Monday, October 29, 2012

Marvelous in My Monday {Giveaway Winner!}

Hello my loves! 
We are starting another beautiful week and you know I always look forward to...



Honestly, everyday should be Marvelous don't ya think? 
Thank you to THE diva Katie for hosting<3 

Marvelous New Recipe!


I posted my first recipe on Keep Smiling and it is a delicious one at that. Once taste of this and you'll actually want to add that bit of green in your breakfasts! 

Marvelous Food Experiments! 



What is that you ask? I was tinkering with my recent purchase of peanut flour from iHerb(!), trying to make nut butter. It was yummy but I definitely need to modify the ingredients. At first when you don't succeed, try, try again :)

Marvelous Weather! 


Finally, the hot, sticky sun has been replaced with chilly mornings that just makes me want to curl up next to a fire and have a cup of tea. 
My mom told me its during this time of year that she often thinks about her life and all her blessings.
 I couldn't agree more. 

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And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for...

The winner of my first giveaway! Boy, there's been a lot of "firsts" on this blog ;) 

*DRUMROLL* 

Katherine! 


Thank you to all that entered! I promise this won't be the only treat so be on the look out :) 
I will be emailing Katherine very soon for information! 

Remember, there's always something Marvelous in everyday! 
Have an amazing week<3


Sunday, October 28, 2012

The Green Smoothie That Could

Can you believe this is my first green smoothie?



At first, I was a little iffy about adding in the spinach but guys, I'm absolutely in love. 
I'm definitely a little behind on the smoothie train since it is going to be winter, but why not?
Its so nice to have something nice and easy to settle in my stomach! Plus, with 23 grams of protein, you know you can't go wrong!

Green Pumpkin Protein Smoothie

by Alina Sin
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Keywords: breakfast smoothie protein powder spinach

Ingredients (1 Serving)
  • One handful of baby spinach
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin
  • 1/2 almond milk
  • 1/2 water
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Sunwarrior!)
  • Two spoonfuls of Greek Yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • 1 packet of Truvia (optional)
Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients into blender and whir away!
2. Pour it in a large bowl and top with nut butter, granola, or more greek yogurt!
3. Devour.
Powered by Recipage


You can't taste the spinach one bit!
A great way to start any day :) 

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Veggies For Breakfast

Hello loves! How is your Saturday going? 
During the school week, I lose a lot of sleep even though I try to hit the hay early. I either have to wake up early to study for a test or look over notes! Weekends are definitely my time to take a breather and relax. 

I had quite the agenda today and I knew a protein packed breakfast was the way to go. I was going to be on my feet the whole day so my body needed the fuel :) 

Enter the Green Pumpkin Protein Smoothie! 



Recipe coming tomorrow! This was super filling and it had the perfect amount of sweetness. 
I have a feeling smoothies are going to stick with me for a while :) This recipe has 2 different veggies in it! An awesome change from my usual sweet omelets.

After breakfast, I tried to knock out some homework because I knew I wouldn't have time later. 
The life of an IB student! 


I worked up quite an appetite and I wanted something satisfying to hold me over till lunch. 
The new obsession of mine? 


Sweet potato with almond butter<3 Seriously, match made in food heaven. 

I've been adding a lot of healthy carbs and fats to my diet and it is doing wonders! 
You're probably wondering where ice cream and pastries have gone in the blog. Upping my protein intake benefited me in the long run and I haven't eaten any sugary foods in over 3 weeks. Honestly, I don't miss them very much and if a sweet craving hits, I find myself turning to frozen grapes or greek yogurt and nut butter. This doesn't mean that I'll never eat dessert again but eating sugar in moderation has been helping my training and my stomach! 

I took a break and browsed my favorite foodie blogs. I'm talking to you, Kath<3 

Guys, Mama Smile has some legit cooking skills. I don't know how I'm going to live without her cooking in college! 

Soybean soup with crab!
Those are some Hugh Jass peppers.
I'm off to the Kid's Festival! 
This festival is sponsored by so many local businesses, it's free to everyone who comes. It's such a fun place to be with our family, especially on a beautiful day like this!




Children's Yoga! How cute!


Wellness center leading kids to dance for their health!
Local cheerleading group! If only I can do that...

Beautiful<3
The weather was the BEST today and it just made me even more excited for the season ahead. Oh, winter, come soon!

Those girls on stage gave me the motivation to shake my tail feather as well. I got home around 4 and was rearing to get my sweat on!

Workout



  • 20 minutes of abs
  • This circuit with dumbbells: 

  • This circuit: 


Thank you Julie and Courtney for these workouts! I was definitely "scared" to try both of them ;)

  • One mile run 
  • 1200 jumps on weighted jumprope
My clothes were absolutely drenched with sweat at the end. 


UCK. I stunk. 

Workout, shower, eat. 


Oxtail soup. So comforting! 


Whew! What a lengthy post. I'm sorry I didn't warn you about that! 
One thing I'm not sorry about? 
Having a nice bed to sleep in :) 

Can't wait to show you some smoothie love tomorrow<3
Sleep well my friends! 



























Friday, October 26, 2012

Five Fact Friday

1. I finished 2 jars of Barney Butter over a span of 3 weeks. Couldn't help but buy another jar today! Is it bad to say that I'm proud of this?



2. Made my first purchase from iHerb :)


I've always wanted to try Sunwarrior, hearing many great reviews from Miss Katie! If anything, I always prefer whole protein but getting an extra boost sure does help my growing muscles.
Oh, and the peanut flour? Let's just say I have a lot planned under my sleeves that I'm not wearing ;)

3. Sometimes, the best snacks are the simplest ones. 



4. Always count on Instagram and Pinterest to both make you laugh and smile simultaneously :)







5. Today is National Pumpkin Day! For breakfast, I made a pumpkin smoothie to celebrate <3 




And with that, HELLO FREEDOM! 

Happy Friday, my loves<3 

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My 100th post giveaway is going on till Monday! I'd hate for you all to miss out on the goodies I have planned for the lucky winner :) Go check it out!









Tuesday, October 23, 2012

So Thankful + Giveaway!

It's time to PARTY


Why? Because I've reached 100 posts! 
Time to put some music and dance away baby ;)

I cannot believe how far this blog has gone since I decided to started Keep Smiling. I realized that this blog isn't just about my recovery from ED, but also a place where I can talk about things like school, friends, family and of course, food! I am learning so much from you all everyday and slowly, I'm teaching myself to love every moment of this precious thing called life. 

There are no words to express my love for all of you who have been reading and following my journey to becoming a happier me. Y'all have some willpower to listen to me talk! Haha but all joking aside, you all have a special place in my heart and I can't thank you enough. 

There are going to be changes on Keep Smiling and I will reveal the renovations very soon. With that said, I am going to give one lucky reader some goodies that I adore to celebrate my 100th post! 

To win, there are a couple things you can do! 

1. Go like my page on Facebook to get updates for Keep Smiling! I'd love to talk to you all too :) 

2. Follow me on Instagram at haebinsmile

3. Make a comment below about anything! Your workout this week, favorite snack, what you would like to see more on Keep Smiling, ANYTHING. Be creative but no negative talk please! 

Leave a separate comment on this post for each option! You can be overachiever and do all of them if you want to. Be awesome like that.

I will be picking the winner on Monday, October 29!

What will be in store for the winner? 
Sorry guys, but it's a surprise! 
You'd have to win to see, no? 

Good luck my loves! <3



Monday, October 22, 2012

Don't Go Changing...

"To try to please me, you never let me down before!" 

Just as my friend Billy Joel would sing it, things here have been getting pretty routine and repetitive. 
Not that I mind it, oh no sir. Why change a good thing, am I right? 

The first delicious "thing" that has been the same for weeks, is my breakfast.


Sweet omelet. 


Every.


Single.


Day. 

This is one of those times where I taste one thing and get hooked on it until I find something else to munch on! Does anybody else have that problem? I don't know what it is, but the combination of fat and protein keeps me going until the next meal. 
Get in my belly! 

Numero dos is #plantpower! Hello tomatoes, spinach, carrots and every colorful vegetable within my reach. I welcome them warmly with open arms y'all. You should too! 


One time, I actually ate two salads in a day! My body has been craving these vegetables for some odd reason, when I usually grab fruit to fuel me. This is a BIG change for someone like me who has a raging sweet tooth. To quell my crazy cravings, check out this baby! 


Sweet potatoes with a generous scoop of almond butter! This is the perfect snack to help hold your tummy until lunch time and I've been having this during the day at school. I had to sneak a picture in Spanish :) 

The third and final thing that been rocking my foodie world are california rolls. 
DUDE. Why can't I stop eating this for dinner?! 



It's those dang avocados again. Curse their creaminess. 

I'm sorry for being so MIA this week! I recently got two new SAT tutors and they definitely don't go easy on new students. I've also been trying to set up a plan for Keep Smiling for the upcoming months. I definitely need more variety in my little corner of the blog world to spice things up a bit! My schedule is jam packed. I'm surprised I haven't gone delirious yet!
Actually, judging from the way I treat my green peppers from my garden, I could be.


Pepper-stache<3

I can't wait till tomorrow because I have a bit of surprise for you all! 
Make sure to check in :) 

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I would love some ideas for the blog so if you have any thing you want to see more of, please let me know! 











Saturday, October 13, 2012

Learning to Trust Myself

Today was pretty hectic because after volunteering at the hospital, I worked 4 more hours at the Columbus Day Parade, a huge gathering to celebrate good ol' Christopher!



The Italian Food Festival was also going on at the same time! The air was filled with so many delicious smells. Oh yum. 



BBQ Sundae. What?!





As Key Club members, we painted kids faces, passed out stuffed animals and sold freshly baked goods to raise money for Kiwanis. There was music, food and friends! What more can you ask for? 

Being out and experiencing local festivities like this made me feel refreshed. I loved seeing the kids faces as I gave them the toys and the way that the community supports us high schoolers. Sometimes it just nice to take a breath and live it up! <3

Dinner was another repeat of homemade California rolls. 



Seriously, give me a tub of avocado. Like a poolful. 
;)



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It's no big mystery that I love food. 
I adore learning about nutrition, fitness and how feeding out bodies can help us overall, feel very happy! But lately, I've been in a funk with this little thing called trust. 

Because of my eating disorder, I had to completely lose my health to want it back. It was a struggle everyday to get where I am today but I made it and I'm never going back. Yet, there are still times when I question myself and my eating. Sometimes I wonder if I really should be eating certain things and I contemplate on how much I should eat. I always choose to listen to my body because I know it needs to be fed. I try to not compare my diet with others due to the fact that everyone's different and we have different needs. Being a blogger can definitely hinder your thoughts on the way you look, on whether you should eat less or more. The community constantly talks about going paleo, eating clean, and getting more protein in your body. I can admit that I sometimes fall into that trap of "conforming" to the healthy living community. 

I find myself asking things like "Should I be eating more than this?" or "Is this enough food?". It's frustrating that these things still linger my mind and pop up every once on a blue moon. ED is a powerful thing and it's annoying to worry about these thoughts. This morning, I read Amanda's post on food anxiety and how it affects her. I can relate because even after I eat a meal, I worry if I'm full enough. Doesn't my stomach know that already? Why is it difficult to listen to my body and trust it? 

Everyday, I remind myself to stay strong through struggles like this and to ultimately love my body for what it's experienced, where I am now, and where it's going to take me in the future. I work hard, train even harder and eat food that both make me happy physically and mentally. Trusting my body is going to be a big hill for me to climb in recovery and it will take a lot of time. 
But it doesn't mean that I'm not going to try. Those thoughts are getting quieter as I'm getting louder and one day, I know ED's voice will disappear :)