Cookbook research

I checked out this cookbook from the Everett public library, and researched recipes which I would be capable of cooking myself.

I started by reading the introductory chapters about maintaining a balanced diet, planning meals & timing, smart shopping, storing food, and everyday foods to always have on hand. I spent more time looking at the sections for eggs, pasta, and meat. New foods that I want to cook after studying these recipes are poached eggs, omelettes, pancakes, lasagna, and chili. These are more complicated than anything I've previously cooked, but I feel like I'm capable of following the instructions in the book.

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Distance running results

When I started my project I thought I would have enough time to run almost every day. But since I already play lacrosse six days a week in the spring, it's difficult to find extra time to be active. Despite that, I was able to go on a couple runs and monitor the results (shown below). Most of my runs I mapped out on Google maps, and used my iPhone timer to time to keep track of long it took me to run the selected distance.

In this short window of time, I wasn't able to make dramatic changes in my speed or consistency of running, but I was able to improve slightly in my times towards the end, and shave off a couple seconds compared to the first few runs. When my sport is over I will have more time to run, and that is what I plan on doing, but for now I am content with knowing I'm capable of improvement, it just takes longer than a few weeks to get ideal results.

Total time: 3 hours

Healthy living research

What did I do?
Researched subjects of healthy living (fitness, hygiene, mental health) in order to improve my knowledge of maintaining a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

What did I learn?
Peoples nutrition, sleep schedule, and other factors that affect fitness indirectly. More than just working out hard and consistent matters. People are their own worst enemies when it comes to working out, if people viewed physical activity as a pleasure instead of punishment it will transform fitness from a pain to something to look forward to.
The power of positive thinking is real. Thinking and acting positively makes people react better to problems and difficulties. Avoiding a negative approach could potentially make a bad situation better.
Fad diets are a sham, in most of the articles I read dietary experts agree most only work short term. It's better to allow yourself to consistently eat healthier, and accompanying that with an active lifestyle.

Total time: 2 hours