I Don't Have Time to Write this Post

I was slowly fading in my Anthropology of Prisons class today when I reached for the grapefruit-sized Honeycrisp I had at the bottom of my backpack.  The coffee I had this morning did not sufficiently complete the waking up process and my mint gum wasn't doing its normal trick.  Maybe I need food to wake me up, I thought, as I still believe food is the answer to all of life's problems and uncomfortable circumstances, so I bit into the crimson globe.  Crunch, suck, gulp.  Zing! Pop! Hello!  It was insane: I was instantly awake.


On the radio a couple of weeks ago, Ryan Seacrest (yeah, I know, but bare with me...) equated eating an apple to having sex.  "I'm invigorated all the way to the middle and I get tired afterward," he said.  Now, while I do really, really love apples, I'm not exactly on board with such a comparison, but maybe it's because I don't get sleepy afterward.  The opposite happens for me.  And I have reason to believe I am not alone.


Why was Ryan Seacrest talking about apples on his radio show in the first place, you ask?  Well, in the slough of random facts shared on air, as is routine for most radio shows to do, his co-host shared the following, fascinating tidbit:


Apples prove more energizing than coffee.


There is a wealth of information to back up this statement and a simple Google search will provide any curious apple-eater-coffee-drinker (like myself) with the sizable list of reasons why this is true, but I think my case study of myself today was evidence enough.  Apples hit you faster, they're refreshing and crisp, it was said conversationally on the radio.  I couldn't agree more.  I even passed up my usual noon coffee an hour later.  "An apple contains natural sugars, so it has longer lasting effects and is a healthier alternative than a cup of coffee with caffeine that will wear off quickly...Coffee only acts as a stimulant while an apple's sugar and fiber will provide long-lasting energy" (thestylus.net.  McKay, Hailey.  Coffee's Healthy Alternatives.  2009.).  I'll name myself case in point, though I did crash at around 1 PM, but I think that was mostly due to digestion sleepies from my decently sized lunch.


But also, give me a break.  I'm a college student.


I have: a full course load, a part-time job, 10-15 hours of rehearsal a week, a high GPA I'm trying to keep on the rise, a social life that's as active as possible, a 15-30 minute commute to any given location, oh, and did I mention I'm trying to eat right and run ALL THE TIME?  Damn.  These crispy, juicy spheres better be giving me energy, because who has time to sleep anymore?


That's the fantastic thing about apples.  How easy are they?!  Not only are they wonderful little portion-sized, individually packaged, grab-and-go snacks, but they don't get damaged very easily, don't go bad very quickly, and they are practically sold everywhere.  Add to the list that they are relatively cheap, grow year-round, and wake you up!  This is exactly what I need.


Those moments in life when something you already knew you loved suddenly becomes much more worth loving are really magical.  I'm trying to rekindle that flame with many things in my life right now that once contributed to a healthier, happier me: running, tracking, Weight Watcher meetings, measuring, avoiding half the foods in the world (until I summon them to me, of course)... I'm glad to have found that with my lovely apples.

Resembling my current self portrait...

Being busy is a common tunnel to unhealthyhood, but I think that with the right planning, busyness can also help render a healthier person.  No time to prepare meals, no time to snack.  No time to exercise (no, really... I'm losing miles as we speak), no time to be lazy.  No time to make the right decisions, no time to make the wrong ones.  It's a curse, being busy, but it's also something I chose and a state I believe I am privileged to be in.  The true test, I think, is what I choose to do with what little free time I have... a test I've been recently failing but am determined to pass.  Soon.  Now.


It's excellent I have my apples to keep my on track.
Running will happen when it can, but Thousand, I am still planning on completing you.


Must stop writing now...
So much to do!