The Meaning of My Blog Name

Everybody always asks me why and how I chose the title "The Little Life".

Well...  It wasn't anything too complicated and there wasn't any sort of crazy story behind it.

The reason I chose the name was because of two reasons.  One, I am short and two, when I originally began this blog, I was located in a smaller town.  I had no idea that I would be moving to much larger city.  I know Grand Rapids isn't as large compared to other places, but when you have more than one 24 hour restaurants in town and you take the freeway most of the time to get to work... you know you're in a much bigger place. 

Microwaves...Helpful yet Harmful

Several weeks ago I decided to try something daring... Duhn duhn duhn I gave up my microwave. *gasp* 'Oh no she did not` Well yes I did. 'But how?!' It was actually quite simple. Let me tell you. I decided to do so when my boyfriend had made several comments to me about how bad using the microwave was. He even told me his story of how he lost some weight and just overall felt better after having give it up for a couple months. So then I decided to take some things into consideration and try it and give it up. Now, it does still sit on my counter as temptation only because my room mate wants to use it, but I did technically give it up. I started heating leftovers up in a frying pan or in the oven. I use my tea kettle to warm water up. By not using the microwave I now cant really resort to unhealthy tv dinners and other frozen assortments. It helps me to eat just a little bit healthier. But then I was asked what really made me believe this was a healthy choice? What convinced me to try this? Well my thoughts were that it is an electric device heating your food up... That is kind of wierd, but these questions provoked me to do a little research. What is it that makes a microwave so bad for your health? What benefits do you truly gain from not using this device? So I did a little investigating, and mind you I'm not turning this into a lengthy research article but after reading several websites and articles of my own I have learned several things. So lets start from the beginning, how does the microwave actually work?

A microwave, using electronic magnetic radiation, causes water molecules to vibrate at very high frequencies which in time turns into steam which then heats your food. I find it very odd the way this microwave works. Doesn't sound so normal and I'm not into the idea of this space technology helping me out so much. Articles also spoke of how it doesn't give the food radiation but that it is basically killing your food by destroying all the nutrients within. Tests were performed and in comparison to steaming your vegetables, found that you lose about 97 percent of nutrients versus 11 percent when steaming. Now just to be fair a microwave barely harms minerals, such as zinc and magnesium. But otherwise what is the point of microwaving that food? You barely get anything out of it. Also, consider what you heat your food in when it comes to the microwave? If not conscious about this you could be using certain plastics and papers that are releasing carcinogens into your food that is going into your body that you have just heated up in the microwave. Ouch.... Lastly, what affects does the microwave have on the outside. Now I know I said that there isn't radiation being absorbed into the food but there is radiation being emitted through the window. Studies are finding that its not enough to report microwaves "unsafe" but there have been enough studies showing that it can cause cancer agents and irregularity in the heart rate and heart rate variability.

Now I did get a few opinions and viewpoints from family when discussing my decision, and they do make sense. Some people don't see the harm. My mom had pointed out that if I was getting rid of the microwave because of radiation purposes then I should just get rid of all other electronics. Well, not quite exactly. The microwave was just a step. It was just one less thing in my life that wasn't really beneficial to me. It was something that I could deal live without.  I'm not concerned so much as ridding all harmful things out of my life right now. My grandma had also said that the only reason she uses hers is for microwave popcorn and heating up her coffee and her coffee doesn't exactly contain many nutrients that she's concerned about not getting. So for some folks using the microwave isn't that big of a deal for them. It's all dependent on how you view the issue and how you want to take action about it that matters.

Even before diving into this little bit of research I had already had a gut feeling microwaves weren't the greatest thing for you. Even from what I had known growing up. Not to stand close to the microwave and blah blah blah. Just the idea of how the microwave works just frightens me because it doesn't seem so normal. Now that I know some of this research it really helps me to say no to microwaving. But we will see how long it takes before these "facts" have slipped my mind and I cave into using the microwave again. I highly suggest going above and beyond my own words here right now that you have just read and commit to a little research on this topic as well. See whats out there that might change your mind about something that makes your life that much simpler.

Let's Try This Again

   Soooo, I'm starting a three day cleanse today!  Technically I started it late last night when I was having cravings for a snack, but still.   This cleanse that I am doing is solely apples and water for three days.  I had heard of one of my mom's co-workers doing it and I had looked it up a bit online and it seemed fair and nice.  I even read a bit that apparently cleanses work better than dieting because it will help keep the weight off since you are actually getting rid of the toxins and what not in your body.  It's only for three days so I've decided to try it.
     This morning I'm on my second fuji apple.  Yummmm but I'm still hungry!  I can tell it's going to be a long weekend now, but it will all pay off in the end.  I'm hoping this is very successful and if so I'm going to try and keep a healthier appetite around as well as trying to do this cleanse once a month or so.  It's not expensive which is really helpful.
     I decided to go through with this cleanse, because of several reasons.  A couple being from my boyfriend and others from myself.  Personally, I'm tired of gaining weight and never following through with my promises to myself.  I want to stay on top of being healthy and maintaining a good weight.  I can't stand it that my jeans and pants once again do not fit.  I know in my last article I had posted to accept yourself and I have.  It's just that I want to change for other factors.  Such as being able to wear my clothes and living a healthier lifestyle.  The fact that I'm gaining weight and not even maintaining a steady weight is what's really getting to me.  I had read somewhere before that you are beautiful the way you are it's just now you are choosing to become someone even better. That's what I'm doing right now.
     Goodness... even as I'm writing this I'm craving crazy things like ramen.  I might just start having hallucinations of food next!  Wouldn't that be just so funny... not. Anyways, another incidence was when my boyfriend and I were standing in the checkout at our local Meijer and he went to pick up the fitness magazine with a beautiful, toned woman on it.  I asked him the most obvious question, why he had chosen that one out of all the others and he just simply said "She has a nice body".  It was nothing directed at me or anything but it made me realize that I need to step up my game.  I want him to look at me in the end and be amazed.  I've gained weight since I've met him and that just doesn't seem all too fair.  Even when we first started dating I was working out and taking vitamins.  I was in a better spot at that time than I am now and I want to go back to those ways.
     So my first step back in that direction is going to be this cleanse.  I'm working on a grocery list and recipes at the moment for when I get off the cleanse so I can keep myself on this road for some time.  Even get my family to participate in the healthier lifestyle.  I'm going to try and push myself as well to at least run twenty minutes a day at the gym and if I can't really take the cement walls and treadmills than I will bundle up and run at a park or something.  I'm hoping in the end... I become an addict for this lifestyle.