I wrote in my last blog about 100 extra calories a day adding ten pounds a year to your weight. As I’ve grappled with my own self-indulgence, I’ve been struck by how it relates to other articles I’ve read recently.

Did you know that over half of the world’s population exists on one bowl of rice a year? I read that last summer when gas and grain shot up. We forget as Americans how quickly we’ve shifted from surviving at near starvation levels to an absolute orgy of options. Choices abound, not only in food, but in other commodities.

Recently, there were reports of a band of parents writing to toy manufacturers to pull back on their advertising. They explained they couldn’t afford the toys their children wanted, had a very hard time saying ‘no,’ and wanted the toy people to help them by not thrusting tantalizing commercials for frequent viewing.

Haven’t the last few years been an exercise in indulgence? Whether we’re talking about food, homes, or toys, we’ve allowed ourselves to get caught up in a feeding frenzy of “I want, therefore I deserve.” Of course, we have an economic system that is based on feeding our constant desire to indulge at every whim. Americans work more hours per capita than any other group of people. We live in heightened state of stress to make money to feed the python of consumerism. We suffer from obesity and other lifestyle related ailments because we haven’t learned to say no.

Where do we go from here? One thing is clear, we can’t continue on this path. Our bodies are ill, children spoiled and our spirit is broken. We have an increased chasm between the haves and the have-nots, but everyone can be in debt to pretend they have it all. No one knows what the next couple of years are going to bring. One thing is for sure, we shouldn’t return to our old ways. We need to find another way of defining success, and what it means to be a proud people.

The 100 Calorie Dilemma

I read something earlier this week that has stayed with me. Basically it said that eating even 100 calories a day over your allotment can had up to 10 pounds a year.

Ouch! that hurt. I'm notorious for looking at a sweet or a treat and saying to myself, "It's only a hundred calories. What harm can it be?"

I can live with my weight where it is, but really don't want to add more. How do I now shift my desire away from my little 100 calorie treats?

I'm not sure what the answer, but it's definitely got me thinking.

Half Full Glass

I just finished sweeping the chards of glass off the floor. My beloved gallon jar used for making sun tea slipped from my fingers as I reached to take it out of the refrigerator. Of course, my first reaction was, “Oh, sh..!”

As my husband arrived with the vacuum to retrieve the slivers, I commented, “At least it wasn’t full of tea.”

He then responded in his sardonic voice, “There you go again seeing the glass (in this case jar) is always half full.”

I am a half-full kind of gal. I write this as I sit with a sewer system that is backed up since yesterday, waiting for the beloved “Joe the Plummer” to come replace the fifty year old sewer pipes. My husband cleared the hillside they have dig up early this week. We’re intending to replant with drought tolerant plants. The good news is we haven’t planted yet, so they aren’t going to have to distroy new bushes and shrubs.

Last year we our flight to Lisbon was cancelled. We didn’t get a new flight for twelve hours. As a result, we arrived in Lisbon at 10:00 in the morning instead of 4:00 in the afternoon. Had we arrived at 4:00, we would have had to try to find our hotel in Evora, fifty miles away in the dark. Initial disappointment turned into a godsend.

Psychologists now think people are either born with an optimistic or pessimistic disposition. I have long given up trying to figure what part of our personality is choice or predetermined by genetics. I feel blessed that no matter how bad the circumstance, I’m ultimately able to find the silver lining.

Successful Aging

What does aging successfully look like? For me, it means being able to stay active, engaged and healthy until the end. Fantasy? Impossible? High unlikely, you say?

Actually, according to a massive multi-disciplined study sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation, it’s not far-fetched. John W. Rowe, M.D. and Robert L. Kahn, Ph.D. document the study and results in the book Successful Aging. This is easy reading and very informational, designed to change our ideas about what aging is all about.

The primary conclusions are the older we get, the less genetics plays a role and the more environment and lifestyle choices matter. That’s the good and bad news. You can’t just blame your parents any more. I think we have to tread carefully not to blame the victim, but we have control over our aging.

Another important finding is the body starts to repair itself immediately from poor choices. I was a smoker most of my adult life. In the ten years since I quit smoking, my chances of getting heard disease and stroke have diminished to the same as someone who never smoked. If I survive another five years of not getting lung cancer, my chances of getting it the future are the same as someone who never smoked.

No matter what you’ve done, you get a second chance. That’s certainly not permission to make poor choices, just because you can reverse the effects. However, since most of us have eaten poorly, and over indulged in many substances through the years, it’s nice to know you can start right now to make positive changes.

The most important thing you can do, besides quitting smoking if you still do, is to get off the couch and start moving, according to the study. It’s more important to get exercise than what you eat, or drink. Physical activity helps your body, your mental functioning, and you emotional well-being. You can start small and whatever changes you make, will have a positive impact on your life.

I highly recommend this book to everyone who is making the transition into elderhood, however you define it. I guarantee you’ll learn something that you can easily implement into you life to enhance you aging successfully.

Meet Linda

As I search for a sense of the direction with this blog, one thing stands out that I want accomplish. Many people refuse to view aging as an indictment. They’re stepping up to the plate, taking on huge personal challenges and making a difference in the world. We’re going highlight to these individuals because they deserve it, but also to inspire and motivate the rest of us to do something.

I’m starting with someone who is taking on a challenge only a few of us would even fantasize about. Part of the reason I want to showcase her is our dreams are often too small. It’s important to step the dreams up a notch and pick something that is worth doing.

Linda has definitely done that. She is my daughter in-law’s aunt and I only recently learned of her quest. It certainly is worth knowing about and supporting. Linda has committed to run 7 marathons on 7 continents in one year. The audacity of this boggles my mind. I’m also intrigued and excited for her.

Linda has already run five of the seven marathons. Visit her website and let her know you’re rooting for her.

A Vibrant Life: Yoga in the Middle years and Beyond

Book Review

Unlike other forms of keeping fit, Yoga has multiple layers. Some view yoga as a spiritual as well as an exercise practice. I use it mostly as a way to stretch and strengthen muscles. I try to stay focused on my breathing when I’m involved in a routine, but my wicked brain often journeys to the day’s tasks and paintings I’m working on. I always feel better when I do my daily yoga, and miss it if I don’t. I’ve been doing yoga, either at home or in classes for over ten years.

I was intrigued when I started to read A Vibrant Life : Yoga in the Middle Years and Beyond by what I know, but also what I don’t. Felice Rhiannon does a wonderful job of explaining the elements of yoga that will inform the beginner, but also enhance the knowledge for the more experienced practitioner.

Felice Rhiannon shares her story about being bed ridden for a year. Barely able to move, she started practicing postures in bed, followed by floor and then chair exercises. She believes yoga was instrumental in her healing process.

Felice wrote the book for the individual who is out of shape, older, or intimidated by classes. Felice goes into focused detail about yoga without the burden of extraneous explanations. The purpose of the book is to engage people, whether they can get up or not.

The book is loaded with pictures of Felice doing poses with explanations of the pose, how to go in and out of it, as well as cautions and benefits. The book also contains a section of chair poses for those who have mobility issues.

Felice makes you believe you can do yoga. There is a calm and reassuring presence in the book. You can tell Felice cares about not only yoga, but also helping others to learn and grow with this wonderful practice.

Age is No Longer an Indictment

My inbox today contained an email from Boomer Chronicles about the oldest athletes participating in the Olympics this year. There are two equestrians in their 60’s, six in their fifties, including the oldest American and three in their 40’s.

I saw this sight yesterday on a Santa Barbara Beach. It’s hard to tell his exact age, but the gray hair and the way he walked told me he was past our image of the typical surfer.

Dr. Oz On Oprah

Web Wednesday
As a rule, I don’t watch daytime television. Yesterday, I walked into the house and my husband was watching Oprah with Dr. Mehmet Oz discussing his book You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty (You)

The Oprah website, specifically the Aging Quiz is our Web Wednesday selection. I took the quiz with the results between 70 and 79. It said that was an average score, which was great for a second grade spelling test, but not when talking about my body.

I started thinking and later, when my husband and I took a walk, I asked him the following, “On a continuum between 1 and 10, where would you like to be? One is a mindset of ‘live, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we all die’. I’m not going to worry about wellness and just hope modern medicine will do its thing. Ten is, ‘my body is my temple and I’m going to focus on doing absolutely everything I can to live a healthy life.’”

I husband reported he is currently at a four or five (I think he’s at a three, at best). However, he also stated he would like to be more at an eight. I think I’m at six, but realistically, am probably a five, based on his over calculation.

He’s retiring in two months and we would like to put more focus on living healthier. We started talking, as we walked, about what we want to start doing to improving number.

More later…

Reiki Training

I’ve always walked a fine line between my training in a traditional psychological environment and practices in the mind, body, spirit connection. I blend both in my work, but don’t overtly publicize it.

When I was twenty, I was sure I had a good sense of how the world worked. I was open to telling anyone what I thought. As I’ve grown older, I’m much less sure of how the world works. I choose certain beliefs because they make sense to me. I don’t belong to any religious organization, but try to live a spiritual life that draws from the teachings of all the major religions. This means I don't get too bogged down in dogma.

It makes sense there is a unifying universal force we can tap into and use. Beyond that, I don’t make many other claims.

I have a couple of chronic bodily issues that are a minor source of frustration. I acquired asthma ten years ago. I’m lucky it is manageable with steroids. It was through the acquisition of asthma I quit smoking and for that, I’m very thankful. I am no longer concerned about smoking again. I manage the asthma with medication, but modern medicine can’t cure it.

I have a cat that licks her fur to the point of bald spots. Shots and medicine that worked initially are no longer effective.

When the opportunity arose to get involved in Reiki training, I decided to take advantage of it. Reiki comes from Japan. The basic idea is there are different levels of energy around us and through this training, a practitioner can access healing energy and channel it through their hands to affected body parts.

A nurse, who comes from the very traditional western medical model, trained me. She incorporates both western and eastern or alternatives medicine in her work. (She’s no longer in connected to a medical institution.)

I’m curious and enjoy the experience of Reiki. At this moment, I have no desire to share Reiki beyond healing myself and those very close to me, but am intrigued with the idea.

While I’ll never be able to provide more than anecdotal evidence, I’ll let you know what I think when I complete my committed 21 days of self-healing.

Exercise for Your Brain

There’s been a lot of research in the news recently about the need to keep the mind stimulated and challenged to keep it healthy. Now, there is evidence that physical activity also is good for the brain. A review of research from the U.S., France and Sweden indicate exercise that increases the cardio-respiratory fitness also improves brain function. The increased blood flow to the brain stimulates the production neurotransmitters. Of interesting note, it doesn’t have to be sustained exercise. As little as 60 seconds at a time that gets the heart pumping can improve the brain's function.

Fat Fighter TV

Wednesday Web Watch
Wednesday is the day to highlight a website you should check out. I recently was introduced to Fat Fighter TV, which does exactly what it says in a fun, funky, frantic sort of way. While not geared specifically to the older crowd, we all have to shop, read labels and yes, eat. Steps to change your life to a healthy lifestyle is a tagline can apply to every one.

Take a special look at Big, Fat Lies. You’ll probably know some of the lies. But, I’ll bet one or two will surprise you.

Back to Basics

In my quest to find an exercise program that I would stick with, I experimented through the years with different types of workouts. I have always enjoyed walking and still do that on a regular basis. I have joined gyms a number of times. I actually joined gyms, went once or twice and never returned. We have a wonderful Park and Recreation organization, and I have taken jazzercise, step and yoga with them. It is good to experiment and actually good to try different forms of exercise. Ultimately, I decided I love Yoga and wanted that to be the staple exercise. While I enjoy classes, I found Yoga television show to work best with my schedule. With the advent of TIVO, I found I was able to record shows and then exercise when it was convenient for me.

Developing a routine has been important to my success. I get up an alarm everyday at 6:15, have a one cup of coffee, read something inspirational, check e-mails and then do 30 minutes of yoga starting at 7:30. I have had this routine for a couple of years. If you are groaning at the thought of the self-imposed ritual, I can say I am by nature not very organized. Developing a routine I like has made all the difference in creating a meaningful life, and being able to do all the things I want to do.

I love my morning routine. I find whenever I break the routine, by traveling, or having my grandchildren here for a month, for example, I have to start all over again in creating the habit. Experts say you can create a habit seven days. I’m not so sure, but it may require perseverance.

After two months of travel and company, I got out of the routine of yoga every morning. This is the first week with a return to normal and I’ve struggled to get in there and stick to doing 30 minutes of exercise every day. I have decided the goal is to make the effort, try to extend the time and get back into the flow within a couple of weeks.

I love my Yoga. It can be difficult sometimes to even do the things we love. The key is to not to give up. Be gentle with yourself when you are trying to establish a habit. If you can’t get a routine you feel comfortable with, be willing to experiment with other alternatives.