Welcome! You've somehow stumbled upon the lifestyle blog of Riia Aryn Berg. I'm Riia Berg, 18 year old average chica with some not so average passions.
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College Classes? Let’s Get Active!
So it’s that time again! Classes will be starting soon and if your living on campus like me, you’ve probably considered how you’ll be getting to class. At the college that I’m going to, you aren’t allowed to drive on campus during the morning to mid day if you live in a dorm. Since my classes are in the morning, I have two options. The first is to take the shuttle and the second is to get there on my own! This can be a chance to get active early in the day!
There are no excuses not to be active while living in a college environment! Ride a bike to class, longboard, even rollerblade! The options are endless! And if you decide not to drive your car, you’ll even save gas…it’s a win-win!
Also, be sure to take advantage of all the campus amenities. School gym, pool, group fitness classes, clubs, greek life, anything that can get you social and active! I’m fortunate to be going to a school located on the water. So my college has an endless amount of water sports available from stand up paddle boarding yoga, water skiing, sailing, everything! I plan to grab a group of friends, throw on a bikini, and have fun while working out!
So I encourage all of you to take advantage of what your schools have to offer this coming semester! There are a ton of ways to make friends, work out, and learn to things! So don’t be shy! Go out and have fun! This life is beautiful and college is an amazing opportunity, don’t let it slide by! Savor every moment…oh and study hard! ;)
{Photo Credit: Tone It Up Girls}
Beach House Shananigans
When my dad was growing up, he was a total “surfer dude.” With a long pony tail and a deep tan, he was always in the ocean. Every summer he and his family would head over to their beach house and spend their days in an out of the waves. Luckily, the beach house has stayed a family tradition. Every so often, my dad’s brother (my uncle) and his wife and kids (my cousins and aunt…obviously haha) head over to the beach house to make more memories. Usually we end up with more than just the family. Friends end up coming over too and before we know it, the house is full of people crashing on couches and blow up mattresses. It’s the best. Days on the beach and fun through the night, it always goes way too quickly. The beach house is my home away from home and I love it.
If the pictures didn’t prove it, this week was filled with loads of yummy food too! Fresh fruits and veggies everywhere…yum! It’s pretty obvious we like to have a good time and we like to eat good food.
Breakfast of Champions
This morning I woke up fairly early and wasn’t too hungry. So, listening to my body, I decided to wait till I was feeling the munchies to feed my belly. This whole “waking up full” feeling keeps happening and I cannot figure out why. I’m not eating late at night, so it doesn’t really make sense. Anyways, when I was finally hungry I decided on a filling and healthy breakfast to start my day! Breakfast of champions right here!
Mmmm Banana Cinnamon Oatmeal. Usually I prefer my oatmeal to be stuffed with fresh berries, but lack of berries forced me to get creative. Soo, bananas, cinnamon, chia seeds, granola, and almond milk it was! And it was delish!
I have been on such an orange kick lately. It’s not surprising, I mean I live in Florida and we’re basically famous for our oranges, right? Right! So fresh fruit on the side was a must must must!
To drink? A green smoothie of course! Summer classes and dorm living this summer calls for a major detox. Cleansing my system with green smoothies has become a habit these past few days back at home! This one is packed with spinach, bok choy, kale, apple, and banana! Yummmy!
Oh and teal nails are a perfect touch to the summer vibe going on with this breakfast! Loving this color lately!
Riia’s Strawberry Almond Salad
Ingredients:
Leafy Greens (spinach, kale, romaine, etc)
Strawberries (sliced)
Almonds (sliced)
Hemp Hearts (optional)
Dressing (I used Sesame)
How To:
It’s super easy! Throw the leafy greens in a bowl and top with strawberries, almonds, hemp hearts, and a little dressing of your choice! Enjoy! :)
Updated my photos of this recipe:)
Riia’s Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
Ingredients:
2/3 cup Raw Almonds
1/3 cup Rolled Oats
3 tbsp Organic Agave Nectar (or honey)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Handful of Cacao Chips
How to:
In a food processor, blend almonds and oats. Once they reach the texture of flour, add in agave and vanilla. Blend until dough forms. If neccesary, add more agave. Mix in cacao chips with a spoon. Roll into little balls. Refridgerate. Enjoy! :)
I am the type of person who could easily eat half the batter of cookies before even putting them in the oven. Why? Because batter is delicious, well at least to me it is! And since mostly everything I cook is vegan, I don’t even have to worry about salmonella or any icky ingredients. However if I was to let myself snack on the ingredients while I cook or bake…weeeell there would be a couple of problems. One, I’d eat half my weight before even completing the recipe and two, I’d eat the majority of the ingredients and therefore…three, I wouldn’t be able to finish the recipe…which four, would just be more of a reason to eat the rest of the batter.
See the problem?
So what do I do to stop myself from binging on the batter? Here’s some tips:
1. Make a HUGE delicious smoothie! Preferably a green smoothie to get some extra boost of nutrients and so much more! I’ll make a 26 ounce green smoothie and drink it thorughout the baking sesh! It fills me up making it easy to avoid finger dipping and licking!
2. Never cook on an empty stomach! Just like it isn’t smart to grocery shop on an empty stomach…don’t cook on an empty stomach! (Unless what your making is the meal you’ll be eating)
3. Jot down each time you snack while cooking! Keep a post it on the recipe book and each time you snack on the batter or take a taste test add a tally mark. At the end of the cooking session…see how many tallys you have. Having to write it down each time makes you think before you taste!
4. Have a plate of veggies and dip to snack on. If the healthier option is right in front of you, you might find the ingredients to a recipe less tempting.
5. Brush your teeth! Sounds weird right? Well it’s actually an awesome way to stop yourself from snacking! A strong minty flavor can make other flavors taste icky! Try it out!
6. Cook food you don’t like. If you don’t like it…you won’t eat it! But I think this is silly…if I don’t like it, I don’t want to make it haha
7. Think of the facts! Snacking on the ingredients can add up to a ton of calories! One spoonful here, a dip of the finger there…before you know it, you’ve had way more than you imagined! It adds up quick so limit yourself to a few taste tests and nothing else!
8. Figure out why your snacking! Is it because your hungry? Because the food is right in front of you? Try and figure out what the reason is that you cannot control your finger from dipping into the batter! And once you figure that out…break the habit!
9. Allow yourself a certain amount of taste tests! You obviously have to taste the recipe to see if it needs a little bit more of this or that, but limit yourself to a certain amount of taste tests! That way, when impulse tasting comes up, you’ll reconsider it and decide whether or not you want to waste one of your tests on it!
10. Chew gum. Whenever my mouth is all minty fresh, I find extra taste tests far less tempting!
I always use mason jars, Tupperware, glass jars, and so on…to organize my food!
Whether its nuts, seeds, grains, anything! I throw it in a jar and stack it in my cabinet! It keeps everything organized and visible….making for easy access when cravings kick in! :)
And that white try in the front is how I organize my teas! You can read about that here :)
It’s a little messy right now since all the Tupperware is different, but you get the point! :)
Small Plastic Storage Baskets for Tea & Snack Organization!
I bought this at my local Wal-Mart for super cheap! I use it to keep all my different teas organized and easy to access! Prior to using this, I kept my teas in a mason jar and it was always a hassle to reach my favorite flavors! Using this has made it so much easier! All I do is line up the tea bags by flavor and keep the tray in my cabinet! It’s perfect!
You can pick them up at a local super center, or order them online! :)
(I googled it for you and found some here for $1.15!)
1 Week 1 Goal: Drink Water Participants!
Soo…today is the last day of the challenge! How’d you do?
Did you drink at least half your body weight in ounces each day?
Did you feel any different?
Will you continue to drink enough water?
Because remember…
The challenge is 1 week 1 goal…but the goal is to make it a habit!
At the end of today, write a little bit about how this challenge made you feel & tag it as #1week1goal
I’d love to hear everyone’s final thoughts & accomplishments!
And no worries…I’ll post this weeks challenge tonight! :)
Currently Loving: Hemp Hearts
Hemp hearts are just an adorable name for shelled hemp seeds and not only are these easy to add to basically any meal, but they also have a ton of benefits!
These little seeds have been shown to improve digestion, increase energy, aid in weightloss, lower blood pressure, control blood sugar levels and so much more!
Regardless of their numerous benefits…I personally love to sprinkle these onto my oatmeal or over my salad!
