Wordless Wednesday....Almost

This is what I REALLY wanted for dinner last night.......

This is what I had instead.......

and I didn't even cry!

Beating Osteoporosis.....Day 1

Today is the first day of my new diet and supplement plan. I am so ready. I spent so much time this weekend figuring out things I can eat and what supplements I take when and when I want to drink this shake thing and so on and so on....

I spent a lot of time in the Osteoporosis forums chatting with people that have been doing this for years. I have learned a lot. One of the things I've learned is that just like with every other "hot" topic......you will get lots of different advice from people with lots of differing opinions.

I read many times....no yoga forward bends and no yoga twisting. Then my new doctor said....it's fine. Then some very knowledgeable people in the forums said....don't do it. Then someone else in the forums said.....I've been doing them for nine years. What it boils down to is that I have to do what is right for me. That yoga DVD has made me stronger, more flexible and improved my posture. I think I will keep doing it. The moves in yoga are slow and thought out. I don't think about it when I bend over to pick up something off the floor or twist to back my car out of the drive way. If my back is going to fracture....it's going to fracture.

I am going to see if I can make an appointment with a Physical Therapist that is trained in osteoporosis. I would like some professional help with my exercise program. I really need someone to tell me exactly what I should be doing each day. If I'm going to spend 30-60 minutes every day working out, I want to be sure that what I am doing is going to help. I'm not qualified to do that.

The hardest part of the new diet is the no sugar, no dairy and no gluten. That's a whole lot of no-no's. The no sugar means no Starbucks Chai Lattes. The no dairy means no pizza. The no gluten means no bread. I've done this before, I can do it again.

I just have to think about how awesome I am going to feel when I am not putting things into my body that it doesn't need or want....and when I am putting good things into my body that are going to help it function the way it should. It's all a matter of mind over matter and a good positive attitude.

Make it a great day and be sure to do something really nice for yourself today!

Urgency, Planning and Success

Two people this week commented on how skinny I'm getting. When you are working hard at something and people recognize your effort...it's always a good feeling. I sat for a moment and wondered why I'm having success this time when I haven't in the past? How is it that I've been walking and working out since the first of the year...when normally I would have quit long ago? It didn't take long before the answer came to me. It was two parts....urgency and a plan.

For me to have success with anything, I need that sense of urgency. If I don't have that, I don't take what I am doing seriously. Previously, I just wanted to work out and get healthy because I should. This time I am in a race with my weakening bones and I want to win.

For me to have success with anything, I also need some kind of a plan. Previously, I would just work out a day here, maybe walk a day now and then...if I missed a day...oh well. I didn't have a plan. Now I have a plan. It's on paper...and I'm stickin' to it!

What I need to do now is bring that same sense of urgency to my etsy business, FourDogDay. That doesn't mean to be running around like a lunatic everyday...it means that I need to know when I want to retire. I need to know how much extra money FourDogDay would need to be bringing in each month in order for that to happen. Then I will "see" the urgency and I will get serious.

I also need a plan to get me where I need to be at that time. I need it on paper...so I have something to follow...a plan I can stick to. I have had plans before but I lacked the urgency. If I don't have both parts, it just doesn't work for me.

For me...this doesn't only apply to my health and FourDogDay...it applies to anything I really want to accomplish. No urgency, no plan, no do. Take my basement for example. I swore I would get it dejunked before summer. There was no reason I had to have it done by then, I just wanted to. So, no real true urgency, no plan....it isn't getting done. Now if I wanted to put my house on the market this spring....THERE would be the urgency. You can be sure it would be getting done!

How are you with major things you want to accomplish? Do you need urgency? Do you need a written plan or are you disciplined enough to do it without? I would love to hear how you accomplish things either in your business or in your life....

Fruit Smoothies Anyone?

Most people I know love fresh fruit. I see them devouring apples, pears, oranges and grapes all of the time. I am not a huge fan of fresh fruit. I will eat an apple, but it better be extremely fresh and crispy with the perfect balance of sweet and tart. If not....it goes in the garbage. I can't eat it.

I will eat an occasional banana, and grapes are okay. I love cantaloupe, if it's juicy and sweet. There is nothing worse than buying expensive, organic fruit...only to take one bite and have it taste gross.

Like most healthy eating plans, my new food plan requires me to eat a few servings of fruit. every day. I have found an easy way to get some those servings and that is by making Smoothies!

I found two recipes in my new book, "Building Bone Vitality" so I thought I would share them with you. They are both very, very good.

Berry Smoothie
Serves 2

2 cups of frozen berries
1 to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 tablespoons of calcium-fortified orange juice
1/2 to 1 cup of water or soy milk as needed (I use vanilla soy milk)

Place it all in a blender and blend until smooth, adding water or soy milk as needed to achieve the desired thickness. Serve immediately.


Tropical Smoothie
Serves 2

1 cup of frozen banana chunks
1 cup pineapple pieces
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice, or more if desired

Place everything in the blender and blend until smooth. For a thinner smoothie, add more juice. Serve immediately.

OH YUM!!!

Update.....

Soooooo, are all of you getting up off your butts and doing a little walking every day? Are you eating healthier? Are you taking care of yourself the way you know you should be? I know you are probably tired of me harping at you all of the time, but it is so much better to prevent a problem than to treat a problem. Right? Right!

Since getting my treadmill, I have not missed a day of walking. Without it, I would have missed many days due to the weather here, and just being too tired when I get home. Poor excuse, but I'm being honest. With the treadmill, I am in the basement every single day walking at least 30 minutes. During the week, I'm down there at 5:30 a.m. I would like to increase that as time goes on, but for now it's 30 minutes. I am holding little 1.5 pound dumbbells for part of the walk to do something good for my arms and shoulders too.

My diet is coming along nicely. I'm learning to stay away from animal proteins, including dairy and to get my protein from plants and other sources. That way the pH in my blood stays more balanced and it won't steal calcium from my bones to correct any imbalance. It's really been easier than I thought it would be.

I have found that I can eat a lot of the foods that I enjoy that might throw that balance off by also eating fruits and vegetables with them to keep everything the way it should be.

I bought a powdered calcium with magnesium that is suppose to be better absorbed and I'll start that today. There was another supplement that a co-worker said her mom has been using, but I can't find it in any of our stores so I might have to order it online if I decide to try it. I'm still researching it. Do any of you take OsteoValin? That's what it's called. It's basically strontium.

I have eliminated most of the salty snacks I was eating on a daily basis...and I do miss them. I had some crackers over the weekend and they tasted just grand! It's okay to do that occasionally, just not on a daily basis.

I am losing weight, even though that was not my intention. I don't own a scale, but my clothing is telling me that I am.

Besides all of those nice things that I am doing for myself each and everyday, I'm also trying to do something I really enjoy every day. I'm just taking a little time for me...to watch some of the Olympics, to read a bit, to plan, to dream......

What nice things are you doing for yourself?

Chee Hoo!

It's FRIDAY! It's my no work out day. It's my no walk day. It's my eat whatever I want day. It's jeans day at work. It's Starbucks day. It's Dunkin' Donuts day. It's even PAYDAY!!! I actually couldn't wait to get up this morning!! Chee Hoo!

I cannot believe I have been working out and walking and eating healthy for three weeks. That has to be a record for me. Yes, there are some mornings when the last thing I want to do at 5:30 a.m. is yoga or pilates...but I'm doing it.

There are plenty of days when I get home from work and the last thing I want to do is change my clothes, bundle up and head out into the frigid air to walk....but I'm doing it!

Many evenings I have no interest in preparing a healthy balanced dinner for myself....but I'm doing it.

I am not to the point where these things are a positive habit for me yet. In fact, I still find it all a big pain in the butt....but I'm doing it.

My neck and upper back issue has caused me to rethink my workout. If I didn't, I might have quit. Instead I took out the arm and shoulder dumb bell workout until my neck and upper back are more tolerant of the yoga and pilates. Once they are, I will add the arm work back in. I did add some leg work on the days I do pilates too.

I am really looking forward to spring when I can be working out with the doors and windows open, and I can pile on the sunscreen, throw on my hat and walk until I want to come in rather than having to come in because my eyes are tearing, my nose is running and my face and everything running down it is frozen solid!

If you made some changes....healthy eating, working out or other changes for the New Year...how are you doing? Need a Chee Hoo or some encouragement? I'm here for you. :)

Wish Me Luck!

I don't feel well. Nope, I do not. I am tired, I feel heavy....make that I have gained weight, I'm getting headaches, my body aches, I feel blah.

No, I don't need to go to the doctor. I know exactly what is wrong with me and I started to handle it yesterday.

Whenever I fall off the good eating and exercising wagon...this is how I feel...and let me tell you...I fell off a long time ago...have tried a number of times to get back on and I just keep falling under the wheels.

I think Thanksgiving was the "straw that broke the camel's back" so to say. It started Friday morning and didn't end until Saturday night when my head was pounding and I actually felt ill. For two days I lived on nothing but carbs. I ate pumpkin pie, dressing, candied sweet potatoes, a cream cheese apple dip that is about 50% sugar and caramel pecan apple pie. Not exactly a great diet. Yes, I did eat some cauliflower and green beans, but not in the mega doses that I ate the other things. My diet consisted of almost no protein whatsoever. Not a good thing for me...or for anyone for that matter.

The events leading up to the camel's broken back would be Starbucks Chai Lattes on a daily basis, bread, pasta, pizza and cereal. Not that those things are terrible, but I have a problem with wheat and in addition to that, all of those things are carbs. I haven't eaten a good salad in ages. I use to eat salad at least a few times a week. I don't even walk anymore.

What's happened to me?

I think I have gotten so wrapped up in my etsy shops and craft shows that I have forgotten that always, always, always.....we have to come first.

So at the grocery store yesterday I bought a lot of fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, yogurt, nuts and grains. This won't be fun, but I've done it before and I can do it again. I have to do it again, because I can't continue to feel like this. I remember talking about this not too long ago and telling myself I needed to pay attention to what I was eating.....but I didn't. It was just "next week I will do better". Next week never got here, until today.

I would really like to do one of the nutritional cleanses, but since my main problem is sugar and flour, I plan to start there. That will wipe out about 80% of my current diet, but I will be fine. It doesn't take long for your body to stop craving the bad stuff.....I'll let you know when I get there.

Have you ever reached that point when you know you have to make THAT change? Did you? How did you go about doing it?

Looking For The Quick Fix

Seven years ago I started working at a natural health office. Even though I didn't care for the ethics of the people I worked for, I did learn a lot about taking care of myself in a more natural way. I believe there is a time and a place for prescription drugs, but I also feel we are an "over drugged" society. Part of that can be blamed on the doctors, but most of it can be blamed on ourselves. We are a "quick fix" society. We can't even tolerate a runny nose anymore. We run to the pharmacy or to the doctor to make that runny nose go away. We seem to do that for every little ache or pain we have. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of very sick people that need medication to survive. Thank goodness we can help them.

What many people don't realize though is that symptoms are our body's way of telling us that something is wrong. Suppressing those symptoms with drugs may not always be the best thing to do. Besides all drugs have side affects.

When I worked at the natural health office, people would come in with shopping bags filled with medications they were taking....lists the length of their arm. It was awful. These weren't people with serious illnesses. These were people that went to see the doctor for common every day ailments like stomach pain and got a pill. That pill gave them a headache, so they got a pill for that. That pill gave them ringing in their ears, so that got a pill for that....and before they knew it, they had a shopping bag full and now they really were sick. Most people's systems can't handle that many drugs. It was so sad. The thing is, they would take all of the pills, feel sicker than they did in the first place and still not know why they had stomach pain!

I use to run to the doctor for everything. Now I don't. I have learned to understand my body and symptoms. Sure, it is tempting to reach for the medicine bottle when my head hurts, but now I prefer to figure out why my head hurts and just deal with it. It hurts for a reason and I prefer to know why.

Many of us have awful diets, including me at times. We eat fast foods, processed foods and foods covered with insecticides and pesticides. It's easy to see why we often don't feel well. I go through phases of healthy eating, but always seem to fall back into the "whatever is easiest" rut. I find myself eating a handful of chips, or stopping for chai lattes almost everyday, or ordering desserts when we eat out. I never give a second thought to what that is doing to my body, until I feel awful with no energy or have a headache everyday or my nose is so stuffed up I can't breathe. That is what eating poorly does to me. I know that, because I know what it's like to eat healthy and feel fantastic.

About 4 years ago I was tested for food sensitivities. Those are a bit different than food allergies. With allergies you usually get symptoms immediately. With food sensitivities, the symptom can take hours or even days to appear. Everyone probably has sensitivities to something in their diet or their environment. My problem back then was wheat and chocolate. The way to correct the problem is to avoid eating those foods for about 6 months, which I did. I had never felt so good in my entire adult life.

Then as time went on, I slowly added the wheat back into my diet and felt fine. I tried adding the chocolate back in, but kept getting headaches, so I try to still avoid the chocolate. Over time though, my diet has really become inconsistent. I eat good, I eat bad, I eat bad, I eat bad, and then I might eat good for a while.

Lately I just haven't felt the way I know I should. I've been getting headaches, my nose is stuffy all the time and I'm tired during the day. I know why...so, I decided to get tested again. I had regular blood work done and I also got tested for Vitamin B and Vitamin D. I haven't eaten meat in over three years, so I was curious about my B and I had melanoma 10 years ago so I get very little, if any sun...so I wanted to see where my D was at. The test I had for the food sensitivities was called the ALCAT TEST. I got my results last night. Let's just say that I am a little frustrated right now and have some major decisions to make about my health.

Tomorrow I will talk about the test results with you. Let's suffice it to say that I am desparately looking for that "quick fix" pill right now!