Studying and Coconut Dreams

Today was a very productive day which needed to happen in order to perserve my sanity for upcoming finals week. However, i was not as sucessful in catering to my nutritional needs. I know that when i get busy and start working on a project, i can actually feel my body's sympathetic nervous system being turned on. I have never been one of those people who "snack" a lot on bad junk food while trying to study. Oh no, I am the opposite, letting my mind run wild, rapidly writing my papers, and not much thought on the needs of my stomach.

This of course isn't the first time i have realized my extreme nature surrounding my forgetfulness about eating while doing homework. I know that food is fuel for the brain, but just can't simply stop myself and cook up something in the kitchen. I did however have a delicous coconut smoothie with blended cashews from a new restaurant by my house, called Thrive. http://www.generationthrive.com/. It was the perfect addition to studying, because it was cold, creamy, and I could sip on it while i divulged myself in my readings. Coconut is a great source of saturated fat for vegetarians and in traditional chinese medicine, it can help clear the effect of summer heat and quenches thirst. Cashews are in fact the nut with the least amount of fat!

Most importantly it brought me back to my trip to Vietnam last summer. It has almost been a year since i took my first trip overseas and indulged in all the tropical fruits the country had to offer. We drank coconuts morning, noon, and night, mostly because of the abundance of them and their ability to quench our thirsts when it felt like 150 degrees outside. My favorite memory was heading to the local market on old bikes, and having another coconut craving, we had to tie the coconuts to the back of our bikes. The locals got quite a laugh at our attempts to be "tourists" at the market and willing to try and bike ride home on a rusty old bike loaded down with coconuts. We definitely had some "junk in the trunk" that day!

So I was highly satisfyed with my drink today that brought back such vivid memories. Perhaps if I dont think i have time to stop and eat while I'm cramming for finals, i can try to surround myself with a particular food that evokes a memory of happiness, relaxation, and comfort. Happy Studying!

Angie