1/2/2015 Wow! It looks like I have managed to be real consistent with publishing at least once a year. LOL. Hesitant, crooked smile here. Once again the ole new year rolls around and I make promises to myself. This year will be different, I will commit and I will follow through with my writing. Gosh, with a whole new year spread out before me, it is easy to be positive, ultra determined and gun how one more time. No goals set, none met. So here goes another try. Broad smile here :-)
I do not want to make this post about making resolutions and following through. That is a very in depth subject and not one I want to tackle at this time. What has been on my mind lately is Chronic muscular/skeletal pain. How do you deal with it? How does it relate to all that we do? Getting to the bottom of our pain. Following our noses so to speak to find out just what the real cause of the pain is.
If you suffer from chronic pain, you know that answering just those few questions is a tall order. This is a subject close to my heart because I suffer from chronic right hip and right knee pain. Dealing with pain can include many modalities of care. You can mask it with drugs and or herbs or you can have surgery (maybe if that is indicated, which may or may not fix the underlying problem). Being self responsible people when taking charge of my own health, I like to first realize that whatever I do, I must be able to accept the consequences of those actions or non actions as the case may be. The answer to this question will be different for everyone depending on their view of health and healing.
Chronic pain can and does affect every aspect of your life. How you move, how active you are, your self image and how much you get done in your day.
Getting to the bottom of our pain is one of the most difficult and most rewarding. Answering the following questions can help with this. When did it start? Did it start gradually or suddenly? Did something happen just before the pain started?IE trauma of any sort or a sickness? Could the pain be related to this? Did you start eating something consistently just before the pain started? IE Aspartame? Has the quality and quanity of pain changes since it began. Does the pain radiate from one spot? Keep asking yourself questions about the pain until you run out of questions to ask then think again. Usually chronic pain is chronic because it sneaks up on you or because "they" can't find the cause of your pain.
You and only you should be making these decisions as to what to do about your pain. I would suggest that you also put a lot of research into your decision. Please don't just take the surgeon's word for it. Hey, guys, I have my reasons, I am a nurse with 22+ years of experience.
The biggest thing I see about chronic pain is that it is never, well I guess I should not say never, but rarely is the solution a simple one step. As much as I would like it to be. It is a lot of trial and error as well as openness to using different techniques. Some therapies to try Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Therapeutic massage, Prolo-therapy, Escogue therapy and more, much more. Be open, be critical, skeptical even, but keep searching for what will get to the bottom of your pain. Don't forget the impact diet has on our bodies either. Some foods cause us to have more inflammation. Watch your diet for connections. Some foods are poison to us such as aspartame. Herbs and vitamins can also help relieve pain.I know it can be a long difficult search but it is time well spent.
May the pain spur you to continue your search till you find an answer.
Happy New Year to all! Thanks for reading my blog and I wish you all a healthier, happy new year.
Till next time,
Healthbug
Friday, January 2, 2015
Monday, July 28, 2014
Affordable Healthcare
My main goal with this blog is to encourage and empower anyone who already wants to take charge of their own health. Since I have been a registered nurse for over 21 years, I hope that it will carry some weight when you hear me encourage you to consciously take responsibility for your own health.
Let's face it, there are a ton of naysayers out there that discourage people when it comes to "doing something for your own health". Many of these naysayers are healthcare professionals that mean well but, speak from a place of fear. Fear that you might make 'the wrong health decision'. What they fail to recognize is that those decisions are yours to make irregardless of whether you are following 'doctor's orders' or following your own well researched, better judgement. You and you alone have to make those decisions. In fact, no one else can make those decisions for you. You decide what to put in your mouth, you decide, how much and what to eat, you decide what to drink or not drink, you decide the drugs you take or don't take, you decide the amount of sleep you get, you decide whether to smoke or not.
No healthcare professional or any other person can or will follow us around and tell us what to do at every waking moment. Thus, whether you recognize it or not, everyone is making their own health care decisions. What some people don't realize is that when they blindly 'do what the DR tells them to do' they relinquish responsibility for those decisions when ultimately they are responsible.
You, who might read this blog have consciously recognized this and have decided to take this responsibility seriously. And since you have already made that decision, I am here to simply encourage you and offer you a little guidance in making those decisions that you need to make for yourself. Nothing I say is gospel. I can only lend you my opinion which is based upon my professional experience. You still have to ultimately make those decisions for yourself.
I am convinced that the most affordable healthcare is that which you can give yourself! Who stands to benefit the most from better health? What are the things that can effect your health the most?
Whether you are at the beginning of your journey, already taken some pretty big steps toward health, or are a veteran pro at it and just want to be validated in you commitment, I hope to have something to interest you.
My first words of encouragement are "Yes, you can made a difference! Yes, you are making a difference and Yeah for you for making a difference in your own health!"
Till next time, smile, love, laugh and be good to you.
Healthbug
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Water-Dehydration
Health conscious people, like you and I, know that drinking enough water is important. According to Wikipedia who uses Guyton's and Jackson's Anatomy and Physiology books for nursing as references, the adult body is made up of an average of 57-60% water. These percentages decrease to as low as 45% as a person ages. There are many technical facts about the water that is within the body like intracellular (within the cell)is 2/3 of the body's water and extracellular (outside the cell) makes up the other 1/3rd.
Electrolyte balance is connected to the amount of water, potassium and sodium that is in our body. Out of balance electrolytes can cause all kinds of horrible side effects. As an ER nurse, I have seen many out of whack heart rhythms from too much or too little potassium as well as muscle cramps from too little K+. Low sodium can cause mental confusion.
Considering all the health benefits of hydrating with water, it is easy to agree that "yeah, I should really drink more water". Then comes the confusing question. How much water is enough? Can you drink too much water? Does it mater when you drink your water? What kind of water should I drink?
The answer to these questions vary wildly depending upon which 'expert' you talk to. What is important to know is that there is generally at least a little truth in every experts opinion. This is why I say it is very important for everyone to find their own answer. Does that mean you should not listen to the 'experts'? No, listen, but know that your answer is somewhere between what each expert says and where you personally are with your body. Does that make sense? In other words, the answer is an individual one. There is a generally true answer but anytime we do not address individuality, we can really miss the mark as far as what is the right answer for you personally.
My opinions on these questions is as follows:
*How much is enough water? A general rule of thumb is half of your body weight in ounces. So, if you weigh 100 pounds, aim for 50 ounces, if you weigh 180 pounds, aim for 90 ounces and so on and so forth. That said, use your "how do I feel when I drink this much water?" answer to guide you. Every body is different.
**Yes, you can drink too much water. This usually only happens to people who have a Psychological disorder (which is the only incidences of water intoxication I have seen in my 20+ years of clinical experience) or in people who are way over zealous in drinking water. Too much intake of water causes an electrolyte imbalance (low sodium levels) which can cause severe neurological symptoms like confusion, convulsions, coma and in severe cases, death.
***Does when you drink water make a difference. I believe drinking 8 to 16 ounces of water upon arising in the morning helps to get things moving. Many people believe that you should drink a cup of water at least 15 minutes before you eat so that your body will have enough fluids for digestive enzymes. I reality, you will have to find a pattern that works for you. My thoughts are, it is more important to drink enough than exactly when you drink it.
****The kind of water is important, but, and this is really more of an opinion, I believe it is most important that you do drink sufficient water. The body does filter out toxins, especially if you are healthy. However, once you get in the habit of drinking sufficient water, and if you have the money, you may want to switch to filtered water. There too there is a huge differing of opinion, and you will have to make up your own mind between spring water, RO water, distilled water or just charcoal filtered tap water. It seems there is an expert who recommends any one of these so you just have to make up your own mind and trust that that is the answer for you.
Taking personal responsibility for my own health is a commitment and.... well, a responsibility. If I take that responsibility seriously, I will not begrudge the time it takes to read what the experts have to say and then examine my own lifestyle and my body's response to the added intake of more water, etc.
One of the more radical books on water is "Your Body's many cries for Water" by F. Batmanghelidj,MD. I am not sure you can cure all things with water but I think his is a good read to see just how important hydration is in all health issues.
As health conscious individuals, most of you have already determined how much and what kind of water you choose to drink. Nothing I am saying here is new to you. I applaud you and encourage you to keep on doing that which you know to do to keep healthy! My main goal with this blog is to encourage and empower anyone who wants to take charge of their own health.
Till next time,
Healthbug
Sites I used as reference.
1. http://www.europeanhydrationinstitute.org/pdin-en/ehi3/dehydration?gclid=COL-m_eKq7sCFbBAMgodyVAAlQ
2. http://web.pdx.edu/~sujata/FruitEze/education/laxative/water_chart.html
Electrolyte balance is connected to the amount of water, potassium and sodium that is in our body. Out of balance electrolytes can cause all kinds of horrible side effects. As an ER nurse, I have seen many out of whack heart rhythms from too much or too little potassium as well as muscle cramps from too little K+. Low sodium can cause mental confusion.
Considering all the health benefits of hydrating with water, it is easy to agree that "yeah, I should really drink more water". Then comes the confusing question. How much water is enough? Can you drink too much water? Does it mater when you drink your water? What kind of water should I drink?
The answer to these questions vary wildly depending upon which 'expert' you talk to. What is important to know is that there is generally at least a little truth in every experts opinion. This is why I say it is very important for everyone to find their own answer. Does that mean you should not listen to the 'experts'? No, listen, but know that your answer is somewhere between what each expert says and where you personally are with your body. Does that make sense? In other words, the answer is an individual one. There is a generally true answer but anytime we do not address individuality, we can really miss the mark as far as what is the right answer for you personally.
My opinions on these questions is as follows:
*How much is enough water? A general rule of thumb is half of your body weight in ounces. So, if you weigh 100 pounds, aim for 50 ounces, if you weigh 180 pounds, aim for 90 ounces and so on and so forth. That said, use your "how do I feel when I drink this much water?" answer to guide you. Every body is different.
**Yes, you can drink too much water. This usually only happens to people who have a Psychological disorder (which is the only incidences of water intoxication I have seen in my 20+ years of clinical experience) or in people who are way over zealous in drinking water. Too much intake of water causes an electrolyte imbalance (low sodium levels) which can cause severe neurological symptoms like confusion, convulsions, coma and in severe cases, death.
***Does when you drink water make a difference. I believe drinking 8 to 16 ounces of water upon arising in the morning helps to get things moving. Many people believe that you should drink a cup of water at least 15 minutes before you eat so that your body will have enough fluids for digestive enzymes. I reality, you will have to find a pattern that works for you. My thoughts are, it is more important to drink enough than exactly when you drink it.
****The kind of water is important, but, and this is really more of an opinion, I believe it is most important that you do drink sufficient water. The body does filter out toxins, especially if you are healthy. However, once you get in the habit of drinking sufficient water, and if you have the money, you may want to switch to filtered water. There too there is a huge differing of opinion, and you will have to make up your own mind between spring water, RO water, distilled water or just charcoal filtered tap water. It seems there is an expert who recommends any one of these so you just have to make up your own mind and trust that that is the answer for you.
Taking personal responsibility for my own health is a commitment and.... well, a responsibility. If I take that responsibility seriously, I will not begrudge the time it takes to read what the experts have to say and then examine my own lifestyle and my body's response to the added intake of more water, etc.
One of the more radical books on water is "Your Body's many cries for Water" by F. Batmanghelidj,MD. I am not sure you can cure all things with water but I think his is a good read to see just how important hydration is in all health issues.
As health conscious individuals, most of you have already determined how much and what kind of water you choose to drink. Nothing I am saying here is new to you. I applaud you and encourage you to keep on doing that which you know to do to keep healthy! My main goal with this blog is to encourage and empower anyone who wants to take charge of their own health.
Till next time,
Healthbug
Sites I used as reference.
1. http://www.europeanhydrationinstitute.org/pdin-en/ehi3/dehydration?gclid=COL-m_eKq7sCFbBAMgodyVAAlQ
2. http://web.pdx.edu/~sujata/FruitEze/education/laxative/water_chart.html
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Motivation to Eat more Veggies
In contemplating my own health and health habits, I am looking for those things that motivate me to eat, exercise, and other wise take better care of myself. I have been a long time believer in the fact that people can make the most difference in their own health. Meaning, I, with my choices, can have the most effect on whether I am healthy or not. Sounds too simplistic, I know but in my 20 plus years of nursing, and 40 years of being a health conscious Mom, I do see that this is a truism.
How and what we think and believe about our health has a great effect on our health. If I think that my health is something that I either have or do not have,something that only the Doctor can help you maintain, then essentially you believe that nothing you do effects your health and with those beliefs, I am not motivated at all to do anything that would help prevent disease or make me healthier. However, if I believe that my life choices have a great affect on how I feel and what kind of health I have, then I am much more likely to make choices that have a positive affect my health.
Motivation is one of the great game changers. How motivated we are to do those things that will promote health will determine how vested we get in healthy living. Sometimes I find it helpful to use extremes to motivate myself. Say I am struggling to eat more vegetables (which I am at this present time) and I really don't like many vegetables, or at least not enough to be able to eat 2 cups of cooked veggies 3 times a day, which is what I am experimenting with at the present time. So I ask myself if I would be more enthusiastic about the process, if I knew that I had cancer, or some other life threatening disease that I know would benefit greatly from addition of this amount of veggies, would my motivation improve. Hmmm maybe not. But if I had research in front of me that indicated that those who ate that amount of veggies had a much higher chance of recovery, or that health issues were greatly improved, then I would be much more motivated. So the key is to keep those facts in mind and then figure out a way to make the veggies more to my liking.
So sauces it is. Sauces, sour cream dip, yogurt dip, seasonings and what ever I have to do to make Veggies my most favorite food.I'm on it.
Remembering that any 'diet' must be composed of food I enjoy eating, foods that I love eating and foods that agree with my body is the only way that I will be able to eat healthy for a lifetime.
Till next time,
Healthbug
How and what we think and believe about our health has a great effect on our health. If I think that my health is something that I either have or do not have,something that only the Doctor can help you maintain, then essentially you believe that nothing you do effects your health and with those beliefs, I am not motivated at all to do anything that would help prevent disease or make me healthier. However, if I believe that my life choices have a great affect on how I feel and what kind of health I have, then I am much more likely to make choices that have a positive affect my health.
Motivation is one of the great game changers. How motivated we are to do those things that will promote health will determine how vested we get in healthy living. Sometimes I find it helpful to use extremes to motivate myself. Say I am struggling to eat more vegetables (which I am at this present time) and I really don't like many vegetables, or at least not enough to be able to eat 2 cups of cooked veggies 3 times a day, which is what I am experimenting with at the present time. So I ask myself if I would be more enthusiastic about the process, if I knew that I had cancer, or some other life threatening disease that I know would benefit greatly from addition of this amount of veggies, would my motivation improve. Hmmm maybe not. But if I had research in front of me that indicated that those who ate that amount of veggies had a much higher chance of recovery, or that health issues were greatly improved, then I would be much more motivated. So the key is to keep those facts in mind and then figure out a way to make the veggies more to my liking.
So sauces it is. Sauces, sour cream dip, yogurt dip, seasonings and what ever I have to do to make Veggies my most favorite food.I'm on it.
Remembering that any 'diet' must be composed of food I enjoy eating, foods that I love eating and foods that agree with my body is the only way that I will be able to eat healthy for a lifetime.
Till next time,
Healthbug
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Time keeps flying by and I keep loosing track of this blog. Each and every day I study, research, experience new ways of healing and yet I forget to post. I forget that I have made a commitment to this blog. Not so much for others, but for myself. In getting to where I want to go, I have to go through what I need to go through. Sounds trite, I know, but the living of this is not trite.
I use to try to go around painful areas of my life that I did not want to deal with. I somehow thought that if I did not confront my feelings, thoughts, doubts, fears, and perceived short comings, they would magically not be there. I mistakenly thought that bringing up hard issues, emotions, unpleasant thoughts would somehow make things worse. I have long since learned a better way. It is about time I used it to get busy and attend to this blog as I really want to. I know that the only way to get to where I want to go is to go through those things I need to go through. By saying that I mean acknowledge the disappointment, fear, self sabotage, and bad habits that have kept me from being diligent with this blog as I want to be. If I don't give myself permission to have a new start, yes, yet again, than who will.
The only place I know to start is where I am in the moment. This moment I have begun reading a book by Louise DeSalvo entitled "Writing as a way of Healing, How telling our stories transforms our Lives"! I have only begun to read this book and it has taken me back to my roots. Back to my love of writing and my hope of "being a writer". This is a very profound book. One that I can see has already changed my life.
In a brief nutshell, by writing about our emotions and the traumas we have experienced,we can not only heal our minds and psychi but also heal our bodies. The two must be connected. It appears that connecting the trauma with our feelings, both then and now, have a healing effect beyond what researchers expected! Wow, that is powerful!
This means that if I allow myself to write about and express the pain, dis-empowerment and self disappointment of failure to my own self imposed commitment, I can strengthen myself? I am game for this.
My passion is empowering myself and others to do all that we can do to be as healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually as possible. Connected to this passion is finding ways that anyone and everyone can afford if they wish. Writing fits this bill. Got pen, got paper and you can write. The brain supplies the rest! The adventure begins with you first words. Anything and everything is open to discuss. No one ever needs to read what you write and you never need to read what you have written. It appears that the effort to be organized, specific, and connected to your traumas and the feelings that are attached to them and writing all this down, is the catalyst for healing.
I make no attempt here to a complete review of this book. If this mode of healing attracts you, you can go to the library and check it out. If they don't have it, chances are they can order it. Or if you are like me want to own an inspiring book you can most likely find it cheaply on the internet. I love Amazon.com for used books. I am a book hound! I love to read and learn. It is about time I start healing deeper wounds with my writing.
A while back I promised some information on water. I WILL get to that. We are 75% water. So how important do you think it could be? LOL.
Till next time and hopefully I will be more regular at posting. No, not hopefully, I will be!
Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Healthbug
I use to try to go around painful areas of my life that I did not want to deal with. I somehow thought that if I did not confront my feelings, thoughts, doubts, fears, and perceived short comings, they would magically not be there. I mistakenly thought that bringing up hard issues, emotions, unpleasant thoughts would somehow make things worse. I have long since learned a better way. It is about time I used it to get busy and attend to this blog as I really want to. I know that the only way to get to where I want to go is to go through those things I need to go through. By saying that I mean acknowledge the disappointment, fear, self sabotage, and bad habits that have kept me from being diligent with this blog as I want to be. If I don't give myself permission to have a new start, yes, yet again, than who will.
The only place I know to start is where I am in the moment. This moment I have begun reading a book by Louise DeSalvo entitled "Writing as a way of Healing, How telling our stories transforms our Lives"! I have only begun to read this book and it has taken me back to my roots. Back to my love of writing and my hope of "being a writer". This is a very profound book. One that I can see has already changed my life.
In a brief nutshell, by writing about our emotions and the traumas we have experienced,we can not only heal our minds and psychi but also heal our bodies. The two must be connected. It appears that connecting the trauma with our feelings, both then and now, have a healing effect beyond what researchers expected! Wow, that is powerful!
This means that if I allow myself to write about and express the pain, dis-empowerment and self disappointment of failure to my own self imposed commitment, I can strengthen myself? I am game for this.
My passion is empowering myself and others to do all that we can do to be as healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually as possible. Connected to this passion is finding ways that anyone and everyone can afford if they wish. Writing fits this bill. Got pen, got paper and you can write. The brain supplies the rest! The adventure begins with you first words. Anything and everything is open to discuss. No one ever needs to read what you write and you never need to read what you have written. It appears that the effort to be organized, specific, and connected to your traumas and the feelings that are attached to them and writing all this down, is the catalyst for healing.
I make no attempt here to a complete review of this book. If this mode of healing attracts you, you can go to the library and check it out. If they don't have it, chances are they can order it. Or if you are like me want to own an inspiring book you can most likely find it cheaply on the internet. I love Amazon.com for used books. I am a book hound! I love to read and learn. It is about time I start healing deeper wounds with my writing.
A while back I promised some information on water. I WILL get to that. We are 75% water. So how important do you think it could be? LOL.
Till next time and hopefully I will be more regular at posting. No, not hopefully, I will be!
Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Healthbug
Friday, July 12, 2013
The Value of Mom
Just what is Self Care Health Care? It sounds just like a tongue twister to me.Self care speaks of taking responsibility for your health and well being. Self directed Healthcare might be a better way of putting it. Because of my history, Mom of 5 children with limited monetary funds, I felt I constantly had to think about how to keep my family safe and healthy. Accidents do happen. Minor ones can be taken care of at home (If you know how),slightly more acute injuries might need an expert hand and should be taken to your DR/Healthcare Provider and of course acute injuries should be taken to the Emergency Room.
I think I was very fortunate to have a Mom who taught me how to assess the everyday ouies and boo boos that come along. She taught me not only to assess these but how to treat them at home to decrease the possibility of infection and then how to treat infection if it did develop. As an ER Nurse I have often said that "We all need a Mommy hotline". It is amazing how many things can be prevented but then also treated very effectively at home.
Outside of injuries, which you have only a modicum of control, general health is the piece of health that you can have enormous affect on, not only for yourself but also for others in your household like spouse/partner, children and/or other family members. Yep, Mom helped me out there too. She was very aware of how important a healthy diet was. At one point she sold vitamins "Nutrilite". This was one of the first vitamin companies around. So as a kid I learned that what I ate was very important to keeping me healthy. I have continued to build on that knowledge by reading almost everything I can get my hands on and have the time to read that talks about health,healing and dealing with chronic diseases.
Bottom line, taking responsibility for you and your family's health, takes a commitment, motivation, a few skills and knowledge. Why bother? You might say "All this sounds really great but it is so out of reach. I mean, taking care of the house,laundry as well as the outside job is a tremendous drain on my time. Add a family in there if you have one and it all seems very overwhelming! I don't have time for all that learning!" You might also say "You'd have to be a nurse to know all that. I don't want to be a nurse. I just want to be healthy and help those around me be healthy."
Gosh, I just realized I am talking to those people who don't "get it". If you are reading this blog, you "get it". You already take responsibility for you health and it's care. You "get" that knowledge is power and you "get" that you can do so many base level things to get and stay healthy. You also already know how to take care of the minor stuff yourself at home. When you get the fact that you are responsible for your health whether or not you recognize it, the next step is to decide to not be passive about it, you then search for answers.
Mom's for centuries have been the nurse. They had no formal training. They learned from their Mom. Much of that knowledge has been lost since Mom's went to work outside the home. They became stressed and more limited with their time. Now we have one or two generations who have not had the advantage of learning simple self care.
Mostly this post is about getting back to that basic. Moms and Dads teach. I encourage all the readers of this silly little blog to know your value! Your desire to keep healthy and your search for the knowledge with which to do this is the stone in the pond that can cause a ripple effect. It's all about one step at a time, one small change at a time. That's why I love my moto "Small changes BIG results".
Next post is going to be about water. You can't get more simple than that.
Until then Hope you keep coming back. Drop a comment if you would like to know something specific. I really am a real person and am eager to share my knowledge. I don't know it all, but love to do research.
Later,
Healthbug
I think I was very fortunate to have a Mom who taught me how to assess the everyday ouies and boo boos that come along. She taught me not only to assess these but how to treat them at home to decrease the possibility of infection and then how to treat infection if it did develop. As an ER Nurse I have often said that "We all need a Mommy hotline". It is amazing how many things can be prevented but then also treated very effectively at home.
Outside of injuries, which you have only a modicum of control, general health is the piece of health that you can have enormous affect on, not only for yourself but also for others in your household like spouse/partner, children and/or other family members. Yep, Mom helped me out there too. She was very aware of how important a healthy diet was. At one point she sold vitamins "Nutrilite". This was one of the first vitamin companies around. So as a kid I learned that what I ate was very important to keeping me healthy. I have continued to build on that knowledge by reading almost everything I can get my hands on and have the time to read that talks about health,healing and dealing with chronic diseases.
Bottom line, taking responsibility for you and your family's health, takes a commitment, motivation, a few skills and knowledge. Why bother? You might say "All this sounds really great but it is so out of reach. I mean, taking care of the house,laundry as well as the outside job is a tremendous drain on my time. Add a family in there if you have one and it all seems very overwhelming! I don't have time for all that learning!" You might also say "You'd have to be a nurse to know all that. I don't want to be a nurse. I just want to be healthy and help those around me be healthy."
Gosh, I just realized I am talking to those people who don't "get it". If you are reading this blog, you "get it". You already take responsibility for you health and it's care. You "get" that knowledge is power and you "get" that you can do so many base level things to get and stay healthy. You also already know how to take care of the minor stuff yourself at home. When you get the fact that you are responsible for your health whether or not you recognize it, the next step is to decide to not be passive about it, you then search for answers.
Mom's for centuries have been the nurse. They had no formal training. They learned from their Mom. Much of that knowledge has been lost since Mom's went to work outside the home. They became stressed and more limited with their time. Now we have one or two generations who have not had the advantage of learning simple self care.
Mostly this post is about getting back to that basic. Moms and Dads teach. I encourage all the readers of this silly little blog to know your value! Your desire to keep healthy and your search for the knowledge with which to do this is the stone in the pond that can cause a ripple effect. It's all about one step at a time, one small change at a time. That's why I love my moto "Small changes BIG results".
Next post is going to be about water. You can't get more simple than that.
Until then Hope you keep coming back. Drop a comment if you would like to know something specific. I really am a real person and am eager to share my knowledge. I don't know it all, but love to do research.
Later,
Healthbug
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Weight Loss
I know this is a worn out topic but I just have to go here yet again, one more time. I know when I was looking for a way to loose weight, I was always looking for that "something new" that would help me be successful. The "magic bullet" to end all my misery just had to be out there somewhere? Where oh where to find what I needed to loose the weight in a successful way.
My long history of dieting, trying to loose weight led me to be very skeptical of ever getting a handle on my weight. I felt I had a lot going against me being successful. Family history of being obese, I was older and my metabolism was slower, family history of low thyroid all helped to discourage me from even trying to, yet again, one more time, to loose the weight.
Thankfully, 3 years ago I found a way of eating that I was able to follow and loose not only all the weight I wanted to plus more. I just spent some time this morning talking with my beautiful daughter-in-law about the various ways to loose weight. I lost weight using "Let's Do Lunch". This program teaches you how to eat not only for weight loss but also for health. Since I am such a health nut this really spoke to me. I have kept the weight off and am still excited about this way of eating.
So for me the LDL way of eating worked great and I know it works for others. However the discussion went like this, not everyone has the same metabolism and not everyone has the same mindset. When it comes to loosing weight it is a combination of mindset, determination and metabolism. I think the most important is mindset being attitude. Everyone has their jump off point and what they can and can not tolerate. I use a "how healthy is this way of eating" format to determine if the diet is a good one. The next most important criteria is that you have to love the foods that you are eating.
The more you get away from processed foods the better your food tastes to you. But you still have to start with foods you love even with numbed out taste buds. So fill up on those "good for you" foods before you even think of adding anything else to your plate. Hint: one week without processed foods will make those taste buds come alive. Then it seems like everything takes on a new dimension of flavor! Its like adding color to a black and white picture. When those healthful foods taste great, you are not even tempted to eat junk!
I have talked to many who have used the HCG protocol and diet to reset their metabolism and thus loose weight and keep it off. If you use this to help you get a handle on a healthy diet while loosing weight, I think this is a great way to go. It is fast and, if done correctly, not too painful. If I had not been so successful with LDL I would give it a shot.
I am now reviewing a book on aging and metabolism! Boy am I excited to get to the meat of this book. Even though it is 10 years old, it has some great info on little known research. The big issue is even though I have lost the weight and keep it off I seem to be loosing muscle strength as I age. Not too cool. Supposedly there is a way to increase your muscle mass as well as loose the fat thus becoming healthier as you age. Hey, that is for me! So look for my review of this book in the next few weeks.
Until then, to your best health possible,
Heathbug
My long history of dieting, trying to loose weight led me to be very skeptical of ever getting a handle on my weight. I felt I had a lot going against me being successful. Family history of being obese, I was older and my metabolism was slower, family history of low thyroid all helped to discourage me from even trying to, yet again, one more time, to loose the weight.
Thankfully, 3 years ago I found a way of eating that I was able to follow and loose not only all the weight I wanted to plus more. I just spent some time this morning talking with my beautiful daughter-in-law about the various ways to loose weight. I lost weight using "Let's Do Lunch". This program teaches you how to eat not only for weight loss but also for health. Since I am such a health nut this really spoke to me. I have kept the weight off and am still excited about this way of eating.
So for me the LDL way of eating worked great and I know it works for others. However the discussion went like this, not everyone has the same metabolism and not everyone has the same mindset. When it comes to loosing weight it is a combination of mindset, determination and metabolism. I think the most important is mindset being attitude. Everyone has their jump off point and what they can and can not tolerate. I use a "how healthy is this way of eating" format to determine if the diet is a good one. The next most important criteria is that you have to love the foods that you are eating.
The more you get away from processed foods the better your food tastes to you. But you still have to start with foods you love even with numbed out taste buds. So fill up on those "good for you" foods before you even think of adding anything else to your plate. Hint: one week without processed foods will make those taste buds come alive. Then it seems like everything takes on a new dimension of flavor! Its like adding color to a black and white picture. When those healthful foods taste great, you are not even tempted to eat junk!
I have talked to many who have used the HCG protocol and diet to reset their metabolism and thus loose weight and keep it off. If you use this to help you get a handle on a healthy diet while loosing weight, I think this is a great way to go. It is fast and, if done correctly, not too painful. If I had not been so successful with LDL I would give it a shot.
I am now reviewing a book on aging and metabolism! Boy am I excited to get to the meat of this book. Even though it is 10 years old, it has some great info on little known research. The big issue is even though I have lost the weight and keep it off I seem to be loosing muscle strength as I age. Not too cool. Supposedly there is a way to increase your muscle mass as well as loose the fat thus becoming healthier as you age. Hey, that is for me! So look for my review of this book in the next few weeks.
Until then, to your best health possible,
Heathbug
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