Filth and Wisdom

Do you wash your hands after going to the bathroom EVERY time? do you sneeze into the crook of your elbow and not your hands? Well, good for you! You're on your way to preventing the transmission of illness inducing viruses and bacteria to the unsuspecting public. I'm sure some of you heard the PSAs on hand-washing and the lack thereof. Apparently something like 70% of people don't wash their hands after visiting public restrooms. It turns out that this hygienic failure has been contributing to the rise in hepatitis.
For the most part most of us do try to be clean and hygienic, but there is too much of a good thing when it comes to prevention. Those convenient hand sanitizers and our over-use of antibiotics have made strains of the cold and flu viruses much more virulent than before. We have made our everyday microbes much stronger in our efforts to stave them off. Sure they went away but they came back mighty! Turns out that when it comes to prevention, washing is good enough and chicken noodle soup is just what the doctor ordered. The myriad of microbes we come into contact with daily serve to bolster our immune systems and prepare them to protect us when it counts. Consider it basic training for our systems. However, you should take note if you seem to get more often than most as that can be an indicator of a weak immune system and more serious illness.

Do you know how much you actually are eating?

So the haze of winter is falling away and here we are faced by another Spring. Did you exercise your way through winter? good for you! Did you mostly hibernate and are now taken aback by what you see in the mirror? well, join the millions of us who feel the same. This question applies to both factions . Most people eat for emotional reasons or out of boredom and when in either of these states it becomes difficult to focus on the quantity of food consumed.
If you're one of the many people who have that last five or ten pounds to lose then this is the question that is standing between you and your success. How much food are you eating daily and is it more than you need? If it is and you've been exercising enough then you might be able to get by but if not you most certainly will pack on or retain those pounds.
Still exercising isn't the get out of jail free card that some hope it to be. There is a tendency for some to eat too much when exercising, especially when doing a lot of cardiovascular work. On average it's been noted that women who exercise tend to consume 166 more calories daily than needed. Doesn't sound like much but that can add up to 1162 calories a week, almost half a pound! Half a pound a week is 2 pounds a month or 24 pounds a year!! Moral of the story here is that we still have to watch how much we consume even when exercising.
Others still will find that they are not eating ENOUGH. Skipping breakfast and choosing high fat selections are just two habits that will keep you from your goal. Well, how do we change things you ask? Try to change one bad habit as a time ( eat breakfast!) and a food log is extremely helpful in tracking bad habits. Weight watchers has made this concept the crux of their success as point counting is just another way to keep track of food consumption.
A food log forces you to be accountable for what you eat. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just write own exactly what you eat including how many calories and fat that item has for at least 3 days. Then try exchanging some of those items for the lower fat, lower calorie versions. Next, get moving: take a walk after dinner, go dancing whatver you can do. You will be surprised by what even seemingly small changes can do. To be continued....

First run

I made myself proud today. Woke up at 7:30am, had my Yerba Mate and me and my Shuffle were out the door and across the Williamsburg Bridge lickety split. I felt like Rocky Balboa in my sweat shirt, hood pulled over my head and a look of determination ( I hope) pasted on my face. It was my first run since, oh I dunno, August 2007? That's a long sabbatical for me, someone who considers herself a "runner". Oh, I did other things usually: Bootcamps, Spinning, Yoga...but none of those were running. Ironically enough running is like riding a bike, you don't ever forget once you learn. What I can't believe is that it's been 20 years since I first laced up my sneakers for a run. I'll never forget how ungainly I felt that first time and how powerful I felt after . I was hooked from then on and still visualize as I did then that I'm a Clydesdale or some other powerful creature when I unfurl my legs into a stride. I felt like that this morning although somewhat more coltish as I brushed the cobwebs off my running shoes. Some people hate to run, say it hurts their everything. Others just find it incredibly boring. For me running is time away, a form of meditation, a celebration of my strength and endurance. Why did I stop then? no idea really. I blame my old but well served running shoes but the truth is the old legs simply begged for a rest from the mad dashes that made up my regular life too. They needed more running and less careening. I don't think I'll stop running again. At least not until I get where I'm goin.