Have You Ever........?

Hi Everyone,


Well, shucks.  I wrote this post a few days ago, when the sun had been out for a few days and I (for one) was on a super emotional high. Why didn't I send it out then?  I guess I felt it needed more editing.  Now, it's been raining steadily, and I wonder if I should even go ahead with my post.  Well, what the heck, I'm an optimist, so, here goes:

Isn't time just flying by?  Where did January go?  At least here in Oregon we're getting some very pleasant weather.  The sunny (rainless!) days seem to be motivating people around me to begin their spring cleaning; dust the bike off for a nice country ride; or try some other fun project/activity.  With all this energy I'm seeing and feeling, I'm hoping this post can help motivate you to try something that might put a smile on your face, or on someone else's face. Some of the ideas listed below were gleaned from a book titled, "Keeping Life Simple," by Karen Levine.  What does this list have to do with wellness?  Everything, in my opinion.  Like I've said before, I think a holistic approach to improving our quality of life is the best approach to being healthier and happier.

How about trying some of these suggestions:
*Keep a dream journal next to your bed.  Write down your dreams the minute you remember them,  then try to analyze why you were dreaming about that topic.  Or, how about a gratitude journal?
*Check out the hiking trails in your area.  Invite a friend!
*Roast a marshmallow over candlelight.  Or, have a campfire on a nice evening.  Invite the neighbors.
*Bake bread from scratch.  Kneading can be so relaxing.  Then there's the smell and taste of the finished product, too.
*Try selling something on Craigslist, Ebay, or at a consignment shop.
*Interview an elderly family member about his or her childhood.  Take notes, and a picture.
*Wash the car, inside and out, instead of going through a car wash.
*Invest in a set of wind chimes.
*Purchase fruit, vegetables and flowers from local farmers.
*Donate your time, your blood, something!
*Try stretching first thing in the morning, to beautiful music.  How about 21 days in a row--make it a habit!
*Take a warm bath, with candles, and nice music.  Put a towel in the dryer to use right after you get out of the tub.
*If you've never listened to a book on tape, give it a try.  Check your local library's selections.
*Make a list of the medicines and supplements you take, and put it in your wallet or in your car's glove compartment.
*Are there any young children in your life right now?  Make a memory game for them, using double sets of photographs.
*Consider putting a clothesline up outside, so you can dry your sheets.
*Start an herb garden.
*Make a list of the family vehicles, put it inside your kitchen cupboard, and keep track of tire rotations, oil changes, repairs etc.
*Keep a file of the paint color names and brands you've used in your home.  List the names of the stores where the paint was purchased, too.
*Purchase or make a birdhouse, and start feeding the birds. 

Can you add anything to this list that can help streamline our lives, and/or bring more enjoyment?  I'd love to hear  from you.

Meanwhile, I wish you wellness.  I hope the dry days come back, too!

Mary R.


 

Obstacles

Hi Everyone,

How is 2012 going for you so far?  If you made a resolution, or goal, it's time to check on yourself to see how it's going, and whether or not you want to revise it.  Remember the resolution I shared?  I said I would try to schedule an appointment with myself, at least one day a week, to work on my book.  Well.......  it's not happening quite that way, so I need to revise that goal.  Successful goals are specific and measurable.  

Some obstacles have gotten in my way.  Nothing bad, really.  I've just had to make a lot of adjustments lately.  Here's a visual that helps me.  Maybe you will find it helpful as well.  Are there obstacles that block the path you're trying to take?

I don't like scheduling things too far in advance.  Last week I traveled, and this week I had company. A flexible schedule works best for me, at this point.  So, here's my goal, now revised:  I will make a chart and color in every individual hour I spend researching and writing for the book, aiming for at least 8 hours a week.  That way, I can try to find moments here and there, if indeed I can't schedule a large block of time.  Some weeks will be easier than others, and I will eventually know what it's like to spend a good chunk of time at the library. 

Looks like today's post is mostly about me, and my goal, but I hope the lesson I've learned about being even more specific, and being willing to revise, will help you as well.  I like the path pictured below a lot better than the one pictured above, don't you?

I hope this finds you all well and happily moving forward towards any goals you might be working on. 

Mary R.

New Year's Resolutions

Hi Everyone,

Are you going to be staying up until the ball drops tonight?  I'm hoping to, since we'll be going out with good friends.  But, I bet we head for the cab ride home at about 12:01 AM! 

As many of you know, I'm a lifetime Weight Watcher.  I love that organization, because it's just so practical to not deny yourself any foods, and to use the combination of a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and the support of others.  At a meeting this week, we were asked to look back on 2011, and write down three things we accomplished during the year to improve our state of wellness.  I liked that exercise, and the holistic approach.  We didn't have to limit ourselves to writing down things that had to do with food and/or exercise.  I also liked, of course, that it was an exercise in optimism!  :-)  One thing I wrote down was that I started this blog!  Another item I listed was that I started playing ping pong with a good friend, almost daily, and therefore developed a new (healthy) passion.  The third thing, sorry, is private.  But, be assured, it was a very positive accomplishment.

So, after that, it was time to look to next year, and write down three healthy goals.  Are you a resolution person?  I know that people are clearly either way.  Either, someone is like myself, and really enjoys taking a look at what they can improve on, or try; while others, and I respect this, feel there is no need to make resolutions on January 1, but prefer working on self-improvement on an ongoing basis.  I guess I just like to do both!  Some studies have shown that if you share your goals too much, you are less likely to stick to them, so that's something to keep in mind.  What seems to work for me is to go ahead and talk about my goals to a few key people, and then to hold myself accountable by keeping a chart of some kind, at least until I've reached the three week habit-forming mark.

That being said, I won't share too much, so I don't jinx myself.  But, one goal that I'd love for people to hold me accountable for is to schedule an appointment with myself, at least one day a week, perhaps at the library, where I spend several hours working on my book.  As many of you know, I'm working on a workbook for middle-schoolers, where they get to work on their self images, while at the same time learn about wellness in general.  Feel free to bug me about this one, OK?  It's something I always want to do, but often find myself doing so many other things I like to do instead, most of all that require moving around, rather than sitting and focusing on something for long periods of time.  Hmmmmmm,  does this sound like adult ADHD?  If so, I love it all, so I'm not too concerned.  I am clearly committed to finishing that book someday, but the sooner the better.

That's all for this year, folks!  I wish you a very happy and HEALTHY new year!  If you'd like to share any of your reflections for 2011, or resolutions for 2012, I'd love to hear about them. 

I wish you wellness.

Mary

McDonalds Has Nothing On Me!

Hi Everyone,

Are you surviving the holidays?  I hope you are able to find the time for exercise, if that's what you wish to do.  It will help with the stress that goes along with the season, and help even out any extra calories you might consume.  Have you considered asking for a fitness related present?

I chose today's title because I have come up with a killer breakfast sandwich, similar to what McDonald's offers, but sooooooooo much healthier, and better tasting too!  Well, at least my son and I think so.  Check this out:

The main ingredients are:  turkey ham, egg and whole wheat English muffin.  It can be made in less than five minutes. We grill the turkey ham quickly, poach the egg in the microwave, and toast the English muffin.  Of course, it's nice to put something on the muffin.  My choice is Dijon mustard, but avocado works well too, or you could try some nonfat Greek yogurt.  Then, the sky is the limit as far as what else you might want to add:  tomato; sprouts; low fat cheese; cucumber.  Or, maybe you'd prefer a round veggie or turkey sausage instead of the turkey ham. 

Poaching an egg in the microwave is so quick and easy.  Spray a ramekin with cooking spray.  Crack an egg into the ramekin and pierce the yolk with a fork several times.  Be sure to cover the ramekin with a paper towel, so the egg doesn't explode in the micro.  And, since all microwaves are different, I suggest you start with 20 seconds, check, add seconds, etc.  My microwave takes 30 seconds to cook a poached egg with the yolk cooked medium.

If you're a Weight Watcher, this sandwich can follow the "Simply Filling" plan, if you choose the correct brands of muffin and turkey ham.  Check their website for a list of their power foods.  If you need to calculate points, it comes to 7 points plus.  Most importantly, it's quick, healthy, and very filling.

There's just one more fun substitute on a popular sandwich that I'd like to share, and that's the Reuben.  I substitute turkey for the pastrami, and mustard for the Thousand Island. It's still very delicious.

I'd love to hear about your healthy substitutions on some of the more popular menu items.  Meanwhile, I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.

Mary R.

Fun Sites and Things

Hi Everyone.  I've been finding some interesting things online, and thought I'd share a few of them with you.

Here's an amazing speech given by the 12 year old girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes.  She was addressing a UN meeting on the issue of the environment.  I think I want her to be our next president. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0&feature=player_embedded

Have you ever heard of the website called, "Pinterest"?  It's really cool.  You can "pin" ideas that interest you, onto your (virtual) board, and keep it for future reference, or share it with others.  Check it out, there are so many creative ideas, fun recipes, cool sayings, and photographs. My daughter Mindy showed me this website.  Watch out, you might get hooked!  http://pinterest.com/

One might argue that those two sites have nothing to do with wellness, but I personally feel that pretty much everything can be related to one of the six areas of a healthy and happy individual:  personal, mental, physical, social, intellectual and ethical wellness.  It's all about the holistic approach to self-improvement.

That being said, here are a few more tidbits to share:

Some people think that the time of day at which they eat has something to do with how much weight they'll gain or lose.  Weight gain and loss has to do with the basic calories in/calories out balance.  So, if you haven't had your day's worth of calories before a certain time, it doesn't really matter if you eat those calories later in the day.  Trying to get to sleep on a full stomach, however, might be a problem...

For good health, eat more cinnamon!  Research has shown that cinnamon can help reduce blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides in people with Type 2 Diabetes.  So, it must be good for everyone, right?  Try adding approximately 1 teaspoon of cinnamon daily to your food choices, especially oatmeal, yogurt, peanut butter, smoothies, pancakes, French toast, and even coffee.  Or, try adding cinnamon to the top of sweet potatoes, carrots, chicken, beef or pork.

That's all folks!  Do you have any fun sites or health tips to share?  I'd love to hear them. 

Wishing you wellness,

Mary R.

This and That

Hi Everyone,

I've been on hiatus from the blog for awhile, just because life is so full.  That's a good thing, but I have missed writing.  So, finally, here are a few tidbits to share:

*When choosing chicken for your protein, white meat wins out over dark meat because it has less fat, less calories, and more protein per ounce.  That's not to say that dark meat is bad, it certainly has less saturated fat than beef.  White meat is just the better choice.

*You can cut a lot of sugar or fat just by rinsing food with water.  For example, cut sugar by rinsing fruit canned in heavy syrup.  Cut fat by rinsing the ground beef or ground turkey after you brown it.  Then, just return it to the pan, and continue with the recipe.

*Lifting weights is so good for you.  If you're not lifting, but you're losing weight, there is a risk of losing muscle tissue, instead of fat.  Not good.  Plus, it takes two times more calories to maintain muscle tissue.  For every pound of muscle added to your frame, your metabolism will burn up to 50 more calories per day, just at rest!  Yippee!

*The average-sized adult needs to take in at least 1200 calories a day, because of all the nutrients your body requires.  If you don't take in enough calories (from nutritious foods), then your metabolism will slow down and go into emergency mode, making it harder to lose weight.  You might even gain weight.

That's all for now.  I hope the transition from warm weather to colder weather has been smooth, (and maybe even enjoyable?) for you.  One thing that has put an extra bounce in my step lately is that I've been planning a cruise to Hawaii during the upcoming winter.  Now that's something to look forward to, and prepare for!

Wishing you wellness,

Mary R.

An Acronym to Remember--HALTS

Hi Everyone,

How are you handling the change of season?  Are you finding a new craft or hobby to try?  There's always the new list of community education classes to consider each term, from your local community college, or community center.  Have you changed your exercise routine from outside to inside?  Tried a new class at the gym?  Looked for some new exercise DVDs to try at home?   I'd love to hear what positive changes you've made, to help you get through the blahs from 'sun withdrawals'.

The title for today has to do with an acronym that can come in very handy, whenever you stop and try to figure out why you made a decision that you question yourself about, after the fact.  The acronym is HALTS, and it stands for:   Hunger, Anger, Lonliness, Tired, and Sick.   Usually one of those conditions is in place, when we make a decision that isn't quite up to par.  Let's look at each one:

Hunger--Maybe you were hungry and even hypoglycemic (suffering from low blood sugar), when you decided  to buy that bag of candy, instead of the bag of carrots you would have otherwise purchased, or when you snapped at someone.

Anger--Did you do or say something you weren't proud of, because you were angry?  I find it interesting when a person actually punishes herself, perhaps by binge eating or drinking, when in fact she was frustrated with someone else.

Lonliness--I know I've had more than my share of chocolate chip cookie dough at times when I was feeling lonely, thinking I was making cookies for others, when I was really just feeding my emotions.

Tired--Were you out shopping and grabbed something quickly, not really considering the consequences, just because you were tired and wanted to get home and put on your pajamas?  Did you not think out what you wanted to say to someone, and instead just blurted out the unfiltered thoughts what were on your mind, because you were too tired to think logically?

Sick--If you don't feel well, and you don't stop to take the time to rest and take care of yourself, you will not be at your best, and poor decisions might be made.

The lesson I take from all this, personally, is to stop and listen to that little voice that is telling me to go against what I would otherwise want to do, and question myself as to whether this is happening because I'm experiencing one of those 5 conditions.  Then, if I can catch it in time, I can try deep breathing, reading, calling a friend, walking away, playing the piano, writing out my thoughts--any one of those or other similar healthy choices to help get me through the difficult moment, and be much prouder of myself for the healthier outcome.  Also, if I  journal about my day, I can look back at some of the decisions I made, and check to see if any of those 5 conditions were dictating how my day played out.

Even you already knew about HALTS, I hope this will help you keep yourself in check.  I know it's helping me just to go over it again.  

Wishing you wellness,

Mary