Category: Diet and Health

Daily Prompts – Caprice

Standing in front of the mirror she cursed her love of food. How hard she has worked for her weight loss, only to go off at a tangent through her caprice and regain all that weight and then some more. What a daffy I am! She thought berating her yo-yo dieting and inability to stick to healthy eating. Though no fan of complete lifestyle change, she was coming to the conclusion that the answer to her troubles lay there.

~*~

Though this is written on response to multiple prompts, this is very much the story of my weight struggle.

I’ve also come to the conclusion that a complete lifestyle change is the answer to my weight problems.

In response to the following prompts;

Your daily word Prompt;

Caprice

3TC;

Fan, Loss, Food

FOWC;

Tangent

RDP;

Daffy

Word of the day Challenge;

Complete

Tuesday Writing Prompt Challenge;

“standing in the mirror, she….”

#Keepitalive

#JusJoJan

#FOWC

#RDP

#3TC

#TuesdayWritingPrompt

#DailyPrompts

Walking is rewarded!

I got this life-time badge a few nights ago night when I was doing my post-dinner walk.

5500 miles!

That’s a lot of walking and the distance covered is the same as the Great Wall of China! It has taken me almost four years to walk this distance. There were days when I could barely walk a mile. And now I can walk up to five to six miles a day. All these distances are calculated by my Fitbit! I trust that these calculations are correct.

If I calculate the distance walked per year, it 1375 miles a year and a daily average of 3.8 miles. Not bad for a person like me who was not fond of walking at all!

My walking journey started in Jan’16 when I bought my first Fitbit. The standard target, that was pre-set, was 10,000 steps a day but initially, I could manage 2500 steps only. But I was determined to do it. So slowly I increased my walking time and hit the 10,000 steps target after 3-4 months. Then in 2018- 2019 I hit a slow period in my walking. So my average dropped to around 8000 steps a day. You might remember that I broke a couple of bones in my foot in February this year.

But now that I have come to realize the importance of walking to control my blood sugar levels, I am walking 12000- 13000 steps a day. I break up the walking into three stretches. One after each meal. The morning stretch is around 60-70 minutes and the evening and post-dinner stretch are around 30 minutes each. This makes the routine more easy to stick to. I have managed by following this routine, to get my blog glucose levels into the normal range. This is such a moment of pride for me!

I know that I have written about it before but if you can, do walk a little bit every day. Start small and gradually build it up to 30 minutes. It is a great boost to both physical and mental health.

#Keepitalive

#Walkingforbetterhealth

Daily Prompts- Up with the lark!

What are the benefits of getting up early?

We all know them. Have been drummed into our minds since we were kids. The schools start early, work starts early and the garbage trucks arrive early!

But as we grow old(er) we sometimes fall out of the habit of getting up early. A little nudge is needed now and then to remind us. Getting up early has the double advantage of getting more things done during a day but also one can go for an early morning walk. This is the best time of the day for walking. One can commune with nature, see the timid creatures scavenging for food and gain all the benefits of fresh air. The breeze playing through the leaves of the trees sounds like nature’s band playing the symphony of universal music! It’s a good time to gauge your fitness level too. A short run or a brisk walk tells us how fit or unfit we are.

We each have priorities in life but good physical and mental health should be everyone’s priority. Walking keeps us physically and mentally in good health.

So are you getting up with the lark tomorrow?

In response to the following prompts;

3TC;

Nudge, Timid, Double

FOWC;

Go

RDP;

Band

Word of the day Challenge;

Gauge

#Keepitalive

#FOWC

#RDP

#3TC

#DailyPrompts

How physical activity helps us in living our best lives

Wendi of simplyWendi has started a new series of questions;

How to live our best lives

kettle bell beside adidas pair of shoes

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

 Wendi says;

Welcome friends and thank you very much for stopping by today.  This week my question has to do with physical activity.  This is a tough area for many people with chronic illness since there are some that respond poorly to exercise.  No matter what illness label you hold, fatigue is always a side effect making exercise something that takes a lot will power to overcome the desire to climb back into bed.

We read, watch, and are told that exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle which can lead to guilt and disappointment when we cannot participate in the physical activities that we were once able to enjoy.

So, this week’s question is;

What physical movement do you participate in? 

I have written about this before but since I feel very strongly about this topic, I will share my views again.

I have an autoimmune disease that affects my joints. It’s a type of rheumatoid disease known as “ Sero-Negative Rheumatoid Arthritis” It has affected my knees to the extent that I had to get knee replacement surgery on both of my knees in my early fifties. Lucky for me that I was diagnosed and the prescribed treatment has agreed with my system and there is a regression of the disease. So now I am taking my meds regularly and am following a regimen to keep my joints healthy.

After my surgery, my doctor had given me strict instructions to walk. No running, no treadmill, just walking. His advice was to walk at least half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening. Or a mile at both ends of the day. He also advised me to keep my weight in the average range for my height. That would, he told me, would make the artificial joints last longer.

As most of you know, my weight has not cooperated with me, yo-yoing back and forth. But I keep on trying. But one thing that I have held on to is my daily walk. I walk every day, winter or summer, rain or shine. I have made things simple for myself. No special time, place or grear for my walk required. I walk whenever I have had my breakfast, and I walk inside my house. Littraly inside. There is a longish passage where I walk making numerous round trips. My Fitbit tracks the time, distance and steps I have taken. It also helpfully tells me the calories I have burned. I repeat this walk three times a day. The total time is from 100 to 120 minutes. I walk around 4-5 miles with 12000- 13000 steps a day. Since I break it into three segments, I sit down if I am tiring too much and resume the walk after a short rest.

The advantages of this system are;

I can walk even if it is raining outside or too hot.

I can be as early ( a midnight walk like last night) or as late as I want ( noon time walk in Summers)

There is no fixed time, so I can accommodate my other chores or activities around my walk.

There is no hassle to putting on walking/ running shoes, special gear or driving out to a walking track etc.

This system works for me. I fell better after walking, much more energetic and happy. We all have our limitations and should find the activity that suits our physical health. Taking care of our physical health ensures that the coming years are kind to us.

My advice is to find what works for you. Push yourself to the extent where you can tolerate the activity without pain. Pain is a red light. Stop at pain.

#Keepitalive

Writing Prompt #45- Pie yummm….

Sarah is the host of Writing Prompt.

My favorite pie…

My favorite pie is homemade apple pie. The one which comes hot and fresh out of the oven. You slice it into thick wedges and serve with cold cream or ice cream.

Did that make your mouth water?

This was the situation when I could have Apple pie! I would make it with a favorite recipe from my mom’s old Betty Crocker cookbook. Using cold butter and flour that I had put in the fridge to chill. It was a bit tricky to get it rolled out nice and tidy but with practice, I became very good at it. The top was latticed and sprinkled with sugar and brushed midway through baking with egg wash.

I was always making it for family and friends. I even taught a couple of my best friends how to do it by making it in front of them.

But, alas no more.

Now no flour, no sugar and no cooked fruit for me. So I dream about it. I suggest to my husband that get a slice of apple pie and then I can have one spoon full of it.

#Keepitalive

#WritingPrompt

Daily Prompts- Perpetual Dieting

I am a perpetual dieter. It’s been the same throughout my adult life. Nutrition, calories, fat content, GI index are the terms that I am more familiar with than most people. And what is the result? Am I not at my ideal weight or close to it?

Well no, not by a long shot. That’s why I am always on a diet. I have a tendency to sabotage my own diet once I start losing weight. It is my addiction to food that spoils all my efforts. But I haven’t lost hope to get there eventually. I haven’t turned into a cynic, well not yet. I have hope that one day my rosy rounded cheeks will shrink to an attractive hollowed out sculpted look. Maybe I am vain but I want to get there at least once in this life!

I live in hope!

In response to the following prompts;

3TC;

Nutrition, Cadence, Cheek

FOWC;

Cynic

RDP;

Sabotage

Word of the day Challenge;

Vain

#Keepitalive

#FOWC

#RDP

#3TC

#DailyPrompts

Stream of Consciousness Saturday 2nd November 2019- Am I nuts?

Linda is the host of Stream of Consciousness Saturday.

Friday’s here! And that means it’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Halloween’s over–have you heard Christmas music yet? Ads? They’re coming, sure as Santa is. Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “nuts.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here to this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!

To make your post more visible, use our beautiful new SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

~*~

This is an easy one. I love nuts. Or should I say I’m nuts about nuts. Too nutty? I guess I have something in common with the squirrels!

Well, the relationship I have with nuts is a healthy one. Most nuts are good for you if taken in reasonable quantity. Almond, walnuts, pistachio and yes even peanuts are good. They are very healthy, they have essential oils and vitamins and they have lots of proteins too.

The trick is to take them in moderation. Because they are rich in oils, they pack a lot of calories. Macadamia nuts are the most calorie-dense amongst all. I like to snack on nuts because they have fewer carbs and are more satisfying. When choosing the types of nuts to buy, too for lightly salted and dry roasted variety.

So here is my nutty post.

I hope it was informative too.

#Keepitalive

#SoCS

3 2 1 Quote Me – Food

I have been tagged by Tanya for this challenge. Thank you so much Tanya.

Season 4

321 Quote Me Directory

321 Quote Me Created by A Guy Called Bloke

Once a week, Rory will pick a random topic, post two quotes on that topic and tag 3 bloggers, who in turn will post 2 quotes on the topic and tag 3 bloggers of their own. 

Today’s topic is FOOD

Guidelines: 3.2.1 Quote Me!

Thank the Selector

Post 2 quotes for the dedicated Topic of the Day.

Select 3 bloggers to take part in ‘3.2.1 Quote Me!’

My Selection;

This specifically designed for people like me;

“It’s hard to diet when your favorite exercise is chewing “

Indeed, no truer saying than this. It connects all living beings. Our common bond;

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience “

I am tagging;

Beckie of Beckie’s Mental Mess

Ribana of Popsicle Society

Paula of Light Motifs

#Keepitalive

#321Quoteme

Fandango Friday Flashback—Ladies, let’s talk about breast health

Ladies let’s talk about Breast Health, mammograms and need for self exams.

I am sharing this post again because it is essential to make each and every woman, whatever her age, of the vital importance of ensuring breast health.

Also as a part of Fandango Friday Flashback.

October is the breast cancer awareness month. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world, affecting the women in both the developed and developing countries alike and it’s the single most common cancer in women. Last year there were 2 million reported cases of breast cancer. The aim of this post is not to scare you but to point out the necessity of giving your health and specially breast health some serious consideration.

WHO NEEDS IT:

It’s an extremely vital issue, specially for women after they turn 50. If they have a family history of cancer, or if their health is vulnerable due to risk factors they have been exposed to, then a very serious thought should be given to getting yourself tested for any lumps etc in breast tissue.

SELF EXAM:

I am putting below a link that explains how to and how often the women should do the self exam at home.

https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam

It’s a simple procedure and can be performed in a few minutes.

MAMMOGRAM:

Mammograms are non-invasive X-ray based test which takes all of 10 minutes. It is a bit on the expansive side but far cheaper than the cost of hospitalization etc if things get serious. There is a lot of misinformation regarding mammograms. some say that it is painful, others describe it as a messy or inconvenient . It is none of those. The only inconvenience I faced was the fact that I had to book an appointment a month before as they were very busy.

PAP SMEAR:

While we are talking about women health, getting a pap smear test after the age of menopause is a good idea too. I know that most women ( myself included) find doctor visits cumbersome and a waste of time. The long appointments and the expenses of these investigations are also a cause of concern .But health is after all of paramount importance, so we must swallow the bitter pill and get our checkups on time. Wishing good health and long happy life to you all!

Please share your feedback and thoughts in the comments.

#MAMMOGRAM

#BREASTHEALTH
#FFF

#BREASTCANCERAWARENESS

#KEEPITALIVE

Continental Breakfast

Anyone who has traveled knows that orange juice is a vital part of continental breakfast. It is served first thing in the morning , which is followed by hot bread rolls, or flaky croissants with butter and jam. Rounded up by coffee. There is a simplicity to this meal which keeps the breakfast light without too much cholesterol rich food. The emotional attachment some people have with eggs and bacon leads to elevate levels of fat in our bodies. Even if they go for a run in the yard after the heavy breakfast that they consume, it doesn’t helps much in attaining good health.

In response to the following prompts;

FOWC;

Anyone

RDP;

Simplicity

3TC;

First, Orange, Yard

Word of the day Challenge;

Emotional

#Keepitalive

#FOWC

#RDP

#3TC