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OLD AGE IS NOT FOR SISSIES

NOTHING IN LIFE IS TO BE FEARED

I Like Meat

by Filed Under: Food & Drink, Nutrition & Diet

I am a meat eater and have never understood why people stop eating meat. I have a friend who said that we are omnivores. We would have teeth like a rabbit if we ate nothing but vegetables. Makes sense to me.

I don’t know anybody in my family who doesn’t eat meat. And like my dad, I love a juicy steak, a rare juicy steak. I like my steaks rare, but not my chicken.

Occasionally, I get a waitress who questions me about my order for a rare steak. She will ask me if I understand that it will have a cool center or that blood may come out of it. Always, I tell her I know that. 

One time, my dad ordered a rare steak and a waitress treated him the same way. She replied with another question as he answered each. Finally, Daddy looked her straight in the eyes and said., “Honey, I don’t think you understand. Just tell the chef to knock his horns off, wipe his ass, and pass him quickly over the coals.” She looked at him stricken, and my mama said, “William.” in the same way she did when she scolded us.

Having said this, though, I am 70 years old and my digestive tract does not work as well as it used to. So I never eat red meat more than once every four days. I have to give my system a chance to rest. I believe red meat is harder to digest than other meats. 

So is everyone else having trouble with eating red meat? Or is it just me?

I can’t eat shrimp either, but that is another story. 

All of this is a reminder. Getting old ain’t for sissies!

Top 5 Supplements You Should Be Taking When You Are Middle Aged or Older

by Filed Under: Health, Nutrition & Diet

As many of you know, I have a special doctor who is truly most interested in preventing health problems in the future for me and my husband.  Recently, Chuck and I attended one of Dr. Leslie Emhoff’s seminars; and this one was about supplements and what we should be taking for optimal health.

 

Doctor

 

Here is a list of his recommended top five:

1.  Vitamin D3–  This essential vitamin lowers risks of heart disease, cancers, stroke, diabetes, Parkinson’s, weight gain, depression, and death. It may also help reverse muscle mass loss in menopausal women (Sao Paulo). After menopause, both vitamin D and magnesium deficiencies are a problem for women. When taking Vitamin D, we are less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s. Vitamin D deficiency could also be linked to Type 1 diabetes and allergies. 5,000-10,000 IU is his recommendation for daily use.

2. Probiotics – counteract inflammation and produce a ton of micronutrients that your body needs. 80% of your melatonin is produced in your gut; so if your gut is messed up, you have a problem. He suggested 50 billion units. And do not make the mistake I did and take it out of its capsule to pour its contents in your smoothie. Take the capsule whole. I take mine early in the morning.

3. Curcumin (turmeric). This supplement fights inflammation, which they are finding leads to dementia. It helps create cell growth in the brain and can stimulate neuron connections.    It expresses genes, when stress and toxins are a problem. It helps turn on good genes and turn off the bad ones. Suggested use: 500-800 mg extract daily.

4. Magnesium – depletion of this leads to diabetes, fatigue, migraines, osteoporosis, plus many more problems. Magnesium activates over 300 enzymes in our bodies.   Chronic stress and aging lead to lower levels. Highly processed foods add to why our levels are so low today.   It is also further depleted by soft drinks and sweets.   Magnesium affects cellular energy production. The magnesium levels in our bodies are hard to measure because only 1% of it is in our blood.  Make sure it is citrate, so your body will absorb it.  Magnesium oxide does not work at all for me.  I’ve read that other forms of magnesium are a problem, too.  250-700 magnesium citrate at bedtime.

Don’t make my mistake.  I used to take mine in the morning and kept getting sleepy by early afternoon.  It affects your circadian rhythm.  I took magnesium to help me sleep better.  I wrote an earlier post on this called How Our Circadian Rhythms Affect Our Ability to Sleep

5. Vitamin K2 – modulates.  It is the traffic director for calcium.  It keeps it out of your blood stream and directs it into your bones.  It is usually manufactured by probiotics in your gut. We get it naturally from fermented products like sauerkraut. 90-100 mcg a day

Wellness medicine is different from illness medicine.  My doctor refocused his practice not just to diagnose and treat illness, but to also deliver personalized preventative health care. This seminar on what supplements we should be taking was part of his new focus.

 

Apple A Day

How To Stay On A Good Diet!

by Filed Under: Nutrition & Diet

Breakfast can help you maintain a good nutritional diet.  Here’s a nutritious recipe for my Egg & Tomato Florentine Stack.  It can help you maintain a good diet for the rest of your day, which means it can help you maintain your New Year’s resolution for eating better.

Breakfast is my most important meal of the day.  No matter how badly I did with my nutritional or exercise needs the day before, I can always start fresh and anew with breakfast.

So what was bad for me the day before?  Well, eating more than the portion I had allotted myself for a dessert.  Not getting around to the weights I needed to lift?  Not getting out and walking for my load bearing and aerobic exercise.  Eating more than my allotted portion of just about anything.  Having that second alcoholic drink in a day.  The list is always numerous.

It is always, always a struggle.

But I’ve learned over the years that I am best in the early morning.  My willpower is at its peak then.  And if I eat right during breakfast, I’m more likely to do better for the rest of the day.

Rule #1 is to always ALWAYS eat breakfast, no matter what the circumstances.  I cannot remember the last time I skipped breakfast, and I was a very busy business woman.  During the legislative sessions in Florida, I was in the Capitol many days by 6 to 7 a.m.; and frequently we worked until late into the evening for several days in a row at a time.  I always ate a good breakfast, no matter what.  It was a good start to every day.

Rule #2 is to always eat a good balanced breakfast.  I try to eat at least one egg for breakfast.  Usually I just fry it up in coconut oil and eat an egg, but during the past few years I’ve been adding extras.  Lately, those extras added are what I call “a breakfast stack”.  My favorite breakfast stack is spinach, tomato, goat cheese and egg.  My recipe follows this post.

I add to my stack a glass of whole milk and a piece of fruit, which is mostly mixed together in a smoothie.  I wrote a post about this earlier, and you can find it here.

Finally, I have a piece of sprouted whole grain toast with some real butter.  I sincerely believe that all the diets that cut out real fats had it all wrong.  I believe that if you cut out the fats, you’ll be hungry for the rest of the day.

I now drink whole milk and use real butter.  I no longer buy cheese made with skim milk.  I changed this in my diet over a year ago, and I’ve been checked by my doctor at least twice now.  My cholesterol has not increased, and my weight has maintained itself within a coule of pounds of what I consider my optimal weight.

Rule #3 is to always relax while I eat.  I give myself about 20 minutes.  Back when I worked, sometimes I didn’t get the full 20 minutes; but I always tried, even if I had to get up earlier.  It was worth it.  Those de-stressing moments set me up for a more relaxed day ahead.

Below is my breakfast stack.  It is easy and takes less than 10 minutes to make (probably closer to five but I’ve never timed it.)
Eggs and Tomato Florentine Stack

Ingredients needed:   one egg, some goat cheese crumbles, a handful of fresh spinach, coconut oil spray, and two slices of tomato.

  1.  Take a small frying pan, turn the heat on medium high, spray with coconut oil spray and stir fry a handful of spinach until it wilts.  Add it to your plate.  By the way the other day Chuck passed through the kitchen while I was doing this and said, “You know you’re just frying leaves there.”  Funny man.

spinach and tomatoes

2. Next, spray again and fry up the two slices of tomato on medium high heat.  Turn once and when the tomatoes get a little soggy, remove them and stack the two slices side by side on top of your spinach.

I use a variety of tomato that is near and dear to me, plus in my opinion it is the best tasting tomato in the nation.  I used to work for and represent the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (aka IFAS) at the University of Florida.  For years our nation’s food scientists bred tomatoes so that they would withstand the rigors of shipping, until they eventually bred out the gene that made tomatoes taste good.

Years ago, though, while I was working for IFAS the scientists there began working on breeding a tomato that tasted good.  The result is the “Tasti-Lee” tomato.  Finally, a commercial tomato that tastes juicy and sweet like a tomato should.  Commercial is important because it means that you can find this tomato in your grocery store on a regular basis.

Tasti-Lee
I buy mine from Publix a grocery store here in the south, but I’m sure it can be found in lots of others.  This tomato is good!

hot tomatoes on spinach

3.  Before you go to the next step and while the tomatoes are hot, sprinkle a few goat cheese sprinkles over the slices of tomatoes.  Also, between each step remove your frying pan from the heat so it doesn’t get too hot.  You may have to experiment with this.  Every cook stove is different.

adding a fried egg

4.  Spray your pan again and add your egg.  I usually pierce the yellow, because you don’t want it runny.  I just pierce it with the edge of my cracked egg.  I’m a firm believer in saving on washing dishes.

Fry the egg well, turning once.   Then stack the fried egg on top of the goat cheese.  The egg will continue to melt the cheese.

egg and tomatoe florentine

Voila!  You’re done.

Usually, I compile the smoothie before I make my stack.  I just don ‘t blend it until I’m ready to eat.

Also, the plate you see above is one of my salad plates.  Years ago I realized that my mother’s dinner plates were the size of my current salad plates.  I’ve been eating on a salad plate ever since.  It helps me with portion control.

Also, when I put the egg on to fry, I start the toaster.  Everything gets done about the same time; and I get to sit down, relax, and read something while I eat breakfast.

I have always tried to never read work-related materials during breakfast.  I usually do some type of devotional.  Right now I’m reading the books of the Bible that didn’t make the Protestant cut for the King James Version.  Interesting reading, actually.  I always wondered about the historical breaks in the Bible.  Some of these books cover those breaks.  I only read one chapter and if I finish, I go on to reading a book for pleasure which is always on my Kindle.

Right now I’m reading a book about an incident in Old Florida.  The book is entitled “Shadow Country” by Peter Matthiessen.    The setting is the ten thousand islands on the southwest coast of Florida during the 1800s after the Civil War.  This was a common place to go for people running from the law.  The main character is Ed Watson, a Florida native who was said to have killed Belle Starr in Arkansas.

I vary the ingredients in my smoothies and stacks. For my stacks sometimes I have regular good old grits (can’t help it, I’m from the south), with my egg and tomatoes stacked on top.  I’ve also added other cheeses, according to my stack.  Cheddar cheese is better with my grits and egg stack.  Oh and I only allow myself one portion of grits when I do this.  That means what will fit in the palm of my hand.

And I never allow myself to eat a pastry of any kind for breakfast. That is probably my worst breakfast ever. It absolutely sets me up to fail over and over again all day long. And I absolutely love the stuff. I have a sweet tooth that will always win if I keep that stuff in my home.

What I get from my breakfast stack and reading is a really good start to my day!  I am more likely to take good care of myself and more likely to maintain a good diet throughout the remainder of the day.

How Our Circadian Rhythms Affect Our Ability to Sleep

by Filed Under: Health, Nutrition & Diet

When I read the book “Younger Next Year”, it suggested that I take a dietary supplement called Seriphos for adrenal support.  Since both my parents died from adrenal conditions–mom with diabetes and dad from pancreatic cancer, I worried that my family’s adrenal glands might be the weak link in our bodies.  So I bought a bottle and started taking Seriphos.

I noticed two changes after several weeks, though I didn’t connect either with Seriphos.  First, I slept well before Seriphos; but now I’m sleeping hard all through the night.  Second, I get so sleepy after lunch that I cannot hold my eyes open.  Otherwise, no change.  I finally ran out of the supplement.  Before purchasing another bottle, I decided to google it and learn more about it.   I’m glad I did.

By the way, Chuck has no trouble sleeping at all.  One morning I woke up and here is how he was sleeping.  I thought he was so sleepy the night before that he went to bed with his ball cap on.  I was thinking, “How did it stay on all night?  Did he not move?”   Turns out he got up early and then decided to go back to bed.  But I digress.

Chuck sleeping

I found a very interesting article which really helped me fully understand what this supplement does. I also read up on its ingredients. For example, it contains magnesium.  Entitled “What to do if You Can’t Sleep” by Dr. Brian Foley, you can find it here.

Most importantly, though, it showed me that I had been taking Seriphos at the wrong time of the day.  I had been taking it early in the morning before eating breakfast.  The bottle said to take it daily with water 15 minutes before a meal.  I took it as soon as I woke up in the morning.   This article, though, says that I need to take it just before bedtime, and this timing is done for a reason that they explain very well.

I found that the  adrenal glands  are part of the sleep cycle, something I really didn’t understand.  The glands produce a hormone called cortisol which helps support our body’s circadian rhythm. In the morning our cortisol should be at it’s highest. This is what wakes you up and gets you going.

At noon the cortisol  level should drop somewhat. If the cortisol drops too much you will get that afternoon slump and feel like you want to take a nap; and this is why I was getting so sleepy in the afternoons.  I was taking Seriphos in the morning, which drove down my cortisol far too early in the day.

But back to the article.  It said that in the evening your cortisol level should drop slightly again and at bed time it should be at it’s lowest. This is so you feel tired and sleepy. I guess by this time all my cortisol was practically gone, so I slept really well.

To finish the cycle, the article said that during sleep the cortisol should gradually increase until it reaches its peak in the morning when it is time to get up.  It is this burst of cortisol that wakes us.

It seems that our circadian rhythm can get all “messed up” due to stress, work hours and staying up too late, like being on the computer or watching TV. It even said that worrying about things or drinking too much caffeine close to bed time can cause our cortisol levels to stay elevated.

Once the circadian rhythm is out of sink you will not be able to get into that deep healing/fat burning sleep.

So I’m buying another bottle, but I’ll take it in the evenings now.

An Update on My Nutrition Lifestyle Change

by Filed Under: Health, Nutrition & Diet

As many of you know, I made a lifestyle change back in February.  I needed to lose about eight pounds, and someone told me about a book called, “The Skinny Rules”.  I embraced it and lost all eight pounds in less than two weeks.  I have since been using the rules I learned to maintain my weight.  I’ve blogged about some of the simple, but very successful rules like drinking water.

Well, I would like to share with you another great rule that has become a part of my life.  I’m talking about the chapter, “Eat Your Vegetables–Just Do It.”

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I love fruit and vegetables, and this is a good thing because we’re learning every day about the health benefits of a healthy diet.  We also know now that variety is as important as the quantity we eat.  USDA encourages us to eat plenty–at least five portions a day.

So, I love vegetables now, but this was not always the case.  As a child I was known as the “picky” eater in my family.  Mom used to say, “Ann’s afraid she might get a vitamin.”   I was that little kid in the cartoon who stood by his first planted garden and upon seeing the cabbage, broccoli and carrots said, “I never thought my seeds would turn on me like this”.

The health benefits of vegetables and fruits are massive.  A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar which can help keep appetite in check.  All of these attributes are important as we age.

Also, vegetables when prepared correctly are low in calories, which brings me to how I was raised to cook vegetables.   Good southern vegetables are not necessarily low in calories.  They are wonderfully laced with bacon drippings, ham hocks, and all kinds of fatty wonders.

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“The Skinny Rules” showed me another way to cook my vegetables.  It included recipes on how to roast several different kinds of veggies, and it had weeks of menus prepared which gave me an opportunity to eat up to nine portions of fruits and vegetables daily.

Roasting vegetables in a very hot oven gives them a caramelized exterior, and it adds a burst of flavor while keeping the inside moist and tender. This showy cooking method easily feeds a crowd or just a couple, and it lets you choose the vegetables. It is easy, but a little time consuming, so once a week I roasted three or four vegetable dishes, stored them in the refrigerator, and ate on them for the remainder the week.  They keep well in the refrigerator; and Harold loved them, too.

Here’s are others related changes that I made.  I keep some fruit and vegetables where I can see it. I’m more likely to eat it, plus many like tomatoes taste better if they are never refrigerated.

I tried new products. Variety is the key, and I like to try new things. I discovered Jerusalem Artichokes doing this. Just google to see if roasting is a possibility. Some vegetables roast better than others, but most vegetables will do.

Here is some basic information.  Roast your vegetables at high heat, about 450 degrees.  This way, they will caramelize on the outside. This adds to the taste.  Just line the pan with foil.  It helps with the cleanup.  Toss the vegetables with olive oil and lemon juice.  This will keep them from drying out, and it adds to the flavor.  Add some herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, or sage.  I google to see which herbs go best with which vegetables. Don’t crowd the vegetables in the pan.

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Betty Crocker bhg.com has a good page for this,  Roast about 30 minutes turning or stirring at least once.  This is so simple to do,  love it!  And I love the flavor too.

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Now back to “The Skinny Rules”.   Here’s the best part of all!

I was literally unable to eat all the vegetables I was allowed to eat.  Not enough room in my tummy.

Jumpstart Your Dieting with Water

by Filed Under: Books, Health, Nutrition & Diet

Have you ever met an Aquarian who doesn’t like water?  Actually, I love it for swimming, skiing, and viewing but not so much for drinking.  Frankly, I’m a fish out of the water.

Credit Pixabay

My parents pleaded with me to drink it. I didn’t see the need, but now I do. Water is what makes our skin healthy, not to mention our insides, our organs. So I’m always trying to remember to drink water.

The other day I read that as we age, we lose our ability to gauge our thirst. I’m not sure I ever had that ability, to begin with.

If you’ve been reading my blog lately, then you know that I’m thrilled with this new lifestyle change that I’ve been practicing. I’m talking about the book called “The Skinny Rules”; and how it changed how I live my life, as it relates to nutrition.

I wrote about this last week–about my biggest challenge, my quest to eliminate the added sweeteners in my foods. I continue to practice this every time I buy a groceries. If I’m not familiar with the product, I read the label and look for a sweetener in the first five ingredients. If it is there, I put the product back on the shelf.

The Skinny Rules

There is also another big change that I’ve embraced. Rule 1 in the book is to drink a large glass of water before every meal—no exceptions.  If he placed it at #1, then it must be the skinny rule that matters most.  There’s lots more about it in his book.

Credit Pixabay

I’ve always wanted to drink more, but I forget. Plus, as stated before I don’t really like to drink it anyway. I believe that my forgetfulness has to do with selective memory. My mind keeps telling me that it isn’t that important, but I know it is.

The author Bob Harper says, “Just by drinking water, your body increases its burning of calories. The scientists estimated that, if you just do this, you’ll burn off an extra three pounds over the next year.”

Let’s see! Nicer skin, better digestive system, and weight loss! Sold!

Credit Pixabay

 

 

I don’t always remember to drink water before each meal, as suggested; but it helps me remember to drink it either before, during or after the meal. That is half my battle.

I am drinking more—lots more. That’s a good thing!

I love this book.

Stop!! The Sugar in Your Diet is Not Your Friend

by Filed Under: Books, Nutrition & Diet

We see sugar everywhere.  For example, have you noticed all the rolls of fat and puffy skin we carry these days? And I’m not just talking about middle-aged and older people, like myself. I see it on everyone—young and old alike.

Just walk through the mall! It wouldn’t be so obvious, but the young girls and women like to wear their shirts tight. I’m not sure if they think it is sexy or if they simply cannot afford to buy new clothes.  What I do know is that it is caused by all the added sugar in our diets. Sugar turns into fat, and it settles around our middle.

Chuck has always been a slim man, but he has been fighting this battle of the bulge lately, too.  It concerns him that his love handles may be here to stay.

The man never eats dessert. He always buys low-fat products. He exercises. In a restaurant, I order the meal with the plum sauce and he orders the plain grilled salmon. He is better at this than I am, so why is he having this problem?

A Book called The Skinny Rules

I read a book called “The Skinny Rules: The Simple, Nonnegotiable Principles for Getting to Thin.” Written by Bob Harper with Greg Critser, it contains rules for losing weight and for maintaining.  A hard copy edition of the book can be bought below,

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or you can purchase it for your Kindle here.

Printed in 2012, I discovered the book when Chuck and I dined with a friend of his. We noticed that he lost a lot of weight. I mentioned it, and he told us about this book that he said changed his life.

My Life with Diets

I’m no novice when it comes to diets. Years ago, when I was in my 40s, I gained about fifteen pounds over about fifteen years. Finally fed up I decided to do something about it before I went over the 150 lb. mark.

I tried the Atkins Diet, but I didn’t like the way it made me feel. It left me always hungry—no, not just hungry, ravenous. I tried the South Beach Diet, but I still had problems and felt hungry all the time. Finally, I went to see Jenny Craig, and the ladies there helped me totally change my eating habits.

I lost weight, all the way down to what I weighed when I was 32 years old. It took me months, but I loved my old/new “me”.

I weighed 127 lbs, but I felt I was too thin so I allowed myself to gain back to about 133 lbs. The most important lifestyle change I made during this time was watching my intake of fiber, making sure I was getting the amount my body needed.

I loved vegetables and fruit, so I just increased them in my diet. I also stopped drinking sugary beverages. No more sweet tea or Cokes. This last one hit me hard, but I lost 8 pounds just by doing this alone.  By the way, it is one of the skinny rules.

I learned many of these diet lifestyle changes while on the South Beach Diet, but what I learned from the Atkin’s Diet was that this food, weight and exercise thing is all about chemistry. The Atkin’s Diet, though, didn’t give me enough information to figure out the puzzle.

Jenny Craig used all these lifestyle changes, and they taught me one more extra important change—portion control. I learned to gauge how much food to eat in comparison to the calories I received. I learned that I got enough calories to keep me satisfied with a very small portion of certain calorie-rich foods.

I retrained my mind to understand this and to stop the cravings. It worked. That is, until about two years ago.

I have fluctuated from about 134 to 137 lbs for the last two years. Lately, my weight crept up to 138 to 139 lbs. I cut out all bread and alcohol, and it took me about three or four weeks to get back to 133 lbs, but then as soon as I went back to eating regularly the weight roared back. So I decided to try “The Skinny Rules”.

These writers certainly do understand the chemistry involved in eating.

Let’s talk about one of the rules!

One of the rules involves learning to read labels. I read labels for years. My biggest pet peeve, or so I thought, was bread made of wheat. I was as aggravated as the next person with the many, many different ways food manufacturers tried to trick us into eating bread that was not a whole grain.

It seems that most of the country thought and probably still thinks that “unbleached, enriched wheat” is better for you than “bleached flour”. The fact is, neither of them is good for you. If it is wheat bread, the first ingredient must say 100% whole wheat; or it is not nutritious.

In fact, I’m certain it is like eating glue. My best way to check their claims is to look at the grams of fiber in a slice. If it has one gram of fiber, then they have stripped out the good and left the glue. So I’m already pretty good at reading labels—or at least I thought I was!

“The Skinny Rules” just taught this old dog a new trick.

But what I missed was all the clever ways they add sugar to our foods.  Here is what changed my lifestyle again. The authors of “The Skinny Rules” say that if sugar appears in the first five ingredients, then “keep walkin’”. So for the last several weeks, I’ve been walking the shopping aisles reading labels on foods that I thought were good…until now.

Oh my gosh! I had no idea. It is amazing how many foods I have to put back on the shelves and in the freezer cases. I had no idea (sorry, I just had to say this twice). Frankly, I believe the authors should make this a rule all by itself.

Rule 21: If the food product has any type of sugar in the first five ingredients, don’t buy it! (Unless it is a dessert or candy. Sorry I just cannot help myself.)

Even this can of collards would be disqualified. Sugar is its hard ingredient.

Here’s an example of how we’re fooled. Chuck was making one of his casseroles last Sunday evening. As I passed through the kitchen, I picked up one of the cans of corn that he was using as an ingredient. It was a low sodium version. On the label, though, the third ingredient was high fructose corn syrup.

Chuck was shocked and upset. He thought it was just corn. We started going through our pantry, and you wouldn’t believe the cereals, canned vegetables, and soups that were laced with sugars of all types.

I went on “The Skinny Rules” diet, and in about a week and a half, I lost all the weight needed. Back down to 133 lbs I lost down to 135 lbs within the first five days. I have never had weight fall off of me so quickly. The recipes were great, and I couldn’t eat all the food offered.

So remember!  It isn’t the fat in our diets that are making us fat, it is the carbs–the sugar!

I love this lifestyle change brought on by “The Skinny Rules”  and will continue to read labels looking for sugar. I count it right up there with my zero calorie beverages, whole grains, fiber, and portion control.

The best result of all, the puffiness around my waist is gone! No more muffin top!!! Even over a month later!

 

How to Maintain Good Health: A 40s Survival Guide

by Filed Under: Aches & Pains, Books, Health, Nutrition & Diet

Our 40s were some of our most difficult years.   My girlfriends and I, most of which are in our sixties, agreed on this one epiphany.

I had a partial hysterectomy at the age of 43, and within a few years, I went through some major problems.  I thought it was the surgery, but I found out it was much more.  There were night sweats, hot flashes, loss of hair, loss of sleep, fatigue, aching joints, constipation, and weight gain.

Some of my friends who hadn’t had a hysterectomy were going through the same thing.

Me at my top weight.

I knew I was getting older, but I just wasn’t ready for this.  My body changed in my 40s, and I didn’t realize that I had to make some big changes in my life to feel good again.

Trying to hide it under a suit.

Good News & Bad News

I visited my general practitioner, who checked my hormones.  He said he had good news and bad news.  I said, “Let’s do the bad news first”.  He said, “You are in menopause”.  I asked if 46 was a little early, and he said yes but sometimes after a hysterectomy things just give up.

“So what is the good news,” I said.  He said, “You are finished.  Menopause is over.”  I remember going home and telling my family.  They all said that they already knew this.  I hadn’t been very easy to live with.

Time to go on a Diet

I weighed almost 150 pounds in my 40s.  I began to get really serious about my diet, and so I tried anything I could find.  I tried the South Beach Diet, the Atkins Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, some sort of a carb diet, and even a diet where you could eat anything you wanted as long as you ate it in an hour.  The last one was Chuck’s favorite–not.  I just about ripped the face off a waitress one night, when she didn’t bring our dessert within the one-hour time limit.

You name it, and I’m pretty sure I tried it.  I even tried the pills, but not more than a couple of weeks.  They made me jittery as heck.  I think I can safely say that my 40s will be remembered as the decade when I was always hungry.

In the meantime, my health in my 40s was going downhill fast.  My cholesterol kept inching up, along with my weight.  I was in an extremely stressful job, and my waist line was quickly catching up with my hips.  I learned about cortisol.  I read everything I could get my hands on.  “Prevention” magazine replaced “Self”.

Then that Pain in my Back

Finally, I really messed up when I threw out my back.  I found myself incapacitated in a world that stops for nothing.   With my kids gone, my work had become my life; and now it was costing me my life.  I loved what I did, but it was getting harder to do it.

So what did I finally do?  I decided that I didn’t want to have back surgery,  and I got really lucky because I found a doctor that didn’t believe in back surgery, unless absolutely necessary.  He was a surgeon himself, but he also ran a rehab unit.

He ordered an MRI.  We could see exactly where the problem was, and then he ordered physical therapy, work with a chiropractor, and a message therapist.  The physical therapy was designed to rebuild the muscles I needed in my frame, and he had me work with weights.

I truly had trouble. It was very painful at first, but I got through it.  It took me an entire year.  In the meantime, my doctor moved away to another city, but he had given me a good head start– information and techniques that I continued to use.

Quite by accident, I found a great little book, “Treat Your Own Back” by Robin McKenzie.  It is my little “back bible”.  I have thrown my back out several times in the past fifteen years, but I always go back to the guidance in this book to pull me through.  And each time my recovery was shorter.  (By the way, it has been many years since I last threw my back out.  Yoga keeps me in shape, now.)

 

Speaking of relapses, if I knew then in my 40s what I know now, I would have never injured my back as badly as that first time.  I know exactly what to do at the first twinge of back pain.  I know what that little sensation means, and I quickly moderate my movements and lifestyle.  I’ve learned how to better take care of myself.

Usually, they occur because I didn’t move enough during a long trip or I had been sitting at my computer too much.  I get lazy, and I forget about my problem until it bites me again.

 

Major Changes were Needed

Speaking of changes in lifestyle, I resigned from my job and began working in one that required less travel and offered a less stressful atmosphere.  I guess I’m blessed, because the new job paid better, too.  It took me over a year to make the change, but it was worth it.

In my 40s I learned to sit better, have better posture, to not lean on the arm rests, and to maintain good alignment at all times.  I try not to cross my legs now.  In other words, I can no longer slouch like a young person.  My body doesn’t heal itself as fast, so I have to be more careful.

I hardly ever sit through a full television program. I use the commercials to get up and do something, even if it is only to wash five dishes.  The point is not to get something done, but to get up and move. I try not to sit in the same chair all the time.

My chiropractor helped in the beginning, but I’ve learned what not to do to help me stay in alignment.  I bet I haven’t seen my chiropractor five times in the past ten years.

I rely on yoga for my exercise and weight work.  I go for a one-hour session twice a week.  Core work is vital to my overall health now.

I learned that if I pull something or if something is aching, I ice it down.  Most likely, it is inflammation; and ice works best.  I do like warm to hot baths, though; but I  now only use them to relieve stress or when I ache.

By my 50s I was Back to Normal

I got my weight back to a good 135 lbs using Jenny Craig.  They taught me portion control mostly.  I have some dishes from my mother’s everyday set of dishes, and her dinner dish is the size of today’s salad plate. So I eat on a salad plate, the size of a plate that my Dad used for most of his adult life.

Plus, it is amazing how much food is pushed at us every day. I can make three meals out of the portions many restaurants currently serve.

I can eat almost anything as long as I always watch my portions, but I don’t eat anything I want.  Again, I had to realize that my body changed. I learned about fiber, and I started eating a lot of vegetables and fruit (at least five a day).  I really developed a taste for vegetables.  I love them! And a piece of fruit is like eating candy. Everything is sweeter since I learned to limit my sugar intake.

Speaking of sugar I gave up two loves of my life: Coca-Cola and Sweet Iced Tea. I transitioned to Diet Coke and unsweetened tea with lemon and Splenda. Honestly, that was the first change I made, and I lost 8 pounds.

I try to eat protein at every meal.  I eat mostly chicken, fish, and seafood, but every once in a while I love a good steak (about the size of a deck of cards).  I try to keep it under 6 oz.

I love bread, but I save my bread calories for whole grain bread.  If it isn’t whole grain, I don’t eat it (this one is still really hard for me.)  I also try to eat one carb at every meal.  It always keeps me from getting hungry.  My carb portion is always meager and is a whole food (a small potato, brown rice, etc.)  I try to stay away from creamy sauces.

I transitioned to whole foods. I went back to whole milk and full fat cheeses. My doctor explained that our bodies need fat and to steer away from no fat or very low fat. I do not have heart disease.  I sincerely believe that if I cannot eat breakfast, I can at least drink a glass of whole milk.  Milk is full of nutrients and has enough fat content to give me the protein and fat I need to keep me from getting hungry.  Skim or even 1% doesn’t give me that.

I try to eat an egg every morning with a piece of whole grain toast, a small glass of whole milk and some fruit.  I never skip a meal, but if I did it certainly wouldn’t be breakfast. It gets my metabolism going for a good calorie burn all day long.  I believe it is vital to maintaining a good weight.

I take some supplements for what I lack.  I worry about Vitamin D and calcium, though I get most of my calcium from my foods now.  (I later learned that I was Vitamin D deficient, and my doctor prescribed 10,000 iu a day). You can read about what my doctor prescribes here.

What If I Fail

Do I fall off the wagon?  Oh dear, yes; but I always try to climb right back up on it, if not the next meal, the beginning of the next day. I went on a cruise last fall and it took me until spring to get back to normal. It was hard to do during the holidays.

I almost never step on the scales, but I let my clothes give me guidance.  I never buy a larger size; and when my slacks are too tight or my bra cuts into me, I get real serious.

Usually, that means, no bread, no alcohol, and no dessert.  Otherwise, I stay to one alcholic drink a day in keeping with current instructions from the medical establishment.

By the way, dessert is a thin slice or about a half cup portion.  It is really just a taste; but once you get used to it, it works. Another way is to allow yourself just one good dessert a week. I save mine for a really yummy one, made from scratch.  And no cheating with a frappecino from Starbucks.

Simply Sixty

At 60 I was 5’4″ and weighed 135 pds.  I wore a size 8, and I have for about fifteen years now.  My measurements are 38, 30, 39.  Not exactly 36, 26, 36; but hey, I’m 60.  If I go below 133, I don’t look good.  My face is gaunt, and I don’t exactly feel good either.  I got down to 128 with Jenny Craig, but that was way too low.

I seldom ache now.  I have no trouble with constipation.  I feel good, and that is the best barometer of all.

My 40s were full of bad moments, but the good news is that you finally figure it out and your 50s get much, much better.

In my 50s

Even better?  Several of my friends in their late 60s tell me that their 60s are the best of all.  I’m just now 60, so another chapter begins!  Wish me luck!

Crocheted Blouse

Me at 60

How were your 40s compared to your earlier or later decades?  What changes did you have to make?  What did you find that worked for you?

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