Introduction into Nutrition

There's a lot of key nutrients that you need in your day to day life, and in this post, we're going to be talking about the basics. In later articles, blogs, whatever you wish to call this, we will be talking about everything more in depth.

Our key nutrients are as follows;

• Proteins
• Carbohydrates 
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Fiber
• Fats
• Water 

We'll get the most basic one out of the way in this portion. Its a well known fact that everyone needs water to survive. Humans are basically walking house plants, so we need plenty of water and sun every day. Our bodies are made up of 60% water, and all aspects of the body heavily depend on it. For example, your heart is 73% water, lungs are $83%, our skin is 64% water, our bones are 31% and the kidneys are a whomping 80% water. So clearly, we need it to function at least semi properly. You can only live three or four days without any water.

Its been said that you're supposed to drink two gallons of water every day; however its since been proven that the amount does vary per person.

This is judged based off of your weight, height, age and activity. Obviously if you're outside in the heat, sweating and running around, you're going to be dehydrating further. Internet calculators have told me, based on the fact that I am 25 and roughly 105 pounds, that I should be drinking about 40oz a day of water. That's a total of five 8 ounce glasses as day. That being said you can also eat your water through many fruits and vegetables. 

Examples of watery fruits are; watermelon, strawberries, grapefruit,  cantaloupe, honeydew, blackberries, peaches, lemons, pineapples, even apples. The highest one though is grapefruit as it is 92% water. Apples even have 87% water, plus they're great sources of fiber as well. 

As for veggies with lots of water, you can go with many different options. Cucumbers, lettuce and celery are all tied into first place with more than 90% water, then are followed by things like bok choy, radishes, watercress, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, asparagus, portobello mushrooms, Swiss chard cabbage, cauliflower and turnips. Just behind all of that is broccoli with still almost 90% water, and spinach just behind that. 

It seems like a no brainer, but water does tons of different things for the body. It helps deliver oxygen throughout the body, keeps your temperature normal, and obviously prevents dehydration. It also lubricates and cushions your joints, protects your spinal cord, blocks the development of kidney stones, helps keep you regular by ushering waste through your intestines, reduces the severity of headaches (fun fact; 60% of headaches are caused by dehydration), can fill you up before meals to aid weight loss if you're going for that, and can blunt sink disorders and forms of wrinkles. 

After that, there are recommended amounts of each other nutrient that you should get per day, but we will discuss that further in a later post. 

In our next post, we're going to be talking about vitamins. 

I'm gonna have the weirdest house.

I have been thinking about redoing my room, just because I can. That got me thinking, once I move out, the place I live in is going to be the weirdest place ever. If I'm allowed to paint, I know my room will be purple. Probably a dark purple, and I imagine the living room being a bit calmer, but not really. Like a blue or something. That might have something to do with the fact that our living room is a sky blue, and has been since the week we moved in. I want the guest bathroom to be very bright and vibrant, like a semi bright yellow or something. Mine though, despite the fact that I am far from girly, will be girly. I've always wanted a pink bathroom, with all the makeup spread out, and fluffy towels hanging on racks, things like that. I don't know why, I just do.

     I haven't planned it all out, and of course not everything goes as planned, but the main thing about my house is for it to be unique. I already know that my house, instead of having normal art, and things, it will have framed band posters, and photographs that I personally took all over the house. I also really want to have random little things that are conversation starters. Like a tie dye beanbag chair, an antique looking phone, a random splash of color on the wall, ect.

     I don't like matching things, and that's sort of obvious by the way my house is. I'm not kidding, on the outside it looks normal for the most part, but when you walk in the door you see colors. The kitchen is bright yellow, the living room/ dining room is medium blue, my room is too shades of purple, and my brother's room is orange. The only normal colored rooms in the house are my parents room, and both bathrooms.

         I mainly want to have odd little knick knacks and things. I got that idea from an old Shane Dawson video, where he was asking fans what random things he should put in his house. Most people said a stripper pole, but for Shane's fans, that's not surprising a bit. I might not go that far, or I might, I don't know yet!

   My room now reflects who I am a lot, and I like that. A room, or a house, should reflect on who you are. My room shows that my favorite color is purple, and that I'm obessed with music. The notebooks spread out on a bookcase show that I'm a writer, the framed photographs show that I'm a photographer. On top of that, the fact that I have a ton of Disney and girly movies proves that while I look one way, I still have my girly side to me.

   I want to one day have my own actual office for Immortal Music, and I've already decided that I'm going to have a prop room. None of the bands will see it, but before anyone comes in for an interview or photoshoot, I'll go and put random things in the room, just to see what they do. Like if it was say, All Time Low, I'd probably put a lot of toys in the room for them. Or Blood On The Dance Floor, lightsabers would be perfect. I'd want them to feel comfortable, and to remember me differently then they remember everyone else.

So, I'm going to stop now, I want to get started on my room. Leave a comment telling me about your room/ house. Or, what random thing you'd want, just because?

Parents need to realize when their job is complete

I was listening to Shinedown's song, "Second Chance" and got to thinking about how true the lyrics are. A parent's job is never fully done, but they need to realize when the majority of it is done. There comes a time in every kid's life when they suddenly realize that they are no longer a child. You start seeing the world different. Some people are ready to take on the world, some are not. That's perfectly fine though. Anyone who is not ready will get there in time. I personaly though, am ready. I view the world totally different, the past few months have really changed me a lot. I'm still myself, I'm still the girl that likes to talk on the phone until midnight, and gets excited over Build A Bear, but I am also the adult that knows that I need to be tactful about life. I know you need money to do things, and that nothing comes easy. The difference between being a kid and being an adult is knowing when you need to be serious, and when you can joke around. There's honestly not a big difference between adults and kids. Even adults like to do stupid little things like play in the sprinklers from time to time, or watch kids movies for no reason. Unfortunately, my parents have yet to realize that they've done they're job, and  they've done it well.

"Tell my mother, tell my father I've done best I can to make them realize this is my life. I hope they understand. I'm not angry, I'm just saying sometimes goodbye is a second chance. "

Parents have to let you say goodbye sometimes so they can look and see what a good person they've created. Or sometimes, a goodbye will make everything better. It doesn't always. Saying goodbye helped my relationship with my dad a lot, but it tore my relationship with my mother apart. They need to realize though, I have major dreams, and I know I can reach them. I know now that I can stand on my own two feet.

I don't need them like I used to. I still need them in my life, I just no longer need them to make all the descions. I really wish my mother would see that. I don't think she even realizes she does it, but in a way, she seems to think she can still control my life. Has anyone else felt like this? Like their parents attempt to control your life, even though you're old enough to make your own choices?

  I've noticed if my mom knows I'm in an arugment with anyone, she will even go so far as to say, "Tell them I said.." or, "Say this.." Come on, really? Nobody cares what you say about the situation, Mom. Its not your fight its mine, and I'm going to use my words not yours. Is my mom the only one that does that? I give you, I used to be too nice for my own good, and let everyone walk all over me, but she needs to realize that I'm no longer like that.

     This past year has actually changed me a lot. I'm not a naive kid anymore. I'm an adult. Why doesn't anyone understand that? I actually feel grown up now. Its only recently hit me that I am grown up, and so are most of my friends.

Guess I'm doing something right

My mother reads a lot, and talks to a lot of fellow OCD readers, and some authors. She's become friendly with some of them online, and one of them actually wrote a book, and has a rock band. Of course, I heard rock band and told her to send him my way. She didn't put me in contact with him directly, but she sent him to Immortal Music and Music = Life. He informed my mother last night in an email that he has released the album for the rock opera he's been working on, and enclosed a link. I will be reviewing it for him, but he also made a comment about my work that both excited and confused me.

               He told my mother that he thinks I'd be a good "marketing mogul." I said that was cool, but didn't quite know what it meant. Like every other person of our generation, I Googled it. Just through what I can find on Wikipedia, I think it means I'm a good sales person. Like, I can come up with something good, work hard on it, get people interested in it, and I get the people to like me so they contiune checking back. So basically, I think he just said that I'm already getting to a good start with what I want to do.

      I want to be a music jouranlist. That's no secret, I share that with the world, both online and offline. You do have to work very hard, and its all about the bands and appealing to those fans. You appeal to them, and somewhere along the line, you recieve a fanbase of your own. I know I already have a fan base, and I am not talking about the amount of 'likes' on the Facebook page. That means nothing, since I do not have 720 people commenting on everything I post. That just means 720 people have pressed a button on a page, that does not make them fans.

   Off the top of my head, I can name off about five or six people that are 'fans'. One of them being my "manager", and he's actually the only "fan" that I have that is known in person. I've only had two people tell me they're a fan of mine, but I can tell I have others. They may not be fans of Immortal Music, but they're fans of me.

        I'm going to be honest with you guys, I actually put more into the Facebook page than I do on my own profile. I hardly ever post on my profile, all I do is IM people, like things, and play games. I don't post constantly, and only once a month or so, do I post any pictures. Ever since the page started getting active, I've actually looked forward to seeing every single day who says what.

Our parents probably think its completely stupid that we spend hours a day on the computer, doing nothing but sitting on Facebook and watching YouTube videos. I admit, sometimes it is totally pointless, but other times its not. With the internet today, you can learn so much with just a click of the mouse, or make friends with someone half way across the world. Thirty years ago, you could do that, but it was through snail mail, and you'd probably only hear back from them once or twice a month because the mail is so slow.

        Music = Life came a full year before Immortal Music, just because I wanted a page where I could talk to people about music. It honestly didn't work for a very long time, I almost deleted the page several times because nobody was on it. I had less than 100 people for probably the first six months I had the damn page, and 40 of them were my friends. Only two or three of my friends actually care about what I do, the rest just ignore it and go, "Oh, that's nice." from time to time when I talk to them about this stuff.

              I love the fanbase I'm building, and the people the bring in. We all hear people say, "I love my fans!", and people tend to just assume they like the attention. I'm beginning to see that is not true, or at least for me it isn't. I love the fans I've recieved, because they have similar interests to myself. I can talk to several of the people on the page about random things, even off-topic things that make no sense to the original subject. I consider some of them to be friends.

  Today I am proud of myself. :) I like this feeling a lot. Thank you so much, guys!

      

Gather 'round. Ariel's talking

Oh how I love pissing my brother off over a computer before 9 o'clock in the morning. Its just so wonderful! No, I'm not serious. That was sarcasm, and there seriously needs to be a sarcasm font, just so I can indicate sarcasm better. I've meantioned this on Music = Life, but I feel like taking this further for a few minutes. I also feel like talking about a few other things, even though it seems like nobody actually takes the time to read these things.

             So yesterday, I finally changed the cover picture for Music = Life to be themed around Warped tour. Its fitting since the first date of the 2012 Warped tour is in three weeks, on June 16. The page though is not fully done yet, and its driving me nuts! It wouldn't bother me if Asking Alexandria was on Warped tour again this year, because then I could argue that it still goes with the theme, but since they aren't, its totally thrown off. My OCD is apparently kicking it and there's nothing I can do about it because my dad and brother are hogging the computer for a stupid fucking game! I feel like I don't dare say, "Well, can I actually get on there? I'm not wanting to play like you guys, I actually have work to do." I'm pretty sure I'd just get my head chewed off if I did that. So, I must keep my mouth shut because clearly Diablo 3 is way more important than the thing I'm sort of building a career off of.

           Yes, I'm pissed off. I find it highly unfair really, but whatever. I was going to try to get Photoshop on the laptop and just getting the unfinished graphic on here, but that failed. I'm just screwed for now. A friend of mine is going to help me out, so soon I'll be able to fix it. What would be the easiest is just getting me my own computer. That way, I could be on it as much as I want, with my Photoshop, and iTunes easily accessable.

     I promise, as soon as I can, it'll get done. As for the website, I haven't actually decided if I'm going to change it or not. The layout is currently themed around All Time Low, and has been for a month or two now. If I don't change it, I'm still good to go because they are on Warped tour this year. They also happen to be the number one band on my list of 'must see' bands at Warped tour. This being said, if I find the time, I might be changing it to go along with the multipule band theme, just in time for Warped tour. I do rather enjoy this layout, I love how it turned out. 'Course, I'm sure you're aware of that, its been up since April.

     I will get around to everything, but for now I must get off here and do stuff in the real world.

The Fine Brothers: My Music has inspired me!

The Fine brothers are Youtube Famous, which doesn't always say much. For them though, their fame is at the top. That is because they are the creator's of the very popular Kids React and Teens React. Now they are also the creator's of a brand new series, My Music. I can't get enough of it, not only is it amusing as hell, but its a great way to bring music of all genres together in one place, for millions of people.
        Since it begun a few weeks ago, I've been paying attention to it. Being the aspiring music journalist I am, I feel they are on to something amazing. Their different segments are very well put together, and while I can not do the hour long live shows, or even the video thing there are ways I could grow from their ideas.
      I already do the news thing from time to time, and interviews, but what if I got more fan interaction? They get characters like Scene and Metal to do questions from fans and ask some of their own. I can't make them in video form like I'd like for now, but I could answer them either in special blogs each week or in a lyric video style kind of video. One where the question is posted, and then I type my answer, and any responses to my questions could have a screenshot in the video. It might not be ideal, but it could work.

   In case it isn't totally obvious, I'm always trying to improve Immortal Music, but honestly its hard when you're not getting any feedback. I'm not sure if anyone remembers this, but back at the beginning of the year I set up a schedule saying that every day I'd post news on Immortal Music, and new album reviews every Monday and Friday. Then on Music = Life, there'd be at least one hour of music every single day, games of Would You Rather every Monday, lyric games every Tuesday. I planned to post something every single of day of the week, but I fell behind and nobody even noticed, so I just decided it wasn't worth it.

        I'm thinking I may tweek my schedule a bit, and actually do it. I mean, come on, I could do it. I decided against doing band biographies, because quite frankly they are too much hassle. I now only post the ones that band managers themselves send me. Those are different, I don't need to keep up with them, because its just a quick synopsis about the band and that's it. I guess I practice doing those more, but I don't really care that much about those. If people don't know about a band, they just ask me and I can explain in like two sentences. Or people Google it and learn about it in like two seconds.

       Album reviews are honestly my favorite, they're quick and easy to right and you can really pay attention to the music. That's the entire point to the band, so what a better way to get to the point? When I write album reviews, I rarely write just one. I'll write at least two, but sometimes three or four in one sitting just because its not that time consuming. Yeah, it will sometimes take an hour or two, but I've got the time.
     So how about this? I keep posting the reviews the way I have been, which is several at a time, a couple times a week. Generally two or more get posted at a time, and if I wanted to, I could honestly post two or three times a week.
      Here's what I'm thinking you guys. I'll step up my game with the reviews, play either would you rather or some form of lyric game every day or something. The news will be posted at least once a week, maybe more, depending on what's going on in the music world that week. I'll post at least one graphic a week, maybe more, and on top of that I'll start taking fan questions and I'll do a 'question of the day' kind of deal, screenshot the best answers, and put it into a video. Sort of like some of the great YouTubers do, only different. I'll even let you guys pick what the song plays in the background.
If you're into these ideas, leave a comment here or on Music = Life telling me so. If more than say two people tell me they like the idea, I'll start the 'festivites' on Monday! I hope to hear from you guys soon, and I just hope you know that I appericate any feedback I get. Sorry if I took too long to get to the point, you should know by now that I'm very wordy.
   

I'm real with you guys

I was watching a Blood On The Dance Floor interview, the latest one from Bryan Stars actually, and I started thinking. I really love what they stand for, I honestly do. They're all about not caring what people think, and being yourself. They also geniunely love their fans. I know they have a lot of haters, but hey, that simply means you're doing something right.
      As I was watching this interview, on the heels of thinking about how I want to fix my faded pink hair so its back to bright purple, and get my tattoos and piercings, I started thinking about how I run the page. I know most admins of pages that are trying to be professional don't just talk about random things, and they don't give their opinions on everything. Nor do they sit there quoting an interview they're watching, just because they're having fun. I'm not a normal admin, but it seems to work for me.

     I'm real with you guys! I consider a lot of the fans on the page to be friends of mine. When people are active enough, I start recongizing their name and sometimes even remembering things they tell me. I update Music = Life more than I update my own profile, because I feel like a lot of it is more acceptable on the page then it is on my profile. I know it sounds stupid, but its kind of true. I know my friends would get sick of me posting the way I like to on the page, but on the page its totally different. Its actually enjoyable to all then. Or at least, I think it is. Please tell me if I'm wrong.

       You want to know who I am? I'm the one who actually enjoys being able to sit on the computer pretty much every day. I am a boring person, I perfer having a daily routine that consists of the computer, texting, IMing, televison, talking on the phone, and going to bed. With that routine, about two or three times a week getting out of the house. I like that. Yes, it'll change once I get a job, but honestly, on my days off, I'll do the same thing as always. I like knowing the option of doing basically nothing is there for me. Or the option to work on graphics or my website is there.

      Here's who I am, in a nut shell. A computer addicted, music obessed, almost 19 year old writer, who loves to stand out. I'm not trying to be different just so I don't fit in, I stand out because I like it. I love the unnatural hair colors. Right now, my hair has faded to pink, but it was a vibrant purple a few weeks ago. I want it back like that, with blue underneath. I also love tattoos and piercings! I believe I've meantioned this before, but I want two, now three tattoos, and a few piercings. I've been told its "immature", but you know what? I don't give a fuck! I like it, so what should it matter? I plan on getting my tattoos, and all my piercings. I want a Papa Roach quote on my wrist, my great grandpa's name, birthdate and deathdate somewhere (I'm not sure where, yet, I just know I want it.), and a heart with a musical note on my right side. I'll probably end up with more throughout my life, honestly.

   As for piercings I want my lip pierced the most, at least two more in my ears, my bellybutton and kind of my tongue. I'm not so sure about the bellybutton and tongue, thre's so much that can go wrong with those! I'm mainly concerned about how you're supposed to keep the tongue one from getting infected, how you'd keep food out of it, and how you're supposed to keep it clean. I mean, its in your mouth for Pete sake! I don't know, I need to do more research on that.  As for the bellybutton piercing, that makes me nervous because I've been told they can get ripped out so easily, and that sounds beyond painful to me.

    I don't know, I've heard multipule things about piercings and tattoos on girls. Some guys say its hot, some say its ugly. Some people seem to think anyone with piercings and crazy colored hair in band tees are immature, but I'm not so sure about that. I personally, think its awesome, and its just another form of expression. I personally think I'd high five someone's grandma if I saw her walking around with a stud in her lip, tattoos all over, and either was in a band tee or said she had one back home. That will be me one day! Hell, I'll be the granny that probably gets my grandkids to help me put crazy colors in my hair. And hey, at that point, I won't need the bleach, because I'll be gray!

 I am who I am, and I like expressing it. Anyone who doesn't like that, can get the fuck out. I don't care.