Ceramic tiles made by Lorraine Bauman Pottery

Recently, a friend asked me to write a post about meal-planning and eating healthier. Since there is so much to say about this topic, I decided to break it up over the next few weeks. This first part is about the most important step in ensuring a balanced diet: shopping for the right foods.

While exercise keeps you fit and toned, 90% of your body's health depends on what you eat.

As Michael Pollan says, "If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don't." This isn't something to be taken literally, but it should give you a good idea for what's a smart choice and what to stay away from.

You don't have to spend tons of money to eat clean. What you do have to spend is energy making the right decision for your body. The decision you make today will affect you tomorrow and the day after and the month after, and years after. It might sound silly but your future self really does depend on if you go for the potato chips or the broccoli. We are building a better, healthier future you and that starts now with these five guidelines:

1. Shop the peripheries: Most refined foods can be found in the middle of the store while the real foods like fruit, vegetables, and meat are located around the perimeter. Focus on the outer sections as much as possible to make sure you're buying food that isn't processed or filled with added sugar.

2. Look at the labels: If you can't pronounce the ingredients on the packaging, you probably should not be putting that into your body. Pay attention to things like aspartame, which is often found in "sugar-free" foods as a sugar substitute. This includes all of those "diet" sodas and artificial sweeteners. Aspartame is a chemical that is metabolized into formaldehyde in your body (the same chemical used to preserve cadavers like the ones in my med school's anatomy lab). While you may not consume enough to cause severe damage, there is some question if aspartame, in combination with glutamate, can lead to neurotoxicity and brain damage.

An interview is the only chance for a school or program to really get to know you. Sure, they have your application and exam scores, they have your grades and personal statement, but you are more than ink on paper, you are more than numbers.



So here are 10 tips to help you nail that interview!

1. PRACTICE: Before any interview, it's always best to prepare yourself. That means practice. Practice your communication skills, your mannerisms and gestures, practice your answers, and practice NOT sounding practiced. Interviewers can see right through someone who sounds rehearsed. Ask a family member or friend to interview you. Record yourself to see how you look and sound. Are you making eye contact? Are you saying "like" or "and stuff" a lot? Learn how to communicate effectively and don't drag out your answers.

2. BULLET STATEMENT: You are most likely going to be asked a question like "So tell me about yourself," "Who are you?" or the one I was asked "Tell me about from the time that you were born to how you ended up in that chair." Be prepared with a 30 second description of who you are, where you're from, what led you to choose medicine, and what makes you stand out/unique qualities from other candidates. You don't have to recite your entire resume either. For example "My name is Alyssa, I grew up on the East coast and graduated with a dual-degree in Classics and Biology. Being a dancer sparked my interest in anatomy and how the body moves. My research, travel, and healthcare experience led me to pursue a career in medicine, where art and science are inseparable. I have a thirst for knowledge, enjoy meeting new people, and find patient care rewarding." Voilá!

3. BE PREPARED: Bring your resume and personal statement with you in case you or one of the interviewers need it. You can include recent information too that might not be on your application. You can also look these over beforehand because anything on your application is fair game, whether it's your college thesis or a course you took freshman year. I always use a portfolio binder for this so I can jot down notes as well:


4. SHOW DON'T TELL: When you're asked a question about how you handle yourself in a situation or an experience that challenged you, be sure to show the interviewers, not tell. Anyone can list off adjectives to describe themselves but if you can paint a picture it engages the interviewer while still answering the question. A great way to start these responses is "I remember when..." Talking about a memory can say more about who you are than stating facts about yourself and will help the interviewer remember you better.


For example, I was asked once what made me decide to pursue Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. My answer was simple and heartfelt. "I remember walking into the rehabilitation gym and locking eyes with an elderly patient. He was standing up with the help of two assistants and as he slowly came toward me, I could see the struggle it took for him to place one foot in front of the other. Nevertheless, he had a huge smile on his face and asked me point blank: 'Care for a dance?' I was so touched by his simple request. He saw his physical condition not as a limitation but as a challenge to go above and beyond, to find strength in his capabilities and use that as momentum for progress. I knew then and there I wanted to be the physician to help him and others achieve their rehabilitation goals."

5. ASK: The hardest question I ever got in interviews was "Do you have any questions for me?" Make sure you research the school and if you can, look up your interviewers. You can ask them about their involvement in the school. Ask about the curriculum. Do they teach anatomy all year long? Are there online courses? What is the schedule like? What residency programs do graduates go into? What are some strengths and "areas of improvement" (avoid saying weaknesses) for the school?


6. DON'T COMPARE: Don't compare yourself to other candidates. Some of them might try to intimidate you but the fact of the matter is, you both earned that interview spot and have every right to be there. It doesn't matter if you went to an international school, an Ivy League, or a state university. You should be proud that you have this opportunity and no one can take it away from you.

7. TALK: Talk to the medical students. Ask them how they like the school and what made them choose it. This is your chance to get the real scoop - How are the professors? What clinical experiences do you get in the first two years? What about rotations? How do they prepare you for board exams? What research opportunities are there? What do you do outside of studying? If you could change something about the school what would it be?

8. GIVE THANKS: I hand wrote all of my thank you cards for both medical school and residency interviews. I know others who sent e-mails. Sometimes e-mails are better because you can ask follow up questions, which can lead to further discussion. In this day and age, technology is becoming a more common form of communication than snail mail. Either or both works as long as you do it within the first few days after your interview to leave a good impression. Don't forget to thank your tour guides too.

9. WRITE: When you leave, make sure to write down what you thought were pros and cons of the school, whether it's location, tuition, curriculum, or just that "feeling" - did it fit for you? This way you won't forget and can refer back to it when you're deciding between different programs.

10. READ: Check out this book on Amazon. It's the BEST Interview prep book. I used it for college, medical school, and residency programs:

 

A few weeks ago a friend and I decided to hit up a nearby salon for a girls night out. It was the only place open late enough to accommodate our residency work hours. For some reason I had this crazy notion to relive my California days as a blonde. Maybe it was the cold New England winter making me crave that sun-kissed glow or maybe I wanted a new look for the new year. Either way, it, sadly, did not go well.

I advise all of you to inform your hair stylist that when you want to make a drastic change, especially going from dark to light, let them know the entire history of your hair. They may advise you to reconsider and educate you on your options. Just like patients tell doctors about their past medical history to receive the appropriate care, you should tell your stylist your past hair history, from your last cut or color to what products you've tried. Unfortunately, I never mentioned any of this (I was also never asked it) and had to relive my middle school Sun-In days. While I might sound overly dramatic, the real problem was that it wasn't what I wanted. I still paid for the service because the hairdresser worked for hours to bleach and strip and tone but it didn't matter. It turned into this mixture of brassy orange meets corn-on-the-cob...maybe it wasn't that bad but it just didn't feel like me and it didn't look like any of the pictures I had shown earlier as examples.


I told my friend how I felt immediately after we left and she said "if they didn't provide you with the service you wanted, you shouldn't have to pay for it." I couldn't wrap my head around that. I didn't want to ask for a refund because I didn't think it was fair to the person who spent so long on my less than Swift-worthy blowout.

As the hours wore on, I couldn't sleep. It sounds like a real "first-world problem" to obsess over something like this but I could not let it go. Plenty of women feel self-conscious about how they look and that's totally normal because we're only human. Our current standard of beauty is the hour-glass model sporting a lion's mane on the latest issue of Cosmo. Turns out, there's a guy in a green suit lifting her hair to give it that slow motion wind-blown effect. Envy and self-doubt make you question your own image. Yup, I am right there with you. But you're allowed to look beautiful in your own way - that's what makes you unique - and you have every right to stand up for what you want.

I know someone who flies back to her hometown hair stylist because she doesn't trust anyone else to treat her hair with the same care and respect. It's analogous to the patient-physician relationship, where you build a bond with someone that understands how your body works, how it reacts to certain medications and treatments, someone who knows where you're coming from and where you're going. Similarly, a good stylist knows how your hair works, how it moves, what cuts and shapes look best and how you plan to wear it. I didn't have the luxury of going back to my hometown hairdresser (love you Michelle!), but now I completely understand my friends that wait months and travel extensive distances for their long-awaited appointments.

So back to my Hairmageddon - you see, when your hair looks like it belongs in the Oval Office, you start to FREAK OUT. I ended up calling every salon I could find that knew how to fix it, leaving voicemails at 3AM to see if they had an opening. My desperation made me realize how unfair it was that something so expensive could cause me so much grief. My friend was right. I shouldn't have to pay for something I didn't want or ask for, especially considering the stylists were professionals. I was nervous to stand up for myself at first. You can return products but I never considered returning a service. When I explained my situation, the studio offered to fix it but at that point, although I appreciated their proposal, I had lost faith in their skills. They understood where I was coming from and gave me a refund without delay.

Luckily, my 3AM phone calls paid off too. I discovered this amazing stylist, Brigid Broderick, at Stiletto Salon, who knew exactly what to do to correct the color and give it that "as-seen-on-TV" glow. She also taught me that making a change like going dark to light should be done gradually, not all at once. While I was blonde(ish) for a hot second, I decided it was time to go back to my natural brunette bombshell self.

Photo Credit: Brigid Broderick @ Stiletto Salon

Don't get me wrong. I love changing up my hair color, whether it's highlights or lowlights or full on rainbow...I haven't tried that yet actually. Maybe some day? While experimenting with your hair for many can be a right of passage from your teens to your twenties and thirties (or really any age), sometimes it's better to take a step back and look at whatever you're considering from every angle - don't lose sight of what you already have or even who you are as a person. Of course hair doesn't define you. But it helps to express who you are on the inside. If that person on the inside is inclined to dive into something new and exciting, you should absolutely go for it. Expect the unexpected, whether that's good or bad. More often than not, it will be a success but be prepared if it doesn't turn out the way you wanted. How will you handle the situation? What if you end up looking like a Disney Villain when you were aiming for a Disney Princess...or vice versa?

Know that you are not the only one. These experiences have happened to me more times than I can count and not just at the salon. If you're not happy with the outcome, say something. Stand up for what you believe in, what you want, and what you deserve. Who knows, you may get a refund...or it may lead you to meet someone new (like an incredibly talented hair goddess). After all, your hair is the crown you never take off!

Photo Credit: Brigid Broderick @ Stiletto Salon

A big thank you to Stilletto Salon and the one and only stylist Brigid Broderick for all your help :)

And thank you for the samples - I love my Pureology products, which are sulfate-free with color-protection:

February is the month of love and what better way to celebrate than with your friends?! Thanks to Leslie Knope, we had our very own Galentine's Day complete with music, food, card-making, and a much needed catch-up session.

PS: These markers are the best, they got me through medical school and board exams.

Never underestimate the power of black, especially when it comes to the little black dress. It's slimming, strong, and sexy. You can dress it up with a bold necklace or dress it down with a jean jacket. Black is multi-purpose from casual outings to cocktail parties. It works for any season. You can't go wrong. Not to mention it's practically stain-proof!

Look for a dress that fits you. Think of where and when you would wear it. Don't settle just because it's all you could find. And definitely don't buy it if you don't love it. I was sold on this dress because of the cut. I liked how the square collar and cap sleeves left room for accessories.

Go from day to night with a bold red lipstick. Add some nude pumps and you're ready to paint the town.

People ask me how I find time to exercise while still working 13 hour shifts. It's not that I find time to workout. I make time. Exercise should be as second nature to you as eating and sleeping. Your body needs it to function well on a physical and emotional level. It helps with weight loss, muscle strengthening, depression, and insomnia. Plus it prevents aging, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and so much more. It's the fountain of youth disguised as beads of sweat.


Most importantly, exercise is an outlet for your stress - a chance for you to either turn up the beat and have fun or turn down the volume and relax. It's up to you what you do and how far you push yourself. You can do it for 10 minutes, you can do it for an hour. Like Nike says: Just Do It.

If you're not sure you're getting enough exercise, check out the CDC's recommendations: How much physical activity adults need on a weekly basis.


Some ideas for how you can fit exercise into your daily routine:

1. Write your goals down for that day - what are some things you want to get done? Then kill two birds with one stone: Laundry time? Break a sweat while you're waiting for the first load to finish up. Meal prep time? Let your food heat up in the oven while you heat up on the floor! Homeland premiere? Do crunches while you watch Carrie Mathison kick a$$.
2. Take the stairs. I always take the stairs, especially at the hospital. I try to get the other doctors to take the stairs too...it usually ends up turning into a race thus proving it really is faster than the elevator.
3. Grab some weights while you talk on the phone.
4. Hop on a stepper while you study (check them out here on Amazon).
5. Get OFF of social media! All the time you spend on Facebook and Instagram would be better spent outside. Go for a walk or a run.
6. Make a list of your favorite dance songs and have a solo dance party!
7. Blogilates has a free fitness calendar every month linked to free workout videos on YouTube. Subscribe to Cassey Ho's e-mail list and she'll send you the password.
8. You can get free yoga class videos from DoYogaWithMe.com. I recommend this site to my patients. They're great because you can specify what difficulty level, style, and how much time (anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour). They also have meditation and breathing classes, yoga poses and tutorials.
9. Find a friend to workout with and motivate each other.
10. Be consistent. They say 13 days makes a habit. Start with one day, then the next, then before you know it, exercise won't just be a habit, it will be your lifestyle.

Notice that I didn't say "go to the gym"? That's because I want you to realize that you don't need to go somewhere to workout. You can, of course, join a gym if that's how you like to workout. I used to have a membership but found myself making (weak) excuses not to go like "The drive is too long" or "I haven't even packed my gym bag" or "It's probably crowded." I still go to the gym for Zumba and Yoga classes but mainly I prefer Pilates at home. My goal in this post is to show you that there are other ways to optimize your time so you can add fitness to your schedule and it doesn't always mean going to the gym (plus working out at home saves money!).


Exercise (and LuLuLemon) makes me happy, what makes you happy?

1. Getting into medical school is NOT the hard part. The hard part is getting through it. Medical school provides you with all the tools for becoming a capable, confident, and compassionate physician. It is up to you how you use them.
2. There are a LOT of exams. From weekly quizzes to monthly tests to quarterly clinical scenarios to yearly boards, you will be spending a decent amount of your free time studying in the library. The good thing is the exams are all computer-based (imagine going to medical school back in the day when they didn't have internet?!). While you won't be able to find time, you will learn how to make time for other things like friends, family, food, and fitness. It's all about balance.
3. It costs a TON of money. Thankfully, there are ways to curb the cost through scholarships, grants, and things like the National Health Service Corps. Or, you can do what I did and earn scholarship money by competing for Miss America state and local pageants. Shout out to all my pageant sisters! More on that in future posts. Be aware that in addition to your tuition, you will most likely have to pay for your books, medical equipment, board exams and any additional review material (on top of housing, food, and other living expenses). Not to mention the residency match process with ERAS application fees, travel fares, and lodging prices. But let's take this one step at a time.

4. With #3 in mind, you definitely don't go into this career for the money (I actually did know this before applying, as many candidates do, but it's such an important stereotype, I wanted to make sure it was addressed here). If that's the case, you should stop reading and consider insurance or banking. If you're still with me then the question you end up asking yourself is: Can you really put a price on your dream?

5. There is SO MUCH to learn. I remember my first week of medical school, my professors reviewed the Brachial Plexus and told us we needed to memorize it. I scoffed at the idea only to realize afterward they were serious. Now, looking back, it's second nature to me along with several other diagrams, pathways, tables, and figures. It did not come easy in the beginning. Memorizing and comprehending these took time, commitment, perseverance, and a fair amount of coffee.

6. It does not matter where you went for your undergraduate education. We all end up in the same place with the same goals. There were people at my school from state universities, Ivy Leagues...we even had international students. Everyone was there to help each other out with the latest study guides, Quizlet sets, and memory tools. The only real competition you find in medical school is with yourself.

7. Allopathic vs Osteopathic. MD vs DO. ACGME vs AOA. Considering all the residency programs for both of these are now merging, whichever medical school you decide to go to does not matter as long as it is what you want. I decided on the Osteopathic route because I wanted more hands-on experience with the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) in addition to learning everything that is taught in the Allopathic schools. If not for OMM and the emphasis on the musculoskeletal and neurologic systems, I may never have discovered the field of Physiatry.


8. Don't go anywhere without your stethoscope, a pen, and paper. That way you are always ready to listen, learn, and take notes.

9. You will never meet people more passionate, caring, and intellectual than those in the medical field. Being a doctor draws a certain kind of crowd; it draws the people who are willing to be on the front line to help those in need while at the same time taking a step back to see the big picture. They are the ones that listen to your story, your relative's story, the EMT's story, the nurse's story. They are the ones that look at you, your imaging, your labs, and your history. They take it all into account to create your clinical picture in order to diagnose and treat you not as a stranger or a bed or a number but as a family member, a loved one, a friend.

10. You will never go through so much self doubt as you will during these four years. You will wonder what you have been doing your entire life before medical school, what you have been studying, is this even worth it, are you good enough, are you smart enough, are you strong enough? And yet you will keep going, you will pick yourself up and push through because you are doing exactly what you are meant to do.

I have been obsessed with Stitchfix lately. It's like having your own personal stylist. My closet was feeling pretty drab with lots of blues, greys and blacks. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and try something new. Unfortunately, it's hard to find something when you don't really know what you're looking for, just that you want something different.
With Stitchfix, they do all the shopping for you from the newest designers within your price range. They pick out items that you might not initially think to try on but when you do, you realize they're perfect.

To start, you fill out a style profile so you can specify preferences for certain patterns, colors, types of clothes, and budget. You have the option to leave a note for your stylist if there's a special event coming up. They take all of this information into account and put together a box of five items - these can include tops, bottoms, dresses, jackets, jewelry/accessories and even shoes! Of note, they just opened a Men's line. The styling fee is $20, which is applied as credit toward anything you purchase from the shipment. Once your scheduled fix arrives, you have three business days to test-drive the outfits - no need to wait in line at the fitting room.
They come with fun style inspiration cards that give you ideas for how to pair everything together. From one article of clothing you can make multiple different outfits. If you decide you love it all and want to keep the whole box, in addition to the $20 credit from the styling fee, you also get 25% off the entire purchase. If you decide you only want a few of the items, not to worry because it's free to ship the rest of the box back! Drop it off in any USPS mailbox.
The clothes are all high quality and fit spectacularly. The stylists are well-versed in fashion, fit, and flare. They are also extremely receptive. They'll not only look at your style profile and comments but you can pin certain outfits you like to a Stitchfix board or favorite an Instagram post and direct them to it for inspiration. They'll also take into account your feedback on your boxes when it comes to putting together your next fix.
A few tricks I learned:

1. Always ask for jewelry with the box. That way, if, for some reason, none of the clothes fit or look right and you don't want any of them, you know the jewelry at least will fit. You can always just buy that and your $20 styling fee won't go to waste.

2. It's fun to do with friends because then you can exchange items.

3. Use the style cards to put together a full outfit. By itself, the article of clothing might not look as stellar as it really is but when you pair it with a cute jean jacket, some pumps, and a bold necklace - voilá! Runway worthy.

4. I bought a dress from them but had an issue with the seam. I got it fixed at a seamstress and Stitchfix reimbursed me for the cost.

5. Once you sign up, there are some months where they waive the styling fee.

Go check it out: Stitchfix, schedule your fix today!

If you're like me, you cherish that first sip of foam-filled caffeinated heaven that is the Holy Grail of morning rituals. However, if you, also like me, don't always have time for a Barista's tender love and care nor do you have an espresso machine or milk frother (why waste the money?), consider making your own!

All you need is a well-sealed mason jar and some elbow grease to create that glorious frothy masterpiece.

It's so easy, you can do it faster than the time it takes a cashier to ring up your order.


Directions

1. Prepare your coffee (hot cocoa works too) however you like it.
2. Pour desired amount of milk (you can substitute with almond or coconut milk) into a mason jar and seal tightly.
3. Burn some calories and build that arm muscle as you shake it for one to two minutes. The longer you shake it, the more foam you'll get!
4. Remove the cap and zap in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to stabilize the foam. Don't miss this step, otherwise the foam will dissipate back into the milk.
5. Pour and enjoy or grab a toothpick to play around with it and make some Latte art.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I traded this out for Coconut flour as a healthier option)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons butter (you can exchange this for applesauce)
• Oil

Directions: