Feels Like Spring
So today, out of sheer curiosity, I am doing something I never do, tracking my food. After posting recently about how little I feel like I eat these days I wanted to see if my feelings about that were accurate. I am using the Fooducate app which helps to track calories, fat, carbs,protein and nutrients like vitamins and minerals. It also rates the quality of the food you eat and lets you scan the items in for easier tracking. I just want to see what I'm doing. I'm not trying to alter anything that I eat and I am being honest about servings because I know I eat more than 1 serving, especially where the peanuts are concerned! I'm interested to see how many calories I'm taking in and how much of it is sodium.
The other change I made this week was to not buy soda to bring to work. I suspect the night cleaning crew is helping themselves to a can here and there anyway, and that really burns my behind. I didn't really make some big huge decision to swear off soda, I simply thought about having to go get it and lug it into work and figured, there are other forms of caffeine that are way more convenient (and cheaper, and maybe better for my health). So I am now drinking some Mio energy for a few glasses in the morning, and Mio without caffeine or Sweet Drops (liquid stevia). This will equate to me drinking a lot more water, saving money, and intaking less of calcium-leaching carbonation. I have been feeling a little dehydrated lately, dry, peeling lips and super dry skin, so I know I need more water than I've been getting. I used to drink 2 gallons of water a day back when I was low-carb dieting and working out all the time. So, a good water flush is not a bad thing, and it's a good idea to get back in the habit of drinking water before summer hits.
My body aches are still there, and some days it feels like the vast majority of my body hurts in one way or another. Fortunately, my back hasn't gotten worse, and sometimes it feel quite fine. I am dealing with it with a heat pack and a little ibuprofen before bed. I am really looking forward to finding out why I feel so achey next week. I just hope there is an answer. I know I need to be more active but its hard to do when everything hurts.
I have been doing more stretching. I was told by a physical therapist at one point, that unless you hold a stretch for 30 seconds you aren't doing much. Then I was recently watching a video made by a physical therapist and he said the new standards say that one 90-second stretch is the most effective, even better than 3-30 second stretches. I'm all for streamlining things. When things are tight, and with my body everything is, that 90 seconds do feel long but the pain is worth it!
So I guess right now, maybe what I'm doing is more pain and annoyance-management. I try to do things that help my body feel better; stretches, hot packs, warm eye compresses to help with the dry eye, and some of the physical therapy exercises I was assigned after knee surgery, many of which help with current lower body issues I have like piriformis and occassional sciatica. My goal is to feel better; to heal myself. Some of this seems so sudden that I will need some intervention and guidance, but I'm happy we live in a time when I can look up different yoga routines or stretches/ strengthening for the symptoms I have. I can't say I'm pain free but I definitely thing those things help a lot. And I believe many many things that we encounter can be minimized or at least helped with stretching and strengthening. I have not been very consistent with it in the past, but now that I am not making demands on myself with the 'Shoulds' and the 'hafta's' I am more relaxed about thinking, what can I do right now that will help my body feel better? The same applies with the soda. I didn't scold myself for having soda or commit to cutting it out or shame myself about the habbit, so I have to say, so far it really hasn't even bothered me. As long as I have ice, the water is going down really easy and the flavoring makes it really good. The mind is so powerful, it's nice when you can find a way to eliminate self-sabotaging habits just by trying something a little different.
Yesterday I thought about that concept a lot. Trying something different than what I'm used to; freshening up my routine just for the sake of having a different experience. Instead of just having a couple veggie corn dogs for dinner I went to the trouble of making myself some cucumber salad as a side, and steeped a nice cup of tea to help me warm up. Dinner was more notable and enjoyable. I reminded myself how much I like sour vinegar things and plan on having more. I have also bought some chicken breasts and veggies to make dinner tonight. I don't typically do a lot of cooking during the week because we are usually so busy, but I feel like it is a nice thing for the whole family, and it is one of the rare few times we actually eat dinner together. Plus, sneaking some healthier food in for my kids is not a bad thing. So this fresh new feeling goes along quite nicely with spring. Things are feeling brighter and I just feel like, other than the body aches, my whole flow is easy and smooth. I am not trying to conquer the world or my inner being, I am just freshening up my routine into things that feel better. If only I knew things could be like this a long time ago, I wouldn't have spent so many years feeling so miserable emotionally. I wish this for everyone. I wish I knew how to teach it. Maybe someday. For now, it feels like spring even when my toes are cold, and I am blossoming in the fresh air and sunlight!
The other change I made this week was to not buy soda to bring to work. I suspect the night cleaning crew is helping themselves to a can here and there anyway, and that really burns my behind. I didn't really make some big huge decision to swear off soda, I simply thought about having to go get it and lug it into work and figured, there are other forms of caffeine that are way more convenient (and cheaper, and maybe better for my health). So I am now drinking some Mio energy for a few glasses in the morning, and Mio without caffeine or Sweet Drops (liquid stevia). This will equate to me drinking a lot more water, saving money, and intaking less of calcium-leaching carbonation. I have been feeling a little dehydrated lately, dry, peeling lips and super dry skin, so I know I need more water than I've been getting. I used to drink 2 gallons of water a day back when I was low-carb dieting and working out all the time. So, a good water flush is not a bad thing, and it's a good idea to get back in the habit of drinking water before summer hits.
My body aches are still there, and some days it feels like the vast majority of my body hurts in one way or another. Fortunately, my back hasn't gotten worse, and sometimes it feel quite fine. I am dealing with it with a heat pack and a little ibuprofen before bed. I am really looking forward to finding out why I feel so achey next week. I just hope there is an answer. I know I need to be more active but its hard to do when everything hurts.
I have been doing more stretching. I was told by a physical therapist at one point, that unless you hold a stretch for 30 seconds you aren't doing much. Then I was recently watching a video made by a physical therapist and he said the new standards say that one 90-second stretch is the most effective, even better than 3-30 second stretches. I'm all for streamlining things. When things are tight, and with my body everything is, that 90 seconds do feel long but the pain is worth it!
So I guess right now, maybe what I'm doing is more pain and annoyance-management. I try to do things that help my body feel better; stretches, hot packs, warm eye compresses to help with the dry eye, and some of the physical therapy exercises I was assigned after knee surgery, many of which help with current lower body issues I have like piriformis and occassional sciatica. My goal is to feel better; to heal myself. Some of this seems so sudden that I will need some intervention and guidance, but I'm happy we live in a time when I can look up different yoga routines or stretches/ strengthening for the symptoms I have. I can't say I'm pain free but I definitely thing those things help a lot. And I believe many many things that we encounter can be minimized or at least helped with stretching and strengthening. I have not been very consistent with it in the past, but now that I am not making demands on myself with the 'Shoulds' and the 'hafta's' I am more relaxed about thinking, what can I do right now that will help my body feel better? The same applies with the soda. I didn't scold myself for having soda or commit to cutting it out or shame myself about the habbit, so I have to say, so far it really hasn't even bothered me. As long as I have ice, the water is going down really easy and the flavoring makes it really good. The mind is so powerful, it's nice when you can find a way to eliminate self-sabotaging habits just by trying something a little different.
Yesterday I thought about that concept a lot. Trying something different than what I'm used to; freshening up my routine just for the sake of having a different experience. Instead of just having a couple veggie corn dogs for dinner I went to the trouble of making myself some cucumber salad as a side, and steeped a nice cup of tea to help me warm up. Dinner was more notable and enjoyable. I reminded myself how much I like sour vinegar things and plan on having more. I have also bought some chicken breasts and veggies to make dinner tonight. I don't typically do a lot of cooking during the week because we are usually so busy, but I feel like it is a nice thing for the whole family, and it is one of the rare few times we actually eat dinner together. Plus, sneaking some healthier food in for my kids is not a bad thing. So this fresh new feeling goes along quite nicely with spring. Things are feeling brighter and I just feel like, other than the body aches, my whole flow is easy and smooth. I am not trying to conquer the world or my inner being, I am just freshening up my routine into things that feel better. If only I knew things could be like this a long time ago, I wouldn't have spent so many years feeling so miserable emotionally. I wish this for everyone. I wish I knew how to teach it. Maybe someday. For now, it feels like spring even when my toes are cold, and I am blossoming in the fresh air and sunlight!
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