Ummm...hi

ok, i've been on vacation and sick.  I've lost about 3 pounds.  being sick is not the good way to do that though.  All the candy we bought at the fudge store was too sweet, but the chocolate covered raisins from Costco were delicious.   Didn't read a lick of scripture while I was gone...but the Alaskan Bride series was good!  So much for the resolutions of 2012.

A New Week Already?

The weeks of January 2012 are flying by!  I simply can't believe it's the middle of the month already.  I'm trying to work in the scripture readying 5 days a week.  It's a good thing that I haven't put an amount of pages or number of scriptures per day...because I wouldn't be reaching that goal.  I did manage to read a chapter while standing in the Celestial Room on Saturday.  And just now I skimmed through the New Testament looking for a scripture to put at the bottom of my emails...does that count?  Well, I guess it doesn't count for reading from the Book of Mormon which is the specific goal.  I'm still trying to remember to take my new medicine.  Since my dosage was doubled it has started to create problems with my digestion, gives me headaches, nausea, and the runs in addition to being more tired, if that can be.  hmmm... It also makes me not feel hungry, which is a good thing but then I have to try and remember to eat good food.  So, I don't know what's better or what's worse.

So, I don't feel like I'm doing very well with my little goals.  I have to constantly remind myself, and actually put them in the front of my mind and think about them all the time or I forget and just fall right back into the same old routines. ( As I sit here at my desk with a plate full of cookies someone brought into the office and gave to me. They are all pretty dry I don't even know why I'm eating them.  I'll have to move them into the workroom.)  Well, all that is not very positive is it?  I know that the Lord can help me with this, but that leads to another goal, to remember to pray!

Ten Common Challenges Facing Families Today

"What is the great strength of [this] Church? . . . It is the emphasis which we place on families. . . . Keep your families close together and love and honor your children."
—President Gordon B. Hinckley
"Family Home Evening," Ensign, Mar. 2003, 3

Today, families are facing unique challenges that were unknown years ago. This feature emphasizes 10 common challenges and provides help for parents in navigating the stormy waters created by these issues.

Ten Common Challenges Facing Families 

Parenting Issues Marital Issues Divorce Grieving Out-of-Wedlock Pregnancy

Emotional and Mental Problems Substance Abuse and Addictions Eating Disorders Stress Pornography If you will click on the above topics you can follow the link to the articles available. http://www.providentliving.org/content/list/0,11664,6474-1,00.html

Spiritual Preparedness

http://lds.org/general-conference/2005/10/spiritual-preparedness-start-early-and-be-steady?lang=eng&query=spiritual+preparedness

Above is the link to an excellent, long, talk by President Eyring in 2005 General Conference.  To live a healthy lifestyle several areas need to be in balance.

http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,1707-1,00.html
This URL will take you to the Church's Provident Living site, where there are several excellent resources regarding Physical Health.

Walk Away A Winner!

Good Health has its Rewards: Walk Away a Winner!

Walking is a great way to get fit. It improves circulation and mobility, promotes weight loss and even helps reduce stress. And there’s no better time to begin a walking routine than right now.

If  you’re not used to being active, start with 10 minutes each day and build as your energy increases. When you begin, find a comfortable pace and try to add about three to five minutes to your walking time each week. A good goal is to shoot for is to walk 30 to 45 minutes, five days a week.

Use a Pedometer

You can use a pedometer to track how many steps you take each day. Experts suggest you build up to 10,000 steps a day (this is 5 miles).

Here’s how to start:

·      First, check how many steps you do now. Wear the pedometer for a week or two. Find out the average steps you take each day.

·      Once you know your starting point, try to up your daily average by 500 steps every couple weeks.

·      Before you know it, you’ll hit 10,000 steps a day!

Quick Tips

These quick tips will put an extra spring in your step.

·      Stretch for 5-10 minutes before and after every walk.

·      Keep a good posture. Gaze forward, not down at the ground, with your chin level and head up.

·      Stay hydrated by drinking 8 ounces of water before you begin your walk.

·      Wear shoes designed for walking for greater comfort and injury prevention.

·      Your walks don’t have to be long and strenuous to be beneficial. A walk to the store or through the mall counts too.

Be Safe

Did You Know?

By walking just an extra five minutes a day you can burn an additional 24 calories per workout. That may not seem like much, but over the course of one year it adds up to a total of 8,760 additional calories burned.

From:

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/fitness/fitness-management/walk-away-a-winner.html?__utma=1.798338809.1326317086.1326317086.1326317086.1&__utmb=1.2.10.1326317086&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1326317086.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=-&__utmk=60567981

Good Check Up!

Hello Ladies!  I'm so excited because I had a great check up at the doctor yesterday.  My blood glucose is down!  I've been working on remembering to take my medicine each morning and each night for the last month.  It's working!

At my last check up I'd mentioned to Dr. Karen that I was starting a new blog with my girls regarding healthy living.  She was very impressed and even remembered at our appointment yesterday that I was doing this.  She just thinks that it's such a great idea for us to be supportive of each other in this undertaking.

So to report on my first goal...I'm doing it!  And by doing it I am creating a healthier me!  Wa-hoo!! Go Me!  I know that this may seem like a very, very small step, But to see results is so awesome!  I was at 195 on Monday morning.  I haven't seen any numbers in the 100's for years!

For this week my goal continues to be remember to take my medication (I've had the dosage doubled).  And I'm also adding drink more water during the day.  One of the effects of the medication is that I don't feel hungry, or thirsty.  So going back to my pitcher of water everyday is important.  I was told that if I eat right I won't have dire side effects (the runs) from the medication.  So far so good, I've been able to handle what has come...so this piece of information will prompt me to watch what I eat more closely.

As a side note:  I celebrated yesterday's LOW with french fries at lunch...perhaps I should choose another form of celebration.  No fries today.  Medication & water...I'm on a good start!

How did YOU do with your goal for last week.  Let's get some feedback going here.  Thank you to those of you who have been making comments on the blog.  I am glad to see that some of you are reading it.

Some Helpful Tips

The following information is taken from a resource compilation entitled: Congregational Nutrition & Wellness: Guidelines, Policies and Resources.  This information has been put together by Interfaith Food & Farms Partnership, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. I received a copy of this from my friend, the Parish Nurse, here at work.

1. Eat whole, unprocessed foods.
2. Eat meats, poultry, and eggs from pasture-fed animals; try to eat lean meat and limit consumption of processed meats.
3. Refer to The Marine Stewardship Council website www.mcs.org for healthful seafood recommendations.
4. Try to use organic, low/non-fat dairy products from pasture-fed cows when possible.
5. Try to avoid using hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils.
6. East lots of fruits and vegetables--preferably fresh, local and organic.
7. Use whole grains, legumes and nuts; try to limit intake of processed grains (white flour products, cereals, etc).
8. Use a variety of herbs and spices; try to limit sodium intake.
9. Use natural sweeteners in moderation (honey, maple syrup/sugar, stevia); try to avoid refined sugars when possible (high fructose corn syrup, fruit juices, glucose, etc).
10. Get plenty of sleep, exercise & natural light.  Think positive thoughts and practice forgiveness.

The link below will take you to the original packet on the web.  Scroll down to page 20 for an interesting and informative chart  regarding Healthy food options & ideas.  I couldn't get the chart to copy into the blog so You'll have to go to it.  Good luck.   Eat healthy!

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaithandwellness.org%2Fimages%2Fstories%2FGuidelines_and_Policy_Packet.doc

Menu Planning??? What will they think of next?

In my surfing today I found this humorous, but interesting little article. I can identify with it 100%. If her ideas sound overwhelming at first just begin with a menu plan that you can rotate, and work into the coupons & sales, etc. Do always go with what you find in your cupboard...I'm sure you are already doing this step of her plan. We used a similar plan when you guys were little and it does save on the mommy stress! Menus can be for one week and use it every week. Or it could be two weeks worth of menus and use it over for the second half of the month. What every works for you. And by actually planning out what is available to eat you can slip in some items that are home-cooked and better for your family. What? you'd rather eat potato chips than baked potatoes? Well, who wouldn't! But the extra effort will be worth it as you see, over time, the inches shed.

PS: I have not been to the sites that are listed in this article.

Any thoughts? Have you found anything that works well for you? Hey! could this be a goal?


My Mommy Secret to getting things done…

by DAWN WILKERSON (click the title of the article to go to the article on it's website)

     My biggest secret to keeping myself organized is a menu. You heard right… a menu keeps my family ticking.
     Just think about it, if you have a menu planned out, you will save several hours a week asking, "What would you like for dinner?", what about the time saved driving to the grocery store 3-5 times a week? How about this, if you don't have a menu, all day long there is this little voice in your head asking, what are you going to feed everybody tonight? Am I right? I know I am! Trust me, I have been there!!! I also know that I want my focus to be on the present not the future of food.
     I have a simple process that I want to share with you. It all starts Sunday evening… towards the end of Sunday dinner I ask what meals haven't we made in awhile that you would like to see on the menu soon. (Now I learned to put the word soon because if they all have a suggestion and it doesn't fit this weeks menu do to my budget, timing or nutritional value, it gives me an easy out to say it will be on a future weeks menu). Their suggestions give me a starting block.
     After cleaning up dinner I get my calendar out ( I LOVE the Amy Knapp's Family Organizer as it has the monthly page and weekly pages that have To do list, tear out grocery list and menu! Love it!). I then pencil in the meals the family choose by what works best with our schedule. You see, during football season, my son HAD to eat by 4pm or he didn't eat until 8:30pm so it was always a quick easy meal or crock pot day. If I have a meeting or something to attend, then again an easy meal or crock pot meal. You know your schedule, make the meals work within, if you don't take that into consideration you might as well, throw the menu out the window and go buy a pizza.

     Once I have the family's legitimate suggestions penciled in, I look at the pantry and freezer… list which ingredients are still needed for those meals. Then from the pantry and freezer, what meals can I still make which will take minimal extra groceries. I fill those in.
     Keep in mind, when you are starting out, your eyes may not be accustomed to finding the ingredients they need on your shelves but after doing it for as little as a month, you will dramatically see your grocery bill go down.
     I then go through the grocery sales flyers and see, is there something on sale that I can add to a future menu? This is “stock the pantry and freezer but not busting the budget.” This is what will enable you to shop from your pantry and freezer so you spend your grocery money on the fresh produce and future menus!
     When I was first starting out with making my own menus, I would pick a style of food for each day of the week… for example, Monday was Mexican (start the week with a Fiesta was my thought), Tuesday – Comfort foods (usually soup or crock-pot), Wednesday – Italian or Pasta, Thursday – Fish or chicken, Friday – PIZZA night!, Saturday – breakfast for dinner, Sunday – left overs.
     I really encourage you to play with it and see what works for you. There are several programs that you can purchase that offer menus and recipes. That may be your starting block. One that I have used in the past is www.savingdinner.com, it comes complete with menu, grocery list and recipes.
     Just think about what you will do with your time when it is not being filled with Mom, what's for dinner?
     I will leave you with this one last thing… my menu for this week!

• Monday – all'arrabbiata pasta (fire red sauce over pasta) 
• Tuesday – chili (supposed to be the coldest day of the week here) 
• Wednesday - Tent chicken (chicken and veggies in individual portions in aluminum foil tents for the oven) 
• Thursday – Breakfast for dinner (pancakes and sausage) 
• Friday – Homemade Pizzas! 
• Saturday – Hot wings and salads 
• Sunday – left overs (from mom: we never had any leftovers when you guys were growing up! so I would do something that could cook while we were at church.) 

     Happy Menu planning! Your family, budget and most importantly your mind will thank you!
     Many blessings to you! Dawn

Walking Tips

• Start with short distances or time periods — five to 10 minutes at a time. Slowly increase your time by a couple of minutes every two weeks. 
• Break it up. If your goal is 30 minutes, try a 15-minute walk twice a day. Or break it into three 10-minute walks. 
• Take the grandchildren to the zoo instead of the movies. Walk with a colleague to discuss business matters. 
• Walk the mall if you can't walk outside in your neighborhood. If you can afford it, get a treadmill. 
• Warm up with 5 minutes of slow walking, then walk briskly, then cool down with 5 minutes at a slower pace. 
• Get a good pair of walking shoes that fit well and have a flexible sole and an adequate cushion for your heel. 
• Keep track of your time and distance walked each day. Keeping a daily log lets you see your progress and keeps you motivated. 
• Wear a pedometer. Taking 5,000 steps or fewer daily is considered sedentary. Work your way up to 10,000 steps, which is considered active. 

xoxo-------------------------------xoxo

Want to get the most from your workout? Here are some insider tips from nationally known personal trainers, coaches and exercise physiologists:

1. The bottom line Here's the minimum you need to stay healthy: muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week plus 2 1/2 hours a week of moderate activity like walking. Or 75 minutes a week of a more intense activity like jogging. Ask your doctor before starting a new exercise routine. 
2. Get fitter faster A more intense workout burns more calories in less time, says Pamela Peeke, M.D., author of Fit to Live. "You can walk a 5-kilometer [3.1-mile] race in 40 minutes, jog it in 30 minutes or run it in under 20 minutes. Either way, you're burning the same amount of calories," she says. 
3. Short spurts are best--Alternate spurts of hard, high-speed activity with periods of slower activity to shorten a workout while improving fitness, says Ron Woods, a coach at the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Fla. 
4. Stronger muscles in minutes We lose muscle mass as we age, making us weaker. Two or three 30-minute weekly sessions using free weights or resistance bands will restore muscle and keep bones strong, says David Sandler, author of Fundamental Weight Training. 
5. Upper- and lower-body moves Alternating an upper-body strength training exercise with a lower-body move is a time-saver, says Gina Lombardi, author ofDeadline Fitness, who has trained celebrities such as Andy Garcia. Alternate cardio moves, like rope-jumping, with strength exercises such as lunges. 
6. No-sweat workout Even office workers can handle a 15-minute daily exercise break, says trainer Rick Bradley, who helps people train at work. Start with a 10-minute walk in the hallway or outdoors, then add a few exercises with resistance tubes and a couple of side bends. "The trick is to do this every day," he says. 
7. Say yes to yoga A few minutes of yoga-type stretches after a workout improve flexibility, range of motion and strength in a way that aerobic activities can't, says Beryl Bender Birch, author of Boomer Yoga. An introductory class is best for beginners, since regular classes often last 90 minutes. 
8. Buddy up Exercising with others makes time fly. Dodo Stevens, 67, of Portland, Maine, meets 10 women and a trainer for a 45-minute workout at a neighbor's house. Cost: $11 per person. "I love working out with other people," she says. "The whole thing is over before you know it." 
9. Mix it up Exercise programs need variety. If you do the same thing all the time, your body adapts and you stop making progress, says Peeke, the fitness author. Look for classes that provide an introduction to Zumba, Bellyrobics or other new, fun activities. 

Elizabeth Pope is a writer based in Portland, Maine.


Hey, I have Zumba!

Walking: The Easiest Exercise

Hi Gals...in my surfing today I found this little article and thought it was interesting.  Yes, I do surf on the AARP site; I'm so old now.  Anyway, the guy in the article is taking control of his life through this easy, and free, exercise.  I found it to be inspirational for me so, I'm adding it to our blog as a quick reminder of the benefits of walking. Some of the ages listed in this article are a tad older than we are...even me! But I believe that the idea and information will also apply to us.

Walking: The Easiest Exercise
Improve your health in the New Year
by: Candy Sagon | from: AARP Bulletin | December 21, 2011

     I have two doctors, my left leg and my right leg," wrote British author George Trevelyan in 1913 about the health benefits of walking. Nearly a century later, modern medical experts echo the same advice: Get up and walk.
     Walking may be the single best — and easiest — exercise you can do to improve your health in 2012.
     Not only will going for a daily walk help you feel better now, it will help you maintain your independence and ability to do daily tasks as you age, says Barbara Bushman, a health professor at Missouri State University who has helped older, sedentary men and women start a walking routine. Research also has shown that walking regularly can help protect the aging brain against memory loss and dementia, help cut the risk of heart disease, and reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes in high-risk adults by a whopping 60 percent.
     And we're not talking marathon walking either. The peak benefits come from 30 minutes of exercise several times a week, say experts. Most of us do need to move more: Only 30 percent of people ages 45 to 64 say they engage in regular leisure-time physical activity, and that drops to 25 percent for those 65 to 74, according to the National Institute on Aging, which has launched a "get off your duff" campaign called Go4Life.
     And even if you weigh 400 pounds and can't climb a flight of stairs — you can start walking. Just ask Rick Genter.
     Genter, a 51-year-old software engineer in Redwood City, Calif., was morbidly obese 10 years ago. He lived in the Boston area then and spent his whole day sitting at a computer. Walking up a flight of stairs left him gasping for breath. "My whole family is obese," he says. "My mother died at age 56. My father is at least 150 pounds overweight and on all sorts of medication. I had high cholesterol, high triglycerides and I was convinced I was on my way to diabetes, a heart attack, or both."
     Genter joined a medically supervised weight loss program. They told him he needed to do some kind of exercise every day. "They said, 'Do anything as long as you like it,' " he recalls.  Walking seemed doable, so he started out slowly, walking 30 minutes each day on his lunch break. "I found I really liked it. And as I started to lose weight, it got easier," Genter says. As the pounds came off, he began walking to work — seven miles each way — even in winter. "It felt so great. It made me understand what was meant by 'a runner's high.' "
     Nearly a year after he started dieting and walking, Genter had lost 186 pounds and was down to his goal weight of 200 pounds. He got a new job in Northern California, and last year he got married. He and his wife now have a dog, and walking it twice a day for 20 to 25 minutes is part of his daily exercise routine. He also makes sure he gets up from his computer at work several times a day and takes a brisk 30-minute walk.

     Today he weighs 195, he says proudly. "It's been nine years and I've kept it off. And walking is a big reason why." Genter didn't join a gym, hire a trainer or buy an exercise machine. He just walked. 

     So how do you get started? Slowly.

     "Don't set a really large goal. Set a small one first, like walking one block, then gradually add on to that," suggests Sharon Brangman, M.D., chief of geriatric medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y. Her patients are all over 65, many in their 80s and beyond. "I've had women in their 70s who tell me they feel sluggish and can't lose weight even though they eat like a bird," she says. But once they start walking daily, "they sleep better, feel better and even lose some weight. One woman told me, 'I don't know why I didn't do this before.' "
     Start with a short walk, even five to 10 minutes, and gradually increase to 30 minutes five days a week. "And it doesn't have to be 30 minutes continuously. You could even split it into three 10-minute walks during the day," says Bushman, who is also editor of the new American College of Sports Medicine's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health. Just be sure to check with your doctor before you start any exercise program, especially if you recently have been inactive or are substantially increasing your activity level.

Goals for 2012

Have any of you taken time to jot down a goal or two for this new year?  I know that some say new year goals are highly over rated, but, a small goal is better than no goal at all.  Remember in young women's when you had to have a goal for almost everything?  Well, it has been found that make lots of little everyday goals and accomplishing them is a good thing.  So I know that you all have the right training for this goal thing.  I know that it is Wednesday already and the 4th of January.  But you have an assignment.

Take a moment, perhaps while in the bathroom for 30-45 seconds, and think of one thing you want to accomplish regarding yourself in the next few days.  It could be as simple as "get up on the first ring of the alarm  clock each morning."  Then go to work trying to do it.  Take each day at a time, if you missed accomplishing it this morning, try for it again tomorrow morning.   Maybe your goal for the week will be to drink X # of glasses of water today; or read 1 verse of scripture while in the bathroom each morning or after you get the kids off to school, etc.  What ever works for you.  Remember it's just a tiny little goal for one week.  Write your goal on the blog here and then at the end of the week go back to your post and report on how you did. If you did it then awesome keep up the good work.  If you didn't do it, did you accomplish it at least once during the week?  Is it something you might want to work on again for a week and see if you improve?  Do you need to add another goal or change the wording or action to the one you had last week?

We, as your support team, will praise you for whatever you are able to accomplish.  In fact, I'll pause here for just a minute to give Jennifer a KUDOS for being a great mom.  She stepped away from the situation, leaving her kids in a safe environment, and calmed down, and also allowed them to calm down.  Good job Jennifer!  This can be a good thing for her...practicing patience while disciplining her children. Any of you have a need to have this type of goal?  Remember we are only working on ONE goal this week.

OK, here is my goal for the rest of this week.  I'll report back on Monday most likely.
Read from the Book of Mormon each day.  There it is that simple.  No amount of time is listed for me because anything will be better than nothing.

So what's YOUR goal for the week?