Let's Get Physical

Steps behind the Lincoln Memorial

A healthy mind needs a healthy body. Or is it a healthy body needs a healthy mind?

Anywho, this past weekend was one great big package of fabulous weather so I took the ole bod out for some much needed exercise and it was great!  Any kind of exercise is always good but sometimes it's hard to find the time.  But when I do make time for it, I always feel thankful that I did.  In the beginning, I felt a bit like the tin man in "The Wizard of Oz," trying to stretch, warm up and get the kinks out of my muscles. Oil can please?

As much as I try to walk every day, I don't walk as much as I should and this year for some reason I feel particularly out of shape. I am from the "use it or lose it" school of exercise and I know that if I don't push myself to get going then I will find something else that will distract me from moving. Maintaining a certain level of energy and ease of movement has always been important to me and I don't take it for granted.

With my ipod charged up, I slowly walked for about 10 minutes and then worked myself into a gentle run. I probably ran for about a mile and I could have gone further but I didn't want to overdo it and wake up the next day with really tight and sore muscles. It felt so good to get the body moving and take in the fresh air and beautiful blooming flowers and trees.

Whenever I am feeling helpless, or as if my mind is running in a million different directions, I try to go for a walk or get on my stationary bicycle. I know that the act of moving helps me work through whatever I am trying to untangle.  If you're wondering why exercise is so beneficial, doctors say this is why:   physical activity releases endorphins, natural chemicals in your body that can enhance your mood, decrease stress hormones and improve sleeping patterns.  And that's not all.  According to Dr. Brian Clement, the body heals eight times faster when you exercise regularly!

Taking care of yourself is project number one and I hope this warm weather stays around to help me and you stay healthy, active and mentally postive.

Kale-Full

If kale is so good for you then why does it taste so bad?

I am trying to eat more kale this year because everywhere I look I see articles about the incredible health benefits of eating more kale.  Kale is that dark leafy green vegetable that you find in the same section of the grocery store where the lettuce is shelved.  It looks like it would taste good but it's deceiving.  At least it is to me.

According to WebMD, kale is a powerful antioxidant, kale is high in fiber, kale has zero grams of fat, kale lowers cholesterol, kale is super rich in vitamin K.  Eating a diet rich in the powerful antioxident vitamin K can reduce the overall risk of developing or dying from cancer, says a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Kale is the superstar of vegetables and I'm a fool not to eat more of it.

Taking care of yourself by watching what you eat and resting helps you heal.  Listen to your body, and learn to be aware of its stress signals.  When you are feeling anxious about your circumstances, try to relax by closing your eyes, taking deep breaths and keeping your breathing regular. 

I want to like kale, I really do.  But the flavor is so strong, and to me, it's not in a good way.  I smell the kale before I even try to eat it and I am so turned off that I have to remind myself that kale is good for me in order to continue.  I tried coating it in olive oil and spreading it out on a baking sheet and baking it to make kale chips but I thought it tasted awful.  It was so yucky that I had to spit it out.  I couldn't stand the taste.

Tonight I am going to try my sister's suggestion of mixing the kale leaves with olive oil and sauteing it with some garlic.  Now that might make it taste A LOT better because I love garlic.  I certainly hope it's better because I have to find a way to eat more of this great vegetable.

What are your favorite ways to eat kale?

Staying Healthy

I don't think Halloween is considered the beginning of the holiday season, but in an unofficial way it's the start of that time of the year when fattening goodies seem to be everywhere.  It's a constant struggle, and for me, I really have to mentally up the ante against gaining weight and remind myself that it may taste good now but it will take a lot longer to work it off.
 
Halloween is all about the candy and it seems to be everywhere: the grocery store, CVS, offices and even banks -- which never give out anything for free.  At least with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's, there are other food groups to choose from when you are celebrating.  But with Halloween comes the introduction of the powerful food/candy/holiday connection that I've always associated with this time of year.  Starting with Halloween, I tend to relax my diet and give myself permission wayyyyyy tooooooo many times to eat sugary things and unfortunately, this sugar party can sometimes last until at least the New Year, if I don't try to put the brakes on it.

Every year I tell myself that it's okay to buy candy to give to the kids in neighborhood and this year I intend to buy only two bags.  Not two bags of something I really, really find tempting like M&M's or Reese's Peanutbutter Cups but two bags of something I dislike.  My way of dealing with the possibility of over indulging is to buy candy I don't like at all.  Yes, I know it's hard to believe, there is such a thing.  I don't like Sweet Tarts, gummy worms or gummy bears, Milky Way bars, Three Musketeer bars, or anything that has caramel in it.

This year my strategy is read a lot of Kris Carr and try to keep myself on some sort of a nutritious track and to exercise more frequently.  If you are not familiar with Kris Carr, she is a cancer survivor, wellness warrior and author of several books, including the best-seller Crazy, Sexy Cancer Tips and Crazy Sexy Diet.  I find her to be refreshing and down to earth and her books are chock full of great factoids such as this one: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that we eat 79 pounds of corn sweetner per year.  That's a lot of sugar!

When you first eat candy, it initially makes you feel so good and seems to take away feelings of stress, loneliness or anger.  But don't be fooled.  It's a temporary high and in the long run, sugar doesn't help your body or your mind feel stronger or healthier.  It compromises your immune system and with all the holiday socializing that's about to be upon us, we all need to be as healthy as we can be.

As Kris Carr says, we are all sweet enough, all on our own.