Health and Fitness, February, 2016

[Harriet]

Welcome! Hop right in here with us to chat about making February healthy and fit.

February is good time to appreciate our many different loving relationships. There is a proven health boost to caring about others, and knowing others care for and are interested in us.

"Positive emotions, compassion and happiness help us to feel better, particularly in stress, and further they improve bodily functions: Love, compassion and joy make our immune system function better and help to battle diseases. Engaging in joyful activities may activate areas in the brain responsible for emotion, attention, motivation and memory, and it may further serve to control the autonomic nervous system, i.e., stress reduction."

- Dr. George.B. Stefano, Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York

[Nancy]

I have done 10 min. On the ex. Bike this morning. Did some congaing as well.

[Harmony]

I am still stuck. Last month I lost a lb. or more probably just 1. At least I'm stuck at 10 lbs. from where I started and not back at the start point.

I do not eat bad meals. My problems have always been snacking in between or in the evenings. The same things that cause me problems are doing that again. After I was sick for a while, and then got better, I have been unable to get back on track. Well, somehow, I hope.

[Nancy]

I did some shopping, walked the dog, did 30 on the ex. Bike for Tues. Exercise. Fighting a bit of a cold. Food cravings it was a battle! Ack!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm starting over although yesterday was a bust. It was fine until dinner when I had a roll and then at the pub I had garlic cheese bread. It was very good.

Not much sleep last night but hit the ground raring to go at 6 a.m. Given I turned out the light at 12:30, that is odd but whatever. I'll go with it.

[LadyMaverick]

I'm on Day 3 of no sugar and no white flour. The cravings were BAD yesterday. It showed how much I am addicted.

[Nancy]

Did 30 min. On the ex. Bike this morning.

[Ramblinrose]

LadyM.... I'm back doing the same thing. When I get hit hard with those cravings I make a cup of hot tea. It helps. I also eat a square of chocolate for desert most nights. I am surprised at how satisfying this is. I make sure it is 85% cocoa. Anything less sends me on a carb binge.

I never would think to do this but both Jorge Cruise and Josh Tudrknet, MD and author of the Migraine Miracle agree it is alright to indulge.

The Migraine Miracle is a sugar-free, gluten-free, ancestral diet to reduce inflammation and relieve migraines. Turknett is a neurologist who also suffers with sever migraines. Interesting how he mirrors much of Cruise's philosophy. He also believes many diseases did not occur until grains and sugars were introduced to the general population.
He equates ancestral diets with pre-agricultural life and believes humans weren't meant to eat grains. Funny but that is the same idea behind the grain-free food that has been developed for dogs. He goes into great detail as to why grains are not good for humans, but it's much too technical for me to explain. However I know I am very carb sensitive to grains, as it can set me off on a binge so it makes sense to me.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

At the same time as you are backing off on grains, I'm increasing them in my diet.

I'm tired of being stopped up for so much of the time. When I add in more carbs, that resolves. So I'm adding oatmeal muffins and probably will increase my whole-grains in other ways. As well, I'm upping the fruit in my diet. That will be at the expense of both fat and protein in the balance, but I feel so much better when I'm on my own 'regular' schedule.

With my mother having had colon cancer and me having polyps, the last thing I want is for things to fester in there and my regularity has been something that always made me feel I was doing something for colon health (my mother suffered from constipation her whole life.) I have lousy genes with regards to cancer and am amazed I've made it this long without a diagnosis. I want to keep putting it off for as long as possible.

Weight is down another pound this morning. Since I haven't been exactly 'good' I'm crediting the half grapefruit I've added to my day. On my micronutrient breakdown, it doesn't look like a superfood (unlike, say, the Greek yogurt which ticks off several boxes) but I do find it satiates me. I can only have them in the winter because they can't be mixed with my allergy meds. But I've been off my meds for months now. Will have to stop the grapefruit just before I go south, though, because I'll be starting the meds up down there.

[Nancy]

I did 30 minutes on the exercise bike this morning. Did some shopping. Took a walk in the field w ddog.