The JFP Wellness Project
"This is the perfect place to go bike riding," I thought, when my husband and I went to survey the new neighborhood we would be moving into. And apparently he thought the same thing because before I could say anything to him, he declared to me that we would most definitely spend the summer riding bikes. I've been trying to find some type of physical activity with which to bond with my husband as he has no desire to practice martial arts (with me), and because of my asthma, I can't keep up with him for long while jogging. I have fond childhood memories of riding bikes with my brother and two cousins, and I'm glad that I will be able to more memories now with my husband. I'm sure this won't be a trend but something we will continue to do no matter where we move next.
Well…Wellness
Starting on a new wellness program can be difficult in the beginning. Other than forgetting exactly what I was planning to change, I have been in the process of moving into a new house. That's been a long tiring process and has made it difficult to eat balanced meals, go to the gym and yoga. My new (and possibly haunted) house in much closer to my workout facilities. On a positive note, my arms, legs, and abs have been getting a fantastic work out from moving heavy boxes up the stairs.
My Road to Wellness
My road to wellness is a familiar one but not one I take often. It's more like the road to Grandma's house. Over the river looks so familiar. You go around the corner through the woods and you think excitedly, "Oh! We're almost there!" You love visiting Grandma's, but rarely to you stick around and live there. It's hard to stay healthy and stick to your diet plan. It's difficult to break away from work sometimes and just take a little downtime. And the cupcakes they keep bringing to work? Impossible to resist~!
Speedbumps on the Road to Wellness
The road to wellness is met with roadblocks, detours and speed bumps. I mentioned this observation to JFP Managing editor Ronni Mott last week and she agreed. I'm come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a "normal" week at the JFP and this can make it hard to find time to get into a workout routine. Two weeks ago, we were on deadline for BOOM and last week we were trying to fit in an extra day of work because of the Memorial Day Holiday.
Wellness Project: Week 1
I've come to the conclusion that instead of the five goals I listed, I should have just had one goal: improve my short-term memory. Why? Because I keep forgetting my goals! My brain is on auto-pilot most days, thinking about obligations for work, school or church, so two or three days will go by before I realize that I haven't done something. I think that I may have to post a checklist on my mirror to remind me of what I am supposed to be doing. I'm distracted on a regular basis, so I hope I don't overlook the checklist! Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can help myself remember to stick to my goals?
Workaholic Needs To Schedule Regular Exercise
For the past few months I've been loving the time spent either on the elliptical at the gym or on the bicycle that I've recently dusted off, adjusted a bit and started riding around the neighborhood. After an hour or so of cardio mixed with hard work for my leg muscles, I'm ready to enjoy a long, quiet evening and a good nights sleep. There's only one problem -- I generally only get that exercise one (sometimes two) nights per week!
[Wilkes] Dudettes Wearing Suits
Scene: Working husband, John Jones, walks in the door fresh from work, proverbial bacon in hand. Stay-at-home wife, Janet, cooks said bacon and puts what's left in a ROTH IRA for when their precious, unborn children, little Johnny Jr. and Jane, retire. End scene.
This Thing Called Cholesterol
When I casually mentioned to my brother that I was doing a column on cholesterol, his response was, "Oh! Cholesterol's delicious!"
Carving Nature at Its Joints
People have called my obsession with snakes (and by extension cats) aberrant, cockamamie, campy and injudicious. It is all of these things. I am all of these things.
[Purvis] The Zen of Gardening
The weekend is over. I sit on my back patio, watching the endless parade of squirrels shimmying up trees and trotting across the top of my weathered-wood privacy fence. My arms ache to the bone. They have acquired a new crop of bruises of unknown origin.
Finding Balance
Victoria McFarland stood at her kitchen counter as her husband, Billy, frantically put food into the cooler for their summer camping trip. She was feeling foggy and couldn't remember simple everyday tasks. She felt helpless.
Dr. Susan Love: Be Aware Of Your Body
The Dr. Susan Love Foundation located in Santa Monica, Calif., is a non-profit group working to eradicate breast cancer in our lifetime. Love is known worldwide as one of the founding mothers of the breast cancer advocacy movement and is the author of "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book," (Da Capo Press, 2005, $22.)
Beauty All Over
On Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008, the superintendent of Nicole Marquez' apartment building in Harlem found her unconscious and bleeding on the bottom of the structure's airshaft. Barely alive, Marquez had broken her neck, her lower back and pelvis, and all the ribs on one side of her body.
Not the Usual Self-Help Book
I am generally not one for reading self-help books, but I loved this one. The book cover for "The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun" (Harper, 2009, $25.99) and its subtitle grabbed my attention.
Eating in the Moment
Eating healthy means different things to different people. My wife and I, for example, cook nearly every meal using as many fresh ingredients as possible. For us, this is ideal, but it can't work for everyone.