I am, we all are, I believe, this beautiful mix of light-filled souls and vulnerable humans.
A few weeks ago, I was contemplating how a human can get out of alignment with their light. I was thinking then, about why we get separated from our vitality and health and right weight, but I was also thinking about the deeper implications.
And now, since I seem destined for the skinny cancer diet, suddenly I am seeing it more poignantly. It is not just about getting that sweet, sexy shape going on and feeling beautiful on the outside. It is that. I mean we want that too. But it is also about shining your light everywhere and stretching out in it, beautiful and alive in every cell and in one's way of connecting and interacting with their light and their life force. And, suddenly losing too much weight is what frightens me.
So I am doing some extra deep soul-searching. I have been given so many gifts in this life: people who I love deeply who love me just as I am, art, writing, joie de vivre, a dancing fool path, humor, a sense of fun and adventure, a clean safe world, a perfectly wonderful body, a deep sense of caring about humanity, a place in the world to live where people try hard to be kind to one another, and so much more.
And I have had some issues, some sorrows, some areas of cocooning too. And if they are appearing in my breast, I wish to shine more light now. I have no where left to hide. This is so much more important than just getting fit and healthy. This is turning me inside-out and revealing me where I thought it was safe to take some "stuff" and hide it. I guess not.
I suppose if you have angels, that they see everything and they love the everything in you. The extra sweet you had ain't so bad if you loved yourself thoroughly enjoying it. But perhaps the things you hurt yourself with might also be plain holding onto sadness instead of letting it wash through you.
I'm ready to let my stuff wash through me and let my angels have at me.
This is a heart painting that I have made called "Three Hearts." It's about joining hearts. I turned it into a print and a project I call "1000 Hearts" to share with dear friends and also to help support children's causes.*
Dear Friends,
This is why you haven't heard from me in awhile.
I don't want to mess with you. I don't think I have done anything really wrong. But I have a lump and I am and have been scared to hell, which is why I stopped posting for a while.
I'll get back to you after I learn more. I have just learned that I have invasive ductal carcinoma. (I wish I could cross that out too.)
Now for the really hard news: It is treatable but I need immediate surgery. And, in this economy where our income has (temporarily we have hoped but still not beyond the tight part) gone down by 75%, we made a tough decision that was based on the fact that we just couldn't afford our ever-rising health insurance premiums. I was so healthy and I was doing so much right about that, so when we couldn't afford health insurance anymore (for a while, we thought, on a calculated low risk), we went on the "don't get sick" health plan.
So now, my husband and I are scrambling.
Prayers and good wishes are sooooooo appreciated.
I wish every woman–and man– great health.
Love,
bbffair
*(If you would like more information on how to become part of my "1000 Hearts Project" and to purchase a modestly priced signed and numbered of my "Three Hearts" print, shown above, and to help support children's causes, your own preferred ones or one of mine, please email me at bbffari@aol.com.)
" Why Whole Milk is the Healthiest Choice posted by Megan, selected from Experience Life Aug 31, 2009 3:20 pm
filed under: basics, drinks, food & recipes, health & wellness, good fats, homogenization, whole milk
By Laine Bergeson, Experience Life
I drink whole milk and eat full-fat yogurt, cream cheese, and sour cream. Sure, full-fat dairy products taste better than the skim/fat-free versions, but I don’t eat them for the taste. I eat full-fat dairy because it’s better for my health and my weight.
Yep, you heard me right: I eat dairy products with all the fat god gave ‘em, and I do it because it’s good for me.
Here’s why:
1. Our bodies cannot digest the protein or absorb the calcium from milk without the fat.
2. Vitamins A and D are also fat-soluble. So you can’t absorb them from milk when all the fat has been skimmed off. (This makes fortified skim milk the biggest sham of all — you can pump fat-free milk full of a year’s supply of vitamins A and D, but the body can’t access them).
3. Milk fat contains glycosphingolipids, types of fats linked to immune system health and cell metabolism.
4. Contrary to popular belief, low-fat and fat-free diets do not help prevent heart disease (see my last blog post, and 16,290,610 members doing good!) Science has now revealed that the link between saturated fat (long villainized as a cause of heart disease) and heart disease is tenuous at best.
5. In fact, studies now show that eating saturated fat raises good cholesterol — the kind of cholesterol you want and need in your body.
6. The world’s healthiest foods are whole foods — foods that have not been processed. Why? The nutrients in whole foods have a natural synergy with one another — that is, they work best in and are most beneficial to the body when they are taken together (not when they are isolated in, say, beta-carotene supplements of Vitamin C capsules). So when you pull some or all of the fat out of milk, you throw its nutritional profile out of whack. Basically, you discard all of the health benefits when you discard the fat.
7. And last but definitely not least: healthy dietary fat will NOT make you fat. We’ve been taught for years that dietary fat is the root of all evil (again, see my last post). But we need healthy fat in our diet for proper body composition and long-term weight maintenance. The key factor here is knowing the difference between good fats and bad fats (for more on good and bad fats and the role healthy fat plays in weight maintenance, see Weight Loss Rules to Rethink).
A final note: When it comes to whole milk, you should also drink nonhomogenized when you can. Homogenization is “the technique of crushing milkfat globules into droplets too small to rise to the surface in a cream layer,” writes Anne Mendelson in Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages (Knopf, 2008).
Homogenization offered two big advantages to the dairy industry:
(1) the abolition of the “creamline,” as it’s called, made it possible to package milk in
more convenient [read: disposable] cardboard packaging instead of traditional glass bottles
and
(2) homogenizing made it possible for a commercial dairy to “calculate the amount of fat in incoming milk, completely remove it, and homogenize it back into milk in any desired proportion…In effect, ‘whole milk’ could now be whatever the industry said it was.”
To put it more bluntly: homogenized whole milk isn’t whole. The dairy-processing industry decided that whole milk should be milk with 3.25% fat (raw milk straight from the cow averages between 4 – 5.5% fat). That way, no matter what cow produced the milk, after homogenization all the milk would taste the same.
When you buy homogenized milk, you’re buying a whole food that isn’t whole — it’s had it’s fat removed, evened out, and injected back into it in an amount less than what appears in nature. So choose whole milk, skip homogenization, and enjoy!
[Experience Life magazine is an award-winning health and fitness
publication that aims to empower people to live their best, most authentic lives, and challenges the conventions of hype, gimmicks and superficiality in favor of a discerning, whole-person perspective.
Visit www.experiencelifemag.com to learn more and to sign up for the Experience Life newsletter.] "
~~
And here's a link to another article on milk by a nutritionist who argues that milk has many health benefits, helps build muscle, and may aid in weight loss:
"Does milk really do a body good?
A nutritionist investigates the claims about the beverage
Milk is good for building muscle — and may even lower your risk of both heart attack and stroke.
But, to make things confusing, I have also found that there is much debate over whether "whole milk" (the kind that separates and you have to shake) and Vitamin D milk (all mixed nicely together) are really that much different.
I spoke with a friend who was formerly a dairy farmer today and asked him about it. He thinks the difference is negligible. He also said that many cows only put out about 3% milk fat in their milk and that other cows put out 4% and others 5% so that 3.25% is pretty average. He produced raw milk, but agreed, it has its risks if it isn't handled right. He thinks what we get at Kroger's is fine and healthy.
Although some folks drink raw milk, most of the milk we drink these days has been homogenized and pasteurized. Want to know more about what milk goes through before it hits your table?! Keep reading.
After cows are milked, their rich, fatty milk goes through a process called homogenization, which reduces the size of the fat globules present in milk and disperses them evenly instead of having a layer of cream on top. For skim or fat-free milk, part or all of the cream layer is removed before the milk is homogenized.
Pasteurization, named after the famous French scientist, Louis Pasteur, is a process that was widely adopted early in the last century to greatly reduce the amount of potentially harmful bacteria sometimes present in milk. There are two basic methods: HTST (high temperature/short time), the most common method, heats raw milk to 161°F for at least 15 seconds. UHT (ultra-high temperature) heats raw milk to 280°F for at least 2 seconds. Pasteurization affects the flavor of milk slightly.
The purpose of pasteurization is to make milk uniformly safe for human consumption and to improve the keeping quality of milk, thereby extending its shelf life. Some vitamins and nutrients are lost when milk is pasteurized. Among these are the enzymes lipase and lactase that aid in the digestion of fats and milk sugar (lactose), and vitamins C and B6.
The Raw Facts about Raw Milk
Because of its rich flavor, high vitamin content and digestive enzymes, raw milk has a devoted following in some areas where dairy farms supply it to the surrounding community. Take note, though, that raw milk by definition is unpasteurized and can be dangerous to consume if it is contaminated with harmful bacteria, causing serious illness or even death, especially in children or individuals with compromised immune systems.
Choosing Organic Milk
Cows that produce certified organic milk are not given antibiotics or added growth hormones. In addition to having access to the outdoors, cows on certified organic farms are fed 100% organic feed, so consequently they're not exposed to persistent pesticides, herbicides or fungicides, eliminating the possibility that these chemicals may turn up as residues in the milk. (Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs, including the use of cloned animals, are also prohibited by the Organic Standards.)"
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If anyone has any views or more information, please send it in.
In the meantime, I still love my regular (not fat reduced) milk. I worry about pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. I like the safer route of pasteurization. And, so far anyway, I still like the way it is mixed together nicely.
When it comes to holidays and special events, birthdays, weddings, etc., I have a philosophy.
Eat your cake. Twice.
[Fireworks bychase_0305 courtesy of photobucket.com]
This sort of falls in with an idea I have about why it helps to eat alternating bigger and smaller meals. Sometimes you are really hungry and need a bigger meal and sometimes you are just not that hungry, maybe even you're more tired than hungry and you don't need much more than a light meal and to go to bed early.
So once you are eating right (mostly lean protein, vegetables, and fruit), every about ten days to two weeks–even while dieting–you may need a starch. It won't kill you. I am allergic to wheat. I can eat it occasionally, but not regularly or I start to crave it. (That is a form of an allergic reaction by the way.) So I really try to make wheat a once-in-a-great-while for me, and when I do eat it, I try to choose a whole grain or rye (that satisfies me more). More usual, for me, when my body asks for a starch every couple of weeks, I want a rice or potato.
Again, it's listening to your body. What does your body really want? Once you are used to eating healthy, when you get a craving, it's usually for something you need, so go ahead and give it to yourself.
~~
But what about when the holidays come up and you start having mouth-watering memories of food that is all in your mind or emotions? Your body isn't necessarily asking for treats, but you want to participate, so what do you do?
I believe in letting yourself eat cake. And, not just a teeny piece, but a nice piece like everyone else is eating. Let yourself eat two! Life is to celebrate!
If I have a holiday or special event treat in front of me, it can stick in my mind until I can think of nothing else. If I pat myself on the head and say, just a sliver, I am still denying myself. If I let myself eat cake and celebrate just like everyone else is, I feel happy. And if I still want to indulge in it twice in a row to really get that craving/treat-wanting out of my system, I go for it.
But there's the magic: It's been satisfied. I am happy. I can go on.
~~
I rarely (maybe only once a year!) eat ground beef or hamburgers. But on the fourth of July, I want a great hamburger. Hamburgers equal fourth of July in my family. Yumm rare ones off the grill on whole wheat buns with lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayo.
And, like clockwork, on the third of July, there comes my husband (with my daughter carrying the back of it) in through the house and out the back deck with a new grill. I ordered my grass fed, hormone free, lean ground sirloin up right on the spot, along with the whole wheat buns, fresh sweet corn and fresh red lettuce and tomatoes, and one big fat watermelon!
On the fourth of July, I had one huge hamburger on the bun! And another half I split with my daughter.
They were perfect! And I had a nice piece of sweet corn and no room at all for watermelon (until the next day).
Without going nuts, I ate what I wanted, just like everyone else around me. And without guilt.
Holidays are meant to be enjoyed and shared!
On the fifth of July, we did the hamburger sweet corn dinner all over again, this time with a watermelon finish. Everyone wanted a repeat. It was that good.
And then it was over. No one (not just me, but my family too) needed or craved any more grilled hamburgers. It didn't kill my diet. It saved it. (Furthermore, I had eaten so well the week before that when I averaged in one big indulgence day–the 4th–and one second, more modest hamburger day, I still averaged 1500 calories a day for the last eight days. (Did I speak about how eating ahead of the holidays can be a tactic.)
But even if I hadn't, there are some days that you just have to let it go. When it's a wedding, eat the wedding cake. When birthdays come around, have the birthday cake. Have two pieces and feel totally indulged and satisfied, not denied. And from there you can go on.
In my book, that works a bazillion times better than wanting something and then losing it to that something. Now, I know that doesn't work so well if you haven't been regularly eating healthy because you are still out of touch with what your body really craves and wants (healthy and balancing foods!) But once you have gotten a sense of healthy balance, then, when you really, really want something or it's a holiday, for gosh sakes, go do it, enjoy it thoroughly (like the French!) and get it out of your system and then it won't bother you anymore.
My basic food plan is pretty simple.It consists of eating plenty oflean protein, fresh vegetables, and fruit.
Fruit Juice starts my day. I might add a protein (eggs, cottage cheese, almond milk, or whole milk in coffee, etc.) to that, but the fruit juice is a must for me. (Some people like a grain, but I am not a big breakfast girl myself.)
Protein is important at every meal, but especially at lunch and dinner. Do not skimp on protein.
(I prefer lean vegetarian protein alternated with lean seafood alternated with lean poultry or eggs, with an occasional indulgence into lean beef. Grass fed and hormone free.)
Fresh Vegetables should be a BIG part of lunch and dinner. I think they are best mixed between raw and steamed or sauteed. Go for colorful, beautiful, life-enriched vegetables.
Fruit as a snack (Think Apple!) or dessert is perfect!
Flavor. Flavor. Flavor. Think smart flavor. There is no such thing as a bad sauce or dip so long as you are smart about it, the ingredients are healthy, and you either keeping it low in calories or adjusted to your daily calorie intake. I love spicy sauces, herb sauces, soups, and healthy flavors to add a bit onto a vegie or to cook with along with my olive oil nonstick spray. Healthy, good, whole foods should also mean yummy! My motto: Eating Right Should Be Delicious!
Lots of water. Lately, I have been in love with Cascade Ice, Organic Lemon Zest and Organic Lemon Lime, that I discovered in the health food section of my local store. (There are other flavors too.) They come in nice plastic bottles that look so fresh visually too and are easy to take with you. They make me feel like I am treating myself as well as quenching my thirst. There is something about pure sparkling lemon or lime waters that feels like a special indulgence and freshens the palate while quenching your thirst. I go walking with them. I keep them in my car for long drives. There are lots of ways to have water! Tea is also good. Some people (me!) LOVE their coffee, but it's not a substitute for water. Just remember that and then go ahead and enjoy it then, but keep it in perspective and count the calories you add to it (I like whole milk with my coffee in the morning!) and still drink your water!
If you are trying to lose weight or are watching it, count your calories. Know what your set-point is for burning.
For me, when I am fine with my weight and my daily exercise is pretty regular, I can eat like this and not worry about watching the calories. This is a healthy eating plan for me. I can occasionally go off it for an indulgence and no problemo. It carries me forward with life and vitality if it is my main program.
However, when I am trying to trim down, I know what I have to do. For me, to lose weight, (I am 5' 6-1/2"), that means, if I am doing my daily 30 minute cardio, I can eat between 1200 and 1700 calories a day ( I end up with a daily average around 1400-1500 usually) and still lose weight. If I am unable to do the cardio (like this last week when I've had to work around a neck sprain/strain) I try to be more conscious of keeping the calories slightly lower (about 200 less a day) than when I am able to work out daily.
Note: that especially watching your calories before an "event" or "holiday" helps average an indulgence day out before it happens too.
Important: Eat when you are hungry, best at the first sign. Ask yourself: what am I hungry for? If you keep a well-stocked kitchen and fridge (see my grocery lists) , it should be easy to go for the right hungry choices.
Eat as much as you need to feel satisfied, then stop. Not before you are satisfied, not beyond. Learn to recognize that point. For me, that sometimes means 2 ounces of protein is not enough. I need more protein in my diet to feel right, so maybe at that meal, I need 4 ounces or even 8 ounces. Or maybe more dark greens or a tomato finish. Learn to listen to your body. (So long as you are selecting from the basic good food groups (lean proteins, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruits - and all of these kinds of foods are good for you!), your body is asking for what it really needs to feel balanced and nourished. And if you give your body what it is clearly asking for, that it needs, it will begin to work with you more and more.
Tip: What I like to do is (and this comes naturally to me from listening to my body and my own hunger needs signals, knowing that some days I am really hungry and other days only so-so) alternate bigger calorie dinners with lower calorie dinners giving me satisfying eating experiences that still keep my average daily calorie count in the sweet spot. It really helps and makes you feel like you are never on a diet, but more like you have especially good days in between on-target days.
Hope this is helpful to any of you out there. Keeping to these principles has given me tremendous freedom and is, I believe, a nice way to eat healthy and delicious!
Callanetics, along with my own version of daily cardio-dance, have been my tried and true exercise program for the most part for more than twenty years. You only have to do the Callanetics two times a week. It is gentle and deeply nourishing and you get results.
Twenty years ago, I bought the original video for the Callanetics program. It is a very deeply thoughtful and well researched program with dance moves and yoga moves in mind, with enormous respect for the neck and the knees and posture, etc. It is about working little muscles, but not straining or injuring anything.
When I originally used Callanetics, after working with it awhile, I abbreviated it, mostly changing the exercises from 100 reps to 50 reps. This allowed me to do the program in 20 minutes. Furthermore, I memorized it. I only had to do it twice a week for results. In fact, it asked you to take days in between so that your muscles and any soreness (and you will be amazed at how sore these "gentle" exercises can make you if you are new to them) repaired and recovered first.
A month ago, I had a hurt neck (not good) from Tracy Anderson's Metamorphosis and, admittedly, also some boredom. I had a serious "bump-in-the-road" and I needed a new plan-of-action.
(Another member over on Tracy's forum also wrote about going back to Callanetics when the going got tough with the Tracy route, which made me thoughtful. The Tracy method is and has been very effective for me–for the first three levels anyway–but hey, we all need to pay attention to what needs to be tailored to our specific needs and capacities, and whereas I am not giving up entirely on the Tracy meta program, I may need to add it back in more like seasoning or alternating workouts on a more workable plan for me as I go).
I began by taking a longish break from her routine after 30 days. Though I had had a LOT of results from the first 30 days, on the 4th level, when I injured myself, I needed some time off, which I took without too much of a loss from my results. I still feel they are very inspiring (!) , but I needed a more sustainable plan. I am just not an "ongoing bootcamp" kind of girl.
Then this last week, I actually sprained my neck (will explain that in a future post).
So where did I turn? I always return to Callanetics.
This week, I began a new program for myself: It begins with gentle 20 minutes of Callanetics (all the exercises, but at 50 reps max except for the last inner thigh exercise which I do for the full 100 counts).
I began with a Tuesday and Saturday routine (giving me at least two days in between each workout for repair and restoration) for these. Eventually, when I am ready and my body and schedule can accommodate it, maybe in a few weeks, I will add in Thursday too, just for extra toning.
I do these gently. Even with a sprained/strained neck, I can do these. And, believe it or not, even after the Tracy exercises, the first Callanetics in a longish time left me feeling the burn and the work of these gentle exercises the next two days!
But they are sooo gentle, that I have been able to do them without any fear of further injury to my poor sprained/strained neck, doing them especially respectfully to that of course.
I have added into the middle of them a select few of the Tracy exercises for extra leg and butt work.
The beauty of the basic Callanetics (beside the results!!) is that they are so soothing to do. One feels quite relaxed afterwards and (since I have them memorized) I can do them while watching a television program or the news. I don't have any dependence on a DVD or video to move through them.
I am so impressed with these tried and true exercises that I goggled Callantetics to see what they have developed since. LOTS! I plan to order the cardio (See the youtube clip above for an example of that! Looks yummy to me!) and a couple of the specialty ones. Why not? The original worked for me off and on for many years and I always have come back to it to add into my own cardio.
~~
So My Own New Ideal Exercise Program, right now, has morphed to the following:
Monday:
30 minutes light cardio (I've never felt it made a difference to sweat or work that hard for "results" but the "continuous" part is essential!)
and (Additional Option Add On):
3 mile walk*(about 45 minutes, leisurely walk, can be social, like with a friend or my husband or dog or a walk to the store, etc.) (*weather and time permitting and if my body feels like it).
(*Note: I aim for 3 to 5 of these leisurely 3 mile walks a week on average when I am feeling like moving more or upping my on-my-feet momentum.)
~~
Tuesday:
30 minutes light cardio
20 minutes Callanetics (with a choice few of Tracy's leg and butt moves added into the floor work)
and (Additional Option Add On): 3 mile walk*(about 45 minutes, leisurely walk, can be social, like with a friend or my husband or dog or a walk to the store, etc.) (*weather and time permitting and if my body feels like it).
~~
Wednesday:
30 minutes light cardio
and
Housework or Garden Work (It's exercise too, right?? Right!!)
~~
Thursday:
30 minutes light cardio
and (Additional Option Add On):
3 mile walk* (about 45 minutes, leisurely walk, can be social, like with a friend or my husband or dog or a walk to the store, etc.) (*weather and time permitting and if my body feels like it).
~~
Friday:
30 minutes light cardio
and (Additional Option Add On):
3 mile walk* (about 45 minutes, leisurely walk, can be social, like with a friend or my husband or dog or a walk to the store, etc.) (*weather and time permitting and if my body feels like it).
~~
Saturday:
30 minutes light cardio
20 minutes Callanetics (with a choice few of Tracy's leg and butt moves added into the floor work)
~~
Sunday:
Off
~~
(*Note: And, while injured, I am permitting myself to let go of the 30 minutes cardio for now, so I can heal, and emphasizing the walking, when I can, instead. And I am being more careful with the calories as I will explain in a post over the next week.)
~~
There is freedom in having an exercise program that you can adapt to your own needs and that frees you from necessarily needing DVDs or gyms or studios to go to.
And, I am so impressed with the glimpse of the new Callanetics cardio, that I am going to order it and try it and a couple of the other new videos out and maybe mix them up a bit! Hey! Why not?!
(P.S. And I'll let you know, down the road how they work out for me too! Promise!)
I'd love to hear about any of your own altered–specific to your own needs–adapted programs and how they serve you. But thought you might enjoy hearing about mine too!
-bbffair
(P.S. Callanetics has a killer inner thigh exercise: You sit on the floor with your legs outstretched towards a chair and put your feet (middle of the soles) on the outside legs of the chair and squeeze your legs and thighs together as hard as you can, keeping up the intensity of the squeeze for the slow count of 100 and then release and you feel amazing afterwards too.)
