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Encouragement: Ending September with thoughts on Healthy Habits

9/27/2019

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As we get older, what we eat, how we move, and how we think become more and more important. While everyone no matter what age they are need to be more mindful of their diet, exercise, and brain health, it becomes more and more important with age.

For example, brain functions begin to deteriorate in the 30s, continuing to learn, taking on new jobs, reading, traveling during these years can improve and sometimes even delay age related brain deterioration.

This also is true for older adults over 50 years of age. If they eat healthy, exercise regularly, and continue to learn new things and challenge themselves, the over 50 person can retain good health, mobility, and brain function well into their 90s and even 100s. It takes effort and a decision to do so.


Meditation is one thing we learned this month that can help us to stay focused and grounded. The practices outlined in this month's blog will insure that you start off the right way and continue the right way. Learning to meditate can also help with brain function. Just keep adding to it and trying different mantras or phrases as well as different poses and locations. Mix it up.

Exercise is something we all know will help, but few of us actually put into practice. If you exercise, even if it's just walking, for a minimum of 30 minutes every day, you are well on your way to better mobility as you age.

If you gradually add other exercises in and include some weight lifting eventually, you will find your strength, stamina, and mobility will get better and better.


Healthy eating will provide all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to remain healthy. Low refined carbohydrates, lots of green leafy vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins, will ensure a well rounded diet.

A person over the age of 50 needs to be sure they drink lots of water and eat healthy foods or they will start to feel tired a lot.


Which brings me to the final piece of this puzzle, sleep. You need sleep to survive and to survive healthy.

A minimum of 7 hours sleep per night is optimum. Taking a nap during the day is perfection. It used to be that the 7-8 hours of sleep had to occur at night, but as long as the majority is at night, taking a nap to make up the deficit is a good way to get 7-8 or more hours of restful sleep in. Just don't sleep the day away, twenty minutes to an hour is plenty.


Things that are out of the normal routine of a day are no excuse to not eat healthy, exercise, meditate, or get enough sleep.

Traveling, vacationing, visiting family, and other things that take us out of our normal routine are not excuses to let your health go to the wayside.

An occasional day off from exercise, the occasional consumption of fast food, or a late night out for entertainment will not ruin your health, but to throw all you have worked for to the wayside everyday and all day is dangerous.

Meditation, healthy food, exercise, and sleep, all work together for a healthy and happy YOU!

Do you meditate? Do you eat healthy food? Do you exercise? Are you getting enough sleep? Remember that meditation, healthy eating, exercise, and sleep are all important to your overall health and well-being. Don't neglect one over the other. 

XOXO
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Health and Wellness: Food choices when traveling - help is on the way!

9/20/2019

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Traveling can ruin a good, healthy eating plan. A traveler can be successful, but it takes thought. It also requires turning off our sense of smell and learning to look away from some foods, If we smell it and see it - we will want it.

For example, hotels that offer a free breakfast. Some offer full meals with eggs, a meat, hash browns, sometimes waffles, bagels, pastries, oatmeal, yogurt, etc. Making good choices can be really hard, but it can be done. Am I always perfect? No.

Sometimes (although rarely) I choose the waffle or biscuits and gravy, and sometimes both (lol). I always regret it, but it still happens now and then. Just the other morning, we were traveling to see family in another state and stopped at little family owned diner.

On the menu was 'Cornbread Waffles' for breakfast...I couldn't leave without trying a local cornbread waffle. (LOL) Turns out I like cornbread waffles better than the regular waffle. Especially good with warm maple syrup.

So, no I am not perfect. But I don't let it become a habit or the norm. I stick to my healthy choices 90 percent of the time.

However, when offered a full breakfast bar, there are good choices. For example:
  • Eggs with or without one serving of meat, add a piece of fruit and it's good.
  • Waffles? Yes, but go for fruit toppings instead of syrup, no butter, no whipped cream, and no powdered sugar. (Unless it's cornbread waffles, then a little maple syrup is in order.)
  • Oatmeal with fruit (add yogurt, if you must)
  • If you must then go for the bagel, but no cream cheese or butter. Perhaps a tablespoon of yogurt on it, and then eat the rest of the yogurt, too.
  • The best breakfast choices if you are strong enough is: an egg, 1 serving of bacon or other meat, and a small fruit.

If offered a continental breakfast, choose:
  • Oatmeal and fruit
  • Yogurt and fruit
  • 1/2 bagel with half a pat of real butter (no margarine) or a teaspoon of cream cheese, if no other choice, and fruit
  • Drink water and/or coffee/tea

It's the same for lunch and dinner, you may have to eat out, but you can do so without giving up your health or diet:
  • Make good choices, choose green over white,
  • choose high protein and no sugar,
  • eat vegetables,
  • leave breads alone,
  • go easy on sauces and dressings,
  • say no to gravies,
  • and choose fresh whenever possible.

Yes, it is possible to travel and still eat healthy and stay on your diet. Just think before it goes into your mouth.

Plan as much as possible. Pull the menu up for the restaurant you are going to ahead of time and choose your meal. Then don't look at the menu again. If you look at it at the restaurant, you may end up choosing something you will regret later. Preplan your meals when possible.



Do you have any tips for eating while traveling to stay on track with your diet and health? If you travel a lot, are you successful at staying true to your eating plan? Share, we need all the help we can get!


XOXO
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Health and Wellness: Alcon Dailies Contact Lenses - My visit to the ER!

9/13/2019

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First off, this is not a negative review of this product, but it does bring forth an issue I had with these lenses. (I have another brand that I prefer because of this issue.) If you use these lenses and you have had no issue with them, I am happy for you. I had a different experience with them and I want to share this with anyone who wears contact lenses or who is considering them.


I only wear contact lenses when I am participating in an event where glasses may be lost or broken or just simply be in the way. Many years ago I wore them everywhere and all the time, I love contact lenses. The reason I went to limited wear is due to my allergies. We moved to a city that never had a winter and something bloomed all year around.


Last year, I was told by my eye doctor that I have dry eye and she recommended I use liquid tears. So that may have played a factor in my issue with the contacts, except I had lubricated my eyes before I put them in.


The Alcon Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus contact lenses are very thin. The thinnest I have ever worn. That's where the problem (for me) lays. They are very hard for me to see for the first thing and very hard to get a hold on for the second thing. If you drop them you may never find them.


I wore them, then when the time came to take them out, it took me forty-five minutes to get the right one out and after four hours of trying to remove the left one, I gave up. I looked to see if it was okay to sleep for a short period with them in, and the website for these lenses said - NO!

It could cause damage and increased risk of infections. I had two choices either to stay awake until morning and go to my doctor, or I had to go to the ER to get them to remove it. I chose the ER.


It's hard to explain how hard it is for me to remove these particular lenses. They are extremely thin, which is good for comfort, but bad for someone like me when you are trying to remove them.

After this episode, I returned them to the eye doctor so that I wouldn't accidentally put them in again in the future. The only ones in my drawer now are the ones that are thicker and easier to remove.


My warning to anyone using these thin lenses it to be aware that if your eyes tend to be dry, you may have a difficult or as in my case, an impossible time removing them. Also, never consider sleeping in them. You may be able to sleep in them once and have no problem, but the Alcon company was very clear NOT to sleep in them. The ER doctor and my eye doctor both told me that I was wise not to have slept in them as damage to the eye can result.


BIG WARNING! Always following the manufacturer's instructions for wearing, caring, removing, and sleeping in contact lenses. NEVER make assumptions about them. NEVER take chances.


Years ago I learned this lesson the hard way. I wore extended wear contacts that could be worn up to seven days. You could sleep in them, but it was recommended to do so only on rare occasions and not on a regular basis.


I wore these extended wear contacts for seven day and slept in them for six.

Why, you may ask? Because I went on a camping trip and forgot my contact storage case and my glasses. I did remember solution, but nothing to store them in. In error, I thought it wouldn't hurt just once to sleep in them a few nights.


Nothing during the camping trip led me to believe any damage had been done. However, when I took them off to throw them out once I got home, it was a different story.

The next day I went to put a fresh pair of lenses in and my eye lids were red and inflamed and felt like sand paper. I made an appointment for my eye doctor, but by the time I got there, my eyes were also tearing up and sunlight hurt them.


I had a severe case of conjuctivitis and blepharitis.

Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelid that affects the eyelashes and/or tear production. This is an infection that can last for a year or more.

It did take a long time to heal with the help of steroidal eye drops and an ointment. I also had to take an antibiotic.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the outer membrane of the eyeball and the inner eyelid. It is sometimes called "pink eye" It is long process to get over, but it takes ibuprofen, lubricating eye drops, and warm damp washcloths over the eyes for minutes at a time.

I can tell you,
I NEVER DID THAT AGAIN, EVER!


Hope this blog article benefits someone who wears contacts or is considering them. I love them, and I will continue to wear them, but I will always give proper respect for the instructions that come along with them. I will also never wear ultra thin contacts again.


Have you ever had an unpleasant experience with contacts? Have you ever had an infection caused by wearing contacts? Do you have any advice or tips for those of us who wear them? Share your stories and maybe you can save someone's eyes.


XOXO
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Health and Wellness: Meditation - What is it exactly and is it good for me?

9/6/2019

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Meditation is concentration on a thought. It can be through a prayer, a single statement, a mantra (positive affirmation), concentrating on breathing, or a single word (yogi's use OM sometimes). It is focused concentration. It can benefit your body, brain, and emotions. It can teach you to cope with stress during daily living.

Meditation can help people prone to anger, frustration, resentment, and interpersonal conflict.

Dictionary.com defines Meditation as:

"The act of meditating; continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation; devout religious contemplation or spiritual introspection."
It is Latin in origin and was considered to be "thinking over".

Meditation is focusing on a phrase, prayer, scripture, affirming statement or a simple word. Some examples are:

Breathe Awareness - you take slow, deep breathes and focus on each breathe you take while ignoring all other thoughts. This type of meditation is good for reducing anxiety and improving concentration. It is also good for learning to control emotions.

Mindfulness Meditation - this form of meditation is focused on the here and now. What is going on around you? You take time to notice your surroundings and take in the smells, sounds while relaxing your body.

Breathe awareness can also be a part of this type of meditation. This type of meditation is good for improving your focus, memory, negative emotions, negative impulse reactions, and may improve relationships.

It has also been found to improve physical health in many areas such as lowering blood pressure.

Transcendental Meditation - in this form, you will be seated and take slow breathes in a attempt to raise your thoughts above your normal state of being.

To accomplish this type of meditation you will need to focus on a mantra, a single word repeated over and over, or a series of words. This type of meditation has been stated to broaden mindfulness and enhance or create spiritual experiences.

The purpose of meditation is not to create stress by over thinking but to reduce stress and be more accepting of ourselves and others. The overall result should be to feel greater peace within.

Some common mantras, phrases, words, or thoughts are:

If you have a weakness such as a lack of confidence in an area (public speaking, direct selling, interviewing, etc.) your affirmation could be:
“I am a good public speaker.”
“ I am the most qualified candidate for this job.”

If you repeat this over and over again, you will start to believe it. It will make a difference.

You can deal with emotional issues during meditation as well, your affirmation could be:
“I forgive myself.”
“I forgive others.”
“I am at peace.”
“I am a child of God.”

You can deal with self image issues during meditation, your affirmation could be:
“My body is beautiful.”
“I am healthy.”
“I am better than no one, no one is better than me.”
“God made me the say I am, I am perfect in every way.”

A mantra is different than an affirmation, here are a few mantras:
“OM” Hindu in origin, it is pronounced “A-OO-M” (the “A” is sounded like the “a” in car.) Hindus believe that OM is the sound vibration that underlies the creation of the universe.

OM MANI PADME HUM is another well-known mantra, which is often used by Buddhists to evoke compassion and dispel negative feelings toward oneself or others. Pronounced “AOOM-MANI-PADMAY-HOOM”.

“ALLELUIA” If you are a Christian, this is an excellent mantra. Pronounced “AH-LAY-LOO-YA”. It comes from the Hebrew “hallelu” meaning praise and “jah” meaning Jehovah and means “Praise God”.
Other mantras could be: love, peace, one, amen, etc.

Mantras can be stated aloud or only in thought. It is just as effective either way. You can repeat a mantra while keeping an internal rhythm using your heartbeat.

Scriptures can be phrases or affirmations that can be extremely useful during meditation.
Meditating on scriptures should be completely different than what most people associate with meditation. There are several verses in the Bible that instruct the Christian on meditation.

Here is probably the best one:

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous,
and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8 NKJV


Any scripture that helps you can be used, however, here are some good ones to get you started:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1)

“God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever,” (Psalms 136:26)

“Come to Me, all you labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Meditation can also come in the form of prayers. You can use prayers from scriptures or your own.

You can also use this time to think on yourself and your life, as long it is in a positive way.

Meditation is supposed to be uplifting and affirming, so if you find yourself going down a negative path, revert to the standard words or phrases for meditations (OM, I am confident, etc.).

As we get older, life can be challenging and sometimes extremely difficult. No matter what the situation is, finding time to meditate, no matter what method you choose, can be a blessing and healing tool. It can change your negative feelings and thoughts to positive ones.

Give meditation a try. Do it more than once. Give it a chance to work. It will if you put the effort it take to start it and to continue in it for a period of time.

Healthline.com has an article written by Matthew Thorpe, MD, PhD, dated July 5, 2017, that provides 12 science-based health benefits of meditation.

​Here's the link to the article, it's a good one:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation

Do you practice meditation? Do you practice on a regular basis? If you don't, will you consider doing so now? What are your feelings and thoughts about meditation?

XOXO
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