Good morning and happy Friday!
It’s a rainy one over here, which is actually a good thing because I have to study all day. Exactly one week until our comprehensive exams for the masters program – gah!
My study buddies and I have been doing pretty well going through a bunch of the disease states (diabetes, renal failure, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, etc.) and talking through their causes/nutrition related considerations/biochemical issues, and today we’re going to focus on going back over the broad macronutrient (e.g. carbs, protein, fat) biochemical pathways and a bunch of the related hormones. Next week we’ll be focusing more on studying public health – one of the questions on the test will be public health related – basically all about planning a program to target a disease state using the public health models and approaches we’ve talked about. I’m tired just reading all that, aren’t you?
Anyway – I have some groundbreaking new content for you all this morning. Introducing – how I slice a banana. I know, you’re thrilled. But let me explain.
I made oatmeal this morning for breakfast (it’s chilly out!) and while I was slicing my banana, I was thinking about how the key to awesome oatmeal is having as much banana coverage as possible. This means small banana pieces. I always cut my banana in the same (possibly weird) way – even if I’m just having it on cereal – so I thought it would be fun to share my method. 
Get pumped. Earth-shattering content over here today, I tell ya. Blame comprehensive exams.
First, I cut the banana in half lengthwise. Don’t try to do this with the whole banana at once – maybe half at a time so it doesn’t break.
Then, I slice it horizontally.
And it gives you perfect tiny banana pieces!
I cut the whole banana this way and it leaves me with a perfect bowl of small banana pieces, ready for oatmeal (or for topping cereal with to maximize the banana deliciousness). Does anyone else cut banana this way? Give it a try.
Today’s oatmeal was my basic Perfect (Microwave) Banana Oatmeal recipe; I stopped the microwave when 1 minute was left and stirred in some blueberries. When it was out, I added some cottage cheese and hemp seeds (I just rediscovered these – great source of protein/omega fatty acids)!
It may not look delicious, but it was. Oatmeal is hard to get a good photo of – and I was clearly too lazy to switch it into another (non-dirty) bowl for the camera. Just keepin’ it real over here, friends.
Time to study the day away! And in other news – Matt and I finally found a place to live up in DC in a month! We decided to go for a place in Arlington, VA – there was an apartment we really wanted in Cleveland Park in DC and we kept waiting and waiting and waiting but the building never had any openings. 
Bummer. Oh, well – the apartment we chose is cute (although half the size of our current place – yikes) and should hopefully be good. It’s right by the metro, too! Three cheers for walking everywhere.
Ta-ta for now, friends!