GETTING FIT! - CHALLENGE #5

Maybe you’re like me - one of those that really doesn’t like to sweat … not even when it involves working out. People like me go to great lengths to find a million excuses to avoid breaking a sweat. So - I don’t work out.  Ever. However, having said that, this is the exception.  And actually … I don’t even consider REBOUNDING working out – though in a round about way … it actually is. It’s a relatively easy way to get in some fitness and weight loss, while never having to darken the doorway of a gym. The key thing for me is that it really doesn’t feel like exercise. Another plus … no sweat involved!

Truth be told – I’m just not into jogging, running, doing the gym thing, hiking, skiing, dancing, tennis, golfing, etc.  Mind you …. The 9 holes of golf with lunch to follow, has been known to change my mind now and again.  However, 18 holes would have to involve something a little bigger than lunch – perhaps a shopping trip to New York City!

They say (“they” being articles that I’ve read, if you must know) that exercise done for a total of one hour over the course of a day x 3 times a week is effective for weight loss – for sure better overall health. Oh, Yeah!  It doesn’t even have to be all at the same time – it just have to add up to an hour per day!

Several years ago I began daily powering walking for an hour at 5 a.m. While the walking part itself really wasn’t so bad, the cold/snowy/rainy weather and the fact that I was gone 60 precious minutes before work, were the killers. More and more, it became easy to look for reasons not to go out. And it worked … I happily gave it up.

After that, I started thinking about ways I could exercise without wasting time with racing to and from gyms. Like most people, time is at a premium and it’s pretty easy to justify finding no time for extras like exercising.  My hubby (half in jest) suggested I just go outside and bounce on our big trampoline.  I laughed that off because I had tried bouncing on it a few years ago and almost gave myself a cardiac arrest.  Wow – that was a workout and I had only been that thing for 2 minutes!  Who knew?  It did get me thinking about those little rebounders (mini trampolines).  After a little research, I discovered that bouncer could actually promote good health and weight loss.  Listen to your favourite music, watch some tv or even talk on the phone while you are bouncing your way to health. Pros – affordable and fits in any room, I could do it when it suited me, and I never had to leave my house.  Cons – the cheap ones had squeaky springs. 


5-10 minutes of jogging is probably a good starting point.   Increase when you feel ready.  People who have been extremely inactive may want to start with only a couple minutes and increase rebounding time very gradually at first.  Me - being me - jumped right to one hour ... but that's just how I roll (and then I wonder why I'm sore the next day).  Patience is not one of my virtues. :)

I ended up just buying a basic cheap model at Canadian Tire – figured I had nothing to lose except a few $ (equal to 3 or 4 trips to McDonalds). Three times a week I jogged on the rebounder for an hour while taking in the Home and Garden Channel (something I just never seemed to have time for). Didn’t take long and inches started coming off!  No pain in my back, shoulder, neck, joints, or knees and I really didn’t dread having to do it. Since then, I’ve read that it’s actually an effective stress reliever, helps build stamina, coordination and energy, not to mention the terrific osteoporosis benefit. Exercise that makes you work against gravity helps build and maintain bone mass. Bonus!  I've read that kids who are "very busy" can find benefit in bouncing on rebounders as it can actually calm them down.  The internet has lots of sites that talk about all the benefits to exercising using a rebounder.

THEN … I hurt my foot doing something silly around the house and the bouncing had to be put on the back burner.  Some time has passed and now, it looks like I’m good to go … so this week, I will be “springing” back into action.


Rather than bouncing, I tried jogging on the trampoline. I found that I preferred the jogging – not only did it feel like I was doing “real” exercise but it wasn’t difficult or tiring (especially first thing in the a.m.)  Sometimes I wore runners and other times, I went bare foot. 


Alternating the jogging and bouncing is also very effective.  Adding small hand weights at some point helps with muscle tone and burns even more calories.  I know there are actual exercises (and DVD’s) you can do to work up a real sweat – IF sweating is your thing (I’ll pass, thanks very much).

Side note:  my Chiro and Physio both informed me that I really needed to be doing a few exercises for my back and shoulders.  Apparently, I’m one of those people that holds stress in those places.  The following are 3 super easy exercises that I’ve started doing daily and it is amazing how much more flexible and pain free I am feeling since doing them regularly.  Honestly, they take virtually no time and don’t require any special equipment. If you aren't interested in stretching exercises (I wouldn't be if I were you - lol) ... file them away in your brain (or read my blog again) so that the next time you have a sore back ... give them a try.  But we all know, it's cheaper to fix a slow leak than replace a blown tire.  Just sayin' ....



1) Before you get out of bed:  lie on your back bend your knees.  Grab one knee and pull to your chest.  Hold for 30 seconds.  Switch and do the other for 30 seconds.  Then - both knees at the same time for 30 seconds.  You are done.  You can do again at bed time, if you want to.

2) For lower back:  sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor in front of you.  Spread your legs so you can reach down between them. Grab the fronts of the chair legs (if there are no chair legs – reach for “imaginary legs”) and give a gentle tug.  You can feel a stretch in your lower back.  Go back up and then back down to do this again – 10 times.  Do 3 sets of this.  If you can do in the a.m. and in the evening – that’s awesome! Even once a day makes a difference but 2 or 3 times is even more effective. This goes really fast and it’s a fantastic exercise for your lower back (especially if you are sitting too much at work.)

3) For shoulders:  stand up with your knees just slightly bent.  Hold out your arms at your sides with palms of your hands facing up.  Slowly raise them up and clasp them together just behind your head. This is a little like those jumping jacks. Then lower and repeat 10 times.  2-3 sets, if you can.  Two or three times a day is even better.  I try to do these when I am brushing my teeth – easier to remember when you tie it to something you do regularly.


Another side note: I'm not kidding myself thinking I will be 100% fit, have an amazingly toned physique, abs of steel, or anything like that ... but this is do-able and I'm just fine with that. Sometimes good enough is .... good enough.

As I take on my Getting Fit Challenge this week – stretching (daily) and bouncing (3-4 times a week) – I’m excited to see if I can get healthier and fitter without a drop of sweat touching this 55 year lady’s body. 


        Food for Thought:

A study carried out by NASA showed that only 10 minutes of bouncing on a trampoline was a better cardiovascular workout than 33 minutes of running.

Hope you will join me next week as I take on the 2 Minute Challenge!

May 25th - My Big Day!!!

I know that some of you have probably seen this posted on Facebook – I found it intriguing. To me it was an eye opener on the importance of carving out a healthier lifestyle for our self.  It seems logical that the changes and choices you make today may well affect what happens tomorrow.  You just never know, eh?  I realize that we don’t always have a say in what happens to us … but for the things you do … then we probably could be a little more pro-active.

Today (May 25) I turn 55 and I think that if I have some choice in how I go through my coming year then I would like it to be with more energy, a positive attitude (some more work needed there), and a healthier and more joyful focus. I guess I have some work ahead of me – lol. 

It’s funny – I couldn’t even imagine being this age 20 years ago. Too busy chasing kids. Turning 30 was overwhelming (lots of new things happening around then), 40 was actually a non-event, but 50 was just weird.  I was becoming a mother in law, my youngest son was still in elementary school, my parents were aging, several close family members had just passed away, and my older kids no longer seemed to need a whole lot of attention. I wasn’t old but I wasn’t young, either. Where did I actually fit?  It was an odd place to be - bit of an abyss.    

One of the interesting things about getting older is that you start noticing things. Mostly stupid things, if you ask me. I wished that I had been a little more alert a few years back on some of this stuff, but maybe some of these lessons only come through living life. As they say … none are so blind as those who will not see.  Maybe I wasn’t ready to see.

Here are a few things that I’ve noticed:  fear and worry can be catalysts for what leads to short sighted decisions. Maybe you have to go through some rough or tough times on your life journey before some things make sense to you. It’s ok if you fail at something – that means you tried.  You don’t always deserve things. The end doesn’t always justify the means. Good things do happen to bad people and bad things do happen to good people.  Life isn’t always fair so suck it up. Even on lousy days, when everything feels drab – you don’t have to feel it as long as you know it … ‘the sun is still there and soon enough … it will shine again.’ It always does. No one respects a control freak so when you seem to be getting your way a lot … consider yourself … suspect. Sometime the consequence is the lesson and we have to let people figure that out and not always try to save them.  People with a strong faith and a good support system can endure a lot of painful experiences – be mindful that even something little you can do for someone can make a huge difference – to them.  Everyone needs a friend or a kind word – even if they act like they don’t. 

I’ve noticed that an awful lot of people complain about the same old things and do nothing different to make any changes.  I’ve also noticed that the level of stress that people can handle is often not very high even when our lives have become so much easier, physically and financially, than our ancestors. Our Great Grandparents would probably have raised their eyebrows if we told them that we were losing sleep because the car we ordered was STILL on back order or whatever your thorn in the side is.  Not to dismiss our struggles … but what we view as a struggle can be simply nothing more than an inconvenience. To someone that would have spent many difficult months and years enduring hardships we will never comprehend, hoping that freedom and a better life for their family would in fact, come in their lifetime – we probably would sound … dare I say it, spoiled.

I’ve also noticed that too many people are living unhealthy lifestyles, making excuses and criticizing those that choose to make some good changes.  Either way …. every 365 days we all seem to hang a new calendar and hear ourselves saying,  “Wow – where did the year go?”  

Wouldn’t it be mind-boggling to be able to say at the end of the year –

“This is how I spent the year  . . .  I

was busy going to my kids activities, did stuff to our house to make our home a welcoming place to be, learned new things, tried new foods and restaurants, got out of my comfort zone and signed up for something new, spent time with people who genuinely like my company, met new friends, travelled to places I’ve always wanted to go to, painted that room the colour that I totally loved but no one else did, sat in my cozy private space and read lots of books and drank lots of tea (and ate lots of my favourite snacks!!), indulged every now and again in something I enjoyed without feeling an ounce of regret (oh, maybe that’s where the snack thing comes in), lost that weight I wanted and needed to, tried all those recipes I’ve been saving forever, went on more date nights with my hubby, learned to let more things go, I tried my best to lighten up on the things that are not ‘mountains’, went on more one-on-one dinners with my kids, called my family more, spent time with people that are a joy to be around, did more spontaneous things, etc.”   If the 365 days are going to fly by anyway … I’d rather have done those things than say … “Well … it was pretty much same old same old.” 

We all know (in our heads anyway) we never can get back those wasted hours, days, weeks, etc.  But, we sure don’t want to get to an age and be regretting, regretting, regretting. Some one once told me … that’s how you get old … one unfulfilling day at a time.  Yikes.  Not that every day has to be “out there” but when you climb into  bed and feel that somehow there was something great about the day … then you know you are on the right track.  Don’t you think?  Who sits in front of the tv all day and night – day after day and says … “Wow – THOSE were GREAT days!”  … Well, maybe the lady in the left in the photo that I posted above…

I’m not a wild party gal but I think this year, I could kick it up a notch and be more enthusiastic in living out my days.  Living vs existing.  Not sure that many of realize we do that - move from day to day … trying to get by, not paying attention to the simple joys that surround us and actually make up ‘living’. Everything in life is a choice, isn’t it? Whether we choose to believe it or not.

Hey - if I’m going to notice something in retrospect … then it may as well be that this year had been much more meaningful and much more fulfilling than I had expected!  That would be kind of nice, I think.  

If you’re able to get out and about … then challenge yourself to make the best of the time you have. Not everyone will be fortunate enough to actually make through the next 365 days … stuff happens.  No guarantees.  But - what you are probably guaranteed is . . . no change = no change.

                                                                     See You Soon!

BE SPECIFIC! - CHALLENGE #4

spe·cif·ic

adjective

having a special application, bearing, or reference; specifying, explicit, or definite: to state one's specific purpose.

Be specific.  Has anyone ever asked that of you?  I think there would be a lot less arguing, hard feelings, and misunderstandings if we did a little more of this. 

How many times have I assumed one thing and my family assumed something else?  Same with friends … I recall waiting at a Second Cup coffee shop assuming (and wrongly, may I point out) that I was meeting a group of friends there.  Meanwhile … they were sitting at a totally different Second Cup.  Not only was it just 2 kilometres away but it was even on the same road! I ended up missing out on a great time just because I wasn’t very specific about details.  Lesson learned:  take your cell phone and make sure you are all on the same page (or at least in the same coffee shop!)

When my kids were young, my husband was often away on business.  Inevitably, when he arrived home, one of the kids would need to be disciplined. When it came time to hand out their discipline, he’d rarely remember the latest consequence. Things had a way of changing while he was gone. His altering their “fate” or “the plan” had the potential of throwing our entire household into a conniption. To avoid the fits and frenzies (usually by me), I decided to post a list of set consequences for specific ‘infractions’ on the fridge.  From that time on, we were able to nip most of the confusion in the bud.  It became very clear to him (and the kids) what would happen if they stepped out of line or didn’t do their chores.  Even if the rules changed while he was gone, he’d just refer to the list when he arrived home (unfortunately to the chagrin of the kids – pulling of the wool over Dad’s eyes had come to an end.)  Lesson learned: being specific has a way of making things crystal clear. 

There have even been times at some of my workplaces where the left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing.  Some of us would assume that someone else was doing a certain thing, when actually … no one was.  Taking the bull by the horns and actually asking questions, getting answers, and finally, writing it down for everyone to see, made for a happier (and informed) staff.  Lesson learned:  clarification is a good thing!

Recently, one of my family members planned a trip.  They assumed that for whatever reason, I had told the person they would be staying with, that they were coming.  I hadn’t.  It wasn’t my trip.  During a recent phone conversation, it became apparent that the other person had no clue our son had decided to come for a visit. Well – let me tell you … that generated some “conversation” within our family.  In the end, it was easily resolved but wow - it might not have been such a great holiday if they had been waiting at the airport for their ride only to discover the other person had actually left for their own holiday.  Lesson learned: when you make plans … make a point of contacting everyone involved to finalize details and not assume that they will remember a conversation from three months prior. 

We somehow assume, innocently enough most times, that people can read our minds.  Ask questions, request feedback and finally, put it down on paper (or in an e-mail with a request for confirmation back).  This can go a very long way to keep everyone in the loop.

I recall years ago when my kids were still quite young … one coming home from school and asking me a question. “Mom … what is SEX?”  I stopped dead in my tracks and went into panic mode.  Gee … how do I explain this without appearing to make a big deal about it?  A dozen thoughts and explanations went through my mind.  I’m not sure why, but for whatever reason, I took a second to turn to him and ask for some clarification.  “Sex?  Can you use it in a sentence, please.”  He did … “What sex are you?”  Good grief.  You can imagine what could have transpired had I not asked him to be specific about what he was asking. Lesson learned – when in doubt … ask questions.

My challenge this week will be to make sure that when I agree to something or make plans that everyone is clear on what is being said and what is expected.  Not all that difficult but you do have to remember to do it.  Don’t be afraid to ask them questions so that you know they really do understand what you’ve said.  Often what you think they’ve heard is actually quite different from what they’ve actually heard.

                      

                      Food for Thought:

                                            "Let us live and move in harmony.  Let us grow together.

                                            Let us cherish the wisdom that we have acquired together. 

                                                           Let us live without any misunderstanding.”

                                                                                           
                                                                                     Adapted from Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Now that I am officially in the week of my 55^thbirthday, I hope you can join me

next Sunday when I begin my Getting Physical Challenge!

WEEKEND SHOPPING! - CHALLENGE #3

Have you ever wondered how it is that life suddenly got so crazy that you don’t know if you are coming or going?  Now that we have Sunday Shopping available to us … and stores open from 6 a.m. until the wee hours of the night … how come we still never seem to have enough time to shop and take care of errands outside of the home?  Supposedly technology, conveniences, more “disposable” income has made our life simpler – yet we are more wearied than ever before.  Not - “I’m exhausted from doing hard physical work and now I am going to slip into my nice cozy bed and drift off into la la land” kind of weary,” but rather a “I’m so worn out I could puke and I’ve only just gotten out of bed” kind of weary.

Some time back, a friend, Rachel mentioned that she was going to eliminate “extra shopping” for a set period of time.  All in all, she was extremely successful!  That got me thinking. So, I included something similar (but with a twist) in my Lent Challenge.  I chose not to shop on Saturdays and Sundays.  As I’ve mentioned before – Sunday is rarely a day I shop anyway so it basically just nixed the Saturdays. Two days.  How hard could that be?  Well – when you work Monday to Friday and are involved in your son’s high school and community basketball … not to mention multiple projects for others … it doesn’t leave much time to address all the needs for the house, the groceries, the family, and whatever and whoever there is to shop for. So everything defaults to Saturday and Sunday - the precious weekend when you want to be spending time with family and /or focusing on rest, relaxation and finding time for yourself.  Maybe even tackling projects or tasks around the house that there never seem to be time for during the week.  Eventually, those little tasks become piles of mess, then mountains of dread and ultimately, valleys of doom.

So what’s a person to do?  Probably what a lot of us do … take it out on our families, ourselves, our jobs, leave it, avoid it, be frustrated by it, and for lots, just be overwhelmed by it. 

What I do know is … we only have X amount of time.  Oh, wow – big epiphany, eh?  While that simple fact is … well, simple … we often forget it while we are running around like a chicken with our head cut off.  Do you ever wonder how some appear to go through life calm and collected (not fair) and we are constantly dealing with the steam and stress of making it through each day?  Guess what?  They are either a) just not showing it (because really ... most of us don’t wear signs over our heads telling the world that we are losing it), or they are the type of person that plunks everything onto other people’s laps, or they are just fine with all the chaos (they may in fact, not even see it), or have figured out how to make it all work.  Most of us have been in the first 3 places but during my Lent Challenge … oddly enough, I was able to get myself into the latter.

Quite frankly … being somewhat organized is half the battle but that is not what I initially started out with.  It was simply to not shop on Saturday/Sunday. GASP! I imagine some would think ... “And, exactly WHEN do I do my shopping?”  Well … that’s for them to figure out. Sometimes the drastic changes you make are more drastic in your head than in reality.  And sometimes, you have to make some changes – relunctantly or not ... for your sanity.  As they say, “if you don’t want anything to change … continue doing what you are doing.”

At the end of the week (that would be Sunday, in my books) I would sit down and figure out what my week was going to look like.  It involved looking at the family calendar and thinking through all the birthdays, meals / grocery needs, school lunches, sleepovers, functions you have to bring a gift or food, etc. for the week (and only that week – otherwise I’d get too overwhelmed). Then, it meant writing those purchases down. Not on a slip of paper that goes by the wayside but in a small journal I took wherever I went.  And finally out came my schedule/calendar and a little figuring out as to what could be done or picked up on my lunch hour, after work or evening.  Maybe even delegating a shopping errand to someone else in the family.  Friday after work was often when I finshed up the last of my shopping. Yes - it could make for a busy Friday but that’s ok – the weekend was coming! That left Saturday free from all that. Still not buying it?

It is absolutely amazing how fast the day goes on Saturday when you spend it in the car running from A to B to C to … The lineups in the stores are crazy, the parking lots are full and your energy level gets sapped. Then, of course, Murphy’s Law ... what you needed was out of stock and that meant another trip to yet another place. 

Prior to my Lent Challenge, Saturday morning meant leaving early in the a.m. and arriving home in the late afternoon, too pooped to do anything more.  Dinner didn’t happen (we’d order in, hit a take out or throw something blah together). The thought of going out Saturday night with friends or family made me cringe - not because I didn’t want to … I simply had no energy left. Then there was the mess in the house and all that was left undone all week to deal with - blah!

Can I say that when I used my little journal and my time through out the week to do those errands and shopping stops … I would often have one of those moments that you get when you’ve finally finished your last Christmas gift/preparations.  You sigh and say, “I can’t believe I’m done!  Yeah!!”  Relief or maybe just a resignation that there’s nothing more you can or want to do. Somewhere in your soul, you have a sense of peace about it.  That is what my no shopping on the weekend for my Lent Challenge did for me come Friday nights.  “It is finished.”  I suppose there was always one more thing I could have done but the First Things First were done and I had to tell my head, “Hey … you are done.  Leave it.”

So what did Saturday / Sunday’s during my Lent Challenge look like?  Well – for once, I wasn't dashing out the door early.  I slept in.  I got to sit and have coffee with my husband.  In my pajamas!  With my messy hair.  When I finally got myself dressed … I was able to do what I really wanted to do … I could actually clean my house – properly.  One could say that the cleaning would be a waste of time but I like having a clean house. During the week … only the bare minimum seems to get done.  I'd throw open the windows and doors, let the fresh air and sunshine in. I wasn't racing around at a crazy pace.  Did a little this and a little that (in between cups of coffee). Saturday is the day that works to get things like laundry and cleaning done at my house – and when you do something regularly, oddly enough, there seems to be less and less to do each week.  You get in the groove and it actually goes way faster.  If we had a sports activity to go to, then some of it would get done Saturday and finished on Sunday.  Flexibility was possible when shopping wasn't a factor.

I rarely cooked on Saturday … often we would pick up a pizza or go out to eat. This was not a day that I slaved in the kitchen (or pretended to - lol). Then, maybe out to a movie.  What I wasn't doing was racing through a mall looking for a last minute gift, having a shopping cart crashed into the back of my heals while  heaving 10 lbs. of potatoes into my basket, or flipping out because the store I need to be at … closed 5 minutes before I got there. 

Sundays started out the same.  Coffee and a slow pace.  We’d head out to church and then have a nice family lunch.  The kids hung around the house .. maybe we’d even do some yard work ... whatever ... it was all good.  I planned my meals and organized the family calendar for the coming week. Tea in the afternoon and popcorn and a movie night at home. How nice is that.

My challenge this week is to revert back to a little of that sense of peace and order I had during my Lent Challenge.  I'd invite you to try it for a week or so and see if there isn’t some merit in it. In my mind, going on holidays doesn’t count - I love to shop on holidays all the time (lol) but during the working week … anything you can do to make your life truly restful on the weekend has to be worth a shot.  Set it up for yourself … how I do it doesn’t have to be the same as what works for your family.  After all the purpose of the “weekend” is to find rest and relaxation, isn't it? That plays out very differently for all of us … whatever you do, just do it!  Do I hear the NIKE swoosh here?

      Food For Thought:

     

                   See you next week for my Be Specific Challenge!

THE GOOD STUFF CHALLENGE! - CHALLENGE #2

H₂O

     It would seem that no one is entirely sure how much water you need to drink to stay healthy or whether it really has any effect on the physical appearance of your skin.  This is kind of amazing when you think that they can create a world wide web and put people on the moon, but specialists can’t agree on something so basic.  Go figure. You even read that drinking more water is unnecessary. There sure is no shortage of reading material on this but from personal experience … I find it does make a difference.  So on that note … I will throw caution to the wind and proceed.  

     Going with the general thought (and even this formula is suspect) of taking your weight and halving it for the number of ounces that you need to drink – it would seem that mine is roughly 82 oz. of water.  Sounds like an awful lot but if you pour 8 oz. into a drinking glass and look at it, it really isn’t all that much.  The challenge is to do it 12 times a day!  I’ve rounded mine up to 12 – 8 oz. glasses.  Easier to remember (fingers crossed).

     I took the liberty of factoring in 2 extra glasses for caffeinated drinks (sorry – I won’t start my day without the dark stuff).  Some claim that caffeinated drinks shouldn’t be an issue but again … no one seems to agree.  Physical activities are something to factor in, too.  Since I’m not terribly physical (at this point, I don’t believe walking to the cookie jar expends a heck of a lot of energy) … I won’t bother with that.  So 12 it is.

     I’m not one of those that enjoys the taste of water - especially ice cold water (though a little lemon slice makes it slightly better) and drink virtually none during the day. Mostly it’s because I am crazy busy through out the day and it never occurs to me to stop and drink something.  Working in a very chaotic pre-school environment doesn’t leave you much time to think about drinking anything (except maybe a bottle of wine!) Many a day, the bottle of water sits on the counter, unopened or the glass, unsipped.

     So – here is what I have come up with to make this more do-able (code for successful):

      Timer.  With a very loud buzzer.  Bought one to use at school – I think the kids will enjoy reminding me to drink my water.  There, it’s so easy to lose track of time and so I need something to remind me.

     At the top of every hour … drink 8 oz.  I have to pretty much down it all at once as the distractions in the class are huge.  This will be the key – top of the hour.

     Drink one glass when I get up.  I have started drinking a cup of hot water and lemon juice while I wait for the coffee.  Actually makes me enjoy my coffee more and seems to wake up my system.  That’s l glass.

Drink a glass after I brush my teeth & take my vitamins.  That’s 2.

One every hour at 9, 10, 11 – that’s 3 for a total of 5.

One at lunch (12:00) – that’s 6.

One at 1:00 and 2:00 – that’s 8.

One before I leave school – 3:00 – that’s 9.

One at 5:00 – making dinner – that’s 10.

One at dinner – that’s 11.

One when I brush my teeth & take the rest of my vitamins – that’s 12.

     Doing this means I don’t need to bother with any water in the afternoon. We’ll see how this goes.

     One of the main reasons for taking in more water (I must confess) is the crepey eye thing.  Made the mistake of buying a 15X zoom mirror and W0W – if you want to scare yourself silly… buy one of those! You see every little imperfection, blackhead, wrinkle, facial hair, etc.  I couldn’t help notice how awful my eyes and skin had become.  Even my feet and legs were drier than normal.  Awhile back I did experiment and make myself drink more water - I was surprised how much I benefited from it:

 . eyes looked brighter and less saggy

. nails were less brittle

. no blackheads

. improved memory

. skin on legs and feet were not as scratchy and rough

. no dizziness, light-headedness or headaches

. more energy

. ‘regular’ as clockwork with my constitution – if you have to ask about

  this …. forget it … you don’t obviously have any issues with it - lol

. reduced back pain and muscles (several massage therapists and

  chiropractors have told me that my back muscles are rock hard (and

  not in a good way) – one indicator that I may not be drinking enough

  water).

Some additional benefits I’m told are:

. preventing or reducing kidney stones

. lubricating joints in the body

. flushing toxins out

     There are lots of theories out there about other pros and cons but I won’t bother with that … that’s what the internet is for … knock yourself out looking --- you could be on it for weeks!

     Since hydrating ourselves properly has so many other health benefits, it just makes sense to do what you can. I’ve even heard that losing some weight may possibly be a side benefit.  Perhaps it’s flushing all those wastes out of your body or that it helps curb hunger?  That one is debateable but, hey … I’m up to trying out that theory!

     I realize that herbal teas, fruit juices, fruit and veggies are also good sources but I will consider those extras - bit of an extra perk (though I typically don’t drink fruit juices simply because it’s just extra sugar).  Good old fashioned water is where I am starting at.

     As I said, I’m not a fan of cold water and actually find it much quicker and less painless to down a glass of room or body temperature water.  They say it takes your body a little while to get used to taking in the extra water so more trips to the restroom will be in order at first.  I’ll second that one (personal experience).


    Will be interesting to see how many positive changes I will experience with the Good Stuff Challenge.  This whole water issue (what kind, how much, what does it really do, etc. – sheesh - remember when life was … simple?) has as many theories as there are holes in swiss cheese.  In the end, all you can do is try it for yourself. 

     I’m told there is such a thing as drinking too much but then again, they are talking about huge volumes of water. They even have a name for it.  Of course, everything these days has a name, doesn’t it?  No danger of hyponatraemia here, that’s for sure.

     I think our grandparents and perhaps even our parents ate more whole foods and veggies/fruits containing water. Most of us really do eat terrible and that may be why it’s more important to drink actual water than our ancestors.  If you eat incredibly healthy – then perhaps this water business isn’t as relevant.  I, on the other hand, never remember to eat … let alone eat healthy l00% of the time.

    It feels like our society is so bent on spending huge dollars on pills, creams, spa treatments, and specialty drinks for every kind of ailment, problem and beauty issue when maybe something as simplistic as drinking more water (or eating healthier) could make a noticeable difference.

     Try it … maybe all these issues we have are simply our body’s way of telling us to something very simple – drink some water or eat an apple!

 Food for Thought:    Successful people aren’t born that way.  They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don’t like to do.  The successful people don’t always like these things themselves; they just get on and do them. 

                                                                                                       Author Unknown

See you next week for the Saturday Shopping Challenge!