Tag: Whole30

My Wake Up Call

I turned 54 in May of this year and that makes me more than half a century old. When I hit 40, my vision started to change and I traded my driving glasses in for readers. Shortly after that, menopause took place and I no longer had to be prepared for life’s little emergencies. Then again, hot flashes started and I thought I was dying at least twice a month! I have a funny heart beat that my doctor wants me to check out again as it hasn’t been checked in over a decade. I have a tricky knee that needs to be babied and occasionally aches and hurts. Overall, I have learned to embrace the grey of middle age!

Other than this, I am in pretty good health. I have no serious health complaints, and no medical diagnosis to worry about. I take no prescription medication and rarely take anything over the counter. I do take a few supplements to aid in digestion and am considering others to support overall health.

Feeling pretty good about my life… then I got a wake up call! Image by Sabine van Erp from Pixabay
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Don’t Suffer the Consequences

The small things you do daily matter. They either push you towards health, wealth and happiness or they push you away. If you believe this (as I do), than you understand that creating daily habits that push you in the right direction is critical to staying on the path. The small things either create a more resilient you or they don’t.

People who are resilient weather the bad days more easily than people who are not. They get back up when life circumstances or the playground bully knocks them down. They goof up on day three of a 10 day challenge and start over. They wake up in the morning and are ready to face the day. They don’t throw in the towel until the game is over.

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Feeding the Dragon

Do you have cravings? Cravings for sugar, sweet things, dessert? Cravings for chocolate, brownies, ice cream? Does the wine call you from the kitchen? The beer fridge beg you to visit? Do the chips mandate dipping?

When I eat Whole30 healthy which means no processed foods, no added sugar (of any kind), no alcohol, no gluten, no grains and no dairy; I have pretty much NO cravings of any kind. I eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and munch on a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts during the day. It is like the junk food forgets all about me.

Image by Anja🤗#helpinghands#stayathome #solidarity#stays healthy🙏 from Pixabay
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Revolutionizing the Health Puzzle with Detective Work!

I work as an Occupational Therapist and have been in the field for 20 years. I have worked in a hospital, in an outpatient clinic and in several nursing homes. I have met a ton of interesting people who have faced some difficult health challenges. When I was a kid, Mother Fran thought I should be a nurse. I always laughed at the notion and reminded her that I fainted at the sight of a lot of blood. Maybe I should have listened to her! When I look at job opportunities, the positions that are of interest to me often require an RN degree. I have no desire to go back to school but if I did, nursing school would be on interest. Like Occupational Therapists, they work in a wide variety of settings and with many different populations of people.

Nurses are like superheroes in my book Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
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What Was My Resolution?

It is that time of year again when we decide we need to eat better, exercise more, sleep longer, spend more time with loved ones; to be healthier, be a better person, and be happier.

On January 1st, many of us made one or more resolutions to improve our health, wealth and happiness. Now it is the middle of January and I would venture that at least 50% of these have been abandoned, forgotten or put off for another time. I gave up on making New Year’s Resolutions several years ago.

What was my resolution??? Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay
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Want to Know What I Cooked?

In my last post, I wrote about having company over for the holidays and cooking several dinners for up to 6 people. Whenever I talk about cooking, people naturally want to know what I made, how it turned out and if I winged it or followed a recipe. So this post will answer those nagging questions!

Meal One – Soup! Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
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Teamwork Will Transform Our Health

The holidays are here and that means many of you have been doing a lot of baking. I have been doing my part to keep up with the bakers by eating a lot of yummy cookies, brownies, fudge and cake. I would guess over the last week, I consumed quite a few extra calories per day and my pants are getting a bit snug. That is ok though because I know what to do. I also know I don’t go down this familiar path for as long or with as much intensity as I used to!

I am not worried about the extra calories or even the tight pants because my honey suggested we complete a Whole30 for the month of January. If you are not familiar with the Whole30 check out this page for more information!I have lost track but think this is our 4th or 5th Whole30 and I still love the experience. Maybe I don’t love giving up my wine but the rest of it is easy!

I love the holidays Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay
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Cheating on My Love!

Quite a while ago, I made a shocking confession here at My Little Blue Kayak. I confessed to the world that I was having a love affair with someone incredibly important to me. She was laid back, easy-going and nice to look at; I am talking about my crock pot of course. I had started using it several times per month and really enjoyed coming home to a piping hot dinner that smelled awesome. Well, I have had my slow cooker for probably 20 years and she still works great. But it is time for a new confession; I haven’t used it in forever.

I have given my heart to another and don’t anticipate needing my crock pot, well ever. In October, we went on vacation with Number 9 and his wife and they brought their Instant Pot. When Mother Fran and Number 7 returned to Florida, I borrowed their Instant Pot from the cottage and began experimenting. In December my honey and I took the plunge and bought our own Instant Pot and I fell in love! I have officially joined the Instant Pot Fan Club. This pot has a bunch of different setting including saute, pressure cook, steam and can even make yogurt. Oh, it also has a slow cook function so goodbye crock pot!

8 Quart Beauty

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Hit the Reset Button

I completed my first Whole30 in 2017 and since that time have continued to eat in the manner the program taught me most of the last year. Since that time, I primarily eat lots of fresh and frozen vegetables along with some fruit. I eat plenty of eggs, avocados, nuts and seeds. I eat fish, chicken and some meat. I use coconut oil, coconut milk, avocado oil and vinegar along with spices. I rarely eat bread, pasta, rice or dairy. Don’t get me wrong, a few foods and beverages did creep back into my meal planning that are not compliant including beer, wine and dark chocolate. Yes, these are a few of my favorite things!

Beer, wine, and dark chocolate are the 3 foods I have trouble eliminating from my diet for more than 30 days. For the entire month of January and for 1 month last year, I did it. Mission accomplished.

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Change Your Perspective!

The holidays are over and winter stretches ahead like a long, dark, daunting tunnel with only 1 exit. I can choose to keep my head low, plod along muttering about the arctic cold and wind or I can sit back and enjoy the warmth of the fireplace and the good company I keep. I remind myself frequently that my perspective on any given situation makes all of the difference. If my perspective does not keep me on the path I have chosen then it is time to change it!

Work has been slow for the last week which is no big deal, however I have to stop myself from getting anxious about an upcoming tiny paycheck. When I don’t work a typical 9-5 gig it is easy to lose focus, forget why I work per diem instead of harnessing the security of a full-time job.

I don’t miss this feeling

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