Health

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It's a frame of mind.  "Thin Within" doesn't refer to "losing weight".  They call it "releasing weight".  The thought being that if you "lose" something, you might find it again.  (And I HAVE found my lost weight again).

When you lose your keys, it means a lack of attention, carelessness.  The object of your search may be right under your nose, waiting for you to pick it up again.

When you "release" something, you let it go.

I'm thinking of those kids' movies where a baby wild thing is found by a family and raised to adulthood and released back into the wild, where it is supposed to be.   You don't expect (or want) those released animals to return to you.

When you "release" a brake, it's so the car can go.  Move forward.  Controlled, yes.  But no longer at a standstill because of what was holding it back.

Both of those thoughts about "release" can be applied to the health journey.

If I "release" my extra poundage into the wild blue yonder, it need to be with the expectation that they will not return to me.  I am purposefully behaving in a way that will send them away.  I am not searching for them.

I am also "releasing" my body from the extra weight.  I move better, feel better, act better.  I am no longer at a standstill because of the extra weight I carry around.

"Losing" weight is a diet, a burden.   It's work.

"Releasing" weight is freedom.  Will it require an effort?  Oh, yes!  But so does backpacking, hiking on a mountain, riding a bike...those are all "freedom" words to me.

From now on, I am not "losing weight"...I am "releasing" it.

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On my first bike ride in a long, long while.

(Thanks to my son, Tom.  Who adjusted my seat, put on my odemeter - with bad instructions and we're still not sure it works right.  Who went with me to buy bikes for his sister and me - and took the wheels off so that they would both fit in
I'm anticipating not going for long, or very fast.  I'm just going.

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My seat was about 3" too low (made me feel like I was riding a little kid's bike) and I decided to not take another bike ride until I have a padded seat.  Which a quick trip to Walmart fixed.

Hills were harder than I remember - which might be because the seat was too low.  Thanks again to Tom who is adjusting the seat.

Anyway...I rode for 23 minutes.

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My week "officially" starts on Sunday.  My day planner and my Weight Watchers eTools both begin on Sunday, so that's when I start my exercise week also.

I'm reading a couple of books

and

There will be some conflicts.

Today I'm very on-track for eating and I walked 7019 steps in 63 minutes (I'm having to deal with shin splints again).

Goals for this week:  bite it/write it; 28 activity points; update side bar on new template; flylady stuff.  Post every day (and not just photos.)  Adjust my bike helmet.  Drink all my water.

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(...)

If we look at a “disorder” and call it “normal”, then we fail to support a child’s true need for support and assistance, if truly needed. However, if we look at behavior which is actually normal for a child and call it a “disorder”, then we instill in the child (many times from a very early age) a belief that there is something “wrong” with her; there is something wrong that cannot be “fixed”, or that must be fixed with drugs.

Is there an alternative to labeling a young child with a mental disorder? Is it possible that “Attention Deficit Disorder” [2] is not a “disorder”, but rather something more natural, a remnant of necessary skills that brings not only challenges, but a skills set that may be seen as helpful in certain circumstances?

Read the rest...(this is the only thing that we were graded on and I got an "A")

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I tested negative for a peanut allergy...and yet have a very clear allergic reaction. I also tested VERY positive to a number of molds. Is this why? Is this also why I sometimes have the same reaction to wheat? Less often (but it happens) to tree nuts?

Peanut allergy is nearly always an allergy to the mold aflatoxin-as the name implies, a toxin from mold. Plenty of natural substances are toxic. From the USDA Web site (http://snurl.com/36ne): "Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring mycotoxin produced by two types of mold: aspergillus flavus and aspergillus parasiticus." Aflatoxin damages the liver, in both Eastern and Western medical terms, and is a potent carcinogen (something known to cause cancer). This mold is found primarily on peanuts, corn, wheat, soy, tree nuts, oil seeds and sorghum. Aflatoxin is sometimes measurable in milk excreted by cows fed with moldy feed.

I don't know...

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Things I have learned:

  • except for carrots and cherry tomatoes, buy my vegetables in a can or frozen.
  • bananas travel pretty well
  • eat the rainbow!

Each basic color of fruits and vegetables have a variety of nutrients. By eating a variety of colors you get a wider variety of nutrients

(this is NOT anywhere close to being a complete list of foods)
The reds: tomatoes, berries, peppers, radishes provide nutrients that lowers blood pressure, reduce LDL cholesterol, and supports joint tissue

The Orange/yellows: carrots, yams, squash, papaya also lower LDL cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, promotes collagen formation (for joint support) and works with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones

White veggies (mushrooms, white tea, flaxseed and pumpkin) boosts immunity, may reduce risks of certain cancers, including hormone-related cancers.

Greens (wheat grass, spinach, sprouts and other greens) lower blood pressure, supports retinal health, boosts immunity and lower LDL cholesterol.

Purple/blue fruits and veggies (blueberries, pomegranates, grapes, eggplants and prunes may protect brain cells against Alzheimer's and other oxidative-related diseases, lowers LDL cholesterol and prevents LDL oxidation, helps the body fight allergens...

😉

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Thirteen Healthy Foods I Like to Eat 1. Lean red beef2.pistachios (lots of copper, B6 and they raise the "good"cholesterol)3.Coffee! (Experts on an American Society for Nutrition panel recently concluded that drinking three to five 8-ounce cups a day lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and colon and liver cancers. "Among other things, the antioxidants in coffee protect your cells and DNA from damage," Bowden says. "Coffee seems to increase antioxidants in the blood, too.")4. Oatmeal5. Shrimp (Shrimp is also rich in cancer-fighting selenium and bone-building vitamin D.)6.Dark chocolate (Also, eating up to 3.6 ounces daily can be as effective as beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors at lowering blood pressure, notes a recent Archives of Internal Medicine study.)7. Fage Total 0% (fat) Greek style yogurt.8. Pop Secret 100 Calorie microwave popcorn9.Skinny Cow Low-Fat Ice Cream Sandwich (Vanilla)10. Progresso Light Vegetable & Noodle Soup (well...any of the Progresso light soups)11. McDonald's Egg McMuffin! (surprised? Only 12 g. of fat and under 300 calories. Just right for breakfast on the run)12. fat-free, sugar-free, sweetened with splenda Bluebunny superfruits yogurt (any flavor)13. My favorite smoothie: skim milk, a scoop of Slim-fast shake mix and 1/2 cup of fruit. add ice and blend.

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I covered this topic in another post...but I wanted to relate it to the diet topic...

"The map is not the territory."

I have a shelf-full of diet and fitness books. Some of them are very good...some of them are not. Many of them say the same thing, only with a different author, different name, only slightly different stuff.

From Atkins...it's only a little way to South Beach...to The Glucose Revolution...to Sugar Busters.

Next verse...same as the first.

I have another one on the way - I hope this one is different.

"The map is not the territory."

Pain Free Running... to Marathons for Beginners... to Running for Pleasure and Fitness.

"The map is not the territory."

All of these books do nothing if I never get off the couch. They do nothing if I hang onto my chips and cheese...and oreos.

"The map is not the territory."

I keep a diet and exercise log.  Having all of those lines to write my consumption in does NOTHING if I don't fill them in!  Having boxes to check won't make me healthier if I don't practice the territory that the map tells me to explore.

"The map is not the territory."

I custom wrote my log, with columns for whether or not my food is peanut-free.  The answer is not to look at the "map" and add more "map" (another column).  The answer is to live the territory.