Category Archives: Stress Reduction

Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That, Titles Worth Reading

And Now – The Holistic Angle on Caregiving

2 Comments

For certain, there’s more than one way to tell a story!  

As a practical, roll-up-my-sleeves author who reaches out to caregivers with a skills-oriented how-to approach, I was delighted to become aware of Ilene Nathanson’s book, Caregiving Confidential: Path of Meaning, because of her different style and message. 

Weaving true story vignettes that walk the reader through the unfolding of several common pathways to caregiving, Dr. Nathanson’s passion for the holistic needs of caregivers and care recipients is evident on each page. 

I was immediately drawn into her narrative style that cleverly brought me through the broad range of circumstances that will, ultimately, confront us all – maybe several times in our lives. 

There is no escaping the issue.  

We are all aging.  

Our needs, and the needs of our loved ones, are going to evolve – and most of us are unprepared. 

As a retired chief administrator of graduate social work at Long Island University, with a strong passion for gerontology, her guidance and teaching skills continue in this book and in her co-founding of the New Aging Partnership.  

Did you know that the phrase “aging in place,” is the buzz word not only for longings of the heart, casual conversations, and policy makers, but is also the focus of dozens of new and old industries? 

Retirement communities have been with us for decades, but now there are real estate agents focusing on senior needs, downsizing specialists, senior service agencies, and more – who are all swooping in to meet the unfolding needs of this growing niche market.  

Sandwich generation families are rewriting the book for taking care of parents/grandparents, while juggling the demands of their own children, plus full-time jobs in or outside of the house.  

The dynamics of multi-generational households are different than in previous years. 

This is why Caregiving Confidential is a beautiful place to start. Enjoyable to read and laced with poignant humor – Ilene Nathanson’s book is always spot on. Like me, you will not want to put it down. 

I consider it to be the perfect flashlight for us to use as a primer for this timely topic and a great place to start the aging conversation in our own families. 

We are all about sharing here at foodtalk4you. Please share this post using the options under the MORE button below. 

In health –  

Deidre  

Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Happy 9th Anniversary! So, What’s Your Type?

Leave a comment

Marking major passages of time seems to naturally cause introspection.  

Another year passes – what went well, what could be improved, what is needed? 

A funny thing happened as I cleaned up the remains and results of tax preparations this past week. Not only was I vacuuming up the tiny, spilled scraps of ancient tax documents, now shredded, but I was also filing random papers that had not found their proper place in my new home. 

My office floor was covered with files, papers, articles, notes taken – heaven help me, I am a consummate note taker – and one last bundle was in my hand.  

I was holding the results of the personality test I took a couple of years ago, and strangely enough, it was the topic going around the table the other night as we dined with friends. Everyone knew their alphabet soup of personality types the same way they knew their astrological signs!  

Well, except me. It seemed like such a jumble of letters. ENFJ just doesn’t roll off my tongue. 

But reviewing the 18 pages of explanations helped my understanding of what makes me roll.  

Coupled with today being the 9th anniversary of foodtalk4you, I am more committed to continuing my natural bent to guide, teach, and mentor – both here, and in my books and presentations. 

As we go forward with conversations about lifestyles – including exercise, food, and positive thinking – I do realize each of us is coming to these topics from diverse backgrounds, start points, and experiences. 

My promise to readers and listeners is to maintain a thoughtful approach that will uplift and encourage everyone, sharing tools and skills that can be adapted to our unique situations.  

Above all, we will collectively move forward with healthier thoughts, a greater appreciation for all that does our body good and sharing helpful information. 

There are many avenues to taking an online Myers Briggs type test. The TypeFinder Personality Assessment test I used was free to take, but I recall a slight fee to have the results fully explained. It was totally worth it. 

It’s illuminating to read about how we tick. The section, “Your Personality at Work,” discussed the work environment best suited to my personality followed by my own leadership and teamwork styles.  

How cool it was to see my career and life experiences span 1/3 of the 45 good fit recommendations tailored to my personality type.  

LOL! I may be onto something!  

Our foodtalk4you anniversary gift idea to you is TypeFinder – check it out. 

You may share this post using the options under the MORE button below. 

In health –  

Deidre    

Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction

It’s Electric – With Mind Over Matter

Leave a comment

It’s just a thought.

What’s the big deal? We think lots of thoughts.

No harm – no foul, right?

Nothing hurtful was spoken. No punches were exchanged.

“I can think anything I want!”

Well, not so fast, grasshopper.

Turns out, even our most fleeting of thoughts has significant consequences inside of our bodies.

I have written about the effects of negative self-talk before in foodtalk4you, and my new book, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, (out this summer) has a section about managing the inner dialogue as well. The more research I do about the power of our thoughts, the more I want to practice, learn, and share with you.

The most recent foray into this science of the mind, stemmed from an article my daughter shared with me: Somatic Movement Center – Placebo Effect, which has started a cascade of reading – and well, thinking.

Please read that article. Copy and paste it into a word document. Reread it. Highlight it in a rainbow of colors. Reread it again. Add italics. Underline. And reread it again. Absorb its meaning and the implications to you.

Here’s a glimpse of what I have gleaned:

“Only about two percent of diseases, can be blamed on single genes and can be considered truly unavoidable.

The vast majority of us are born with genetics that can allow us to be healthy throughout our lives—given the right environmental conditions.

Research shows that only 5% of an adult’s genes are unchangeable; the other 95% can be turned on and off by environmental factors.

What exactly is the environment? The environment that affects our genes includes factors outside our body that we may have limited control over, and inside our body that we potentially have total control over.

Genes do not randomly turn themselves on and off. The majority of genes are inactive until an environmental signal tells them to turn on. And once they’re turned on, they require an environmental signal in order to be turned off.”

Do you wonder what the environmental signals are?

We create those environmental signals inside of our bodies.

How?

By the nature of the thoughts we think. Our thoughts generate electrical signals that course along the nerve cells in our brains, which direct what kind of a protein, called a neuropeptide, is released.

As those neuropeptides are swimming around our bodies, our individual cells pick them up through receptors:

“The input that the receptors receive affects the behavior and structure of the cell. So as we have thoughts and experience emotions, the activity and structure of the trillions of cells throughout our body are affected.”

Eventually, the genes found in the cell’s nucleus/brain are influenced to start a cascade of events that will turn on or off the expression of that gene. In other words – you may have inherited genes for XYZ disease/condition, but you are in control of creating the environment that will turn those genes on or off.

This is a lot to take in.

There is rock hard science behind people getting out of wheelchairs, fighting the odds, or beating diseases. We will be revisiting this topic in future posts.

For this week, let’s practice running our inner dialogue through the parameters of what this article is revealing to us.

Remember: Our mind believes what we tell it. We, alone, can reprogram our thoughts to generate better outcomes within our bodies.

Thinking health in all things,

Deidre

Sometimes it’s a recipe; sometimes it’s an idea or an exercise. You never know what’s coming up next; but you can be assured it’s something that’s good for you. Scroll to the bottom of your device or to the top left of your computer screen to subscribe to foodtalk4you today. No gimmicks. No hype. Thanks.

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, Titles Worth Reading

A Little Sneak Peak …

Leave a comment

Last week, I mentioned our good news about Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, being available for pre-order on Amazon, and it occurred to me it might be nice to share a snippet of that book with you today.  

Here is the first part of Chapter 2, where I introduce readers to the first technique we do as an exercise that: 

1) Assists people in understanding how much control they have over their emotions  

2) How to create an accepting mindset and environment for emotions, and  

3) How to, at least temporarily, let it go.  

I am also introducing caregivers to the idea that they count. Their total health is a valid focus that needs to be recognized, so they can successfully be there for their loved one/patient.  

Here is your peek inside of Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions: 

Chapter 2 

Are you drowning? 

We caregivers of loved ones often think we should just soldier on in silence. Don’t complain. Don’t reach out for help. Just do the job. Any feelings we experience about ourselves are pushed so far down they are out of sight. 

Our loved one comes first, last, and everywhere in between.  

That philosophy may work for a while … until it clearly does not. 

I can tell when it’s not working. Caregivers come to talk to me with that glazed-over, shell-shocked look, like they are drowning at sea and are going down for the third time – lacking the energy to even signal for help. 

A greater understanding of the unique caregiver emotional situation will assist you in smoother transitions through the phases of caring – and even grieving. 

I thought I had everything figured out when I started caring for my dear husband. I was a nurse who taught Certified Nursing Assistants, after all. 

Little did I know, there was still much to learn – especially about my emotional and physical needs during that blessed time of caring for him. 

You see, in a caregiving situation, there are two patients. Two patients with equally important, but very different needs. Two patients whose needs are intertwined and dependent upon each other.  

Those patients are you, the caregiver; and the loved one you are caring for. Ignore the needs and welfare of the one, and the other will not be cared for.  

I want to shine a light on the unpredictable roller coaster of often surprising and negative caregiver emotions.  

Emotions are what make us human. When we cry, we’re experiencing emotion. Whenever we are happy, sad, mad, passionate, upset – those are all emotions. 

But sometimes, negative emotions need to be reined in!  

Emotions can steal our involvement and enjoyment of the present moment. 

You see, emotions should just come and go. But sometimes, we get so uncontrollably wrapped up in our feelings, we start identifying with them.  

This is what I know – we are not our emotions; and we can – and should – control them at times. But how?  

Keep reading and follow along with the techniques I share. 

  • Copyright 2022, Deidre Edwards 

Oh, I just hope you are wanting to turn the page to read what’s next!  

And you will get to do that. My goal is to beat my deadline of August 2nd by publishing early!  

Foodtalk4you subscribers can assist us in getting this book into the hands of the over 50 million caregivers – in America alone – by joining the launch team. Very soon, we will send out information on how you can get an inside look at a book and participate in its success.  

There will be opportunities for getting FREE autographed copies for launch participants. Yay! 

UPDATE!!

Dear Readers – It’s a humble little burnt orange banner, but it means so very much:

“#1 New Release in (the category of)  Physician and Patient Caregiving”

This means YOUR pre-orders for Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions are enabling others to see this book on Amazon so much easier! In the coming weeks, I’ll be dedicating myself to publishing before my projected date of August 2nd because more and more caregivers need this message of hope, understanding, and techniques.

A change in our health status can come in the blink of an eye – not only do we need to be prepared for the physical tasks of caregiving, but we need the mental and emotional skills to stay sane, not feel alone, and to strengthen life-long resilience skills. The third title in my Caregiver Series will do that.

I just cannot say, “Thank You” enough! 

In the meantime, it’s time to get up from this desk, do a minute of planks, and go for a walk before the temperature decides to return to winter.  

Boing! That’s springtime in the Northern Hemisphere! 

Pssst! You have my permission to share this post using the options under the MORE button below. 😊 

In health –  

Deidre  

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes, Stress Reduction

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Leave a comment

Happy Valentine’ Day, sweet readers!

Did you craft a Valentine for someone from last week’s post?

If you are careful in cutting out the heart shape in the front piece, you have a handy heart to place on a rectangle of paper that can be taped onto blank card stock. Two cards for one!

Listening to a favorite meditation message from Amit Sood recently, I was reminded about how we share in spreading happiness. I call it, “making the day.”

He said, no matter our job or station in life, each of us has a job description that includes being a “Happiness Officer.”

Bottom line, it’s up to each of us to spread happiness wherever we go. Every day.

I am pleased to report that many people do this – or at least, many people join me as I endeavor to make light of potentially frustrating situations.

Today’s return of goods to a local big box hardware store seemed to drag on forever.

As one who frequently is frustrated with computer glitches, I turned a sympathetic ear to the cashier who was trying to get information from a new system. When that failed, she tried the old system. Even her boss was not getting the information needed to complete the return.

Noting a line had formed behind me, I apologized for the delay to them. The next in line said it was okay, and I commented in a lighthearted fashion something about, “you gotta love computers.”

The store’s music system was playing a lively tune which I may have bounced to. These days, especially, I want everyone around me to pick up on a body language and tone of voice from me that says I am patient and understanding. We never know who we might be influencing.

When a resolution to the situation was developed, I expressed appreciation for their diligence, creativity, and customer care.

With news about people on their last thread of sanity doing regrettable things, it seems to be more important than ever to take our job description of “Happiness Officer” to heart.

Speaking of happiness … I really like oatmeal, but …

How do you dress up a serving of leftover oatmeal?

We jokingly call my mixture of gluten-free: Oatmeal, steel cut oats, buckwheat, and ground flax seed, “gruel,” and I frequently prepare extra just to have leftovers.

I store and refrigerate the leftover hot cereal in a loaf-shaped dish so I can cut off 1/2 inch slices to brown in a pan with a dab of butter on medium heat the next day.

These browned slices can be eaten plain or dressed up with fresh or cooked fruit. Today, I cooked some Mackintosh apples until they were almost like applesauce and put a dollop on each slice. Yum.

Can you find a situation you can adorn with your brand of happiness?

May we all be Happiness Officers to everyone –

Deidre

You may share this post by using the options under the MORE button below.

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

Kaizen in Action – Part 2

4 Comments

Sometimes the inspiration and application of an idea can come from a familiar message that’s been put into new words.

That old idea will grab us in a new way, when it’s presented from a different angle.

I’ve written about taking small steps for years, both here and in my books. But this book about Kaizen I referred to last week, has been just what I needed.

And look – even its size reflects its message!

As I stood in the chaos of moving boxes, not sure of which way to go because some of the options required other efforts to complete, I put Kaizen to work.

Clearly, the whole project, or even part of the project, was not going to be finished that day. What was one tiny thing within my reach that I could put away? One thing.

Easy enough. Done.

Next?

By the end of the morning, I had finished moving my things into the bathroom: Shelving assembled under the sink, objects sorted, discarded, and put away.

This job had been put off for several weeks. I had enough personal hair, make up, and tooth brushing supplies – it was not an urgent task, but to complete moving in, required me to get these things out of the ugly box in my new bedroom.

You can imagine the sense of accomplishment – albeit small – that propelled me to tackle one more object in another box. Ultimately, four or five boxes were processed that day. Wow!

Reading Maurer’s book opened my eyes to another reason why small is good.

Approaching any topic from the point of view of making the smallest changes is simply more user friendly, because we are comfortable with small steps.

When faced with change involving big ideas and big leaps, our fight-or-flight response is triggered. Our body prepares for physical action (fight or flight) and the circuits for less critical operations are shut down.

In a fight-or-flight response, we do not need to digest lunch, or think about our relations with Aunt Sarah. We need to stand and fight, or get out of Dodge as fast as possible.

The problem we face in everyday situations that bring on this response is that it also brings on some degree of fear. We fear departing from anything that takes us away from the norm – and we often end up like deer in the headlights. Stuck. Frozen.

Looking at major projects can leave us wringing our hands and walking in circles.

But, learning to take the smallest step possible keeps that fight-or-flight response asleep. We can tiptoe right around it.

I’m not opening and putting away fifty boxes today. I’m going to find a home for this bottle of Listerine.

Twice weekly, extreme gym workouts aren’t happening; but I did 5 minutes of arm exercises with 3 pound weights during the commercials last night – several times. Whenever I relocate my 5 pound weights, I’ll use them to ramp up the experience.

Little things.

How can you dissolve the potential fear of facing a large or difficult project by finding the smallest possible step to take?

What’s one thing you can do for your health today?

How can you incorporate one more glass of water into your day?

Are you looking at a mess? What is one small object you can put away?

Thank you for reading foodtalk4you. If you haven’t subscribed yet, just scroll down your screen or look to the upper left along this article to subscribe today. We won’t bug you, promise. Just one email a week to alert you to the new post.

Quietly stepping around that fight-or-flight tiger.

In health –

Deidre

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

New Year – New Word!

Leave a comment

Bet you thought I had forgotten. Life was such a whirlwind last year, I did forget – at least to write about it.

This year, the ripples of past words and ideas returned to me – this time through an author friend, Otakara Klettke – who posted a query to her friends about what they had chosen as their 2023 Word of the Year.

Brilliant!

I grow so much from 1) setting a mindful intention for my new year and 2) spreading out the contents of last year’s blessings jar – and doing it now, the day after epiphany (as I write this), seems appropriate.

Besides, blessings are pouring in for 2023, and I need an empty jar to hold my notes!

My unspoken word of the year for 2022 had to have been GROW. What a ride of new experiences! Looking back, I am grateful for how life unfolded: I learned new things and improved on them; how I will do some things better; and how I had such amazing support every step of the way.

With most of these life changes complete, Otakara’s query about my 2023 Word of the Year gave me pause to think. Only one word popped into my mind and spirit: LOVE.

Not that love was lacking at any time in 2022, but my soul wants to turn its striving and focus to love.

Certainly, all intentions need to start at home. I’ll be mindful how I explore and show love to myself; but I long to show love more completely to others through my presence, helpful acts, and remembrances.

So, what is your Word of the Year for 2023?

I think it’s better than a resolution – any day – because it’s an intention set deep in our hearts that colors how we think and proceed. Resolutions fade away even before January ends, but an intention can stick with us.

Write it on a sticky.

Make a pretty drawing around your word.

Paint it on a canvas.

Sharing these easy ideas. Just use the options on the MORE button below to share this post with others.

In health and love –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Stress Reduction, Titles Worth Reading

Change is Good!!

Leave a comment

It’s not a word on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Kaizen. It comes from two Japanese words “kai,” meaning ‘change,’ and “zen,” meaning ‘good’.

Many of us bristle at the very thought of change. Status quo is the word of the day for many.

But change is as natural as the different seasons in nature – morphing almost imperceptibly into something different. In our own lives, each day is unique, and each phase of our journey is new. We’ve never been here before. Change is our normal state.

Kaizen has also come to mean the process of continuous improvement. Since the early days of Toyota, the Japanese manufacturer was one of the first organizations to embrace the idea that perfection is not a fixed destination – as life evolves – our needs, visions, and approaches change – and so must our methods and products.

Therefore, change can be good.

There’s a lesson to be learned by the way nature changes that we can take into our own efforts for self-improvement.

What is that lesson? Sustainable change – or a process of changing that can be sustainable – must happen gradually.

We don’t jump from frozen ground to full-bloom spring, do we?

Taking the smallest, measurable step each day is enough to get us there. When we show up every day to take our efforts and results just a little farther down the road, that’s exactly what we want.

Sustainability is the key.

If we make our steps giant, challenging leaps, there’s a good chance we will not return the next day. Skipping one day makes starting the next time harder, and makes creating excuses to skip again very alluring and justifiable.

In that vein, the five-minute arm workout I shared with you last week is a perfect example of sustainability. There’s not a big commitment, this routine can be done any time of day or night, and I seem to naturally improve and expand what I do with no special effort.

There’s that Kaizen Principle at work in a simple arm routine.

Yesterday, I morphed a few moves to create a half-dozen more. So fun to do, and variation keeps things fresh!

Try taking a hammer curl to a full overhead arm extension and back again. Then extend that combination to a triceps extension: three moves in one loop.

Add another triceps move by standing upright, arms at the side holding weights, then bend elbows slightly while moving arms back. Hold that position and extend arms back straight. Pause. Flex at the elbow and keep pumping back, pausing at full extension 10-15 times.

If you would like to learn more about the Kaizen principle, I’d like to recommend this book: One Small Step Can Change Your Life The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer.

I like what I read in the sample, so I have ordered a copy for myself.

My weights are moving around the house like Elf-On-The-Shelf! They are right where I can see and use them the most.

If you enjoyed this post, you can share on social media using the options in the MORE button below.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building, Stress Reduction

Easily Make Your New Year’s Goals Come True!

Leave a comment

Maintaining exercise by carrying moving boxes was easily checked off last year as I made near-daily loops around my neighborhood to keep track of building progress on the new home.

Then lifting, shuffling, and sorting through 42 years of stuff at the old homestead was further enhanced by boxing, toting, and moving that which survived the great throw out.

Arms, legs, and back were all getting their workouts in 2022.

This year, with the moving-in process winding down, my arms need regular workouts. Time to keep my five-pound weights within easy reach for daily impromptu maintenance and strengthening moves.

How do you trigger doing regular exercise at home?

Just keeping my cute pink weights in plain sight and ready-to-use, usually does the trick. I’ve been known to keep them on the hearth in the living room so I can pick them up during commercial time when watching TV.

Some folks like using a habit-tracker like the one I offer as a download for my first book, Toolkit for Wellness. The entire download for that book can be accessed below and you can find the habit tracker on page 6.

Click on the GREEN DOWNLOAD button below to access!

Bonus-Materials-for-Toolkit-for-Wellness-PDFDownload

I’m going to use the habit-tracker this month because I want the visual reward of little check marks adding up.

Whatever your method, let’s get back to some easy arm basics.

Remember to start out using light weights: 1, 2, 3, or 5 pound dumbbells – or use 8 ounce cans of soup or nothing at all. Sore muscles and complaining joints are motivators to abandon exercise, and that would be counterproductive, to say the least.

A little jazzy music helps if you aren’t doing this during a commercial break, and standing is a plus for me – but many of these moves can be done seated.

Whatever position you assume, remember to “pull the string” of symbolically pulling a string at the top of your head to straighten your spine and to get your ears-over-shoulders and shoulders-over-hips.

Pulling the string gets us in good body alignment for optimal movement with decreased chance for injury.

NOTE: I am not a strength or conditioning trainer – this is what I do – proceed using your own wisdom and the recommendations of your medical professional. If you experience pain or discomfort, stop.

Basic Curls

Standing straight, feet should-width apart, holding your light weights, start with straight arms hanging close to your body, and palms facing forward. Bend both elbows slowly lifting the weight toward your shoulders – but do not touch your shoulders. Pause, then return to starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.

I like to add a set of curls with my palms facing each other. Changing hands to facing inward also changes the name to hammer curl, but don’t sweat the labels. Just note how this may feel as different muscles are called into use.

Arm raises

Standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart, with arms hanging straight down at your sides, slowly raise weights out to your sides and up parallel to the floor and just slightly in front of you. You should be able to just see your hands in the periphery of your vision. Pause, and then slowly lower your arms to starting position. Repeat 10-15 times. Do not swing your arms up and down – the point is to move slowly with control.

A variation of basic arm raises is to do them while standing slightly bent at the waist. Try bending forward about 45 degrees, keeping back flat, hands with weights at the sides of your knees, and raising arms out to the side until parallel to the floor. Pause, and slowly lower to starting position.

Overhead triceps extensions

This exercise may be done either by holding a single weight with both hands, or by using a weight in each hand.

Standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart, press the weight/s up over your head until your arms are fully extended. Without moving your upper arms, lower the weight/s behind your head as far as comfortable. Pause, then bring the weight/s back up to straight up over your head. Repeat 10-15 times.

Punch the air

Standing straight with feet a little wider apart than shoulder width, hold weights chest height. Using alternate hands, punch out and slightly up like at a punching bag. Crouching slightly by bending the knees adds another exercise element as knees are bent and then straightened at the top of the punch. Repeat 10-15 times.

It’s basic exercise fare but can amazingly help strength and range of motion. Most importantly, it’s doable and repeatable.

Can you spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S?

If you found this helpful, please share with someone else using the options under the MORE button below.

In health for 2023 –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Let’s Celebrate With A Clean Slate for 2023!

Leave a comment

During my final move out of storage and into my long-awaited new home in a new town, I was moved to take a picture of the empty storage unit before I left.

It’s empty – save for some broken glass.

Isn’t that what we all are looking at as we regard the past year? We’re moving on with whatever we are taking, and we are leaving behind the broken glass.

Well, we should be leaving behind the broken glass – maybe sweep it up so no one gets cut – but don’t start the new year with a pocket full of broken glass.

Admit our mistakes. Explore what we have learned from both mistakes and successes, and move forward with a clean slate to look for opportunities to flex our increased self-awareness and knowledge.

So, in these brief moments on the first Tuesday of January 2023, what pieces of broken glass are you willing to leave behind from 2022?

And what elements are you eager to take, nurture, and harvest for this new year?

This time last year, we were bundled up for the cold daily walks to gaze upon the bare hard ground where our new house would eventually stand. Each day’s steps brought us outdoors for exercise and anticipation – and were sprinkled with a healthy dose of patience as we longed for the breaking of ground.

When the weather warmed and progress on the new build was realized, we added sunscreen, water bottles, and shade hats to our warm weather attire – but the walking exercise continued.

Now moved in, realizing our dream, and using our new space, I am committed to taking the winter walks into the new year – making them a part of the fabric of our lives.

While every day represents fresh starts, certainly the new year marks a time to think about what we need to leave behind and what we want to take with us.

Happy 2023 to all our foodtalk4you readers! Remember to “do your body good” with each bite, each breath, and each movement.[

In health –

Deidre and Sheree