Thanks for the reminder Dad....

OK, so all of a sudden it's November.  A full week into November. Sheesh - why does this keep happening?? I swear someone is taking pages out of my calendar to skip ahead...

This has been one heck of a year for pretty much everyone I know.  2015 is the year of change?? Um, yeah.  Been strapped into the rollercoaster, and you'd think it would go back to the station at some point. Hmmm...2016 is coming up quick, so just maybe??

"When you know your time is limited, you want to see everything you can."

Something my Dad said while in the hospital when I asked him if he wanted to get some sleep.  After months of ups and downs, the decision had been made to discontinue any life enhancing medications once my brother and his wife arrived and had a chance to visit with him.  As it turned out, we were actually given the gift of almost a week to visit, see relatives we hadn't seen in a long time, reminisce, and laugh - a lot.

Interesting journey over the past few months.  Learned a lot on many levels.  One of the things I realized was that the best times were those where I focused on lightening up a heavy situation. That laughter was the best medicine for everyone involved. Sitting in a hospital room, watching a football game, just enjoying each others company, and getting pretty silly when it was late and we were all just a little too tired - we had a great time amidst a difficult time.

A good friend of mine has a three word motto that he shares and lives by - Hope, Health and Happiness. After going through this process, I realized my own - Light, Love and Laughter.  I intend to bring light, love and laughter wherever I go, to whoever I am with.  (If you see me having a grumpy, complaining day - just remind me. I'm sure I'll be very excited that you did...)

Back to my dad's statement - we all have a limited time here, and we should want to see/experience everything we can.  My dad actually did see and experience a lot, and pushed forward through/around/over many difficult obstacles in order to do so. 

"When you know your time is limited, you want to see everything you can."

The other day I took that as a challenge to see what I am walking right past without seeing and appreciating - in my own yard, and around the building where I work, and I found:

What would you like to see/experience? Why aren't you? What are you missing that's right in front of you?

Thanks for the reminder, Dad.  

Here are just a few photos - and you might also get a clue as to where my laughter and sense of humor comes from....

Another Arizona Adventure

As noted in an earlier post, in early July I was fortunate enough to be included in a great group of people who gathered in Sedona for an indescribable experience (although I did manage to describe part of it). 

To end the summer, the last weekend in August I again headed to Arizona, this time to a place called Carefree.  Got to reconnect with some of my Sedona friends, and also got to make some new Carefree friends.  I was blessed to be able to be a part of another fabulous group and be part of another indescribable experience.

So, off on another little blue car road trip, this time with Monica and Melody, my two new BFF’s after a total of 12 hours of driving and talking, and talking some more. Oh, and more talking with my car buddy Melody who was also my roommate.  (No, Marie was not able to join us – she was at home pouting while going to work and school. And three is plenty - the little blue car really is little…)

Good food, good fun – actually excellent food and excellent fun.

The nutrition part of this adventure: The all organic breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet food was specially prepared for our group – best buffets ever.  Wish I could have eaten more.  Needed to kidnap the chef and the cook that made the omelets – very disappointed with the food in my own kitchen after being spoiled like that.  Really need to talk to the chef around here….

As far as fun:  You should never have Rita and me sit together, or Leigh and me, and you REALLY should not have the three of us sit together at the same table at lunch.  Although, laughing until you cry and can’t breathe could be considered a form of exercise.

As far as the indescribable part:  yes, the program part of the weekend was once again indescribable.  The message I do want to share, though, is that we are all more powerful than we know.  We can affect change in ourselves and others.  With a solid base/foundation we can do so much more. Treat yourself & your body well and with respect and love, and then treat others the same way.  Get in touch with your inner power.  Feel your strength. Realize and recognize your true self.  Then share your magnificence.  Can you imagine the world if we all did this every day??

I’ll  close with some of the beauty that surrounded me during my stay in Carefree:

My Extended, Ongoing Nutrition Adventure

OK, so I guess it's time to write about the actual nutrition adventure I've been on this year.  (What? Not rocks, sidewalks or some other bizarre reference to nutrition/nourishment??)

In January, someone I highly respect gave me a look, pointed a finger at me and told me he didn't like what he saw, and I needed to make some changes or I was going to have issues. (For some of you who know me, you know exactly who said it - LOL) My body was unhappy, and it looked like it and felt like it.  

While I started working on (and continue to work on) several aspects of my life, a major contributor to where I was at that point was what I was eating and drinking.  Let's just say I had been rationalizing and making a lot of excuses. Huh, when you take that away, crap, you have to honestly look at your own behaviors.  Nuts.

Soooo - started by looking at my choices and seeing where I wasn't being congruent with being someone who promotes nutritional products and a healthy lifestyle.  Damn - there's that honesty again.  So much easier to help someone else see their choices!

Long story short, over the last 8 months, I have gradually changed how and what I eat and drink with the goal of having a happier, healthier body. Gradually started replacing my less healthy choices with better choices - nothing drastic, just a nice progression.

So how has my diet changed?  I'm now eating lots of fruits and veggies, nuts and beans, and I mainly drink water and tea (do you have any idea how many different teas there are to choose from?!).  I gradually moved away from bread, dairy and sugar.  Meat is the occasional side dish rather than the better part of the dinner plate.  (And yes, my dear brother, some of what I enjoy looks like it came from the bottom of your lawn mower...)

Do I still eat junk food? Of course!  Just not very often.  Do I still eat yummy desserts?  Of course!  Again, just not very often. So when I have a great dessert, I savor and enjoy every bite. 

The results?  I feel better than I have in a long time, I'm sleeping better, and I am now fitting into clothes I haven't fit into in a looonnng time.  (I don't own a scale and have no idea what I weigh, I just know it's a lot less than it was in January.)

So my advice?  Take a good look/listen to what your body is telling you. Everyone is different and needs to find what makes their own body happy. Experiment and try new things and see how you feel.

It's not just about making different choices, it's about making choices differently. Make loving, caring choices for yourself.

Rocks as nourishment....

OK, so I've already covered walking as nourishment, so, of course, the next nourishment topic would obviously be rocks....

Earlier this month, I was fortunate enough to be included in a small group of wonderful people who spent a few days in Sedona.  The experience was indescribable. (wait, here I am writing about it, so doesn't that make it describable??)

My only previous exposure to Sedona was driving through on the way from Flagstaff to Phoenix on a family road trip several years ago.  

This road trip was a blast with my daughter and our new BFF Geri - a day in the car with good tunes turned up loud, junk food, er, um, healthy snacks, and lots of good conversation.

OK, so the retreat experience of the weekend is the indescribable part.  No words can express the full experience, and we are still moving through it.

Soooo, what about the rocks?  Lots of rocks in Sedona. Rocks to see, rocks to climb, rocks to sit and feel the energy. The scenery and energy are something to be experienced.  This is not a bucket list item, this is a go and do item.  The photos below are fabulous and still don't do it justice.  (Thanks to my Sedona friends for some of the photos.)

The incredible energy of this place is felt at a soul level if you stop and let it flow through you.

Nourish your body, mind and spirit with nature as often as possible. 

New way to start off my 4th...

Sooo....in my continuing quest to do new and challenging things, this morning I rolled out of bed early, threw on my walking clothes and a hat, and participated in the annual 4th of July 5K in Lake Forest.  (For those of you who know me, getting up early on a Saturday to exercise?? Bwahaha!!!)   

No, I did not run the 5K, I walked.  Thought about running part of it a few days ago, so when I was on my evening walk, I ran for a little bit and started hearing from my body:  low back - um, no.  Knees - I don't think so.  Ankle - oh, hell no.  So, walking it is...

Got my necessary items:

Got my t-shirt on:

Crowd getting ready for the start:

Furry walkers of all shapes and sizes:

Half mile left to go!  Hmmm.....the crowd seems to be a lot thinner....

My goal was to finish, not be last, and feel good at the end.  Success!  Ended up walking 16 minute miles, so respectable time.

Photos of me you ask?  Did you read the first paragraph?  "rolled out of bed early, threw on my walking clothes and a hat."  No one needs a picture of that....

A great way to start my day - now to relax and then pig out on kraut dogs and apple pie later (apple pie is a fruit, right??). 

Have a wonderful Fourth of July! 

Walking as Nourishment??

Recently started walking in the evenings around my neighborhood. Lived in this neighborhood for 17 years (wait, how long?? sheesh where does the time go??!) And when I say walk around my neighborhood, it's literally a sidewalk that goes around the perimeter of my housing complex, and it's about a 2.5 mile loop start to finish.

Used to walk with a neighbor, walking and talking. Walking because I should. Walking because it's supposed to be good for me.  Walking because I hate running.  

Stopped walking for a while - many excuses: neighbor moved, too hot/cold, need better shoes, don't have time, etc, etc.  Finally decided to get my butt back out the door and outside.  Tendency is to walk head down, looking straight ahead, lost in thought.  Headphones on, music turned up to cover the traffic.  

An interesting thing has happened. I started to pay attention to the things around me while walking.  It's amazing what we walk/drive by on a daily basis and don't see.  It started by noticing the butterflies that started buzzing me several days in a row as I walked by.  I started seeing the plants & trees I was walking past. Started looking at the sky at sunset.  

I now look forward to my evening walks - I de-stress from my hectic chaotic job, and I get back in touch with myself and the nature around me - even in the middle of a fully developed area with traffic speeding past me.  

What does this have to do with nutrition?  Everything - we need to nourish ourselves on many levels, and my walks are now a source of nourishment.  

So, when you are doing your routine activities, take a look around.  See what you walk/drive past every day.  See how many things you can find.

Look up, look left, look right, ......here are a few of my walk views:

and when you pass by blooming jasmine, breathe it in....

Nourish yourself on every level - Have a wonderful day!