conking out, sleeping and some good eating

Some sort of busy bug crept its way under my skin the past couple days and has influenced my brain to get going. I credit my laziness and lack of any ability to accomplish tasks due to exhaustion and sleep deprivation. I’ve always felt sleep is one of the most important things you could obtain. Sleep accounts for so many things that if you miss out on quality snoozes, you could be costing the rest of your day. Eating habits have a direct effect to the quantity and quality of sleep you are getting. Think about the last  time you ruffed up a solid 3 hours of sleep; how were you feeling the next day? I’m sure you weren’t gung-ho on making a spinach and beet juice or eating a crisp, light salad. I’ll put it to the test that a cheesy burger sided with a glop of mile high fries were finding its way to your belly. I’ve never been the college student, let alone high school student, to pull all-nighters for the sake of finishing a homework assignment. You can credit that to laziness and not being determined but in the long run, I will take a good nights rest any day over pumping energy drinks and pinning my eyes open to finish a 12 page paper. Conk out early and set the alarm a couple of hours earlier than you normally would! Finish your homework in the morning or, heck, start working on it when it’s assigned so you’re not waiting till the last-minute. Pshh, forget that. Nobody does that! 

When you feel rested, you are more prepared to take on the day, have a positive attitude and be more health conscious. But in those cases that you are exhausted and are coming back from a busy day, still try to eat something fairly healthy. When I’m feeling a rushed day is behind me, I come home and whip up this quick and easy dish.

Wash a sweet potato and toss it in the oven or microwave. Let it get to the point of sweet tenderness. Pull it out and let it sit on a plate for a minute or so to let it cool down. I like to slit the top with a knife to help cool the potato down and allow some of the steam to release. Sweet potatoes are so convenient with their ability to accept all types of spices and flavors. If your tongue is craving for a little sweetness, bake the tot and slather in some butter/smart balance, sprinkle with brown sugar and topple with a couple mallows of marsh. Or try heading to the East and spice it up with paprika, cumin, and some peppers. Join me in Italy and drip it with olive oil, sprinkle sun-dried tomatoes on top, and delicately place fresh basil leaves along side. Any culture or country you decide to gravitate towards, just grab a fork and dig in!