Light Dawns

With daylight savings time coming three weeks earlier, we all have more light after work to exercise. The Marin Independent Journal suggests that the extra time could help us live healthier. What I found particularly interesting about this article is the idea that the extra daylight may not just help us pickup our healthy summer lifestyle just a bit earlier, it may also help us cut our negative habits:

Jacquie Phelan is the rolling force behind Wombats - the Women's Mountain Bike & Tea Society. Phelan says the extra hour can be as much about what you're not doing as what exercise you might squeeze into that time.
"It might just be one less beer," Phelan says.
She also likes the idea of putting some activity between dinner and bed. "They get a little exercise and digest a little better."

If you're looking for some additional exercises to tone up for the summer the Denver Post has some ideas for simple floor exercises you can add to your cardio. What I particularly like about these exercise (aside from the journalistically-inventive beach spin they put on the story) is they can be done at home (free!) and each exercise is modified for beginner, intermediate and advanced fitness levels.

So why is it that we park as close as we possibly can to the grocery store, then pay money to go to the gym to walk our way to fitness?

Spring Break and General Aggravation

Okay, so I did very little that I don't normally do on my spring break. I did, however, get caught up on some homework that has been hovering in the background, bake a birthday cake with real buttercream frosting (whipped it for an hour!!!) and went to my internship. I also picked up some freelance work.

I also gained 5 pounds. No kidding. I'm sure you're thinking I overachieved during my spring break but, no, it took hardly any effort at all. Actually, the problem was a Christmas gift. My mom gave me body lotion for Christmas. I used it and broke out into such a bad allergic reaction that I had to be given steroids. Now, I'm off the steroids, but battling the weight gain. And HUNGER!!!! I mean it was like those old cartoons when someone's talking and their head turns into a chicken drumstick. That was me this week. Except I pictured buffalo wings.

Anyway, suffice to say it was a long discouraging week that did not resemble any spring break movie I have ever seen. I was afraid someone might harpoon me on the beach if I attempted Cancun.

The good news is I got a great comment from Tess, who lost over 140 pounds after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Now that's an inspiration. If you can check out her comment in the previous post. If she can do it, I have to believe I can.

Now if I can just stop scratching....

Inspiration and Hope

I haven't been blogging much recently. Somehow spring break is busier than the regular semester. I've been cleaning up a lot of errands that have been waiting in the wings for me. And it's Ed's birthday on Tuesday. If anyone has a stellar birthday gift idea, send it along.

But much has happened in my world of weight loss. Firstly, don't get excited, I haven't lost a whole bunch of weight. What I did do is meet with Karyn Bender, who is an health counselor focused on integrative nutrition. The idea is to take the best and the brightest from all the diets out there, look at my lifestyle and food preferences and create an eating plan customized for me. So by combining healthy foods and foods I like to eat, hopefully I can achieve overall wellness and health. We meet again in early April and she should have a plan worked up for me. In the meantime, I am going to continue to work some exercise into my schedule. I have realized that while I am often busy, frequently I am also lazy.

In the meantime, a friend of mine has been following the Biggest Loser Club diet. This is based on the television show, "The Biggest Loser." The Web site allows people to plan menus, create a shopping list and hear inspirational stories. She says it has worked for her in a way that many diets haven't by making her believe that she can succeed. She said she feels connected to "Biggest Loser" contestants, and they inspire her. She has been losing a half pound to a pound each week and is thrilled with how livable the diet is.

And finally, thanks to Tess for the great cottage cheese dessert idea. I never would have thought about making a cottage cheese sundae. Excellent!

Blech.

I tried roasting vegetables in the oven with a touch of olive oil. I did the works -- eggplant, zucchini, red peppers and garlic. The idea was to store them in the fridge so I could quickly grab some veggies for lunch.

Blech.

Roasted veggies are great, but don't expect to eat them the next day. In fact, make only what you can eat in one sitting or you'll spend the next week choking down limp, flavorless vegetables, wondering what happened to the delicate flavor of garlic, vegetables and olive oil you had originally prepared.

This is true. I have another half an eggplant to go.

On the bright side, Ed bought fresh chives and mixed them with non-fat cottage cheese. Yum! I don't even like cottage cheese, but the fresh chives really added a great flavor. A half a cup of cottage cheese served on a couple of slices of crispbread is filling, high in fiber and really good.

Wellness Goes Mainstream

Even the police are getting on the health train. It's worth noting that the local sheriff in Cleveland, Tenn., published an article in the Cleveland Daily Banner introducing a wellness and fitness program for the county's police officers. The plan is designed to help deputies implement healthy lifestyles. The officers will also be assessed on a regular basis to ensure that they're fit and able to perform their job duties.

It's about time. I've seen many police officers that are out of shape, but more and more departments are requiring that police pass a physical fitness test. It's not fair to officers to not require that they stay in shape. If they're going to have a dangerous job, their bodies had best be in top shape -- for the people they protect, themselves and their families.

I'm also seeing a trend towards total wellness. An article in the Portsmouth (N.H.) Herald is featured an article yesterday, "Time to take care of you." The article talks about increasing health and fitness through better living. While healthy eating and regular exercise are a part of being healthy, this article also talks about mental health, taking down time and time management to get more done in less time -- hence, less stress overall. Here's an excerpt:

Step back from your life for a minute. What do you want it to look like and how does it really look now. If you are feeling out of control and your health is starting to show signs of being ignored, what can you do? What would you need to do to get your life more balanced?

Start with prioritizing. Look at what you did yesterday. What actually needed to get done and what could you have set aside permanently or temporarily? What new responsibilities did you take on that you could have said "no" to? When was the last time you drew the line separating designated work time and personal time? What could you have delegated to others? When could you have multitasked to accomplish more in less time?

And finally, throw some fruit in your salads! It adds some new textures and tastes to a old standby. I've been adding orange pieces, dried cranberries or apples ... I'm turning into a salad diva!

National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month. The American Dietetic Association is using this month to educate people about eating right.

The theme this year is "100 percent fad free." The Web site offers all kinds of information about good nutrition, including healthy eating recipes, a nutrition quiz and ten reasons to see a nutritionist.

I like the concept of fad free. The association is the country's largest grouping of nutritional professionals, so very likely you will hear much of the FDA-approved nutritional information. I still think it's a great place to get a handle on the basics. And a few more recipes never hurt.

Also be careful: This is still a trade association. They definitely have an interest in pushing people to visit dietitians.

It's All Downhill From Here

A new study found that as we hit middle age, we slow down on exercise and that's a big part of the middle age spread.

I can definitely understand why. As I get older I find myself with a tighter schedule, more responsibilities and a need to grab sleep when I can. But this study makes me feel like I really need to find some sort of exercise I can enjoy and stick with now, so exercise becomes part of my daily life before I get any busier.

I've been thinking about running. Most runners I know say the endorphins are incredible. I was talking to one woman yesterday, and she told me that she ran seven miles a day. I don't think -- actually, I know -- I couldn't run seven miles. Not even if I was being chased my an ax murderer. I might speed walk the first mile, then I'd probably just give up and let him hack me to pieces.

I'd like to be able to run without having a small heart attack. It would feel good to be fit. I think you'll be seeing more on running in upcoming blog entries.