Monthly Archives: August 2014

Aug182014

#21 Greatest Video Game of All Time

Finally, #21 is here! We apologize for the hiatus, we’ve been busy with the move and settling in. However, we are now back on track! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, look at this post here. Please meet our Video Game Brain Trust before you continue on. We put this together as a somewhat weekly display of what our favorite video games are. What we love about it is the variety between all of us and what we prefer. If you missed it, please see #25, #24, #23, and #22! Let’s get started..

#21 Best Video Games of All Time

Kai — Gunpoint – A much more recent game than those I’ve listed so far, Gunpoint is a stealth puzzle game with great atmosphere. You play a private detective in a noire style adventure. Although short, the story is really interesting and ties in great with the gameplay. It doesn’t feel like you’re figuring out puzzles, it feels like you’re trying to move the plot forward. The difficulty curve is very good, challenging but not overwhelming, unveiling various mechanics and techniques as time goes on. My only real complaint is that the game is short and not very replayable, but definitely worth the price ($10). If you’re looking for a game to while away a rainy day, I’d recommend Gunpoint.

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Po — Super Mario 64 (N64) – Brought 3-D gaming to the mainstream. I’ll never forget the first time I walked through a door and entered a new room — it blew my mind.

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Andrew — Ninja Crusaders (NES) – Really nothing much to say here other than that I spent countless hours playing this with my brother. YOU COULD TURN INTO A DRAGON. Top 5 NES Game.

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Alana (Fit) — Yoda Stories – For me, this is an absolute classic. It’s a LucasArts game not many know about, but it holds a very special place in my heart. Released in the 90s, this game has no ultimate goal. It’s simply a collection of various levels you have to play through. So when you start the game, you could be doing one of the various Hoth levels, Endor levels, Death Star levels, Tatooine levels, and so forth. There were tons of different “levels” aka scenarios, each one with different surroundings and plots. Sometimes you’d meet Boba Fett, sometimes Vader, sometimes the Wampa. I remember my cousins, brother and I would always crowd around the computer playing and laughing at the subtly funny LucasArts writing characters said.

You usually played as Luke Skywalker, out to save the day or escape or something of that nature. You also could gain other weapons like a lightsaber and find hidden things behind boxes. It’s really a puzzle game in order to find the objective. This game was basically just the arrow keys and that’s all it really needed. It was a blast to play any of the levels over and over. I think I will play it again today.

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Chris — Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2) – Vice City is close behind on my list of favorite GTA games. While I typically enjoy some of the earlier entries in a franchise, the expansiveness and ability to do so many ridiculous things makes San Andreas my favorite. I might have enjoyed the story in Vice City a little bit more, the game based on Los Angeles takes the cake over the game based in Miami. However, San Andreas really is one of those games that I put on that highest level of near perfection.

Simply, the graphics, soundtrack, and controls were all top-notch at the time. The story was what you would expect from a GTA and as I mentioned before, they expanded on what the player could do a million fold. One example is the ability to get in a plane, jump out, and go skydiving. Every vehicle was an option and if you had the money, you could customize your really fast cars however you wanted.

But this is a favorite list and not a list of the best games, so what really makes San Andreas stand so tall. Completion. This game truly had an RPG feel to it and I put in hundred of hours in order to get to a 99.9% completion rating. I never got to 100% but it always offered enough mini-games and side quests to keep my attention and that replay value in a game like this is untouchable.

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That wraps up our picks for #21 Greatest Video Game of All Time. Stay tuned for next week’s #20 and read up on the previous ones if you haven’t already! We are having a blast doing this. I hope you’re having fun as well looking at what we have to bring to the table. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: Have you played any of these games? Do you like them?

Aug162014

Guide to Hungry and Fit’s Posts

Here at Hungry and Fit, we give you a large variety of posts. From recipes to workouts to movie reviews to video game nerd alerts, we give you it all. However, after some discussion, we’ve decided to bring you more of a “routine” regarding our posts. I’m sure we won’t always follow it, but it will be our guidelines. So now we bring this guide to you.

Mondays: Entertainment (movies, video games, tech, Weekend in Pictures)

Tuesdays and Thursdays: Related to food–recipes, suggestions, reviews, etc.

Wednesdays and Fridays: Related to fitness–workouts, reviews, advice, etc.

Saturdays and Sundays: Anything or nothing–we could post something random or not post anything at all!

Pretty simple, huh? I’m excited for this. I think it will be a lot of fun for us and for you. We will see how long we follow it and how much we can stick to it, but for now, I’m liking the plan. Hope you are all having a great Saturday. As always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: What’s on your agenda for the weekend?

BONUS KITTY PIC

Aug152014

What Makes You Great?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Post Great Grains Cereal for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

A big part of being healthy is having a healthy mind. In this context, I’m talking about being positive. Having a positive attitude and outlook is an important part of keeping your health in tip-top shape. It’s important to have a positive attitude regarding others, but even more important regarding yourself. We are always our own worst critic and have an easy time getting down on ourselves. However, negative energy is a serious drain on your mental, emotional, and physical health. It kills motivation, self-respect, self-esteem, and the ability to be kind to others. Positive energy is a lot more important than people think. It can lift us up and keep us high as we reach for our goals in life.

In light of this, Hungry and I made a list of why we’re great. It’s always important to keep a positive attitude about yourself, and making a list of things you love about yourself is a great way to do that. Let’s do it:

What makes Hungry and Fit great…

Our motivation to become better at everything we do
Our undying love for animals
Our love for the outdoors: especially beaches to swim at and forests and mountains to hike through
Our want to help others in their health journey and more
Our desire and willingness to make everybody be healthier–not just a certain population
Our acceptance for our weird selves
Our nerdy side
Our ability to adapt to new surroundings
Our support of one another
Our ability to laugh…a lot
Our independence and being who we are in the face of judgment
Our honesty

Those are just a few of the things that we think make us great. And it makes me feel great to write these down and appreciate us. Post Great Grains Cereal Survey displayed tons of reasons why women all over the country are feeling great. Some of these results included:

“83 percent of women think the greatest obstacle to reaching their full potential is what they think of themselves, rather than what others think of them”
“When women pick the best part of getting older, being comfortable in their skin tops the list, followed by gaining perspective, and feeling a sense of security”

Post Great Grains Cereal also put out a “What Makes You Great?” commercial, urging people to recognize and speak about the factors that make them great. I love that they did this because far too often people wallow in their own self-contempt rather than highlighting their own positive features.

We had the chance to experience some of Post Great Grains new products. We sampled lots of the cerals, including the “Protein” blend and “Digestive” blend. We especially liked the Protein blend. With me being a vegetarian, it’s always important for me to make sure I get a good protein intake. Plus, they are yummy. Our favorite is the Great Grains Protein Blend Cinnamon Crunch. I’m in love with cinnamon flavors and the good fiber and protein makes it a guilt-free way to start the day. That’s something that helps me stay “great.”

Great Grains has an enormous variety of cereals out there right now such as Berry Medley, Vanilla Graham, Banana Nut Crunch, Crunchy Pecans, and more. There’s really a flavor for everyone. And if you’re looking for more fiber or protein, you can grab the Digestive or Protein blends respectively. Great Grains has nutrition you can see with at least 7g of fiber in their Digestive blends and at least 8g of protein in their Protein blends.

It’s important to feed your body nutritiously and stay positive about yourself which is why we love to support the Great Grains Cereal campaign. We will continue nourishing ourselves with their yummy cereal while remembering to stay positive in what makes us great. Check out Great Grains on Facebook. As always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: What makes YOU great? Comment below!

Aug122014

The Loss of a Generation’s Guardian: Robin Williams

With a heavy heart, I share the news of Robin Williams’ passing. What else could I write besides this? It’s difficult to know where to start. The shock, the disbelief. Chris texted me what happened before it had really hit social media. I responded with a slew of “No, no no no, that can’t be right” and it got worse when the news confirmed it. It was that jolt in the stomach, that jarring that makes you disoriented. Was he just a celebrity? Couldn’t be because it’s hit so close. It cuts too deep. I must’ve known him. I’ve never cried over a death of a celebrity, and it seems trivial to call him that. I did cry over Robin Williams’ passing. It didn’t seem right or fair. He was just always there.

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Robin Williams, of course, meant something different to my generation than it did to, say, my parents’. For me, he didn’t start as Mork, though he did make me laugh there. For me, he started as Mrs. Doubtfire, as the Genie, as Peter Pan. That’s what my generation holds him most closely as, I think. I keep searching for a word that represents him to me. Yes, a legend. Yes, a genius. For what word I want to say…is almost a guardian. A guardian over us kids to keep us laughing in the face of anything. To learn, as my friend Robyn noted, to have a sense of humor in the face of terrible times. He taught us to bravely be yourself no matter what. He was so genuinely himself that he didn’t even need to tell us to be ourselves, he simply set an example.

His movies were always our go-to’s to make us laugh or smile when we needed it. Feeling down? Just YouTube a clip of him doing impressions, voices, anything. Your lips will turn up into a smile and soon after, a laugh. It’s as if he was always there for us when we were down. He would bring back the silly into ourselves. As if he were our nanny, making sure we were okay. I suppose that’s why I reach out for the word guardian more than anything else.

He was human. And he showed his human self and his dramatic skills in movies like “Good Will Hunting” and “Good Morning Vietnam”–my favorites of his more “dramatic” pieces even though Vietnam had plenty of laughs. My friend and I will be doing a movie tribute to Robin Williams tonight. Our childhood entertainer, our guardian, our uncle. A man who would always be there despite everything. But now that is not so. Which is why I think it hurts us so badly. More than other celebrity deaths. It’s still unbelievable. I kept crossing my fingers and hoping that when I woke up this morning, it wouldn’t be so. It still was. It is part of life. Just not a part of life we want to accept so early from a generous, warm-hearted, incredibly talented man. Which is why we are all so in pain from this loss.

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His heart. His warm, generous, reaching-to-all heart. It would always bleed through every performance. His most human quality was how he cared. How warmth emanated off him and surrounded us like the Genie’s hug. He taught us to use our hearts, to be vulnerable, to be ourselves. I’m still going to look at his face (which looks closest to my dad’s out of Hollywood, which doesn’t help any) and be in shock. When you close your eyes as tightly as you can, and then open them again, hoping that he will still be there. Declare it unfair and impossible. I know he will be remembered for all of these qualities listed. I know our generation will weep in his passing for losing such an amazing character, the warmest heart, and our silliest guardian. And as lines keep saying everywhere to make me cry again–Genie, you’re free. We love you.

Aug112014

The Importance of Non-GMOs

Here at Hungry and Fit, we aren’t just concerned with our fitness and how we can lift heavy things or look good in a speedo. We also care about the internal health of our body because–let’s face it–that’s the “Fit” that really matters. Our “true” health is what is going to make the difference on the inside with the big problems–cancer, heart disease, and the other big ones. That’s why we don’t smoke, we exercise every day, stay away from trans fats, and avoid GMOs.

What are GMOs? GMOs are genetically modified organisms. If you aren’t sure you’re eating them, you probably are. Approximately 70% of processed foods in the U.S. contain genetically modified food products. Agh, scary! But why is it scary? Why are GMOs bad? Brace yourselves, because this is all based in science. These plants are genetically modified in order to be more herbicide-resistant but also to produce pesticides. Yes, it’s not that they’re being sprayed with pesticides, it’s that they’re genetically modified to have pesticides in them. They have been transplanted with genes from a pesticide-producing organism, so that farmers don’t need to spray pesticides. But, this is bad. Now you can’t even “wash” off your pesticides because they are within every cell of that plant. They get these genes from Bacillus thuringiensis, but we will just call it the Bt toxin.

And finally, why is the Bt toxin bad? Once inside your body, the Bt-toxin disrupts your cell membrane in just 24 hours which causes fluid inside to leak out. To put it simply, it is creating small holes in human cells just like it kills insects. This is from the Journal of Applied Toxicology published in 2011. In addition, a 2011 Canadian study (because you will be sued if you try to do these kind of studies in the U.S.) found that “93% of the pregnant women they tested had Bt-toxin…And so did 80% of their unborn fetuses” (State of the Science on the Health Risks of GM Foods). It’s terrifying! And GMOs continue to take over America.

With Monsanto (the big corporation behind GMOs) in bed with the government, it’s hard to find non-GMO products. That’s why I really and truly appreciate Silk. Despite 93% of soybean crops being genetically modified, they are steadfast in their mission to only use non-GMO to avoid health risks and environmental harm. That means they use non-GMOs in every one of their products from their yogurt to their dark chocolate Almondmilk. It also means taking extra time and resources to research their suppliers to bring the best for those who consume their products. How many companies care that much? It’s comforting in a country where money is more important than health, that there are at least a few companies that take a stand against that. That is why I am so happy to partner with Silk and consume their products without the threat of Bt toxin invading my cells.

If you think it’s best to let nature do her thing and not mess with plants which will in turn mess with our bodies, then sign up for Silk’s newsletter. You can get coupons, sweepstakes, and a monthly chance to win a year’s supply of Silk! In addition, like their Facebook page to find tons of cool recipes, fitness hacks, and ways to stay healthy. I hope you appreciate Silk’s commitment to non-GMOs now that you know what harm they are avoiding. I appreciate it so my internal and long-term fitness stays on a good track. Using Silk products is good for a healthy lifestyle and an excellent “life hack.” Drink Silk to stay hungry and fit!

This is a sponsored conversation written by us on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all ours.

Aug082014

Edge of Tomorrow: Book vs. Movie

Though it’s no longer in theatres in most places, this is a comparison of the “Edge of Tomorrow” movie and its All You Need is Kill counterpart. I only read the book because I liked the movie so much. Which is odd because Tom Cruise is in it, and I’m really not a fan of his. Before I even start the review, the movie and book are starkly different. Sure they hold the same general idea, but completely different events occur. Let’s get into it.

I’ll start with the movie first, because that’s what we saw first. Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, is a dystopic future full of a world war against the Mimics–an alien species here to destroy the humans. All the world comes together to fight this threat, creating the United Defense Forces (UDF). The Mimics basically know how the battle will go, due to their ability to communicate-time travel in the past and let them know not to do certain tactics. This makes them almost unbeatable. Almost. Even though half the world is ravaged, there is still hope.

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That hope is in the form of Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise. In separate occasions, they both have the ability to “restart.” This means that if they die, they’ll simply wake up on the day before. For Tom Cruise, it happens when he gets the “blood” of a server Mimic all over him. And then he gets stuck in the loop of being in training to going to battle to dying. Over and over and over. However, the movie does an excellent job with humor and relatability which made it truly enjoyable to watch. Eventually, Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise get together once they realize they’ve been through the same thing and do a final end-all mission to destroy the Mimics forever. But I won’t spoil any more for you.

Now let’s move onto All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, the book the movie is based on. And that’s not even the original. It’s originally Japanese that has been translated into English, which, of course, changes it. The book starts with a fresh recruit in the Japanese part of the UDF (Tom Cruise was a Col., and he was American). He’s green as can be, not ready for battle but without much of a choice. Just as in the movie, he goes into battle and gets killed. But…he wakes up on the previous day! At first, he thinks it’s just a weird dream, but then it keeps going for another 160 days. The same problem still exists–Mimics are killing all humans on the planet so they can xenoform the planet. However, the book is much more crude–lots of swearing, all written in 1st person. There is a lot of focus on the loneliness that these “time-looped” people have to endure. The ending events in the book are completely different from the movie. I don’t want to say much more, but I was surprised. It was much more heavy, I guess would be the right word.

All in all, I would probably choose the movie over the book. You will rarely ever hear me say that, especially a movie with Tom Cruise in it, but I have to be honest. It could be part of the translation from Japanese to English, but the movie engaged me more. Though, I’m starting to like the book’s ending more and more as I dwell on it. There is a graphic novel of All You Need is Kill that I wish I got instead of the paperback. It would be more fitting, I think.

The concept of both the book and the movie is great–it grabs onto you and keeps you there. It’s a nail-biter and it makes you laugh. And Emily Blunt was freaking awesome. I would absolutely see the movie again and would recommend the book to anyone. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Aug072014

How to Travel in a Car with Animals

As you know, we finally made it to Santa Monica, California! However, it was quite the journey to actually get here from Boulder, Colorado. We have two cats, a dog, and a snake! So basically we packed our car and trailer full of all of our things plus a zoo. It was much different from any road trip I’ve taken because of our animals. It was certainly stressful and worrisome, but we all made it safely. Here’s what to do with each kind of animal:

Dogs

Surprisingly, Noke did the best of all the animals. When she was younger, she would throw up in the car nearly every time she drove with us. After time and time again in the car, her nausea rears its ugly head much less. We were incredibly proud and happy with her over this trip. She kept her cool even with Nymeria howling and trying to poke her. Here are some specific tips for travelling with dogs:

Put your dog on a blanket or something that smells familiar to them
Don’t feed your dog before you drive or feed very little
Make sure your dog can see you while driving
Give your dog enough space to lie down and sleep
Take your dog out every time you get gas to pee and drink water
Make sure the car is cool

Cats

Now here is where the nightmare begun. Sajah is the more skiddish one out of Nymeria and him. I expected him to be wild-eyed and going nuts, but he was absolutely placid. It was probably because he was stressed to death, but he simply found a place to lay and stayed there. After awhile, he got a little less scared and opened up a bit. Now let’s come to the problem child…Nymeria. Oh, Nymeria. Nymeria is very spirited. And that spirit showed during the car ride. She was not about being in the car. She wanted out. She would yowl and cry and get up like a monkey on the bars of the crate and try to escape. She eventually started acting crazy and eating litter so we contained her in a carrier. She was really the only pet who made the trip stressful. Here are some specific tips for travelling with cats:

Keep your cats contained in a small crate or something similar
Keep a small litter tray in the corner of the crate
Make sure your cats can see you and hear you while driving
Put in a blanket or something comfy (and familiar) for them to lay on.
Give water breaks when you can
Make sure the car is cool

Snakes

Well, Dovah was the quietest one on the trip (ha-ha) and we didn’t hear much of a complaint from him. However, he stressed us out somewhat because Dovah’s habitat should be around 90 to 100 degrees F. There was no way to keep his lamp on while we drove so we wrapped his cage up and hoped for the best. He came out fine and is a bit stressed out. We are hoping he will relax as he no longer has to deal with the bumps and vibrations of driving any longer. Here are some specific tips for travelling with snakes:

Try to keep your snake’s area as warm as possible
Keep the cage in a low place in the car so that it has no chance of tipping or falling over
Try to drive as smoothly as possible so it doesn’t get rocked around too much

Driving with animals can be stressful, but there are ways to make it as smooth a trip as possible. Use the tips above to keep your animal family happy and safe. I’m hoping we won’t be doing one of these trips again, but if we do, we know what to do! As always, stay hungry and fit!

Aug062014

It’s a Wrap! ACE Brand Has a New Clip

I have been using ACE™ Brand Bandages for as long as I can remember. I remember sitting on my mum’s bed, sticking my leg out so she could wrap up my ankle. That was at least ten or fifteen years ago. ACE™ Brand products are still around today, helping provide stability and support to people who need it. They improved their products, innovated new products, and maintained their same high quality. If you follow us regularly, you know that Hungry and I usually get our bodies into trouble somehow. Whether it’s banging up a knee or an elbow, something is usually tender on our bodies. That’s why I’m excited to present to you the ACE™ Brand Elastic Bandage with the new ACE™ Brand Clip.

Good for the ankle

Bringing you back to the memory of having my mum wrap my ankle, I used to be afraid of one thing. That scary, spiky metal clip. With the new ACE Brand Clip, those fears vanish. Instead of getting stuck with the sharp end of the metal clip (whether it’s my mum’s fault or the clip’s fault, I’ll never know), it’s an easy plastic clip that you simply press to make it stay. Hooray! It’s an easy way to wrap up anything that needs support without having to fumble with a clip that’s not attached. It makes it much easier to wrap it yourself. All you do is wrap to your likened tightness, put the clip on the top layer of the wrap, and then click it into place!

I enjoyed trying it on all the parts of my body that usually need some extra support. Each one fit well and was easy to do–even my elbow!

It doesn’t snag on clothes and holds securely. Of course, it’s great for athletes during their sport or workout, but it works for everyday life as well. It helps support my problem-knee during an active day at work as I am constantly on the move. And even between clients and meetings, with the new clip, I can fix it very quickly! Convenient and comfortable–two of my favorite words. Whether it’s sprains or strains, this new ACE Brand Clip allows you to customize the compression that feels right. I usually like mine fairly tight, while others like it loose. With the new ACE Brand Clip, you have a much easier time to adjust the ACE Brand Elastic Bandage how YOU want it to fit.

ACE Brand also just came out with some funny, quirky promotional videos of the new ACE Brand Clip. Find it in the YouTube playlist below. If you’re an athlete, an active person, or just a regular person needing some support, check out the new ACE Brand Clip. It worked for us! I know I’ll be keeping it on my sore knee when I need it. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

Aug052014

Gourmet Mexican in Colorado: Comida

Our friend and client in Colorado has been talking about this place, Comida, since I’ve met her. She said the first time she had a taco there, she cried because it was so good. She’s been trying to get us to go and finally on our last day in Colorado, we went with her for some lunch. Comida is located in Longmont, Colorado, but could easily be placed in New York or Los Angeles–it’s trendy!

Comida is basically gourmet Mexican. I don’t necessarily love gourmet, but I do love me some Mexican. The menu was fairly small, which I like. Most of the options had meat, so I opted for an egg and bean quesadilla. Chris and Crystal got three varieties of tacos and we all split a plate of nachos. Crystal got a watermelon jalapeno margarita and a pomegranate lemonade, I got a Jamaican margarita, and Chris got a Boylan’s soda. It was a wonderful array of food.

Presentation is beautiful, no doubts there. They definitely make it look appetizing so that you can’t wait to dig in. The plates are stylish as is the way they lay everything out. Prices are decent. It’s gourmet, so it’s a little more expensive than your typical Mexican joint–about $4 per taco. However, on most dishes, the flavor is worth the slightly expensive price. Hungry really enjoyed the tacos (especially Stella’s Pork Carnitas) and I couldn’t get enough of the Not ‘Yo Nachos. The quesadilla was slightly less in flavor, but luckily I had some salsa to dunk it in. My margarita was also delicious!

All in all, I would come back. We got to sit outside, which was very nice and peaceful. The flavors are great and are enough of a reason for us to return if we have the time when we visit Colorado again. All in all, Comida gets a thumbs up from Hungry and Fit!

Aug042014

We Made It!

We apologize for our absence! We just did a big move–Colorado to California! Or more specifically…Boulder to Santa Monica! We had quite the trip. 25 hours of driving with two cats, a dog, and a snake! It was stressful, but we made it! Here’s a taste of our trip. Get ready and geared up for Hungry and Fit to come back rip-roaring!