Time to Eat!

 

I refuse to eat fast food, if I don’t have the time to prepare a meal then I would rather do without.

I admit the first time I read a cook book and saw phrases such as put in oven for 60 minutes or use fresh garlic gloves, well I was like who has that kind of time?! It turns out I do and my hunch is you do as well.

I walk in the door from work and first thing I do is preheat my oven and starting dicing veggies or making up a salad while the rest of the meal is in the oven. Its no different then when you go out for dinner and order a steak.

I love smelling the food in the kitchen or out on my bbq grill, it gets your body ready for the food your about to it. I keep learning all the time and I ask other people who cook for ideas. I called my mother and had her show me how to make my favorite meals she made for me growing up.

I take pride in working in the kitchen and coming up with something new. I have learned how to enjoy a glass of wine and savor the time when I sit down to eat.

Some basic things I add to a lot of my meals: grilled onions,garlic, peppers ,ground pepper and sea salt. For oils I only use extra virgin oil or coconut oil.

Such simple little changes in my life make be a happier person and I feel a healthier person as well.

It’s not my  position to tell anyone what they should be eating , I’m just sharing what I have learned. Slow food that you make fills more than just your belly.

 

Peace and Love all!

Body beautiful

 

Hello All,

Just some ramblings on body image as I wonder on my path to a better life.  The human body is an absolute marvel to behold and if treated right will respond in kind with helping you do all the things humans do  like climbing stairs, lifting heavy things, breathing etc..

We allow media to dictate so much to what we should be like its very easy to forget the most beautiful thing is an individual.

We live in age where a young girl who is tall and lean has her makeup done by professional artists, then photographed under ideal lighting and at last photo shopped so no blemish or unwanted curve appears and it presented on a glossy magazine cover and the world says yes this is a real natural beauty. The end results are  real girls of all ages feel they are ugly and do not measure up.

I watched a body building documentary the other day and it was funny to watch these guys just before they go onstage and they not only get tan applied but they had their helpers wiping their bodies with a bronzer paint so the muscles looked “better”. 

On one hand I believe in wear what you dig, life is short go rock that hat or leather boots ..but when it comes to your body it should be about health.

Science has made much of a face that is symmetrical is more appealing and I’m sure that there is something to all of that, but when I look around I see beauty comes in all sizes and shapes.

I have found what is beautiful, is the imperfections we have and what what we do with what we have. The struggle should be to feel valid in our own skin not to blend into a crowd of mannequins (which are creepy –Twilight Zone episode anyone??). No one on the planet can decide for me what or who I feel is beautiful, I will make that choice myself. Beauty is truth and reality,when all else is stripped away and the results that shine too me are the people who understand that its not about a dress size or the amount of muscles you have…its celebrating all that is you.

Don’t wait for the slow song folks, the dance has begun!

 

Peace and Love all 

Lewis and Clark trail Weldon Springs MO

 

My cousin Heather and I along with two dogs decided to take on the Lewis and Clark trail in Weldon Springs MO. We chose an exceptional nice day in February when it climbed up into the low sixties and the sun was shining bright.  You have the choice of two trails one is 8 miles and the other is five miles. We chose the five mile  and off we headed. The trail heads are marked Lewis or Clark and every now and then a marker is planted to remind you where the trail is. We crossed through an open plain and followed the trail over a creek and for the first mile or so we never saw another soul. The ground was hard and bits of ice could be seen here and there.

Eventually we started to see hikers coming towards us and we would ask how close are we to the river bluffs. The web site said there is a spectacular view of the Missouri river along the bluffs and a modest climb here and there.

Somewhere about the first hour into the hike we came across the mud. My assumption is the ground had being frozen the past few weeks and this sudden warm day started to thaw everything out.

I was walking my pals pit bull Sadie and she was like having a small engine pulling me through the muck and mire.

 

 

At long last we could see the river peeking through the trees and a vista soon appeared that makes every moment of the hike worth it.

 

 

 

You will find several small overhangs along the bluffs where you will find and outstanding a view of the river.

 

 

We stopped to take some pictures and enjoy the view knowing we still had two or three miles to walk back. Here’s where the challenges came in. The mud was now thick and filled with puddles and we crossed several long tricky passages where one really had to watch their step.

One or two hills that I would not think of  twice about, now brought us to a crawl because of the thick mud. Still along the way we met several hikers all very cheerful and sharing info about the mud or how much further to a nice view.

Three hours later we arrived at the parking lot where we had started and I was left wondering how nice this would be if it was not muddy. I have heard the bugs can be harsh in the summer..I will find out because I can’t wait to try it then. As far as tips it goes without saying wait until the ground is dry. When I go back I will take a walking stick and bug spray. I’m sure I will go early and do the entire eight mile path. In spite of the mud I really enjoyed the trail. Plenty of changes along the paths to keep it interesting and a lot of history you read about later on around this area.

It might be a bit long for some people but I found it ideal for a day hike.

 

Peace and Love

 

 

 

Keeping status quo

 

If you could snap your fingers and have any persons physique, just how long do you think you could maintain that persona without changing your unhealthy habits?

I think if that was possible it would be just like a drunk driving a brand new Porsche off a cliff..it would start off looking great and very soon would be at the bottom of the heap.

If you know someone who is fit and healthy study their ways for awhile. You will find that they watch what types of food they eat, they have a regular workout plan and they do everything they can to maintain each day. This a life style not a diet for 30 days or three days of only drinking water and licking a head of cabbage.  This is about living a good life as opposed to existing in denial.

Some people are so good at their natural ways of staying healthy its second nature to them and the same goes for the unhealthy people. Some examples I have noticed in my office building:

One lady I know always has a small bag of her own homemade trail mix on her desk. Three or four grapes,a small handful of almonds and a pear or a banana. She takes the stairs through out the day and parks further away at the back of our parking lot. She has a water bottle  she fills up through out the day and she belongs to gym where she does an aerobic workout a few days a week.  She just turned 60 and looks twenty years younger .

Another lady ,also on our second floor parks as close as she can to the building, walks in the front door everyday day with a  fast food drive through breakfast, takes the elevator up the one floor instead of the stairs , has a large candy jar all year round on her desk and only gets up when its her time to go on a smoke break. She has one of  her friends pick up fast food for her for lunch. She is under 25 and blames “life” for making her fat!

Both of these ladies are set in their daily routine by habit and choice.

One man I work with had a health scare and decided it was time for a change, he has a very busy schedule so he took a look at his day and traded staying up late watching TV for going to bed and hour or so early so he could go to the gym before work.

Nothing has to be extreme, just start out trading good ideas for bad. You will find yourself feeling better every day.

Everyone will slip from time to time, the worst thing you can do is beat yourself up,a better tactic would be to remember how you felt after you slacked off for the next time you get tempted.

The main point of this rambling mess is its not enough to lose weight and gain muscle , it must be maintained.

 

Peace and Love all