Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Feeling Sleepy?

Most of the content below is a repeat from a post in 2022…and yet, it’s still true.

Also?

It’s getting worse.

A recent AP News story caught my attention: only 42% of the people who took a recent Gallup poll felt they were getting enough sleep.

42%. And not the fun kind of 42, either. (Don’t panic! Do you know where your towel is?)

That’s not good.

Where do you fall? Are you getting enough sleep?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

***

I recently had an absolutely awful night’s sleep. I couldn’t get comfortable, I hurt, I couldn’t get into a good position for sleeping, and I woke up still tired. The day after the absolutely awful night’s sleep was also absolutely awful. I had multiple appointments and plans, all of which I cancelled because I could not face leaving my house.

Luckily, the following nights were much, much better, so it didn’t take me long to recover. But here’s the thing. Even a single night of poor sleep can have a negative impact on your overall health & wellbeing.

I’ve posted about sleep several times over the past however many years, mostly because World Sleep Day (in March!) reminds me to do so. LOL! I gave it more thought again recently because of the aforementioned lousy night’s sleep.

How much sleep do you need? How do you know if it’s quality sleep? Why does it matter?

Let’s start with that last question. Why does it matter? What does sleep do for you anyway, other than waste time you could be cross stitching or crocheting? (Oh, wait…that’s me. But I digress…)

Sleeping helps you form memories as well as holding on to and recalling details about your life and everything you have going on. (And let’s face it, our attention spans are decreasing, so recalling details about life is even more important.) Sleeping soundly helps rest your heart by decreasing your blood pressure. It also gives your body important down time during which your body repairs any issues that may have come up during the day, as well as fighting off any germs you may have encountered. Glucose levels drop when you’re sleeping deeply, which potentially helps fight off type 2 diabetes. A solid night’s sleep also helps with appetite control! It’s important for your mental health, too.

Ok, let’s go back to that second question. How do you know if it’s quality sleep? How do you feel when you wake up? Are you refreshed? Feel rested? Are you cranky, creaky, or grumpy? Check in with yourself for a few mornings in a row to see how you’re feeling. That will help you determine if you’ve slept well.

Last but not least because it was first on the list: how much sleep do you need? This really is the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Some people border on bragging that they function just fine on 4 or 6 hours of sleep. That may be true (I have my doubts) but it isn’t necessarily a good thing (reference all of the text above or the links I’m sharing later). The recommendations on hours of sleep are based on age, generally, but also depend on overall health and activity levels, which makes sense if you think about it. Infants? Experts suggest 12 to 15 hours a night. (Zoikes!) Teenagers? Eight to 10 hours. Older adults? Seven to eight hours. Honestly? It’s important for you to figure it out for yourself. How? I have ideas. (Of course I do.)

Start picking a bedtime and stick to it. If you can, try not to set an alarm and see if you wake up naturally and feel good about waking up, then see how many hours of sleep you’ve had. Try that for several days and see what happens. (I’ve become so accustomed to waking up between 5-5:30 a.m. that I ALMOST don’t need an alarm to do so!) Put away your technology; the light from cellular phones, tablets, and laptops messes with your body’s ability to get good sleep. Create a bedtime routine that helps you wind down, and stick to it, even on weekends and vacations. Make sure you have a comfortable place to sleep and a quality mattress and pillows. An awful lot of this seems like common sense…so why aren’t we sleeping better? “I’ll just check Facebook one more time,” and suddenly it’s 45 minutes later and you’re wide awake because you’ve had an argument over whether Star Trek or Star Wars is better.

(For the record? It’s both. Now move on.)

 Sleep. It’s good for your health. What are you going to do to sleep better? Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Heart Health for Valentine's Day and Every Day!

Ok, first and foremost I have to say how FABULOUS it is to see sunshine!!! Even when I know it won’t last…it still lifts my spirits! And I bet for Valentine’s Day you were expecting a red something or other…surprise! It’s grapefruit! Why will be obvious shortly…

How we can cram so many categories into 28 days is beyond me. (Sorry! 29 days this year.) February is Black History Month, National Cancer Prevention Month, National Heart Month, National Cherry Month, National Grapefruit Month, National Library Lover’s Month, National Snack Food Month…oh good grief. LOL! That isn’t even the full list I found online!

National Library Lover’s Month…I like it. I like it a lot. And for Black History Month, the February bonus category for the Des Moines Public Library’s reading challenge is to read a non-fiction book by a Black author. So I won’t be reading poetry by Langston Hughes, but maybe I’ll see about a copy of Nina Simone’s autobiography. If you have a February birthday…Hughes and Simone were both February kids. As was my grandmother. Strangely enough, so was her twin brother. (What? They weren’t Leap Day kids! LOL!) You’re in good company. ;)

But I digress. If you’ve been here before, I’m sure you’re shocked. :)

Cancer prevention, heart health, cherries, grapefruit, and snack food. I can absolutely tie all of those together. Ha!!

Big shock…I’ve written about heart health on Valentine’s Day before. I had to laugh at myself. Substitute broccoli for mashed potatoes with a steak? HOW did I consider that fun? Delicious, yes. Healthier? Yes, definitely. But fun? What was I thinking?

Cherries are stuffed with health benefits: vitamins C and B6, potassium, magnesium, and fiber. Snack on those. They’re delicious and good for you. 

We will take a small detour to emphasize that this does not necessarily include maraschino cherries, which, while delicious, have enough sugar in them to pretty much wipe out any nutritional value. ;)

Tart cherry juice (or eating tart cherries) may help you recover after exercise. Cherries can help reduce inflammation, and reducing inflammation reduces the risk of developing cancer or heart disease. (Reducing inflammation is a good goal!)

I am one of those folks who love grapefruit, although I don’t eat it as often as I did in the past. (One of my favorite ways to prepare it is DEFINITELY not necessarily heart-healthy: broiled with maraschino cherries and brown sugar. Sweet-tart and delicious!) Grapefruit, as a citrus, is clearly full of vitamin C, along with vitamin A, and, surprisingly, calcium and iron. Snack on a grapefruit. It’s good for you. (BE CAREFUL if you are taking certain medications, as grapefruit and some meds do not play nicely together. Talk to your pharmacist or physician!)

See? I can totally tie together cancer prevention, heart health, cherries, grapefruit, and snack food. ;)

How are you caring for your heart this Valentine’s Day?

 Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Resolutions, New Year’s or Otherwise

I found it intriguing that January 1st fell on a Monday this year. Fresh starts can happen any time, but many of us tend to wait for milestone dates: Mondays, significant birthdays, New Year’s Day, and so on.

I haven’t set New Year’s resolutions in years, but I do set goals and intentions. In 2014, I set a creative intention to cross stitch every day. A few years later, I added crocheting. Last fall, I added knitting. I mediate almost daily and I exercise five to six days a week. I’ve set two goals for my coaching practice this year. I’m working out what my Epicure business goals will be for the year.

The difference for me is that resolutions sound grand…until there is no plan to accomplish them.

Goals! I am a fan of SMARTER goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely, evaluate, and revise.

“I want to eat healthier” sounds great. Everyone, this time of year, has a way for people to do exactly that. How? What are the action steps? Who is keeping you accountable? Are you having fun? Are you adapting where necessary? Why am I asking so many questions? (LOL! It’s a thing I do.)

Am I anti-resolutions? Nope! I want to lose weight and get stronger. Ok…that’s great…now what? I am going to replace _____ with _____ and do more of _____. Specifics are important. Most importantly? Why. What’s your why? WHY do you want to _________? I want to lose weight so I feel better in my clothes, and feel stronger so I have more stamina to do things. Why matters. Specifics matter. Positive accountability matters. (For example, by working with a coach!)

What are your goals? What are your intentions? What are your resolutions?

Keep in mind…a New Year’s resolution can be just something fun. What works for you?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Mess & Progress

In looking around my yard, I could say all I see are the weeds that need to be pulled or the dozen other projects that need attention. 

If I’m honest, that has been my default reply for a while when someone says, “Your yard looks great.”

It does. It does look great, and I am happy with my space. 

I do what I can, when I can. And that is not a bad thing. That’s actually quite a good thing. 

How often do you look at your…whatever. Life. Health. House. Goals. Pick one! How often do you look at whatever that is and think, “I have so much left to do!”

Do you ever stop and think, “Gosh but I have made progress! I’m not there yet, but I’m closer than I was.”

I have this thought often when I am weeding. The weather here has been…less than conducive to enjoying being outside. I’ve made time on nice days, after rain especially (and that’s been a whole different challenge), to get out into my yard and do SOMETHING. I’ve even, usually, remembered to take before and after pics because I can SEE what I’ve done. Perfect? Nope. Done? Nope. Better? Absolutely. 

There’s a phrase out there that goes something along these lines: “Perfect is the enemy of done.”

It’s so, so true.

We are, all of us, works in progress.

Some days we move forward. Some days, we don’t. Some days, we feel as if we are moving backwards.

Every day, we have the opportunity to make progress out of the mess.

Every day, we have the opportunity to celebrate where we are.

What are you celebrating today? Even if you still think whatever is a mess, give yourself time to celebrate the progress.

 Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Get a Buddy!

_____________ is more fun with a friend.

(Hey now! Come on – get your mind out of the gutter. It’s a family show!)

You could fill in that blank with lots of activities, but the one I’m focused on today is exercise. Whether it is going for a walk or going to the gym, having a buddy adds an extra oomph of accountability & encouragement to actually do it.

Yes. Oomph is a measurement. No, it isn’t precise. Yes, it’s different for everyone. Don’t look it up. Just trust me. It’s on the internet. That makes it true.

(Huh. Now I’m wondering about accountability buddies for things like meal planning…hmm…)

But I digress.

So. Why? If you enjoy working out alone, why get a buddy? I can think of at least three things: motivation, consistency, & encouragement.

Motivation can come in many forms. Maybe you’re competitive, and working out with a buddy inspires you to do a little bit more than someone else. Having someone to be accountable to also motivates you to actually show up. Even if it isn’t someone you meet up with to exercise, having a buddy text you & ask, “How’s it going?” can be a huge help! I have several exercise buddies by way of texts or emails and we check in with each other regularly. I’m also motivated to go walking with a friend because then we get some dedicated time together regularly!

Consistency counts. If you’re meeting someone and you’ve committed to it, you’re more likely to go regularly instead of staying in bed that extra half hour or going to happy hour instead of to the gym after work.

Wait a sec…gym happy hour of exercise followed by light beverages such as lemonade or herbal teas…Hmmmm…!!

Encouragement in the form of positive accountability is extremely important. And I keep saying that positive accountability is the key. Find a workout buddy who will encourage you & you can encourage them and together you’ll keep going!

Know your goals, interests, and capabilities. For example, while I can absolutely admire the friends who want to run half marathons or train for triathlons or whatever the case may be, I know full well that is not my bailiwick. I’m a stationary bike or elliptical or kickboxing kind of a person. I would not be a great workout buddy for a triathlete. Coach? Absolutely! At least in the form of my work as a health coach & accountability partner. Actually training for a triathlon? Y’all have fun with that. I’ll be over here on my elliptical machine.

What’s it going to take to get you moving? Who’s your exercise buddy? Who keeps you accountable – in positive ways – to keep going?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Handwriting for Health

I love a good quote and here’s one for today:

Write it down in your own handwriting. ~ Eugene Ormandy, conductor and violinist.

Not only did I write the draft of this by hand, I used a fountain pen! Fountain pens make it easier to write for long stretches without hand cramps. They’re also a thoroughly fun tool to use and there are a seemingly infinite number of pens & inks available in colors and price ranges to suit every person and every budget. But I digress.

Stop what you’re doing right now and find a slip of paper. Any size scrap of paper will do.

Got that scrap of paper? Find a pen. Fountain pen would be great but I realize the chances of my readers having fountain pens could be slim.

Got that scrap of paper and a pen? Ok.

Write something down. Anything. Write down something that’s bothering you, that you wish would change, that you want to work on. Whatever it is, write it down briefly.

Now, crumple that paper up. You’re not going to show it to anyone, or work on it, or anything. Pitch it into the recycling bin.

What was the point?

How do you feel?

Writing by hand has benefits that are more impactful than typing. For example, even just the act of sitting down to write by hand can reduce stress. (Journaling, anyone?) Writing about how you feel at a given moment can help improve your mood. It can provide catharsis; relief, even if temporary, from whatever is troubling you. Writing things down helps us feel calmer, which helps prevent the immune system from being off-kilter.

Writing by hand jogs creativity. It is slower than typing, so if something occurs to you as you are writing, jot it down quickly on a sticky note (I LOVE STICKY NOTES) or in the margins of the page. Because writing is slower than typing, it gives you more time to think.

Writing by hand helps increase memory and reinforces retention of the information. Taking notes during a meeting? Write them down by hand. It will help you process the information better and faster than trying to type them out. Writing activates a part of the brain tied to learning and memory.

Writing a to-do list (by hand!) helps free brain space for other activities. Write down tomorrow’s to-do list before bed and you may even sleep better!

Sometimes, when I am writing, I notice that the faster I am thinking, the faster – and sloppier! – my writing becomes. If I slow down and focus differently, then I am more careful about how I write. My writing is more legible and my thoughts are clearer.

Let’s go back to that activity I asked you to do at the beginning of this post. How did that feel? Imagine doing that daily, or weekly if you can’t do it daily. If you’re not a writer by habit already, write for one minute. Then for two minutes. Then, suddenly, maybe you’ve been writing for 15 minutes, you’ve gotten it all down on paper, it’s out of your head, you’re clearer and calmer and you can go on to something else. Whether you realize it immediately or not, your stress levels are down, and maybe, just maybe, you’ve done something good for your health.

Cheers!! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Hearth Health

Golly…it has been a minute, hasn’t it! Gracious…

Well…it’s February and hearts are on lots of people’s minds. Since yesterday was Valentine’s Day, I’m throwing it back a bit to a #winewellnesswednesday post when Valentine’s Day was a Wednesday ;) with a bit of an update.

Anyone who knows me knows I advocate for drinking plenty of water and that the quantity of water you need to consume depends on multiple factors, for example, your activity level.

Did you know staying hydrated is critical to heart health? Drinking enough water (or black coffee, or unsweetened tea) helps your body function efficiently, including your heart. If you stay hydrated, your blood vessels stay healthy, your circulation is better, and your heart will be healthier. So while I also advocate for drinking small quantities of red wine (or Concord grape juice!), make sure you keep a water bottle handy!

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Life Is Short; Eat Dessert First. (AKA Chocolate Is a Health Food!)

I’m a little incredulous that I’ve only gone over the topic of dark chocolate as a health food once and it’s been over 6 years. Say…whaaaaaaat? So here’s another oldie-but-a-goodie…now pardon me while I go find some dark chocolate!

Originally posted 05/11/2016 on my Facebook page; come on over & follow me on social media!

Dark chocolate goes very well with red wine.  (Well, with most red wine, that is.) So for this week’s Wine & Wellness Wednesday, I have a little red wine and a square of 72% dark chocolate. (Yes, that number is important!)

Dark chocolate is also good for you.

Say…whaaaaat?

Yes!! Dark chocolate, in small doses, is a health food. (Sort of!)

Note that I specify “in small doses.” (So I’m fairly sure the chocolate tasting class I had when I was an undergrad was a bit excessive! I really loved that economic botany class...) No, a dark chocolate Snickers or Milky Way doesn’t count! (And if you’re having a little bit of dark chocolate, make that your dessert. It’s important not to overdo those calories! So having dark chocolate after you’ve had a piece of chocolate cake? No, that will not actually double the benefits!)

Let’s start with a quick look at why we love chocolate. Eating chocolate releases dopamine (a feel good transmitter) in your brain. That will improve mood and potentially help you relax.

What are the health benefits? Dark chocolate can lower blood pressure. It contains antioxidant compounds that are good for your heart. It is more filling than milk chocolate, so you need to eat less to feel full. It may reduce your stress hormones. It may even make you smarter!

What kind of dark chocolate should you look for? Make sure you’re buying at least 70% cocoa content, and not loaded with sugars or other additives. Keep it simple! It won’t be as sweet as that dark chocolate Milky Way Midnight, but it will be much better for you.

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Little Changes Make Huge Impacts

After being an independent Epicure consultant since fall of 2019, I (and my hubby) finally signed up for the Epic Life Challenge for the spring of 2022. Meal planning, portion control, focusing on goals, and focusing on #NSV (non-scale victories) in addition to pounds and inches shed are the main features of the challenge, and this all goes well with my coaching philosophy. I needed a change & something new to do, so in addition to the Epic Life Challenge, I also joined a 9Round Fitness center and I have been LOVING kickboxing! But I digress. LOL! (I mean come on. You’re used to that from me by now, surely?)

I had a couple of absolutely gigantic non-scale victories this week that made me feel fantastic! We have had a few rough days with frightening medical news about family, and also with some frightening medical news about one of our dogs. One of my go-to, feel-better methods in olden days? Potato chips. Salt, crunch, and grease to make me feel better. Guess who did NOT, in fact, resort to potato chips at any point this week? That would be me. I also usually acknowledge that I’m likely to be too tired to cook after work on certain days, and we frequently get takeout that isn’t exactly great for us. I was absolutely exhausted and drained, and I made a meal anyway. It was easy, because I thawed some prepared sauce and I boiled some frozen, gluten-free (Jolie-safe!) ravioli, so the meal prep took a total of about ten minutes. (And now I need to make more of that sauce. LOL!) But it was also a MAJOR win because I had wanted very much to NOT go out for dinner…and we didn’t.

These were both little things and huge things all at once. Both I & my hubby are slowly but steadily losing weight, and we are making incremental, positive, sustainable changes to get it done. And we’re still having fun at the same time. (Glass of wine on #winewellnesswednesday, anyone? Don’t mind if I do.) We’ve also kicked up the exercise a notch, we’ve been drinking lots more water, and we are more thoughtful about what we’re eating.

What’s a little change that you can make in the next week to make a big impact on your life?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Sleep Matters

Is there anything better than a snoozy dog? Sleeping dogs…they’re an inspiration to us all to get good sleep!

I recently had an absolutely awful night’s sleep. I couldn’t get comfortable, I hurt, I couldn’t get into a good position for sleeping, and I woke up still tired. The day after the absolutely awful night’s sleep was also absolutely awful. I had multiple appointments and plans, all of which I cancelled because I could not face leaving my house.

Luckily, the following nights were much, much better, so it didn’t take me long to recover. But here’s the thing. Even a single night of poor sleep can have a negative impact on your overall health & wellbeing.

I’ve posted about sleep several times over the past however many years, mostly because World Sleep Day (in March!) reminds me to do so. LOL! I gave it more thought again recently because of the aforementioned lousy night’s sleep.

How much sleep do you need? How do you know if it’s quality sleep? Why does it matter?

Let’s start with that last question. Why does it matter? What does sleep do for you anyway, other than waste time you could be cross stitching or crocheting? (Oh, wait…that’s me. But I digress…)

Sleeping helps you form memories as well as holding on to and recalling details about your life and everything you have going on. (And let’s face it, our attention spans are decreasing, so recalling details about life is even more important.) Sleeping soundly helps rest your heart by decreasing your blood pressure. It also gives your body important down time during which your body repairs any issues that may have come up during the day, as well as fighting off any germs you may have encountered. Glucose levels drop when you’re sleeping deeply, which potentially helps fight off type 2 diabetes. A solid night’s sleep also helps with appetite control! It’s important for your mental health, too.

Ok, let’s go back to that second question. How do you know if it’s quality sleep? How do you feel when you wake up? Are you refreshed? Feel rested? Are you cranky, creaky, or grumpy? Check in with yourself for a few mornings in a row to see how you’re feeling. That will help you determine if you’ve slept well.

Last but not least because it was first on the list: how much sleep do you need? This really is the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Some people border on bragging that they function just fine on 4 or 6 hours of sleep. That may be true (I have my doubts) but it isn’t necessarily a good thing (reference all of the text above or the links I’m sharing later). The recommendations on hours of sleep are based on age, generally, but also depend on overall health and activity levels, which makes sense if you think about it. Infants? Experts suggest 12 to 15 hours a night. (Zoikes!) Teenagers? Eight to 10 hours. Older adults? Seven to eight hours. Honestly? It’s important for you to figure it out for yourself. How? I have ideas. (Of course I do.)

Start picking a bedtime and stick to it. If you can, try not to set an alarm and see if you wake up naturally and feel good about waking up, then see how many hours of sleep you’ve had. Try that for several days and see what happens. (I’ve become so accustomed to waking up between 5-5:30 a.m. that I ALMOST don’t need an alarm to do so!) Put away your technology; the light from cellular phones, tablets, and laptops messes with your body’s ability to get good sleep. Create a bedtime routine that helps you wind down, and stick to it, even on weekends and vacations. Make sure you have a comfortable place to sleep and a quality mattress and pillows. An awful lot of this seems like common sense…so why aren’t we sleeping better? “I’ll just check Facebook one more time,” and suddenly it’s 45 minutes later and you’re wide awake because you’ve had an argument over whether Star Trek or Star Wars is better.

(For the record? It’s both. Now move on.)

Sleep. It’s good for your health. What are you going to do to sleep better? Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Make One Change and Change Your Day

I recently had a day that became one of THOSE days. It started well enough. Decent-ish sleep, meditation, and really good exercise. Those are good starts to the day. And then, somehow, the day went PFFFFFFFFFFFFT. Or as I texted my husband, “OMGOLDFISH it’s become one of THOSE days.”

 Ugh.

 I kept thinking to myself, “If I do just one thing to make the next few minutes better or different, what will it be?”

 I had lunch.

 I cross stitched.

 I crocheted.

Cross stitching and crocheting are two of the creative activities that keep me grounded and almost always make me feel better. And I do them daily. So those activities helped in several ways.

I took a shower.

I moved some clutter out of one room by actually putting things back where they belonged. (Radical notion, that!)

And do you know what happened?

I felt better.

Did I solve the world’s problems? I did not.

Did I fix absolutely everything that’s making me a little bonkers at the moment? I did not.

Did I do one thing that made me feel better? I did. And then I did another. And then I did another. And then I was able to take a deep breath, settle my shoulders away from my ears, and look at the rest of the day with a great deal more equanimity.

I’ve got this.

I may not know what the this I’ve got is, but I’ve got this.

At least for now.

What’s one thing you can do right now to feel better? Everyone can make one positive, sustainable change a week to feel better. I genuinely believe it. And I do my best to live it. What’s your one thing today? Or this week? Or this month? Make one change and change your day.

You’ve got this. I still may not know what the this you’ve got is, but you’ve got this.

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: What’s a Serving, Anyway?

Whaddya mean the entire bag of sour cream & onion chips isn’t a single serving? According to whom? Who makes those rules??

 (Who, me? Potato chips? Yes. Not as frequently as in times past, but on occasion? Yes. But I digress.)

 Serving size and portion size can be difficult things to get right, and they’re not always the same thing. And they can be confusing. And they can feel a bit…unsatisfactory. Yeah, we’ll go with that. Unsatisfactory. And measuring things to get serving size right (so to speak) according to the nutrition labels? Gadzooks but that can be a challenge! I learned that I need to measure before I get too hungry, or I end up with way more than I need to eat and I frequently end up eating it all. Or I measure, and then I double it because that can’t possibly be enough, can it? (Usually? It would have been. Old habits are hard to break!)

 Oh and guess what doesn’t help?? Serving size can have two different meanings, depending on what you’re looking at! (The things I learn when I research these topics!)

 Portion: how much you eat.

 Serving size, according to the USDA MyPlate: how much of a particular category of food to eat.

 Serving size, according to the FDA guidelines for nutrition labels: the nutrition listed for a particular measurement of that specific product.

 All together now: “I’M SO CONFUSED.” (Wait, is it just me? Tell me it’s not just me.)

 What does it mean?

 Measure. Measure, measure, measure. Use a scale, or a measuring cup, but measure. Or count. I love getting jelly beans at Easter, and most of the time I will actually count out how many the label says is a serving. (And I’ll swipe the black licorice jelly beans because my silly hubby doesn’t like them. Imagine. Not liking black licorice jelly beans!) Eat out of bowls or off plates, not out of the container the food comes in; for example, a bag of popcorn or a bag of nuts. Drink water. (You’ll feel fuller faster and you may eat less as a result.) Recommended serving sizes tend to be based on 2,000 calorie diets; figure out roughly what your caloric need is going to be and plan accordingly. Size matters, too; a large apple and a small apple may each be an apple, however, the larger apple is probably going to be more than a serving. Understand that a serving of fresh fruit and a serving of fruit juice are not equivalent.

 Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Protein for Health

Almost a year ago, my parents were in a serious car accident that resulted in some substantial injuries for my mother. I stayed with them for about five weeks while she was in the hospital and then after she came home, and I spent a good portion of that time cooking. As Mom healed, she was absolutely certain that the meals I’d cooked had been responsible for some of the healing, largely because I used more protein than she would when cooking for herself. I started thinking about that and wondering whether there was more to it than a feeling, and whaddya know, she was right. (Aren’t moms always right?) Breaking down why protein is important felt like a nearly impossible task, because it’s a complex topic. But here goes.

What is protein, exactly, and why does it matter? Proteins are macromolecules made up of long strings of amino acids. The human body needs 20 amino acids to function properly, and of those 20, we can only synthesize 11 naturally. The remaining 9, the essential amino acids, have to come from our diets. Protein is a critical nutrient, and every structure in your body requires protein to function correctly. A healthy blood supply requires protein. Muscles, hair, organs, skin, etc., all need protein. (YES I KNOW. Skin is an organ; the largest organ, in fact. Go ahead. Tell me when you hear the word, “organ,” you don’t automatically think kidneys, lungs, heart, etc. Go ahead. I’ll wait. Ok then! Skin gets mentioned separately to organs. So there.) So anyway, let’s go back to those amino acids. We need dietary sources for the 9 essential amino acids. Complete proteins contain adequate amounts of the 9 amino acids. Beef, cow’s milk, and eggs seem like obvious candidates for the complete protein list. I was honestly surprised to see that quinoa, pea protein, soy, and spirulina are on the list as well. (I guess I don’t pay enough attention to marketing to notice whether the box of quinoa I bought a while back said “Complete protein!” on it. LOL!) Notice that multiple sources of plant-based protein, while nutritious, are not on the list of complete proteins, such as nuts and legumes. If you’re following a vegetarian diet, you’ll want to make sure you have enough different sources for protein to get all 9 essential amino acids every day.

Protein is the most filling; helps you feel fuller, longer, with less intake. I noticed years ago that if I had cereal and milk for breakfast, and that was my preferred breakfast for years, that I was hungry earlier and snacking more than the days when I happened to have eggs for breakfast instead. Even yogurt, which can be a good source of protein, didn’t have enough protein in it to fill me up and help me snack less. So I swapped cereal & milk or yogurt for eggs (mostly), and that has worked very well. (And without significantly increasing my cholesterol levels. That’s a whole different topic.) Not every protein is the same. Some are beneficial, while some are problematic for some people. Gluten, for example, is a protein that gives me pretty significant problems. That’s a topic I’ve covered before, although when I first went GF I didn’t realize I am actually allergic to wheat.

Does the type of protein matter, whether animal or vegetable? It turns out that the answer is yes, and while steak & bacon & eggs are all delicious, plant-based protein has fewer calories and different nutrients, specifically, fiber. Fiber is also a critical nutrient that we don’t always get enough of in our diets, and animal-based protein has exactly zero. So, yes, it matters. If you’re so inclined, enjoy that steak or burger. But enjoy a smaller portion, along with a glass of red wine or Concord grape juice, and work more plant-based protein into your diet. Your health will thank you! Cheers!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Heart Health!

It’s an oldie but a goodie, and in honor of both Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month, AND because dogs are good for your health and today is our dogs’ Gotcha Day…here’s a throwback to a Valentine’s Day Wine & Wellness Wednesday from a few years back. Have a glass of wine (or Concord grape juice) and enjoy the read! Cheers!

p.s. here’s the post about pets being good for your health. ;) Call it a bonus!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Fix the Squeak

I have a very small kitchen, so I have to find creative ways to add storage and keep things accessible. (Maybe getting rid of stuff would help too, but I digress.) I have a couple of shelves in the kitchen that wobble a tiny bit as we walk by them. I mean it makes sense. When not on a concrete slab, things in houses wobble a bit. Something was SQUEAKING every time I walked around my kitchen. It wasn’t a mouse. I KNEW it wasn’t a mouse. It sounded like a mouse. It wasn’t a mouse. I have no evidence of mice. (I have two dogs who ought to be able to at least tell me there is a mouse, even if they fall asleep on the sofa while a mouse runs between furniture in the living room, but I digress.) So? I know it isn’t a mouse. I know something on that shelf is squeaking, but I kept not dealing with it. The squeak is there, it’s annoying, but I know it isn’t a mouse.

Today, I fixed the squeak.

I stopped what I was in the middle of doing, stood next to the shelf, and then stomped a bit and tried to wiggle-wobble the shelf. And I found the squeak. A plastic tub was rubbing against a metal fixture on the wall, and that was causing the squeak. Shift the tub, and oh, joy, no more squeak! In addition, now I both know the cause and have the solution, so if that plastic tub gets bumped out of position, I know it will squeak and it’s easy to fix.

What’s squeaking in your life? What’s that little, (or big) niggling thing that’s squeaking at you and you know if you just stop for a moment, clear your mind, and pay attention, you’ll find the squeak? Maybe it won’t be as easy as shifting a plastic tub. It’s easier to shift a plastic tub than it is to shift a mindset, or a behavior, or any of the other things in our lives that may be squeaking.

Something wants your attention. Something wants you to stop, pay attention, figure it out, and fix the squeak. Sometimes, you can do that on your own. Sometimes, you need a little help. Maybe it’s a plastic tub bumping up against a metal fixture. Maybe it’s the feeling of knowing that you need to do…something…

Stop what you’re doing, and listen to what’s going on around you. Ask for help if you need it (or even if you don’t know that you need it).

Fix the squeak.

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: What Cross Stitching and Flossing Teeth Have in Common…

…and it isn’t that they both use floss. I mean, let’s be real, I don’t really think you’d want to floss your teeth with embroidery floss, and I don’t think you’d want to cross stitch with dental floss. 

Although, now that I think of it, that could be an intriguing cross stitch project.

Meanwhile, I digress.

I had a dentist appointment on the last Friday in July, and as of this writing I’ve flossed my teeth at least once every day since my appointment. This is unusual for multiple reasons. Flossing teeth is a pain. Yeah, yeah, we all know it’s important. And if you’re one of those people who’s good at doing it every day, well, congratulations. Move along, with your perfect flossing habits. LOL! I’m feeling extraordinarily virtuous about this new streak of daily flossing, and I feel like I might be building another habit. YAY!

YES I KNOW. I should have been doing it every day already. We all know that. And flossing is a pain. Important, but a pain. So what’s the obstacle? Laziness. Time. Not wanting gums to bleed. Not liking sticking your fingers way back to floss between molars. I’m sure we could come up with dozens of reasons not to do it.

So why, suddenly, am I so determined to get it done every day, and how am I doing it?

Honestly, it’s about that cross stitching streak. As of this writing, I’m over 1,370 days in. And I’m over 600 days of crocheting daily. And I’m back to my meditation and exercise morning habit. AND I’ve been four months of not having potato chips. So while one of those habits is about not doing something, there’s a positive reason for it and positive reinforcement for not doing it.

What’s the bottom line?

Intention, and follow-through, and accountability. It’s all about picking one thing and focusing on that until it becomes a habit and you can’t imagine not doing it. My intention? Floss my teeth at least once a day. My follow-through? Making sure I’ve done it when I brush my teeth in the morning. My accountability? Well, honestly, that’s mostly to myself, although I do tell my husband, and I’m looking forward to being able to report to the dental hygienist that I’ve done it. It’s a positive thing to do, and that’s that my coaching philosophy is about: sustainable, positive change.

Have you flossed your teeth today?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Unplug to Unwind and Recharge

Unplugged Sunday. It’s been a thing I’ve done for about five years, give or take, and more-or-less successfully and semi-consistently. (Oh, the qualifiers…)

One day a week, usually Sunday, my goal is to go through the day without using either my mobile devices or my laptop. Note that unplugging from screens doesn’t include TV, at least for me, although some would say that it should. (I am not a fan of “should.”) So…why? This topic has come up several times recently, so I went back to a post from January of 2016, when I started trying to go unplugged. And I also went looking for information (online, naturally) about the benefits. Turning off the devices and cutting down on blue light (particularly near bedtimes) helps people sleep better. Screens are distracting, so putting it away – preferably in a completely different room – helps us focus better. Cutting down on time comparing ourselves to other peoples’ lives on social media is better for mental health. (Cutting down on time being frustrated with the state of the world as reflected on social media helps with mental health, too.)

I read more, crochet more, spend more time in the garden or just outside, and just generally relax differently than I do stuck to the devices. It’s hard…and rewarding. Sometimes I even manage to think about my unplugged day ahead of time and do any online stuff that I might need that day the previous day, such as printing anything or writing it down instead of thinking, “Oh, I’ll just open the laptop for this one thing tomorrow.” How about you? How do you unplug in order to unwind & recharge? Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Original post from 01/20/2016 on Facebook only:

I completely realize the irony of using social media for this week’s #winewellnesswednesday topic! For the past three Sundays, I have been almost entirely unplugged. By unplugged, I mean no gadgets; no iPhone, iPad, or computer. I even wrote the first draft for this topic by hand, using pencil and paper! (Note that unplugged for me didn’t mean no TV, although I did turn the TV off for a considerable portion of the day, including when I wanted to read.)

I have thought on multiple occasions that I (we; people in general) spend too much time staring at a screen. It’s also incredibly easy to lose track of time. Suddenly, I look up from the gadget and 10, 30, or 60 minutes has gone by, and then I wonder where I’m going to find the time to do the things that didn’t get done while I was lost in Facebook, or a game, or…or…or…

It’s hard to go completely without the gadgets and the connectivity. I’ve taken to keeping a running sticky note of things I do or think of through the day. I had emails I felt I had to answer, and on one Sunday I had recipes I wanted to use that I had forgotten to print in advance. Otherwise, the laptop stayed closed, the iPad stayed on the shelf, and the iPhone, volume turned off, stayed, unused, in my pocket. (Considering how…accident-prone I have been, going up and down the stairs without a way to call for help seemed both optimistic and foolish.)

On the third Sunday of this new goal, it seemed easier. I thought of fewer things I needed (so to speak) to use the devices to do or look up. I crocheted more. I cross stitched. I drafted this topic. I read more. I felt less disconnected than I thought I might, as I knew that everything would still be there the next day. I felt less wired or wound up; more grounded, somehow, and calmer, without the varied stimuli from the devices.

I’d read various articles (online!) about the benefits of going unplugged occasionally. Cutting back on screen time before going to sleep is supposed to help you wind down and sleep better. Setting aside the gadgets after working in front of a computer all day is supposed to help you detach from work and refocus on home. And so on, and so forth. I think, mostly, the authors had valid points. And I’m looking forward to my next unplugged Sunday.

So what do you think? Could you go without any gadgets or connectivity to the Internet for a day? How would you benefit from going unplugged for a day?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Skip the Chips

I. Love. Chips. Potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, you name it. Salty, crunchy things. I love salt. And while I’m grateful so many of the Epicure products I sell are low sodium, I recognize the irony in the acknowledgment that two of my favorites are salt. (SPG and Herbed Garlic Sea Salt, specifically.) But I digress.

I love chips, and in moderation that isn’t a bad thing. But recently, and again, I realized I wasn’t loving them in moderation. So I worked on eliminating them from my routines. Again. And I started to realize how many triggering events would usually send me to Casey’s for a bag of sour cream & onion or cheddar & sour cream or BBQ or...you get the idea. Tired? Have a snack. Stressed? Have a snack. Long day doing...whatever? Chips!!

I started, again, slowly working them out and redirecting my snacking to other things. I started realizing what the triggers might be and planning ahead, for example by taking a cut up apple on a long drive. I wrote down in a note on my phone every day I did not eat them. Slowly, slowly, I stopped missing the chips. I stopped craving the chips. I realized after some extremely stressful days that I hadn’t made myself feel better with a snack of potato chips. And now? They don’t appeal. Maybe I could do small servings, but I don’t even want those. And I am over one month consistently not having them, which feels fantastic! Honestly? I can’t say I’ve noticed on the scale. What I’ve noticed is how I feel, and I feel really good for having eliminated a habit that wasn’t serving my best interests.

What unhealthy habit would you love to give up? What strategies do you think will help you? Figuring out the triggers was a huge help for me!

Cheers! Here’s to your health!!

Water & Wellness Wednesday: Water, Water, Everywhere

It’s raining. Finally. I don’t exactly plan to go out and tilt my head back for a drink, however, even considering the road conditions during a torrential downpour earlier this afternoon, I am very, very, very happy it’s raining.

It’s easier to weed when the ground is wet.

However, I digress.

(Oh, come on. You’re accustomed to that by now, right?)

Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink. Not really, but kudos to Samuel Coleridge.

Water is a precious thing, and incredibly necessary for healthy living.

You’ve (hopefully) seen me post about it on multiple occasions. I think you might get the point? Maybe? I’m a big fan of water. In fact, I have a glass with me right now.

Each year, as I get going on projects in my yard again, I start drinking more water. I’m better at it when I’m active than when I’m not, honestly. Today my chiropractor asked, “Are you drinking enough water?” to which I answered, “Probably not!” One of my general rules of thumb is that when I’m working outside, if I don’t need to run to the restroom regularly, I’m not drinking enough water. And that’s true whether I’m sweating a lot or not, but especially when the weather is hot and humid. We aren’t quite there yet, however, getting back into better water drinking habits is important.

I was very tired and really in something of a lousy mood today, so I did a little research. Namely, I Googled something I was already fairly certain about. And I was right. Staying hydrated is good for your mood. And if you’re in a bad mood, have a glass of water. Or two. I’ll quote one line from blog.mass.gov specifically: “Being dehydrated throws off the delicate dopamine and serotonin balances in the brain, natural chemicals that can increase/affect depression and anxiety.”

There are lots of really good reasons to drink water.

So. Go. Now. Have a glass of water. Stop whatever it is you’re doing and have a glass of water. 

Well. Maybe after you finish reading this.

Cheers! Here’s to your health!