Hey, it's been awhile but I'm feeling very creative these days and I think blogging just might be the ticket to satisfy my urge.
As I said before, Peace & Tranquility is my goal and what better time of year to find it then in summer. This summer has been HOT & HUMID and I'm not going to complain because I absolutely love it!! I think I lived somewhere hot in my last life or something because I can't get enough of summer.
I'm on my way to the beach right now to soak up some more life enhancing sun and I'm sure that the sound of the surf and seagulls will further satisfy my soul's need for tranquility.
PEACE OUT!!!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Return to a Healthy Lifestyle
I've decided that it's time to get my act in gear and return to the healthy lifestyle choices that I started making two years ago. When I began my quest for ultimate health, the changes I made resulted in a dramatic difference in my overall health and body weight. I lost about 30 pounds and an incredible amount of inches. That was the upside. The downside was that it was difficult to be the proverbial round block in a square hole. In other words, my eating lifestyle changes did not fit into the normal way of eating.
After reading Kevin Trudeau's book 'Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About' (I highly recommend you read this) I came to understand that eating refined sugars, refined white flour and all other processed foods were detrimental to my health and well being. Besides that they were making me FAT!
There were many difficulties that I ran into after choosing this radical diet. Some difficulties were the lack of variety of food choices at the grocery store, restaurants and at friend's and family's homes that I was able to eat and peer pressure.
When I began planning meals around these new choices and going shopping in grocery stores for food I realized that I didn't have much to choose from. Basically, meals consist of meat, vegetables, and salads. It seemed pretty boring. However, I learned to compensate by adding fresh or dried herbs and I experimented with different combinations. I actually enjoyed being creative in my cooking.
The most difficult hurdle to overcome though was peer pressure. When I visited friends and family, the food wasn't always something that I wanted to eat and they usually said something like, "What? If you only eat these things once and a while you'll be fine." What they didn't understand is that I'm a Food Junkie. I am addicted to these foods and when I get started I find it very difficult to stop. Offering me cakes, pies, breads, ice cream, etc. is like offering heroine to a sobered up drug addict. I have to say "NO" to avoid relapse.
Needless to say, I began to say "YES" to some of the bad listed foods and found that, at first, I was able to control myself. However, over time I have put on 18 pounds because the frequency of these poor choices has escalated. I am a Junkie again and I need to 'dry out'. I need to detoxify my body and only put healthy foods into it.
This blog is going to be my journal and outlet for my journey towards total health. I will include details of my struggles and triumphs, photos and web links to places where I have found help. I welcome anyone who wishes to follow my progress and encourage those people to make comments, suggestions and send encouraging words. It's going to be difficult to get back on track, but I have to persevere!
After reading Kevin Trudeau's book 'Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About' (I highly recommend you read this) I came to understand that eating refined sugars, refined white flour and all other processed foods were detrimental to my health and well being. Besides that they were making me FAT!
There were many difficulties that I ran into after choosing this radical diet. Some difficulties were the lack of variety of food choices at the grocery store, restaurants and at friend's and family's homes that I was able to eat and peer pressure.
When I began planning meals around these new choices and going shopping in grocery stores for food I realized that I didn't have much to choose from. Basically, meals consist of meat, vegetables, and salads. It seemed pretty boring. However, I learned to compensate by adding fresh or dried herbs and I experimented with different combinations. I actually enjoyed being creative in my cooking.
The most difficult hurdle to overcome though was peer pressure. When I visited friends and family, the food wasn't always something that I wanted to eat and they usually said something like, "What? If you only eat these things once and a while you'll be fine." What they didn't understand is that I'm a Food Junkie. I am addicted to these foods and when I get started I find it very difficult to stop. Offering me cakes, pies, breads, ice cream, etc. is like offering heroine to a sobered up drug addict. I have to say "NO" to avoid relapse.
Needless to say, I began to say "YES" to some of the bad listed foods and found that, at first, I was able to control myself. However, over time I have put on 18 pounds because the frequency of these poor choices has escalated. I am a Junkie again and I need to 'dry out'. I need to detoxify my body and only put healthy foods into it.
This blog is going to be my journal and outlet for my journey towards total health. I will include details of my struggles and triumphs, photos and web links to places where I have found help. I welcome anyone who wishes to follow my progress and encourage those people to make comments, suggestions and send encouraging words. It's going to be difficult to get back on track, but I have to persevere!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
It's 'Winds Day"
It's Wednesday the hump of the week or what Jeffrey called it "Winds Day" because it's blustery and cold. It made Michael and I think of Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day when he made that comment this morning and it brought back the fond memories of my childhood.
Every fall throughout my life certain shows would come on T.V. that would put me in the spirit of the season. Winnie the Pooh and Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin are the two that come to my mind instantly. I still feel I need to see these shows at this time of year, even at my age, and I guess it's because they allow me to get in touch with that wholesome, innocent, and contented side of myself that was easier to feel when I was young.
It seems the older we get the more responsibilities we have and then if follows that there are more things we have to get done. There's just no time to stop and enjoy the small things in life that were actually the big things in our younger life. It makes me think and realize that these duties and responsibilities are just like a cancer that needs to be eliminated from our body to allow us to feel healthy and whole again. Don't get me wrong I know that there are certain things that have to be done, but maybe there are some things that can be pared down or eliminated all together. Maybe we have become too anal in our old age and stuck in a rut of have-to's that we lose our sense of time and get lost in a sea of small jobs only to wake up at the end to realize that our time has run out and all we have to bring to our afterlife is boring memories of those small jobs that we've done.
I think it's time to wake up now before it's too late. Stop living on old memories of childhood and start creating new memories that can be looked on fondly in years to come. We often hear phrases such as, "live in the moment" or "stop and smell the roses", but how often do we make a conscious effort to do that. Do we say to ourselves that we just have to get this or that done and then we'll take that time. How often have I said, "Next weekend I'll spend some time with my family and we'll do something fun together" only to have next weekend come and some small job came up that I could only get done during the weekend because I have to go to work on Monday ruin our plans. Sound familiar?
Thanksgiving is coming up this weekend and I'm going to make sure I focus on my family and enjoy every minute I spend with them. I'm going to make a conscious effort on creating new fond moments and keep any duty or responsibility ideas at bay. Better yet, I'm going to take my advice and start right now and tonight. Why wait till the weekend? The fond memories I evoked from my childhood from this morning will act as a catalyst to the creation of new memories today. Wow! Who new what things would be stirred up by the strong winds blowing through the trees this morning.
Every fall throughout my life certain shows would come on T.V. that would put me in the spirit of the season. Winnie the Pooh and Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin are the two that come to my mind instantly. I still feel I need to see these shows at this time of year, even at my age, and I guess it's because they allow me to get in touch with that wholesome, innocent, and contented side of myself that was easier to feel when I was young.
It seems the older we get the more responsibilities we have and then if follows that there are more things we have to get done. There's just no time to stop and enjoy the small things in life that were actually the big things in our younger life. It makes me think and realize that these duties and responsibilities are just like a cancer that needs to be eliminated from our body to allow us to feel healthy and whole again. Don't get me wrong I know that there are certain things that have to be done, but maybe there are some things that can be pared down or eliminated all together. Maybe we have become too anal in our old age and stuck in a rut of have-to's that we lose our sense of time and get lost in a sea of small jobs only to wake up at the end to realize that our time has run out and all we have to bring to our afterlife is boring memories of those small jobs that we've done.
I think it's time to wake up now before it's too late. Stop living on old memories of childhood and start creating new memories that can be looked on fondly in years to come. We often hear phrases such as, "live in the moment" or "stop and smell the roses", but how often do we make a conscious effort to do that. Do we say to ourselves that we just have to get this or that done and then we'll take that time. How often have I said, "Next weekend I'll spend some time with my family and we'll do something fun together" only to have next weekend come and some small job came up that I could only get done during the weekend because I have to go to work on Monday ruin our plans. Sound familiar?
Thanksgiving is coming up this weekend and I'm going to make sure I focus on my family and enjoy every minute I spend with them. I'm going to make a conscious effort on creating new fond moments and keep any duty or responsibility ideas at bay. Better yet, I'm going to take my advice and start right now and tonight. Why wait till the weekend? The fond memories I evoked from my childhood from this morning will act as a catalyst to the creation of new memories today. Wow! Who new what things would be stirred up by the strong winds blowing through the trees this morning.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Yesterday was less than peaceful
Well, I woke up this morning with the feeling that I am coming down with some kind of cold. It is flu season and I'm wondering if it's the dreaded H1N1 that I have contracted. Needless to say, I didn't get much done at home and in fact, I slept in and was almost late for my afternoon shift. At work, there seemed to be tensions and a general feeling of disease and I got the feeling that things weren't going as smoothly as desired. I got through my shift; however, I left work with a significant amount of negative energy. By the time I left I was angry, irritated, bitter and resentful. Not very good feelings to have when you're trying for 'complete peace & tranquility'.
So I had a choice: Do I continue to ruminate over the things that went wrong OR Do I try to focus on more positive thoughts. Well, I know from doing the exercises in the book "Mind Over Mood" by Dennis Greenberger and Chrisine Padesky (Highly Recommend) that my thoughts affect my mood. So, I chose to try to focus on good thoughts and let the bad ones go.
On my drive home I debated all the way on whether I had the energy to work out at Curves. Of course, I had all kinds of excuses to not go like; I had a bad day I deserve to go home, I'm feeling sick I need to take care of myself, It won't matter if I miss one day and so on. But, I replaced these thoughts with; What's 30 minutes, You'll feel better after, Maybe it will help you fight off your sickness. All the way home I debated. As I drove closer to Curves I decided to do the right thing and turn into the driveway. I said to myself that I didn't have to work extra hard, just get through it as a half hour of something is better than nothing.
Well, it's the next morning and a brand new day. I did feel better that I exercised and believe it or not I don't feel like I'm getting sick this morning. I'm accomplishing some things this morning that make me feel good such as writing this blog, organizing my dinner tonight, cleaning up the kitchen and getting ready to go to work.
Be proactive! Pick one thing today that you want to do and don't worry about doing it perfect or getting it finished. Just start it - enjoy it while you're doing it - and stop when you've had enough. But, say to yourself when your done "Look at what I have accomplished - It was something instead of nothing." Now, don't you feel good about yourself?
So I had a choice: Do I continue to ruminate over the things that went wrong OR Do I try to focus on more positive thoughts. Well, I know from doing the exercises in the book "Mind Over Mood" by Dennis Greenberger and Chrisine Padesky (Highly Recommend) that my thoughts affect my mood. So, I chose to try to focus on good thoughts and let the bad ones go.
On my drive home I debated all the way on whether I had the energy to work out at Curves. Of course, I had all kinds of excuses to not go like; I had a bad day I deserve to go home, I'm feeling sick I need to take care of myself, It won't matter if I miss one day and so on. But, I replaced these thoughts with; What's 30 minutes, You'll feel better after, Maybe it will help you fight off your sickness. All the way home I debated. As I drove closer to Curves I decided to do the right thing and turn into the driveway. I said to myself that I didn't have to work extra hard, just get through it as a half hour of something is better than nothing.
Well, it's the next morning and a brand new day. I did feel better that I exercised and believe it or not I don't feel like I'm getting sick this morning. I'm accomplishing some things this morning that make me feel good such as writing this blog, organizing my dinner tonight, cleaning up the kitchen and getting ready to go to work.
Be proactive! Pick one thing today that you want to do and don't worry about doing it perfect or getting it finished. Just start it - enjoy it while you're doing it - and stop when you've had enough. But, say to yourself when your done "Look at what I have accomplished - It was something instead of nothing." Now, don't you feel good about yourself?
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