I'm not a vegetarian, vegan, or health food fanatic. I am concerned about eating healthy, but I am a realist. I don't want to spend hours of every day preparing food. I don't want to spend any more of my money for my food than is necessary. These are not rigid rules, and I make PLENTY of exceptions. Food is to be enjoyed, and rigid rules squash the fun if you ask me.
1. I don't drink caffeine. I gave it up completely a few years ago. I don't drink much soda of any kind, but when I do it is never caffeinated, and never diet. The stuff is bad. It rots your teeth, causes headaches, and all sorts of other nasty stuff. It's not worth the flavor. It's weird, after not having any for a long time, the actual taste isn't that great either. It tastes like a bunch of chemicals. Speaking of chemicals ...
2. I really don't like anything with artificial sweeteners. Fake sugar is just wrong. If I am going to eat something sweet, give it to me with the real deal. I'm ok with some of the natural sweeteners, like honey, fruit, etc. but not those chemically derived, so called "natural" sweeteners. Just give me the good stuff, in moderation, thank you.
3. I generally avoid "fake" food. You know, things like, "processed cheese food", margarine, fruit "dink", candy that tastes like plastic, etc. You know what I mean, the stuff that has more chemicals in the ingredient list than recognizable food, with a nutritional value of zero.
4. I avoid the microwave. When you microwave food you kill a lot of the nutrients. I try to avoid using it. I'm not rigid about this, just avoid it when possible. I usually thaw frozen food in a bowl of room temperature water instead of nuking it.
5. I don't over salt my food. I cook with some, but leave it to the individual eating it to salt it to their taste. I don't like my food too salty. A lot of processed, canned foods are so salty that I don't like the taste of them.
6. I prefer to use sea salt over the highly processed, iodized, table
salt we grew up with. Sea salt tastes GREAT! There is just no getting
around it. If there are health benefits, woo hoo!
7. I prefer locally grown, non genetically altered, chemical free produce. I would really like it if I could grow all I eat myself, but I'm just not that ambitious. The local produce tastes so much better. Here in Hawaii, the stuff grown elsewhere has been on a boat for WEEKS and you can tell. Maybe the tomatoes are more round, but they taste like water logged cardboard. I won't however, pay $7/pound for organic tomatoes. Being concerned about the quality of my food supply, doesn't make me an economic fool.
8. I prefer to eat chocolate that was NOT produced by slaves, child or otherwise. Most of the world's chocolate supply comes from the Ivory Coast and I don't like their methods. Human beings are more important than a tasty treat. Luckily, we grow plenty of chocolate here in Hawaii, without the use of slave labor. Hawaiian chocolate is very delicious! I also like Green & Black's peanut and sea salt chocolate bar. They are a high quality, free trade, chocolate company.
9. Give me real butter, or give me death. No, not really, but I really don't see the point in eating anything called "vegetable spread" that clearly has no vegetables in it. Just like the sugar thing, if I'm going to eat it, I want the real deal.
10. What about meat? Well, I love a good steak! Sometimes a medium rare, filet mignon hot off the grill is EXACTLY what my body craves and needs. But not every day or at every meal. I tend to eat meat in smaller quantities than the side dishes on my plate, and for many meals I have no meat at all. When I was in Jr. High my parents raised chickens and pigs for food. I think if more people had to "process" their own meat, even once, they would eat less of it. Meat does not magically appear in the freezer. It was once a living, breathing creature, and it takes a lot of work to get that steak on your plate.
If I were to sum up my food philosophy it would be something like this.....
Eat real food, grown as close to home, and processed as little as possible. Eat less chemicals, and more whole food. Eat less meat, and more veggies. Eat food that is produced responsibly, and be wiling to vote with my dollar.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Healthy Competition
My friend, Angie, has started this awesome little contest. It offers motivation to stick to your healthy goals for 2012. I have decided to join in the fun, and I think you should too! This contest is for everyone, regardless of location or fitness level. Your goals are personal - healthy eating, regular exercise, weight loss, good habits - it's up to you.
Angie has really designed this program well. It is based on a simple points system. Points are earned for sticking to your goals, and making healthy choices. She has created a simple spreadsheet for tracking your daily progress, and started a FaceBook group to provide conversation and motivation among the group. So far there are 30 people on board! There are CASH prizes for extra motivation if you choose to pay a small entry fee ($10).
Come on over, and join the fun!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
The Connection between Love and Abundance
I heard something interesting yesterday. The big 3 of life are 1. Health 2. Wealth 3. Love, and not necessarily in that order. If you have those 3, then life is pretty sweet. If one or more is messed up, then, well, not so much. That isn't news, and not all that interesting. What was interesting is this ....
If you are lacking wealth, you can't expect it to fall out of the sky and land in your lap. The way we get money, is through our interactions with other people, through relationships. If you are unemployed, who is going to hire you? A person is. If you have a job, you have to keep the boss happy. And who is the boss, yes, again, a person. If you own a business, you have to keep your customers happy. And who are customers? People.. Even if you are kid, you have to keep Mom and Pop happy to keep the allowance money flowing. Anyway you look at it, cash flows from person to person. So, if you are having money troubles, what you really have are people troubles.
Puts a whole interesting new spin on it for me. My brain has been analyzing my life in a whole new light the last 24 hours. Here are are some questions to ponder.
1. Do you think that you have to grovel for your pay?
2. Do you think that other people need their money more than they need to pay you?
3. Do you over pay for things?
4. Do you buy things to give you a sense of power?
5. Do you think you are over paid for your work?
6. Do you expect people to cheat you?
7. Do you think that the only way to get ahead is by being dishonest?
8. Do you think being poor is noble?
9. Do you know how to ask for what you want with confidence?
10. Do you know what it feels like to have more than enough for your ideal life?
Those are money issues, but at the heart of it all, it's about love. How so? Well, let me try and explain.
1. Do you think you have to grovel for your pay? (or any other physical need)
When we grovel, we debase ourselves. We grovel because we feel like the other person has power over us, that they are superior, and we are worth far less. This action comes from an extreme lack of self worth, a lack of love in the relationship with that person, and a lack of love for our self.
2. Do you think that other people need their money more than they need to pay you?
Are you willing to take less pay so the company can have more profit? Are you willing to work for less than you are worth because the customer can't afford your standard price? Are you willing to discount yourself, for the sole benefit of another? If you do, then you are trying to buy love and acceptance at the cost of your self respect. Everyone wants a good deal, but there is a line that should not be crossed. Why does their desire for a bargain out way your desire for an abundant life? There is a fair price, that is fair to all parties. If someone expects you to give more than is fair, they do not value you and giving in to their demands will not raise your standing with them, it will lower it.
3. Do you over pay for things?
Over paying is emotionally and energetically the same as working for too little. It is an attempt to buy acceptance and love. In a way you are are telling the company, or person you are dealing with, that you value them more than you value yourself. You are using your wealth to manipulate others into giving you what you want - respect, acceptance, inclusion, and ultimately love.
4. Do you buy things to give you a sense of power?
I remember when I was a kid and I had $3 in my pocket at McDonald's. I felt this amazing sense of power when I realized that I had the ability to purchase anything on the menu. (I know, this totally dates me, cause $3 won't buy you squat today). I felt very powerful, and just a little bit prideful, standing there like a big shot ordering my Big Mac, fries, shake, AND a hot apple pie. My parents almost never took us to McDonald's and they certainly never bought those silly apple pie things.
Seriously, do you every buy something expensive, or have your hair done, because you crave that feeling of power? When you walk into the store you know they have to put up with your crap because you are the one with the cash? How about taking your friends out to eat and paying for everyone, to give yourself a little boost in the ego? It's not the buying of nice things, or the treating your friends that is the problem, it is the WHY you do it that is the problem. Again, it comes down to love, or the lack there of.
5. Do you think you are over paid for your work?
Unless you really are being paid $100/hour to sit and watch TV, this is a false belief about your worth as a human being. Do you love yourself enough to just let the good stuff come your way, or are you always undermining your own success? Are you happy stuck in the muck, and afraid to let yourself rise above to where you really deserve to be? Who are you to determine what your services, skills, or expertise are worth to another? You might think it is easy, but to someone else it might just be priceless.
6. Do you expect people to cheat you?
If you expect people to cheat you, then you will be cheated. Expecting the worst, means you have very little regard for your fellow human beings, or yourself. You think the world is out to get you, and with that attitude, you are probably right. Expecting the worst in others leaves no room for love, or respect. At the root of thinking like this is the false belief that life is a zero sum game. It is not, there is plenty for all.
7. Do you think that the only way to get ahead is by being dishonest?
This is the other side of the same coin as expecting others to cheat you. At the core, it is the same false belief, that there is not enough for everyone to live abundantly. If you want some, you have to steal it from someone else, there isn't enough for both of you. Life is not a game of poker. You can get ahead without bluffing and hiding an ace up your sleeve. We can all win.
8. Do you think being poor is noble?
Believing that rich people are evil, and that if you are poor you are more righteous, is prideful. You are setting yourself above others. It doesn't matter what the reason is, if you think you are better than someone else, you are lacking in love. If you think it is noble to be poor, and you are working hard to get more income, you will either sabotage yourself into remaining poor, or come to hate yourself if you succeed at increasing your income. Being rich or poor does not make a person good or bad. It's about how you treat others.
9. Do you know how to ask for what you want with confidence?
It's important to know how to ask for what you want. If you have never been successful at asking for what you want, then you probably don't know how to do it right. I'm no expert here, but I think the key is feeling love and gratitude rather than fear and doubt. When your heart and mind are full of love and gratitude, you will exude confidence.
10. Do you know what it feels like to have more than enough for your ideal life?
If your life to this point has been a struggle, then you probably don't know what it feels like to have enough. It's hard to visualize, and bring to pass something with which you have no experience.
Even if you have had a life of financial troubles, you have had success at something. Remember that feeling, the feeling of success, and import it into your heart when you are thinking about your financial goals. It's ok to borrow those feelings of success from other areas of your life.
Just in case you were thinking that you have never had enough of anything you needed in your life, that you have always had to do without, here is a little exercise for you. Stop right now and take a deep breath, fill your lungs all the way up. Do you feel that? Your lungs are completely full, you couldn't possibly take in another breath. You have all the oxygen you need and what do you need more than air? Focus on that feeling of fullness, when you think about all your other needs.
What is the difference between oxygen, or sunlight, or food, or a house, or a big pile of money to God? It's all the same to Him. We have been abundantly provided for and it all comes from the same source. You are loved.
If you are lacking wealth, you can't expect it to fall out of the sky and land in your lap. The way we get money, is through our interactions with other people, through relationships. If you are unemployed, who is going to hire you? A person is. If you have a job, you have to keep the boss happy. And who is the boss, yes, again, a person. If you own a business, you have to keep your customers happy. And who are customers? People.. Even if you are kid, you have to keep Mom and Pop happy to keep the allowance money flowing. Anyway you look at it, cash flows from person to person. So, if you are having money troubles, what you really have are people troubles.
Puts a whole interesting new spin on it for me. My brain has been analyzing my life in a whole new light the last 24 hours. Here are are some questions to ponder.
1. Do you think that you have to grovel for your pay?
2. Do you think that other people need their money more than they need to pay you?
3. Do you over pay for things?
4. Do you buy things to give you a sense of power?
5. Do you think you are over paid for your work?
6. Do you expect people to cheat you?
7. Do you think that the only way to get ahead is by being dishonest?
8. Do you think being poor is noble?
9. Do you know how to ask for what you want with confidence?
10. Do you know what it feels like to have more than enough for your ideal life?
Those are money issues, but at the heart of it all, it's about love. How so? Well, let me try and explain.
1. Do you think you have to grovel for your pay? (or any other physical need)
When we grovel, we debase ourselves. We grovel because we feel like the other person has power over us, that they are superior, and we are worth far less. This action comes from an extreme lack of self worth, a lack of love in the relationship with that person, and a lack of love for our self.
2. Do you think that other people need their money more than they need to pay you?
Are you willing to take less pay so the company can have more profit? Are you willing to work for less than you are worth because the customer can't afford your standard price? Are you willing to discount yourself, for the sole benefit of another? If you do, then you are trying to buy love and acceptance at the cost of your self respect. Everyone wants a good deal, but there is a line that should not be crossed. Why does their desire for a bargain out way your desire for an abundant life? There is a fair price, that is fair to all parties. If someone expects you to give more than is fair, they do not value you and giving in to their demands will not raise your standing with them, it will lower it.
3. Do you over pay for things?
Over paying is emotionally and energetically the same as working for too little. It is an attempt to buy acceptance and love. In a way you are are telling the company, or person you are dealing with, that you value them more than you value yourself. You are using your wealth to manipulate others into giving you what you want - respect, acceptance, inclusion, and ultimately love.
4. Do you buy things to give you a sense of power?
I remember when I was a kid and I had $3 in my pocket at McDonald's. I felt this amazing sense of power when I realized that I had the ability to purchase anything on the menu. (I know, this totally dates me, cause $3 won't buy you squat today). I felt very powerful, and just a little bit prideful, standing there like a big shot ordering my Big Mac, fries, shake, AND a hot apple pie. My parents almost never took us to McDonald's and they certainly never bought those silly apple pie things.
Seriously, do you every buy something expensive, or have your hair done, because you crave that feeling of power? When you walk into the store you know they have to put up with your crap because you are the one with the cash? How about taking your friends out to eat and paying for everyone, to give yourself a little boost in the ego? It's not the buying of nice things, or the treating your friends that is the problem, it is the WHY you do it that is the problem. Again, it comes down to love, or the lack there of.
5. Do you think you are over paid for your work?
Unless you really are being paid $100/hour to sit and watch TV, this is a false belief about your worth as a human being. Do you love yourself enough to just let the good stuff come your way, or are you always undermining your own success? Are you happy stuck in the muck, and afraid to let yourself rise above to where you really deserve to be? Who are you to determine what your services, skills, or expertise are worth to another? You might think it is easy, but to someone else it might just be priceless.
6. Do you expect people to cheat you?
If you expect people to cheat you, then you will be cheated. Expecting the worst, means you have very little regard for your fellow human beings, or yourself. You think the world is out to get you, and with that attitude, you are probably right. Expecting the worst in others leaves no room for love, or respect. At the root of thinking like this is the false belief that life is a zero sum game. It is not, there is plenty for all.
7. Do you think that the only way to get ahead is by being dishonest?
This is the other side of the same coin as expecting others to cheat you. At the core, it is the same false belief, that there is not enough for everyone to live abundantly. If you want some, you have to steal it from someone else, there isn't enough for both of you. Life is not a game of poker. You can get ahead without bluffing and hiding an ace up your sleeve. We can all win.
8. Do you think being poor is noble?
Believing that rich people are evil, and that if you are poor you are more righteous, is prideful. You are setting yourself above others. It doesn't matter what the reason is, if you think you are better than someone else, you are lacking in love. If you think it is noble to be poor, and you are working hard to get more income, you will either sabotage yourself into remaining poor, or come to hate yourself if you succeed at increasing your income. Being rich or poor does not make a person good or bad. It's about how you treat others.
9. Do you know how to ask for what you want with confidence?
It's important to know how to ask for what you want. If you have never been successful at asking for what you want, then you probably don't know how to do it right. I'm no expert here, but I think the key is feeling love and gratitude rather than fear and doubt. When your heart and mind are full of love and gratitude, you will exude confidence.
10. Do you know what it feels like to have more than enough for your ideal life?
If your life to this point has been a struggle, then you probably don't know what it feels like to have enough. It's hard to visualize, and bring to pass something with which you have no experience.
Even if you have had a life of financial troubles, you have had success at something. Remember that feeling, the feeling of success, and import it into your heart when you are thinking about your financial goals. It's ok to borrow those feelings of success from other areas of your life.
Just in case you were thinking that you have never had enough of anything you needed in your life, that you have always had to do without, here is a little exercise for you. Stop right now and take a deep breath, fill your lungs all the way up. Do you feel that? Your lungs are completely full, you couldn't possibly take in another breath. You have all the oxygen you need and what do you need more than air? Focus on that feeling of fullness, when you think about all your other needs.
What is the difference between oxygen, or sunlight, or food, or a house, or a big pile of money to God? It's all the same to Him. We have been abundantly provided for and it all comes from the same source. You are loved.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Frustration
My dogs have drug me into running with them. I really enjoy going for a good walk in the evening and watching the sunset. Chester and Charlie would rather run than walk, so I have started running with them. I like the adrenalin burn, and the idea of getting more of a work out. What I don't enjoy is the burning in my chest as a gasp for breath and the searing pain in my knees.
I was walking the dogs in my slippers - not the best idea. No wonder my knees hurt. After a trip to Sports Authority, where I spent more on a pair of running shoes than I have ever spent on any single pair of shoes, of any sort, I was set. The shoes make a huge difference. I would not have believed it, but it is true. If they looked better I would wear them all the time. They really are comfortable. They did not, however, make any difference what so ever in my lungs.
After Googling "breathing" I was totally confused. I couldn't even take a good breath while sitting in my chair. The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't do it. I really couldn't do it when I was trying to run. It seems stupid to say that I couldn't breathe. How could I not breathe? I have been breathing since the day I was born haven't i? I talked to a friend that is an avid runner, and they helped me with a very simple method. So, now my lungs don't hurt and I can actually breathe effectively.
About 10 days ago I was out in my new shoes, with the dogs, and feeling full of confidence in my new breathing ability. What skill! Anyway, I decided to really sprint with the dogs - let them set the pace for the last several blocks toward home. I can not run as fast as my dogs. Even if Godzilla were chasing me, I could not run as fast as these 2 dogs. I did my best, but I screwed up my knees. They hurt like crazy by the next morning and were so stiff I had a hard time unfolding them to stand up. I felt like a broken barbie doll - snapped at the knees.
About this same time I started fighting a virus of some sort. I have been tired, but with sheer determination, I have conquered the day, and not been sick. In an effort to let my old bones heal, and conserve my energy for fighting off the virus, I have not been out running, or walking, with the dogs. I also started taking some Glucosamine Condroitn stuff for joints. I figure it can't hurt, and these old knees need all the help they can get. I am not sure how much cartiledge is even left in there.
Anyway, I have been a slug, sitting around the house and not getting any exercise or sun. Today I just couldn't take it anymore. I was so frustrated with this crazy spreadsheet I was fighting with that I wanted to scream. Instead of screaming, I went out with the dogs. It felt good, but it was hard. I can't believe that one week of sitting on my butt could get me that out of shape. Maybe I was more sick than I thought I was? I don't know, but it wore me out, big time. I ran some, but not too much, I stopped as soon as my knees started to hurt. I don't want to re-injure them. I don't want to give up. I really need the exercise and sun on a regular basis. It is so frustrating that my body doesn't do what I want it to.
I was walking the dogs in my slippers - not the best idea. No wonder my knees hurt. After a trip to Sports Authority, where I spent more on a pair of running shoes than I have ever spent on any single pair of shoes, of any sort, I was set. The shoes make a huge difference. I would not have believed it, but it is true. If they looked better I would wear them all the time. They really are comfortable. They did not, however, make any difference what so ever in my lungs.
After Googling "breathing" I was totally confused. I couldn't even take a good breath while sitting in my chair. The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't do it. I really couldn't do it when I was trying to run. It seems stupid to say that I couldn't breathe. How could I not breathe? I have been breathing since the day I was born haven't i? I talked to a friend that is an avid runner, and they helped me with a very simple method. So, now my lungs don't hurt and I can actually breathe effectively.
About 10 days ago I was out in my new shoes, with the dogs, and feeling full of confidence in my new breathing ability. What skill! Anyway, I decided to really sprint with the dogs - let them set the pace for the last several blocks toward home. I can not run as fast as my dogs. Even if Godzilla were chasing me, I could not run as fast as these 2 dogs. I did my best, but I screwed up my knees. They hurt like crazy by the next morning and were so stiff I had a hard time unfolding them to stand up. I felt like a broken barbie doll - snapped at the knees.
About this same time I started fighting a virus of some sort. I have been tired, but with sheer determination, I have conquered the day, and not been sick. In an effort to let my old bones heal, and conserve my energy for fighting off the virus, I have not been out running, or walking, with the dogs. I also started taking some Glucosamine Condroitn stuff for joints. I figure it can't hurt, and these old knees need all the help they can get. I am not sure how much cartiledge is even left in there.
Anyway, I have been a slug, sitting around the house and not getting any exercise or sun. Today I just couldn't take it anymore. I was so frustrated with this crazy spreadsheet I was fighting with that I wanted to scream. Instead of screaming, I went out with the dogs. It felt good, but it was hard. I can't believe that one week of sitting on my butt could get me that out of shape. Maybe I was more sick than I thought I was? I don't know, but it wore me out, big time. I ran some, but not too much, I stopped as soon as my knees started to hurt. I don't want to re-injure them. I don't want to give up. I really need the exercise and sun on a regular basis. It is so frustrating that my body doesn't do what I want it to.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
In the Quest to be Headache Free
Headaches suck. Over the last year or so I have lessened the frequency and intensity of my personal suffering with the headache demon. Here is the list of what I have had success with in my quest to be headache free:
1. Caffeine - 100% eliminated from my diet. I used to LOVE Coke. It just tastes great! I was not addicted. I didn't drink it everyday. But it was my quick fix, go to solution when I felt a headache coming on. The only migraine prescription that ever worked for me included a large dose of caffeine along with a barbiturate. It definitely helps in the moment, but it perpetuates the problem. The rebound headaches create a wicked circle that is tough to break.
2. Sleep - Don't go cheap on sleep, and don't cheat yourself out of the hours you really need.
3. Water - Drink it, drink lots of it, and then drink a little more.
4. Eat - Low blood sugar does a number on me, and a bad headache is usually a part of it. Small meals, healthy snacks throughout the day make a big difference. If I skip a meal I can pretty much bet on a headache.
5. Gum - Don't chew it! The chewing motion, especially if you are like me and you chew with intensity, causes tension on your jaw muscles which can contribute to a headache. If your gum is sugar free, the aspartame can also add to the problem.
6. Aspartame - Don't eat, drink, or chew it! This chemical that is the artificial sweetener nutri sweet is just bad stuff. I have read studies liking it to multiple health problems, but from personal experience I can tell you it is bad, bad stuff and can cause a headache.
7. Exercise - If my head hurts, and I have done 1 through 6, I get up and go for a walk, or turn up the music and dance around. The good brain chemicals that come from exercise usually do the trick.
1. Caffeine - 100% eliminated from my diet. I used to LOVE Coke. It just tastes great! I was not addicted. I didn't drink it everyday. But it was my quick fix, go to solution when I felt a headache coming on. The only migraine prescription that ever worked for me included a large dose of caffeine along with a barbiturate. It definitely helps in the moment, but it perpetuates the problem. The rebound headaches create a wicked circle that is tough to break.
2. Sleep - Don't go cheap on sleep, and don't cheat yourself out of the hours you really need.
3. Water - Drink it, drink lots of it, and then drink a little more.
4. Eat - Low blood sugar does a number on me, and a bad headache is usually a part of it. Small meals, healthy snacks throughout the day make a big difference. If I skip a meal I can pretty much bet on a headache.
5. Gum - Don't chew it! The chewing motion, especially if you are like me and you chew with intensity, causes tension on your jaw muscles which can contribute to a headache. If your gum is sugar free, the aspartame can also add to the problem.
6. Aspartame - Don't eat, drink, or chew it! This chemical that is the artificial sweetener nutri sweet is just bad stuff. I have read studies liking it to multiple health problems, but from personal experience I can tell you it is bad, bad stuff and can cause a headache.
7. Exercise - If my head hurts, and I have done 1 through 6, I get up and go for a walk, or turn up the music and dance around. The good brain chemicals that come from exercise usually do the trick.
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