Several weeks back I shared some of my thoughts on belly fat and my plan to get rid of at least some of what I had. Check it out here if you have not already read it!
Here is how the plan unfolded. I started the “Hula Hoop Challenge” as laid out in my previous blog, and, indeed, I am now a better hooper. Did I hit every day like I had planned? No. I did not loose weight as planned either but I did maintain. This is huge for me after having lost 100# fairly recently. I did loose one inch off of my waist though! All in all, hooping is great fun and now part of my workout plan. I will not be doing hoop tricks any time soon as in the challenge, nor do I really want to. I’m just a straight up hoopster girl and love it.
This brings me to the second and more important part of this blog though which is that life unfolds all around us despite our best laid plans. I mean, here we have a global pandemic, social unrest, protests, a downright scary economy, and a big face mask debate going on. The list goes on. I’m telling you, it messes with my mind and my best laid plans. I stay positive and optimistic for my patients (I’m a nurse) but, sometimes I fall hard in my off time. The thing is, you will never have a perfect day. You are going to stumble and fall. Sometimes hard. The secret is to get back up. All or nothing mentally is not going to deliver the results you want. Stumbling, falling, getting back up and getting after it WILL deliver results. It’s that persistent sticking to the plan that will get you to your goal.
This week Platimun Muse readers, I challenge to you stick to your plan. Don’t change plans mid week and don’t beat yourself up if you stumble and fall. Just get back up and get after it!
Thanks for reading the Plantinum Muse and let’s grab a hold of the new week and make it count!
I sat down to chat the other day with one of my best friends and daughter, Sarah, who now follows a gluten free eating plan. I wanted to know more about why she chose this and what the benefits are. She told me that when she was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder a few years back she trialed a few different medications and med adjustments to bring her lab levels back into normal range. Even though this was accomplished, she still “felt like garbage.” Through her network of friends she was referred to Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology by Isabella Wentz. She gave the recipes a try. The cookbook covered both dairy free and gluten free recipes, but, being a native Wisconsin girl and cheese lover, she really didn’t take to the dairy free part. But, the gluten free part was a hit. She began to feel better and her antibody levels, previously off the chart, were cut in half or more.
Sarah said some people try a gluten free diet for weight loss and although she lost about five pounds initially, it really was not a weight loss diet and there are better plans for that. It is also expensive to go gluten free. And, gluten is part of what makes food taste good.
Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye. Sarah said that there are some schools of though that conclude that US wheat is so genetically modified for higher gluten percentages that a gluten sensitive person in the US can actually eat wheat products in other countries and tolerate them as long as the wheat is not imported from the US. I also have heard going gluten free leaves you feeling less bloated, feeling better, and with increased energy. There are schools of though too that say avoiding gluten reduces the body’s inflammation levels, not just in the gut but throughout the body.
I can’t say I am planning on going gluten free anytime soon, but, I am interested in lowering my dietary gluten intake just for the sake experimenting to see if it makes any difference in how I feel. And, hey, I’m all about reducing inflammation in my body if possible. This week I have experimented with with making a gluten free sourdough dough starter. I just followed the directions from one of my previous posts, https://platinummusecom.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/why-does-the-yeast-shortage-keep-bubbling-up-in-conversation-lately/?fbclid=IwAR2uqk9Y0iBKALhy379zPxgWd60WSKGpVILM_StjZPAKN8ZUhlMSH7Nve2s I used gluten free flour instead of regular flour. I started with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Bread Mix and ran out half way through so finished with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. Then, I took some of that starter and made these sourdough crackers which were great! https://thefreshexchange.com/pantry-staples-simple-sourdough-crackers/ I topped them with just a bit of course salt. Roll them out on the thinner side too unless you want a hearty cracker. Top with a bit of your favorite cheese! Yum!
Stay healthy and stay safe! Thank you for reading the Platinum Muse this week!
I was chatting with my daughter, Erica, over the weekend about plastic food containers. Or, should I say, picking her brain because I knew she knew a little bit about plastics. She said it first came onto her her radar about 15 years ago during an Army National Guard deployment. She had pulled bagel out of the microwave in what was now a deformed plastic container, and, someone said “You are going to die!” Over the course of the past 10 years she and her family have been transitioning to glass food storage containers. She went on to talk about many of the plastic food containers containing BPA (bisphenol) which can mimic estrogen. It turns out many of the BPA free plastics contain a replacement that is just as bad. BPS, BPF, BPAF, BPZ, BPP, BHPF. Notice they all contain the letters BP. Avoid these. BPA and it’s alternatives are even worse when heated. BPA is the substance that makes your plastic food container strong, flexible, rigid, and heat resistant. Even canned foods are typically in a can lined with plastic containing BPA or alternative. BPA as been linked to obesity and hormone disruption and even linked to breast cancer. And this doesn’t even began to touch on the issues of plastics in our oceans and in our drinking water. A CDC survey done in 2003 and 2004 found BPA in 93% of urine samples. BPA replacements decrease sperm counts and result is less viable eggs as well. So, toss your BPA plastics and avoid BPA alternatives to be safe. Throw away plastic food containers when scratched or when they appear to be ageing. Glass and stainless steel are great alternatives. Ball or Kerr canning jars make great water glasses and you can buy lids with straws to fit them (see below.) The lids are plastic but they do not sit in the water you are drinking. You can also purchase reusable stainless steel straws. There are also many economically priced glass food containers on the market now. They are especially great if you are packing your lunch and plan to pop your food container into a microwave.
Primer on Plastics (look for the # in the triangle on container bottom):
Plastic #1:
Polyethylene Terephthalate or PET. Lightweight, clear, smooth, single use only. Used for water, sodas, peanut butter. Recyclable. More toxic when exposed to heat or sunlight and with longer exposure more toxic materials are leached from the plastic. The acid content of the food can also affect the toxicity levels. PET is porous and bacteria can accumulate in it so avoid reusing PET containers
Plastic #2:
High Density Polyethylene or HDPE. Used for milk and water containers. Recyclable. Not bad
Plastic #3:
Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC – AVOID. Stabilizers used in production include salts of metals such as lead. Decomposition of PVC releases harmful chemicals like lead, DEHA and dioxin – yikes! When checking my food containers I found several old discolored “popular brand name” container marked with 3. I tossed them immediately! Whew!
Plastic #4:
Low-density polyethelene or LDPE. Used for bread packaging, frozen food, plastic wraps, grocery bags, and to line milk and juice boxes. Low level of toxins. Not usually recycled. Generally considered safe, except for the fact that our oceans are becoming clogged with plastics which do not readily decompose!
Plastic # 5:
Polypropylene or PP. Translucent or opaque. High melting point. Microwavable and dishwasher safe. Used in yogurt containers, cream cheese containers, maple syrup bottles. Not easy to recycle. High heat tolerance. Another plastic which doesn’t seem to decompose into harmful byproducts but which poses other problems because it does not decompose fast enough!
Plastic #6:
Polystyrene or PS. Not economically beneficial to recycle. Used for egg cartons. EPA classified carcinogen. Releases styrene which acts as a neurotoxin and can accumulate in the body’s fat stores.
Plastic #7 Mixed:
Almost impossible to recycle and has the most potential health hazards. Used for 5 gallon water bottles and sports bottles. Avoid heating. Wash with mild detergent.
Stay safe and keep your family safe. Opt for glass or stainless steel when available. Plastics #s 1,2,4,5 seem pretty safe, aside from clogging our oceans. Avoid #3 and #7 at all costs. In general it is best to avoid using plastic containers to heat food in a microwave. I try to to avoid heating plastic which will be used for food storage as the heat might cause the plastic to break down and release nasty toxins. I transfer foods sold in plastic packaging to a glass container before heating in a microwave.
Thank you for reading the Platinum Muse! Up next week: My gluten free sour dough starter which is currently in the works on my kitchen counter, and, my gluten free sour dough crackers! Stay tuned!
Rituals are the tent stakes of our lives. They anchor us in traditions and mark the pivot points of our day. Rituals do not just happen. They require planning and effort. Once recognized for what they are, rituals can be created and modified to springboard us into new healthy habits.
Think of it like color blocking your calendar. For example, the act of lighting a candle before supper can mark your transition from the work day to your evening hours at home. Getting up 15 minutes early to enjoy a hot, fresh cup of coffee in quiet by yourself can mark a positive transition into the busy day ahead. Our rituals can transition us from one daily mode to another. They can move us from work to planned exercise, date night, family time, or down time.
As you know, my new fun activity is hula hooping for exercise (see “That Darn Belly Fat” blog dated 5/26/2020.) I’m good enough at it, finally, to have started an online hoop challenge. It’s addictive and fun but I’m working on setting up a ritual to pivot me into my daily hooping routine. This week I will try out a 7 PM hula hoop ritual. It’s enough time for me to let my supper settle a bit and gives me enough time to settle back down before bedtime too. I will pick out 3 of my favorite tunes each evening and hula hoop away, practicing whatever the online hoop challenge is for the day.
This week, pick your activity, plan your ritual or pivot to point you to your activity, and turn it in to a habit! Kudos to my Platinum Muse readers and followers for already being proactive with creating new healthy mind and body rituals by reading the Platinum Muse. The Platinum Muse is all about support, staying motivated, having a positive attitude, sharing tips, and encouraging you along your own individual journey toward increased wellness.
Thank you for spending a moment reading Platinum Muse! Start a new uplifting ritual for yourself now and subscribe to Platinum Muse! We here to support and encourage each other so share your favorite health and wellness ritual with us here on Platinum Muse! You can also find me on Facebook. Search The Platinum Muse and follow me there if you like.
Platinum Muse readers, stay in the moment! I wish you an amazing week ahead!
No blog post last week as I was otherwise occupied helping to welcome a beautiful new granddaughter into the world. Looking into her eyes I was reminded that life is resilient and continually cycles forward. But, I’m off on a tangent. Let me get back to my blog topic: Install Update: ME.2020.
Have you ever gained or lost a significant amount of weight or had another significant physical change occur and then had trouble spotting yourself in a group photo? Or, didn’t immediately recognize yourself in a crowded public restroom mirror? That’s because your brain does not always update your own self image accurately to the most current point in time. Your mind warps and bends and photoshops your own self image to meet what ever needs your psyche has. It fills in missing pieces of information on it’s own and presents you with a picture of yourself based on the input it has received and it’s own modifications. It can make you feel pretty good about yourself or pretty bad about yourself on any given day. Your image of yourself may or may not be real. It might just be a feeling you have about yourself and the world around you.
Feeling good about yourself is all about what is swirling around in your own head. Take a look through some pictures of yourself and take a good look in the mirror. Who are you? Does the image in the pictures match the image in your head? What do you love about yourself? What is beautifully unique? And, what do you want to change about yourself? Update your mind’s eye self image. Love your body for all of it’s unique features and beauty. Your body will follow wherever your mind leads it and that is a good thing. Try to steer what is swirling in your head. Keep your image of yourself real and grounded and always keep moving forward with your goals of health and wellness.
As you head in to the new week, take a good look at yourself and get your feet back under you. Set up your goals and rewards, and make a decision to move forward strong and grounded through these turbulent times. The world is changing fast. Look past and through the COVID 19 Pandemic and street violence. There are good things happening in the world. Love yourself. Be your own best friend. You have the power to change yourself for the better and help lead the way into a better future for everyone around you.
Thank you for reading my blog this week. I welcome comments. If you like what you have just read please hit the “like” icon or better yet, subscribe to my blog! Thank you.
I remember the day. I was sitting at my desk at the hospital where I work and was checking off my tasks as a RN Care Coordinator while chatting a bit to my co-worker along side me. I happen to glance down and there it was. Even though I had had lost a significant amount of weight by then, I spied a roll of belly fat. I swear it appeared overnight. I mumbled to my office mate “What the heck is going on with my body fat! It’s migrating around on my body!” We laughed and were soon having one of our usual in depth conversations about aging, fat, health and wellness, and what we ate yesterday.
My plan? Ditch this belly fat, one way or another. I’m not much in to fads or gimmicks. I’ve read up a little on the subject though. It seems belly fat is kind of like that expanding foam packing material. It gets in between your organs and in them and in the expandable curtain covering your belly–the omentum. It is not the pinchable subcutaneous fat, but the deeper visceral fat. Not the brown healthier fat, but the problematic yellow fat. It acts like an endocrine organ and spits out all kinds of bad secretions. It can account for your ever expanding waistline as you age.
I remember my mother always aspiring to the idyllic 24″ waist of the 50’s and 60’s. Now, it’s my understanding the goal is less than 40″ for men and less than 35″ for women. I am somewhere between the 24″ and 35″ but not ready to actually put my waist measurement up on a public post. Not yet. I’m also not quite at the BMI I would like, although close.
So, my plan: Cut back on my calories/points a tad to get me to my personal goal weight and doing some targeted exercises to see what happens to this waist measurement of mine. Specifically, checking my heart rate during exercise to make sure I am in my target zone and, doing my planks…..again. And here goes, yes, working out with my weighted hula hoop to keep it real, and fun!
I will update you when I either see results or have to rethink my plan. Give me 4-6 weeks and I’ll fill you in.
I hope you had a safe, enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend and thank you to those of you who worked through it to keep our world turning. Thank you too for taking a moment to read the “Platinum Muse.” Leave me a comment! I would love to hear your thoughts!
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You can. In this moment you are safe and well. Readying for the week ahead. Strong. Ready to press forward. Finding your new rhythm within the pandemonium.
Hold fast to your health and wellness plan. Right now, more than ever, your healthy choices count. I mean, really count. Set yourself up for success this week. Plan a morning ritual that doesn’t involve the news or social media. Bring yourself in to the moment and take a breath. Watch the sun come up. Enjoy a cup of steaming hot coffee in the quite aloneness before the bustle of the day begins.
Schedule in your activity and meals this week. Be kind to yourself. Do what you can and take a breath. That is hitting your goal.
Take the time to tend to your mindset. Channel your best thoughts in to it and feed it positive bits of reinforcement and motivation. Think of tending to your mindset like you would a garden: pull the weeds and give it water, nourishment, and sunshine. Then watch it grow and bloom.
The COVID 19 pandemic is turning out to be a conduit of change for all of us. Decide to come out on the other side an even stronger and better version of yourself.
Thank you for joining me in a moment of positivity! I am cheering you on in achieving all of your health and wellness goals and reaching for the stars this week!
“Higher ground is the space where wellness resides.” Oprah Winfrey
I am now 28 months in to my weight loss and successful maintenance of 100# gone. Yet, I found myself once again being tripped up while on a recent grocery shopping trip. With store list in hand from my already pre-planned menu, bar code scanning app on my phone, and of course my face mask and hand sanitizer, off I went.
I skipped the alcohol and chip isles, skirted around the bakery department, and I only walked through the baking isle because I had to follow the one way arrows which are now on the grocery store floor.
All was well it seemed. I did not go off list and succumb to any clever food marketing traps, or so I thought. I did go down the ice cream isle to pick up some ice cream bars for my husband and look for some kind of low calorie ice cream treat for myself. It ended up to be some rather large ice cream bars labeled sugar free. Even though I know better, I just grabbed them, tossed them in my cart and off I went. I was ready to be done shopping and wanted out of the grocery store.
To make matters worse, I even scanned the bar code on the label when I got home but somehow still decided they would even fit into my meal plan. Turns out, one of these sugar free ice cream bars totaled up to be over one third of my allotted points for the day. And, no, this was not a good choice for me. It put me smack dab on a slippery slope of poor health decisions for a whole day. I fell for the product marketing and packaging hook, line, and sinker. Of course, no one actually forced me to eat any ice cream. That was me making a bad decision. Turns out the sugar free ice cream bars were loaded with fat and calories as so many sugar free products are. They may have been sugar free but they were no one’s part of a healthy eating pattern.
Today I am again focusing on clean, healthy eating. If I actually want ice cream, there are better choices.
So, I guess my point is, be mindful of marketing traps when you are navigating your way through the maze at the grocery store. Pre-plan and take the time to look at the food labels. Never shop hungry and don’t shop when you are in a hurry. Your shopping trip sets you up for the week ahead.
If you do mess up at the grocery store don’t beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself.. Do yourself a favor and throw the item out! Here is a little tidbit I heard from my Wellness Works Coach one time that has helped me over and over again “It’s better in the waste than on the waist!”
Happy Mother’s Day to all. Have an awesome day and thank you for reading my blog post! Stay safe and stay healthy!
Kudos to you if you have made an attempt to start a walking program. You deserve a pat on the back for any attempt you have made to increase your daily activity. It’s one of the best things you can do for your own good health. I would like like to pass along just a few tips though to keep you going. Things I have found helpful on my own journey of reaching 10,000 steps a day and a 100# weight loss.
By all means, buy yourself a pair of properly fitting shoes designed for walking. After a year of battling plantar fasciitis I finally made a trip to Dicks Sports and got fitted for a walking shoe designed for my needs. It was well worth the time and money spent. I don’t ever take my shoes for granted anymore and take my walking shoes with me whenever and wherever I think I may be racking up some miles. Once you find a brand and style that works for you, stick with it. Oh, and get yourself some socks that don’t bunch up either. Nothing is worse than having your socks bunch up in your shoes when you are on a walk or a run. Socks with a little padding on the bottom are a real treat for your feet as well.
Be mindful of your clothes. Athletic wear is definitely more comfortable for walking and running. It’s what it’s designed to do. It wicks moisture, breaths, and moves with your body. It will make a difference in your workouts. Buy yourself a few quality items that make you feel good about yourself and fit well and make you look forward to working out. It’s an investment in yourself and you will be glad you made it.
Did you know most people favor one foot in particular and land harder on that foot consistently when walking or running? It will be the foot or leg or hip that you likely will incur any upcoming injury on. You cannot avoid all injuries but you can help keep the odds in your favor by alternating your steps in a way to even out your stride. It’s a 1-2-3, 1-2-3 gait alternating the heavier foot strike on the 1 of the 2-3. So, it’s L-2-3, R-2-3, L-2-3, R-2-3. and so on with the heavier foot strike on the L and R strikes. Try it! The rhythm will keep you going too when you think you want to quit.
To improve your gait and speed keep your core tight. Basically, pull in your belly button and then do one little final adjustment by also sucking your belly button up into your rib cage. Stand up straight when you walk and keep your focus straight ahead if you are looking to make good time. Imagine a stick going right up through your spine and out the top of your head. Swing your arms at about a 45 degree angle when you walk with your thumbs kind of leading the way so your hands are not flopping around like the wings of a duck trying to take off flying from the water. I see this a lot. Good golly! Now, smile and enjoy! Feel yourself getting stronger with each stride. You have made such a good decision. Give yourself a pat on the back. You are doing this!
Stay strong. Stay healthy. Have an awesome week. Thank you for spending a little time with me. Leave me a comment with your favorite walking or running tip!
10,000 is an arbitrary number assigned to the number of steps we should take each day for good health. It dates back to 1965, a time when a Japanese company began manufacturing pedometers. The Japanese character for 10,000 kind of resembles a man walking and so, walah! There you have it! 10,000 steps became the gold standard for how many steps you need to reach each day for good health. It originated simply as a marketing tool.
In actuality though, 10,000 steps a day turns out to be a fairly good guesstimate of what it takes to maintain a reasonable state of well being. For me, it requires about an additional hour of walking on most days. It totals out at just under 5 miles per day which is over and above what I would normally do chained to my desk for 8 1/2 hours a day at work. I walk for 15 minutes twice a day during breaks, usually with a few co-workers in tow, and for my half hour lunch break with my husband. That gets me to my 10,000 steps a day goal.
Why do I do it? Besides cultivating great relationships with my friends at work and my husband, I have deemed it necessary to keep the 100 pounds off that I worked so hard to loose. And, as we all know, as you get older, you just don’t have as much wiggle room with diet and exercise if you want to maintain a good quality of life! Walking buddies just make it more fun! My co-workers have been know to taunt oncoming groups from other departments with snowballs and fake flash the police. You never know what a 15 minute walk outdoors will lead to, right?
Here are the benefits I can personally attest to that keep me coming back for more of racking up 10,000 steps a day:
1. It keeps me centered. I always return to my desk with a better perspective on things after my walk outside.
2. My legs are toned and even the skin on my legs and feet is looking good right down to my toenails! That speaks volumes for what must be happening on the inside of my body.
3. Hitting 10,000 steps makes my old FitBit Charge HR vibrate and is good for my psyche. It always makes me smile when it vibrates and it is like a pat on the back.
4. I am off my blood pressure medication and both my heart rate and my blood pressure are well within normal range since I lost weight and starting my daily walks.
5. Walking has become easy for me. I’m faster than I used to be too. Life is just easier when you are a walker. I even do some running although everything is changed up now that we are in pandemic mode.
6. I know that walking 10,000 steps a day will be key for me for continued good health into my retirement years. It’s already known to lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. It super charges your immune system too and who doesn’t want that these days. Of course, engaging in a walking program will extend your life out a bit too!
So, do you want to feel better, get stronger, trim down, tone up? I would highly recommend taking up walking. Strap on a pedometer and start counting. Figure out how many steps you are taking a day now and slowly ratchet it up! Maybe you are like me. I started with a few thousand steps and an Aleve on board! LOL. Now, I’m well over 10,000 steps a day and no Aleve, no pain.
Which reminds me, pay attention to your shoes and your walking technique. I will talk more about that next week and pass on my tips for success that have worked for me.
Thank you for spending time with me. I hope you start walking if you are not already a dedicated 10,000 a day stepper!
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