The Beauty-Nutrition Connection

Last night, in one of my typical random AIM conversations with my dad, he sent me a link to this recipe: Smoothie for Your Skin. As both you and he are well-aware, I have a special place in my heart for smoothies and shakes, so this recipe quite piqued my interest. Looks like I should add a little flax to my smoothie routine:)

I am a firm believer that nutrition can cure most ills, including matters of physical appearance. As I've mentioned before, a diet rich in healthy fats can do wonders for hair.What foods do you eat that offer beauty benefits?

Perhaps I should take a closer look at my eats for any inadvertent beauty-boosting fare...

Wednesday
Just before heading out to my last few tutoring appointments, I whipped up a quick tofu salad, which I dressed with my homemade sweet dill dressing. I added some pecans and raisins for texture. The whole mess was place atop a bed of greens and accompanied by Corn Thins and kiwi.
That night, I watched a very disappointing Duke basketball game while simultaneously studying for my exam the next day. I also used making dinner as a procrastination tool...where is my motivation? Anyway, I made a grilled cheese with onions and tomato and served it with butternut squash fries, salad with Woodstock dressing, and peaches.
I kept the smoothie relative nutritious that night with blueberries, strawberries, soymilk, and vanilla Spirutein.
Thursday
My 8:30 AM class was cancelled again this week, so I once again seized the opportunity to make a leisurely breakfast. Vegan banana pancakes were on the menu this time, spread with Dark Chocolate Dreams PB. Let's face it. Bananas, chocolate, and PB were meant to be together.
After my exam, I made a simple wrap using a white bean spread from ED&BV which includes cashews and nutritional yeast. I added some spinach and served the wrap with a few peaches.
Then I received an e-mail alerting me of a package at my PO Box. What's this?! I didn't order anything...POM Wonderful!
Does anyone else find these little bottles incredibly appealing? Can't wait to try it--thanks, Janny!

For dinner, I kept it simple and made a pasta salad. I used whole wheat angel hair, sliced mozzarella, chickpeas, tomatoes, steamed asparagus, and carrots, all sprinkled with garlic salt and raspberry vinaigrette.
The shake last night featured strawberries, banana, soymilk, chocolate Spirutein, and dairy-free chocolate chips. Yum.

Friday
I had some leftover butternut squash lying around this morning, so I decided to use it up by making Hungry Girl's Butternut Squash Hash Browns. Basically, the only part of this recipe that tasted reminiscent of hash browns was the ketchup. Bummer. Anyway, I served the squash mess with some scrambled tofu, toast, and kiwi.
By the time I returned from Whole Foods, got my laundry done, and cleaned the apartment, I was famished. I made a quick version of ED&BV's Thai Chick-Un Pizza. I say "quick" because I cheated and used prepared peanut sauce for the base. I also left out a lot of the other suggested toppings, but I was still quite satisfied with just the bell peppers and chickpeas. On the side, I had some more asparagus, mixed greens, and, yes, another dish of peaches.
For dinner this evening, due to my position on the dining committee, I got to evaluate an on-campus eatery (the same one I evaluated here), this time evaluating the delivery service. I ordered steamed veggies with garlic sauce on the side and steamed rice (sadly, brown rice is not an option). I added my own cashews and supplemented the meal with a blood orange. I pulled my usual "prettifying" technique and took everything out of the containers for your viewing pleasure!
My sister and her husband arrive for a weekend visit tomorrow, and I am super-psyched; I love visitors! I think a basketball game and a trip to Trader Joe's may be on the agenda:) Anyway, I'll still try to put together my usual "feature post" on Sunday after their departure. Any topic requests?

Enjoy your weekend!

One Down, Five to Go

I successfully made it through my first week after spring break...only a few more weeks until summer! I am ready for the warm weather and more importantly the fresh fruit and vegetables! In my opinion, there is almost nothing better than spending a morning at the local farmer's market. Until then, I will make do with campus fare...

Here is another glimpse of the offerings at some of the eateries at my university:

This is the Bean Taco Salad, ordered sans cheese and ranch dressing. I always request black beans instead of refried a) because the black beans are vegetarian and b) because black beans are probably more healthful than the refried. This restaurant has a great salsa bar with several different homemade varieties. You can bet I get my money's worth out of that! For this salad I chose pineapple salsa, pico de gallo, and classic red salsa. All spicy, the way I like it! Underneath the beans are some lame iceberg lettuce and tortilla chips that are always too soggy by the time I get to them. To round out the meal, I had an orange and a few pistachios.

Thursday

As I mentioned in my last post, I had another meeting last night from 6 to 11...well, let's just say I didn't get back to my dorm room until approximately 12:30. Despite the late night, I was well-fed due to a little planning. I packed my dinner for the second night in a row. Thanks for all your suggestions--I will keep them in mind for next time:)




I packed a pretty simple spread: two whole wheat mini-pitas with natural PB and jam, a tiny can of low-sodium V8, a baggie of roasted soy nuts, and an apple. Tasty treats! A note on the jam: I just discovered this brand at Whole Foods called Bio Naturae--no added sugar or chemicals, and each tablespoon (of the raspberry variety) provides 48% of your daily needs for vitamin C!


Friday
I visited another campus eatery today for lunch. This cafe specializes in Asian cuisine, although it offers a random assortment of American dishes as well, such as omelets, smoothies, and burgers. Typically, I order off the Asian menu, however, and I always take advantage of their fresh fruit offerings. Today I ordered some steamed vegetables with garlic-shiitake tofu. I added some Bragg's Liquid Aminos when I got back because I wasn't really feelin' the duck sauce or insanely salty soy sauce.


Well, now I am off to enjoy my Easter weekend. Unfortunately, my university does not give us a break from classes for the holiday, so I will be away from family again this year. I am sure I will find a way to celebrate...What are your favorite dishes to prepare for Easter or for spring in general?