About DustinD

Dustin Divelbiss is an alumni from Louisiana Tech Unversity. Follow her at @dustindivelbiss. To stay tuned to more articles for classy co-eds be sure to follow College Lifestyles on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Choose This, Not That: 5 Healthy, But Tasty Food Alternatives

Posted on September 4, 2012 by DustinD

Almost every social event us classy college ladies attend is surrounded by food: sorority meetings, fall parties, and outings with friends. Although fattening and sugary foods are meant to be enjoyed, that should only be the case in moderation. Here are 5 healthy alternatives to enjoy without sacrificing taste.

1. Choose whole grain toast, not pastries
On those early mornings when you’re rushing out the door, instead of indulging in a sugary pastry, pop a slice of whole
grain bread in the toaster or microwave. Pastries are empty calories- mostly highly processed sugars and carbohydrates and
nothing that actually satisfies you. They will give you an instant sugar rush, and then you will quickly crash and have no
energy. On the other hand, having a slice of whole grain toast with natural peanut butter will give you a dose of
carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. Protein keeps you feeling full longer so you won’t feel so hungry in the middle of
the morning.

2. Choose dark chocolate, not milk chocolate
When you’re at those late night study sessions and craving something sweet, opt for yummy dark chocolate instead of milk
chocolate. While we can all agree that milk chocolate is quite tasty, it is also very high in sugar. Studies have shown
that eating a small amount of dark chocolate is good for your heart, brain, and is loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants
help free your body of radicals, which cause damage to your cells and are known to cause cancer. So eating antioxidant
rich foods like dark chocolate can slow down the aging process and also help prevent cancer.

3. Choose almonds, not potato chips
When you’re looking for that quick energizing snack between classes, choose a handful of almonds instead of greasy potato
chips. Potato chips are highly processed and generally contain a lot of fat and excess sodium, both of which can be
harmful to your body. However, almonds are full of healthy fats! Consuming 20 to 24 almonds a day promotes lower
cholesterol levels, prevents heart disease, and can help with weight loss.

4. Choose turkey burgers, not hamburgers
For a quick, easy and delightful dinner, beef burgers are delicious, but the problem with them is that they are very
fattening. This is because they are normally fried and beef is naturally high in fat. Turkey burgers are made from a much
leaner meat, which means that they are much less fattening. If you like beef burgers you will be able to find a turkey
burger recipe that you like, because the taste and texture of the two meats are very similar.

5. Choose sweet potato fries, not french fries
For a quick dinner side dish to go with that turkey burger, choose baked sweet potato fries, not french fries. French
fries are deep fried in oil, high in calorie, fat and cholesterol. Consuming too many french fries can give you a heart
attack, stroke and many other health problems. Baked sweet potato fries are full of fiber that improves heart health and
stabilizes blood sugar after a meal, full of Vitamin A, and potassium that improves your metabolism.

These healthy food alternatives will give you the necessary energy you need to sustain you throughout your busy college day! For some more tips on health foods, check out “Foods to Keep in the Dorm Room.”

Dorm Essentials: Fitness Equipment

Posted on August 24, 2012 by DustinD

photo courtesy of shine weightloss

Starting college is an exciting time in every classy co-ed’s life. Fresh faces, new places, a newfound freedom and responsibility all encompass freshman year. With this new territory usually comes the dreaded “Freshman 15.” But that doesn’t have to be you! If you are fully prepared ahead of time, you can stay healthy, fabulous and fit with little to no cost! Here’s a list of essential fitness equipment that you can utilize in your dorm room or another room with limited space.

Cardio (Using only body weight):

Marching in place
Jogging in place
High knees
Grapevines
Jumping jacks

photo courtesy of Good Housekeeping

Cardio Equipment:

Jump Rope- This is a great tool for a heart-pumping workout. You can purchase a jump rope for around $5 or $6, or you can “jump rope” by jumping and doing the motions with your hands.
Workout DVDs- These come in handy because many cardio DVDs require limited space, and usually run around $10.

Strength Training (Using only body weight):

Triceps: Dips on chair
Biceps: Triangle Wall Pushup
Shoulders: Reverse Plank
Chest: Modified Pushups
Abs: Plank or Crunches
Thighs: Squats or Lunges

photo courtesy of Holly Pinafore

Strength Training Equipment:

Resistance Bands- These are great tools to work on strength and build lean muscle, as they offer greater resistance than body weight on its own. Resistance bands are easy to store and will cost around $15.
Dumbbells- These are great for changing up your workout, and they will keep you from getting bored. You can purchase a good set for around $20.
Stability Ball- This is a great piece of equipment! Costing you around $25, stability balls can double as a fabulous seat for your desk. So put that chair away, sit on your stability ball while typing your term paper and voila!

The best workouts include both cardio exercise, which burns excess calories, and strength training exercise, which helps maintain and build lean muscle, so your body becomes a fat-burning machine. For more tips on effective dorm room workouts, check out this article on the “Top 3 Dorm Room Exercises.” Don’t worry about feeling silly performing these exercises in front of your roommate; just ask her to join you!

photo courtesy of college fashion

How to Make Cocoa

Posted on August 24, 2012 by DustinD

photo courtesy of tweetsweet.com

Fall is fast approaching, and that means cooler weather, football and COCOA. Everyone loves a good cup of hot chocolate, but what if you could make a delicious, classy, healthy cup without the unnecessary sugar and calories? Look no further! Not only is this cocoa tasty and easy to make, but there will also be plenty to go around for you and your classy co-ed friends.

photo courtesy of gourmetdispensing.com

Ingredients

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Truvia or Stevia to taste (or any natural calorie-free sweetener)

2/3 cup boiling water

4 cups of whole milk (preferably organic)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup cream (preferably organic)

(Makes 8 servings)

photo courtesy of radishesandrhubarb.com

Steps

Gather all of your ingredients.
In a saucepan, combine the cocoa and truvia. Blend in the boiling water and bring the mixture to a boil, while stirring constantly.
Simmer and stir for an additional two minutes, making sure the mixture doesn’t scorch.
Gradually stir in the milk and cream until heated through, but not boiling.
Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Serve.

This recipe is fun and easy to make, and the ingredients can be found at any Target or Wal-Mart. If you prefer to make the cocoa in your dorm room, you may substitute your microwave for the stove. The cream and vanilla give it a nice exotic touch that is sure to wow your friends and satisfy your tummy while you tailgate on those cool fall nights. If you’re really feeling like Betty Crocker, you can pair the cocoa with this delicious recipe for Hummingbird Cake. Feel free to keep this recipe to yourself and tell your classy co-ed friends that it’s a secret that stays in the family!

photo courtesy of visualphotos.com

Meet Dustin, Health and Fitness/Dating and Relationships Writer

Posted on August 16, 2012 by DustinD

Name: Dustin Divelbiss

Position: Health and Fitness/Dating and Relationships Writer

College/University: Louisiana Tech University Alumni

Year in studies: Graduate

Major/minor: B.A. in Speech-Language Pathology, Minor in Family and Child Studies

Organizational involvement: Kappa Delta Sorority and NSSHLA

I show my school spirit by: attending Louisiana Tech football games in the fall and baseball games in the spring. I DO love a man in uniform!

“How ‘Bout Dem Dawgs” (Louisiana Tech Football)

My favorite thing about Fall is: the beautiful weather and the yummy Holiday food.

For Halloween I will be: Wendy Darling. My dog will dress up with me because he has an adorable Peter Pan costume!

Neon pants – yay or nay? Definitely nay.

Twitter or Facebook? Both! I love connecting and communicating with many people from different walks of life. Follow me on Twitter – @dustindivelbiss

I love Pinterest because: I love being creative and artsy. Pinterest also has great recipes.

My favorite color is: Fire engine red

My go-to accessory is: My Tiffany’s charm bracelet- a gift from my sweet daddy.

My favorite store is: Forever 21

My favorite food is: Does dessert count? I have a major sweet tooth, my favorite being chocolate chip cookies! mmm mmm

My favorite movies/TV shows are: I love movies! One of my all time favorites is “Somewhere in Time”. I also love musicals such as, “Sound of Music”, “Show Boat”, “My Fair Lady”, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, “Oklahoma”, and “Phantom of the Opera”. There is also something about LIfetime channel movies that sucks you in. My favorite TV shows right now are “Scandal” and “Drop Dead Diva.”

My favorite book is: “The Great Connection”

My favorite magazine is: Fitness Magazine. It has delicious, healthy recipes and great workouts!

My pet is: Cisco, he’s my baby! Although, he prefers his nickname, “Prince William.”

Cisco as “Peter Pan”

My favorite quote is, because: “Victory usually comes, not to the one with the most talent, but rather to the one with the most desire.” Desire fuels achievement.

My role model is, because: My mom. Not only is she my best friend, but she is the MOST self-less woman that I know. She is an excellent hostess, a hard-worker, loyal, and she always puts everyone’s needs above her own.

I spend my weekends…: I love getting dolled up and going out to nice dinners with my friends.

I take a break from studying by…: Eating Laffy Taffys and sharing the jokes with my roommate.

I de-stress by…: Working out. I absolutely love the way exercising makes me feel and it also gives me clarity of thought.

My secret talent is: Rapping. I recorded a rap one time with some friends in Zimbabwe.

My friends describe me as: Caring, Disciplined and Comical

My favorite College Lifestyles article is: “Frozen Foods: Healthy or Not?”

Why I am excited to be an intern for College Lifestyles: I am excited to be an intern because I love writing to inspire others, especially young women.

My definition of a classy co-ed: a woman who is confident, driven, caring, trustworthy and has great style.

Miss CA USA 2012 pageant