Wisdom of ToK

Dalai Lama  (via letskeeplifesimple)

This is to all of you who have already or are getting your exam results, and I think it is important to remember, regardless of what the numbers say on that page. 

april 13th 2016 // 11:57 pm

my bullet journal forces me to doodle and i’m in love with that.

YES you want to go to college. YES college is an exciting time in your life. 

HOWEVER

College in real life is NOTHING like they portray it in the movies:

Sororities aren’t all preppy girls. 

Fraternities aren’t all preppy/douchey guys

You are probably not going to be able to balance doing everything and keep your sanity

You’re probably gonna have a mental/emotional break down at least once

There is injustice.

Not everything is fair

The wifi won’t work sometimes

College food is incredibly unhealthy most of the time

your roommate will probably be one of those roommates

one night stands aren’t gonna be magical and fun sometimes

parties aren’t always what they show in the movies. 

You might injure yourself at some point.

Some residence halls don’t have elevators and a lot of floors.

some professors want you to fail

financial aid and admissions are going to be your worst enemy

blackboard fucking sucks. 

You’re going to want to quit school. 

You’re going to want to come home every single day.

Some days you’re gonna want to run away

some days you’re going to want to chug a bottle of liquor because life sucks

And you know what? It’s gonna be okay. College isn’t all rainbows and butterflies: it’s hard work. It’s late nights studying for a subject you absolutely hate. It’s nights alone in your room while your roommate is out with their significant other wondering how you’re ever going to move past that bad grade. It’s a breakup at a bad time in your life. It’s freaking out because you forgot an assignment that was worth a lot of points. 

HOWEVER

It’s also those afternoons where your roommate and their SO is talking and laughing and joking about everything under the sun with you. It’s quiet nights looking up at the stars wondering where this life is taking you. It’s getting that perfect grade you worked weeks for. It’s going to that party and jumping out of your comfort zone. 

College is nothing like the movies. It’s deeper. It’s much more than what movies provide for you as an example. 

FEED YOUR BRAIN

You can’t expect to get the best out of yourself if you don’t nourish your body properly. Adding these foods to your diet will benefit your study and lifestyle in general, trust me

HEALTHY OILS olive oil, avocado oil, peanut oil etc. — Healthy oils are high in antioxidants such as vitamin E and they boost your memory. FISH sardines, salmon etc. — Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which improve memory and focusing! COFFEE — Caffeine wakes you up but don’t overdo it: 60 ml per day (the equivalent of two espresso) or less is enough to keep you alert, too much caffeine causes insomnia and anxiety and we don’t want that. Don’t like coffee? Try apples instead! EGGS — A source of energy, they contain proteins and choline (also called “memory vitamin”… the name speaks for itself!) CHERRIES — By adding cherries into your diet, you’ll get better sleep, since they’re high in melatonin BANANAS — I’m not kidding when I say I eat a banana a day. They contain magnesium, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6 and more. What are you waiting for? Go eat a banana, your brain will thank you! NUTS & SEEDS walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds etc. — Their nutrients reduce stress, boost memory and help your cognitive functions in general DARK CHOCOLATE — Contains antioxidants, magnesium and flavonoids. It stimulates blood to flow to your brain and lowers blood pressure AVOCADO — Avocadoes are filled with healthy fats, magnesium and lots of vitamin E. it regulates blood pressure and improves blood flowing resulting in general brain developement and stress to decrease. BERRIES blueberries, strawberries, acai berries — another food that should never miss in your diet: being high in antioxidants and flavonoids, berries actually do improve your memory and focusing a lot! LEAFY GREENS lettuce, spinach, kale etc. — these are loaded with magnesium, vitamins, iron… force yourself to eat at least one serving per day (but if you can eat more, then go for it!) BROCCOLI & ASPARAGUS — these guys are full of folic acid (1 cup = 2/3 of your daily value). Be sure to have your daily dose of folic acid, as it helps relieve stress and depression. ORANGES — full of vitamin C which is good for your immune system and also helps relieving stress OATS — oats will boost your serotonin levels, consequently boosting your mood. i personally recommend whole-grains TEA — green tea is good for focusing and stress relief, but you know what’s even better? black tea!

tips

1. eating colorful is the easiest way to a more healthy diet (same-color foods often share same nutrients) 2. if you’re a picky eater, try disguising tastes with seasonings, spices (and everything nice) or by combining them with foods you like 3. drink water!!! at least 1 L per day!! carrying a bottle of water wherever you go is the trick! 4. plan ahead + prep your meals!! thereby you will avoid that unpleasant “i don’t know what to eat” situation (which often leads to eating junk food :// ) 5. make your grocery list before going to the supermarket!!! pros: less time wasted, won’t get distracted by other things you don’t need to buy, know ahead how much $$ you’re gonna spend 6. ALWAYS check the expiration date of products you buy + know when to consume your fruits&veggies

RECIPES

Tbh, when it comes to study snacks im a very lazy person (plus in my world time is money and i hate wasting precious study time) so i usually eat rather simple dishes. Then, what do i prep when i feel more creative?

FRUIT SALAD (easiest snack ever tbh everyone can do this no matter how bad u are at cooking)

all you need is

love

fruit of your choice

(optional) cocoa powder / cinnamon / lemon juice

what u gonna do now

wash the fruit, peel it (if needed) and then slice it

put everything in a bowl and it’s good to go

BUT if you want, you can add cocoa powder, cinnamon or lemon juice for extra flavor. use your creativity, (almost) anything can work!

i love fruit salads bc they’re healthy, easy + quick to make (not to mention super delicious)!! here you can see one i made w/ strawberries and cocoa powder

FRUIT PARFAIT (another easy option, but a more creative one *sunglasses emoji*)

all you need is

fruit (u don’t say)

oat bran

yogurt

what u gonna do now

wash, peel and slice the fruit

grab a tall glass/mug/whatever and make the first layer with fruit

then add the yogurt for the second layer

third layer is going to be the oat bran

depending on the height of the glass/mug, you may go on w/ the layers

this is optional but you can add toppings if you want to make it look even cuter (and yummier)

what i like about this big bad boy here is that it’s SO fulfilling!!

BAKED PUMPKIN SEEDS (for my savory lovers out there)

all you need is

pumpkin seeds

thats it. thats all u need

what u gonna do now

take a pan and cover it with baking paper

place the seeds on the paper and cook in the oven for 20 mins at 200°C

done!! B)

super simple, isn’t it? and guess what? they actually taste like popcorn!! no lie!!!

BAKED ZUCCHINIS

all you need is

zucchinis!

lemon juice

pepper

what u gonna do now

wash and slice the zucchinis french fry style

put them in a bowl, add lemon juice + pepper and mix all well together

cover a pan with a sheet of baking paper and place the seasoned slices

cook in the oven for 20-30 mins at 200°C, flipping them over when they’re half done

now you have a more healthy and tasty version of french fries to eat while studying!

(on a side note: you can’t even imagine how painful typing ‘zucchinis’ was to me)

OATMEAL BANANA COOKIES (my fave!!)

all you need is

oatmeals

a banana

cinnamon or cocoa powder

what u gonna do

peel and slice the banana

smash the banana w/ a fork in a bowl, then add the oatmeals + cinnamon/cocoa powder and mix

cover the pan w/ your trusted baking paper. using a spoon, place the mixture on the paper forming little circular shapes (they don’t have to be perfect)

cook in the oven for 20 mins at 200°C (remember to flip them over at the 10mins mark)

let them cool off for 30-40 mins and they’re ready to eat!

these take quite a bit but you can prep them before starting to study, then you do your revision/practice while you wait for them to cool off and finally you can take a break + enjoy them!

more recipes

10 smoothie recipes healthy study snacks 22 healthy snack ideas 10 healthy snack ideas (vegan) snacks for students 1 2 (!!!!) frushi (fruit sushi!!) recipe muffin recipes 1 2 black bean wrap caramel cashew chocolate cookies (gluten-free) 10 healthy pancake recipes 2 ingredients pancakes (!!!!) easy cheesecake (vegan) avocado + tomato toast w/ balsamic drizzle

more links

my food tag staying healthy in college minimalist baker the domestic geek fablunch cheap lazy vegan food masterpost by @studiyng stay sated whilst you’re motivated by @areistotle how to save money on food by @studybudyblr 10 study snacks by @saturdaystudying