October Writers

The October Featured Writers are up!!  I apologize for the delay.  It's been a crazy last couple of weeks.  We have 12 submissions this month.  Your task?  Choose a total of 6 pieces to read and leave comments.  You are going to want to read ALL of them, but you only have to leave comments for 6.  Have fun this week reading The Blog.

Your comments are due Friday, November 7 by 11:59 PM.  Remember, your comments are worth a grade.

Writers--keep checking The Blog for comments.  You only have to leave comments for 3 pieces.

Happy Reading !!!!!!!

Lucy--Lost in Media

Lost in Media

Every day I have a routine which only includes being on my phone, laptop and tablet. I spend all on twitter, instagram, vine, iheartit, etc. Name a social media and I have it. I barely look up and when I do, I just look around for something cool or funny or interesting to post. This is how life is now and all we do is watch videos on how life used to be and how people had actual face to face conversation. I thought that was so weird considering that I have never heard my friends or even my parent’s actual voices. I always thought about what would happen when I actually put my electronics away. And today is the day I am going to make that a reality. I hid everything and took a look outside. The sun blaring down on my pale skin the birds singing the most beautiful song I have ever heard. The bees flying around the variety of flowers. After that I had stepped outside and felt the cool breeze and the glaring sun at the same time. I started to move towards the shopping center that was near me and I loved the way everything looked. All the beautiful details and how the fountains had pennies from people making wishes. All those times that I never looked up I really regret. I missed out on all the wonderful things life has to offer. Soon I realized that the world I was living in before never actually existed and that my generation made it seem like the way I was living was okay. I hope that I am not the only teenager who does this, who actually appreciates what life has to offer. But as I look around, all I see are older generations or children that don’t even know what a phone is or don’t care about having one. Sadly the next sets of people who take after the world are all a lost hope. I run back to where I previously was, my bedroom, and I lock my door. I find all my electronics and turn them back on. And as soon I unlock them I am hooked once again. I am now stuck at home watching videos and tweeting about how sad the world is without my phone. I quickly forget about everything I had seen when I looked up. All the beauty I had seen had left my head for good. The way the elders laughed at the young children, the way people had appreciated each other without a screen. That would be gone from my mind. I am now part of my generation. The one that doesn’t see the beauty in things and the one that can’t even talk face to face. My generation is and always will be a lost cause. I could’ve done something about it but instead I decided to participate in the most boring, antisocial, ungrateful, and cruel, and uninviting and dead generation.

Kimberly--My Happy Place

My Happy Place 

They say Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth. Well, they’re right. Many of you  might have experienced the magical wonders of Disney when you were at a very young  age. My first time at Disneyland was almost four years ago! Imagine that. Now, I will never  forget my first day at the place that seemed a little too perfect to be true. It was a typical  normal day; sunny, birds chirping, a cool breeze blowing, clear skies, but with absolutely  nothing to do. My brother and I, along with my two nieces and nephew were driving around  numerous areas to find the perfect place to spend the perfect day. My brother stopped the  car, put it in park, turned to us and said “Let’s go to Disneyland.” I almost had a heart attack  right then and there. We spent the rest of the car ride listening to the Disney radio and  singing along to “Hakuna Matata”. Arriving at the place that I’ve heard so much about was  almost too much to process. However, the surprises didn’t end there! My brother did not  just come back with regular, one day tickets, but with annual passes. I could feel tears  puddling in my eyes. I remember walking through the gates and thinking to myself, “Wow.”  because I couldn’t find my voice. The aroma was like nothing I had ever experienced. The  scent of warm bakeries and fresh flowers. The sound of laughter and the languages of  people that come from countries and cities far from here. The feeling of happiness,  fulfillment, enchantment, and nostalgia. The list goes on. I never believed that I could feel so  much like a little kid again. I caught myself having the biggest smile on my face. Every ride I  went on, I felt like I was time traveling through my childhood. Instead of reminiscing on the  times I would sit on my living room floor to watch Toy Story, I was encountering and taking  pictures with the characters themselves! Being at Disneyland makes me like a child again  and makes me realize that time is of the essence. We waste our time trying to grow up and  forget the past, when the past is who we are. My appreciation grows a little more every  time I walk through those gates. If I ever need a place to escape to, I know where I will be. 

Brandon--The Importance of Nutrition Planning

The Importance of Nutrition Planning

So you have just started working out and you’re putting in endless hours in the gym, but you find little to no improvement. However what most beginners don’t realize is that what you put into the gym means absolutely NOTHING without the proper nutrition. When working out, nutrition is just as important. Here are some simple steps to help you find the right nutrition plan for you.

Step 1: What Should Be In My Plan?

            Nutrition plans can be very difficult for beginners because they often know very little about what is important and what isn’t when it comes to macronutrients. When dieting, it is vital to know that you will be eating a lot of food. There are four major factors that should be involved in your diet:

• Calories: Calories are basically the energy that comes from the foods you eat. They come from the other three factors. Calories are essential because you will burn off calories when you exercise. As a result it is vital to make sure you consume enough calories.
• Carbohydrates: Carbs are the most important source of energy your body needs. When your body consumes carbs, they are turned into glucose for the body to use.
• Protein: Protein is the key to building muscle. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which help build and recover muscles.
• Fats: Like carbs, fats are a source of energy that the body can use, but is a more concentrated form of energy.

Step 2: Set Up a Plan  

            Now that you know what should be in your diet, the next step is to set up your nutrition plan. The ideal nutrition plan has about 2,500 calories, 218g of carbs, 218g of protein, and 83g of fat (via Bodybuilding.com). However, it is important to find a nutrition plan that is right for you. For instance, if you plan to add mass, you should increase the amount of all of your macros. Make sure to eat about 5-6 meals a day and to eat every 2.5 to 3 hours. To know more about what should be in your plan visit the link: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/meal-plan-for-every-guy.html

Step 3: What Kinds of Foods Should Be In My Plan?

            The next step would be to pre-plan your meals. It is important to eat all of your meals and no NEVER skip any of them.

• Meal #1: Your first meal, also known as breakfast, should consist of simple foods, like oatmeal, a protein shake, eggs, and egg whites. It is important that you have a good breakfast because it is the base of your nutritional requirements.

• Meals #2-4: These meals will contain the carbs and protein needed to build muscle. An example would be brown rice and chicken breast. Foods like rice, potatoes, etc. provide you with carbs while other foods like chicken, fish, and other meat and poultry will provide you with the protein that your body needs. Your pre-workout meal (approximately meal # 3 or #4) should be a big meal because this is the meal that will fuel you before your workout. Make sure to eat this meal around 1 to 2 hours before you exercise.

• Meal #5: This is your post-workout meal. This is a very important meal that shouldn’t be missed. This is because after your workout, you have about half an hour to replenish your muscles. This is known as the anabolic window. Foods like chicken rice, fish, etc., should be consumed along with a protein shake.

• Meal #6: This meal should be eaten before you go to sleep. This meal will help feed you throughout the night. Foods like potatoes and poultry should be eaten in this meal.

Step #4: Happy Eating!

            Congratulations! Now you know the basic idea behind nutrition! Now all that’s left to do is to follow your meal plan and to put in the work at the gym and you will start seeing the results you want.

            Personally, I have always struggled with nutrition. When I started out, I was just a scrawny kid who thought that lifting weights alone would get me big. I was only eating less than half of what I was supposed to eat and I wasn’t gaining anything. It wasn’t until I started to look into why I wasn’t improving is when I noticed that I wasn’t eating enough and I wasn’t eating well. After that, I started to eat more and eat my required macros and I started to see improvement. I cannot stress it enough that your nutritional requirements are just as important. Any professional bodybuilder like Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, Kai Greene, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger understands the importance of your macronutrients and are living examples that a good nutrition is vital.

Alexis--It's Me and You till the end baby girl

It’s Me and You till the end baby girl

A sister by definition is a female who has one or both parents in common with another.  A generic and bland description of the person who means the most to me. Since I was a little girl I was told by my mother to treat my sister like she was the only thing I had in the world. At the young age of..  I don’t know? Six? I didn’t quite understand what she truly meant by that. If my sister got in trouble we’d both suffer the same consequences.  If she got beat? Guess what, I got beat too. Although cruel at the moment, I now understand why my mom raised us the way she did. It was to teach us that we had to stick together and never abandon one another. One day after we beat the living crap out of each other my mom gave us a lecture (like always) but, ended it a little differently. After she was done yelling, my mom tried to explain to us why we should value one another. The words she said next would never escape my mind. My sister would be the only person to never leave my side. The only person to fully understand me and all my struggles. The only person who would never bad mouth me or stab me in the back. The only person to equally feel my pain and happiness. The only person who will tell me what I need to hear and not hold back. The only person who will love me unconditionally. The only person who really, and I mean REALLY, knows me for who I am. I have spent every moment of my life with that “female”. And we argue about half the time but, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. My worst fear in life is not having her around to share my greatest and darkest times with. Not having her to complain to when I have a bad day. Or laugh with her about a random girl’s tore up hair. Or talk in that stupid accent we made up when we were little. If something were to happen to her, I would also die shortly after of a broken heart. I’m one of those people who believe in soul-mates but, I don’t believe they have to be your significant other. Instead I think they are someone who you share an extraordinary bond with. I don’t need anyone else in this world. I love her with every ounce of my being and particle of my soul. The best gift my parents could have ever gave me is her and I can’t thank them enough. A sister to me is the only person I couldn’t live without.

“Isn’t it weird that you’re my sister? And you live with me?” - Karina