Counterbalance
Salad, salad, and more salad. This is what my body has been craving the last couple of weeks. Who can be surprised after the funnel cake splurge at the state fair and the Halloween candy that tempted everyone recently?
On Drinking Less and Getting Sleep
For the past few weeks I've been bothered by what I assume are allergies that have caused an interesting reaction -- if I drink even one mug of beer or a single glass of red wine, I will wake up with an excruciating headache around 1 a.m. The headaches seemed to be what people describe as "cluster headaches" -- the type where you consider banging your head against a wall in order to distract yourself from the pain.
Looking for a Wake Up Call
Each night before I go to bed, I have lofty goals for the next morning. I set my alarm for 5:30 and I envision jumping out of bed and heading to the gym. But more often than not, I end up hitting the snooze button for another two hours, because I love to sleep. So, I'm looking for a wake up call. I need someone to get me out of bed. If you have recommendations on how to find a wake up call at 5:30 a.m, please let me know.
Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda
In a recent JFP Radio broadcast, Todd played a song by Vasti Jackson called "My Computer Turned On Me." I can really relate to this right now since my eMac crashed a week ago while I was installing some fonts. Since that time, I have used five different computers to get my work done. Yes, five. The eMac is on the mend, and I hope to return to it soon, but I can't help but wonder if I would not have been as stressed out about the situation if I stuck to all of my wellness goals. If I was consistent with spending time outdoors, knit a few scarves or actually remembered to do my breathing exercises, maybe I would have...oh, never mind. I'm not even going there. I'm just going to start afresh with my goals and change my strategy a little. I am going to set up reminders on my online calendar or my cellphone to help me remember my goals. Otherwise, I will be so caught up in my day-to-day responsibilities that I'll never remember to do them. Well, back to the drawing board!
Baby Steps
So when we first talked about doing this wellness blog, I was super excited! But I quickly fell off the wagon. And instead of getting up and trying again, I just gave up. But recently I've accomplished some baby steps that I am very proud of. And although right now they don't seem very monumental, if I keep at it, I will see positive change.
Qi Channel-Surfing
As Dennis Holmes leads me through the dimly lit hall of the Spa at St. Dominic to his treatment room, I am vaguely aware that I am transitioning from a state of muddled exhaustion, a consequence of working all night, to a state of heightened curiosity at what I'm about to experience.
Not Bad.
Thanks to ShaWanda, I had a relatively healthy emergency lunch replacement. I came without a mid-day meal (I've been a brown-bagger all my life) and was fully expecting to silently go hungry until I got home tonite. But what did I find but Skinny Bagels!
Kristin Versus the Fair
I'm proud to say that I did pretty good as far as my fair-food consumption wishes versus actions goes. The delicious fresh roasted corn was a definite win - hot and delicious and not completely dunked in butter like it's been before. It's an extra bonus for not being deep-fried. The only thing that was tempting was the lone stand I saw near the kiddie rollercoaster that offered fresh fruit on a stick, untainted by chocolate, syrup or deep fried batter.
The Other Side of Wellness
When people hear the phrase "health and wellness," they usually think of physical health. However, wellness has a mental component that should not be ignored. Society in general seems to have more sympathy for those with heart disease, kidney failure or cancer than OCD and schizophrenia, but they are all diseases. The heart and the kidney are organs, and so is the brain. Whether the brain has a tumor or a chemical imbalance that causes panic attacks should not make a difference in how a person with cancer is treated and how a person with anxiety disorder is treated. Some people think mental illness is not fatal, so it's not a big deal. I beg to differ. For example, depression can lead to suicide, and it is also a killer of the soul. I learned this firsthand when I tried to take my own life in 2002.
The Not-So-Humble Apple
Jackson's blazing summer heat has finally begun to subside; cooler evenings provide much-needed relief; and the first blush of the season has started to tinge the trees along the Natchez Trace. It is the perfect time to take advantage of fall's abundant produce by visiting one of the area's farmers markets.
Freshman 15?
When I was in college the first time, I was lucky enough to not gain the Freshman 15. In fact I believe I lost weigh, I walked more and ate much less junk. Now that I'm back in school, working on an entirely different degree, working full time and volunteering, I understand how easy it can be to gain weight. I'm learning to find a balance. I'm eating breakfast most days and not eating late in the night, unless it's Friday night at 1 a.m. and Taco Bell is calling my name but that's another story for another day.
Loving the Fall!
These 50 degree mornings have given me a new-found energy. I've been waking up at 6 a.m. and going for a walk each day the past couple of weeks. I no longer dread opening the door to what is sure to be thick humidity behind ready to smack me in the face.
Fall is here!
The weather is amazing right now. Throw on a simple hoodie over your tshirt and you're ready to rock the walking paths. But watch out for the annual coming of the State Fair! With it comes funnel cakes and deep fried something-or-others. I hear the Texas State Fair replaced their deep fried coke with deep fried beer this year! Then there's the buttery-delicious roasted corn and the free biscuits with syrup and fresh pulled taffy and yakisoba and lemonaids and sodas and beers and a million other things that are soooo good yet sooo bad. I plan on eating while I walk... a few laps around the fairgrounds ought to burn off that roasted corn I'm salivating over.
I Made Up My Mind, Again
The past two weeks have been crazy: work, essays to write, babysitting, sinusitis... you name it, I had it. Yet, somewhere in the midst of that, I remembered that on my list of wellness goals, I said that I was going to take up a new hobby. After thinking about what I really enjoy, I have two possible contenders - learning to play the guitar and crocheting. I have always wanted to learn to play the instrument, and I have had piano lessons before, but I would like to take a crack at strumming some tunes and learning a few cool licks to impress my friends and family. Maybe if I learn to play well enough, I could play for my church on Sundays. As far as crocheting goes, I kept putting off the idea until I saw this cool scarf that James Anderson, the Scarvin' Artist, brought to the office as a gift for Donna, the editor-in-chief. The scarf is a beautiful wine color, and the yarn is as soft as cotton candy. I want to make one of those, or at least 12 to give out as Christmas presents. I guess I'll take a trip to the craft store and see what kind of starter kits they have.
How to: Get your Neighborhood in Shape
Showing solidarity in a neighborhood often comes from sports. Every year, neighbors spend more time watching sports with one another than actually tossing the pigskin with one another.