I've met people in my life who believe they are lucky, and those that say they have never won anything! Like health, this belief is based on what a lot of people view as chance. There are some parts that are out of our control, and other parts we can turn towards or away from our favor. Luck and health are a matter of awareness, adjustments, timing, and in the end, some chance. The chance though can still be altered. Lucky people believe they are and act accordingly. They've proven scientifically that people can effect certain outcomes, and that everything from prayer and meditation to positive affirmations can bring about some change.
Be blessed, believe, and good luck. I'm hoping for a little luck this week!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
What's up with our metabolisms?
So there's supposed to be all these things that raise your metabolism, green tea, peppers, reservatrol, vitamin C etc. The question is, do they really work and how? First off, yes, most of them do work in some way or another, and as to how, it depends. Science stuff - our bodies burn calories based off of need, environment, and chemical changes. If we increase the need (ie exercise) our bodies breakdown cells (food, fat or unfortunatly sometimes muscle or other) to provide for the exertion. The environment, hot or cold, wet or dry, light or dark, toxins, can all affect our metabolism as well. Chemical level - this is the level altered by foods, stress, sleep and more. At the chemical level we have to fight stress hormones that want to slow metabolism and add fat, we have to provide enough nutrients that our bodies don't break us down, and we have the ability to improve functions through certain nutrients or conditions.
Want to know 2 great things to boost your metabolism easily? Drink lots of cool or cold water and take the stairs. Yep. The vitamin C and peppers and all that other stuff? I recommend a lot of it too, but there's the easy way and then there's the effective way. Also lower ... your ... stress. Breathe, laugh, forgive, let go, and be involved with life, not controlled by it.
For those that want to know - I try to take my own advice. TRY. (Ok no Yoda stuff here for my friends of that persuasion). I usually have moderation, and I do drink my water, but I also ate 12 tacos in a sitting not that long ago. *sigh* I need work. :)
Have a little boost today! I'm going to, sore thighs aside, there are stairs in my future, and water of course! :)
Want to know 2 great things to boost your metabolism easily? Drink lots of cool or cold water and take the stairs. Yep. The vitamin C and peppers and all that other stuff? I recommend a lot of it too, but there's the easy way and then there's the effective way. Also lower ... your ... stress. Breathe, laugh, forgive, let go, and be involved with life, not controlled by it.
For those that want to know - I try to take my own advice. TRY. (Ok no Yoda stuff here for my friends of that persuasion). I usually have moderation, and I do drink my water, but I also ate 12 tacos in a sitting not that long ago. *sigh* I need work. :)
Have a little boost today! I'm going to, sore thighs aside, there are stairs in my future, and water of course! :)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Diet
Diet is a 4 letter word, and under normal circumstances I believe moderation is the best diet. That said, it's a little different when there's outside incentive, so for at least this week (and possibly longer) I am on a "diet". I am eating specific recipes and hopefully controlling my calories appropriately. I also tried a new workout video today. Well it wasn't new, just one I hadn't done in a long time (ie years). Kind of fun.
I'll tell you more about my diet in the next week or two when I get permission, but suffice it say, it's not one of the diets that I think are bad. Yes, there are diets that I believe are actually bad for you.
So today, another Monday. Try ice. As the weather warms remember that ice is a great friend to pain, injuries and overworked muscles. It reduces that nasty inflammation. I've also heard that when you crave eating ice it's a deficiency in zinc or iron. Maybe it should be a craving for spinach or beans. Go figure!
See you tomorrow!
I'll tell you more about my diet in the next week or two when I get permission, but suffice it say, it's not one of the diets that I think are bad. Yes, there are diets that I believe are actually bad for you.
So today, another Monday. Try ice. As the weather warms remember that ice is a great friend to pain, injuries and overworked muscles. It reduces that nasty inflammation. I've also heard that when you crave eating ice it's a deficiency in zinc or iron. Maybe it should be a craving for spinach or beans. Go figure!
See you tomorrow!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Why do I feel tired?
Ugh, some days... Don't you hate that sluggish feeling? I know the things that I normally try, water, nap, ginseng, but some days that just isn't enough. Today was one of those. I could not stay focused for anything! I finally let it go, and just decided I had too much for my brain to do. Well, that, and I drank a lovely concoction of chamomile, licorice root, milk and honey. Sweet and calm and the sluggish feeling? Well hopefully it's gone tomorrow. I'm doing a diet this week! I can't tell you about it yet, but I will. I had to take measurements today, something that should never be done without chocolate, alcohol, or a really great friend, that aside, I'm ready to get started.
See you Monday!
See you Monday!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Heart Health
I wasn't really planning on talking about this, but I just had something funny happen so, now I'm going to talk about our hearts. First, here's my funny story.
I am alone in my house, no kids right now, and no DH. Apparently my oldest son has a ringtone on his prepaid cell that gets progressively louder and I did not know this. I thought I heard something ringing, but it wasn't my phone or cell so I decided I wouldn't worry about it, but then it got louder and louder and I thought it was getting closer and closer until it sounded so loud I thought it was right outside the room where I was! My heart was racing and the whole adrenaline rush, but no, no one was sneaking up on me with a ringing cell phone. Although it will take 20 minutes to get my body out of fight or flight, so at least I'll have energy for a while. :)
Heart health. Exercise, sleep, garlic, fruits, veggies, lower red meat, yea, yea, we know. I am going to bring in a "my personal opinion" thing here though. Careful, this might be unorthodox, I don't think your cholesterol level is THAT important. I'm not saying it's not important, but people seem to make it out like the level is what causes heart disease. People with low cholesterol have heart attacks, people with high cholesterol live to over 100. Moderation is an excellent way to work on your heart health. Our livers make enough cholesterol for our daily needs (and yes we do need it), so almost all food intake is extra. Our bodies can get rid of some of it, but our intake frequently exceeds that level. Moderation of unhealthy foods, good levels of exercise, and not overworking our livers (think medication and alcohol) can help our bodies to do what they do best! Our bodies naturally rebound, we get sick, it fights to get better, we get tired, it sleeps, we get cut, bruised, weak, our bodies will try to come back. We need to give our bodies the resources for those activities. Oatmeal, Avocados, Berries, Salmon, Nuts, Spinach, and Beans. I also know a lot of people talk about the value of soy in our diets, but if you look at the ingredients in almost anything, there's some soy in there. Soy has become a primary oil and filler substitute, so I don't personally recommend additional soy. Keep hormones in check as well, organics have there place if you can afford them. Flaxseed is also great, and ground up can be added to almost anything, bread, salads, oatmeal (hint, hint).
Alright, personal opinion over, I welcome comments, even contrary. See you tomorrow!
I am alone in my house, no kids right now, and no DH. Apparently my oldest son has a ringtone on his prepaid cell that gets progressively louder and I did not know this. I thought I heard something ringing, but it wasn't my phone or cell so I decided I wouldn't worry about it, but then it got louder and louder and I thought it was getting closer and closer until it sounded so loud I thought it was right outside the room where I was! My heart was racing and the whole adrenaline rush, but no, no one was sneaking up on me with a ringing cell phone. Although it will take 20 minutes to get my body out of fight or flight, so at least I'll have energy for a while. :)
Heart health. Exercise, sleep, garlic, fruits, veggies, lower red meat, yea, yea, we know. I am going to bring in a "my personal opinion" thing here though. Careful, this might be unorthodox, I don't think your cholesterol level is THAT important. I'm not saying it's not important, but people seem to make it out like the level is what causes heart disease. People with low cholesterol have heart attacks, people with high cholesterol live to over 100. Moderation is an excellent way to work on your heart health. Our livers make enough cholesterol for our daily needs (and yes we do need it), so almost all food intake is extra. Our bodies can get rid of some of it, but our intake frequently exceeds that level. Moderation of unhealthy foods, good levels of exercise, and not overworking our livers (think medication and alcohol) can help our bodies to do what they do best! Our bodies naturally rebound, we get sick, it fights to get better, we get tired, it sleeps, we get cut, bruised, weak, our bodies will try to come back. We need to give our bodies the resources for those activities. Oatmeal, Avocados, Berries, Salmon, Nuts, Spinach, and Beans. I also know a lot of people talk about the value of soy in our diets, but if you look at the ingredients in almost anything, there's some soy in there. Soy has become a primary oil and filler substitute, so I don't personally recommend additional soy. Keep hormones in check as well, organics have there place if you can afford them. Flaxseed is also great, and ground up can be added to almost anything, bread, salads, oatmeal (hint, hint).
Alright, personal opinion over, I welcome comments, even contrary. See you tomorrow!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Oh, my back!
Beaten, bent and frequently weighted, our backs take on a lot of work every day. The weight of our bodies are carried on our legs, but they have large bones that are the majority of the structure. In the back the spine sits at the rear and helps us bend, turn, and lean, but far more of it's structure is done with muscles. The muscles in our back are therefore very suceptable to pain, tension, and fatigue. Walking is one of the best postures for our backs because it is mobile, and erect, but most of us can't walk all day long. Sitting and standing can cause pain if we're in a position too long, or if our posture is poor.
Most of us don't even know what proper posture feels like anymore, so for an interesting exercise, stand against a wall, knees shoulder width apart and about 10 inches in front of you. Slowly lower yourself until your knees are at about a 45 degree angle. If you tighten your buttocks and abs while in this position and then stand, you will feel what proper posture should feel like for your back. Personally, I know mine could use a lot of work. Time for me to hit those abdominal exercises.
Straddle stretches, sleeping on your side or back with a pillow (between your legs on your side or under your legs on your back), adequate water, and of course sleep can all help back pain. In addition to that, work on your posture, get up from your desk and walk at least once an hour, and here it comes (sigh) get to a healthy weight. You can check your BMI here.
See you tomorrow.
Most of us don't even know what proper posture feels like anymore, so for an interesting exercise, stand against a wall, knees shoulder width apart and about 10 inches in front of you. Slowly lower yourself until your knees are at about a 45 degree angle. If you tighten your buttocks and abs while in this position and then stand, you will feel what proper posture should feel like for your back. Personally, I know mine could use a lot of work. Time for me to hit those abdominal exercises.
Straddle stretches, sleeping on your side or back with a pillow (between your legs on your side or under your legs on your back), adequate water, and of course sleep can all help back pain. In addition to that, work on your posture, get up from your desk and walk at least once an hour, and here it comes (sigh) get to a healthy weight. You can check your BMI here.
See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Honey, yum and more stretches
Take the stairs. If you can, do it. A lot of lower back problems stem from poor posture and not enough leg strength. To stretch the lower back, you'll need to bend a little and twist, however the lower back is one of the areas that is easy to injure with poor stretching. One way to protect yourself is to do the lower back stretches while standing instead of on the floor.
Another great stretch to be added to the previous ones is the skier stretch (not to be done if you have pain or weakness in the knees). Visualize a skier going down moguls, bend your knees, lean over and stick your hip/rear out to the side. This will help to loosen the while hip which frequently gets tight from sitting.
Honey - the stuff! Honey is terrific, it non-perishable, delicious, anti-bacterial, heals cuts, helps with throat pain, and is amazing. A beautiful blessing from nature. Honey can also carry a small amount of additional benefits through from the plants the bees draw nectar from. Want to try something exotic in honey?
Citrus and other bold flavors come through in honey well.
In addition to it's many benefits, it can be used in a lot of ways. Add a little honey and salad dressing for a sweeter veggie dip (great with zucchini sticks). Use it when cooking meat (turkey, chicken, pork). It's also great in almost all baking. Ok, now I'm hungry. See you tomorrow!
Another great stretch to be added to the previous ones is the skier stretch (not to be done if you have pain or weakness in the knees). Visualize a skier going down moguls, bend your knees, lean over and stick your hip/rear out to the side. This will help to loosen the while hip which frequently gets tight from sitting.
Honey - the stuff! Honey is terrific, it non-perishable, delicious, anti-bacterial, heals cuts, helps with throat pain, and is amazing. A beautiful blessing from nature. Honey can also carry a small amount of additional benefits through from the plants the bees draw nectar from. Want to try something exotic in honey?
Citrus and other bold flavors come through in honey well. In addition to it's many benefits, it can be used in a lot of ways. Add a little honey and salad dressing for a sweeter veggie dip (great with zucchini sticks). Use it when cooking meat (turkey, chicken, pork). It's also great in almost all baking. Ok, now I'm hungry. See you tomorrow!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Guides
Ok, so after a snowed in week, I had a wonderful weekend with my family and a LOT of advice. Which brings me to handling advice stress-free. There's all the important things to remember like, they care about you, or they've had experience, or they just think they know what they're doing. :) However, even when it comes from an experienced loving place it can often feel to the receiver like an unwarranted intrusion, judgement, or just wrong. I am learning in my own life that I need to hear the advice, and notice what I bristle at and then look at that again. Generally the good advice that feels right usually is, the good advice that is off base usually is, and the good advice that just feels pointed is usually showing me a weakness that I can address. I feel rather aware of my weaknesses this morning. Can a good weekend do that to you?
Health wise, I've received my own further push to become more healthy. So, I'm working on a short-term 2 month plan for my family, thanks to some "advice" :) Here's my questions that I'd love your comments on, is it better to start with bigger plans and scale back or start with smaller plans and move up. I've read a lot about goals and setting reasonable ones so that you can feel success, but I've also love the quote by Thomas J. Watson - “It is better to aim at perfection and miss, than to aim at imperfection and hit it” (when looking for my reference I found this terrific site. Read some and be inspired) AIM
So maybe we need both, short term goals we can accomplish with a huge aim at the end. Breathe in some fresh air, have confidence and faith, and stretch yourself! (Figuratively as well as literally *smile*)
Need some stretches?
Doorway stretch - thanks to driving, computers, and other intricate work, most of us have forward rotated shoulders, give them a break each doorway you go through and hold your arms, hands up, 90 degrees and at shoulder height and lean in to stretch the front of your shoulders.
Neck and down stretch - another excellent one for frequent posture problems. Extend your arm in front of you and extend your hand back towards your head and then lean your head away from the extended arm. You should feel a stretch down the side of your neck and through your shoulder.
Stretch your calves and feet while at your desk - keep a can of food or better a tennis ball under your desk and roll your foot over it back and forth. When rolling forward concentrate on stretching your heel down to stretch your calf, and when rolling back, rock side to side to stretch the arch of the foot.
If you need other ideas, let me know. See you tomorrow.
Health wise, I've received my own further push to become more healthy. So, I'm working on a short-term 2 month plan for my family, thanks to some "advice" :) Here's my questions that I'd love your comments on, is it better to start with bigger plans and scale back or start with smaller plans and move up. I've read a lot about goals and setting reasonable ones so that you can feel success, but I've also love the quote by Thomas J. Watson - “It is better to aim at perfection and miss, than to aim at imperfection and hit it” (when looking for my reference I found this terrific site. Read some and be inspired) AIM
So maybe we need both, short term goals we can accomplish with a huge aim at the end. Breathe in some fresh air, have confidence and faith, and stretch yourself! (Figuratively as well as literally *smile*)
Need some stretches?
Doorway stretch - thanks to driving, computers, and other intricate work, most of us have forward rotated shoulders, give them a break each doorway you go through and hold your arms, hands up, 90 degrees and at shoulder height and lean in to stretch the front of your shoulders.
Neck and down stretch - another excellent one for frequent posture problems. Extend your arm in front of you and extend your hand back towards your head and then lean your head away from the extended arm. You should feel a stretch down the side of your neck and through your shoulder.
Stretch your calves and feet while at your desk - keep a can of food or better a tennis ball under your desk and roll your foot over it back and forth. When rolling forward concentrate on stretching your heel down to stretch your calf, and when rolling back, rock side to side to stretch the arch of the foot.
If you need other ideas, let me know. See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Contests up and stir crazy
Ok, the follower contest is up.
Become a follower of AYearOfHealth.blogspot.com and be entered to win one of two Amazon ($25 & $10) certificates. Winners will be chosen and notified February 25th or when there are at least 20 followers. Immediate family not eligible.
Second contest is to reply to this message with ideas for future topics that are health related. Keep it clean. 2 winners will be chosen and given a choice of a one hour service, or a personal aromatherapy blend for their needs (good for those of you not near Fort Worth). These winners will be notified February 28th or when there are at least 10 comments. All comments eligible, well, except for me.
Stir crazy, that's me today. This is our kid's second snow day, and I'm trying to get my house ready for 20+ people to come this weekend. Meditation went out the door yesterday, so today I'm trying the benefits of continual movement therapy. Even sitting to write this post, I'm keeping my legs moving. Hopefully the feeling of movement will help me to be energized and get everything done, or if not, to at least not gain weight from the stress. :) Be joyful today and remember your water and gratitude! See you tomorrow.
Become a follower of AYearOfHealth.blogspot.com and be entered to win one of two Amazon ($25 & $10) certificates. Winners will be chosen and notified February 25th or when there are at least 20 followers. Immediate family not eligible.
Second contest is to reply to this message with ideas for future topics that are health related. Keep it clean. 2 winners will be chosen and given a choice of a one hour service, or a personal aromatherapy blend for their needs (good for those of you not near Fort Worth). These winners will be notified February 28th or when there are at least 10 comments. All comments eligible, well, except for me.
Stir crazy, that's me today. This is our kid's second snow day, and I'm trying to get my house ready for 20+ people to come this weekend. Meditation went out the door yesterday, so today I'm trying the benefits of continual movement therapy. Even sitting to write this post, I'm keeping my legs moving. Hopefully the feeling of movement will help me to be energized and get everything done, or if not, to at least not gain weight from the stress. :) Be joyful today and remember your water and gratitude! See you tomorrow.
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