Changing Shoes

Today is the official release of Tina Sloan’s new book “Changing Shoes”. Lucky for me my copy arrived yesterday. Curled up in bed I began reading Tina’s journey of growing older in the spotlight of celebrity.  I barely started chapter 2 and already I’ve been inspired to get out of bed and moisturize my face. Ok, I know that sounds nuts. I have been really lax lately in my personal grooming. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve had a crappy stressful year – but that’s not a good enough excuse to wallow in self pity, ignoring my personal appearance and living inside myself. It’s time that I pull myself out of my funk and re-engage life. My short term goal is to look glamorous for Tina’s one woman show on Monday. Alright, that might be a tall stretch since I’ve probably only been glamorous about twice in my life. I’m going to have to work up to that and 4 days just isn’t going to be enough time – instead my aim for Monday will be to look pretty.

Now for the To Do List:

            Hair – color & deep condition

            Manicure – I’ve got zero talent for doing my own nails, so off to the salon I go.

            Skin – Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! It really stinks to have gone through 40 years with one kind of skin & hair and suddenly have completely different textures. What do I know of dry skin & hair? I’ve always had to worry about too much oil, detangling rinses and adult acne. Now I’m trying to figure out face creams and what to do about straw hair. Oh, and I still have adult acne. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?

Clothes – What fits and what looks good rarely are the same thing for me lately. I see myself burrowing into my closet in a quest to find something appropriate. I also see a large pile of clothes that will be donated to charity come Monday morning.

            Shoes – The easy part is there won’t be any heals, sorry Tina. I’d like to enjoy the evening, not worry about my ankle collapsing.  I did get a cute pair of silver sandals; maybe I can make an outfit around them.

            Inspiration – Finish Tina’s “Changing Shoes”

I’d love to lose a 5 to 10 pound before the party, but since that’s not realistic; everyone will just have to take me as I am.

Acid-Reflux is back

Thrilled am I not; my acid reflux is back. Drugs are good to a point, they can help stem the pain and minimize acid production, but I don’t like taking them on a long term basis. My gastro doc recommended Ginger tablets to relax the esophagus. Ginger is a wonder spice. Besides calming the digestive track, it helps with morning sickness and stimulating your metabolism. Trying to pinpoint trigger events can help aide in preventing a miserable night. For me it’s a “that time of the month” trigger. The food I eat around my period can help determine how painful and long the attacks will last. After visiting several sites, I’ve compiled a list of foods to avoid and foods to favor until my digestive track is back on track. Grilled Trout, brown rice and carrots with ginger sounds about right tonight.

Get up, get out, get moving

I’ve gotten behind in my blog reading, so I just read a post from My happy blog by Diane Lang which she wrote in May! Diane has begun a self-help challenge, “the goal: next time, you go looking for a self help book, you won't have to worry which ones really work because I have done the research for you.”  Her 1^st choice was a self help DVD to encourage her to add physical activity into her schedule in order to lose weight. http://myhappyblog.vox.com/library/post/my-self-help-challenge.html?_c=feed-atom  Hello, did Diane did you write this with me in mind?

My translation of her review is eat a good breakfast and get outside for a walk. I’ve got Shredded Wheat in the cabinet. My sneakers & MP-3 are next to my bed. There is no excuse not to get out in walk around my neighborhood before I shower & dress for the day.

Sandwich Day

I had been meaning to schedule my mammography since the beginning of the year. Life happens and here it is July and still no mammogram.  Then while scheduling appointments for my dad – an early morning doctor appointment followed up with an early afternoon CAT scan, both nearby the hospital, I suddenly had a block of free time on my hands. Now being the multi-tasker I am, I searched for something to fill those hours between dad’s appointments.

Oh, what about taking care of me and finally scheduling that mammogram? I called the Ripple Breast Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital and explained that I was trying to sandwich my abnormal mammo and ultrasound in between dad’s appointment in 2 days time. Any chance they could squeeze me in?  After a bit of deliberation on their part and me shamelessly playing the pity card, they came through. Hooray, they could squeeze me in to get squeezed, swished, and mushed!

Like many of the sandwich generation, I tend to forget to take care of me, and when I do it’s sandwiched in between taking care of others in my life.

I'm Trying Something New Today

I’m trying something new today, its Jin Shin Jyutsu. Jin Shin Jyutsu is an ancient art of harmonizing the life energy in the body. Jin Shin Jyutsu brings balance to your body's energy, which promotes optimal health and well being. It complements conventional healing methods, reducing the effects of stress and promoting relaxation.  Typically a Jin Shin Jyutsu treatment is supposed to leave you feeling relaxed, balanced and serene. Yay, I can definitely use more balance and serenity in my life. For my treatment, which I get to stay dressed for, the practitioner will with a light touch clear blockages to harmonize and restore my energy flow. I can’t wait to feel the results. I’ll keep you posted.

Understanding Everyday Stress

WHAT STRESS IS...

Stress is an abnormal condition that disrupts the normal functions of the body or mind. No two people are affected in exactly the same way, or to the same degree, but most people living in our society suffer from its effects at one or more times during their lives. Symptoms range from mind headaches, occasional bouts of insomnia, overall restlessness, digestive problems, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

SELECTED LIFE EVENTS THAT CAN BRING ON STRESS:

•       Death of a close family member or friend.
•       Major personal injury, illness or pregnancy.
•       Major change in the health of a family member.
•       Marriage, marital reconciliation, divorce.
•       Arguments with spouse, family members, friends, co-workers.
•       Financing major purchases.
•       Major change in eating habits, living conditions, moving.
•       Changing to a different line of work.
•       Major change in responsibilities at work.
•       Changes in working hours or conditions.
•       Being fired at work.
•       Starting a new job or career.
•       Retirement from work.
•       Business readjustment, changes in financial condition.

How many of items on this list are effecting your life right now? Know you are not alone and there is help. There are a mirade of healthy things you can do to relieve stress; walking  outside, talking with close friends, hugging a pet, taking a bubble bath are on my list. Life coaches, therapists and support groups are available to help you help yourself.  

Growing Old Gracefully

Today, according to the World Bank, our life expectance is 78.4 years. Conservative experts believe that man is really build to last about 100 years; and that medical advances and more healthful living habits could bring this about within a generation or two. Gulp, panic is setting in as I try to figure out how I’m going to finance that many years, let alone what to do with all that time. The truth is what good is it to add years to life if we do not also add life to years?  In fact, unless people learn to enjoy life and to grow old gracefully, the extra years may be an additional burden. I don’t know about you but I intend my golden years to be joyful as I gracefully age into Centurion status.

The traditional view of aging is generally accompanied by a loss in physical and mental flexibility.  This is noticed in a tendency to become stiff in the joints; a slower comeback after a strenuous trip, or excessive "night life;" in slower healing of wounds, sore muscles, and sprains; in slower recovery of pep after an illness; and in greater difficulty to adjust to new people, new places, and new ideas. Well wasn’t that just a cheery future to look forward to.

Gratefully new studies have brought about new thinking. The conclusion now is that the performance and ability of the elderly has long been underestimated and can be greatly improved by a proper diet, sleep and exercise along with rest and relaxation. Many elderly people tend to lose their joy and will to live and chronic worriers may mope around and withdraw.  Medical authorities now say that laughter is one of the best medicines for the elderly.  You can always keep your sense of humor tuned up by surrounding yourself with pleasant and interesting people.  So don't be afraid to laugh at yourself even when no else is around.

Now that we all know the role that physical activity plays in our lives, remember to do something physical every day.  The joints must be used or quite simply they will tighten with age creating that stooped worn out appearance we so often associate with getting old.  Keep yourself flexible and fit on an exercise program consistent with your ability and don’t forget to laugh. As for me, I’ll be hitting Planet Fitness later today and texting Diana to find out the when & where of her next Laughter yoga session.           

                               

The Wildwater Walking Club

I love to listen to books while driving in the car and running errands. The current book playing on my MP-3 is The Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook. So far, this is a fabulous read.

I’ve got a lot in common with the lead character, Noreen Kelly. I’m single, live by myself, out of a job I had for a number of years, and trying to discover what to do next. After wallowing in the depression of job loss she wakes up to find she’s packed on the pounds. To combat the weight gain, she straps on her pedometer and heads outside for a walk. This galvanized to pick up a pedometer of my own. After leaving the store I strapped on the pedometer to start counting my steps.

Guidelines suggest we should be aiming to walk 10,000 steps every day for weight management. A sedentary person (me), tend to average 1000-3000 steps a day. That’s a long way from 10,000 steps. So I grabbed friend and went walking around Horseshoe Lake. Not only was it energizing exercise, it was enjoyable to spend time catching up with a friend. Best yet, it has inspired me to do it again.

Steps on Day 1 8604

Health-e-Motion

Yesterday was the Grand Opening Celebration for Health-e-Motion.  There was the typical meet & greet, food, drink and tour. Unique to Health-e-Motion were the Nia classes you could jump into for a song, intuitive readings in a private room or the Drumming Ceremony which was the finale for the day. Now I have never seen a Drumming Ceremony much less participated in one, but that didn’t stop me from picking up a drum and banging along. What a hoot. Everyone started out trying to follow the rhythm but as the ceremony progressed, we all just did our own thing. Some people were drumming or using other percussion instruments, some danced and some enjoyed the performance. Usually I’m in the latter group. Just spending a few minutes in this new space and I was already enjoying being out of my comfort zone.

Health-e-motion is the brainchild of Christine Clifton. She describes herself as a Personal Growth Trainer and has worked as a life coach and Nia instructor. Christine wants to bring healthy living modalities under one roof. Whether you are searching for spiritual, intellectual, emotional or physical enlightenment Health-e-motion is the place to be.

I first met Christine a few months back at a Rock Your Chakras class she was leading. It was fantastic! It was a mix of movement, meditation and soul searching. Just weeks before my mom’s death, I came into the class hopeless and dark and left feeling hopeful and light. It was an awesome internal transformation. Excitingly, this is one of the classes being offered during the free Monday evening classes in March. I can’t wait to take it again. To me the real excitement about Health-e-Motion is the opportunity to try new things in a safe environment. There’s this Dance Your Chakras (March 31) billed as all about chakras and balancing these energy centers through dance meditation. Sounds like something not to miss to me. 

What is Your Stress Level Number?

How much stress are we living with? I found this quiz on my computer; I’m not sure when I originally took it, but since I’ve got the start of another tension headache, I thought I’d see where I stood now. Drs Holmes and Rahe developed a list of events and the corresponding amount of stress they cause.  The combined total of both positive and negative stresses in the past year gives you an idea of your current stress level. How many events on this list apply to you?

                        EVENT

- Death of spouse                                                        100

- Divorce                                                                         73

- Marital separation                                                      65

- Jail term                                                                       63

- Death of a close family member                               63

- Personal Injury or illness                                          53

- Marriage                                                                     50

- Fired at work                                                              47

- Marital reconciliation                                                45

- Retirement                                                                 45

- Change In health of family member                       44

- Pregnancy                                                                   40

- Sexual difficulties                                                       39

- Addition of new family member                              39

- Business of adjustment                                             39

- Change in financial status                                         38

- Death of a close friend                                               37

- Change to different line of work                              36

- Change in number of arguments with spouse        35

- Mortgage over $100,000                                          31

- Foreclosure of mortgage or loan                               30

- Change in job responsibilities                                    29

- Child leaving home                                                     29

- Trouble with in-laws                                                  29

- Outstanding personal achievement                          28

- Wife or husband begins or stops work                     26

- Change in living conditions                                         25

- Revision of personal habits                                        24

- Trouble with boss                                                       23

- Change in work hours or conditions                         20

- Change in residence                                                    20

- Change in recreational activities                               19

- Change in church activities                                        19

- Mortgage or loan under $100,000                           17

- Change in sleeping habits                                           16

- Change in number of family get-togethers              15

- Change in eating habits                                               15

- Vacation                                                                        13

- Christmas/Holiday                                                     12

- Minor violations of the law                                        11

Less than 150 = minor stress.

150-199 = mild stress

200-299 = moderate stress

Over 300 = major stress.

Yikes, I scored 15 stressors for over 400 points!  Obviously I have some major stress reducing to do. I’m off to take an Excedrin and a warm bath.