I had already become an Unintentional Semi-Vegetarian and going meatless wasn’t as difficult as I had expected. When the 30 days were over and I realized how little I missed hamburgers, pork roasts and chicken breasts, I decided to leave meat out of my menu plans for the foreseeable future. I’ve been following a pescetarian diet ever since. I don’t eat beef, pork or poultry, but I do still eat seafood, eggs and dairy products. I chose this diet for various reasons, but the assumptions when I tell people I don’t eat meat are generally that I am either A) trying to lose weight or B) a convert to some sort of militant cult of animal lovers. In fact, I haven’t lost a pound, and while I do love animals I have not joined a cult and am not militant in my opinions on animal consumption.

I am also not completely against eating meat in the future. I take this stance for two reasons: (1) If I tell myself I can’t have it—ever—it’s all I’ll want; and (2) I like meat and think if it is raised responsibly there’s nothing wrong with eating it occasionally. I guess that makes me more of a “flexitarian” than a “pescetarian”, but I don’t really care about the label*. What I care about is that I am consciously choosing what I eat and where it comes from, whether it is meat, chocolate or an apple.

After the initial panic of having to provide turkey for my family, it occurred to me that I might want turkey, too. It is Thanksgiving, after all. So I’m planning to prepare both a vegetarian main dish and two small, locally and sustainably raised roast chickens. That way, I am free to choose whatever my body wants when we sit down at the table. I won’t feel pressured to eat meat if I’m not hungry for it, and my family won’t be pressured to forgo tradition and eat solely vegetarian dishes.

After years of strict diet rules and regulations, I want my diet to be flexible. Rather than letting my obsessive tendencies take over and turn a healthy choice into an unhealthy compulsion—and potentially ruin my Thanksgiving—I am choosing to allow myself everything and anything, so long as I am comfortable with my choice.

* You can read more details about vegetarianism in its many forms at Wikipedia.

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Socializing is equally important to humans as exercise is, which is one of the reasons that working out in a social environment is a much harder routine to break than exercising alone. If you find this is true for you as well, there are ways you can work out in a social arena for cheap or free.

Several years ago I tried Jazzercise and I loved it. It was very social, included awesome music, great routines and did I mention, very social. After I got pregnant, though, I just couldn’t bounce around for an hour at a time anymore and I dropped out. Nearly three years ago, though, a friend of mine convinced me to join her at Jazzercise again and I rekindled that delight I had with the program. The problem was, as inexpensive as it was to do, I just felt like I couldn’t justify the expense just to go listen to cool music and chat with my friends. My husband convinced me that it was worth it for me to go, at any price, because it was just for me and it made me happy (I think the 40 pounds I lost the first year had something to do with it, too), but I wasn’t convinced.

When my friend, Kim, decided to become an instructor she mentioned that she needed a class manager: to which I rolled my eyes at – just what I needed, ONE MORE responsibility. But then I learned that by being class manager I get to work out for free, not just at her classes, but at any class I want. And in return I commit myself to showing up about 20 minutes early to open up the center and leave a few minutes later to close it up. Since I have the time, it was really no big deal for me to put in a little extra time and be able to work out for free.

I understand that not every Jazzercise center offers that great exchange, but the point is, if you really look into it, you can probably find a way to make a similar deal with any exercise center or gym. See if they have a work exchange program, or better yet, if you need a job, too, you can probably get paid to work and get free access to the center as a job perk

If there’s not a center, gym, or program you can get into for cheap or free, check at your local community center or YMCA to see if they have any inexpensive or free exercise programs or scholarships for the programs they do have for community members.

The important thing is to find a social dynamic that you fit into comfortably. Chances are if you’re having a good time socializing with the other people in your work out arena then you’ll be more apt to stick with the program. Some say it’s the pressure of knowing that there are people expecting you and counting on you that keeps you in that type of routine, but personally I think it’s just the enjoyment of it.

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This week has been deemed “Pursuit of Happiness” week.

But really, pursuing happiness is something that we all do.  In fact, I would say that people today have a lot of practice in the pursuit of happiness.  It’s just that they look for that happiness in all the wrong places.

Any of these sound familiar?

• Over eating
• “Shopping” therapy
• Using drugs or alcohol
• Affairs
• Staying in unhealthy relationships
• Procrastination

These are ways we try to find happiness but are sadly and extremely unsuccessful.  In fact, these attempts at happiness often lead to more discontent.

Happiness is a skill

What most people do not realize is that happiness is a skill- just like playing a sport or music instrument.  If you learn the more effective ways to play AND you practice, you can get good at most any skill.  Unfortunately most people have not learned the skills of what truly brings more happiness, so they are practicing unhelpful and sometimes detrimental practices in their pursuit of happiness.

To be happy, just be GREAT

How can I be happy when I (drum roll please)…lost my job…have no money…got a divorce…am not married…am married…moved to a new town where I know no one…am sick…am overweight…feel stuck?”

You get the idea. I teach those that I’m speaking to that it doesn’t matter. Regardless of what is going on in your life, you can make it better, and it won’t cost you a thing. All you have to do is be GREAT!

Gratitude: Be grateful for what you have rather than discontent about what you lack

We have a tendency to scan our environment and focus on what’s bad, what “should” be better, and what needs to be “fixed.” It may be a partner’s behavior, a friend’s choice in clothing, or your waistline. But when was the last time you focused on the positive elements in your life?

Try this – develop a gratitude journal. It may sound corny, but I assure you it will enhance your happiness exponentially. Every day (yes, even on the not-so-great days), write about three things that you appreciate and feel grateful for. These could be specific events, or just wonderful things that happen regularly.

Some examples might include:

• Getting an email from a friend
• A funny YouTube video
• A good night’s sleep
• Sunshine
• Getting to work/home on time
• A good cup of coffee in the morning
• Having the support of family and friends

Over time you’ll develop a list of all the brilliant experiences and people you have in your life right now.

Relaxation: Decrease stress and relaaaax

The word relaxation conjures up different images for different people. Some might visualize sitting on the beach with a cool drink and good book, while others might imagine going for an exhilarating jog. Regardless of your definition, relaxation can have amazing benefits as it relates to your level of happiness.

Relaxing doesn’t require you to sit in an uncomfortable, cross-legged position and repeatedly chant “ohm,” either. True relaxation, in which you flush the stress out of your body and mind, is just a simple way of being happier.

Exercise: Exercise your way to happiness

We are all familiar with at least some of the benefits of exercise to our physical health but did you know, though, that exercise is also good for your psychological health?

Evidence shows that exercise:

• Raises mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain
• Enhances positive attitudes
• Releases muscle tension
• Promotes better sleep
• Has a calming effect
• Lessens anxiety and depression

So get moving, and make it fun – go for a walk with your dog, bounce on a trampoline, go dancing, or run through the sprinklers…

Assist others: Helping out others will increase your own happiness

When you help someone, you not only help the individual receiving the aid, but also yourself. Performing kind acts for others is one of the most satisfying and gratifying things you can do with your time. It helps alter your focus from “what is wrong with my life” to more positive thoughts like “I don’t have it as bad as she does” and “I am really making a difference.” Look for opportunities throughout the day to help others.  You, and the person receiving your assistance, will appreciate that you did.

Talk it out: Use effective communication

George Bernard Shaw said that the "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."  Arguments, conflicts and even wars have been waged because of problems with effective communication.  Learn to really listen to others and then verify if what you heard is really what they meant.  When you do, what a happy world it will be!

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Before long I realized I was heavier than other kids and diets became a regular topic of conversation. It didn’t take long for my relationship with food to become warped. Birthday cake was no longer a special treat that I could savor and enjoy. Ice cream was an enemy to be avoided at all costs.

I turned my back on foods I loved, and when I couldn’t resist, I started binging in secret. I would come home from school and snack on anything and everything I could get my hands on. I would eat until the package of Oreos was empty, until I was so full I couldn’t stand it, until I knew someone else would be home soon. And then, with guilt growing in the pit of my stomach, I would sit down to dinner with my family and eat at least two helpings so that no one asked why I wasn’t hungry. By the time I was a teenager I was wrestling with food-related guilt and self-hatred on a daily basis.

Now in my thirties, I want to believe that those days are behind me. I want to be like a child again, trusting in my body to tell me what and how much to eat. It takes practice, but I’m getting better at it. Years of negative self-talk and decades of harmful habits are not easy to erase. My childhood heart is growing, though. She’s getting stronger and I know she can help me remember how to let food nourish me and to find other things that feed the parts of me that food can’t fill.

If you struggle with emotional or disordered eating, is there a time in your life when you remember food as a neutral influence in your life? At that age, how did a piece of cake make you feel? Try to remember that feeling the next time you’re faced with food-related guilt. Just as that younger You knows, food itself is neither good nor bad. It is only food. You choose how to use it and what to feel about it. Next time, choose like a child.

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It’s confession time.

Before I was a parent …now, prepare yourselves…but before I became a mother I had… ideas about parenting-

** GASP!**

I know, I know, it is the number one rule in life to never say never but I did, and unfortunately I did it with frequent censure.

The days before my tiny tot entered the world wondered how a woman could walk into a public place looking like she had just completed a 10K marathon complete with children who appeared to be dressed and styled by chimpanzees.

I used to say, “Wow, I will never look like that in public and I certainly would never allow my children to look that way either.”

Ah, parenthood makes fools of us all; fast forward from those fateful words to yesterday morning.

I found myself at the grocery store in what appeared to be clothing but was in fact various forms of paper towel; my sweatshirt had been sneezed on, coughed on and the sleeves had been used to mop up medicine that was too disgusting to be swallowed.

I hadn’t slept in two days, hadn’t showered in three, my hair was covered by my husband’s ball cap, my shorts had a lime green stain from the popsicle puddle my child left on the couch and I think I was wearing shoes but I can’t be a hundred percent certain.

The only thing I did know for certain was that I looked like some sort of bridge-dwelling troll out in search for cough suppressant.

Up until that point my daughter had been sick for a week. Unbeknownst to me not all mothers get that super-mom-immunity that is supposed to take place at the time of childbearing, so I had been sick right alongside her.

When the pharmacist informed me that they didn’t sell cough medicine anymore for children under the age of six, I caught a glimpse of myself on a security mirror, you know, one of those big round ones that they use to spy on shoplifting patrons.

As much as I would like to blame my reflection on the fun-house properties of that mirror I realized that I was looking at the woman I swore I’d never be.

Pitifully, I went home without the medication I had searched so vehemently for and proceeded to eat my words for breakfast, lunch a dinner.

As it turns out irony tastes an awful lot like cough suppressant.

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Everybody is talking about H1N1 these days…from the newscaster to the grocery line, it seems to be on everybody's mind.  Understandably so, as there is nothing more important than your health, and the health of those you love.

So this week we'd like to take some of the mystery and disinformation out of this topic by addressing the basics and answering your questions.  Let's start at the beginning:

H1N1 flu and seasonal flu: how are they different?

H1N1 and seasonal flu's biggest difference is who is at the greatest risk for severe illness. With the seasonal flu, those over 65 years old are most often hospitalized; 90% of season flu deaths are people over 65.  With H1N1, however, younger people are more susceptible.  The CDC states that those under 25 are experiencing a "greater disease burden" than those over 65.

Seasonal flu and H1N1 do have similarities, however.  From the CDC:

However, pregnancy and other previously recognized high risk medical conditions from seasonal influenza appear to be associated with increased risk of complications from this 2009 H1N1. These underlying conditions include asthma, diabetes, suppressed immune systems, heart disease, kidney disease, neurocognitive and neuromuscular disorders and pregnancy.

What are your concerns about H1N1?  What questions do you have?  Leave them in the comments!  Of course there will be some specific questions that only your doctor can answer for you, but we'll do our best to slough through the misinformation out there and bring you the most current and accurate data that pertains to us all.

(photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu)

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If you’re anything like me you love a good deal.  The word "FREE" can send you straight to cloud nine.  Another thing about myself: I HATE paying for anything that I feel I should be doing myself, which wouldn’t cost me a thing.  Among that list are things like cleaning my car, my house and my dog, landscaping around my home and getting exercise.  Truly, the thought of paying someone to "exercise me" just kills me when I know that I could just work out on my own if I planned and tried hard enough.

The simple truth is that we all need a certain amount of exercise in our lives to keep us healthy, for so many reasons. Exercising (and I’m sure you’ve heard this a time or two before) lowers stress, helps prevent heart disease and strokes, boosts the immune system, helps make for happier moods, not to mention it can help you lose fat and tone muscles for that sexy bod we’re all aching to have.

But here’s something you may not already know, you can exercise for free (or really, really cheap) no matter what type of regime you are wanting to get into.

There are, no doubt, several things you can do on your own to get your exercise during the course of any given week.  Over the next few weeks I’ll give you some tips on great ways you can exercise for free.

Walking

One of the easiest things you can do is to walk. It seems trite, I know.  You always hear about how people should walk more. But it truly is the simplest thing and there’s always time for a few extra steps here and there – you’d be surprised how much it really does add up.  If you don’t believe me, get yourself a pedometer and see how many steps you take in an average day.  Then try some of my suggestions and see how many more steps it adds – and here’s a hint: more steps = more calories burned!

1.) Don’t look for a good parking space. I’ve gotten into the habit if finding the shadiest parking space so that my car stays cool while I’m running errands.  Typically the shady parking space is farther from a building, which means not only is my car getting cooled naturally (good for the environment), but I’m having to walk farther to get from my car to the store and back to my car.

2.)  No ride sharing.  Instead of taking elevators, take the stairs. This has several advantages.  First of all the stairs are usually quicker, you’ll never get stuck because normally the staircase is never out of order and you’ll get more exercise.  There are some dark and seedy instances though where for safety and security you might decide that the elevator is a better option, but when you can, climb the stairs instead.

3.) Walking for sport.  A couple of years ago, when my son was playing football and my other son soccer, I adopted the policy of walking around the outer perimeter of the field during each of their practices – for the entire hour, or as long as I could keep it up.  I really missed sitting on the sidelines and chatting with my girlfriends, but I found that after a few days of walking instead of sitting on my tush inspired them to get up and walk with me.

4.) Killing time.  Have you ever had to wait on someone and got so bored you actually paced back and forth?  Good.  Only do it with purpose.  Instead of wearing a groove in the sidewalk the size of your car, take a walk around the block, neighborhood or wherever you are. When my kids take tae kwon do I have an hour to kill.  It’s too much time to sit around and do nothing but it’s not enough time to run errands or go home and come back either, so I’ve taken to bringing my iPod along and walking (sometimes dancing – but only when no one’s looking) around our tiny town.

(photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/)

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As someone who's had skin cancer (thankfully, not the scary kind), I know as well as anyone the value of protecting my skin.  I stay out of the sun as much as possible (particularly in peak hours), wear large brimmed hats when outside for longer than it takes me to get from my front door to my car, and select clothes with long sleeves whenever practical.

And sunscreen!  No matter what the time of year, I always wear at least SPF30 on my face, and smear it onto my hands all day long as well.

But this article about nanoparticles in suncreen is making me rethink my decision…at least which sunscreen I chose.  Nanoparticles are products that are manufactured at the atomic or molecular level, and are used in hundreds of common items, from sports drinks to socks.  They are cutting edge technology and as this article points out, some have reservations about their safety for human consumption, and also for their environmental impact.

I'm always one to err on the side of caution, and to that end I've found some nanoparticle-free sunscreens.  Alba and Avalon Organics are two companies whose products I have purchased before (they are carried at the 'fancy' grocery store in my town) and always liked, but there are others out there as well.  If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Take care of your skin!

(image courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu)

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Looks Matter, But Which Ones?

I understand that fashion models (or celebrity cover models) are chosen for their looks, but why has skinny become the only look that matters? What about being beautifully voluptuous? What about having gorgeous skin and long legs? What about being strong and muscular? Why aren’t all body types celebrated? I’ve known beautiful women of all shapes and sizes, skin colors and heights. Where are those women on the covers of mainstream magazines and in ads for popular products and clothing lines?

Model Filippa Hamilton is only the most recent in a long line of models being ousted for not fitting a completely unrealistic body standard—one that seems possible only for a lucky few with super metabolisms or, for the rest of us, through starvation and photo-retouching. Hamilton was let go, according to a spokesperson for Ralph Lauren, “as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us.” While they won’t specify that the obligations were weight-related, I think the creation of that emaciated image sends quite the message. The ad in question only ran briefly, and only in Japan, but it points to a long-standing trend among advertisers and publications in the US.

Whose Best Self Are We Talking About?

This standard also reared its ugly head a few months ago, when SELF Magazine featured a severely retouched cover photo of Kelly Clarkson. While Clarkson was quoted in the magazine as feeling completely comfortable with her weight and unaffected by what others might think or say about it, SELF editor-in-chief Lucy Danziger felt it was necessary to make Kelly look “her personal best” on the cover, shaving off inches of Kelly’s body. My question to Ms. Danziger is: If “Kelly is the picture of confidence” that you say she is, if she is happy with her body and her weight as it is, then why do you get to decide what “her personal best” looks like? And I don’t just ask this of Ms. Danziger, but of all editors and advertisers who are retouching photos to the extreme in the name of “selling more”.

I think what angers me most is that this impossibly tough standard of beauty is the one that most of us are convinced we need to judge ourselves and one another by. I look in the mirror and on most days I’m happy with my 5’3” size 14 body. I’d like to be stronger, fitter and, in turn, thinner. But all-in-all I’m healthy. So why some days do I look at myself and think terrible things? Maybe because the cover of that magazine I just saw reminded me I should be able to drop 2 sizes in 30 days. Or because that model (and that one and that one and that one) won’t stop smiling at me from their size 2 frames.

Ami writes about her attempts to stay healthy, live a local and green life and write that Great American Novel (or something like it) at Writing: My Life.

(photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu)

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Illness is everywhere this time of year. A local school had 30% of its population come down with the flu and had to close recently to keep it from spreading further in the community. In another local elementary school half of one kindergarten class came down with the flu at one time.

All this illness has me thinking. How can we as moms keep our kids from getting sick? How do we make them feel better when they are sick?

Here are some posts we've written in the past about how to stay healthy in the midst of the illness all around us:

4 Ways to Boost Your Immune System

Fill Your Life with Color and Ward off Sickness this Flu Season

Tips to Avoid H1N1

Flu Prevention

But sometimes we can't keep them from getting sick. We just do the best we can and comfort them while they are sick.

I recently heard about a new product for children from the leading homeopathic company Boiron. It's their famous ColdCam and Oscillococcinum products made just for kid sized bodies. I have not tried these products yet, but I am intrigued to learn more about them and you can too at their website as well as get a $1 off coupon.

Have you tried homeopathic products to stay healthy or recover from illness? What do you do to help your little ones feel better when they are ill?

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