This isn't a fitness entry, nor is it useful. I just wanted to declare that I am in hate with Western Medicine and giving up on it all together. It has done nothing but cost me almost as much as a semester of college and all to find out that either there's nothing wrong with me, or that there are medications I should be taking (even though I'm not taking them because they are dangerous and oversold).
These people don't have any idea what they are talking about anyway. They'd all just rather make a buck, like the rest of the 1% or whatever we're calling the capitalists in charge these days.
I've had enough. Until I can move to Okinawa, I'll be much happier trusting my body, mind and spirit to Eastern, holistic medicine. And my money, which they will surely take much less of and at least give me some results.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Finding a balance
There has to be some balance between being pure and good and having a the time of our lives. This is what is on my mind as I think of Thanksgiving and the indulgences that I know everyone will be taking part in over the next few days. We don't really want to blow our hard work on one meal, but we also don't want to be the one at the party who passes every dish and says "No Thanks" while gnawing on celery all night. So how do we find a balance?
While my family doesn't actually celebrate this Holiday, I have been to many Thanksgiving celebrations over the years, and even I, the girl with the willpower of steel, have gone a little crazy at the dinner table (I bring you Exhibit A: My friend Jonnie's Baked Brie, which I ate almost half of by myself! and Exhibit B: My ex-boyfriend's mom's pumpkin cheesecake, of which I always had seconds whenever she made it). So even though I won't be celebrating in any traditional ways this year, I still have some ideas on how you all can have your cake, eat it and not undo all of your hard workouts:
1) Get some exercise in on the big day
-Yes I know you'll be slaving away in the kitchen for hours or parked on your couch for football all day on Thursday, but you can find some time to squeeze in some calorie burning in the morning before it all begins. Get up a bit early and get in some cardio or other exercise to jump start your day. Go for a brisk walk, ride a bike around your neighborhood with your kids or your dog, go to the gym (some are open on Thanksgiving, mine is!), or do a workout video. If your family is willing to forgo some football, you can even get them involved. Try organizing a family kickball game or do some races around the Neighborhood. You live in FL? Great! It's hot as heck right now, so get your family in the pool for a little while! Whatever you can do to get some exercise before you start cooking or loafing, do it! That way, you can stress and little less all that yummy food you're going to eat.
2) Use better-for-you ingredients in your cooking.
-Trade out the homemade fat-infused gravy for an organic, lower-fat option (Wholefoods and Trader Joes offer great options, both stored and fresh made)
-Use organic and/or dairy-free cream, milk and butter ingredients (Dairy free creams, milks and butters have much less fat, calories and cholesterol than regular dairy products)
-Swapping out ingredients from your recipes to include vegetables and fruits that are in season, organic and locally grown allows you to be certain that they are free of pesticides and additives
3) Graze, don't gobble
-Cut portion sizes when you serve the food by using a smaller spoon and smaller dishes. This way everyone can enjoy a little bit of everything, instead of going overboard on any one thing
4)Remember, the holidays are about family, friends and community, not stuffing your face.
-Center your holiday around activities and spending time with loved ones, friends and helping your community. The food will then be simply an added bonus.
I hope these tips help you get through this fantastic weekend without as much guilt and with much more health and happiness. I'll be enjoying my Thursday at the gym in the morning, at a turkey sanctuary in the afternoon and talking philosophy on my porch at night. That sounds like awesome to me. Spending the day with people I love, doing things I love, and volunteering for one of the most intelligent and loving creatures on the planet.
What are your Thanksgiving plans? :)
While my family doesn't actually celebrate this Holiday, I have been to many Thanksgiving celebrations over the years, and even I, the girl with the willpower of steel, have gone a little crazy at the dinner table (I bring you Exhibit A: My friend Jonnie's Baked Brie, which I ate almost half of by myself! and Exhibit B: My ex-boyfriend's mom's pumpkin cheesecake, of which I always had seconds whenever she made it). So even though I won't be celebrating in any traditional ways this year, I still have some ideas on how you all can have your cake, eat it and not undo all of your hard workouts:
1) Get some exercise in on the big day
-Yes I know you'll be slaving away in the kitchen for hours or parked on your couch for football all day on Thursday, but you can find some time to squeeze in some calorie burning in the morning before it all begins. Get up a bit early and get in some cardio or other exercise to jump start your day. Go for a brisk walk, ride a bike around your neighborhood with your kids or your dog, go to the gym (some are open on Thanksgiving, mine is!), or do a workout video. If your family is willing to forgo some football, you can even get them involved. Try organizing a family kickball game or do some races around the Neighborhood. You live in FL? Great! It's hot as heck right now, so get your family in the pool for a little while! Whatever you can do to get some exercise before you start cooking or loafing, do it! That way, you can stress and little less all that yummy food you're going to eat.
2) Use better-for-you ingredients in your cooking.
-Trade out the homemade fat-infused gravy for an organic, lower-fat option (Wholefoods and Trader Joes offer great options, both stored and fresh made)
-Use organic and/or dairy-free cream, milk and butter ingredients (Dairy free creams, milks and butters have much less fat, calories and cholesterol than regular dairy products)
-Swapping out ingredients from your recipes to include vegetables and fruits that are in season, organic and locally grown allows you to be certain that they are free of pesticides and additives
3) Graze, don't gobble
-Cut portion sizes when you serve the food by using a smaller spoon and smaller dishes. This way everyone can enjoy a little bit of everything, instead of going overboard on any one thing
4)Remember, the holidays are about family, friends and community, not stuffing your face.
-Center your holiday around activities and spending time with loved ones, friends and helping your community. The food will then be simply an added bonus.
I hope these tips help you get through this fantastic weekend without as much guilt and with much more health and happiness. I'll be enjoying my Thursday at the gym in the morning, at a turkey sanctuary in the afternoon and talking philosophy on my porch at night. That sounds like awesome to me. Spending the day with people I love, doing things I love, and volunteering for one of the most intelligent and loving creatures on the planet.
What are your Thanksgiving plans? :)
Friday, November 18, 2011
Think you can't afford to eat healthy and exercise?
The holidays are upon us, and as if everyone in this country wasn't strapped for cash before, now we have to buy loads of Christmas and holiday gifts for our friends and family. However are we supposed to afford organic produce and groceries and gym memberships and equipment?
Your body cannot and should not take a back seat to your holiday responsibilities. Your body is the single most important thing you'll ever have in this life. I'm not saying that it needs to have washboard abs, but you need to take care of it as well as humanly possible at all times, and this does not have to cost a fortune for anyone.
Organic produce is often not that much more expensive than regular produce. Conventional baby carrots are typically $1.69 a bag while their organic counterparts are $1.99 a bag. Aside form the fact that organic carrots just taste better, I think NOT ingesting pesticides is worth the extra 30 cents. Organic apples work just like regular ones, in that certain varieties are cheaper at different times. The price difference is often no more than $1/lb and usually less than that. I get whatever organic apples are the lowest price and often find that they are only 20-40 cents per pound more than the regular apples down the next aisle.
The same goes for grocery items like soups, pastas, cereals and frozen foods. The difference in cost is hardly worth the risks you take of eating genetically engineered, synthetic, and dangerous chemically-infused and processed foods. Do yourself a favor, and don't skimp on your body. You can shave a few cents off in other areas of your life, like buy one less song on iTunes each month, or wash your dishes by hand once a week.
And don't even think about putting your gym membership on hold to save some holiday money. What will you spend that money on, cookies, mashed potatoes and pie? That all sounds good, but in January, you won't be thankful anymore. It is especially during the holidays that we need to keep up our fitness. Get to the gym and put in a little extra when you know you'll be having tons of great holiday eats later that night.
Yes this is the season for giving, but you can't give up on yourself in the process. It isn't about coming out of the holidays looking like a model. It's about being healthy and fit so you can enjoy the holidays that much more. It's about BEING WITH your family and friends, not how much you can buy them and how much you can eat.
And that's where I stand on this subject. :)
Your body cannot and should not take a back seat to your holiday responsibilities. Your body is the single most important thing you'll ever have in this life. I'm not saying that it needs to have washboard abs, but you need to take care of it as well as humanly possible at all times, and this does not have to cost a fortune for anyone.
Organic produce is often not that much more expensive than regular produce. Conventional baby carrots are typically $1.69 a bag while their organic counterparts are $1.99 a bag. Aside form the fact that organic carrots just taste better, I think NOT ingesting pesticides is worth the extra 30 cents. Organic apples work just like regular ones, in that certain varieties are cheaper at different times. The price difference is often no more than $1/lb and usually less than that. I get whatever organic apples are the lowest price and often find that they are only 20-40 cents per pound more than the regular apples down the next aisle.
The same goes for grocery items like soups, pastas, cereals and frozen foods. The difference in cost is hardly worth the risks you take of eating genetically engineered, synthetic, and dangerous chemically-infused and processed foods. Do yourself a favor, and don't skimp on your body. You can shave a few cents off in other areas of your life, like buy one less song on iTunes each month, or wash your dishes by hand once a week.
And don't even think about putting your gym membership on hold to save some holiday money. What will you spend that money on, cookies, mashed potatoes and pie? That all sounds good, but in January, you won't be thankful anymore. It is especially during the holidays that we need to keep up our fitness. Get to the gym and put in a little extra when you know you'll be having tons of great holiday eats later that night.
Yes this is the season for giving, but you can't give up on yourself in the process. It isn't about coming out of the holidays looking like a model. It's about being healthy and fit so you can enjoy the holidays that much more. It's about BEING WITH your family and friends, not how much you can buy them and how much you can eat.
And that's where I stand on this subject. :)
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