Wellness Wednesday.

Is anyone else suffering from spring allergies at the moment?  They hit me last night while I was sleeping... You know - the dry nasal passages, sore throat and once I got out of bed gravity took over and my so-called dry nasal passages were filled with...well, you know.

As the day has gone on, I'm constantly sniffling and my face is starting to get a bit tender - right where my sinuses reside, above my eyes and below them around my cheeks.  I feel a bit aloof...you know, I'm here but it takes more effort to concentrate on the task at hand.

Surely I have something in my cabinet that can help with these symptoms... I peak in my kitchen pantry (pretty much the only storage space we have in our condo) and see my good ol' off-brand neti pot staring right back at me.

I'd like to thank Mr. Marvin for providing me with my very own blog photography!

So I pull it out of the box and start the warm water running in the kitchen sink.  I pour in a packet of sodium - the most important part (trust me, unless you enjoy pain) - and fill the little pot to the top.  I lean over the sink, gently place the spout in one nostril and lean over, carefully breathing in and out of my mouth - the second most important part.  INSTANT RELIEF.  I could feel the warm, saline solution washing those mean, little pieces of pollen away.  I'll definitely be doing this a few times a day to keep my nasal passages clear and those pesky allergy symptoms at bay.

A 2007 study from the University of Michigan looked at 121 adults with chronic nasal and sinus problems.  Over two months, scientists found that those treated with nasal irrigation reported greater improvements than those treated with a nasal spray.  Another independent study showed that children who did regular nasal irrigation with a mild saline solution significantly eased their severe allergy symptoms and helped reduced the need for nasal steroid sprays.

Just a few tips from my experience with the neti pot...

• Definitely do not skip adding the sodium to the water, which makes the water a "saline solution".  Otherwise, you'll quickly be reminded why you used to plug your nose when you jumped into the lake/pool as a child.

• Don't use this treatment if you are completely congested or "plugged up".  Simply cover one side of your nose and breathe in.  Is air still passing through?  Go for it.  No air passing through?  I'd wait a bit to use the neti pot, otherwise the water will just go down the back of your throat and you might choke/cough/hack-up-a-lung.  This is not a fun experience.   

I realize this is not a very attractive picture of me.  Thank you for loving me anyway!

I hope it helps you as much as it has been helping me!  Welcome Spring!

Friday Favorites.

Friday again!!!  Seriously, where is the time going???

This week's favorites...

1.  Free Chipotle.  Tim and I volunteered last weekend at the Good Food Festival & Conference at UIC.  I did it last year with a girlfriend and it was really cool, so I thought it would be fun for Tim and I to do it this year.  After a short 3 hour shift that consisted of selling tickets and checking Groupons at the door, we had free access to check out all of the cool vendors that support local, healthy food.  Best of all, Chipotle was handing out vouchers for a free burrito, burrito bowl or tacos...and our volunteer supervisor told us to help ourselves...so we took twenty a few...;)

2.  Mad Men.  Season 5 starts Sunday and we can't wait!!!  I can only hope it doesn't interfere with March Madness.

3.  Cucumber/lemon water.  Squeeze a wedge of fresh lemon and add a few pieces of thinly sliced cucumber to ice water = delicious!!! 

Wellness Wednesday.

And we're back!  Well, to be honest, I'm feeling a little brain dead writer's block recently so the topic today was actually inspired by a phone call I just had with my mom about an hour ago...and it's super simple.  Sweet potato v. white potato.  Which one to choose and why...

Potatoes...one of the easiest side dishes to whip up with virtually any meal.  Hash browns at breakfast, french fries at lunch and a baked potato with dinner...the possibilities are endless for a good ol' potato.  The ways in which we prepare potatoes are also endless - it's a no-brainer which ones are the healthiest... deep-fried = bad!!!  (But the occasional french fries from your favorite fast food restaurant are okay...remember, everything in moderation!) 

Let's start with the white potato.  In a 100 gram portion (slightly under a quarter of a pound) the white potato has approximately 92 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 2.3 grams of dietary fiber, 2.3 grams of protein, and 17% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C.  Not too shabby.  Pretty low in calories - which can change quickly depending upon your choice of toppings, because who really eats a potato plain, right?  

I'll be honest, this looks delicious.

Okay, let's move on to the one we really know is better for you...but why?

I must say, sweet potato french fries are definitely my favorite kind of french fries...especially dipped in ranch dressing. 

+ ranch dressing = heaven!!!

Super healthy!!!  Um, I wish.  This is definitely one of my go-tos when I occasionally indulge.  Anyways, back to the healthy reasons...  Compared to the white potato, the sweet potato has approximately 90 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, 35% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C, AND 380% of the daily recommended value of vitamin A.  They are loaded with antioxidants - studies suggest that eating antioxidant-rich foods could lower the risk of developing certain chronic conditions, like cardiovascular disease and cancer.  Sweet potatoes also have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes.  The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly blood glucose (sugar) rises after eating.  Foods that have a lower glycemic index do not cause a quick spike in blood sugar.  As a result, people tend to not have the roller coaster experience of sugar highs and lows, which can lead to hunger and the consumption of extra calories.  In other words, foods with lower glycemic indexes make you feel fuller, longer.

There you have it, Mom.  Choose sweet potatoes over white potatoes - most of the time if not always!

Friday Favorites.

I am so happy it is Friday.  Two exams, a fundraiser and one late night = one exhausted Kristen.  I'm going to try and power through to watch KU...after big upsets today, I'm hoping they are ready to play!

This week's faves...

1.  Warm weather.  It has been in the 70s and sunny this whole week...this is completely opposite of what it was doing up here this time last year.  I'm pretty sure I was freezing my a** off, hating my life which consisted of 27.5 credit hours. 

2.  Asparagus.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast asparagus at 400F for 20 minutes.  After it comes out of the oven, top with  the zest of one lemon, about a teaspoon of dill (fresh or dried) and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes.  SO GOOD.

3.  Fake St. Patty's Day.  Forest Park celebrates St. Patty's a week early and we decided to partake in the day drinking and parade.  We really had no excuse not to, with the festivities taking place about 3 blocks from our condo.  Tomorrow we'll head to the city to celebrate the real St. Patty's day!

P.S.  I haven't given up on Wellness Wednesday.  School has been a bet hectic the past few weeks, I'm planning on picking it back up next week!

Friday Favorites.

1. Patagonian toothfish.  Also known as Chilean sea bass.  In the summer, we salt and pepper it, throw it on the grill and serve it up with some mango salsa.  Tonight we baked it and topped it with a lemon shallot butter sauce.  YUM!!!

2.  San Pellegrino.  Because sometimes plain water just gets boring.

3.  March Madness.  Even though KU didn't show up to play tonight (I think they were blindsided by Baylor's hideous uniforms), I love love love March Madness.  Big teams, big games, big upsets...such an exciting time for college basketball!

Um, no.  That's a big no.

Friday Favorites.

Happy March!  Two days ago, it was 60 and sunny, albeit windy - I'm currently looking out the window at huge snowflakes falling to the ground.  I'm preparing myself for more snow showers through April...

This week's favorites...

1.  Interior design blogs.  I'm so happy there are people in the world that are super talented at putting a room together.  I lack that talent.  I need someone to put together a room for me, and then I can tell them if I like it or not.  One day that will be the case, but until then I'll continue to enjoy looking at these blogs, watching the talented ones do their beautiful work.

2.  Pureology.  I've finally found a shampoo and conditioner that I love - one that moisturizes my hair, since the water and weather are so terribly drying up here in Chicago.  Bonus - my girlfriend has a beauty license and she can get it for me at wholesale cost.  Love a good deal!

3.  Tim's birthday!  Today is Tim's 28th birthday and we're heading out later this evening for a fab dinner at Ruxbin, a contemporary-American restaurant Tim has really been wanting to try.  We're making a weekend out of it, so tomorrow we're off to the movies and Sunday we'll go out for a special breakfast.  Exciting stuff, I know. ;)  Happy birthday Tim!

Tim said, "I like that picture, because I have hair and a tan."  Oh, to be young again - as if 28 was old!