Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Healthy Oils for Cooking

This morning, as I frequently do, I cut a piece of parchment paper for my baking sheet before I laid out breakfast to go into the oven. I thought back to a recent conversation I had with my father about why I use parchment paper. For certain things, it allows me to completely skip using oil or butter when cooking or baking. Yes, there are a lot of very healthy fats & oils that I can use when I’m cooking. Skipping them isn’t a bad idea either on occasion!

Naturally that made me start thinking about the oils I use and why and what the benefits are of each type. My favorites are olive oil, occasionally coconut oil, and, to be honest, butter. I also occasionally use grapeseed oil.

Let’s start with the least obvious: butter. In moderation, butter is not as unhealthy an addition to your diet as various fads (fed by bad science) have led us to believe over the years. Butter contains fat-soluble vitamins, healthy saturated fats, and unlike margarine, will not increase your risk of a heart attack. Also? It’s tasty. My preference is normally for unsalted butter as I like trying to control the amount of sodium in my diet. Sodium is necessary for good health, as I wrote in April, however, too much sodium is a bad idea.

I include coconut oil on the list as it can be a good choice for cooking on occasion, although after I used it almost to the exclusion of everything else (except olive oil) for quite a while, my bad cholesterol numbers were much higher than they should have been. Granted, I did not track everything else that I ate during that time so I don’t know what else in my diet might have contributed. Coconut oil has saturated fats, however, it may be better than certain other sources of the same types of fats. It also provides phytochemicals that are helpful antioxidants. I still like coconut oil and it has some benefits; I simply use it more sparingly now. (I’ve even used it to cook with when my father is having dinner with us. If you’re concerned about the flavor coming through for those who don’t like coconut, don’t be! If he can’t taste the coconut, nobody could. He doesn’t like coconut at all!)

Grapeseed oil is one that many people may not be familiar with. This oil is a byproduct of the winemaking process, and one particular brand I’ve used is a truly odd shade of green, but that’s the natural color. (It’s a really bright green and that takes me by surprise every time I use it!) It has some vitamins (mostly E) and omega-6 fatty acids. Not much research has been done on the health benefits (or problems) for humans, so there isn’t much to say. It has a somewhat different flavor from olive oil, of course, but it’s a nice change when I don’t have or don’t want olive oil for whatever reason.

I’ll close with the oil I use more than anything else: extra virgin olive oil. Antioxidants. Vitamins E & K. Good fats. May fight inflammation and protect against cardiovascular disease. (Also? It’s an excellent oil base for flavored oils, such as garlic olive oil, which is also one of my very favorite oils to cook with!)

What’s your favorite fat or oil to use when you cook?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

p.s. Tonight’s wine is a lovely peach wine concoction from a winery in Wisconsin that I had the opportunity to visit a few months ago. Cheers! :)

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Good Foods to Boost Your Moods

Have you ever been in either a bad mood or just a blah mood and thought that maybe grabbing a candy bar or a bag of chips would fix everything?

How’d that work out for you? I’m guessing it didn’t work as well as you might have liked. (Although sometimes potato chips might be the right answer, but not often or always!)

Dark chocolate, almonds, strawberries, oranges, and tea are just a few of the things that I’ve found improve my moods when I need a bit of a pick-me-up or if I need to get out of a bad or blah mood. There are other things as well, such as bananas, chickpeas, coconut, edamame, or avocados that can help lift your spirits. Why are these foods beneficial as mood-lifters?

Dark chocolate, the darker the better (at least 70% cocoa), and with very few other ingredients, contains serotonin, which is an antidepressant. Almonds also boost serotonin levels; go for raw, unsalted nuts and keep the portions small. They’re high in calories so while they’re good for you, don’t go crazy! Berries such as strawberries help battle cravings for sweets without raising your blood sugar. I have a strawberry plant in a hanging basket and one of the best parts of the day is coming home and munching a few super-fresh strawberries right out of my garden! The vitamin C in oranges helps regulate stress hormones and lower your blood pressure. And afternoon tea, anyone? Theanine and caffeine in green or black tea can help with afternoon attention levels. (Or a peppermint herbal tea is refreshing and soothing without the caffeine!) 

Those are some of the things that I knew act as mood boosters for me. Some of my other favorite things are on the list, too! Feed your brain with the triglycerides in coconut chips, which help prevent sugar crashes and drooping moods. One source recommended banana slices in cottage cheese, as the combination gives a boost from fructose in the banana plus fiber to prevent blood sugar spikes. And I love chickpeas in many, many forms (including hummus) so I was delighted to see them on the list! Vitamin B6 in chickpeas is one of the things that can help prevent low energy and anxiety. Folate (another B vitamin) in edamame can have a positive effect on mood as well.

Finally, the healthy fats in avocado help increase endorphins and dopamine, which can also help improve your mood. (I’m working on appreciating avocado more than I do!) 

What’s your go-to healthy snack that helps boost your mood?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Get Some Fresh Air!

“Even walking through a park or your own backyard can help you feel calmer and happier when you catch a whiff of freshly cut grass.” (Huffington Post, 08/08/14)

Opening the windows, I encounter the ultimate.
How wondrous is life!
Attentive to each moment, my mind is clear like a calm river.
~Thich Nhat Hanh, PEACE IS EVERY BREATH

Fresh air. It’s a wonderful thing, and something that’s easy to take for granted. With gratitude, I take a deep breath every time I’m able to open the windows and shut off either the furnace or the air conditioner and let fresh air sweep through the house. It helps clean out the mental cobwebs after a long winter of dry, heated air or a long summer of refrigerated air. And, conversely, I find myself resenting it a bit when it’s time to close the windows back up and turn the machinery back on. There’s a different feeling to fresh air; a different energy. It can help boost your immune system, decrease stress, and increase your happiness and energy levels. I frequently sleep better when I’ve been outside, even if it’s just to sit and read instead of working in the yard.

Go outside. Take a walk. Sit on a bench, basking in the sun, and breathe deeply.

Don’t you feel better now?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Apples Again!

I am, again, obsessed with apples and fresh, local produce. It’s getting to be that time of year when we start looking forward to cooler, crisper weather, and crisp, fresh apples (and pears) from local orchards. (I was also completely delighted to go looking for the September hand towel that my mother cross stitched for me and find that the design was apples! Fun!)

I went back, again, to an old topic for this week’s Wine & Wellness Wednesday, as apples have been on my mind lately. I was really pleased with myself on a recent road trip to use apples as a snack instead of getting junk food. The soluble fiber in apples helps keep me feeling full longer, they are a good source of water, and they’re delicious. They're also an excellent snack as I drive home from work! :) 

Cheers! Here's to your health!

http://www.makeonechange.today/new-blog/2017/9/20/wine-wellness-wednesday-an-apple-a-day

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Green Cleaning

I thought back to this topic from March of 2016 when I cleaned my toilet today at 5:15 a.m. Because of course that’s normal, to clean the toilet at 5:15 a.m. Why not? It needed it. I was using up some cleaning stuff I’d found as I did some decluttering. Next time, back to my baking soda and vinegar…

*****************************************************************************************************************

Health is about more than what’s in your body and the exercises you do. It’s also about what’s around you!

This week, I want to raise a glass to green cleaning! Have you ever thought about the warnings on modern cleaning products? I was struck by something I read on a cleaning solution in my house, particularly all of the horrible stuff that you had to think about related to what would happen if your skin came in contact with it.

White vinegar is a good alternative.

You know what happens if your skin comes in contact with white vinegar?

You smell like a pickle.

Compared to the dire warnings on cleaning products, smelling like a pickle doesn’t seem that bad.

I’m trying to use baking soda and vinegar more. Yes, it requires more elbow grease. Yes, it makes my house smell like pickles. (For the record, I’m not really a huge fan of pickles, particularly dill pickles.) That’s ok. I prefer the pickles to the toxic chemicals. What can you do to be green clean and healthier at home?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Hugs!

*HUGS*

It's wondrous what a hug can do.
A hug can cheer you when you're blue.
A hug can say, "I love you so,"
Or, "Gee! I hate to see you go."
A hug is, "Welcome back again!"
And, "Great to see you!” or “Where've you been?"
A hug can soothe a small child’s pain,
And bring a rainbow after rain.
The hug! There's just no doubt about it.
We scarcely could survive without it!
A hug delights and warms and charms.
It must be why God gave us arms.
Hugs are great for fathers and mothers.
Sweet for sisters, swell for brothers.
And chances are some favorite aunts
Love them more than potted plants.
Kittens crave them. Puppies love them.
Heads of state are not above them.
A hug can break the language barrier,
And make the dullest day seem merrier.
No need to fret about your store of 'em,
The more you give,
The more there are of ‘em.
So stretch those arms without delay
And give someone a hug today.
~Author Unknown~

I have an old, battered photocopy of that poem taped to one of the doorways in our house. I absolutely love it, because it’s a good reminder that hugs are important.

I was thinking about hugs recently when I had the happy occasion to get half a dozen or so within a very short time frame as we were saying goodbye to some friends. A long time ago, a good friend of mine was insistent that 7.2 hugs per day, on average, was the ideal number of hugs.

(No wonder so many people are cranky. They aren’t getting 7.2 hugs per day!)

It was fabulous.

There’s something simply wonderful about a really good hug.

And, naturally, because I’m me, I started wondering about hugs & health.

Hugs boost oxytocin levels, leading to decreased feelings of loneliness and anger. An extended hug can increase serotonin levels and make your mood better, increasing your happiness. Hugs relax muscles and release tension in the body. Hugs can decrease your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Frequent hugs can potentially decrease your susceptibility to catching a cold or decrease your symptoms if you have one.

Sometimes, I’ll stop my husband as he’s walking through the house because I need a hug. I don’t even need to be in a bad or a sad mood; I might just need a hug to generally feel better. It always, always works.

Mood lifter. Health improver. All in one simple action! That’s a pretty darn good deal.

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Pets for Your Health

Are you a dog person? A cat person? A betta in a bowl person? While some studies say that people with dogs are generally healthier, having a pet of some kind has definite health benefits.

Something to keep in mind, naturally, is that having any kind of a pet is a fairly sizeable responsibility. So if you aren’t already owned by a pet, take a good look at your lifestyle in order to determine what type of pet would be best for you before you add one to your home!

Ok, what are the benefits of pet ownership (or of being owned by a pet)?

Lower blood pressure and heart rate as well as a decreased risk of heart disease are probably top of the list, along with fighting off feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. I know that my blood pressure drops when I pet our dogs, and my mood improves when I spend time with them. Also, if I’m upset about something, one or both of the dogs will frequently notice and then try to make me feel better.

Exercise! We happen to have a fairly large back yard, so we typically simply let the dogs out into the yard and they have fun chasing each other, or chasing squirrels, or being confused when a neighbor is on their roof, or simply basking in the sun. (That one doesn’t make sense when it’s 98 degrees outside, to be honest!) Having a dog can be a great way to get more exercise; it’s as simple as leashing the dog and taking a walk around the block. Or down the road to the dog park. Or out to the wildlife refuge. Or any of a thousand different dog-friendly places. My New Year’s resolution one year was to take the dogs for a walk at least once a week. I didn’t always get there, and sometimes the back yard had to be their exercise (as well as daycare), but it was a lot of fun when I did.

Are you a pet person? If you aren’t, there’s a lot to consider before adding a pet of any kind to your home. If you are, enjoy the health benefits that you might not have fully considered before now!

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Go Plant Something!

In March of 2017, I did a #winewellnesswednesday post about gardening and why it’s good for your health.

http://www.makeonechange.today/new-blog/2017/3/15/wine-wellness-wednesday-gardening

I’ve been thinking about this again recently as I was finally able to get out into my yard and make some progress battling weeds and actually enjoying my gardens again. Even though the forecast for the next couple of weeks includes upper 90s again (seriously?!), and even though the lack of rain means weeding feels more like harvesting, it’s still extremely rewarding to be out in the yard, cleaning, planting, and enjoying my garden.

Mood booster. Yep, I get tired. On the hot days I get sweaty and drippy. Sometimes I get sore from overdoing it or (maybe) pushing it a little too much for some of the injuries I’ve had. Oh, but the feeling! Sunshine, a little extra vitamin D, and the feeling of accomplishment are great mood boosters.

Exercise. Gardening is good exercise. Even mowing the lawn, as annoyingly boring as it can be, is good exercise!

Productive. I love fresh fruits and veggies. I love knowing where a lot of what I buy is grown. Even better is when I pick strawberries or orange cherry tomatoes or fresh thyme from the plants in my own garden!

You don’t need a huge garden. You don’t need a huge yard! All you need is the interest, a little potting soil, and a container.

Plant something! It’s good for your health! (It’s also good for the environment. Plant a flower for pollinators, such as milkweed or butterfly flower, coneflower, or any of dozens of others. Bees & butterflies are our friends!)

Cheers! Here's to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Best Bedtime Snacks

If you suddenly get hungry before bedtime, you’re not alone. There can be many reasons you get snackery (as I call it) late in the day; among the possibilities are meals loaded with unnecessary fats, preservatives, and sugars. It’s also entirely possible that over the course of the day, if you’ve been very active, you’ve burned up more calories than you’ve consumed, and that can cause hunger pangs as well!

Things to avoid before bed include anything spicy or high in fat; these foods can cause acid reflux and indigestion, and that’s definitely going to keep you up! (No more rocky road ice cream before bedtime!) Avoid foods high in sodium, as it raises your blood pressure and dehydrates you. On the flip side, if you’ve sweated a lot you might need to replace sodium that’s been lost due to sweating in order to avoid leg cramps. Everything is about balance, right?

Herbal tea is a great bedtime snack, especially peppermint or chamomile. No caffeine and each of those herbs are soothing, which can help you wind down and sleep better. Focusing on foods that promote production of serotonin is helpful too; much of the body’s production of serotonin happens in the gut, so have high-fiber foods such as popcorn (in small quantities). Nutrients such as the B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and calcium, for example, promote better sleep. Non-fat or low-fat milk or yogurt, nuts, pumpkin seeds, tart cherries, spinach, popcorn, turkey, kiwi, tuna, or bananas; you have multiple options for healthy, sleep-supporting snacks!

And while this is Wine & Wellness Wednesday…alcohol before bed is not actually great for helping you sleep. So skip the red wine and the dark chocolate at bedtime; have it with dinner instead!

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Eat Edamame!

Wow, when I go for alliteration I really go for alliteration! :)

One of the bars in town has a simply scrumptious edamame appetizer.

Wait a second…did a health coach just extol the virtues of an appetizer at a bar? Yes, yes, I did. (They also have one of my favorite drinks, and as alcohol has many unhelpful empty calories, while I will definitely still imbibe on occasion it isn’t an everyday thing. After all the name of this blog post is “Wine & Wellness Wednesday!”)

As we were sitting and munching on edamame & carrot slivers, I was suddenly super excited to remember that at some point relatively soonish we might hopefully possibly start seeing edamame bundles in our CSA box and/or at the farmers market. I might, at one point, have purchased nearly all of the edamame bundles from one of our favorite market vendors, who happen to also run our CSA. Blanch, shell, and freeze, and then I’m set for some yummy veggie goodness during the winter. Yeah, yeah, I know, I can get edamame all kinds of places now, including in the freezer section at the grocery store. I do indeed go for frozen veggies but it’s nice to have some on hand from a favorite farm. In the middle of a harsh, bitterly cold January, it’s a culinary reminder that warmer weather is truly going to come back. At some point. Maybe it will come roaring back and be 96 degrees in May, but I digress.

Naturally, I started thinking about the health benefits of edamame. I’m also somewhat baffled to realize I haven’t done this topic already!!

By the way, if you’re wondering what edamame is, it’s young (green) soybeans that have been harvested before they have ripened or hardened. I don’t know how to describe the flavor other than scrumptious and highly satisfying when I’m in the mood for green food, which is pretty much every day. :)

Fiber. Protein. Unsaturated fats. Vitamin C. Iron. Vitamin A. Calcium. Those are some of the fantastic nutrients you’ll get from eating edamame. Steamed. Pureed into a hummus-like spread. Cooked and then cold in fresh vegetable salads. As a side. As dinner!

How do you like your edamame? Share! Wait…does that mean I have to share, too? Ok fine. I’ll share!

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Scale or No Scale & Final Thoughts

Are you a scale or a no scale person?

I am surprised to say I found weighing myself every day (back in April) to provide the most useful information and the most motivation to stay on track with healthier choices.

As a recap:
For April, I weighed myself every day.
For May, I didn't weigh myself at all.
For June, I went back to my old habit of weighing myself before and after exercise on Mondays and Fridays.

It was very interesting to compare and contrast the experience and the feelings of each month! On days in June when I felt like I'd been doing well over the course of a week, I'd get on the scale to grumpy-making numbers. On days when I felt like I hadn't done anything right, I'd get on the scale to numbers that were ok. It was confusing! On the days in April that I weighed every day, the information was at least interesting. I spent lots of April sick, though, so it will also be interesting to try weighing myself daily during a normal month without illness!

Cheers! Here's to your health!

 

http://www.makeonechange.today/new-blog/2018/5/30/wine-wellness-wednesday-scale-or-no-scale-an-update

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Raw or Cooked?

Ok, let’s talk veggies. I am loving farmer’s market and CSA season. (In case you’re curious, CSA is community-supported agriculture; we get a share of fresh veggies every week! It’s a great way to try things that are new to us!) And let’s talk about whether raw or cooked is the best way to go.

First, a poll. Who likes raw carrots best? How about cooked carrots? How about don’t give you carrots, in any way, shape, or form, ever? I am one of those people who like carrots about any way I can get them. And what I find interesting is that cooking carrots means the nutrients in them become more available for your body to absorb. It’s true for other vegetables as well; cooking some veggies breaks down the cell walls, which makes it easier for us to absorb the nutrients in those veggies. On the other hand, for water-soluble nutrients such as vitamin C, cooking veggies high in the nutrients drains off those vitamins.

While it is critical to get as many nutrients from your food as possible, it is at times very difficult to do so. I don’t advocate for or against taking nutritional (vitamin) supplements; I do take some myself. You need to figure out what works for you! It’s important to get good quantities of veggies in your diet daily. The recommended daily servings of vegetables: 3-5. So what do you do with a tomato when it’s technically a fruit? :)

What do you do in order to make that recommendation happen? What might make it easier? For example, take time every couple of days to clean, peel (as needed), and chop or slice up some peppers or cucumbers, etc., and then keep them in Ziploc bags or containers in the fridge so they are easily grabbed when you want them.

What’s your favorite veggie? Let’s talk about some nutrients in those! Be aware that this list is nowhere near complete and doesn’t list all of the nutrients for the vegetables I’m including.

So what’s the difference and how do you decide what to eat raw or cooked?

  • Artichoke (either)
    • Calcium
    • Potassium
  • Asparagus (cooked)
    • Potassium
    • Vitamin A
  • Beets (either)
    • Vitamin B (group)
  • Broccoli (either)
    • Calcium
    • Vitamin C
  • Carrots (either)
    • Beta-carotene
    • Vitamin A
    • Cookin g carrots increases the beta-carotene your body can absorb.
  • Corn (either)
    • Iron
    • Vitamin B (group)
    • Cooking corn increases antioxidant availability.
  • Cucumbers (raw)
    • Vitamin K
  • Green Beans (either)
    • Calcium
    • Vitamin C
    • Green  beans are mildly toxic when eaten raw, however, the quantity shouldn’t be a problem. Blanch green beans quickly to cook out the toxins but retain more of their nutrients.
  • Kale (either)
    • Iron
    • Vitamin A
  • Kohlrabi (either)
    • Calcium
    • Vitamin A
  • Peas (either)
    • Iron
    • Vitamin C
  • Peppers (either)
    • Vitamin A
    • Vitamin C
    • Cooking peppers makes some of the nutrients they provide easier to digest.
  • Potatoes (cooked)
    • Iron
    • Vitamin C
  • Pumpkin (cooked)
    • Beta-carotene
    • Vitamin A
    • Can be eaten raw but nutrient availability is better when cooked.
  • Spaghetti Squash (either)
    • Beta-carotene
    • Vitamin B (group)
    • Can be eaten raw but cooked is more common.
  • Spinach (either)
    • Calcium
    • Iron
    • Cooking/steaming spinach changes the percentage of vitamin availability. Calcium is hard for the body to absorb from spinach.
  • Sweet Potatoes (cooked)
    • Beta-carotene
    • Iron
  • Swiss Chard (either)
    • Iron
    • Vitamin A
  • Tomato (either)
    • Vitamin C
    • Cookin g tomatoes decreases Vitamin C but increases lycopene accessibility.
  • Turnips (either)
    • Calcium
    • Vitamin A
  • Zucchini (either)
    • Potassium
    • Vitamin A

Have you learned something new about one of your favorite veggies? Have you seen a tidbit about a new-to-you veggie you might try soon? What’s your favorite veggie recipe? :)

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Meditation

I’m having trouble comprehending something. I’ve apparently only posted a #winewellnesswednesday about meditation specifically twice; once in 2016, and once hypothesizing about reading as meditation. (I'm including the original text below.)

Even though I post a #mondaymeditationminute regularly on Facebook, and even though I meditate almost daily, I’ve barely talked about it! Zoikes!

I realized this morning as I was meditating just how much I needed it, and just how much I enjoy that part of my daily routine, usually my morning routine. I’m also going to be very candid; for some reason, while on vacation and on weekends, the meditation routine goes splat and I don’t entirely know why! It’s probably because routines in general go splat at those times, and it’s definitely something I’m working on changing!

I’ve been all the way up to 15 minutes recently, and then my routine went splat and I started over at 5 minutes, then 6 minutes, then 7 minutes, and so on. :) (I really enjoy the Centering Prayer app on the iPhone/iPad for its timer, sound, and background settings.) I’m back to 9 minutes and it’s amazing to me how fast those 9 minutes go by when I’m focusing on breathing and a mantra. Speaking of, this is one of my new favorites:

Kind hearts are the gardens;
Kind thoughts are the roots;
Kind words are the flowers;
Kind deeds are the fruits. (English proverb)

I know people who can meditate for an hour at a time, and I know people who think trying to meditate for a minute at a time is torture. We are all on that spectrum somewhere!

How about you? Do you have a meditation practice? What do you think about trying to start one?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

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Wine & Wellness Wednesday 01/06/16

For this week’s Tea (Wine) & Wellness Wednesday, I want to talk about meditation. (Yep, I’m still temporarily off wine. But I’m on the mend!)

Meditation is my favorite thing to forget to do every day. (Say…whaaaat?) Working with my own health coach, I’ve set a goal to meditate every day. And I’ve already missed more than one day in a row. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea why this one is so hard! I exercise at least a little almost every day. I use essential oils every day. I drink good amounts of water every day, and I finish my shower with cold water every day. All of these are really good healthy habits to maintain. Meditation would be a great healthy habit to maintain, too, and I can’t seem to get it to stick!

Some of the benefits of meditation include (although the HOW it works isn’t clear) decreased blood pressure, decreased stress, and improved concentration skills. When I meditate at night, I feel clearer and more settled, more ready to be done for the day; I don’t have solid evidence for it yet, but I think I sleep better. When I meditate in the morning, I feel clearer and more settled, more ready to get into whatever the day may bring. (Are you sensing a trend yet?)

Meditation seemed like this big, impressive thing that would be hard to make myself do. (It’s still hard to remember to make time for, honestly.) It’s not nearly as hard as I thought it would be!

Here’s my short version of how to start meditating. :) Pick a comfortable place to sit, preferably somewhere quiet. (Keeping the dogs out of the room when you’re meditating might be good too.) Pick a short timeframe, for example, five minutes, and set a timer. Start. That’s it. Start meditating. It doesn’t mean shutting down your brain. (I mean come on! :) You need your brain to function.) It means shutting out the brain rats and focusing on something. Pick a mantra, a phrase you’ll say over and over to yourself. Pick a breathing pattern. Do something you can focus on, and acknowledge to yourself that you’ll get distracted. You’ll think about things you didn’t get done the previous day, or things you want to do the next day, or…or…or…I’m sure you can think of a dozen things that you’ll think of. Allow it to happen, and go back to your focus. When the timer goes off, congratulate yourself for giving it a try, and commit to yourself to do it again tomorrow. When you don’t look at the timer every five seconds, increase it to six minutes. And then to seven minutes. And so on. (I’m all the way up to ten minutes!)

So what do you think? Do you meditate already? What benefits do you feel? Do you think about starting? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Exercise! (Again!)

I’ve talked about walking, and microbursts, and finding enjoyment in a regular exercise routine. Today, I’m so grateful to be back into my regular exercise routine that I want to revisit the topic I originally posted in September, 2016.

What are the benefits of exercise (the short version)?

  • It’s good for helping prevent (or eliminate) type 2 diabetes.
  • Exercise is good for your brain.
  • It’s a weapon against heart disease.

When I was restricted from exercise again because of a small fracture, it was a real drag. I’m not athletic by any stretch of the imagination, however, I enjoy my workouts and they make a good start to my day. Gardening, mowing, and walking around the greenhouse also contributed to feeling better and getting back to normal!

What's your favorite exercise? Now, go do some of that! :) 

If you don't have a favorite, now's a great time to find something! Go for a walk! Find a class! Get an exercise buddy!

Cheers! Here's to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Self Worth

I’ve been enjoying some quiet time with just myself the past few days, exploring a new-to-us area while my husband is on a business trip. I’ve been both out-and-about, exploring, as well as basking in silence in our hotel room.

And I’ve been thinking. One of the results of that contemplation is today’s slightly different #winewellnesswednesday post. All of us have value. All of us. Recognizing that intrinsic value in self becomes reflected in everything else.

You. 

Yes, you, the person reading this. 

You have value.

Go find a mirror, take a deep breath, and repeat those three words to yourself. Or find a smartphone and turn the camera to selfie mode. 

Whatever it takes, look yourself in the face and repeat those three words to yourself. Out loud.

Believe yourself. You’re telling yourself the truth. 

What would change if we said those things to ourselves every day, with conviction behind the words?

A simple act of kindness can change someone’s day. 

A simple, genuine word can change someone’s world. 

Why not your own?

Self care and self worth are critical to your health.

It both is and isn’t about thinking positively or positive self talk. You have value every day, whether you’re having a good day or a cruddy one. You have value every day, whether you’re in a good mood or a bad one. You will make mistakes; you will make magic. Those positive words, “You have value,” said to yourself with conviction? Those will help.

You have value.

Don’t forget it.

Isn’t it important to treat what you value with care?

Isn’t it important to treasure what you value?

Treasure yourself. Treasure your health.

Look in a mirror and repeat after me, “You have value.”

Cheers! Here’s to your health! 

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Scale or No Scale? An Update!

For this week’s #winewellnesswednesday, I’m looking back at my general thoughts about the difference between weighing myself every day, as I did during April, and not weighing myself at all, as I did during May. I then decided to add a month to the experiment, so my full review of things will come on the first Wednesday of July.

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

04/30/2018: Weighed every day during April. Overall, it was interesting to weigh myself daily and see how it compared to what I felt about the previous day’s activity and eating. I didn’t anticipate being sick with a stomach bug twice or being severely limited in my exercise and activity due to an avulsion fracture in my right foot. So at the end of the month to have gained two & a half pounds instead of being steady or down was frustrating, but also understandable considering the circumstances. The daily weighing didn’t seem to add stress to my days and it was interesting tracking the up and down on my calendar. 4/30 is the last day I’ll weigh myself until June 1, and that is very, very strange to contemplate!

 

05/02/2018: Just a few days in and I’m finding myself missing the scale, which seems really odd. In April, weighing myself daily, even though I was ill & injured, helped keep me accountable to myself about what I was eating & my activity level. So far in May, not weighing myself is making me re-think whether to have creamer in my coffee or pick up a chocolate bar. That’s ok, but other than how I feel in my clothes I don’t have another tangible way to track my weight progress. It’s odd, but I feel guilty for not weighing in!

Update 05/08/18: I don’t like it. Maybe it’s the mood I’m in today, and I don’t think I’ve been excessively overeating so it’s probably what I’m eating, but I’m bloated and hot and feel icky and fat and I want to know what my weight is but I’m committed to myself to not use the scale again until 6/1. In April, weighing myself daily gave me regular progress reports and helped keep me accountable. I know I’ve been a little more slack about some of my eating and drinking habits. Now, more water. *gulp gulp*

05/24/2018: Wow, May seems like a really long month when I’m waiting for it to be over so I can check the scale. Aaaaaaand I just decided to add a month to the experiment. In April, I weighed myself daily and I liked it. In May, I haven’t weighed myself at all other than at a physician’s checkup, and I haven’t liked it. For the month of June, I’m going to go back to my old habit of weighing myself on Monday and Friday mornings, before and after exercise, and see how it feels compared to the way April and May felt.

05/30/2018: Almost the end of the May portion of the experiment, and I’m really looking forward to checking the scale and seeing whether the number fits how I’ve been feeling.

http://www.makeonechange.today/new-blog/2018/3/21/wine-wellness-wednesday-scale-or-no-scale

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Discouragement and Getting Back Up Again

“I get knocked down, but I get up again
You are never gonna keep me down…”

(You’re welcome for the earworm!)

Now that we all have a Chumbawamba song in our heads, I want to talk about discouragement and getting back up again.

I’ve been slowly healing from a small avulsion fracture on my right foot. Now I have matching fractures, one on each foot. (Again, as I’ve said before, golly but I’m super talented.) I’m definitely making progress and adding back activities and have been very grateful for my progress.

Then, today, I managed to slightly injure my right hand. Twice. In the same day. One injury had a clear cause; the other, I’m not quite sure how or what happened. (What can I say other than golly but I’m super talented?) And to be honest, typing kindasorta hurts a bit. So this might be one of those shortish Wine & Wellness Wednesday posts.

I’m grateful that I’d already been planning a different exercise routine for tomorrow morning, as I’m not sure how my injured hand would do with my usual yoga and floor exercises and arm weights. I am super excited to get back to the exercise bicycle and use it for a short time tomorrow morning!

I’m also tired. And discouraged. Because it’s one of those days when it feels as if no matter what I do, something lurks around the corner to knock me backwards.

Except it isn’t true.

Injured? Yes. Annoyed and discouraged? A bit. Powerful in the knowledge that I’ll heal, that I have options, and that tomorrow is another day? Absolutely. Grateful that certain actions don’t hurt and I could actually prepare tonight’s dinner? Completely!

One change. One action. One improvement. One positive thought.

Each of those seems small by itself.

Together, they are powerful.

What will you do the next time you get knocked down?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: When Routine Makes Me Happy

I’ve previously posted about changing up routines to avoid boredom, and how great it felt to get back to routine after a wonderfully lazy vacation. Today I want to talk about routine again, and this time it’s from the perspective of getting back to routine after being ill and (or) injured.

I was recently diagnosed with another avulsion fracture, this time on my right foot. (Now I have matching fractures; one on each foot! Am I super talented or what?) I’ve been oh-so-slowly getting back to regular activity. I took about a week away from my part-time job at a greenhouse and sat around doing not very much. (I did get a lot of reading and cross-stitching done!) I limited my hours when I did go back to work. I followed the doctor’s instructions and things are slowly returning to whatever it is that passes for normal in my life. (I have hopes that within a week or two I will need neither a walking boot nor a brace on that foot!) At the same time, I had my second round of a troublesome intestinal bug. It was a rough month!

Needless to say, for a while I lost track of my routines.

I really love my mornings. I wake up, meditate, journal, and exercise. At least that’s what I usually do when I’m not ill or injured. Of course, rest is one of the most important factors in healing, and I needed lots of it. My mornings were not routine for a while. I finally got back my meditation & journal routine. I started back with limited exercise that I could do while wearing the walking boot. Then I moved from wearing the boot to the brace. Then I moved from the brace to doing my exercises barefoot and I did a little dance, but not enough to aggravate the foot. Then I started adding reps to the exercises and gradually adding back more and more of the exercises I like doing in the morning. This morning, even though it had been almost a week since my last round of deliberate morning exercise, I repeated last week’s success and added a little more.

I felt fantastic!!! I felt as if the patience I’d tried to apply to the healing process was working. And since it’s working, I’ll keep doing it. And as I keep being patient and keep adding things back slowly, I’ll get healthier and stronger again.

I still feel as though occasionally changing routine up is useful, particularly to avoid getting bored, however, getting back to what I enjoy in my morning routines? It’s pretty awesome.

What healthy routines make you happy?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!