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!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: What's Your One Change?

I have just two questions for you this week. That’s it. Two simple questions.

What’s your one change? This is just one thing that you know would be beneficial, but you’ve been holding off, and if you started doing it this week, you’d start to feel better.

What’s it going to take to make that one change this week?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Guest Post! What Is Reiki?

Back in 2019, I started attending Qigong classes facilitated by Michelle Eisenhauer, who wrote a lovely guest post for me about Qigong. For this week’s Wine & Wellness Wednesday, I asked her husband, Jared, to share a bit about Reiki. Cheers! Here’s to your health!

What is Reiki?
Hello everyone! Thank you, Jolie, for asking us to write a bit on Reiki! My name is Jared and I’ve been living and administering Reiki for around five years. I’ve been attuned to the master level and enjoy teaching and sharing what I’ve learned about reiki. My wife Michelle and I are owners and Reiki Masters with Inner Light Haven, LLC, in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Reiki is something that is very special to me and has been a stimulus for my own personal awakening and growth. It is something that can not only be used for energetic treatments and healing but also as a way of life and is becoming more and more prevalent in Western Society. It is becoming easier and easier to find Reiki Practitioners and Masters throughout the U.S. and even in Iowa. It is even starting to find its way into restorative care programs within Nursing Homes and Hospitals. The VA also recognizes it as a viable means of care. As great as this is, I find that while many may have heard of Reiki they don’t really understand what it is and how it can be helpful.

I am frequently asked “What is Reiki anyway? You’re a Master, help me understand.” This is such a great question and I love helping people understand just how special reiki is. Reiki is the divine spiritual energy of life. It can be used to help balance and restore energetic levels within our body. It can also aide in developing our patience, love of self and others, as well as, move us into a place of acceptance of others’ ideas and beliefs. It can help us to forgive and increase our gratitude for our friendships, family, and life. Reiki works to improve the quality of joy and peace we experience and is a great tool to help increase our spiritual connection with the divine. The thing I like the most is that it is not only a healing modality but a way of life and a means to enjoying life that much more. Simply put... Reiki is awesome!

As we look at how it can influence our daily life, I’d like to introduce you to the 5 Principles of Reiki:
1- Just for today, I will live in gratitude.
2- Just for today, I will live in trust and faith.
3- Just for today, I will walk in joy.
4- Just for today, I will live in integrity.
5- Just for today, I will love every living thing.

The profoundness of these simple words simply amazes me. Even while I write them out, I feel the immensity of their meaning and while I may or may not know you personally, I challenge you to review and implement them into your lives for one week and see what happens. I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results. They are such a wise and simple way to live!

Reiki can also be delivered direct from a Reiki Practitioner. This can be done in a private or as a group session and usually is very relaxing and calming. The practitioner calls in the energy and delivers it through light touch or by positioning their hands over the client’s body. The intent is to balance and restore the energetic system within the body whether that’s physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Reiki can also be delivered remotely. Yes! That’s right, the energy of life is everywhere to bless and work with those who seek it.

I’d like to wish you all blessings on your path and sincerely hope these words provide the guidance you are seeking. If you have an interest in getting a reiki session or even learning to work with the energy of reiki please search your local area for a Reiki Practitioner or Master. Michelle and I would also be happy to help you and can be reached at services@innerlighthaven.com

Blessing to you all!

Jared

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Find the Good

It can be incredibly easy to look back at the past year and lament the things we’ve missed, the people we haven’t seen, the things we haven’t done. I was recently walloped by the realization that this time a year ago, we were planning a weekend getaway with another couple, to just get out of town and have a change of scenery. Then the pandemic began, and all bets were off. There were so many things that didn’t happen, and sometimes it’s difficult to focus on anything other than what we’ve missed and lost.

I like, very much, the occasional things I’ve seen on social media or heard in virtual meetings, asking for at least one positive thing that has come out of the challenges over the past year.

Oddly enough, my answer from the first time hasn’t changed, and even though we are in the dead of winter and it is bitterly, horribly cold, thinking of this still makes me happy.

I spent more time both working in and enjoying my gardens in 2020 than I had in quite a few years previous, and that felt fantastic. It was good exercise, it felt great to be outside, and I reaped the benefits in so many ways. Gardening provides beauty, food for wildlife, food for us, and a tremendous sense of peace as well as accomplishment. As I look at the snow and shiver, I think of all the wonderful things that are sleeping under the soil, waiting for the thaw and sunshine of spring. Even the mowing, and the weeding, and the chasing-away-of-pests doesn’t diminish the pleasure I feel looking back at last year, or the eager anticipation I feel looking forward to this year’s gardening season.

Also, I have bean plants. LOL!! I started a project with a friend’s kids; we each have a setup and we planted and are watching bean plants grow. I think the kiddos are enjoying it, and I know I am. The bean plants give me hope, and that’s a good thing.

Another thing I realized recently is that I’ve maintained my intentional cross stitching streak, and I’ve gone past 1,200 days of consecutively cross stitching. I also passed a year of intentionally crocheting daily. These feed my creative side and I love spending time on them each day!

What’s your good? What’s your moment of realization that there have been good things over the past year?

Take a deep breath, and focus on that feeling. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

There! There it is. That moment of peace, and joy, or bliss, or whatever suits you to call it. That’s a good thing.

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Meditation (Again...and Again...)

I mentioned last week that one habit I’ve done fairly well at maintaining over the past year has been my meditation practice. Typically, I meditate in the morning, then I journal, then I exercise. Sometimes, I’ll go outside and meditate in the hammock. (Yes, even in the winter. In fact, the thumbnail photo for this post is a recent pic I took while in the hammock!) Sometimes, I’ll repeat one of my mantras to myself to relax and fall asleep. I’m grateful for that practice and I’m grateful that even if it’s only for three minutes, I make time for it daily.

What does meditation do for the body, exactly?

Lowers blood pressure. Helps increase focus. Can provide clarity. May boost your immune system. Creates a general feeling of relaxation, which is never a bad thing.

And you don’t have to sit there saying “ommmmmmm” for an hour. :) I mentioned a mantra; my mantras vary and I take them from things I’ve read. They’re usually short, which makes them easy to memorize. While meditation isn’t strictly a religious practice, either, maybe your mantra is a prayer. Maybe it’s a poem. Whatever it is, make it positive, and something that is meaningful to you. For example, here’s one I like:

Forgetfulness is the darkness, mindfulness is the light.
I bring awareness to shine upon all life.
~Thich Nhat Hanh, PEACE IS EVERY BREATH

Sometimes, I practice the Small Universe meditation from my Qigong class, which helps me be mindful of and focused on many parts of my body. That also helps me relax and bring my blood pressure down.

So it’s highly varied, but the consistent thing is that I do it, in some form, every day.

I led an activity once for a virtual team meeting in which I talked about the benefits of meditation. As part of the activity, we meditated for one minute. One minute. Sixty seconds. Several people on the call were amazed at how fast it went. One person said “That was the worst minute of my life and don’t make me do that ever again.” That still makes me laugh to this day! Everyone’s experience is going to be different!

How about you? Have you tried meditation? What did you like (or not like)?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Change Up Your Routine, or, Flexibility! It's Good for Your Health!

I did something odd last Friday.

I exercised.

That wasn’t the odd part. One of the things I’ve been happiest with for the past weird year as we dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic was that I maintained my morning routine of meditation, journaling, and exercise.

So how was last Friday weird?

I exercised at 4 p.m., after breakfast and lunch and coffee and running errands.

Why was that weird?

I didn’t exercise in the morning per my usual habit, thanks to a rough night and a late start on the morning.

But as I was dragging and lacking motivation and energy in the late afternoon, I thought, “Why can’t I exercise now? Maybe it will energize me a bit and it will make up for missing the morning.”

I was right. I felt better after I was done on the exercise bike. It was movement without having to leave the house again and go out into the cold for a walk, and it was something I enjoy doing. It was just strange to do it so late in the day.

I’ve posted about routines and also about breaking routines, and this was a really good break in routine.

What routine have you broken lately that felt good? Do you give yourself flexibility to shift between routines in case you don’t do something at the usual time?

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Citrus Is More Than Just Vitamin C

YES, I know. LOL!! The pic isn’t a real lime. It’s all I had on hand. It may be time for a grocery store run…

Up until the weather we had last week, I’d have said we could have used even the thought of citrus to make our days a little sunnier! And then (in Iowa, anyway) the weather went and got gorgeous. I mean seriously! We even turned off our furnace and opened the windows…on the same day we had the fall furnace service. Ha! Naturally, the 70s couldn’t last and this morning we scraped frost off the car. It was fun while it lasted, though.

I have had citrus on the brain, though, recently. I was thinking about one of my favorite recipes (lemon & garlic chicken) while sipping on some limeade. We all know that citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are high in vitamin C. But beyond that, what other health benefits do we get from adding citrus to our diets?

Ok, refresher time. Why do we need a good amount of vitamin C in our diets? Vitamin C is needed for healthy skin, bones, blood vessels, and connective tissues. It helps the body absorb some iron from foods, so add a citrus vinaigrette to your spinach salad or add lemon juice to your lentil soup! It is critical to immune system support and may help fight inflammation. In the case of fighting inflammation, vitamin C could then also help prevent many different diseases. Citrus fruits are also high in flavonoids, nutrients that both give the fruits their colors and aromas, as well as possibly fighting inflammation. In addition to vitamin C and flavonoids, citrus fruits provide B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and copper. The body needs small amounts of all of these nutrients to function properly. Also, vitamin C is water-soluble so the body doesn’t store it up. Massive and regular megadoses (over 2000 mg/day) are not healthy, but regular intake of normal doses either through food or supplements is safe and good for you.

Citrus fruits are good sources of dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber can help fight LDL cholesterol, while insoluble fiber can boost gut health. The recommended daily fiber intake, which nearly no one actually gets, is roughly 14 grams fiber per 1000 calories. One cup of orange segments has roughly 60 calories and 4 grams of fiber. So it’s a low-calorie, high-benefit snack.

Citrus fruits are lower in sugar, overall, although oranges and grapefruit have the highest amounts. (Adding brown sugar and a maraschino cherry and broiling a grapefruit half definitely increases the calorie count…but it’s delicious!)

Water!! Even during the winter, it’s still important to drink water. An average orange is made up of 88% water! While eating enough oranges to get your water intake for the day is inadvisable for the total calorie count and possible issues with citric acid and cavities, you can still count an orange or a grapefruit toward your daily water goal. Adding a squeeze of lemon to a glass of water with a meal is also beneficial; the acid may aid in digestion and the water will help fill you up so you don’t eat as much. But, again, don’t sip on lemon water all day. The acid intake over long periods can aggravate cavities.

Let’s talk about how to get more citrus fruit in your diet. Is it better fresh, frozen, canned, cooked, whole, or juiced? First, juices are delicious, however, some juices have added sugars as well as lots of fructose from the fruit, and they don’t all have the dietary fiber present in the whole fruit. So keep the juices to a minimum. Don’t eliminate them entirely, just don’t rely on them for your daily citrus intake. Mostly, look for ways to incorporate citrus fruits into your diet fresh and whole, or as juice without added sugars, for example, as bottled lemon juice. Cooking can break down vitamin C so it isn’t as beneficial, although it’ll still be delicious. (Case in point, my lemon & garlic chicken is marinated and then baked. And scrumptious!)

Citrus! It’s good for you! How will you get more citrus in your diet? Cheers!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Yogurt!

My alliteration is failing me. I could not think of a funky alliterative title for this post. So. Yogurt!

Recently I went looking for information about healthy snacks for late in the day that will also help me sleep. Found a few. Some of them won’t work at all for me. (Hello, almond allergy. I miss almonds. And cashews. And…but I digress. Again.)

One of them surprised me a bit: yogurt. To help with sleeping? Ok…Quite literally did not see that coming.

So, ok. I like yogurt. Husband likes yogurt. Our fridge is regularly stocked with Chobani and multiple flavors of AE yogurt. And, yes, most of them have too much sugar. I keep forgetting to add things like Epicure sweet dip mixes, for example, to plain yogurt. Silly me! No, really. Using the dip mix adds LESS sugar. It does! It’s also really tasty.

There are lots of ways to mess up sleep patterns. There are lots of things to do to fix them. So I can’t say for sure that eating yogurt has been the best fix ever…but it seems as if I’m sleeping better if I have yogurt near-ish bedtime, and it hasn’t seemed to impact weight loss. Ok. So I’m sortakindaseriouslyish trying to remember to have more yogurt.

AND then of course because it’s me…I went looking for the health benefits of yogurt.

All together now: “Yogurt has probiotics!”

All together now: “What does that mean?”

*insert laughter here*

Short version: probiotics are live bacteria that are promoted/expected to provide health benefits. Everything I’ve read says that more research is needed and the actual benefits are unclear. At any rate, look for the words “active cultures” on the label, otherwise, pasteurization will have potentially killed the useful bacteria cultures.

Yogurt provides lots of protein and nutrients such as calcium & vitamin B. Usually it’s also fortified with vitamin D, which, together with calcium, is important for strong bones. It has the potential to benefit digestive health, stave off or decrease the severity of yeast infections, strengthen the immune system, and help balance your gut’s microflora to improve gut health.

So…long story short? Yogurt can be really good for you. It’s probably going to be better for you to take plain yogurt and add fruit or low-sugar flavorings. But try it! There are so many varieties nowadays, you have lots of options!

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Water & Wellness Wednesday: Don't! Forget! The Water!

I like drinking water.

It might even be safe to say I love drinking water.

I like plain water, sparkling water, flavored water, flavored sparking water. The only kind I really don’t like is flavored sparkling water with artificial sweeteners. Ick. Not my jam.

Mmmm…jam…

Meanwhile, I digress.

I am great at remembering to drink water when it’s hot and I’m active.

I’m less great at remembering to drink water in the cooler, quieter, less active times of the year.

So this re-post of a favorite topic is as much a reminder to myself as it is to anyone reading: DRINK WATER.

What does it take for you to remember to drink water? Reminders on your phone? Cute aps where you can build aquariums as you record how much you drink? Water bottles with measuring lines on them?

Whatever works for you, get going and get it done! Drink that water!

Cheers! (With a glass of water!) Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Decluttering & Discoveries!

Back in 2017 I posted about clearing clutter & getting giddy.

It’s still true.

Whenever I clear a cluttered pile of STUFF that has been making me a bit crazy, there is a definite lightness, a letting go, a giddiness. Clutter is not healthy, mentally or physically.

I think quite a few people have spent at least some of their time during this pandemic clearing the clutter in their homes. (Maybe also clearing the mental clutter?)

Decluttering can also lead to magical discoveries.

I, as many people know, love to cook. I use recipes, and I use Epicure products, and I make stuff up as I go. I have many, many cookbooks. Some of them I haven’t used yet, and some of them I use so frequently that I’ve memorized some of the recipes.

One of my favorites is BREAD TOMATO GARLIC, by Jill Dupleix.

You saw the picture that goes with this post?

Yeah.  Have you figured it out yet? That would be two copies of the same cookbook.

Quite a while ago I lost track of my copy. I couldn’t remember whether I’d lent it to someone, or to whom I might have lent it. I asked the usual suspects, and nope. I sort of wrote it off and ended up getting a decent used copy off Amazon or HPB.

Yesterday, while delving into the depths of a large plastic tub of miscellany, guess what I found.

Yep. My original copy, with my notes. (Honestly, losing the notes almost bothered me more than losing the book.)

I’ll be keeping both. It is genuinely one of my favorite recipes. Simple is good. (Each recipe in it has 3 primary ingredients, and no more than 4 to 6 supporting players. It’s lovely.)

Declutter something. Even if it’s a one-foot-square space, you’ll feel a difference. You may even make a magical discovery!

Cheers! Here’s to your health!

Wine & Wellness Wednesday: Comfort Food

When I say the words, “comfort food,” what do you think of?

Merriam-Webster.com defines it as follows: “food prepared in a traditional style having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal.”

I think it’s fairly safe to say that many of us have turned to comfort food since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to find something familiar, safe, and, well, comforting.

Believe it or not, this post isn’t going to be about how to turn familiar comfort food recipes into healthier versions. It’s totally possible to do. Surprisingly, sometimes, it’s even nearly impossible to tell the difference. And while I may be a health coach, that’s not my purpose today.

Comfort food is good for your health, specifically, your mental and emotional health. (Let’s be honest. It won’t always be good for your weight…)

What do you consider comfort food? For me, it’s recipes like my dad’s beef stroganoff and rice pilaf, or spaghetti carbonara, or our family version of a big chef salad, or chocolate pudding. What do those have in common? They’re mostly rich, full of carbohydrates (potentially), and high in fat. Why are they comforting? One: memories. Many, many times through my life, those foods have been around for family celebrations or just because we needed pick-me-ups. I remember the first time I made each recipe and it turned out like Dad’s; I was ecstatic! Two: eating food that are high-fat/high-sugar activates your brain’s reward system, improving your mood.

There are drawbacks, too, of course. Too many high-calorie, high-fat foods are not great for your physical health. What’s the answer? Find the balance. Make the comfort food, but figure out how to make it a little healthier. (I KNOW, I know. I couldn’t resist. ;) I didn’t try too hard either.) Make the comfort food, and accompany it with a salad. Drink more water. Make the comfort food, and then go for an after-dinner walk.

Cheers! Here’s to your health!