This post could also be titled, "So You Think You Don't Have Time To Workout? - Have I Got A Workout For You!"
At the recommendation of a friend I recently ordered Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred. I received it Monday and have done it twice and have to tell you, I love it, and boy am I sore! I'm the type that does well working out at home with workout DVDs. I actually got really fit a few years back (ok, more like 10 years ago) by working out to Cindy Crawford's - Shape Your Body Workout. That home workout received a lot of flack because Cindy doesn't use the best form and she flies through the strength exercises instead of taking her time. However, I knew how to do the exercises properly and enjoyed the routine she used and would just pause it when she got ahead of me. I looked better then than I ever have! (or probably ever will)
But after 10 years, the same routine gets a little old, so I went to the gym for a while and then there was the months I did nothing, and then I started to just do my own routines at home and walk. So now I'm excited to get a DVD I like again! If you don't know who Jillian Michaels is, she has been one of the trainers on NBC's hit series The Biggest Loser. The DVD has three complete 20-minute workouts which progress by level of intensity, using an exclusive 3-2-1 interval system. 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of ab work. You do that routine 3 times and add a warm-up and cool-down and your done!
It's very challenging, and I've only done level one! However, it's not too hard to get throough because each exercise is only 30 seconds long. So you just tell yourself, it's only 30 seconds, I can do this for 30 seconds.
There's no fancy equipment required. Just a set of hand weights and a mat if you're on a hard surface. So it's easy to take with you to workout anywhere. I'm taking it, and my portable DVD player, to the lake this weekend in order to keep it up while I'm away.
The cardio is very basic, jumping jacks, butt kicks, jumping rope, and punching, (on Level 1) but it will have you sweating! I was literally dripping by the end of the workout.
So, if you don't think you have time to workout, surely you can find 20 minutes in your day to devote to your health. In that short time you'll still get a great workout with Jillian because she combines moves for small muscles with those for large ones and keeps your heart rate up the entire 20 minutes.
You can watch a clip of the DVD at Amazon.com, and Jillian also has her own website at http://www.jillianmichaels.com/index.aspx where you can find out more about her and also take advantage of her diet and exercise plans.
Oregano - Good For More Than Just Spaghetti Sauce I've been growing basil for the past 3 or 4 years, but this year when I went to purchase my seeds the store I was at had a multi-herb packet that enticed me. In it were seeds for basil, cilantro, chives, oregano and zinnias. All of which I planted and are coming along nicely, though as you can see from the photo, oregano grows much slower than basil. I was excited to have all these herbs, thinking only of all the yummy pestos and sauces I was going to make, but not giving much thought to any other benefits I could reap from eating them, until I came across a very short article in the June 9, issue of First magazine about oregano.
The article claims that women who consumed a 2 tsp. serving of dried or fresh oregano daily during menstruation experienced few or no cramps. Apparently the herb's thymol and carvacrol compounds relax uterine muscles so they don't generate painful contractions.
After reading that I was interested to know if there were any other benefits to be derived from the herb, and I found that there are quite a few. It's known to be good for easing upset stomachs, is a natural diuretic, kills parasites in the intestines, has sedative qualities that are useful in treating nervous disorders and irritability, it is thought to relieve dry coughs and asthma and some consider it to be perhaps the most powerful herbal anti fungal agent known. Wow! And I only thought it was only good for spicing up my food!
If you can't (or don't want to) grow your own, you can purchase it fresh from your local grocery or if you aren't a fan of the taste, it can also be taken in caplet form or as liquid drops.
IC Disease Health Blog Carnival
Sandy, who runs two great health-related sites, icdisease.today.com and www.fightingfatigue.org, recently invited me to participate in a blog carnival she was hosting. I had never joined a blog carnival before and wasn't exactly sure what they were or how they worked, so I did a little research. I found that a blog carnival simply brings together links to blog articles on a particular subject. Blogcarnival.com likens it to a magazine because, "it has a title, a topic, editors, contributors, and an audience... and editions of the carnival typically come out on a regular basis." (monthly in this case)
This month the only requirement was that the post submitted be health related. I decided to enter a post I made in April on A Link Between Blood Sugar And Alzheimer's Disease. However, you'll find articles on everything from fibromyalgia to acupuncture to staying active during pregnancy to relieving neuropathy pain naturally and more, since there were more than 25 links submitted! See for yourself by visiting The First IC Disease Health Blog Carnival. I'm sure you'll find a topic that interests you, and you may also find a few new health blogs you'll want to keep tabs on.
Next month's carnival is going to have the theme, Chronic Pain. I don't have much (if anything) written on this so I've got my homework cut out for me!
The Eyes Have It! Did you know that eye movements can affect brain function? Why? Researchers believe it's because the optic nerves directly link the eyes and the brain. The moves below are designed to help you improve alertness, memory, and more. Give them a try!
Note: Moves are for right-handed individuals, if you are left-handed reverse the move since your brain hemispheres are reversed.
To improve alertness – Focus on an object about 20 feet away for a few seconds, then switch your gaze to something closer. Do this a few times until you start to feel more energized. This jump-starts the part of your brain responsible for alertness and arousal and as an added bonus it also stretches the muscles around and inside the eye and can help combat eye strain when working at a computer.
To boost creativity -- Look to the upper right! Ever see a kid glance that way when they are telling you a story? It’s because it allows them to tap into the part of the brain responsible for creative thoughts and ideas.
To remember something -- Look to your upper left! Moving your eyes up and to the left activates the region of the brain responsible for visual memory. (I can't wait to try this next time I've forgotten where I parked!)
To build brainpower -- Move your eyes back and forth, from left to right for 30 seconds! By integrating both sides of the brain you help the two hemispheres of the brain interact more with each other which strengthens brain connections and can improve learning capacity, reading speed and even communication skills.
To fall asleep faster -- Roll your eyes as far up as they'll go, like you are trying to look at your forehead, while counting backward from 100 slowly, taking deep breaths, and telling yourself your becoming more relaxed with every count. Rolling your eyes deep into your head is said to reset brain circuitry to help you unwind.
source: Woman's World, April 14, 2008
Eating Low-Fat? Do This To Speed Up Your Weight Loss Researchers at Penn State University found that dieters who ate water-rich foods such as melon, cucumber, and soups, lost an average of five pounds more than women who adhered to a standard reduced-fat diet.
The study followed 71 obese women ages 22 to 60 for one year. The participants were taught by dietitians to make appropriate food choices for a diet low in calorie density, but unlike most diets, they were not assigned daily limits for calories.
Records of what they ate show that those with the water-rich diet ate an average of 25 percent more food by weight and thus felt more full. "By eating more fruits and vegetables they were able to eat more food, and this probably helped them to stick to their diet and lose more weight," said Julia A. Ello-Martin, who conducted the study.
Eat Yogurt To Prevent Gum Disease A recent article in the Journal of Periodontology reports that yogurt may help prevent periodontitis, a type of gum disease. In a study of 942 subjects aged 40 to 79 years, the incidence of the disease was close to 50 percent lower among those that ate lactic acid foods (yogurt and lactic acid drinks) than among those who didn't eat any. Subjects who took in the same amount of calcium but through milk or cheese, instead of lactic acid foods, did not see a significant effect on periodontal disease. Why? Possibly it is because one of the important differences between lactic acid foods and other dairy products, such as milk and cheese, is the presence of lactobacilli. Lactobacilli is a probiotic that may control the overgrowth of gum disease-causing bacteria. All it takes is just 55 grams a day (about 1/2 a serving of yogurt.)
Double Dippers Get 10,000 More Germs! If your mom told you not to double dip, it turns out she knew what she was talking about. The fact is, you might want to think twice before you're tempted to reload that chip. Researchers have discovered that when someone double dips three to six times it can transfer up to 10,000 bacteria to the bowl. Salsa was one of the worst culprits picking up more bacteria than thicker dips because of it's runny consistency, but its acidity makes the bacteria count decline faster.
Puffy Face? Try This Quick Fix Party a little too late last night? To help reduce those puffy eyes, put two clean teaspoons in the freezer for 5 minutes, then place one over each eyelid and at the same time hold an ice cube in your mouth. You should use your tongue to hold the ice against the roof of your mouth until the cube melts. The chilly spoons eliminate under-eye puffiness that can make you look sleepy, while the ice hydrates skin from the inside out to banish bloating. It's reported that Carrie Underwood used this very trick before the Grammy Awards!
Giving your baby a small dose of sugar water two minutes beforehand can increase their pain tolerance by up to 28 percent!
It may be that sucrose (common table sugar) provides a pain-killing analgesic benefit that is especially pronounced in infants.
Source: Penn State School of Nursing, University Park
What Your Food Cravings Mean II I get quite a few visits to my site from people trying to figure out what their food cravings mean. I wrote a post back in November of 2006, that listed 6 common cravings, why you might be having them, and what you can do to stop the craving. While Stumbling through websites a few weeks ago, I ran across the website of Dr. Colleen Huber, Naturopathic Medical Doctor. She has a page on her site devoted to food cravings. Her list is more extensive, with a total of 18 cravings -- everything from chocolate and sweets to chewing ice, to burned food, to tobacco -- and then she lists what you may really need and what healthy foods you can substitute that have it. You can find her site at: http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php.
Why Eat Iceberg Lettuce And Celery Do you avoid iceberg lettuce and celery because you subscribe to the myths that iceberg lettuce has no nutrients and celery is just water? The myths are partially true. Iceberg doesn't have as many nutrients as the darker leafed varieties, and celery is more than 90% water. However, both are still good for you and contain vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.
Celery facts:
Keeps your blood pressure down. Celery contains pthalides, rare compounds that lower your blood pressure by relaxing artery walls.
Lowers cancer risk. Celery also contains apigenin, a potent phytochemical that protects against cancer by inhibiting gene mutations.
Helps you stay slim. Celery sticks can satisfy an urge to munch with virtually no calories.
Iceberg lettuce facts:
Boosts bones. 1 cup of shredded iceberg lettuce delivers nearly 20% of your daily does of vitamin K, a nutrient many women don't get enough of. Researchers say that women who ate one or more servings a day of lettuce (they're all rich in it) had the lowest rates of hip fractures.
Protects your sight. Iceberg lettuce is a good source of vitamin A, needed to keep your vision sharp. 1 cup supplies 15% of your daily dose.
So though they may not pack the punch of other veggies, if you like them, eat them. They can still be a great vehicle for getting more produce into your day!
Have you ever found yourself standing in the produce isle looking at a display of bananas with a sign over them that says something to the effect of Bananas - $ .39 with another right next to it that says, Organic Bananas - $ .79? How do you know which is which?
Actually, there is a very simple way. Those irritating little stickers that are on the produce are the key. There's apparently a method to the madness behind them. A 4-digit number means the food was conventionally grown, whereas a 5-digit number beginning with a 9 means it was grown organically.
So the conventionally grown banana will have the number 4011. While an organic one will say 94011.
Studies show that there is a 34% increase in antioxidant activity of organic apples versus conventional ones. Now you know how to pick the organic every time!
I read a great analogy yesterday regarding those times when you fall off the 'healthy life' wagon. It came in an email and was taken from a SparkPeople forum post. The poster, Lisahas2cats, said, "If you forgot to brush your teeth last night, did you decide this morning to throw in the towel and never brush your teeth again? Since you're obviously a slob who doesn't have enough self- discipline to remember to brush your teeth, why bother brushing them at all if you forgot to last night?
Of course not."
Most of us would not beat ourselves up for forgetting to brush our teeth, that would just be silly! But yet if we were to over-indulge at a dinner party, or ate too many sweets yesterday, or didn't get around to exercising for a couple days, we figure it's of no use trying and just give up.
Just because you've gone off track, don't give up! It's about moving forward again! So today, dust yourself off, give yourself a hug, and start anew. Go for a walk, eat healthier, drink more water... and go brush your teeth!
Could More Fiber Help You Lose Weight?
As I was Stumbling through websites the other night I came across the video below. I found it interesting and thought a little about the amount of fiber I eat in a day. Strangely, just a couple of days later I read the experience of Shon Gables in the May 2008 issue of Fitness magazine. She took the challenge to make one small change to her diet, which was to eat more fiber at every meal, consuming at least 30 grams of fiber a day.
The result? She lost 5 pounds in a month!
Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D., author of The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss, says it's because "fiber-packed foods tend to be low in calories, yet they're dense, so you can eat until you're full and still barely make a dent in your daily calorie count. And fiber will also keep your blood-sugar levels even, staving off hunger and energy lulls."
With all this information in hand, I decided to make 30+ grams of fiber a day my goal. Today was day one. The verdict regarding difficulty? I thought it was quite easy! I actually ate more than usual, but what I ate was better for me than what I eat many days. I will admit that figuring out a high fiber dinner was the hardest part. I had already had 24 grams before that meal though, so with the broccoli and whole grain rice I had, I ended up right at 30 grams.
I found sugar snap peas to be a great source of fiber and they made it easy for me to reach my lunch-time goal. Also fruits such as apples and pears are high in fiber. And when produce is nowhere to be found, at the recommendation of a friend, I purchased Fiber One Bars - Oats & Chocolate. These easy-to-take-with-you bars have a whopping 9 grams of fiber packed into them and are great for breakfast on-the-run!
Shon says she will stick with the plan and that she has more energy, is now regular, and doesn't feel bloated the way she used to.
As for me, I'll let you know at the end of two weeks what (if any) difference it has made.
If you try it, or already eat the recommended amount of fiber a day, let me know if you think it made a difference in your health and/or weight and how you feel and also any favorite high-fiber foods you would recommend.
I Won More Entrcard Credits!
Last month the Marcus Hochstadt who runs the Internet Business Guide at www.Hochstadt.com, hosted a one-of-a-kind Party Contest to celebrate that it is indeed possible to catapult from no man’s land to popularity in 107 days! There were 220 winners with a monetary value of more than $7,000+ (!!) and exactly 66,666ec (”ec” = Entrecard Credits)!!
Well, I'm happy to report that I was one of those lucky 220! Shelia of Black Tennis Pros, was kind enough to donate the 1,500 Entrecard Credits that I was the recipient of. Black Tennis Pro's has the current events, match facts and latest info on the Black professionals in the game of tennis. So if you enjoy Tennis stop by her site and see what's going on, she updates it regularly.
Thanks again to Marcus and Shelia and congratulations to all the winners! (If you're one of them I'd love to hear which prize you received, leave me a post letting me know.)
20 Ways To Burn 50 Calories A Day (And Lose 5 lbs. A Year)
In a recent post I listed 30 ways for you to cut 50 calories a day and lose up to 5 pounds a year. The reverse is also true. If you burn 50 more calories a day, you'll also lose those 5 pounds. It's really not as hard as it seems. Most people think they will have to add 20 to 30 minutes of walking to burn 50 calories, but it actually only takes 10! So, here I've written a list of 20 ways you can burn 50 extra calories today.
Just think, if you burn 50 more calories a day and also cut 50 extra calories, in a year you can lose around 10 pounds!
Walk at a moderate pace for 10 minutes.
Play Frisbee for 15 minutes.
Wash your car by hand for 10 minutes.
Put your leaf blower away and rake those leaves. In 10 minutes you'll burn 60 calories!
Get off that raft while in the pool and swim! Just 10 minutes of light swimming burns over 50 calories.
Make someone feel good. By giving a massage for 15 minutes you'll burn more than 50 calories. (maybe you can talk them into reciprocating... in the name of burning calories of course!)
Bowl for 20 minutes.
Play pool for 25 minutes.
Catch your dinner. Actively fish for 25 minutes.
Build something. You'll burn more than 50 calories when you do 15 minutes of carpentry.
Does your room need a make-over? Paint for 20 minutes.
Play a game of catch with your kids for 20 minutes.
Stand while talking on the phone, working at your computer (all you bloggers), eating, etc. You burn at least 20 more calories per hour when you stand than when you sit.
Note: Calorie burn varies from person to person. A heavier person will burn more calories than a lighter one for each activity. Most of the figures above are based on a 130 lb. person. Use a Calorie Estimator to find out how many calories you, personally, will burn.
On A 'Lighter' Note
I thought I'd take a break from my usual, serious, health and diet posts and throw in something a little more light-hearted. After all, as they say, 'laughter is the best medicine!' I hope you enjoy these diet and health related funnies.
According to a recent article I just read on nutrition, they said eating right doesn't have to be complicated. Nutritionists say there is a simple way to tell if you're eating right. Colors. Fill your plates with bright colors. Greens, reds, yellows. In fact, I did that this morning. I had an entire bowl of M&M's. It was delicious! I never knew eating right could be so easy.
A woman walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look," she said. "What's your secret for a long happy life?" "I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day," he said. "I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat fatty foods, and never exercise." "That's amazing," the woman said. "How old are you?" "Twenty-six," he said.
"I suspected my wife was really struggling with her new no-desserts diet when she started calling out 'Ooh! Willy Wonka!' in her sleep."
I have a great diet. You're allowed to eat anything you want, but you must eat it with naked fat people. --Ed Bluestone
If you only need to lose a few pounds, or just want to take it slow and steady, you can lose around 5 pounds a year just by cutting 50 calories a day from your diet. Here is a list of 30 simple substitutions, or tricks, you can incorporate into your day to cut those calories without hardly noticing it. Choose 2, or burn 50 more calories a day, (suggestions to do this are coming in a future post) and you could lose up to 10 pounds in a year!
Use skim milk instead of flavored creamer in your coffee.
Use non-stick spray instead of 2 tsp. oil.
Cut out 4 oz. of soda or orange juice.
Use low-fat cream cheese instead of regular.
If you must have french fries, have steak fries instead of shoestring fries. (steak fries absorb less oil thus lowering your calorie intake by 50 calories per 4 oz serving)
Use a low-fat salad dressing instead of full fat on your salad.
Skip the cheese on your sandwich.
Have 1 ounce of pretzels instead of 1 ounce of potato chips.
Use low-fat yogurt instead of sour cream where you can. (such as in dips)
Ditch one piece of bread on your sandwiches, instead eat them open-faced.
Use applesauce in place of oil or butter in home-made baked goods.
Have a 'fun-sized' candy bar instead of a full-sized one.
Eat a piece of angel food cake instead of chocolate Devil's food cake.
Eat an ear of corn on the cob instead of a 1 cup serving from a can. (an ear has around 85 calories, but a 1 cup serving has over 160!)
Eat 2 Tbs. less ice cream.
Have 4 oz. ground turkey instead of 4 oz ground beef.
Have a glass of wine instead of a margarita.
Have salsa instead of guacamole.
Use mustard instead of mayonnaise on your sub sandwich.
Eat egg whites only, cut out the yolks. (An egg has around 76 calories, more than 50 of which are in the yolk)
Use an 8-inch tortilla instead of a 10-inch one.
Buy your tuna packed in water instead of oil. (this one saves over 100 calories!)
Use light syrup instead of regular.
Drink non-fat milk instead of whole.
Eat roasted chicken instead of fried.
Eat couscous instead of white rice.
Blot your pizza with a napkin. (soaking up just one teaspoon of grease can cut 50 calories)
Only use 1 Tbs. of peanut butter, instead of 2, on your PB&J sandwich.
Eat 2 fewer meatballs with your spaghetti and meatballs.
Eat 2 fewer chicken nuggets.
Your-Best-Life.blogspot.com is becoming VibrantHealthyU.com
We are becoming VibrantHealthyU.com! I'm very excited about the name change, but I guess I should also apologize for any inconvenience that our readers might incur during the transition. However, in the end, our name change will be a good thing! Your-Best-Life.blogspot.com is a lot of name to remember, so I decided to purchase a custom domain that will make it easier for our new readers to come back to, time and again.
The title Vibrant Healthy U, was selected after considering a few factors. First, I knew using Your Best Life was out of the question, since Oprah pretty much now has the market on that term. So, I wanted to make it something with the word 'health' in the name. Second, this blog is here to help you (U) gain vibrant health. And once I had narrowed it down to VibrantHealthyYou or VibrantHealthyU, I thought the U would be more fitting since a university (U) is an institution of learning of the highest level, and I hope that our health, fitness, and nutrition tips are to you a source of higher learning to help you gain vibrant health.
It seems that the change should be seamless for our subscribers. However, the transition will not be complete for another 48 hours or so and I can't be sure until it occurs. I will try to get as many URLs changed (such as at Entrecard and Blog Catalog) as quickly as possible once the transition is complete. Fortunately, the old name will still redirect to the new one so there shouldn't be a problem visiting us, except that it may take a few seconds longer to get here.
Thanks for your patience, there will be many good articles to get you to vibrant health coming in the near future... and let me know what you think of the new name.
Try Pilates For Killer Summer Abs
Are you working hard to get your body ready for summer? I am. But, if you're like me, you may bore of doing the same workout routine day-in and day-out. I've been doing the 8-minute abs workout, but it's time for something new. I went in search of that 'something' this morning and I found a Pilates workout that is just like the class I love to take at our local gym!
While I was debating about posting it, I read at Health Nut Wannabee Mom's Blog, that, "Drew Barrymore prefers to burn calories with a workout that includes Pilates," and Diet-Blog.com is reporting that "core training is one of the top 10 fitness trends of 2008." Reading these posts confirmed to me that this was definitely something my readers might find useful.
Remember to keep your tummy pulled in tight the entire workout. I've found that Pilates, when done correctly, never seems to get easy. You can always work on improving your form. If you've never done Pilates before, you'll be sore!
Drink L-theanine Water To Help De-Stress L-theanine is a natural amino acid that comes from green tea. It may seem odd that something from tea, which is known as a stimulant, could help with stress and anxiety but this amino acid has been proven to create a sense of relaxation and calm in just 30 minutes, without making you drowsy. It apparently stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, leaving you feeling like you would after deep meditation, a hot bath, or a massage, deeply relaxed but mentally alert.
L-theanine also may also positively effect dopamine and serotonin levels, affecting your mood positively and increasing memory and learning ability. It's also suggested that it may help lower blood pressure and enhance the anti-tumor activity of chemotherapeutic drugs.
Based on the results of clinical studies, L-theanine is most effective in the range of 50-200 mg taken at the first signs of stress . You can purchase it in pill form or additionally, many companies are realizing the demand, in our stress laden world, and are adding it to water, energy drinks and more. Blue Cow, The Original Relaxation Drink and Amp Energy Elevate, are two that can be found in your local supermarket or health food store.
By not controlling your blood sugar levels you put yourself in line for a whole host of problems including thirst, blurred vision, slow to heal cuts and bruises, kidney disease, nerve damage, heart disease and more. Now, it seems, there is another problem to add to that list. According to a long-term study published in the April 9, 2008, online issue of Neurology, men who develop diabetes in mid-life appear to significantly increase their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
The study, which tested the glucose levels of 2,269 Swedish at age 50 for diabetes, found that during an average follow up of 32 years, 102 participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The results indicate that men with low insulin secretion capacity at age 50 were nearly one-and-a-half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than people without insulin problems.
One of the researchers, Dr ElinaRönnemaa, says, "A link between insulin problems and the origins of Alzheimer's disease emphasizes the importance of insulin in normal brain function." She contemplates that perhaps insulin problems lead to damaged blood vessels in the brain, which causes problems with memory and Alzheimer's disease, but she emphasized that further research was needed to discover the detailed underlying biology.
Whatever the reason for the connection, it means that you need to keep your blood sugar levels in control. If you are not sure if your blood sugar levels are normal, The American Diabetes Association encourages people to take the Diabetes Risk Test and, of course, be sure to follow up by speaking to your physician regarding your results.
The Invisible Ailment - A Look At The Spoon Theory
Are you someone who is fighting a disease, going through the ups-and-downs, but to those on the outside you may look fine? Last night I ran across an article that I just had to share with my readers. It's entitled The Spoon Theory and can be found at http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/navigation/BYDLS-TheSpoonTheory.pdf. Please take a few minutes to read this if you, or anyone you know, has Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, or any other 'invisible' disease. It will help you to make sense of how different doing everyday tasks are for someone who is sick verses a healthy person.
I, personally, have a neuromusular disorder that affects my feet and eventually, possibly, my hands. If I'm sitting no one would realize I have anything wrong. When I'm walking, most people do notice that I have a strange gait and trip easily. This is caused by the odd formation of my feet (high arches and instep and my ankles roll outward) due to the nerves not functioning correctly. But what they don't realize is that because my nerves are twice as slow as a normal person's, it takes me twice as much energy to do the same task. When I was younger I just pushed on and ignored my limitations. Today I realize I can't do that or I'll pay for it later! That is why I found Christine Miserandino's personal story and her analogy of what it is like to live with sickness or disability, through The Spoon Theory, so on-the-spot and compelling.
Christine's website at http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/, also has some great information, valuable resources, and even a store that has items with cute sayings like the one to the right, for anyone who wants to live life to the fullest with any disability, invisible disease, or chronic pain. She is a writer, blogger, speaker and patient advocate, who also happens to be living with Lupus. She started her advocacy due to consistently being told, by both well-wishers and doctors alike, “But you don't look sick.” as if that was some kind of compensation for being chronically ill.
I hope you find Christine's Spoon Theory as helpful as I did!
A couple of years ago I noticed that one side of my neck had more and deeper wrinkles than the other . It took me a while to realize why, but one morning as I looked in the mirror it dawned on me. The side that was more wrinkled is the side I sleep on!
Although sleep is a potent anti-ager, 'sleep wrinkles' can be caused by pressing your face into the pillow at night, or in my case, squishing together in the fetal position night after night.
What can be done? The easiest way to keep from getting sleep wrinkles is to learn to sleep on your back. However, since that might be easier said than done, you may want to try an Anti-Wrinkle Pillow like the Eases Gentle Pillow which claims that their stress free facial channel takes pressure off of wrinkle sensitive areas while you're sleeping to ease night time aging around your eyes and ears, or the Cuprotex Copper Pillow Case. The Cuprotex Copper Pillow Case is made with Cuprotex fabric. Cuprotex uses the benefits of copper technology woven into the fabric and, supposedly, reduces the appearance of facial wrinkles, fine lines and liver spots.
The American Diabetes Alert Day is a one-day, “wake-up” call to inform the American public about the seriousness of diabetes. Nearly 21 million children and adults in the U.S. have diabetes and one-third of those (more than six million) do not know they have diabetes. Could you be at risk? The American Diabetes Association encourages people to take the Diabetes Risk Test and find out.
I scored in the Low-Moderate range. I have a parent with diabetes which increases my risk. So in order to keep my risk low I need to keep my weight in control, be active, and eat low fat meals high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Most people with diabetes have health problems -- or risk factors -- such as high blood pressure and cholesterol that increase one's risk for heart disease and stroke. When combined with diabetes, these risk factors add up to big trouble. In fact, more than 65% of people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke. With diabetes, heart attacks occur earlier in life and often result in death. By managing diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, people with diabetes can reduce their risk.
Don't wait until it's too late. The American Diabetes Association Risk Test for Diabetes can help you determine if you are at increased risk for diabetes or pre-diabetes. A high score may indicate that you have pre-diabetes or at risk for pre-diabetes. Take the test and find out for sure.
This post could also be titled, "So You Think You Don't Have Time To Workout? - Have I Got A Workout For You!"
. That home workout received a lot of flack because Cindy doesn't use the best form and she flies through the strength exercises instead of taking her time. However, I knew how to do the exercises properly and enjoyed the routine she used and would just pause it when she got ahead of me. I looked better then than I ever have! (or probably ever will) 
or as 
.
, which was written by the director of the study, Barbara Rolls, Ph.D.
. She took the challenge to make one small change to her diet, which was to eat more fiber at every meal, consuming at least 30 grams of fiber a day.
, says it's because "fiber-packed foods tend to be low in calories, yet they're dense, so you can eat until you're full and still barely make a dent in your daily calorie count. And fiber will also keep your blood-sugar levels even, staving off hunger and energy lulls."
. These easy-to-take-with-you bars have a whopping 9 grams of fiber packed into them and are great for breakfast on-the-run!
which claims that their stress free facial channel takes pressure off of wrinkle sensitive areas while you're sleeping to ease night time aging around your eyes and ears, or the 
. The 
