Category Archives: Habit Building

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, This -n- That

Beating a Dead Horse?

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Giddy up! Come on Ol’ Paint! Let’s go! Giddy up! There’s a nice juicy carrot back at the barn …

Ol’ Paint does not seem to be moving.

Carrots aren’t effective motivators lately.

Even the sound of the whip snapping in the air does not keep Ol’ Paint motivated.

Can you relate? I can. I’m Ol’ Paint!

Early on during the stay-at-home orders, I was relishing digging into much over-looked projects. As a solo stay at homer, the honey-do list is written my me and handed to me.

Scrub this; organize that; sew masks; start “farming” – throw action-oriented posts up on Facebook.

Life’s a breeze filled with motivation and lots of carrots.

Now? Meh. Not so much.

I think I’m beating a dead horse.

Mind games of holding that first cup of coffee hostage until I did daily morning planks, used to be a thing that created success – especially when I texted the accomplishment to my plank buddy.

Now? I’ll do those planks when I am good and ready, thank you!

Rebellion! Total rebellion!

What’s going on in my mind – and possibly yours as well – is a deep-seated need to control; and with so much control having been taken away, there’s some rebellion going on trying to seize it back.

We see this publicly on the news each day. I will not open that can of worms by engaging in exhaustive social commentary. However, I gladly wear my mask and am only carefully tippy-toeing into Phase 1 – just sayin’.

But personally? The zest for accomplishments, productivity, and physical movement is difficult, if not impossible, to sustain.

While I’m not flat lining in life, the giddy up feelings are fleeting. I want to be more, do more, and self-start with more ease. What to do?

If Ol’ Paint doesn’t want to move down the same path and be rewarded in the same way, we need to find out why. What are other options? How can the reward change? Is a different schedule needed?

A good place to start might be getting the 80,000-foot view. Look at the bigger picture from way up high.

What do you see?

Loneliness?

Forced change of travel?

Boredom?

Fear?

Self-doubt?

Lack of motivation?

Lack of daily patterns?

Inability to see beauty?

You are probably thinking of twenty more to add to this list.

Clearly, for me at least, the old motivators are either not there or they look a lot different now. If you are not alone within your four walls, this could become a meaningful group/family activity. The 80,000-foot view could surprise.

So, if Ol’ Paint is having a hard time making it along the way, get off his/her back to lighten the load first. Then, reconsider how many hurdles your horse must jump each day to feel a sense of accomplishment.

We are all in uncharted territory. The stress still spins in the background whether we know it or not. Sleep habits are frequently thrown off – especially if we are not being expected to attend a Zoom meeting at 8:00-9:00-10:00 in the morning. Maybe even if we are obligated to be on screen. It’s a daily lesson in self-discovery with an over-arching message of needing to be easy on ourselves.

Take some weight off Ol’ Paint.

There is one universal truth that still applies during this trying time. To lessen our own angst, we can look away from our own needs to the needs of others. Shake that deer-in-the-headlight feeling that seems so prevalent and reach out to someone else each day. Something other than Facebook.

Preferably, call a friend or associate just to say hello and to check on them. Send a card in the mail. You remember the mail? It still comes and don’t we get excited when something other than a bill or an ad is in the box? Brighten someone’s day with a simple contact.

You’ll find that such caring for others will make you feel better as well.

Is a friend not able to go inside the doctor’s office or hospital while their loved one gets medical treatments? Offer to meet them in the parking lot while they wait! You can social distance 6 feet away through open car windows while wearing masks.

Spreading joy to others bounces right back to us!

Easy access to concentration skills had eluded me lately. Reading a fascinating, yet technical, article is somehow just not withing my grasp. But I have been given a different kind of concentration to do. A Mother’s Day gift of an exquisitely alluring two-sided picture of succulents has totally captured my imagination. I can’t help clapping in the air when I put pieces together and finish a section.

Part of my fear-like concerns during this time is how all this isolation will affect my mind. Being able to conquer this puzzle, figuring out how to use a new sewing machine to craft masks, and figuring out how to plant a garden have all given my brain a run for its money.

That’s another point. I am profoundly grateful to my children who are keeping close tabs on me. Calls, texts, Facetime, Marco Polo (a new one for me!), and gifts of cards, puzzle, and a sewing machine are not only keeping me thinking, functioning, and happy, but are helping to close the gap we all are feeling across the miles with no travel in sight.

Today’s food for thought is to:

  • Reflect on your situation from the 80,000-foot perspective
  • Shifting focus away from your concerns to become a bright light for someone else will ease everyone’s pain
  • Be easy on Ol’ Paint

’m wearing gym clothes this rainy day with the doable goal of exercising every time I move. High steps, squats, weights in hands to work arms and abs. The Beach Boys music really gets me stepping and moving in creative exercise ways! Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees is a favorite to power me through planks!

In health-

Deidre

Sharing these posts with friends is another way to reach out! Ol’ Paint is learning about Facebook Live, so stay tuned for regular short missives. Like Foodtalk4you on Facebook so you won’t miss out, AND like Toolkits for Health on Facebook where I’ll soon be doing short Live events to help Caregivers.

We appreciate your comments, feedback, and sharing of our posts. Make sure to click on the subscribe button so you won’t miss new posts on Foodtalk4you. Thank you!

Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

She Ain’t Heavy … Oh, Weight …

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We promise posts about better health one bite … one breath … one movement at a time.

Oh look! It’s the Golden Doodle Oodles!

Last week, the post “Ooodles of Doodles” shared a daily living philosophy of being in the moment, and how easily our pets remind us of that. File that one under “breath.”

Today is about movement – or lack thereof.

Wait!

This is not about cracking the whip to guilt us all into jogging.

It’s about that time of day that is the key restorative time for our bodies. The time of day, if we don’t do this one key thing, our health will come down like a house of cards.

Sleep.

Check out the Toolkit for Wellness’s chapter on sleep to learn of how sleep deprivation ramps up hunger for starchy carbs, as well as how it can impede response to insulin.

Do you find sleep comes more easily if you are buried under a mountain of blankets? It may be more than just the cold that’s causing you to dive deep into the down comforters or quilts. It’s the weight.

Weight?

Yes. Turns out that all those blankets weighing you down are – weighing you down. Their cumulative weight is stimulating deep touch pressure receptors in your muscles, giving you the benefits of an all-night hug.

Hugs cause a release of the hormone oxytocin which may have benefits for depression, anxiety, and other problems. In general, oxytocin leaves you feeling calm, tranquil, and loving. Ahhh. Some articles I’ve read have cited a positive effect on serotonin and melatonin release with using weighted blankets; both hormones positively effect quality of sleep.

Temple Grandin

Perhaps you are aware of Temple Grandin – author, speaker, professor at Colorado State University, and PhD in animal science – whose life story was made into a movie? She developed a “squeezing machine” that would surround her with a hug, causing deep touch pressure, and would alleviate her anxiety attacks.

Temple Grandin’s Squeeze Machine

Dr. Grandin is on the Autism Spectrum. Her story is fascinating, and you can learn more about this amazing woman HERE.

For years, many people with ASD have relied on weighted blankets to sooth them through feelings of crisis and anxiety. Now, weighted blankets have gone mainstream.

I’ve always enjoyed a little extra weight on me when sleeping. Doesn’t matter if it’s in the heat of summer; sleeping just under a sheet has never been an option. I sort of feel like I’m going to float away.

Maybe I’m on the spectrum? Doesn’t matter.

I recently had the chance to use a weighted blanket. Wow! There’s such a feeling of being grounded, safe, snug, and relaxed. My restless legs did not move. It’s something I might consider purchasing.

If you are having issues with not getting a restful slumber, I highly recommend you consider trying one, if your physician agrees.

There are several medical conditions and personal phobias that would preclude your using a weighted blanket. Diabetes, skin issues, circulatory problems, pregnancy, and others– ask your doctor first, just to be safe.

And more is not better. The added weight is achieved through small pockets of plastic pellets, glass beads, flax seeds, or other materials. The rule of thumb is to use a blanket that is 10% of your body weight plus two pounds. If you get too warm when sleeping, then forget selecting the two extra pounds. If menopausal hot flashes are a bother, forget buying the weighted blanket at all.

Note: There is a danger if using on infants or small children. Always consult your pediatrician first.

Weighted blankets come in all sizes. The one I tried was like a throw blanket and was enough to cover my core body but leave my feet free if I stretched out. They are widely available online and in stores.

The only negative I can imagine if someone used a weighted blanket regularly, is not being able to adapt to not having a one when traveling. Trust me; you don’t want to put one into your carry on. Heavy.

Yours in health –

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, This -n- That

And We’re Off … !

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It happened again – unbidden and out of the blue.

POLISH

Not relating to the country, but the verb and the resulting noun.

Polish something to make it gleaming. Note the fine polish.

The 2020 Word of the Year just floated into my mind sometime during the scurry and flurry of activities in December.

I put several irons to the fire in 2019 to “REACH others by sharing ideas with them.”

My focus this year is to POLISH each activity with care to reveal its deserved luster and outreach.

There is focused and intense work in polishing something. Consistent effort, pressure, polishing cloth and compound – all judiciously applied to make an object gleam – or make a project fulfill its destiny.

This is easily guiding my actions from timely home renovations; using my talents in the best way to maximize benefits for others; business marketing and even tidying up.

Just getting something done or out there is not enough. Am I polishing my efforts to get the best results? There may be changes – oh, dear! That dreaded word.

It’s okay if the change makes things better … more polished … the best version of itself.

Has your new personal Word of the Year come floating into your consciousness?

Write it down.

A post-it note will do – or something more elaborate to put in a prominent location as a beautiful reminder of your year’s intent.

A Word of the Year approach has far surpassed the fruitless exercise of New Year’s resolutions for me.

Try it.

Let one thought pervade all your activities this year – you’ll note great results because it’s a mindful approach to tweaking some aspects of your life.

No deadline – just a gentle leaning in and a refocus each day.

That’s the first idea.

The second one is going to become a new tradition for me that I hope sparks your imagination, as well.

We’ve all heard of gratitude journals. Do you write down something each night that brought gratitude to your heart that day? It’s been cited as being a practice that promotes a more positive frame of mind.

It’s just that I have so many journals around, I did not want another – and my bedside table does not need one more book on it.

If you can relate, perhaps the approach a dear friend just shared with me may inspire you as well!

As a cancer survivor, my friend participates in a Live Strong support group of fellow survivors. One of them shared the idea of a “good things” or “blessings” jar with her. As with any good idea, I am passing it on to you, my readers.

A new year lays out before us. Good and bad will happen. How about noting the good things each week – or more often – collect them in a jar, and review the blessings each New Year’s Eve?

Now residing in my kitchen is a jar equipped with a pen and baggy of blank blocks of paper ready to have the good things noted and deposited inside. See how I’ve set up my new habit in a way that will ensure success? No searching for a pen or a piece of paper. All set.

There are already several entries! The first was reconnecting with my dear friend on the phone to start the new year!

Take a picture of your jar, or Word of the Year picture/post-it note, and send it to me at foodtalk4you@gmail.com. I’ll share it on FoodTalk4You!

Wishing each of my readers much peace, love, natural health, and renewed focus on the positive in all you do in 2020!

Don’t miss even one FoodTalk4You.com newsletter! Look for the sign up to the left of this page above.

In health,

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Food Talk 4 You!, Habit Building

Tips, Tricks, and Hacks

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Time to go through the old photos. Ever do that? Pictures of fascinating objects, moments, or maybe a recipe or two. I snap pictures for this column all the time, and then – sometimes – forget to share. Today’s the day to go down memory lane to bring some useful ideas to light.

This tip comes for anyone repairing a hem that is unraveling. Manufactured clothing – especially for women, often comes with hems that have double rows of stitching for hems. The factory machines are actually doing some kind of chain stitch which – if you don’t totally pull out the raveling thread that makes the stitch on the front side – will result in loops on the back side.

Very often, you can run your repair thread through those remaining loops of the chain on the back side to create an invisible fix. I’ve done this twice in the last month and created totally flawless repairs when viewed on the front side.

This trick was revealed to me by a dear, vertically-challenged, friend. Not sure Betty is even five feet tall, but this tip has even helped me – at 5’ 7 1/2 “  – to have better control with an electric beater.

Imagine my surprise when she placed her bowl in the sink to use the mixer. It helped with the task at hand, in spite of her being short, but when I also did it,  I was rewarded with an improved general control, catching those normal random splashes, and basically, made the job easier.

Thank you, Betty!

This one I’d classify as a hack. When it comes to pushing a grocery cart through the aisles, there’s quite a difference between over-handed and under-handed when it comes to hand placement.

How do you push your shopping cart? Probably over-handed like this:

Try pushing the shopping cart under-handed like this:

You will notice a little tension, and maybe even some minor ‘niggling’ in the abdominal area. Abdominal exercises in the middle of Harris Teeter! Now, I don’t know how many miles of cart pushing equals one crunch, but everything helps. If I can feel something going on, no matter how subtle, that’s a plus in the right direction.

Here’s another idea, if you like to do arm circle exercises, make a similar switch. Normally, people do arm circles with their palms facing down. Switch to palms facing the ceiling for a definite change and a bit of a challenge.

It’s been pegging near 100 degrees these last two days in Eastern North Carolina, that’s about all I can squeeze out today!

Stay cool. As one who used to love being in the heat on the back porch swing, I have had to come inside. Never been this old before … The heat causes vasodilation – blood vessels get bigger – and my blood pressure plummets. Even a cold glass of water or iced tea won’t help.

Sigh.

From the indoors-

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building

Ready – Set – Go!

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Are you trapped in a cycle of plotting, planning, wishing, and dreaming but never doing? If you could just actually get started, things would be great. But you never take that first step. We look for a push, a shove, someone to take our hand…or better yet, lift us up and carry us through so we don’t actually have to do it.

Seems others are busy doing their own things; so, we continue to plot, plan, wish, and dream. Sometimes we may even be worried about the mound of unaccomplished tasks before us. How to start ticking off those boxes so we can really get going?

I want to share five points about getting started that have worked for me and others:

  1. Don’t think about it – just do it. This mantra got me through high school and college and relates to finishing reports, speeches, reading texts, and doing homework – not as an encouragement to do stupid stuff. Long before there was a Nike, I practiced and shared this phrase to get myself and others through mountains of tasks.

Don’t think about the five things you need to get done in the next little bit, just reach out and grab one and do it. Then grab the next one.

Over-thinking, over-planning, over-ruminating gets nothing done – it only delays the start.

Don’t think about it – just do it.

  • Start a change with small tweaks. If you think about it, just about everything we do is a habit. Habits require little to no thinking. Our brain has limited band width and loves to run on autopilot – it likes to save real thinking for important things.

When I want to change an old habit or start a new one, I’ll begin by breaking down that habit into such a small component – what I call a tweak – that not doing it would be silly. If I backslide from doing ab exercises, I’ll start by doing just thirty seconds of full planks (elbow to toes) followed by thirty seconds of half planks (elbow to knees).

Now, who doesn’t have one minute for exercise? Then, I note on my calendar this accomplishment. Not so hard. By the end of the week, I’m doing a minute of full planks followed by a full minute of half planks. My goal is to work back up to two-minute planks both ways.

Trying to eat better? Conquer one meal at a time. Make sure to note your change on a calendar. Those check marks, stars, or notations look mighty good as they add up. Then you can move on to add another meal.

Instead of going cold turkey on cutting out sweet tea or sodas, simply cut down by bits. Share all cans of sodas with a still addicted friend, or switch to smaller cans. Sweet tea can be cut by ever-increasing amounts of unsweet tea. Then you can experiment with drinking more water instead of tea or soda.

  • Five-hundred-pound man. A Facebook video popped up while I was scrolling through the other night that I had seen before, but something compelled me to watch it again with new eyes. Perhaps you have seen it, too. This young man, maybe in his thirties, weighed over 500 pounds. His human form was all but obliterated by the extra weight.

His doctor pretty much said lose the weight or die. Because he was engaged to a normal-sized woman who loved the man inside of him, he decided he needed to reveal that man to himself and the world.

Long story short, he started by doing something simple. He videoed himself throwing out all the junk food in his house. Then he went to the grocery store with a new kind of shopping list. Then he went to the gym. One step at a time. He did what he could that day.

Thinking about the long haul for a 500+ pound man would have crushed any hope of getting the job done. Don’t think about it; just do it. Today. Then tomorrow when it becomes today.

At the end of his story, he weighed 300 pounds less and was having skin reduction surgery. He was alive, fit, and loving his active life. Both he and his new wife could fit into one leg of his former pants.

What a wonderful story about starting, and then starting again the next day, and the day after that!

  • Help yourself. Those were the words that popped into my depressed and numb mind as I lay on the bed, unable to get up. Help yourself. Learning to live with grief was hard. I knew it was going to be hard. Maybe I’d just stay there the rest of the afternoon…

Help yourself.

Well, I realized that there was no one else who was going to help me. It boils down to me. Get my body up. Move. Go somewhere there are other people. Do it. Now. Don’t think about it – just do it. Help yourself.

Closely resembling an emotionless robot – I got up, slipped on some shoes, and drove to the riverside park.

Fresh breeze. Pretty clouds. Children playing. Folks walking their dogs. Life.

Life was around me and I had to participate. My loved one was in heaven, but I was here. I was called to actively live here and now – the choice was mine. Help myself by being a part of the life around me. So I did.

  • Dominoes. Getting started and maintaining forward motion can be almost self-perpetuating. Once you tip over that first domino, that accomplishment will help tip over the next. That’s why I like putting those notations on my calendar, so I can see that momentum.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Enjoy that exhilarating feeling as you do more exercise, eliminate toxic foods, complete those tasks, write the next chapter of your book, start that business, or take that new class.

You are doing this! You have started and you are moving forward.

Congratulations!

So, what are you desiring to start? Find the smallest part of it, don’t think about it anymore, and just do it! Pat yourself on the back. Put a star on your calendar and do it again tomorrow.

In health and accomplishment-

Deidre

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Food Talk 4 You!, Habit Building, Titles Worth Reading

Earliest Food Explorers

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I’ve been a silent blogger of late. Somehow the inspiration of sharing helpful messages about healthful habits and recipes with my readers escaped me. Earlier this year, I pushed through the pressing personal concerns surrounding me to nurture the creative process, but I have sort of let you down of late. Apologies.

I had been trying a different coping technique, whereby, I gave in to my limited bandwidth. I just concentrated on being a dedicated caregiver and staying active, with weekly trips to the gym and outings to enjoy a leisurely breakfast in solitude. It was so nice drinking coffee I did not brew and eating a brunch I did not prepare. A needed journey in self-indulgence, perhaps.

Then there was springtime at the local nurseries! I wrote about the rejuvenating atmosphere found in nurseries last year (HERE), and I, once again, bathed in the essences of new growth and promise. Spent a bundle buying my little plants, but I am assured of months of color and beauty.

I get a relaxing therapy session every time I look out the back windows. Why, even doing dishes is fun while glancing up to appreciate my own little Eden.

 

But something was missing.

 

When there’s a song in your heart, you sing – right?

The teacher/writer in my soul still wants to help others.

Looking around some of my favorite online resources for nutrition and book marketing, I began to see, the nutrition camp is melding into a marketer’s paradise. So well, in fact, I hardly ever open their exhausting, sales-pitching emails anymore. I now recognize when I’m being encouraged and steered into making another purchase.

They are just trying to earn a living, I know; but the “lather, rinse, and repeat” process was becoming so transparent that it created a great ennui. It’s like putting the gum by the cash register. Here’s how it works:

Savvy marketers love labels. Identify (or create) a need. Write a book with an answer to that need. Write a blog to grow the mailing list. Sell a product that embraces the new hip label. Go to the bank.

Have you noticed the paleo writers all seem to have a side hustle about “Keto” related? After writing how-to books, recipe books, and countless blogs, my favorite paleo gurus are now on the Ketogenic bandwagon. Their new book releases all sport Keto-friendly labels. Their latest products are “Keto-centric” as well- meaning, they are totally focused on low-carb, high-fat foods.

Just another “trendy” diet?

New, deeper knowledge is never a bad thing. I’ve been aware of ketogenic diets for fifteen years as a part of successful approach to dealing with seizure disorders and perhaps a life-extending diet for cancer patients. Getting one’s metabolism to burn body fat through ketosis is all fine and good for weight loss as well.

When a new thought turns into a buzz word, however, I get a little suspicious – especially, if there are related products to sell. Of course, selling a product puts food on the seller’s table; I understand that.

While we’re at it, please buy my own book, Toolkit for Wellness! (Pssssst! There’s good stuff in it!)

But my readers are still floundering a bit with the whole label thing. Should they be learning about this new way of eating? Maybe there’s some keto magic pill they should be taking each morning? To be sure, there are books, blogs, recipes, and a ton of keto products to buy!

Is the label going to make you feel better?

NO!

LET’S RIP ALL LABELS OFF!

Label exploration can be an excuse to delay action – which is what is really needed – not study.

A recent Facebook posting by my son brings this very point home. With his permission, I am quoting his post to demonstrate what our actions are doing for us:

———————————————–

James: Wow! I gained, then lost, 12 lbs. inside 7 days. Because biscuits, gravy, syrup, and fried food, followed by none of that nonsense. Also zero trips to the gym.

Friend: What did you eat?

James: Make that 13 lbs. …. Garbage, essentially. Sweet, sweet, delicious garbage. Followed by the usual steak, salmon, eggs, sausage, bacon, olives, oils, tons of nuts, red wine, and lots of spinach salad…all the stuff I post food pics of! …down 35-40 lbs. in last year and was reasonably fit when I started. It’s just astounding though that carbs have such an overnight effect.

Friend: Diet is everything but exercise helps a lot too!

James: Exercise is a must, for sure, but seems to relate mostly to muscle mass and overall metabolic rate. Diet composition (rather than calories eaten…because I eat like a champ) seems to be directly tied to body fat % and water retention/bloat.

Friend: Sodium is another weight adder. I recently had a cheat day where lunch was a cheeseburger with chili cheese fries followed by Chinese for dinner. I woke up the next day 7 pounds heavier! Couldn’t believe it. Went back on the good diet and lost all that water weight in three days

James: Exactly. Crazy.

———————————————-

Our son posts mouth-watering pictures of his large Reverse Sear Steaks…  Oh, my goodness…  Along with huge green salads. No baked potatoes. No dishes of linguine.    

“Boy, his cholesterol must be through the roof! How’s that doing for him?”

Funny you should ask. The doctor just checked his levels and pronounced them “phenomenally good,” with a marked improvement in blood sugar readings, which were down from a pre-diabetic level 4 years ago.

Remember the science lesson from my book (listed above): Carbohydrates drive blood sugars and insulin levels, and insulin levels drive cholesterol. Done.

In the coming posts, I shall share some awesome, health-friendly, taste bud rapture-worthy meals that will send you to the kitchen to duplicate.

In the meantime, re-read James’ post. It’s really that simple. Love that boy! He’s been teaching Mama a trick or two that she’s going to be sharing with all of you!

In health-

Deidre