Satiate Sunday Scaries

Pounding headache, queasy stomach, and the futile vow to never drink again; Does this sound familiar? Instead of that morning regret and burning urge to skip yet another class, pick yourself up with a delicious, portable, and not nausea-inducing breakfast smoothie that is sure to perk you up and make that hangover a distant memory.

INGREDIENTS AND MATERIALS NEEDED : INSTRUCTIONS :

1 . 1 cup coconut water 2 . 1 banana, peeled 3 . 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter 4 . 1 scoop chocolate protein powder * 5 . 1/2 c. Greek yogurt 6 . 1 pinch salt

7 . 2 c. ice

8 . Chocolate shavings 9 . Cool glass or travel mug 10 . Blender

* (protein powder can be subsituted for 2 raw eggs & 1 tbsp. cocoa powder)

NEXT TIME YOU FIND YOURSELF IN NEED OF A QUICK-FIX BEFORE CLASS, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THREAD’S TRIED-ANDTRUE HANGOVER SMOOTHIE. REMINDER: KEEP THESE INGREDIENTS IN THE HOUSE AT ALL TIMES, YOU KNOW, JUST IN CASE.

1 . Plug in the blender and take the lid off. (Be careful with every step!)

2 . Pour the coconut water in first. 3 . Next, add peeled banana, peanut butter, protein powder, yogurt, and salt. (Tip: Substitute two raw eggs and one tablespoon of cocoa powder if you do not have chocolate protein powder.) 4 . Lastly, add the ice. 5 . Put the lid tightly on the blender and start by pulsing the ingredients. This can be done by pressing and holding the pulse button as many times as needed to start breaking down the bigger ingredients. 6 . Once the firmer ingredients break down a good amount, turn the blender on normally and blend until completely mixed. Turn off the blender. 7 . Pour the smoothie into a cool glass and garnish with chocolate shavings. (Tip: Chocolate chips work fine too. And, for the busy hungover folks, take it to go!) 8 . Enjoy and start feeling better.

WHO, WHAT, WEAR

A glimpse into some of Athens’ most captivating people, places, and events. BENEFITS OF FLUFFY THERAPISTS P.72

BENEFITS OF FLUFFY THERAPISTS

Emotional support pets ease the mind and provide friendship.

BY KATIE JOHNSON PHOTOS BY EMMA FRIEND

Finding a therapist can be challenging. You have to think about so many factors and it typically takes a couple of trial and errors before you find the right one. Luckily for me, I found one that always listens to me, gives me hugs, kisses my tears away, is very handsome, would never ghost me, and does countless things to make me laugh. My dog Niko checks off all of these and so much more.

To find the kind of companionship I have, my recommendation is getting an emotional support animal, or ESA. Five months ago, I made a new best friend that has changed my life. I have struggled with anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember and have tried so many different treatments.

My physician recommended an emotional support dog and that was a treatment I had no problem looking into and being excited to pursue. A trip to the pet store to find supplies for my future friend from a breeder turned into me running into my fluffy soulmate at the pet store.

I played with him for a while and instantly knew he was who I was looking for. I named him Niko, and he would now be coming home with me – having no idea what his amazing purpose in my life was.

Being a puppy mom can be really exhausting and scary but has overall been beyond worth it. Waking up everyday knowing someone is counting on me to take care of them gave me a sense of purpose.

Depression can cause excessive sleeping, and even though I always wanted to start my days off early and accomplish things, I never could. With anxiety, there are lots of sleepless nights; I have always had trouble sleeping. However, Niko gives me motivation to get out of bed to feed him breakfast and take him to the bathroom.

Every night he makes me “big spoon” him or sleeps on my pillow with his head over my shoulder. The sense of comfort he brings me knocks me right out every night and I have gotten to the point where I cannot sleep without him.

Every trick I teach him makes me feel so accomplished and proud, and every time he gets a little bigger I feel like I am growing with him. Feeling guilty for skipping plans to stay home because of my mental health has now changed to, “I have to take care of my dog, so I shouldn’t go out,” and he is now something I look forward to coming home to.

Emotional support animals help with psychological issues; however, they require zero training and can accompany you in any public place. For those who suffer from social anxiety or panic attacks, being able to bring a friend with you gives you a distraction and a sense of not feeling alone helps.

ESAs are also proven to lower the heart rate and create a flood of the feel-good hormone: oxytocin. Without Niko, my motivation and ability to go outdoors was always close to nothing, but now introducing him to his first snow, teaching him how to be kind to others on walks, and meeting new puppy friends gets me excited to go out with him. My new fluffy companion gives me a whole new outlook on life and a new best friend.