Posts Tagged healthy living

No Blog Storm Here

So My Guy says, “Jeez I thought you’d be blogging up a storm by now…” Meaning, I got my laptop fixed, and he knows it’s super-comfy for me to type on. I think he expected the posts to be flying out of my head. That’s the problem sometimes with blogging; with HAVINGa blog. You are expected to put out stuff regularly and even if you’re having an off day, someone, somewhere is waiting on your words. He’s right though. I should have posted a bit more regularly than I have as of late. I *should* be doing alot of things more regularly to be honest (exercise, Christmas prep, etc).  As I’m trying to write this now, I’m staring blindly at the TV. PBS is on, advertising Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughn compilations…I’m not interested but I am strangely attracted to the screen and what’s going on…Seems to always be a distraction around if you want it, doesn’t there? Right now,  my contacts are all squishy in my left eye…it’s really bothering me, but I continue to squint at the TV, blinking furiously and cursing the damn lenses…and still stressing about ‘what to blog about.’

But really what else is there to do tonight, really? It’s after 9 pm, lunches are made for tomorrow, the dinner dishes are done, freshly baked cookies cooling (yes really, I am a Domestic Goddess at times…I did bake tonight…)…But it’s not all perfect. There is laundry piling up in the hamper, the bathroom could probably use a clean…the Boys litter box a scoop or two…but vegging the couch next to My Guy seems to the “right” spot for me now. The Sweet Spot to be.

Life is good. Indulge in a distraction or two.

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It’s Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas…

Yes folks, it’s THAT  time of year again. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas but it brings with it all the temptations of abundant food & drink. This is a tough time for “dieters” and those of us just trying to stay healthy, one day at a time. I honestly believe with a little willpower and a good dose of positive AND realistic thinking, the Holidays can be enjoyed by all of us. First things first: Christmas DOESN’T mean you stop exercising. It’s not a ‘get out of going to the gym or walking etc’ pass. Remember, you can indulge in those Xmas treats but you HAVE TO BURN OFF THE EXCESS CALORIES YOU PUT IN. It’s simple.

Second, don’t deny yourself this season. Don’t put unrealistic expectations like, “I will not eat any chocolate this Christmas” because as devoted as you may be, this is only asking for trouble. It’s OK to indulge, just choose the occasions wisely and make it the best damn indulgence you possibly can. I was cruising the Web tonight looking for articles to quote and found this one from The Today Show. I know we’ve all probably heard these tips before, but the average person has to hear something at least 8 times before it sinks in…so why not give these tips another quick go?

Third, for all your holiday baking, why not experiment with lower fat recipes? Cooking Light is a great starter-site for this because it not only has a ton of recipes but also articles and straight talk on eating less fat and calories. I refer to this site often for my own cooking and baking…remember it’s OK to have Christmas baking, just put realistic expectations on yourself and if you can’t get to the gym, WALK IT OFF. Get moving any way you can and get your heart pumping…

I work in the health care industry and this time of year we are given endless amounts of chocolate and baking by our Clients. In fact the first tin of cookies arrived today by one of our oldest and dearest Clients….suddenly, I was face to face with CHOCOLATE and you know what? It was so damn busy at the clinic, I had time for ONE chocolate and I was OK with that. I savoured it as I walked out the door at the end of my shift and it was bloody marvelous.

I have a Cookie Exchange to participate in this year and need to come up with a suitable recipe that is equal parts YUMMY and health-smart. I’ve already poured through my cookbooks with no luck so I now turn my attention to the Internet and it’s vast array of information. If you have any recipes you swear by for tasty holiday treats, send ‘em on in!

Christmas shouldn’t be about guilt or negativity. It also shouldn’t be a time we throw our health to the wayside. All it takes is a little planning and responsibility and you CAN enjoy all the season has to offer.

I know I will!

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It’s Better with Someone…

Don't do it alone...

So I’ve given myself an hour to write tonight…I’m not 100% comfortable still in my ‘writing’ area but it’s shaping up slowly. A work in progress if you will…

I mentioned I’ve gained some weight back lately and My Guy and I decided to work together more vigorously at getting out and working up a sweat. (mind out of the gutter please!) Just knowing I have his support makes a world of difference. I don’t know if the average person, like my co-workers for example, can tell I’ve gained weight but I certainly can and that’s the issue. I’m not totally happy in this body in it’s current shape- so I need to fix that. It’s so much better to have a support system, and have that person you can go out and do things with. If you’re struggling to lose weight, or to even start on a fitness regime- grab a buddy. I can’t stress how hard it is to do this on your own…

When I lost over 50 lbs several years ago, at the beginning of my journey…I started alone. I had just left a relationship, moved to a new neighborhood and was depressed at the recent changes in my life. I felt I had nobody to ask to help me, and so I struggled through alone. I won’t lie…it was hard. Looking back I feel pride I did it yes…but I remember alot of loneliness during that time. There were people I could have asked but I didn’t want to ‘burden’ anyone. I know now, a true friend would NEVER think it a burden to help someone on a path to being more happy and healthy.

Having My Guy to come home to, and walk with or run with just gives me that added little kick-in-the-butt I need. After all, us BOTH getting out and moving only makes our relationship stronger….right?

I’m back to marking on my calendar with a funky little sticker, when I do get out and get my heart racing and blood flowing. I suggested this a few years back when I needed any little thing to keep me going…and I still stick to it. Looking at the calendar covered in smiley faces and seeing my effort laid right out in front of me really makes me feel good. Life is short and we gotta take care of the little things that make us feel GOOD. Plain and simple…

Grab a buddy, get out, get moving and feel how good it can be. Remember baby steps and go at your OWN PACE…

Love CM

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Just another day in Paradise

Sometimes I feel like a utter and complete wreck. If it’s not my bowels bothering me, it’s my head…which pounded for 3 days and I went to the doctor at My Guy’s insistence. I grumbled, “I’m not a SICKIE!” but my doc said I’ve got an ear infection…in both ears. I wish at times I could rip these hunks of flesh off my head and chuck them in the ocean for all the grief my ears have caused me over the years. This was one more little thing to add on to make me feel just a little bit crappy…I’m on different antibiotic drops (with a steroid in it) and it’s only day 2 but I have high hopes. So to those who know me and work with me, just speak a little louder because I swear, I’m not ignoring you!

The new digs are great but there are some problems in the name of Aslan, the cat. He’s keeping us up at night, every night, with his meowing, batting at the pulls on the blinds, beating up his brother, swatting My Guy’s alarm clock off his bed-side table at 4 am….the list goes on. I thought maybe it’s just because we’re in a new place and surely he’ll calm down…but no, not so far and we’re both getting grumpy. Shutting the bedroom door does no good because Aslan just throws his big body against the door and howls in rage…then the other cat gets all agitated…and the madness never stops…See this vicious cycle?

On the bright side, everything I need is within walking distance now. Technically it was before but I had to wade through Suburbia-Hell to get to it, so I always hopped in my car to get where I needed to go that much faster. Now it’s different. I WANT to walk along Main…I want to walk to my doctors and take Cambie back or explore a new little street and discover a tucked away little family grocer I never knew existed.

I’m standing here on this invisible line; one step in front of me is this new life and I’m so eager to jump head first into it. It’s one step at a time, one day at a time and all these little obstacles (like my ears and Aslans night-time antics) are just little bumps along the way. Life is a collection of these little things and we should be in tune to them.

Before I leave, let me leave you with one little story…it happened this morning at 7 am. I decided to walk out with My Guy as he left for work, a little kiss on the back porch, you know how it is. As I’m standing there watching him walk off in the pouring rain, I see some of the items we haven’t really found a home for yet, getting wet so I think “I should go move those out of the rain.” I reach behind me and pull the door closed so the crazy cats don’t escape…little do I know My Guy has locked the door (the bottom twisty-type lock). I go about my business and move some stuff and decide it was a dumb idea, too cold and want to go back inside…BAM! I walk into the door as I attempt to turn the handle. It’s locked! It’s 7 am, and I’m in a robe and slippers…the more I hesitate the farther down the street towards the bus stop, is My Guy. I hitch up my robe, kick off my slippers and run down the side of house bellowing his name…he can’t hear me! It’s raining and he’s probably running for the bus…I bellow more for good measure though.

I had to admit defeat and thought long and hard about the possibilities of crawling through the barred windows (albeit the bars are quite decorative and all) while the 2 cats stared at me. No doubt they were wondering what the hell I was doing on the wrong side of the window when there was breakfast to be dished out…

Hundreds of thoughts flew through my head: ‘Yay I can take the day off, but wait how will I call in? And wait, what kind of day off will it be in the rain?’ Sigh. The landlords live 2 streets up the road so again, I hike up my robe, clutch my slippers to my chest and head out into the rain. It’s pouring- hard, typical Vancouver rain. Unrelenting. (Turns out the radio announced it was the wettest day today…but I digress) I run up the street in my bare feet, the cool water feels kind of nice actually and it’s liberating to fly by morning commuters in your robe; a flash of my fuchsia nightie lending me a touch of mystery (or so I like to think…).

I rounded the hedge to landlords house, and there He was. On the porch, face to face with a drenched mad-woman, no doubt homeless in a robe with wet slippers in her hand…I had nothing to say but ‘Um hi. I locked myself out…’ and he laughed. I laughed too.

…I ran home with the spare keys clutched in my fingers, the cool wetness no longer feeling that great because my feet felt raw….but I got in to the warmth and to my hungry cats!

That my friends, was a helluva way to wake up…and all before my coffee!

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Mario Does Veg

I have to admit I was a little surprised to read celeb chef Mario Batali was in the process of writing a vegetarian cookbook. I absolutely love watching the Food Network but often had to change the channel if too much meat was being flung around. Now while Mario did introduce me to a side of Italian eating I hadn’t seen before, I just couldn’t handle the odd cuts of meat (cheek, tail etc). I realize they are delicacies and all that, and I’m not one to push my beliefs on anyone….HOWEVER…I chose to not watch. An article in the New York Daily News reads he has confirmed he is writing it and also that he has cut down his meat consumption to five days a week. I don’t care what a person cuts their meat intake to, just the fact they are cutting it makes all the difference. It tells me they are aware, they are willing to make a change…and who knows, five days may go to three and so on and so on….

Little steps…

So yay I say to Mario for penning a vegetarian book! Stay tuned for the info.

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Back to Reality…almost.

When I say almost I mean, I’m not due back until Monday August 16th at the clinic. Phew. I need time to rest after my vacation ‘home’ to the Island. As you can see from my previous post it was alot of hard work shuttling between swimming holes and cold beers, sun-tanning and late nights. We got back last night, had some settling in to do and needed to lavish a weeks worth of attention to My Boys who actually didn’t seem to notice someone else had been looking after them and I was now HOME. Sigh.

One thing I did when I was back home, that I’ve missed in my life here…is get outside and appreciate what nature has to offer. I think I forgot to stop and appreciate where I do live, and it took a trip for me to stop and take in all the smells and sights of just being outside. I may be biased, but the air sure feels a helluva lot cleaner back home, the water just that much clearer and pure…the mountains that surrounded my parents house literally took my breath away.

We vowed to get off our butts once we got back and get out and GET MOVING more…to feel as alive as we felt there….here. I may live in the city, and probably always will, but my heart will always be in the small town I grew up in, and I value that way of life. My goals this fall are simple: get more active, continue to eat well and conquer what ails me- NATURALLY. I have an amazing support system in My Guy and I have treasured friends who constantly motivate me to embrace each day. I’m lucky. I’m truly lucky to have my entire life before me and to be in control of how I approach it. I’m happy I’m not alone in facing it and thankful for the little things.

I wanted to end this post by acknowledging a few things I’m thankful for:

- I’m thankful I had a good friend who watched over My Boys while I got to go home. Knowing that they were taken care of and happy, made all the difference.

- I’m thankful I had this time to visit with my parents. I miss them very much.

- I’m thankful My Guy got to experience my home-town memories and see the place (and people) that made me who I am…

- I’m thankful I have a car that could take me home without any worries!

A few snapshots of my vacation, to sum it up for you…

Here's the slug we named The Great Canadian Leopard Slug...

The best shoes to wear in a river...can walk with ease!

Our version of that Corona Commercial, but with Stella.

The Deep Hole. One of the swimming holes of my youth.

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Quinoa- What took me so long to blog about this wonder food?

I’m a great procrastinator. In all things. This is no exception because I’ve been meaning to sing the praises of quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) for some time now. I’m sure you’ve heard of it, it was all over the news last year as a great new food to use in place of rice…well, let me tell you- it’s SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

This little gem is actually NOT a grain like many people assume. It’s not part of the grass family and has an unusually high protein content for a plant based food. This is what makes it truly unique and an absolute must for any Vegan or Vegetarian lifestyle.

Let’s take a look at 1 CUP of quinoa (or 3.5 oz) and some key facts:
** 16% of your daily value for Protein!
** Fat is 3.6 grams of 5% of daily value
** Packed with all the B Vitamins, particularly high in Folate at 19%, followed by Thiamin at 13%
** Iron is good at 15% of daily value
(REMEMBER THIS IS ALL IN 1 LITTLE CUP!)

There’s something different about the taste too; quinoa should have a little bite to it and not be all mushy. I get a bit of a nutty taste personally, NOTHING like rice…I love it in stir fry because it doesn’t soak up the sauce. I love using my leftover quinoa and making a salad; add veggies and seasoning, dressing and it holds up so well. All day.

There is a downside to all this…the price. Quinoa isn’t as affordable as I’d like but you know what? I’m going to keep stocking it because as a Veg, I need to look at alternate protein sources and I’m willing to spend a little more to get a quality food for my body.

If you haven’t tried quinoa yet, I urge you to do so. I cook it using 1 cup of quinoa (rinsed well) to 1 3/4 cup water….simmer for about 12-14 minutes UNCOVERED and stir every once in awhile. Once mine is cooked I throw in chopped green onions and some S & P…and go crazy.

Happy Eating….
Love Chere Michelle

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Yes! You are at the right place…Chere Michelle…

New look, new site…and it’s UNDER CONSTRUCTION! I apologize for the mess and mix up…stick with me, Chere Michelle will be back up and running soon!

Love CM

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