diet

Covid-20

Written by Gina Rydin

Covid-20 May be a new epidemic.  This year of 2020 has seen more isolation, social distancing, stress, anxiety, loneliness and economic pressure than previously experienced world wide.

The news daily giving daunting details of an illness most do not understand.  The dangers that affect all countries, people, and ethnic backgrounds.  This virus is bringing about such dread and fear that people are experiencing a stress.  Comfort sought sometimes in unhealthy ways.

Some people are gaining weight due to stress and isolation.  Being home is new for many, the stress is compounded by boredom.  Due to the need for comfort some are eating more, unaware of grazing-like activities.  They nervously grab a handful of cereal, some candy, some chips.  Never quite satisfied wanting more, eating more.  Continually, greedily, stressfully looking for more to eat. Feeling so stressed searching for something as the hand meets the mouth with longed for comfort that eludes… .
The Covid-20 may not be everyone’s reality.  Yet, it will affect many, only time will reveal how mankind has been affected by this epidemic.
Gaining weight is unhealthy for most. It should be noted once the habits that contribute to weight gain go on blindly practiced it just compounds an already unhealthy situation.
Good News!  I am aware of many that are still mindful of making healthy food choices.  People whom are still taking walks or going for bike rides.  Are these people the same ones whom have maintained healthy diet and exercise routines for years?  I am not sure, yet, there are many I know that do not want to gain weight whom do strive to eat a healthful diet and they make an effort to exercise most days.

With many children and young people  being restricted from normal activities they may be potential candidates for weight gain.  As parents we have the responsibility to find ways to get our children out in the fresh air and to get exercise.  For growth, brain health and immunity children need sunshine, fresh air, exercise, and stimulating challenges.  This also helps maintain a healthy esteem despite all the world’s present dangers and circumstances.
Parents, Adults and caregivers with responsibilities are under an inhumane amount of duress.  There is very little time to care for personal needs.  Their situation merits much compassion.  Small choices add up to big dividends. Making good food choices for self, healthy portion sizes and making time for exercize may help maintain a degree of sanity.  As many depend on you a parent or caregiver your not expendable.  Involve others in your exercise and healthy eating.
One trick that helps me in two ways is when I am almost done with my meal I set the timer on my phone for 2 hours and 25 minutes.

1.  This helps me to finish my meal w satisfaction and know that I am done eating. Yes, done eating.

2.  The second way it helps is that my sugar is not apt to go too low by then.  Therefore I can have a healthy snack and reset the timer for 2 hours and 25 minutes.

Breakfast 2:25 min a snack 2:25 min lunch 2:25 min afternoon snack 2:25 min supper and if you choose another 2:25 min a light snack in evening.  Amazingly this trick let’s me know I will not starve to death.  No nervous grazing like a cow.  No nibbling out of boredom, I have things I need to do.  Food should not be an obsession or a compulsion.  This timer method I use helps me not think of food.  It is very freeing.  By the way, I am losing weight and I have a lot of weight to lose.
Remember:  There was a time when hobbies,…clean hands keep the puzzles clean while we could be putting Them together.  Clean hands keep our knitting, crochet, or sewing projects respectfully clean.  Go ahead, make a rug or a quilt or do a woodworking project.
Children thrive with projects to work on why not make some time to get them busy.  Remember coloring books, word find books and crossword puzzles?  The workbooks of a child’s grade curriculum are great to have them do a couple pages each morning. It keeps their mind sharp and ready for school. I would get these workbooks at a bookstore and sometimes at wal mart.  Every summer my sons had these workbooks to do.
We live in historic times, let us not respond like victims. We can be survivors by making healthful choices.
Previously people did not have time to pursue hobbies.  During these uncertain times make time for hobbies.  They can keep our minds and bodies healthy.
A few things I am exploring is of course developing spiritual interests as Mathew 5:3 says Happy are those aware of their spiritual needs.  I read the Bible and look at the jw.org website which is always encouraging.  Another thing I am trying is a new Domestic routine.  Looking at small maintenance things that need done while I try to spring clean a room each month.  I want to make a dress and finish a few small projects. My challenge is always health, energy and stamina.  We all have challenges of sorts. That is why it is imperative that we have interests and goals we strive to practice and achieve.  All this is stimulating and satisfying.  Why not see what you can accomplish with joy!

Disclaimer:  Some people will succumb to Covid 19 and this is a very sad loss.  I am not a physician or healthcare practitioner.
Please consider your own situation because only you know your situation and I hesitate to advise.  Please talk to your physician or other responsible person before you change your situation.  This article is meant for healthful consideration. May you and yours be safe and healthy.
I, Gina Rydin decided to title the article  Covid 20 as we are living in 2020 and 20 may be an unhealthful weightgain for most.  It may be a reality for some.  Let’s work together to be healthful with good choices.

When a size Large is too small…

Five Things I can Do to reach my weight loss goal.

Doesn’t life seem that way sometimes?.. Everything is off, nothing seems to work right, and nothing fits.  Efforts seem futile, like today I was putting the onions in the ground to grown when I was done, I looked at my nice small shallow rows with the onions planted, when suddenly J.J. my Sylvester cat decides to jump in, lay there, pull and chew on them.  I urged him to leave the patch and he dug a hole as if that would be the perfect spot to do his evacuation.  I turned the hose on sprinkle mode and he left out of the area quite quickly.

I love the clothes in the Robert Redford line of Sundance.  His catalog features such beautiful clothes and goods, superior quality, and the price to match.  Sadly, I just cannot afford these wonderful items.  I came across one linen blouse, just gorgeous, and a size large.  Last year I wore a medium.  For less than $20.00, I received this lovely blouse.  You can imagine my feeling’s when I discovered it is just a tight fit, is it the companies fault?

Last week, I was attempting to try on a dress when my husband was standing there looking at me.  I said to him, “I am going to try this on…” trying to give him a hint it is a good time for him to move on to other rooms and activities.  He stood there, still, and then he said, “From the looks of it, it might be a tight fit!”.  I told him to just get on the move.  I put the dress on, and I could not button it.  Sadly, the stinker was right.

It is no fault of any clothing company, it is, just what it is, OBESITY.  How did I get here, and why.  When I was young, I was too skinny and I could not gain a pound.  Now, I patrol all I put in my mouth and it is an accruing situation.

At 215 pounds, it seems to be a losing battle, as I steadily gain.  Now, off the antibiotics, I feel I can lose some.  A friend said, “How do you go about losing 90 LBS?”.  My response, “How else, a pound at a time”.  She is sweet and very encouraging about anything I want to do.  She respects my needs for projects and is always interested.  So, losing this 90 lbs is my newest project.

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Filet, Sweet Potatoes, an Asperagus

What is a project without a plan?….How soon can I realistically achieve my goal?  What can I do today that is simple or small that will help me be equipped to reach the goal?

  1. Faith:  Have Faith and conviction that the idea, goal or project is worthy to accomplish. 
  2. Acknowledge:  Acknowledge the Healthy habits and routines that are already practiced as beneficial.  Feel Good about what we already have right!
  3. Implement:  When the most beneficial plan of action is decided upon, get to it.
  4. Tenaciousness:  A friend of mine whom is slender is very tenacious about her diet.  She is sensitive as to how different foods affect her.  She does not let social gatherings affect her feelings about the importance of sticking with her eating plan.  I am a person swayed too easily by my emotions.  I forget my diet if a lovely dessert appears in my mind.  It is time to pull out my “Instead Of:” list. (I previously wrote about the power of Instead Of)  Instead of the banana split, I will work on a painting.  Or take a walk .  Being Tenacious with our goal is protecting our investment of heart, effort, etc.  Aggressively seeing it thru to the finish is what is required to have a successful outcome in the shortest time possible.
  5. Hum:  People whom hum often times do so because of a happy tune or a happy heart.  Feel good about all the baby steps we stick to.  If, we think about how far we have to go, we may give up.  If we feel good about following our small achievements.  We will be successful in achieving our goals.

What goal do you want to achieve?

  1.  We need to write the goal at the top of a nice piece of cardstock.
  2. Break down three categories titled of types of actions needed to accomplish goal.  For example:  Weight loss of 90 lbs.  The four categories for this are 1: Diet, 2: Exercise, 3:  Weekly Positive affirmations,  4:  Attitude check and Progress.
  3. As I look at the first category, I will write down just three things I want to do for my diet, whether it is Lower my carbs to 25 per meal, or have two cups of vegetables each day, or have 350 calories for breakfast as well as lunch, then 450 calories for dinner with just 100 calories for a snack.  Be specific.  Whereas, the Exercise category may be cardio for 35 minutes every other day, with biometrics on the other days.  The Category of  Weekly Positive Affirmations are statements that give a person courage, truthful statements that are considered several times a day, whether a reminder put on cell phone or written on a paper or something included in prayer.  A positive weight loss affirmation for me is:  I do not need to be heavy to be strong, I do not need this fat as a protection.  I am strong and safe anytime.  (with Jehovah’s help).  or another is:  I like caring for myself with the best food possible. Each person knows their own insecurities.  One of mine was, If I was heavy, I would not have to deal with unwanted attention.  Turned out, even while heavy, I still get bothered.  A lot of people have this problem, either they bother others or they are getting bothered.  I am learning to put my hand up in a strong manner when I do not like what is coming my way.  This is difficult for me, but it is becoming my manner.  And the last category is Attitude Check and Progress.  Write down the weight each week, what is my attitude that week gone by, and what good thing I can say to myself to keep motivated.  If I gained three pounds, checking my attitude like:  I have been in the dumps so I ate cookies and skipped my workout all week. Then my new Affirmations will be born out of that.  Example:  After a healthy early dinner and walk, I am going to the bookstore and checking in the bargain section for a craft book.  Or, I am going to arrange to meet a couple of friends to go on a walk with me on some local trails.  Affirmation: I am not waiting for good to happen in my life, I am inviting happy activities into my life each day.

It is time to practice FAITH in our daily life.  We must keep having Faith and Conviction in the beneficial outcome of our project.  We have to Acknowledge the good things we already do right,

in order to have a healthy mind frame.  Implementing our plan of action gives us the power and action through habits and routines. After we come up with our plan of action we must keep it visible in order to implement our new plan.   The Tenacity we exercise because we see how worthy our goal is, we must be Tenacious in sticking to our plan of action.  We can Hum because we know we are right now fulfilling our goal.

 

 

Buffet, A fat trap or not? How to behave like a skinny person at a Buffet.

We went to a Buffet today.  The experience was very nice.  Did I pig out?  Did I try to get my monies worth?  What is Buffet etiquette?

The array of food, vegetables, salad fixens, pickled veggies, potato salad, mashed potatoes, noodles, stuffing, and meats galore, whom wouldn’t want to occasionally enjoy a buffet?.  Why pig out?  I can make healthful delicious selections knowing I will likely have another meal in about four hours.  Knowing this is not my last meal I realize I do not want to make myself sick over it.  Have you ever heard someone say they got sick after going to a buffet, that always causes me to wonder, Did they eat how many plates of food? Did they wash their hands? How fast did they consume all this food?. These are all factors in how we will feel after consuming a meal at a buffet.

I had one plate of food, a dish of coleslaw, and a 1″ x 1″ brownie, and a cup of tea.  This was great.  I just did not feel like cooking.  I believe I more than got my monies worth.  A couple hours later I had an afternoon snack.  I am content.

Although I am not a doctor, nurse or nutritionist, I still like to consider the physiology of a person.  Our esophagus is only so big around and so long.  Our stomach is said to be about the size of our fist.  How much expanding do we expect our stomachs to do?  Do we pack in so much food that the mechanics between the stomach and upper intestines are not able to function correctly.  Does our food sit and stay compacted in our esophagus?  When we eat a high volume of food, and many eat too fast, our digestive fluids roll up into our throat doing damage to both our esophagus and throat?  For years I have had to have my stomach stretched open, and my throat stretched.  It is a painful experience.  Yet, it helps a lot, because my food will just sit in my esophagus, and the digestive juices make me feel so sick.  Sometimes I get very sick.  It is time for me to go get stretched again.  Eating smaller meals and being sure not to stuff myself is important.  Recently I read, and I do not remember where I read it, that more people are getting cirrhosis of the liver, and it is not from alcohol.  When we eat a lot and a variety, our poor liver has to send out a lot to process all that is coming thru our system.  Our livers are getting worked to death.  Poor liver, let’s give it a break.  No wonder the bible talks about overeating and gluttony being a sin.

Buffet, in the dictionary also means to fight or force.  So are we fighting against the way we were designed to function.  Do we force our bodies to the point of long term injury.  Something to consider.  The other matter of getting our monies worth, the cost of a visit to the buffet for a dinner compared to a decent restaurant it may cost about the same and we are being served our salad, entrée, and a dessert we order from a menu.  The menus have the same germs that the serving utensils at the buffet contain because most people do not wash their hands before handling a menu.  After ordering from a menu I go to the bathroom and wash my hands.

Buffet etiquette, by exercising self respect, respect for others and the world hunger situation we would not want to just pile our plates up.  We can go up and get another plate of food.  This prevents wastefulness or forcing ourselves to clean our plate because we piled it up and we are of the clean plate society.  Washing our hands before, and then again after serving ourselves is considerate.  Most important, it is crucial to wash our hands after, there are so many that do not wash their hands.  When you pick up your roll to eat it, it is like a dozen people already picked it up, because their germs are on the serving utensils.  I leave my plate at the table with loved ones and I go wash my hands.  If for some odd reason I cannot leave to go wash up, I will use a lemon across my fingers and hands and dry with my napkin.  With the many flues and other epidemics, and the fungal infections people carry, I really want to wash my hands.

Skinny people are on to something big, being selective, small portions and eating slow.  Let’s not talk about the disgusting skinny people that pig out and never gain a pound.  It all catches up, maybe not in pounds, but digestive issues can plague anyone.  It can turn a person off to a buffet considering all these topics.  I hope all will benefit from considering our physiology.

Many love the convenience of a buffet, just walk in, serve up, and enjoy friends without taking the whole afternoon.      Enjoy the experience safely, and with dignity.