It's a Lifestyle

Practice what you preach, they say. 

But let's be real, unless you have more than 24 hours in one day, how are you going to be able to do medical school, eat right, exercise, sleep enough hours!? 

It's truly about learning the act of balancing everything, and keeping priorities straight - and treating yo'self!

One of my goals during this year was to keep up with working out and eating healthy. Last year, I was pretty flaky about it, especially since it was my first year of medical school & trying to figure everything out. You'd think by the time a few weeks rolled around, I would have a routine down - but nope. So this year, I am really making it a goal to make sure I'm fueling my body right by eating healthy and working out consisitently. 

Food - I love food. I love good food. So I have to get real creative about meals that I can prep for about 5 days that I won't get tired of eating. I'd usually make 2 dishes (one for lunch and one for dinner). Then I'll just mix it up for breakfast, depending how much time I have. If I have less time, i'll go for fruit and granola/cereal, but lately I've been making oatbran or cream of wheat and mixing a scoop of protein powder in it and adding fruit on top! 

Working Out - Okay, I'm guilty: I love working out. I try to go 5-6 times a week (sometimes 4 if it's an extremely busy week). Basically, I'm going off my sis's workout sched (for the most part, sometimes I switch it up), for what I do that specific day. With such a busy schedule, I really have to make time for going to the gym and other activities. I try to keep my workouts for an hour to hour and a half - the way I think about it, if I just sit in front of my study materials all day and take 346284 breaks, the time it took for those breaks could just instead be put into my workout time. That way, I'm able to study more efficiently too! 

But listen, I'm human so I go through those times too when I just want to sit in front of the tv, watch netflix, eat ice cream, and chips. So no need to think I'm perfect at eating healthy and working out - I'm not and that's okay! I get it, us type-A's are too hard on ourselves (a lot of the time), but it's not the end of the world if you have a bad day or bad week. Just get back on track - that's what matters! 

I really do love that I'm at an Osteopathic Medical School, where I get to learn about how we are to take care of our patient's body, mind, and spirit also - which reinforces that I have to take care of myself as well.

I too, have to practice what I preach. 

Top: Lululemon (Similar: Click Here)
Leggings: Lululemon (Similar: Click Here) 
Watch: Apple Watch (Click Here)

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PS: Get the wireless earbuds at Amazon.com I've been loving them (Brand: TaoTronics)

Water Bottles Galore

With it being summer and the start of school, I wanted to share with you my favorite water bottles that I use. Staying hydrated is so important whether you're outside running around or inside studying for classes - so here are my top 4 favorites:

1. Hydroflask - This water bottle comes in a variety of sizes but I opted for the 32 oz. Wide Mouth  (Similar: Click Here) This one is nice because I can add ice to my water quickly since the top is bigger. I also loved using this when going to the beach since it keeps my water cold for hours, up to a max of 24 hours! (It also keeps your drinks hot for 6 hours). The style is a bit more rugged so I'm not as worried about it if I do drop it, compared to the S'well bottle. There are also a variety of colors so there is definitely something that you will like. (Shout out to J for my hydroflask!)
2. S'well - If you're looking for more color options or having an even fancier water bottle option, the S'well bottle is something you might consider. This was my first "fancy water bottle" purchase and I opted for the 25 oz. Satin Collection in the color Tahoe Dusk (Similar: Click Here). The size options for S'well are different than the Hydroflask and the max size is smaller than the Hydroflask. Either way, the S'well bottle also keeps your drink cold for 24 hours, and hot for 12 hours (which is longer than Hydroflask's time for hot drinks). The design makes it a little bit more difficult to add ice (which I do often) since the spout is smaller. Also, since the designs and bottle itself look fancy, I get worried when I drop it since the color does come off a bit.
3. Bkr - The Bkr is such a fun water bottle! It doesn't keep drinks as cold since it's a glass bottle covered with silicone, and there are a variety of color options. This one definitely makes drinking water very fun for me (am I the only one that gets excited to drink more water with cute water bottles?!) This one has the smallest spout out of my 4 top picks, which makes cleaning a little bit difficult. I opted for the 500mL Bkr in Lou 
   (Similar: Click Here) Bkr is another fancy water bottle in my opinion. I try to make sure I don't drop this one but if that does happen, I'm certain the silicone will dampen the effects. 
4. CamelBak - The tried and true. I've used CamelBaks since college and they're pretty much a staple. They're not insulated which means no cold drinks for hours, but it's the most "carry-able". And what I mean by that is it's the least heaviest out of all the water bottles that I have mentioned when filling it up. It's sturdy so there's no worries of dropping it and what not. My only thing about this is cleaning the mouthpiece, which gets a little cumbersome but not impossible.

Having any of these water bottles is by no means a necessity, a regular water is fine. But for me, quality goes a long way. Also, it helps eliminate the use of plastic water bottles that are non-reusable. So stay hydrated & if you do end up going with one of these let me know how you like them!

Glasses: Ray Bans (Click Here) 

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A Balancing Act

Has anyone ever felt like they were trying to balance plates on a stick on the palm of your hands, and on top of your feet while trying to walk? I've never actually attempted that before but that's how I feel sometimes when life along with school gets extremely hectic. So how in the world do I find balance with the ever-growing demands of school, and life in general?

1. Staying Grounded - Whether it's by reading my bible, or praying, or getting together with a group of girls where we pray with each other and talk about how our weeks are going. These things are such important parts of my life that I basically wouldn't know how to function without it. This is how I stay grounded, and if life is throwing you all the lemons that the world can find, try this or find something that will help you remain grounded. It's so important to not only take care of your physical body to stay healthy, but also address and take care of your spirit. 
    
2. Nutrition & Fitness - another very important part of how I stay balanced is by eating healthy and working out. Don't get me wrong, I do indulge (which I will talk about in point #4) - maybe sometimes a little too much ;) But these two things help keep me healthy and also boosts mental health! So if I'm gonna prevent going nuts, I'm going to take care of my body. When I'm at school, I find that prepping meals for at least 3 days at a time is helpful so that I don't end up just eating out all the time. I say 3 days because I get tired of eating the same thing over again. I'm going to be trying out some different ways to prep my meals this coming school year - so stay tuned for how that will be going. Also it's so important to be smart about what you're eating. Being in class and studying all day, I tend to snack a lot! I have to make sure that I'm packing something healthy (or at least somewhat healthy) - otherwise I'd end up getting chips from the vending machine (which happens occasionally haha). Second, I find that I feel much better when I am working out on a regular basis. During medical school, it's so easy to put off working out and to just keep studying - BUT the endorphins from working out truly does help especially with stress. Don't over-do it though. This summer, I am able to work out for 2 hours at a time and do so much more, but I know once I get back to school that's just not possible. First of all, I simply don't have the luxury of spending 2 hours working out. Second of all, I find that after studying/sitting in class for a long time I'm mentally drained, which also in turn makes me physically drained. So I have to know my limit and not overwork myself to a point where I won't be able to go back to studying after my workouts (sometimes I work out for so long that I don't want to do anything else after).
    
3. Taking Breaks - this is something I want to work on more this coming school year. I didn't take breaks the "right" way. I would take breaks in the same spot where I study but that's not a true break. It's better to study and take breaks in different spaces if possible. Also, I'd like to try to take more trips outside of the town where school is. As much as I love where I go to school, I also miss bigger cities so I hope to be able to manage time better and squeeze in some trips out of town and go exploring! 
    
4. Rewarding Myself - After exams, my friends and I would usually do a movie night, or go out to dinner! Giving yourself something to be excited about after something stressful like exams may help you push through the grueling studying - this is something that seems to help me! Also, as I mentioned earlier, I like to stick to a healthier diet but I do reward myself with food - whether it's dessert or a hearty meal. 

The challenges of medical school and life gets overwhelming, but it's important to first take care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. That way, we can give our 110% to whatever we are doing! There's nothing worse than trying to pour out from an empty cup.