My first day of classes went great! I really enjoyed my two economics classes. One of them will discuss how businesses interact with government regulators – such as the FDA! – and the other is about financial markets and trading. I think both of them are very timely and will provide me with some new insight into what’s going on in the news today. My third class is about the laws and ethics of journalism – also timely considering the recent buzz about how the media is portraying news lately, whether it be political issues, economic issues or just plain issues.
Here’s a non-food related question that might stir up some discussion: what is your opinion on the current state of the media? Do you think there is a bias in journalism that shouldn’t be there and, if so, in what way?
BREAKFAST
My class schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays is a little hectic, to say the least. I guess that’s what I get for scheduling all of my classes on those two days 🙂 I needed a breakfast that would fuel me for several hours, so I went with obvious choice number 1) oatmeal and number 2) protein!
This yummy oatmeal concoction consisted of the following:
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 tbsp. natural PB (stirred right in, VeggieGirl!)
- 1 tbsp. ground flax
- 1 tbsp. shredded coconut (on top!)
~*~
I savored each and every bite while catching up on my lovely blogroll and responding to comments from my last post – FINALLY! I’ve missed the interaction! By the way, I appreciate all your kind comments on my tummy troubles!
On the side I had the usual Coffee Cocoa, though it had been absent for a few days because I was out of the necessary components. I missed it!
I finished this breakfast feeling slightly stuffed, but I decided it was better that way because I would need it to hold me over for 4+ hours!
LUNCH
Well, the breakfast definitely did it’s job. I was able to listen to what the professors were saying without hearing a grumble in my tummy. No stomaches either – wahoo! When I finally got home for lunch, I was craving some more delicious protein, so I made myself a salad filled with goodies!
Another delicious concoction! This time the bowl was filled with the following:
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 4 slices deli turkey
- 3/4 cup whipped cottage cheese (missed you!)
- 1 tbsp. Annie’s Woodstock dressing
~*~
Yummers! I think I’ve talked about this before with some of you, but this is why I love eating with bowls. You can put whatever in the heck you want in there and it turns out good every time! Plus, it takes forever and a day to eat, which is good for someone like me who usually scarfs everything down.
After lunch, I had to run a few more errands – still working on getting everything organized – before heading over to LA Fitness 🙂 I didn’t do a class today because my schedule didn’t permit it, but I got in a great cardio sesh (yes, sesh) on the elliptical and some ab work.
Speaking of the elliptical, I noticed there was some distaste for the elliptical on one of Caitlin’s recent posts. In her comments section, I posted my 40-minute workout. I thought I’d re-post my comment here because I really do love the elliptical and feel I must defend it!
Here’s what I said:
“So crazy that there is so much elliptical hate! I had no idea because I’m kind of in love with it! I don’t know what I do differently, but here’s my 40 minute workout just in case it helps you:
I break it up into five minute intervals, so each of the next 8 steps is equal to 5 minutes…
1) Pedal forward at level 8, incline 9 while doing the following: 1 min. sprint, 30 seconds rest, 1 min. sprint, 30 sec. rest, 1 min. sprint, 1 min. rest
2) Pedal backward at level 9, incline 20.
3) Repeat step 1 on incline 16.
4) Repeat step 1 on incline 6.
5) Repeat step 1 on incline 9.
6) Repeat step 2.
7) Repeat step 1 on incline 9.
8 ) Repeat step 1 on incline 5.
I know that probably looks really confusing, but it’s pretty simple once you actually do it, and it keeps my heart rate at a consistent 150 the whole time.”
I don’t know if that will help anyone out there, but my conscience feels better 🙂 I know that not every workout is good for every person and what works for me may not work for someone else. But just in case you haven’t tried it this way, I thought I’d try to persuade you with my super persuasive powers!!
~*~
That was a long tangent. So before I even went to the gym, I had a ZBaR.
After I got back from the gym, I had to rush a shower and get ready because I had to go to a meeting for my campus news station. So good to be back! Some of you know this already, but last year I was the news director. It was a HUGE job that left me feeling a bit burnt out at the end of the year, but I’m glad that I did it. This year, I’m taking a step back and becoming a reporter again…but not just any reporter…
I’m going to be the health beat reporter!
And since I’m going to be on TV, I’m toying with the idea of posting links to my videos when I do stories. Would any of you be interested in that? I don’t just want to promote myself if nobody cares!!
DINNER
When I finally got back from the meeting, I was pretty much famished. I don’t like how this new schedule toys with my ability to eat meals at consistent times! I’m going to have to figure out something or else I’ll be hungry on these days every week.
I started out by making myself some sweet potato fries!! I cooked up a sweet potato in the microwave for 3:20, then cut it up into “fries” and sprinkled them with garlic powder and pepper. I topped them with organic ketchup, which I found on sale at my grocery store this weekend. It’s HFCS-free!!!
These are so much better than McDonald’s – tasty, healthy and super-sized without feeling like they’re super-sized, if ya know what I’m saying.
For my next trick, I had a big container of Voskos Greek yogurt. I sprinkled TJ’s High Fiber worms in the mix and also added honey for the first time ever!! It was delish!!
DOUBLE DESSERT
Mm, yes, a Double D was definitely in order tonight! I started with another rice pudding with some Bear Naked blueberry granola on top! This combination is seriously fabulous!
And I ended the evening with a combination of frozen grapes and mango.
At which point we arrive to the purpose of the title of this post. This was my first time trying frozen mango. I have seriously been missing out! I can’t believe how incredibly juicy it is! I had to go back for a second helping after finishing this bowl. It’s my new favorite frozen fruit – mango-a-go-go!!
And that’s all she wrote. I certainly didn’t lack in the wordy department tonight, did I?
Hope your Hump Day goes just fabulously! I have plans to go to my FIRST YOGA CLASS EVER in the morning!! Wish me luck – I’m a bit nervous!
Glad your day was good…it’s so hard for me to take enough food with me to school on days with long classes…I always feel like I come home ready to eatahorse.
So much good stuff in this post!
Your classes sound really interesting-I’m jealous!
As for the media, I am of the opinion that the media tends to sensationalize things, especially within the medical field. Any time there is minor discovery in genetics research for example, the headline reads something like “A NEW GENE TO CURE CANCER!” However, this is not the case everywhere of course, but since I spend a lot of time reading about health-related studies, I encounter overstated claims such as these with increasing frequency.
Anyway, your food today looks divine–every meal! Those PB-coconut oats look great, and your lunch totally has me craving whipped cottage cheese! I wish I could find it around here. And, of course, you can’t go wrong with a brownie Z bar!
You go Health Beat Reporter! How Cool!
Don’t get my husband started on media bias…you will have to listen for days, but I do think it exists.
All your food looks so good. Love the presentation of the sweet potato fries.
I’m glad to hear your first day went well! And yes…personally, I would love to see your news reports 🙂 Good luck with yoga today–I bet you’ll love it.
I’d like to give you my opinion on the media (especially coming from a background in media), but I’m running short on time.. so we’ll save that for later 🙂 Just wanted to say YES please post videos! Promote yourself! That would be fun! And hooray to being the health beat reporter 🙂 That sounds like it’ll be a lot better than last year! I was the health reporter at our school newspaper (I wasn’t broadcast), and I really enjoyed it.
I’d love to see videos of you on the air! That would be exciting. I have a couple of friends who are TV news reporter and I know how hard they work and how much they love their jobs. Do share!
Oh, and if you don’t know about this organization, they’re a really good resource for health writers: http://www.healthjournalism.org. 🙂
Glad your classes went well!
I would love to see your health beat videos!
Soo glad your first day went well Jenn! How could anything go wrong with that amazing energy-filled breakfast! Amazing combo of goodness!
That’s so cool that you are the “health beat” reporter, I think it would be an awesome addition to the blog if you added a few of your segments.
Lastly, I do think there is a lot of bias in the media, mainly in the way that they will always try to cater to what can get the most hype behind a story, no matter what it is about. But I think that as long as human beings are doing the writing, it can’t be 100% objective. As long as you read an article/story knowing that, it’s absolutely okay.
Great post, have a wonderful day! 🙂
so glad your first day of classes went well– sounds like it was a longie but you can’t be a 2 day schedule 😀 i love when i can actually pay attention and my stomach isn’t growling– i’m going to need to come up with a better snack because going straight to school after step leaves me ravenous.
i would love love love to see your videos! very cool that you’re the “health beat” reporter 😀
as far as the media goes, i think it’s incredibly skewed– especially when it comes to the war. they just show stories that they think would catch people’s attention, rather than what’s actually going on over there. right now, i won’t even watch the news because it will freak me out, the husband will call me and i’ll be crying over something he promises me has not happened.
hope that you have a wonderful wednesday!!
I’m glad your first day of classes went so well. They seem really interesting! I think the media is totally bias, with lots of media embedded with marketing tactics, aka PR, but often times the average consumer doesn’t realize this this. I like NPR and BBC news – but I think all media is a little skewed.
I think it is so cool that you are going to be the health beat reporter. I think that position would be really fun and PERFECT for you!
And lastly, frozen mango – I def need to try that. I love frozen fruits.
all your food looks so good! and I would definitely be interested to see the “health beat” reporter videos!
O0o all your food looks terrific, I should try frozen mango as well! And I love that oatmeal cup!
As a Journalism & Legal Studies double major, I am excited to her about your law, ethics and journalism class! I’m taking one next semester =]
As for the media, I do think that some stations and news institutions have an obvious bias but that stopped bothering me a long time ago…I feel like after the media missed the ball on the Iraq War and let the Bush administration do its dirty deeds without holding it accountable and properly reporting to the public, my confidence in it diminished immensely. Print journalism is also dying out, which is unfortunate, but that is where I would love to work. So if I, someone who is studying to enter the field, have no confidence in the accuracy and perseverance of the media to get to the bottom of the story, how can other people fully rely on it to get their news?
Maybe I’m being too cynical…but that’s just my opinion!
Thanks for asking such a great question. And do post your videos, I’d love to see them!
Have a good day!
GREAT classes you’re taking this semester!! And hooray for a great first day 🙂
As a journalism major (and since my dad works in television), I definitely pay attention to the media and the various reporting styles. In my opinion, there is a SERIOUS bias in the media.
HELL YES FOR NOT LEAVING THE PEANUT BUTTER ON THE SPOON!!! Thanks for the shout-out 😀
Fun cardio “sesh” (hehe, love the term)!!
Frozen grapes & mango = holy yum.
You MUST post your videos – I’m so excited to see Miss Eating Bender in action, as a reporter!! Yay!!
Have fun at yoga!! I just started getting into it, and love it.
Your coconut oatmel looks AWESOME. I haven’t had that combo in awhile!
Congrats on the health reporting job! That sounds like something you will be perfect at. I would love to see the links!!
I have frozen mango in my fridge that I’ve been avoiding because I usually don’t like frozen fruit! Yay! I can’t wait to try it.
Please do post your videos!!!!!!
Yay for your first yoga class every, my first class changed my life!
Congrats on the health reporting gig! That sounds awesome.
I DEFINITELY think there’s a bias in the media. Fortunately I think that most people realize this and judge accordingly, but it’s still a disturbing trend.
wow, what a great day of food! I LOVE frozen mango!!! I need to go buy some more because obviously I ate all mine waaayy too fast!
Your classes sound so interesting! I’m a total dork and love all things econ/finance so the first 2 are right up my alley. I’m in a Monetary Economics right now which focuses a lot on the Federal Reserve and it’s SO interesting because of everything going on in the economy right now–I’m sure the current news will really enhance your classes as well too!
Sometimes I’m all for a good elliptical-sesh too, but my favorite machine is definitely the Arc-trainer, which is like a funny looking elliptical. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should! I did it this morning with my new HRM and my HR was in the 150 range the whole time!
HAVE FUN AT YOGA! yayyy.
Oh, and YES to posting your videos–you can be famous!
Your food day looks so simialr to what I eat… well i guess that goes for most of us bloggers! I love putting cottage cheese on my salad it makes it so tasty! Also i do the same thing on the eliptical I do mini workouts like sprints/pickups or hills etc
With the frozen fruit it is great because it is frozen at peak nutritional value… and the mango is exceptionally tasty! And takes longer to eat since it is frozen
I love completely random salads. Especially when they include cottage cheese. I just finished eating one of those. YUM.
That’s so exciting about the health beat reporter! DEFINITELY post videos, that would be so cool!
Those sweet potato fries look amazing. Way better than mickey ds could ever do. I have yet to make a sweet potato into fries. Do you peel it before you stick it in the microwave?
I’m SUPER excited that you finally tried frozen mango! Isn’t it the greatest thing EVER? I could probably eat a whole bag of it in one sitting. That might induce some brain freeze though…
Have fun with the FIRST YOGA class. I really want to try out a yoga class someday. I’m thinking I might try one of those HOT yoga classes. We have a studio nearby and they are offering student discounts… woo!
Yea for Voskos!
Yea for future videos!
Boo on mainstream media!
I enjoyed my economics class. Not something I would ever say, but that’s why I love ya.
Media – yes, biased. It’s sort of impossible for human reporters not to have some sort of bias come across in their reporting. This is why I listen to NPR and John Stewart. No bias there. 🙂
Have a wonderful, glorious first yoga experience.
The elliptical routine sounds great! I’m gonna try it.
How is the organic ketchup? I’m trying to go corn syrup free…but Heinz tastes so good.
Just wanted to wish you best of luck on your tummy issues..i’ve gone through the same thing for the past 5 years and they still don’t know whats wrong! but its just one of those things you gotta deal with best of luck!
I LOVE THIS POST SO MUCH!
1. I’m with Heather. Bias is unavoidable. But critical thinking isn’t!
2. THANK YOU FOR DEFENDING THE ELLIPTICAL. I love it too. It’s interesting how it hurts some people’s knees. I like it because it doesn’t hurt mine and running does. Individual differences are so bizarre! Anyways, I love to elliptical and watch TV. 🙂 It’s really indulgent.
3. I don’t get the PB on a spoon thing and I love that you stirred it in! If I put it on the spoon, I just eat it off the spoon in like 2 bites. 🙂
4. Please post your videos! I don’t mean to sound creepy, but I’d love to put a voice to the blog voice! You know?
5. The sweet potato fries look just beautiful!
6. So does the salad! I bet the woodstock dressing is such the compliment to the whipped cottage cheese. Neither of which are sold in Lubbock. Boo.
Ah! I hope Yoga went well!! I heart frozen mango! Its just as good (once defrosted) as fresh mango (plus you don’t have to go through the hassle of cuting it up!!). Thats awesome that you’re going to be a health reporter! How coooool!
Yes, the media is biased… but i think everyone is based on their own experieces…
I’ve had mixed experiences on the elliptical, recently it’s bothered my knees, so I’ll have to try it again at a later date. Not a hater, tho!
OMG i would totally love to see you being your reporter self!!! that would be sooooooo exciting!! def post links for us to see!!! and exciting you’re doing the health beat…how ironic?! hehe!
glad your breakfast held you over and had no tummy troubles…
great choices for lunch and interesting elliptical routine…i still can’t use those things…i just can’t get the motion down [[shrug]] oh well!
and the sweet potato fries w/ the ketchup look great…makes me drool…come feed me? LOL!
have a great wednesday!