Well, I have started making myself fruit smoothies every morning, because according to Dr. McKeith, fruit should be eaten 30 minutes before any other food group (carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables). She suggests that breakfast is the perfect time to eat fruit because your stomach is empty. This is one part of her section on "Food Combining." Dr. McKeith says that if you eat the wrong food groups together then you are "mak[ing] complete digestion impossible...prevent[ing] nutrient uptake and risk a host of ills" (pg. 78). This is because certain foods digest at different speeds and required different enzymes to break them down.
Thus, my fruit smoothie for breakfast. Not to mention, fruit smoothies are delicious! I purchased a new blender at the beginning of the semester just so I could start making those healthy treats. Smoothies are great for students and other people who rush out the door in the mornings. A lot of people do not eat breakfast believing they either lack the time or that not eating will help them lose weight. These beliefs are both wrong! 1) Smoothies are quick (especially if you decide the night before what kind of smoothie you want and prepare all the ingredients then) because you add your ingredients, hit a button and pour it into your glass. 2) Eating breakfast actually jump starts your metabolism and gets it going for the rest of the day.
I even have a trendy, cold-beverage Starbucks glass that has a twist-on lid and straw (Shout out to Mrs. VT for the glass!) that is perfect for taking my smoothies with me on-the-go. It has become my ideal morning to pour a smoothie into my glass and take it to class with me.
I have tried a couple different fruit combinations so far, but my favorite is what I'm calling "Banaberry." It's totally delicious! Trust me.
In your blender combine:
1-2 Bananas
1/2 carton (about 3 oz.) raspberries
A handful (or two) of baby spinach
Orange juice (the more you add, the more liquidy {I just made that a word} your smoothie will be)
Blend/liquify/puree (depending on your blender buttons) to your heart's contentment! I think I may have added 1/2 an apple as well. Consider it an optional ingredient. Enjoy!
Bonus: the Spinach is well masked by the sweetness of the bananas and raspberries so this is a good way to get your spinach-haters to eat that nutritious leafy green.
Deuces.
*I feel it is necessary to say that I am in no way legally connected with Dr. McKeith or her book. I am merely a reader of You Are What You Eat who has decided to blog about personal experiences relating to the book.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
"You Are What You Eat"
Over Christmas break, my friend Jessica and I were talking about healthy eating, so she gave me Dr. Gillian McKeith's book, You Are What You Eat. I'm about three chapters in, and so far it's really exciting, scary, disappointing and interesting...all at the same time.
Dr. McKeith talks about what foods are good for you to eat "in abundance" and which foods will most certainly lead to your imminent death (okay, maybe I was being a little dramatic). I have discovered that a lot of the foods that I eat regularly are on the "imminent death" list which is really depressing since I LOVE those foods.
Dr. McKeith swears though that if you follow her food diet (for the most part) that "you will feel stronger, sexier, more energized and happier" (pg. 82) in addition to losing weight and lowering your risk of many diseases and everyday ailments.
I am trying not to get too hyped up about her diet because I don't want to join a cult diet group, but from what I have read so far her methods looks promising. Also, she is looking at our moods and bodies from a purely secular viewpoint (not a Christian). It is important to remember that while she promises happiness and health, the Great Healer (God) is the one we need to turn to in times of disease and trials (depression, anxiety, etc.) There is no substitute for God. It makes perfect sense though that God provides nutrition in our foods that help keep us healthy. After all, in Genesis, He told Adam and Eve to eat of all the fruit in the Garden of Eden (except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil). God intended for the first couple and their posterity to live off the fruits of the land which He had created and were good. After sin entered the world, things changed in the Garden.
I am excited to try Dr. McKeith's diet. I do believe that there are many diets, nutritional plans and other methods that will help you lose weight and feel better, so I plan on combining some strategies I have learned elsewhere with Dr. McKeith's diet and see what happens.
My plan is to start blogging about my experiences and ideas based on this new diet kick in addition to my normal blog posts.
Here we go!
This morning I am drinking a smoothie drink that I made by combining frozen berries, chamomile tea and Valerian root in the blender. Dr. McKeith says that fresh is the way to go, but I already had the frozen fruit ;) Also, chamomile tea and most berries are on "The Abundant Food List" (pgs. 82-84) so I feel alright about my choice.
Deuces.
Dr. McKeith talks about what foods are good for you to eat "in abundance" and which foods will most certainly lead to your imminent death (okay, maybe I was being a little dramatic). I have discovered that a lot of the foods that I eat regularly are on the "imminent death" list which is really depressing since I LOVE those foods.
Dr. McKeith swears though that if you follow her food diet (for the most part) that "you will feel stronger, sexier, more energized and happier" (pg. 82) in addition to losing weight and lowering your risk of many diseases and everyday ailments.
I am trying not to get too hyped up about her diet because I don't want to join a cult diet group, but from what I have read so far her methods looks promising. Also, she is looking at our moods and bodies from a purely secular viewpoint (not a Christian). It is important to remember that while she promises happiness and health, the Great Healer (God) is the one we need to turn to in times of disease and trials (depression, anxiety, etc.) There is no substitute for God. It makes perfect sense though that God provides nutrition in our foods that help keep us healthy. After all, in Genesis, He told Adam and Eve to eat of all the fruit in the Garden of Eden (except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil). God intended for the first couple and their posterity to live off the fruits of the land which He had created and were good. After sin entered the world, things changed in the Garden.
I am excited to try Dr. McKeith's diet. I do believe that there are many diets, nutritional plans and other methods that will help you lose weight and feel better, so I plan on combining some strategies I have learned elsewhere with Dr. McKeith's diet and see what happens.
My plan is to start blogging about my experiences and ideas based on this new diet kick in addition to my normal blog posts.
Here we go!
This morning I am drinking a smoothie drink that I made by combining frozen berries, chamomile tea and Valerian root in the blender. Dr. McKeith says that fresh is the way to go, but I already had the frozen fruit ;) Also, chamomile tea and most berries are on "The Abundant Food List" (pgs. 82-84) so I feel alright about my choice.
Deuces.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
New Year!
Howdy all!
It's the new year: 2012!
Some many wonderful things are going to happen this year. Trust me, I know. One of which is I am going to graduate college with my Bachelor of Fine Art degree! I might even be able to apply for graduate schools--the ones that have spring admission, that is.
I was really sad to find out that one of my professors passed away right before the new year. Phil Dunham was an amazing professor and a beautiful man. He always had something to say and was always encouraging. The way he looked at life was inspiring. He was a life-ling learner, which was so enjoyable to see. He always seemed to pursue new knowledge in order to express it through art. His big smile, typing in all capital letters, and laughter will be really missed at UMHB. We love you, Phil! UMHB won't be the same without you.
In other news, I find out when my senior exhibition opens on Tuesday! I am totally excited, but nervous because I have a lot to do before then...like at least 2.5 more paintings (I only did 2 last semester. oops). I'll try to post pictures soon. Check out my art website too to see my work: Ellen Buhrow Artworks
Deuces.
It's the new year: 2012!
Some many wonderful things are going to happen this year. Trust me, I know. One of which is I am going to graduate college with my Bachelor of Fine Art degree! I might even be able to apply for graduate schools--the ones that have spring admission, that is.
I was really sad to find out that one of my professors passed away right before the new year. Phil Dunham was an amazing professor and a beautiful man. He always had something to say and was always encouraging. The way he looked at life was inspiring. He was a life-ling learner, which was so enjoyable to see. He always seemed to pursue new knowledge in order to express it through art. His big smile, typing in all capital letters, and laughter will be really missed at UMHB. We love you, Phil! UMHB won't be the same without you.
In other news, I find out when my senior exhibition opens on Tuesday! I am totally excited, but nervous because I have a lot to do before then...like at least 2.5 more paintings (I only did 2 last semester. oops). I'll try to post pictures soon. Check out my art website too to see my work: Ellen Buhrow Artworks
Deuces.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
What is art?
What is art? This is a question that many people ask whether they are artists or not. People who walk into an art museum and see three boxes stacked on top of each other often turn to each other and whisper, "What the heck? How is this art?"
Is art determined by individual preferences or are there specific rules that art has to follow in order to be art?
Marcel Duchamp put a urinal on its side, wrote "R. Mutt" on it, titled it "Fountain" and called it art. Is this really art?
Jerry's Art-A-Rama, a nation-wide art supply store, posted this on their facebook page a week or two ago, "Is this really art?" This is a painting by Qiu Shihua at Art Basel Miami.
It was interesting to read the different comments from people who debated whether this was, in fact, art or not. I encourage you to read a few, although some of them may not be entirely "family-friendly." While these strangers debated, some of them made very profound statements about what the definition of art is:
One person said, "Art inspires, disgusts, and gets people to talk about it. I would say with this many comments...it is art"
Someone else said, "I think of art as a creation of an artist's hands that is done for the beauty of it or to convey a message or feeling. So I think it falls in that category. That doesn't mean we are going to like it however."
Another person said, "I'm actually sick of people asking if something is art or not. Yes, it is, when an artist creates it and presents it as art. Whether it is good or not depends on opinion of trained professionals. If a work that is displayed creates this much reaction then it is absolutely art. Perpetuating this kind of debate is nonsensical and arrogant. A pretty picture that looks like a photo is not the only kind of art in the world."
Is something art just because an "artist" makes it? What makes someone an artist anyway? That is for another blog post down the road.
I hate to tell you, but I do not have a definitive answer. I do, however, have an opinion. I believe that art is about the idea behind it. I recently visited the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas in Austin and had one of those moments when I turned and whispered to my boyfriend, "What the heck? How is this art?" But then I read the artist statement next to the piece and it was suddenly art to me. It was the idea behind the two dots on the canvas or the pit of pennies and bones that made what was there art.
I overheard someone say one time that art had to be beautiful because art was showing God's beauty. I am not sure I agree with that though, because Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" is a masterpiece and it is about one of the most un-beautiful events in history--the Nazi's bombing of the city of Guernica, Spain.
Merriam-Webster.com lists one of the definitions of "art" as "the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also : works so produced"
Does this mean that the art student who creates a piece of work simply based on an assignment and without any concern for why s/he is creating it is not, in fact, making art? Perhaps it is a distinction in definition. Perhaps this student art that just happens through the desire of a good grade is more technical art, while the art with a meaning and motive moves beyond technical and into the realm of statement and masterpiece art.
This post is already longer than I had intended, so I will wrap it up. I believe that technical art is something that comes together without a plan, but works aesthetically and adheres to the principles of design. I believe that a masterpiece of art has a meaning and statement behind it so that other people can understand what the artist is trying to convey. As with every other part of life, there are always exceptions. I may be totally wrong too, but since this is my blog, I can say whatever I want. (That was an attempt at written humor).
When your four-year-old comes to you and says, "Mommy/Daddy, I drawed this art for you," holding a piece of computer paper that has been scribbled on with 18,943 different crayons, you should not grill them on the techniques and statement behind their "art" seeking to find a Jackson Pollock type answer. That is art for all intensive purposes. It should be treated like art. And it should be hung in your gallery on the refrigerator.
I hope this post stimulated your thinking as much as it did mine. I welcome your comments! I doubt there will ever be unanimous consensus on what art really is, but maybe, just maybe, we can become clearer on what our own personal definitions are.
*Side note, I quoted the Jerry's comments without the direct permission of those who commented.
Is art determined by individual preferences or are there specific rules that art has to follow in order to be art?
Marcel Duchamp put a urinal on its side, wrote "R. Mutt" on it, titled it "Fountain" and called it art. Is this really art?
Jerry's Art-A-Rama, a nation-wide art supply store, posted this on their facebook page a week or two ago, "Is this really art?" This is a painting by Qiu Shihua at Art Basel Miami.
It was interesting to read the different comments from people who debated whether this was, in fact, art or not. I encourage you to read a few, although some of them may not be entirely "family-friendly." While these strangers debated, some of them made very profound statements about what the definition of art is:
One person said, "Art inspires, disgusts, and gets people to talk about it. I would say with this many comments...it is art"
Someone else said, "I think of art as a creation of an artist's hands that is done for the beauty of it or to convey a message or feeling. So I think it falls in that category. That doesn't mean we are going to like it however."
Another person said, "I'm actually sick of people asking if something is art or not. Yes, it is, when an artist creates it and presents it as art. Whether it is good or not depends on opinion of trained professionals. If a work that is displayed creates this much reaction then it is absolutely art. Perpetuating this kind of debate is nonsensical and arrogant. A pretty picture that looks like a photo is not the only kind of art in the world."
Is something art just because an "artist" makes it? What makes someone an artist anyway? That is for another blog post down the road.
I hate to tell you, but I do not have a definitive answer. I do, however, have an opinion. I believe that art is about the idea behind it. I recently visited the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas in Austin and had one of those moments when I turned and whispered to my boyfriend, "What the heck? How is this art?" But then I read the artist statement next to the piece and it was suddenly art to me. It was the idea behind the two dots on the canvas or the pit of pennies and bones that made what was there art.
I overheard someone say one time that art had to be beautiful because art was showing God's beauty. I am not sure I agree with that though, because Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" is a masterpiece and it is about one of the most un-beautiful events in history--the Nazi's bombing of the city of Guernica, Spain.
Merriam-Webster.com lists one of the definitions of "art" as "the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also : works so produced"
Does this mean that the art student who creates a piece of work simply based on an assignment and without any concern for why s/he is creating it is not, in fact, making art? Perhaps it is a distinction in definition. Perhaps this student art that just happens through the desire of a good grade is more technical art, while the art with a meaning and motive moves beyond technical and into the realm of statement and masterpiece art.
This post is already longer than I had intended, so I will wrap it up. I believe that technical art is something that comes together without a plan, but works aesthetically and adheres to the principles of design. I believe that a masterpiece of art has a meaning and statement behind it so that other people can understand what the artist is trying to convey. As with every other part of life, there are always exceptions. I may be totally wrong too, but since this is my blog, I can say whatever I want. (That was an attempt at written humor).
When your four-year-old comes to you and says, "Mommy/Daddy, I drawed this art for you," holding a piece of computer paper that has been scribbled on with 18,943 different crayons, you should not grill them on the techniques and statement behind their "art" seeking to find a Jackson Pollock type answer. That is art for all intensive purposes. It should be treated like art. And it should be hung in your gallery on the refrigerator.
I hope this post stimulated your thinking as much as it did mine. I welcome your comments! I doubt there will ever be unanimous consensus on what art really is, but maybe, just maybe, we can become clearer on what our own personal definitions are.
*Side note, I quoted the Jerry's comments without the direct permission of those who commented.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Video
Check out this cool video I put together from some images from my painting! This gives you an idea of the process that goes into creating this type of work.
To see a higher quality video and more images, visit my facebook page www.facebook.com/ellenbuhrowartworks
To see a higher quality video and more images, visit my facebook page www.facebook.com/ellenbuhrowartworks
Monday, December 5, 2011
Long time no see
Howdy y'all!
So much has happened since my first blog post! For example:
1)I decided on the theme for my Senior Exhibition for the Spring
2) I started four paintings
3) I finished three paintings
4) I am one final away from completing my last Fall semester at UMHB
5) I got a job
6) I got rejected from an art show
7) I made a list of graduate programs I am interested in
8) I started a facebook page for my art (www.facebook.com/ellenbuhrowartworks)
9) etc., etc., etc.
"Like" my facebook page! The plan is to keep it updated with my current artwork, post other interesting art facts, share other artists' work and give people the opportunity to buy some of my stuff.
I'm also trying to think of different prizes and competitions to get more "likes." Any ideas on what would be a good idea to publicize my work?
Deuces.
So much has happened since my first blog post! For example:
1)I decided on the theme for my Senior Exhibition for the Spring
2) I started four paintings
3) I finished three paintings
4) I am one final away from completing my last Fall semester at UMHB
5) I got a job
6) I got rejected from an art show
7) I made a list of graduate programs I am interested in
8) I started a facebook page for my art (www.facebook.com/ellenbuhrowartworks)
9) etc., etc., etc.
"Like" my facebook page! The plan is to keep it updated with my current artwork, post other interesting art facts, share other artists' work and give people the opportunity to buy some of my stuff.
I'm also trying to think of different prizes and competitions to get more "likes." Any ideas on what would be a good idea to publicize my work?
Deuces.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
My First post!
Hi everyone, and welcome to my new blog!
The purpose of Life, Art and Everything in Between is to keep kind of an online journal of my life and artwork. Hope you all enjoy it!
Be sure to check out my artist blog at http://ellenbuhrow.blogspot.com to view full galleries of work as well as my resume and bio. I am excited to get my name out there and hopefully become a "real artist" by selling some stuff.
I just finished a drawing class, so I will be putting pictures on my art blog soon. Also, I started a painting yesterday using wood instead of canvas. Stay posted for pictures and updates on this little experiment!
The purpose of Life, Art and Everything in Between is to keep kind of an online journal of my life and artwork. Hope you all enjoy it!
Be sure to check out my artist blog at http://ellenbuhrow.blogspot.com to view full galleries of work as well as my resume and bio. I am excited to get my name out there and hopefully become a "real artist" by selling some stuff.
I just finished a drawing class, so I will be putting pictures on my art blog soon. Also, I started a painting yesterday using wood instead of canvas. Stay posted for pictures and updates on this little experiment!
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