Here are some books that I've read this year that are worth taking a look at for well-being and good intentions:
The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
Grace (Eventually) Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott
The Deepest Secrets - Deepak Chopra
30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - Deborah Smith Pegues
Here are some books I've read just for fun, escape and professional development:
Self Storage - Gayle Brandeis - About a woman who purchases the contents of abandoned storage lockers and sells them at yard sales to make money to live.
Strapless - Deborah Davis - About the John Singer Sargent painting of Madame X. Reads like a novel.
Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen - about a travelling circus in the 1930's and the lives of the circus performers.
Permission Marketing - Seth Godin - the alternative to interruption marketing and the way to build a better relationship with your prospects.
Please share yours with me especially a good vacation book! Thanks.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Post Fourth of July
I can't believe I wrote the cleanse instructions last night after being at a chilly, damp fourth of July party yesterday. We sat on a beautiful Adirondack porch all afternoon noshing on salty snacks and picnic fare followed by three scrumptious desserts. I felt like I need to de-tox for the next month.
Today, I started the day off with a brisk walk to the tune of some Motown, Prince and U2 favorites like "We are Family" and "Beautiful Day." It is not a beautiful day here in the Northeast but one can only project positive thoughts and hope. I find that in absence of sunlight that does help lift my spirits sometimes. I prefer sunlight and warmth.
While I was at the spa I had my Body Mass Index (BMI) checked. This is a measure of body fat based on height and weight for adult men and women. The reason its important to know is that muscle mass is as important as weight in determining your fitness and propensity for heart disease or diabetes. For example, someone can weigh only 115 pounds and have a high BMI. If your family has a history of heart disease or diabetes its even more important that you know your BMI and what to do if it is not within a safe range. If you click this link http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ you will go to a website by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute which has a great little BMI calculator and lots of information on BMI.
So, at the spa they told me my BMI was too high given my family history. I measured about 26% and it should be more in the range of 20-23%. Needless to say, I was stunned. I had been doing pilates and yoga multiple times per week for the last 4 years and walking at least 3-4 times per week, outdoors, winter, spring, summer and fall. That, plus adventure vacations like a biking trip in Italy and hiking in the Snow Canyon in Utah seemed to indicate to me that I was physically fit. And, my weight is pretty normal. In fact, some people who are not wearing glasses or don't look too closely actually say I'm thin.
What had happened is that I was beginning to lose muscle mass (you could argue this is age related but that's no excuse they told me!). I needed to do more cardio exercise, they said, regularly, and increase the pace and intensity of my walks. Yoga and pilates alone weren't going to sustain me. They also recommended a heart monitor which I have not purchased yet. It's a contraption that you velcro around your chest just below your bust and its attached to a band. With this digital wrist band, you can tell how fast you are walking or running and at what rate. Then they gave me a workout plan for the next 6-12 weeks that steadily increases the pace of my walks/runs until I am burning more fat and building more muscle.
I am using the iPod version of this heart monitor. What I mean is that I'm too cheap to buy the heart monitor. Since my iPod shows the minutes of each song, I am timing my walking and running by the song and just going faster and slower every 2-3 minutes. It seems to me this should work, giving me less contraptions to deal with, which in this on-demand, digital, blackberry, cellphone age is the reason I go outdoors for walks in the first place. It also makes me feel less like a bionic woman and more like someone with an actual heart. I will let you know how I do.
Today, I started the day off with a brisk walk to the tune of some Motown, Prince and U2 favorites like "We are Family" and "Beautiful Day." It is not a beautiful day here in the Northeast but one can only project positive thoughts and hope. I find that in absence of sunlight that does help lift my spirits sometimes. I prefer sunlight and warmth.
While I was at the spa I had my Body Mass Index (BMI) checked. This is a measure of body fat based on height and weight for adult men and women. The reason its important to know is that muscle mass is as important as weight in determining your fitness and propensity for heart disease or diabetes. For example, someone can weigh only 115 pounds and have a high BMI. If your family has a history of heart disease or diabetes its even more important that you know your BMI and what to do if it is not within a safe range. If you click this link http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ you will go to a website by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute which has a great little BMI calculator and lots of information on BMI.
So, at the spa they told me my BMI was too high given my family history. I measured about 26% and it should be more in the range of 20-23%. Needless to say, I was stunned. I had been doing pilates and yoga multiple times per week for the last 4 years and walking at least 3-4 times per week, outdoors, winter, spring, summer and fall. That, plus adventure vacations like a biking trip in Italy and hiking in the Snow Canyon in Utah seemed to indicate to me that I was physically fit. And, my weight is pretty normal. In fact, some people who are not wearing glasses or don't look too closely actually say I'm thin.
What had happened is that I was beginning to lose muscle mass (you could argue this is age related but that's no excuse they told me!). I needed to do more cardio exercise, they said, regularly, and increase the pace and intensity of my walks. Yoga and pilates alone weren't going to sustain me. They also recommended a heart monitor which I have not purchased yet. It's a contraption that you velcro around your chest just below your bust and its attached to a band. With this digital wrist band, you can tell how fast you are walking or running and at what rate. Then they gave me a workout plan for the next 6-12 weeks that steadily increases the pace of my walks/runs until I am burning more fat and building more muscle.
I am using the iPod version of this heart monitor. What I mean is that I'm too cheap to buy the heart monitor. Since my iPod shows the minutes of each song, I am timing my walking and running by the song and just going faster and slower every 2-3 minutes. It seems to me this should work, giving me less contraptions to deal with, which in this on-demand, digital, blackberry, cellphone age is the reason I go outdoors for walks in the first place. It also makes me feel less like a bionic woman and more like someone with an actual heart. I will let you know how I do.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
The Cleanse Instructions
Here are the instructions for the cleanse...
Duration - 6 days
Daily - Drink 8 oz of Fresh Vegetable Juice at each mealtime
Vegetable Juice Ingredients: ginger, garlic, as many dark leafy greens as possible, celery, parsley, kale, red pepper, beets, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, romaine lettuce and green apple.
Drink water or warm lemon water throughout the day.
Take vitamin supplements and Culturelle http://www.culturelle.com/ every AM.
Take 2 oz. Chorofil (Nature's Gate) with water every day.
A little warm Miso soup and raw garlic if you can stand it, are helpful.
Get a massage every day if possible close to bedtime.
Monday through Friday, have only vegetable juice and some steamed vegetables. About midway through the week you will feel quite low and out of energy but the reversal at the end of the week is amazing. You will feel very strong and energetic. Have a health food store prepare a quart of the vegetable juice for you every day so that it is as fresh as possible when you drink it. Eat before the massage each day if possible. Go to sleep early and at the same time every night.
By Friday evening, begin to introduce a bit more food like some Quinoa with your steamed vegetables. On Saturday, start eating very slowly - some brown rice, salmon and vegetables in small amounts. By Sunday you can resume normal eating in moderation. You will feel great.
Duration - 6 days
Daily - Drink 8 oz of Fresh Vegetable Juice at each mealtime
Vegetable Juice Ingredients: ginger, garlic, as many dark leafy greens as possible, celery, parsley, kale, red pepper, beets, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, romaine lettuce and green apple.
Drink water or warm lemon water throughout the day.
Take vitamin supplements and Culturelle http://www.culturelle.com/ every AM.
Take 2 oz. Chorofil (Nature's Gate) with water every day.
A little warm Miso soup and raw garlic if you can stand it, are helpful.
Get a massage every day if possible close to bedtime.
Monday through Friday, have only vegetable juice and some steamed vegetables. About midway through the week you will feel quite low and out of energy but the reversal at the end of the week is amazing. You will feel very strong and energetic. Have a health food store prepare a quart of the vegetable juice for you every day so that it is as fresh as possible when you drink it. Eat before the massage each day if possible. Go to sleep early and at the same time every night.
By Friday evening, begin to introduce a bit more food like some Quinoa with your steamed vegetables. On Saturday, start eating very slowly - some brown rice, salmon and vegetables in small amounts. By Sunday you can resume normal eating in moderation. You will feel great.
Doing a Detox or a "Cleanse"
Right before the last holiday season, I decided I needed a "cleanse". I am a "Sugar Mama" as, Tali, my health and wellness counselor would say. I have carb and chocolate cravings all the time and love wine. Being in my fifties and menopausal makes my sugar addiction even more challenging. According to the website by Women to Women http://www.womentowomen.com/insulinresistance/cravings.asp
sugar cravings are typical when hormone levels change. During the holidays when levels of stress tend to rise and there is a veritable smorgasborg of sugar offerings at every turn, most of us who are menopausal are destined for hot flash hell. And those of us who are not menopausal but otherwise sugar addicted are destined for weight gain, discomfort and a general malaise from sugar toxification.
Now, on the subject of hot flashes, please forgive me for this little diversion. Most of us don't particularly like hot flashes. Here's what happens for those of you who are neophytes to this age bracket. You are in a business meeting in a conference room. First you break into a sweat, your body gets completely drenched sometimes, ruining your $500.00 MaxMara blouse or worse, your $1000.00 jacket. Beads of sweat appear on your upper lip and a quick surreptitious swipe with a kleenex removes your "stay all day" lipstick. You try to remain calm in the face of a room full of young, mostly male co-workers who wouldn't have a clue what you're experiencing because no-one discusses this part of life until they are in it. Or worse yet, they've seen their mother throw off her sweater in disgust and think it represents an off-balance mental condition. You don't dare ask "Is it hot in here?" because you know the answer will be no. So you suffer in silence until low-and-behold you are now freezing, with actual gooseflesh, compelling you to reach for your $5.00, street-purchased, pashmina. Then, you grab a cup of hot, caffinated coffee and whatever continental breakfast confection is sitting right next to it and the cycle begins again in about 15 minutes.
Fun, huh? Not really. I was determined to conquer this problem once and for all without the use of drugs. That in itself is a whole other story which I'll share in my next posting about going "cold turkey" from HRT. For those men who are reading this, rest assured this blog isn't going to be just about menopause. You have to admit though, its incredibly interesting. And, it could help you better understand your significant other, which is always a good idea. When I told my ex-husband I did this cleanse, he listened with rapt attention and took notes. Bear with me, I'm getting to the cleanse part.
Somewhere along the line in my travels through Whole Foods or GMC looking for miracle and natural hot flash removal ministrations, I got the idea of detoxing my body or doing a "cleanse." I discussed this with Tali, my wellness counselor, a couple of weeks before Christmas. I had been travelling non-stop for about 3 months, had just been to Italy to visit a dying cousin who I was very close to and who was my age, work stress was at an all time high, and I had lots of family, including ex-husband with his wife, coming to see my new house over the holidays. Needless to say my body was an insulin resistant, hormonally out of balance, toxified machine complete with hot steam. So, I asked Tali, what is a "cleanse" and could I do one quickly before the first guest arrived?
She jumped on this, at-the-ready with exactly how to de-tox. She even knew the healthfood store in my town, The Four Seasons, where I could get the required supplies. She prescribed a regimen of vegetable juice, steamed vegetables, some supplements, and massages for 6 days straight. I could do this! Especially the massage part. I live in a spa city where the number of massage therapists far outnumbers the numbers of corporate executives. There at least 20 of them who charge under $75.00 for a 45 minute massage. So, I took copious notes while Tali gave me the instructions and the right side of my brain kicked into high gear. I loved following new solution-oriented instructions. I was her star pupil, her teacher's pet. Bring on the cleanse.
Stay tuned. I'll give you the complete cleanse instructions tomorrow....Bye for now.
sugar cravings are typical when hormone levels change. During the holidays when levels of stress tend to rise and there is a veritable smorgasborg of sugar offerings at every turn, most of us who are menopausal are destined for hot flash hell. And those of us who are not menopausal but otherwise sugar addicted are destined for weight gain, discomfort and a general malaise from sugar toxification.
Now, on the subject of hot flashes, please forgive me for this little diversion. Most of us don't particularly like hot flashes. Here's what happens for those of you who are neophytes to this age bracket. You are in a business meeting in a conference room. First you break into a sweat, your body gets completely drenched sometimes, ruining your $500.00 MaxMara blouse or worse, your $1000.00 jacket. Beads of sweat appear on your upper lip and a quick surreptitious swipe with a kleenex removes your "stay all day" lipstick. You try to remain calm in the face of a room full of young, mostly male co-workers who wouldn't have a clue what you're experiencing because no-one discusses this part of life until they are in it. Or worse yet, they've seen their mother throw off her sweater in disgust and think it represents an off-balance mental condition. You don't dare ask "Is it hot in here?" because you know the answer will be no. So you suffer in silence until low-and-behold you are now freezing, with actual gooseflesh, compelling you to reach for your $5.00, street-purchased, pashmina. Then, you grab a cup of hot, caffinated coffee and whatever continental breakfast confection is sitting right next to it and the cycle begins again in about 15 minutes.
Fun, huh? Not really. I was determined to conquer this problem once and for all without the use of drugs. That in itself is a whole other story which I'll share in my next posting about going "cold turkey" from HRT. For those men who are reading this, rest assured this blog isn't going to be just about menopause. You have to admit though, its incredibly interesting. And, it could help you better understand your significant other, which is always a good idea. When I told my ex-husband I did this cleanse, he listened with rapt attention and took notes. Bear with me, I'm getting to the cleanse part.
Somewhere along the line in my travels through Whole Foods or GMC looking for miracle and natural hot flash removal ministrations, I got the idea of detoxing my body or doing a "cleanse." I discussed this with Tali, my wellness counselor, a couple of weeks before Christmas. I had been travelling non-stop for about 3 months, had just been to Italy to visit a dying cousin who I was very close to and who was my age, work stress was at an all time high, and I had lots of family, including ex-husband with his wife, coming to see my new house over the holidays. Needless to say my body was an insulin resistant, hormonally out of balance, toxified machine complete with hot steam. So, I asked Tali, what is a "cleanse" and could I do one quickly before the first guest arrived?
She jumped on this, at-the-ready with exactly how to de-tox. She even knew the healthfood store in my town, The Four Seasons, where I could get the required supplies. She prescribed a regimen of vegetable juice, steamed vegetables, some supplements, and massages for 6 days straight. I could do this! Especially the massage part. I live in a spa city where the number of massage therapists far outnumbers the numbers of corporate executives. There at least 20 of them who charge under $75.00 for a 45 minute massage. So, I took copious notes while Tali gave me the instructions and the right side of my brain kicked into high gear. I loved following new solution-oriented instructions. I was her star pupil, her teacher's pet. Bring on the cleanse.
Stay tuned. I'll give you the complete cleanse instructions tomorrow....Bye for now.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Its actually about time that I did this. I just got back from a great adventure spa vacation in southwest Utah. I'll post some pretty pictures of it as soon as I download them from my digital camera. Maybe some of you have done this kind of thing - adventure spas I mean not downloading digital pictures.
Anyway, I'm 54 and people say I look 41ish. I always think about the "ish" part but I'll take it. I attribute the age reaction to several things. More later.
Anyway, I'm 54 and people say I look 41ish. I always think about the "ish" part but I'll take it. I attribute the age reaction to several things. More later.
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