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Encouragement: Thoughts of May and Aging on Fire!

5/25/2018

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This month we covered three interesting ideas - Too old to dance? Stepping Class? and a delicious new way to get additional protein in our diet. Hope you found something to help you from one or all of these posts.
As we close the month of May let's review some main ideas from this month's posts.

First:

We are NEVER too old to learn something new. Our bodies may prevent us from doing some things, but sometimes we limit ourselves because we think about our age. Just because we are over 50, over 60, over 70, over 80, etc., doesn't mean we can't do things we enjoy. We just have to find a way to do them that works with our older bodies. For example, when I took the dance lessons, my arthritic knee didn't particularly like it. But I managed to move slower and more precisely and it all worked out fine. I danced as good as anyone else. It just took getting my brain to figure out a compromise for my knee.

Don't ever give up, just try something different, maybe move slower, maybe it's a matter of just exercising more to become more agile and limber. Sometimes we sit more as we age and atrophy sets in. By using those muscles and joints more (but using common sense, of course), we can actually reverse the condition and become more mobile.

Our brains are NEVER too old. There is nothing we can't learn with our brains. Learning to paint, pottery, cook gourmet meals, sew, quilt, knit, take a history course at the community college, take on-line surveys to earn extra cash (I will write about this in a future blog), anything! Our brains can learn anything, we just have to give it a try, not become discouraged if it takes longer than we think it should, and stay positive with confidence in yourself. The more you learn, the more confidence you will find.

Just do it. Try it. If you truly can't do something, at least you know you tried. Move on to something else and feel good about yourself for trying. A lot of folks won't even try and that's sad. Sometimes all it takes is trying to find out that you can do something.

Second:

Stepping class was a unique challenge for me. Most of the women in my class were my age or older. A few women were younger like my friend Diane. The point is, age doesn't matter. You show up, do what you can at your own pace, and enjoy yourself.

Going to Stepping class the first time was a bit scary. I didn't know what I was getting into. Yes, I was slower than most everyone, but no one cared. Everyone was just trying to keep up with the teacher and no matter what level a student was on, the fact is, they were moving and that is always a good thing for our health.

Third:

Protein is important for the human body at any age, but as we age we tend to get the wrong types of protein or not enough. There are may sources of good proteins. Most people think meat is the best or only place. That's not the only source of good protein, but if you like meat then the EPIC bars can be a good choice for a fast snack. Low calorie and high protein, perfect.
Protein helps to rebuild muscle and cells. Those two things start to deteriorate as we age. Getting added protein without the added calories is perfect, especially as we age. Most of us are trying to eat healthy without adding any extra pounds.


The health of your mind and your body is in your hands.
You have the most control. Choose wisely. Stay physically active.
Keep your mind learning. And get plenty of protein.


BE THE MASTER OF YOUR OWN LIFE!


Do you walk, dance, ride a bike, or get any exercise daily? Do you try to learn new things daily? Do you get plenty of good healthy protein in your diet daily? Do you mind your calories and keep your weight at a healthy number? 

XOXO
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Product Review: Epic Bar - 100% Natural Chicken Sriracha! 15 g of Protein! (UPDATED!)

5/18/2018

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An epic find at the Fresh Market this week, the Epic Bar made with natural chicken. This little snack bar contains 15 g of protein, a phenomenal amount of protein for a unique snack.

This is a meat snack that is shredded chicken reformed into a block of meat. As a result of being shredded, it is very tender. It is also very spicy...overly so. It has a good flavor, but it is a very spicy flavor.

If you are looking for a good snack for after a workout, this is a good one. The only draw back is if you can't handle spicy foods. It is full of protein and very little fat. Excellent for after a long walk or gym session.

This snack does come in other flavors such as beef, turkey, lamb, salmon, and bison. The other flavors are not seasoned with spicy flavorings, so there is basically something for every taste preference.
​

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The ingredients are straight forward:
  1. Natural Chicken
  2. Sea Salt
  3. Red Pepper Flakes
  4. Lactic Acid
  5. Organic Chia Seeds
  6. Garlic, Paprika, Onion, Celery Powder, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Cumin and Oregano​
Other Information:
  1. 100 calories, with 35 fat calories
  2. Cholesterol - 25 mg (8% DV)
  3. Sodium - 400 mg (17% DV)
  4. Carbs - 1 g (1% DV)
  5. Protein - 15 g
  6. Vitamins - A, C, Calcium, Iron, B12
  7. Gluton Free
  8. Made in the USA
  9. No artificial ingredients and minimally processed
  10. Cost - Around $3 per bar
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You can purchase Epic Bars at a number of places, here are a few: Amazon, Thrive Market, The Fresh Market, Costco, Walmart, Trader Joe, and Target.

(UPDATED!)

(Since I originally wrote this article, I have tried other flavors of this brand. I have to say that I love fish, but the Salmon: Smoked Maple flavored EPIC bar was not at all a favorite. I really did not care for the flavor. The protein amount was great with 9 g of protein, the ingredients were also great, but the flavor was not what I expected or even liked. That is not to say you won't love it, but I love fish and I did not love the Salmon EPIC bar.

Having said that, I also tried the Bison: Uncured Bacon Cranberry flavor and I loved it! It was really, really good. It has 7 g of protein and no gluten. I will buy this bar again.)

If you try these snack bars, please comment with your thoughts. Be sure to include the flavor you tried. Share your experience with other readers. If you have found another great high protein snack, please let us know about it.
​

XOXO
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Life: Stepping Up to Stepping Out! What was I thinking????

5/11/2018

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Recently a friend invited me to join her in a Saturday morning exercise class at the local recreation center. The class started at 9:00 am which was the first clue that I should reconsider and the second clue was that this exercise class turned out to be a high intensity stepping class. The teacher is awesome, but there is no way I can ever keep up with her. Another friend is in that class and she is really good. Everyone in this class was keeping up at least decently - except me. Did I give up? No!

If anything, this made me want to go more often so that I could practice and learn the steps and get good like the rest of the class. I am not a quiter. Crazy? Yes. Quiter? No.
So, I went back for two more Saturdays before I left for vacation for two weeks. We will see how I do when I go back to the class. I even purchased my own exercise step and started practicing at home. I am determined.

The point of this blog, is to share with you that I do what I ask you to do. I reach outside my "comfort zone" (an over used word) and do things I have never done before (within reason, I practice safety, lol). When I ask you to step outside your normal activities and try new things, I do it.

My friends, Hassie and Diane,  have been going to this class for a while. Hassie for years, Diane for the last six months. Both of them assured me that everyone starts out like I am - lost. (lol) It takes months to get comfortable and even longer to learn enough to at least not feel like an idiot. So, with that encouragement, I am still there, still stepping up.

As far as age goes, I know you thinking you are too old for this, Hassie is older than me and Diane is younger than me. There were men and women in this class that were both older than I and younger than I.

There were all levels of competency in this class. Everything from good enough to teach the class, to me...stumbling over my own two feet and always going in the opposite direction from everyone else. That's right, no matter what direction they went, I went the other way - if they were going left, I was going right; if they went right, I went left; if they went forward, I was moving backward...you get the idea.


You are never too old to learn something new or at least try something new. Never turn down an opportunity to go somewhere new or do something new. The opportunity may never come again. If you like it, you have gained knowledge and a skill. If you don't like it, at least you know for sure and can move on to the next thing. That beats wondering what it would be like and never knowing if you would like it or not.

Get out there!
Step Up to Stepping Out!

Learn something new,
keep your mind young,
​keep all those little neurons firing.


Have you ever done something you were afraid to do, but once you did it you wondered why you didn't do it sooner? Do you look for opportunities to learn something new or do something new? Is there something you want to do right now?
​

XOXO
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Life: Learning to dance after 50! Me after 60! Crazy!

5/4/2018

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Just to confirm that I practice what I write here, I share some of my own experiences from time to time. Today I am going to share my experience with learning to dance. One of my friends agreed to take five private lessons with me to learn how to ballroom dance. She is 69 years old, but you would never guess her age by looking at her or by her actions. She is a young 69 years old.

We signed up for the five lessons and although the lessons were private we took them together with two instructors. Neither of us knew much about ballroom dancing prior to the first lesson. Let me tell you it was fun! We both had aches and pains, but we didn't let that stop us. My bad knee, her bad shoulders and back, neither stopped us from having a good time. At the end of the lessons, we were happy that we tried and felt good. We had a fun time together. No one got hurt and we lived to see another wonderful day. (LOL)

The instructors were super nice and patient. They were encouraging also and not in a condescending way. They were inspired by our willingness to try. They also confided in us that there were others in our age group that took lessons there. That was encouraging to us. We messed up – a lot – and no one laughed at us, they laughed with us, it was funny. We didn't know how to dance, we signed up to learn, so therefore, we made mistakes. Don't let the fear of making mistakes keep you from trying something new.

When I write about getting a life and living it, I mean it. You don't have to take dancing lessons, but you can go to the local park and sit while watching the children play or the birds eat or whatever else is going on there. You don't have to limit yourself to the walls of your home. There are so many wonderful and fun things to do for every ability and age.

The point is this, don't sit and let life pass you by. One day, you may be physically unable to do those things you always wanted to do. Those things you wanted to do, but always had an excuse for not doing. Do them now while you still can. If you can't do all of what you want, do what you can and then rethink it. Make it something happen. Get up and get out and at least try.

If you're not into dancing, try bowling, golfing, or tennis. If sports are not your thing, how about a book club that meets regularly at the library? How about volunteering for the Red Cross, Hospice, Meals on Wheels, the animal shelter, the hospital, the local school, or any other organization that may need volunteers. How about joining for starting a card club – Bridge, Poker, Canasta, Dominoes, Hearts, Spades, Uno, Rook, any card game. If you enjoy the arts, start a quilting bee club, a painting club, a crafts group, a knitting or crochet group, start anything or join anything that has to do with the thing you love to do!

Not only will you meet others who enjoy the things you enjoy, you may even learn a new shortcut, technique, pattern, or some other new thing. You'll begin to look forward to these meetings and groups. You form new friendships. It will keep you young!

When was the last time you did something completely new to you? When was the last time you stepped out of your 'comfort zone' and tried something uncomfortable but fun? Do you let the fear of mistakes prevent you from doing new things?
​

XOXO
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    My mission​

    Sharing thoughts and ideas for the woman over 50 that are helpful, fun, creative, inspiring and interesting. Over 50s who want to remain relevant, happy and loving their life.
    On fire for your own life!
    ❤ Sheryl ❤

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