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This topic has come up multiple times in conversations this week; I took that as a message from the universe to revisit a post from 2016. Cheers! Here’s to your health!
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http://www.makeonechange.today/new-blog/2016/7/20/wine-wellness-wednesday-going-gluten-free
Whoops! I fell asleep last night before posting my Wine & Wellness Wednesday topic! That’s what I get for fighting a cold…
Back in June I posted about spinach, and it is one of my very favorite foods! It’s spinach season again and we’ve had wonderful greens from our CSA (which also happens to be from one of our favorite farmers market vendors). So it’s spinach for the theme this week again!
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
http://www.makeonechange.today/new-blog/2017/6/14/wine-wellness-wednesday-spinach
Wine & Wellness Wednesday 06/14/2017: Spinach!
Just like Popeye the Sailor Man, if you eat spinach you’ll get healthy & strong!! :)
Well…maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much!!
I’ve become so obsessed with spinach that this spring I decided to try growing some. So far, it’s doing pretty well, although in Iowa we’ve recently had extremely hot weather very early, so I’ve put my spinach in a shadier, cooler spot to try and extend its growing season. (Spinach doesn’t love super hot weather.) I’ve eaten some of the spinach from my little garden and it’s pretty tasty. We really enjoy the spinach that comes from our CSA box (community-supported agriculture), and frequently buy it from the farmers market as well.
And naturally, being of a curious disposition, I went looking for information on the health benefits of spinach. I knew, vaguely, that spinach is good for me. The specifics border on overwhelming, and of course some of the claims are going to be hard for science to confirm. (Are you paying attention? There won’t be a quiz later. Ha!) Spinach is a good source of the following nutrients: iron, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B2, manganese, and magnesium. It also contains high levels of chlorophyll, thanks to those lovely, dark-green leaves, along with beta carotene and lutein. Phytochemicals such as beta carotene are believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Spinach is also full of fiber and water, so it’s good for the digestive system. (One drawback to spinach is the oxalate content, which is a problem for people who have or have had kidney stones.)
I’m one of those people who likes spinach both cooked and fresh. I love it in salads, and sometimes I use only spinach in a salad instead of lettuce or a mix. I also love throwing it into cooked dishes, whether the instructions say to do so or not. For example, if we are traveling and have a hotel room with a microwave, I’ll make and freeze scrambled egg muffins. Basically, I sauté together a little bit of ham, onion, red bell pepper, and spinach, throw that mix into greased muffin tins, add beaten egg and cheese, and bake them in the oven. Voila! Breakfast we can take on the road, easily reheat, and it’s good for us.
Do you like spinach? If you do, what’s your favorite spinach recipe? If you don’t, try it sometime mixed into a salad; you may find your tastes have changed and you like it now. :) (Also, the BBC Good Food link has recipes!)
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
http://foodfacts.mercola.com/spinach.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270609.php
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-spinach
Cauliflower! It’s not just the veggie-that-everyone-leaves-on-the-relish-tray any more!
Whew! That was a really long, moderately ridiculous hyphenated thing I just did there.
Let’s get serious for a minute.
When was the last time you heard someone say, “I just LOVE cauliflower!”?
I’ll wait.
Still waiting.
(Maybe it’s you. Maybe you’re the one who says it! That’s super cool if it’s the case!)
I feel as though cauliflower is the little brother to broccoli that no one likes. That was definitely the case for me for a long time. Then not long ago I made a cream soup using cauliflower instead of milk, and last week my husband made a shepherd’s pie using mashed cauliflower as the topping instead of mashed potatoes. Both of those recipes were AMAZING.
What else is amazing? The nutrient value for cauliflower! One cup of cauliflower has around 25 calories and 5 grams of carbs in one cup. One cup of potatoes has around 115 calories and 26 grams of carbs. Zoikes! Cauliflower has vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber. What’s that mean? Other than it’s good for you, you can eat more and feel better about it, but it’s so filling you probably won’t want more.
What’s your favorite way to eat cauliflower?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
Ok. I have a confession to make. I might be a tiny bit obsessed with the Darlington variety of cucumbers. (Although recently I’ve also found lemon cucumbers very tasty.)
Yes, I’m being specific. And maybe a little silly. :)
I tried a cucumber recently at work and just about lost my mind because it was insanely sweet and delicious. It was almost like eating candy, and yet it was cool and refreshing at the same time. I asked the greenhouse owner what kind of cucumber it was. Darlington. That’s now the magic word in cucumber varieties in my life. :)
Yum!!!
Why eat cucumbers?
Cucumbers are approximately 95% water. They’re great for helping you stay hydrated through food intake. (Don’t forget to drink water, too!) Cukes are full of nutrients such as vitamin K, vitamin C, and potassium. Research is in the very early stages on whether the compounds in cukes can help fight cancer or heart disease. Cucumbers also contain dietary fiber, and that’s good for you too!
To peel or not to peel? That’s entirely up to you. Sometimes the skin on a cucumber is thin enough to be pleasant to eat, and sometimes it’s not. Cucumbers are great in salads, in dressings such as tzatziki sauce (mmmm Greek food), or fresh as snacks. One thing I haven’t tried yet is actually cooking the cucumbers, as heating up something I’m accustomed to eating cold & fresh seems odd. But I might try it soon!
What’s your favorite way to eat cucumbers?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
No, I don't mean the Apple iPhone. Or iPad. Or any Apple product.
I mean the fruit. :)
Ok, I’m going to be super candid for a moment.
I’m fairly certain I’m terrible about eating fruits & vegetables. Whatever the recommended daily serving may be, I’m pretty sure I’m not getting enough. Although recently I’ve had a fair amount of garden fresh produce, and that makes a huge difference! Cucumbers, apples, strawberries, and tomatoes, oh my! (Insert Wizard of Oz earworm here!) They taste better than veggies and fruits from the grocery store, too! I love fresh veggies and fruits; I’m not always great at remembering to eat them. (Although come to think of it, I do a lot of cooking with veggies so maybe I do better than I think!)
I did enjoy a tasty, juicy, orchard-fresh apple today. :)
I found myself wondering about the phrase, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” So, it being what I do, I went looking for both the origin of the phrase, thank you Wikipedia, and actual science behind why it’s valid. Because, y’know, that’s me. I get curious about stuff. :)
Wikipedia says, "First recorded in the 1860s, the proverb originated in Wales, and was particularly prevalent in Pembrokshire. The first English version of the saying was 'Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.' The current phrasing ('An apple a day keeps the doctor away') was first used in print in 1922.“
Apples are good for you. Soluble fiber and 84% water. A flavonoid (quercetin) that may help reduce the risk of certain cancers. Vitamin C. Phytonutrients.
Maybe they won’t keep the doctor away. But apples (and other fruits!) will help you stay healthy!
How do you like your apples? :) And please don’t just say, “In apple pie!”
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right!
You’ve heard the phrase. Maybe you’ve even said the phrase to someone else! Maybe it’s a little corny, or cutesy, or a little too cheerleader-ish…that doesn’t make it inaccurate!
I recently finished reading an extremely interesting and useful book, MINDSET, by Carol Dweck. The primary focus of the book is the differences between the fixed and growth mindsets, which I found useful. This morning, seeing the book on my table made me think about mindset and health.
Super short summary of the mindsets: the fixed mindset believes that who you are is essentially established and can’t be changed much; the growth mindset believes that learning and growing and changing is not only possible, but achievable and desirable. (Honestly? It’s considerably more involved and the book is exceptional and I highly recommend reading it.)
What is your mindset about your health and the current state of wellness in your life?
Where do you wish you could make changes? Where do you know you need to make changes?
What’s stopping you?
You heard me. (Well, you read me, anyway, since this is a blog post and not a podcast.)
What’s stopping you?
Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.
Think about that for a minute.
Put yourself in the growth mindset for a minute.
What could you accomplish, related to improving your health and wellness, using the growth mindset?
Let’s say your health goal is to lose ten pounds. That’s an achievable number, and it’s achievable no matter what your current weight may be. I strongly believe that! Maybe you’re in the habit of drinking three cans of pop every day. That’s a lot of calories you don’t really need. The fixed mindset might say, “I need those three cans of pop every day to be happy.” The growth mindset might say, “I can substitute a glass of water for one can of pop a day for a week and see how I feel.” Maybe you’re not in the habit of getting exercise and starting seems overwhelming. The fixed mindset might say, “I have never been active so why start now?” The growth mindset might say, “It could be a good thing to try going for a five-minute walk.”
Do you see where I’m going with this? YES! This fits in with my philosophy that anyone is capable of making one sustainable change a week to make long-term improvements in health and wellness.
Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right!
(Another way to think of it is rewording the little engine that could. “I know I can, I know I can,” or “I know I will, I know I will!”)
What growth mindset change are you going to work on today?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
Labels, labels, labels. We are surrounded by labels and we are told, “This label is good and that label is bad and this label is better.” In August of last year I did a post on what the labels on fruits and vegetables mean, and I kept thinking I wanted to go back and revisit the difference between organic and natural and chemical-free. This could be super confusing! Let’s see if, for this #winewellnesswednesday, we can sort a bit of it out. :)
Note that for my purposes, these labels relate to food.
Merriam-Webster defines organic as “relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides.”
Merriam-Webster defines natural food as “food that has undergone minimal processing and contains no preservatives or artificial additives.”
It’s harder to find a specific or standard definition for chemical-free, so for my purposes I’m going to define it as “food grown or prepared without using chemically-formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides.” Yes, I swiped some of the Merriam-Webster language. There’s a reason for that.
Organic is good. Chemical-free is good. Natural is good. All of these are good.
Side note: eating fresh veggies, whether they are organic, chemical-free, or produced using chemical pesticides? Fresh veggies are ALWAYS good for you. Buy what you can afford, but try to buy fresh veggies. One of the best feelings in the world is walking outside to my small veggie garden and picking an orange cherry tomato (Sun Gold variety, if you’re curious). I don’t spray for bugs, and I used a little bit of fertilizer, and nothing tastes better than a fresh tomato straight off the plant.
Organic labeling requires producers to follow certain stringent guidelines that vary by country. There is a considerable amount of work that goes into obtaining and maintaining the organic label. Someone chose to go organic to avoid putting extra amounts of pesticides and herbicides onto their plants and into the environment. It can be expensive, time-consuming, and so some producers will choose to avoid the label and call themselves chemical-free instead. Chemical-free also means that someone is choosing to avoid putting extra amounts of pesticides and herbicides onto their plants and into the environment.
All of these labels are good. Personally, I have bought and will continue to buy produce with both labels. I will, honestly, also continue to buy conventionally-raised veggies depending on where I am and what my budget will allow. Whether organic or chemical-free, you’re getting food with a minimum amount of pesticides, and whatever way you slice your apple, that’s a good thing. While I enjoy some highly-processed foods, I am tending toward preferring natural foods with minimal processing. (I will not go so far as to advocate eating raw meat! Some processing is necessary for food to be safe to consume!) And processing the foods yourself at home? That’s a big difference from getting a packaged dinner at the grocery store.
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
I love this line from an article on mindfulness, from the web site www.helpguide.org.
“Did you notice whether you felt well-rested this morning or that forsythia is in bloom along your route to work?”
For one thing, forsythia is one of my favorite spring-blooming shrubs.
For a second thing, paying attention to whether or not I feel well-rested is a good thing to try and do.
Both things demonstrate the importance of mindfulness and being present in your day-to-day life.
Mindfulness is generally defined as focusing on what you are doing, feeling, or thinking right now, rather than trying to think about EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME RIGHT NOW ALL THE THINGS.
Specifically, Wikipedia defines mindfulness as “the psychological process of bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training.”
If you think about it, you can probably come up with dozens of examples on your own. I can think of a few. Sitting with friends, focused entirely on the conversation instead of thinking about what’s for dinner or what’s on the to-do list for the next day. Watering plants at the greenhouse and listening to the wind and the birds and simply enjoying the sunshine and the breeze. Sitting on the patio watching dragonflies dance. (I’ve noticed that for me, many mindfulness moments come while I’m outdoors!)
When I’ve allowed myself to be mindful, to be present with what I’m doing or with the people around me, I feel calmer, more peaceful. My blood pressure drops. My mind feels more settled.
I’ve also noticed that dogs are just about the most present, mindful creatures and we could learn a lot from them. They are fully engaged with what they are doing in each moment without worrying about the past or the future. (Except sometimes when they think food should be showing up!)
The first step is to pay attention to what you are doing in a given moment. A different first step is to practice meditation and bringing your thoughts back to your breathing. A different first step…you get the idea. Everyone could have a different approach to being more mindful in their lives!
What are you going to do today to be more mindful and more present in your life?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/compassion-matters/201303/benefits-mindfulness
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tenzin-norbu/mindfulness_b_1789607.html
https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/benefits-of-mindfulness.htm
There’s a reason I keep coming back to the topic of going for a walk.
It’s exercise, and it can be easy. It doesn’t have to be for very long, and it doesn’t have to be very fast.
And in the United States, we don’t walk enough. TIME magazine recently shared walking data from around the world; the study followed 700,000 people in 46 countries.
Guess where the US ended up on that list?
Go on, guess. I’ll wait.
Got it yet?
30th. 30th out of 46 countries for average daily steps.
The average number of daily steps taken by Americans in the study was 4,774. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always get to that on a daily basis, and then there are days when I exceed that by a lot. So I know I can do more walking! (Parking further away from the store is one way, and I’m back to that habit most days.)
At the same time, any steps you take are more than you were taking when you were just sitting still. :)
It’s also a good time to get in some meditation. Um…huh? Think about it! If you’re out for a walk by yourself, or even with your dogs, or even with a companion, you can decide to be silent. To focus on breathing. To focus on how your feet feel as they hit the ground. How does your breathing change? Take your thoughts and bring them back to your body when you start contemplating the 99 things you need to do that day. Listen to the wind. Listen to the traffic. Listen to the birds. Listen to your heart. I went out for a brief walk this afternoon with my dogs and as my thoughts wandered, I kept coming back to focus on our movements, and being together, and being intentional about going out. Picking up poop wasn’t the most meditative moment, but overall it was a really good walk. :)
What are you going to do to walk more and try to bring the average number of steps up?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danny-and-katherine-dreyer/walking-meditation_b_1790035.html
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Original post: 12/23/2015
I have my wine, it’s Wednesday, and it’s time for another #winewellnesswednesday! J So far I’ve talked about wine & water; the alliteration will (temporarily) stop after today’s topic, which is walking!
Yesterday, I decided to take advantage of moderately nicer weather and no precipitation (although a very grey day, at least at lunch) and take our dogs for a quick walk around the block. Twenty minutes and two laps of the block later, the dogs acted as though they were worn out, and I felt invigorated and ready to tackle the rest of the day. I’m glad I didn’t wait to go walking until Wednesday, considering how wet, cold, wild, and generally icky today’s weather is! Maybe I should be having mulled wine instead!
Walking! It’s good exercise, and if you’re not accustomed to exercising on a regular basis, it’s a great introduction to getting moving. I am accustomed to exercising regularly, and I still really enjoy going for walks. J Most of the time when we go places, we’ve started a new habit of parking a little farther away from the destination so we’ll get a little extra walking in when we run errands. Yes, I said most of the time. If it’s pouring down rain or if there’s a sub-zero windchill? Nope! I’m parking as close as I can get! Walking is also great for improving your mood and getting your energy revamped to dive into whatever comes next.
Call walking the gateway drug to more activity if you like; call it whatever you want if you get up & get going! Take headphones and listen to music or a podcast or a book. Take a friend and have a conversation. Take your dogs. Take a walk through a park, or around your neighborhood, or around the mall. Take a hike! (Walk on a treadmill if the weather is truly awful.) And take care of yourself by adding some movement to your day, or changing your routine to incorporate a little more walking.
Cheers! Here’s to your health! :)
I have three questions for you! :)
What health topic most concerns you?
What are you doing about it (for your life)?
Are you interested in a complimentary consultation?
Let me know here, or message me for more information! Cheers!
Ok! For #winewellnesswednesday on July 12th, I talked about food combining and trying to apply it to my menu planning and meals.
<insert hysterical laughter here>
What’s the saying? Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans?
</end hysterical laughter>
Ok, so thinking about what to combine and not combine is hard, and takes practice, and OH LOOK SOMETHING SHINY wait was that a potato with my steak?
One of the food combination rules is to have non-starch vegetables or lower-starch grains (such as quinoa) with heavy protein. Do you know those moments when as soon as you decide (or someone tells you) not to do something, that’s the ONLY thing you want to do? Yes, I had potato of one type or another with steak or chicken several times since 7/12. I started thinking about not only habits and patterns but also cravings, and that’s an entirely separate topic. And then I went on vacation, which can also derail all the best intentions I may have. (Although while on vacation I managed to largely avoid certain vacation patterns, such as having Vanilla Coke! That was a major win!) Also? It’s really hard to stick to some things when really hot and tired and drained from long days in hot weather. Several times I switched up my plans for meals so that I wouldn’t combine protein with starch. For example, I will assemble a sandwich of meat & cheese, but leave off the bread. That was an idea I picked up from a friend and I love it. (To me, the bread just makes a meal too big sometimes. And no, I probably won’t do a breadless grilled cheese sandwich!)
So…next plan is for the next round of menu planning to include some very thoughtful, intentional food combinations and see how we feel and how the recipes work out! Wish me luck! :)
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
In September of 2016, I did a #winewellnesswednesday topic about stillness. (Text included below.) Silence is a related topic, and yet not entirely the same thing. It is possible to be still without appreciating silence, I think. Earlier this week, while sitting outside and savoring my coffee, I watched hummingbirds and dragonflies and other winged creatures dancing in the yard. I thought to myself, “When you sit in silence and with joy, you can hear the heartbeat of the Earth.” It became a new meditation mantra, as well as a #mondaymeditationminute.
I’ve heard people say that silence can be oppressive, and it can be true; when a considerable quantity of negative energy is present, or when bad news looms, and so on, silence can be overwhelming.
Silence can also be extremely peaceful, and even rejuvenating. I’ll probably change my mind in a day or so, as television makes good background noise when I’m cross stitching, however, for several days we’ve had no radio and no television. Reading, intermittent talking and laughter, working on my computer, enjoying the pleasant morning weather, and generally being quiet have been top of the priority list.
I hear and enjoy things I might not otherwise notice. The thrum of the hummingbird’s wings as it explores the garden. The sound of the rain coming off the roof. The neighbor’s roosters. The ever so slight snores of my sleeping dogs.
It’s been marvelous.
When was the last time you appreciated peaceful silence?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
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I’ve talked about meditation, but today I want to talk about stillness, about just being present with what you’re doing and settling down for quiet time. I’m not focusing on meditation or mindfulness (both excellent topics), although being still could be considered to be related to both of those. It’s just not being frantically busy. Be still. Sit for a conversation. Stop. Take a breath. Step back from hectic. What are the benefits? You’ll be more focused on where you are and what you’re doing. I had the opportunity today after a long day to have a nice, if brief, conversation over a glass of wine, seated in the back yard, enjoying the gorgeous weather. It was one of those moments I felt very present and blissfully still, even though the dogs were hectic and my friend’s small child was active. It helped me set a tone for the remainder of my day and remind me that small moments mean a lot. Blood pressure down, tiredness level dissipated a bit, and contentment level went way up. (And yes, there will be a future post – or posts! – about the benefits of mindfulness…) :)
Where can you make a moment in your day to be still and be present with yourself or with those around you?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
If it seems as though there's a trend to some of the topics I cover on Wine & Wellness Wednesdays, there's a reason for it. Some of the topics are quite important to me! Drinking water is one of those topics. This is a re-post of a re-post :) of one of the very first Wine & Wellness Wednesdays. Our weather (until today!) has been nasty and hot and humid, and one day at work I drank close to 120 ounces of water.
Water. It's your friend!
One of my very first Wine & Wellness Wednesday posts was on the topic of water. (Text included below.) When I reread it, my thought was “Yup! This is still right on.” I still prefer (mostly) room-temperature water, no ice, sometimes with lemon. I still finish my showers with a dash of cold water. And I still highly recommend becoming a water drinker if you aren’t one already. (That one is relative to “there’s no reason to start drinking wine if you don’t drink wine.” It’s from the very first Wine & Wellness Wednesday post!)
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Water! Let’s talk about water. This is becoming one of my very favorite things. J I’m one of those people who (mostly) likes the taste of water, and it’s one of my favorite beverages. (Although there is definitely some tap water that needs help. Lots of filtering. And lots of lemons.)
I’ve started asking for water with no ice and a few slices of lemon in it when I’m at a restaurant. Think about it: if you drink ice cold water with your meal, you’re chilling down the digestive fire and interfering with your body’s ability to process your meal (according to Ayurvedic medicine). Also, the lemon in your water will help you digest your food better.
There is, again, a fair amount of conflicting information on how much water a person should drink. Eight ounces per 10 pounds of body weight, or eight glasses that are 8 ounces each, or 10 ounce for each 15 pounds of body weight or or…Argh! What to do?
You’ll figure out what’s right for you. Definitely drink when you’re thirsty, and, in hot weather, drink before you’re thirsty. If you feel like having a snack, but maybe it’s not really hunger, you can figure it out by having a glass of water first. Or if you’re bored and feel like eating (or angry, or upset), try having a drink of water first.
One other thing about consuming water that I think is important to mention. In my last Wine & Wellness Wednesday post, I pointed out that if you’re not a wine drinker, you don’t need to start. Well, if you’re not a water drinker, you totally need to start! Water makes up a considerable part of the human body and it’s critical to your health to drink it!
Also! I’ve grown to love having a cold water end to my shower. The cold water chases blood away from the skin, back into the body where it circulates better and supports digestion better, and it helps me cool off after a hot shower. (Although occasionally I’ve gotten the shower too cold and the…we’ll say squeaks…have agitated our dogs!)
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
In April I talked about the frustration and opportunities I faced when my LDL and blood glucose numbers were up at my annual physical instead of down as I had expected.
http://www.makeonechange.today/new-blog/2017/4/12/wine-wellness-wednesday-i-am-my-own-client
I am definitely my own client, and I know that patience, time, determination, and focusing on sustainable changes all combine to make progress happen. :)
I had blood work again yesterday. LDL is down. Blood glucose is normal.
Progress is good!! It feels even better when I don't feel deprived, and when I acknowledge that there are going to be good and bad days & weeks when I make lots of progress and then when I backtrack a bit.
Positive, sustainable change is possible. :) I am proof!!
Cheers! Here's to your health!
A nice steak and baked potato with a side of broccoli or asparagus sounds like a fabulous meal, if you’re a meat-eater and if you like traditional-ish dining.
I’m both, and I do.
When I was going through my health coaching studies, one of the topics that popped up and intrigued me and I kept meaning to go back to it was food combining for better nutrient absorption.
Turns out, according to some studies (and let us not forget that nutrition as a science is still developing), what the body needs to do to digest meat and to digest a potato? Those actions are contradictory. So, no. That delightful meal of a bacon-wrapped steak (yes, I eat bacon) with a baked potato is not an ideal meal for nutrient absorption. (Although it’s delicious. If you’re a meat-eater.)
Also? The rules, such as they are, can be really confusing. One source says…and another says…and another says…ARGH! Maybe I’ll just stick to the steak and potato.
Except…
Except I like trying new things, and I want to get the most out of the meals I eat and enjoy.
I try to plan menus at least a week at a time, and sometimes I’ve even gone so far as to plan four to five weeks at a time. So for the next couple of weeks, I’m planning meals with an eye toward the concept of food combinations (or food synergy). For the record, it’s going to be a little hard to do, at least initially! Tonight we had fantastic chicken and veggie kabobs, but after a very long, very hot day in the greenhouse I really, really wanted carbs so we had rice instead of salad with the kabobs. Oops! Already breaking the rules. ;) I have lots more research to do, but I’m excited about playing with my food and being healthier!!
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
Microbursts matter.
No, I’m not talking about weather.
I could talk about weather. I could talk a whole LOT about weather; we’ve had some today and recently. Today’s weather was stormy, rainy, and noisy. There may have actually been some microbursts during today’s weather, as we had the potential for tornados.
What I’m talking about is microbursts of exercise.
Huh? Shouldn’t we target exercising at least 10 minutes a day, preferably 30 minutes or more?
Well…in a word…yes.
However, what if you aren’t accustomed to exercise? Ten minutes can seem like an impossible amount of time. Even five minutes can seem like an eternity.
What about one minute?
What about two minutes?
What about working up to three, then four, then five minutes of sustained activity?
What about one minute of exercise, multiple times throughout a day, to accommodate whatever else is going on with your body or your life? Chronic pain, or illness, or insanely busy schedules can all interfere with getting longer periods of exercise.
I frequently tell people that my brand of health coaching isn’t all “EAT MORE KALE AND RUN FIVE MILES A DAY.” ;) I’ve had multiple health issues and surgeries over the years, and sometimes a minute of exercise felt like a major accomplishment.
That’s ok.
That’s more than ok.
That’s amazing!
Some days, a minute of exercise is all you need, because the next day it might be two minutes.
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
Don’t go grocery-shopping hungry. Everyone knows it. Everyone, on occasion, will still end up having to do it. It happens! Last Sunday we ended up grabbing sandwiches prior to a grocery store run, simply so we wouldn’t shop hungry. It (mostly) worked to alleviate the issue of grabbing junk food. Apparently, when hungry, the body gravitates toward the highest-calorie stuff it can find, even when the mind knows that stuff isn’t the best.
It also applies to shopping in general. If you go shopping while hungry, you could end up spending more money on stuff you might not actually need than you would if you went shopping without being hungry.
I’d suggest it also applies to shopping while bored, whether for food, books, clothes, or whatever. :) “Oh, this will be interesting and get me out of the boredom.” “This looks tasty and will satisfy my raging hunger.” “This looks like a fun gadget that will make me forget I’m hungry.”
Naaaaaaaaah…not really!
My strategies (and they mostly work) for not grabbing too many groceries I don’t need are to not go shopping hungry, to have a menu plan that I worked on in advance, and to have a grocery list that supports the menu plan.
I will, on occasion, write something on the list that wouldn’t be considered health food. :) I like having a supply of dark chocolate in the house. So on the list it goes, and that’s all I’ll get. If I didn’t put “one bag Dove dark chocolate” on the list, I might grab two or three bags of chocolates instead of just one, or I might grab a king-sized 3 Musketeers bar, which is definitely not in the category of good-for-me dark chocolate. Or, in this really hot weather, I’ll put chocolate ice cream on the list. (Definitely check the ingredients on your ice cream; I like the ones that have only five or six ingredients, such as Häagen Dazs!)
I like some of the tips I read in one of the articles linked below. Grab a bottle of water and take a sip when you’re thinking of picking up something unhealthy. Only focus on that night’s meal, if you’re shopping last minute for dinner. Only carry a basket instead of pushing a shopping cart. All good ideas!
What are your strategies to avoid over-shopping when hungry, whether it’s grocery shopping or other shopping? (Go ahead! Say it! “Don’t go shopping hungry!”) :)
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
Just like Popeye the Sailor Man, if you eat spinach you’ll get healthy & strong!! :)
Well…maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much!!
I’ve become so obsessed with spinach that this spring I decided to try growing some. So far, it’s doing pretty well, although in Iowa we’ve recently had extremely hot weather very early, so I’ve put my spinach in a shadier, cooler spot to try and extend its growing season. (Spinach doesn’t love super hot weather.) I’ve eaten some of the spinach from my little garden and it’s pretty tasty. We really enjoy the spinach that comes from our CSA box (community-supported agriculture), and frequently buy it from the farmers market as well.
And naturally, being of a curious disposition, I went looking for information on the health benefits of spinach. I knew, vaguely, that spinach is good for me. The specifics border on overwhelming, and of course some of the claims are going to be hard for science to confirm. (Are you paying attention? There won’t be a quiz later. Ha!) Spinach is a good source of the following nutrients: iron, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B2, manganese, and magnesium. It also contains high levels of chlorophyll, thanks to those lovely, dark-green leaves, along with beta carotene and lutein. Phytochemicals such as beta carotene are believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Spinach is also full of fiber and water, so it’s good for the digestive system. (One drawback to spinach is the oxalate content, which is a problem for people who have or have had kidney stones.)
I’m one of those people who likes spinach both cooked and fresh. I love it in salads, and sometimes I use only spinach in a salad instead of lettuce or a mix. I also love throwing it into cooked dishes, whether the instructions say to do so or not. For example, if we are traveling and have a hotel room with a microwave, I’ll make and freeze scrambled egg muffins. Basically, I sauté together a little bit of ham, onion, red bell pepper, and spinach, throw that mix into greased muffin tins, add beaten egg and cheese, and bake them in the oven. Voila! Breakfast we can take on the road, easily reheat, and it’s good for us.
Do you like spinach? If you do, what’s your favorite spinach recipe? If you don’t, try it sometime mixed into a salad; you may find your tastes have changed and you like it now. :) (Also, the BBC Good Food link has recipes!)
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
Last Saturday, I bought three pairs of shorts/capris and they were all a size smaller than I’ve been wearing, and it felt fantastic! It’s one thing to see numbers decreasing on the scale regularly, and it’s another thing entirely to actually feel as though I’m losing weight by wearing different clothes. I wore one of my favorite t-shirts and it felt too big, and that hasn’t been true in years. Then I went to an orthopedic surgeon about the pain I’m having in my knee and was reminded that although I’m making progress, the arthritis in both knees and lack of cartilage means I have done damage and I have a long way to go.
But there’s that whole “I’m making progress” thing. :)
So when someone asks me, “What are you doing to lose weight?” I don’t have a quick or easy answer. Part of it, to be sure, is working part-time in a greenhouse where it’s hot and where I do a lot of walking. But there’s more to it than that. I exercise daily. I’ve cut way, way back on junk food; we eat so little fast food like Arby’s or McDonald’s that when we have occasionally eaten Arby’s it has lost its appeal. (Also? For long road trips, I’m going prepared with my own sandwiches from now on.) Chocolate (usually dark!) is a more occasional than regular treat. I drink more water or juice or tea or coffee than Coke or Pepsi. I watch portion control and try to eat less at meals. Between meals I’ll snack more on fruit or granola bars than candy bars or chips. I park farther away when I have to walk places, even when my knee is really grumpy about it. (Although hopefully a cortisone shot I received recently will help the knee be less grumpy for a while!) I focus on my philosophy of making positive, sustainable changes, and doing them one at a time so I don’t get discouraged. (Honestly? Sometimes even I get discouraged. I’m only human!)
So there’s what’s up in my corner of the world! Progress? Definitely? More to do? Absolutely! Cheers! Here’s to your health!
I recently decided I wanted to start a new routine to prepare for bedtime and sleep, and I thought I’d see if coloring in a coloring book helped my brain wind down. (Coloring instead of looking at a screen right before bed, in addition to occasional short periods of yoga as part of my bedtime routine as well.) It’s only been a few days, but I’m already enjoying it tremendously and it may be helping me sleep better. Hopefully, possibly. :) One of the other things that I enjoy is occasionally coloring a postcard and sending a handwritten note to a friend. So coloring has several places where it fits into my life!
And of course I did what I do, which is to say I went looking for information about whether coloring books are good for health and yay! They are!
Coloring can be meditative and calming. Granted, some of the coloring books I own have pictures with excruciatingly tiny spaces to color, and while I enjoy them I wouldn’t call those specific pictures meditative. Focusing all of your energy on coloring specific spaces and not letting your mind wander off to the things that might be bothering you? It can be very relaxing. It can also be a very mindful activity, when you focus on it instead of thinking about everything else.
Coloring uses areas of your brain that enhance focus, problem solving, and organizational skills. Along that train of thought, if you focus on coloring for a time, while you’re struggling to figure something out, you might clear your mind enough for a solution to occur to you!
Coloring can help decrease anxiety levels. It isn’t the same as art therapy, however, focusing on the activity and being mindful of just what you’re coloring can be a good relief when you’re feeling anxious.
Coloring before bed instead of looking at a device such as your iPhone cuts down on blue light exposure and may help you sleep better!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to color before I sleep. :) Cheers! Here’s to your health!