, I should be talking about what I have been up to lately. Here's the scoop.

• I ran a 10 mile race last Sunday. It was the Capital City Classic. 
• Ballroom dancing is so much fun! I have a new interest for ballroom dancing. 
• My classes this semester are going pretty good so far. I had a group presentation in my Spanish class today. It was on Cuba. I did my part of the presentation on Cuban hip-hop, rap, and salsa. I played some Cuban hip-hop music and I danced salsa with un amigo. I got an A on the presentation. 
• I ate thai food for the first time last week. My co-workers and I went out to eat and it was pretty nice eating out with them. Thai food tastes so good! I don't like the smell of the food though. 
• The semester is almost over. I can't believe it!

One last thing I want to say is that I think I know where I want to head with nutrition/dietetics. I want to go in the direction of public health and food policy. I have been volunteering with two state departments for a while and it has really opened my eyes. When I first started college, I was heading towards becoming a pediatric dietitian, working with children. Now, I'm interested in public health and food policy. 

Anyway, I guess that's it for now. I really hope to study abroad one day

What about you guys been up to? 

What are your plans for the summer?

My 2nd Half-Marathon

Hey guys! I've been a bit busy lately but I want to give you guys a quick update!

I am training for my 2nd half-marathon, which is in June! I am so excited. My running hasn't been that good lately, but I will change that. I am hoping to set a new PR, under 2 hours. Wish me luck!

Here is my tentative schedule. I also posted this on my other blog.

I say tentative because I ran 7 miles yesterday. Today, I am taking a rest day. I don't know if I'll take a rest day on Saturday but we'll see. I may end up running. Who knows!

In other running related news, my uncle is running his first half marathon on Sunday. I am so happy and excited for him. I'll be there to cheer him on. I'll be waiting at the finish line! In the meantime, I'll be running my own 7 miles! Or 8. It depends on how I feel.

I guess that is it for now. There isn't much to update on. I've just been going to school and also doing volunteer work.

Have you ran a half-marathon?

What have you guys been up to?

California Agriculture Day 2014

Hey hey everyone. I'm just here to say that tomorrow, March 19, is California Agriculture Day! National Agriculture Day is March 25.

I am saying this because learning about agriculture is important. It's part of how we get food onto our tables. Whether it is about food safety, food policies, it is all important!

Do you think agriculture is important?

  I do!

P.S. Here's the website to National Agriculture Day. 

http://www.agday.org/

Lately...What I have been up to

This semester has been quite relaxing compared to last semester. Remember last semester, I took 19 units, one of which was chemistry? It was so stressful and I was so busy. Take into account that I was training for my first half-marathon during that time, I was pretty wiped out. I don't know how I survived last semester. 

This semester has been quite different. I am not taking any classes for my major (the upperclassmen got priority). However, I am taking classes for my General Education (GE). I'll be pretty much done with my GE. I am taking 13 units this semester. They are all cultural classes. Asian American Woman, Society and Culture of the Middle East, Spanish and English. I am loving my classes. Even though these classes are not for my major, they will help me in my career. I'll be in contact with many people from different cultures. Learning about these cultures will help my understand my clients/patients better. Along with that, I have been volunteering more. It's a great resume builder!

As you see, I am trying to balance my workload with volunteering (and from last semester). Anyway, there is something that I have been wanting to talk about. 

Listen to your body. That is something I should have done after my half-marathon. Training for one puts a lot of pressure on your body. I was running 30+ miles a week, along with doing boot camp. I slept an average of 5-6 hours a day. I was so busy with school. I overworked my body. I felt my calves tightening and starting to hurt. My knees started to hurt as well. I still worked out after my half-marathon. Even though I wasn't putting in as many miles, I should have let my body rest. 

I am paying the price for it now. I feel more tired and exhausted. My body still feels sore. After my half-marathon, I should have given my body a week rest to recover. Instead, I'll be doing it now, starting tomorrow. I may do pilates, yoga, and walk. But for the most part, I'll be resting. My body needs it. Hopefully, my muscles recover and grow. Hopefully, I won't feel as tired anymore. 

Have you ever overworked your body? If so, how did you deal with it?

What have you been up to lately?

I'm Back!!!

Hey guys! I've been blogging at my new blog, Hevil's Healthy Devil.
I've missed blogging on here. There's so much history that I can't just stop blogging on this one too.
So, I have decided to start blogging here too. It won't be as often as before but I will still be blogging here. It'll probably be a weekly post.

Anyway, what have you guys been up to lately?

New Blog

Hey guys. I created a new blog over at WordPress. Go over and check it out. I'll be blogging there at my new blog. hevilshealthydevil.com  Also, follow me on my new twitter. @hevilhelen

Thank you guys for reading. Happy New Year. I'll see you guys at my new blog.

Top Posts + 2013 in Review

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! I can't believe that tomorrow is going to be a New Year. 2013 went by so quickly!

My top 3 posts for 2013 are:

Tangyuan

Chinese Sponge Cake

Traditional Chinese Prosperity Cupcakes

And, for my 2013 in review, here is a list. I don't want to add pictures because it would make this post have too many pictures.

• I can't believe I visited Stanford in March! 
• I started interning for FoodCare, Inc in May 2013. 
• I went to visit Hearst Castle with my grandparents in July 2013. 
• I ran my first half-marathon on October 6, 2013.
• I made it through my semester of 19 units. 
• My group did well on our project about Nepal in my Social and Cultural Aspects of Food class. 
• Visited the U.C. Berkley campus

Oh, before I forget. This is going to be 100% unrelated to 2013 in reviews

At an Asian bakery near Berkely, I saw this Mocha Cream bun. It looked delicious! 

And at Target, I saw these Siracha Chips. 

Instead, I bought these Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips. 

and these:

• Botanics Tinted Lip Balm: Guava Sheer
• Botanics Matiffying Day Cream Shine Away Sunscreen 
• Cover Girl's Mocha Lip Balm  (hey, it was on sale for just over $2)
• And a brush. 

And, I guess that's it!

 My 2013 wasn't too eventful. I am happy that I did run my first half-marathon. And, it was my first race too! Boy, when I do something, I go big. 

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! 

Remember to head over to my new blog tomorrow. Hevil's Healthy Devil.
Also, follow me on my new twitter: @hevilhelen

Blog Update

Hey guys! It's going to be New Year and I decided to switch over to my new blog, Hevil's Healthy Devil. I've been talking about this for a while and now, it's almost here!
Be sure to head over to my new blog tomorrow at midnight (aka, the New Year). That is when my blog will go live!

Once you get there, be sure to subscribe for updates!

There, you will also see my new twitter. Be sure to follow me on my new twitter @hevilhelen

Thank you guys so much for reading! I will see you guys over at my new blog.

P.S. Don't worry. I will occasionally post here but it won't be as often.

Tip of the Week

Hey everyone. How are you guys doing today?

I am doing fine, thank you very much. I'm sorry for posting so late today. My family and I went to see the UC Berkeley campus today. We also went shopping at the Vacaville Shopping Outlet after. I bought two dresses!

Anyway, the tip for this week is to make realistic New Year's Resolutions. Set small goals instead of one large one.

For example, instead of saying "I will lose 20 pounds", say "I will lose one pound a week". That way, it won't seem as daunting.

Instead of cutting out all the "bad" food right away, make gradual changes. That way, you'll be more likely to stick with those eating habits. Each week, switch to a healthier alternative. If you eat white bread, switch to 100% Whole Wheat Bread. If you eat white rice, mix half white rice and half brown rice. Later on, you can switch to 100% brown rice. Switch to whole grain flour when baking. Use half all purpose flour and half whole grain flour. After getting used to the taste and texture, switch to 100% whole grain.

And here is the eating plan I said I would post. It is not 100% complete, but I do know what I will be generally eating. I won't be making up the meals as I go.

Wednesday, New Year, might be a little different since my relatives will be visiting for the New Year. But, hey. Things don't always go as planned. Just make the best of it.

How was your day?
How are you celebrating the New Year?

Weekly Goals

Happy Sunday everyone. I hope your day went well today.

So, I did pretty well on my goals for last week. I did do pilates, I enjoyed time with family and my new blog is almost ready. It will be ready by New Year. Remember that I will post the link of my new blog on the 31st.

My goals for this week are similar to last week's goals.

On unrelated news, here's something you guys should watch. This young man, Uudam, is singing a song, dedicating to his deceased mother. The song, in English, is called "Mother in the Dream". It is a really beautiful song that is sung in Mongolian on a Chinese version of America's Got Talent. His voice is so powerful and it really touches everyone's hearts, including mine. Watch and listen to it .You won't regret it.

That's it for now. I hope you guys had a great weekend.

Do you guys meal plan?
What are your goals for the week?

Fitness Friday

As you can see, my workouts have been on the lighter side recently. I am trying to incorporate pilates into my routine. I did pilates one summer and it transformed my body. But then, I stopped that and did other workouts. I am hoping this will change my body. 

I guess that's it for now. 

Before I forget, I said I would review that frozen Kashi pizza I bought a while ago. Here's how it looks. 

I didn't care for the mushrooms. That was surprising since I tend to like mushrooms. The pizza itself was very flavorful though. The crust was thin and crunchy, which I liked.

Anyway, that's it for today. Remember to keep a lookout for my new blog link. Remember the date, December 31. That is when I will post the link.

How were your workouts this week?
What are your plans for the weekend?

New Year's Resolutions

Every year, many people make New Year's Resolutions. People want to become a better person. They want to lose weight. They want the New Year to be a fresh start for them.

I have to admit, I am one of those type of people. I love setting goals for myself. I love the feeling of accomplishment. So, I am going to post my New Year's Resolutions (related to nutrition and fitness). 

• Take one rest day a week. It can be an active rest day. It's important for your body to recover. 
• Be more diligent on creating meal plans for the week. I will have my breakfast and snacks planned, at the least. My dinner will consist of brown rice but the rest of the stuff will depend on what my parents make. My lunches will either be brought home (brown rice, sandwiches on 100% whole wheat bread) or things bought on campus. 
• Meal prep every Sunday, no matter how busy I am. I will be even busier during the week. 
• Get up every 10 minutes and do jumping jacks, push-ups or squats for one minute. It's just to keep me moving throughout the day. If I am in class, I know I won't be able to do it. But other than that, I will be able too! 
• Try to incorporate pilates and yoga into my workout routine. I hear pilates does wonders to the body. It works the muscles differently than weight lifting.

That's it for now. 

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions? 

If so, share them in the comments below.

P.S. Just a reminder that I will be moving over to my new blog on New Year. I'll post the link on the 31 of December. I can post it now but you guys won't be able to see it until then. It's still a work in progress!

Happy Holidays!

Hi everyone. Merry Christmas! For those who don't celebrate, Happy Holidays!

This post is going to be a quick one before I head to bed.

 I made a cheesecake! I made one yesterday for the first time to try it out and it was so good! My mom loved it. So, I decided to make it for the family potluck. It's the holidays. It's okay to indulge just a little bit (don't judge me). I made it for my family potluck. My cousins loved it.

This Christmas was almost just like any other day. However, we did go to the state capital and walk around (with extended family as well). My aunts, uncles, cousins, and my cousin's children were there too. We took so many pictures! It's our family tradition to go there every year.

Sorry about my bad photography. I used my phone.

Anyway, we walked around, talked and just enjoyed each others company.

So, for Christmas, I got a gym bag and I got a blue dress.

And, here's me rocking the bag.

Yea. I showed you guys the picture before of the dress. That's when my parents bought it for me. Then, they wrapped it for Christmas.

Oh yea. Before I forget, I have to show you guys this Silk Seasonal Nog. It's basically eggnog with no dairy. It tastes pretty good! It's not as creamy as regular egg nog (of course) but it still hits the spot. Ellie mentioned this on her blog and I just had to try it.

Oh! And here is McDonald's Holiday Pie. 

It tasted alright. It was basically a custard pie. I wouldn't buy it again.

I guess that's it!

Happy Holidays and I hope you guys had a great day!

Christmas Recipes

Merry Christmas Eve Everyone!
And for those who don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays!

I'm here to pop in and give you guys some ideas to make for tomorrow. =)

Baked Goods/Desserts

Baked Nian Gao
Best Healthiest Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Fudgy Meringue Cookies
Coconut Macaroon
Greek Yogurt Cookie Cake
Vegan Brownies (a favorite!)

Breakfast/Brunch

Chocolate Chip Scones
Cinnamon Rolls

Main Dishes

Spinach Dip
Pasta Primavera
Black Bean Salsa Quinoa
Brown Rice Sushi Salad
Quinoa Sushi Salad