Fats are perhaps the most misunderstood of the macronutrients. Just like Raymond, Everybody Loves Carbs. And Proteins are the Prom Kings and Queens of Lean Central. But Fat, what's up with that? Fat is funny. It's globby and gooey and chubby and chewy, greasy and bad for you.
NOT.
Fat is really good for you! It helps in the very human processes of things like emotional regulation, the smart connecting of synapses in the brain, and the formation of breast milk. Fat in the diet is often overlooked as essential, but indeed, it is. You can't live in the long term without some Essential Fatty Acids, and often people can benefit from more fat than you might be giving yourself in what you think is your healthy diet. Again, individual bodies have their own preferences and needs to help them decide how to burn, store and use fat. So this is not personalized information. But overall, it's safe to say you should have healthy fats each day--plant sources are super, plus nuts and some seeds, also dairy and animal fats are quite helpful in various diets.
Fish oil is a great fat--it's the presence of those cool Omega fats we hear so much about that give this fat is good reputation. And what about eggs (and what about cholesterol)? Well, we're learning more and more that in the average diet without extenuating health factors, the fat and cholesterol in egg yolks is not such a grave concern for either weight gain, blood serum cholesterol or heart/artery problems. Turns out they were kinda wrong on that one. Almost all the vitamins are in the yolk along with the fat that transports them, so don't count out eggs if you like them. They are good food.
Pick One Thing: The Fats Track
So here's the skinny (heh!). Heed these few main warnings about fats in your diet:
~ Don't eat a lot of junk food and fast food and processed food with fats and refined carbs combined (donuts, drive-throughs and the likes, those fats have a lot of Omega 6s and we don't need more of that kind in our diets).
~ Don't eat a lot of foods that are high-heat fried in vegetable oils like sunflower and safflower and canola (or just don't eat a lot of fried foods to make it simpler). Avoid trans fats in this way, too.
~ Don't eat too much, period. Fats are very calorie dense, more than twice the amount per gram than that of protein or carbohydrate. So they add up fast. If your fats occur naturally in your foods (as in the egg example above or the avocado example below) and are moderated as occasional condiments (like mayo with tuna which has those Omega 3 fatty acids that are also very good for you), you'll be on the right track.
All this talk about my favorite food group (FAT...yes! Cheese is a favorite sub-group, as is butter, mayonaisse, and a host of other yummy creamy time fats...) has inspired me to write a poem.
Let Us Have a Chat About Fat
Butter your buns and pull up a chair
while I tell you the tail of long shiny hair, and
how brains grow, how skin glows,
how nutrients fly
through your bloodstream
to your body's cells
in two blinks of an eye...
How your enzymes ride on fat waves
and bring joy to your being,
delivering hormones that make babies,
and storing energy for the freeing.
Yes you love it, and you need it--
there's a reason for all that--
Your body is mammalian:
it thrives upon fat.
Oh, fatty acids
Oh, Omega 3s
Oh, unsaturated oils;
bless you olives,
salmon, tuna,
avocados...we are loyals.
Now, I know that poetic treatment leaves a little art to be desired, but it's still a more positive and sensible approach that the ole' Jack Sprat nursery rhyme.
Jack Sprat could eat no fat
his wife could eat no lean
and so betwixt them both
they licked the platter clean...
Terrible advice, there! Always eat some of both; never make the mistake of eliminating an entire nutritional ingredient list. You can have your four and twenty blackbirds, and your curds and whey, and be a pumpkin eater too.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Don't Kick All Your Carbs to the Curb
Ahhh, carbohydrates. The much discussed, much beloved, much overdone, often cut, macronutrient. There is so much information out there on carbs, the good, the bad and the ugly and the ridiculous, that it’s hard to Pick this One Thing and imagine advising on it in just a short post. But that’s what I’m going to attempt to do. After having a proper lunch that featured sufficient protein and fat to keep me full and satisfied, I feel my metabolism is adequately stoked, so I’m going to burn off the bit of brain energy being provided by the carbohydrates in my lunch and tell you as little essential information as I can without holding back value. Then I'll get to my housecleaning to burn through the rest.
See the toasty gold words above to follow the carb facts. Not necessarily in that order.
Macronutrient: Fancy term for protein, carbohydrate or fat. Last entry we talked about protein. It tends to be king of the macros for many health and fitness types. But not all (read on).
Carbohydrate: Carbohydrates, or carbs, are important to our bodies, no question. They are the primary energy source for our functioning. They are also known as sugars, because carbs break down into simple sugars, and then glucose, of which a certain amount is used as fuel. Sugars not used right away as fuel must be further processed and then stored as triglycerides in fatty tissues.
Fat: Fat is the third of the macros, and much like carbohydrate, it tends to get a bad rap even though it is a valuable part of our diet. We’ll Pick Fat (eww) for our next entry.
Brain Energy: Up to 70% of the glucose that our bodies make out of carbs is used by the brain. This is because glucose is used to make ATP, which is in a nutshell, what gives the cells of your body the energy transfer they need to keep everything running.
Essential Information: Your body needs a certain amount of energy. That means you need to eat a certain amount, and that will be individual to you. If you’re at an ideal body weight with a healthy composition (enough muscle, not too much fat, etc), then you tend to require a certain base amount of energy input (calories) to stay that way. If you have too many, regularly, for too long, you gain weight. If you have too few, regularly, you lose weight and/or you steal from your own bodies tissues for the energy needed. Food which provides calories, and therefore energy, to live, is not your enemy. It is fuel. Fuel which translates into 4 calories per gram of protein, and per gram of carbohydrate; and 9 calories per gram of fat.
Metabolism: The mechanics of all those processes—your metabolism is what's "under the hood" doing everything from digesting food to growing muscles, healing wounds to going for a run, breathing to making blood. The kind of lifestyle you live, along with health and genetic factors; along with your size, gender and age; matters to how much energy you require to be in a fit, healthy body. You need to split those calories between protein, carbohydrate and fat. Again, there are variances that work for different people. However, in the Western World, especially in the United States, a large number of people consume too many carbohydrates in relation to the other macronutrients. Many others also consume a high fat diet. This is where the quantity and quality really matter.
Proper: What is the proper quantity and quality, then? If you’re eating too much, chances are it’s going to be the carbs and fats where you’re excess calories are coming from. And if you’re eating poor quality foods—empty calories from things like candy bars, sugary soft drinks, baked goods (all these are big carbohydrate sources with little to no nutritional value, also known as empty calories)—your body can’t do much with them except quickly convert them. It’s quick for your body in the sense that these kinds of foods are already are refined and pre-processed. If the sugars in your food were more complex, with more fiber and less processing, your body would have to do more of the processing work. That work is part of your metabolism, which uses energy. So the complex sugars are handled more favorably overall than the man-made kind. There are other health costs to regular consumption of man-made sugars over nature-made. Your hormones and immune system can be stressed, even messed up, by too many empty carb calories. There are four grams of carbs in a cup of raw broccoli, and four grams of carbs in a teaspoon of white table sugar. You can imagine how much harder it is to overdo it on the carbs if you're travelling more on the broccoli train than the sugar train.
Beloved, Overdone, Cut, Full and Satisfied: Proper, then, is rare/occasional for most people when it comes to man-made, refined, junk food, sweet treat sugars. Birthday cake on birthdays, Christmas cookies on Christmas, soft drinks and cotton candy at the circus, margaritas on Cinco de Mayo, and a couple fun-sized chocolate bars on Halloween. For the rest of your carbohydrate intake, if it’s mostly from natural and whole grain sources (vegetables, fruits, legumes, and starchy foods like oatmeal, potatoes and brown rice), you’re likely to do well in a range of 35 – 45%. 45 – 55% carbs is for endurance athletes and young slim folks in long sessions of training. Olympic swimmer extraordinaire Michael Phelps eats a lot of carbs within his 8000 – 12000 calorie per day diet. He’s not the rest of us.
Pick One Thing: Your Carbohydrates
There are numerous free online food diary and nutritional data calculators available now. A quick search will lead you to sites such as LIVESTRONG.com and fitday.com for food journal applications. Aside from counting up and observing the amount of carbs in your diet, try looking at packages of the food you buy. Hopefully, though, you’ll be buying more and more food that is not in a package. To learn those macronutrient breakdowns and find out how many calories come from carbs in regular foods like an apple or walnuts from the bulk bin, check out nutrition data.com. The bottom line is keep the carbs—in the right context and right dosage.
See the toasty gold words above to follow the carb facts. Not necessarily in that order.
Macronutrient: Fancy term for protein, carbohydrate or fat. Last entry we talked about protein. It tends to be king of the macros for many health and fitness types. But not all (read on).
Carbohydrate: Carbohydrates, or carbs, are important to our bodies, no question. They are the primary energy source for our functioning. They are also known as sugars, because carbs break down into simple sugars, and then glucose, of which a certain amount is used as fuel. Sugars not used right away as fuel must be further processed and then stored as triglycerides in fatty tissues.
Fat: Fat is the third of the macros, and much like carbohydrate, it tends to get a bad rap even though it is a valuable part of our diet. We’ll Pick Fat (eww) for our next entry.
Brain Energy: Up to 70% of the glucose that our bodies make out of carbs is used by the brain. This is because glucose is used to make ATP, which is in a nutshell, what gives the cells of your body the energy transfer they need to keep everything running.
Essential Information: Your body needs a certain amount of energy. That means you need to eat a certain amount, and that will be individual to you. If you’re at an ideal body weight with a healthy composition (enough muscle, not too much fat, etc), then you tend to require a certain base amount of energy input (calories) to stay that way. If you have too many, regularly, for too long, you gain weight. If you have too few, regularly, you lose weight and/or you steal from your own bodies tissues for the energy needed. Food which provides calories, and therefore energy, to live, is not your enemy. It is fuel. Fuel which translates into 4 calories per gram of protein, and per gram of carbohydrate; and 9 calories per gram of fat.
Metabolism: The mechanics of all those processes—your metabolism is what's "under the hood" doing everything from digesting food to growing muscles, healing wounds to going for a run, breathing to making blood. The kind of lifestyle you live, along with health and genetic factors; along with your size, gender and age; matters to how much energy you require to be in a fit, healthy body. You need to split those calories between protein, carbohydrate and fat. Again, there are variances that work for different people. However, in the Western World, especially in the United States, a large number of people consume too many carbohydrates in relation to the other macronutrients. Many others also consume a high fat diet. This is where the quantity and quality really matter.
Proper: What is the proper quantity and quality, then? If you’re eating too much, chances are it’s going to be the carbs and fats where you’re excess calories are coming from. And if you’re eating poor quality foods—empty calories from things like candy bars, sugary soft drinks, baked goods (all these are big carbohydrate sources with little to no nutritional value, also known as empty calories)—your body can’t do much with them except quickly convert them. It’s quick for your body in the sense that these kinds of foods are already are refined and pre-processed. If the sugars in your food were more complex, with more fiber and less processing, your body would have to do more of the processing work. That work is part of your metabolism, which uses energy. So the complex sugars are handled more favorably overall than the man-made kind. There are other health costs to regular consumption of man-made sugars over nature-made. Your hormones and immune system can be stressed, even messed up, by too many empty carb calories. There are four grams of carbs in a cup of raw broccoli, and four grams of carbs in a teaspoon of white table sugar. You can imagine how much harder it is to overdo it on the carbs if you're travelling more on the broccoli train than the sugar train.
Beloved, Overdone, Cut, Full and Satisfied: Proper, then, is rare/occasional for most people when it comes to man-made, refined, junk food, sweet treat sugars. Birthday cake on birthdays, Christmas cookies on Christmas, soft drinks and cotton candy at the circus, margaritas on Cinco de Mayo, and a couple fun-sized chocolate bars on Halloween. For the rest of your carbohydrate intake, if it’s mostly from natural and whole grain sources (vegetables, fruits, legumes, and starchy foods like oatmeal, potatoes and brown rice), you’re likely to do well in a range of 35 – 45%. 45 – 55% carbs is for endurance athletes and young slim folks in long sessions of training. Olympic swimmer extraordinaire Michael Phelps eats a lot of carbs within his 8000 – 12000 calorie per day diet. He’s not the rest of us.
Pick One Thing: Your Carbohydrates
There are numerous free online food diary and nutritional data calculators available now. A quick search will lead you to sites such as LIVESTRONG.com and fitday.com for food journal applications. Aside from counting up and observing the amount of carbs in your diet, try looking at packages of the food you buy. Hopefully, though, you’ll be buying more and more food that is not in a package. To learn those macronutrient breakdowns and find out how many calories come from carbs in regular foods like an apple or walnuts from the bulk bin, check out nutrition data.com. The bottom line is keep the carbs—in the right context and right dosage.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Big, Strong, Powerful and Well-Connected
No wonder protein gets so much action, (was seeking a transition in topic from last post, Your Sexuality) it's pretty much the golden child of the human body's macronutrients.
That is to say, when you consider all that protein is and does, it starts to be like...what if Johnny Depp's looks and interesting taste in characters was mashed up with Oprah Winfrey's ubiquitousness and money, and married to Martha Stewart's resourcefulness, combined with the physical strength of Hercules. Plus there's the Kevin Bacon aspect of protein--it's in practically everything.
If all that is true, it seems odd that this Project should suggest you honor and care for your Proteins. They seem so strong and capable all on their own. But, even though some aspects of protein are produced and managed inside the body, it turns out many bodies need more or better quality proteins to work with than they are getting. You might find out that your own body could be much better off with this week's big shot:
Pick One Thing: Your Proteins
Here's a list of reasons why you care about Protein:
1. Your body is about 45% protein. It is in every cell and in most of the body's fluids.
2. It is the building material of the body. It repairs damaged tissues and builds muscles.
3. It is the strong man of the body. It forms fibers and polymers to keep certain body parts tough.
4. It is the catalyst of the body. It connects molecules, transfers messages, starts processes.
5. Stuff happens because protein says so. Like, muscles contract so your heart and lungs work.
There's more, but that should be enough to pique your interest in tending to your body's protein needs. There are 20 amino acids that combine in different chains and combinations to form proteins in your body for all these incredible functions. Many of them are produced in the body, but a few key amino acids must be consumed. There are nine which are essential to healthy human adult life; a tenth is required in childhood but adults can manufacture it. The balance of them is pretty important, too. Each day, the body is happiest if sufficient proteins comprised by the full range of amino acids are available. If not, the body has to break down other tissues, such as muscle, to get out what it needs for functioning.
Regularly getting enough protein and variety of sources is a good goal. There are is a range of estimates for the proper amount of protein grams for adults daily diet, and the final answer also depends on other factors such as sporting participation, body composition, health and age. However, a range generally considered safe and adequate is .5 - .75 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight. If you weight 200 lbs. but you need to lose 50, your ideal weight then is 150 and you should be getting 75 or more grams of protein. On the higher side if you have more muscle. 1 gram per lean pound of body weight is another common rule of thumb for body builders. Many nutritionists would tell the average person to get at least 15% of their daily calories from protein. Others consider that to be a bit too low. Popular diets include up to 30% protein. For a 1500 calorie per day diet, 20% protein equals 300 calories of protein, which is 75 grams. That works for a lot of people.
You can check out qualities and quantities of protein found in various foods, here:
Harvard School of Public Health: Protein
As important as it is, it might surprise you to know that protein doesn't have a storehouse on its own ready for use as needed (like fat does). Extra protein has to be broken down, and eventually processed by the kidneys and liver, which can tax those organs. There are a few other health warnings to those getting too much protein or eating too much red meat. It's not easy for the average person to do, but if you have any risk of kidney, liver, colon or hypertension, make sure you're on board with the medical professionals when it comes to your individual protein needs. If you are very obese and consume large amounts of red meat, you should also pay attention to the variety and quality proteins you eat. Egg whites, quinoa, walnuts and tuna have protein too, and provide other health benefits.
Your hair, nails, muscles, and skin (collagen, for those of you trying to stay youthful looking) thrive on you getting enough protein. For this One Thing, consider reading packages or doing a little internet searching to learn how many grams of protein you're eating on a regular basis. If it's less than 60 grams a week, try upping that several grams per week (you might need to cut back on fats or carbs to do so). When you're up around 75, you might just notice a nice trend. Capture that power, enjoy those connections. When you're stronger, you tend to be leaner. Plus you'll be in a much better balance of nutrients, so you'll likely feel better, too.
Go salmon, go yogurt, go you!
That is to say, when you consider all that protein is and does, it starts to be like...what if Johnny Depp's looks and interesting taste in characters was mashed up with Oprah Winfrey's ubiquitousness and money, and married to Martha Stewart's resourcefulness, combined with the physical strength of Hercules. Plus there's the Kevin Bacon aspect of protein--it's in practically everything.
If all that is true, it seems odd that this Project should suggest you honor and care for your Proteins. They seem so strong and capable all on their own. But, even though some aspects of protein are produced and managed inside the body, it turns out many bodies need more or better quality proteins to work with than they are getting. You might find out that your own body could be much better off with this week's big shot:
Pick One Thing: Your Proteins
Here's a list of reasons why you care about Protein:
1. Your body is about 45% protein. It is in every cell and in most of the body's fluids.
2. It is the building material of the body. It repairs damaged tissues and builds muscles.
3. It is the strong man of the body. It forms fibers and polymers to keep certain body parts tough.
4. It is the catalyst of the body. It connects molecules, transfers messages, starts processes.
5. Stuff happens because protein says so. Like, muscles contract so your heart and lungs work.
There's more, but that should be enough to pique your interest in tending to your body's protein needs. There are 20 amino acids that combine in different chains and combinations to form proteins in your body for all these incredible functions. Many of them are produced in the body, but a few key amino acids must be consumed. There are nine which are essential to healthy human adult life; a tenth is required in childhood but adults can manufacture it. The balance of them is pretty important, too. Each day, the body is happiest if sufficient proteins comprised by the full range of amino acids are available. If not, the body has to break down other tissues, such as muscle, to get out what it needs for functioning.
Regularly getting enough protein and variety of sources is a good goal. There are is a range of estimates for the proper amount of protein grams for adults daily diet, and the final answer also depends on other factors such as sporting participation, body composition, health and age. However, a range generally considered safe and adequate is .5 - .75 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight. If you weight 200 lbs. but you need to lose 50, your ideal weight then is 150 and you should be getting 75 or more grams of protein. On the higher side if you have more muscle. 1 gram per lean pound of body weight is another common rule of thumb for body builders. Many nutritionists would tell the average person to get at least 15% of their daily calories from protein. Others consider that to be a bit too low. Popular diets include up to 30% protein. For a 1500 calorie per day diet, 20% protein equals 300 calories of protein, which is 75 grams. That works for a lot of people.
You can check out qualities and quantities of protein found in various foods, here:
Harvard School of Public Health: Protein
As important as it is, it might surprise you to know that protein doesn't have a storehouse on its own ready for use as needed (like fat does). Extra protein has to be broken down, and eventually processed by the kidneys and liver, which can tax those organs. There are a few other health warnings to those getting too much protein or eating too much red meat. It's not easy for the average person to do, but if you have any risk of kidney, liver, colon or hypertension, make sure you're on board with the medical professionals when it comes to your individual protein needs. If you are very obese and consume large amounts of red meat, you should also pay attention to the variety and quality proteins you eat. Egg whites, quinoa, walnuts and tuna have protein too, and provide other health benefits.
Your hair, nails, muscles, and skin (collagen, for those of you trying to stay youthful looking) thrive on you getting enough protein. For this One Thing, consider reading packages or doing a little internet searching to learn how many grams of protein you're eating on a regular basis. If it's less than 60 grams a week, try upping that several grams per week (you might need to cut back on fats or carbs to do so). When you're up around 75, you might just notice a nice trend. Capture that power, enjoy those connections. When you're stronger, you tend to be leaner. Plus you'll be in a much better balance of nutrients, so you'll likely feel better, too.
Go salmon, go yogurt, go you!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Sexual Health and Sensual Wellness
The title of today's article is more straightforward than usual, and that is an intentional nod to the need for people to be straightforward in considering and caring for their own sexuality. Honor yourself as a sexual being of some sort. I'm not about to try to define or limit what that is for you.
As individuals, we are each of us a unique set of desires and wishes, fantasies and motivations. Your gender identity, your sexual contacts, your sensual expressions notwithstanding, there is also a little matter of what smokes your shorts, what turns you off, what's safe and what's available, what's not at all worth it and what now looking back was a mistake.... All this makes it seem, and perhaps rightly so, that human sexuality is a many splendored and highly complex topic. However that shouldn't stop anyone from owning and enjoying their own. And speaking of it in the matter of fact tone it deserves as an integral component of you being a person.
So, whether your currently express your sensual side by sleeping on silk sheets all by your lonesome, or whether you are madly hot for your wife and can hardly hold yourself back, or whether you are a porn star or a contentious abstainer, fine fine fine... just know your own self and apply appropriate guidelines and boundaries according to your own heart and soul. And if you're not experienced or confident enough to do that, will you at least take care of your own sexuality by reading up on it a little?
Here are some leads to help you educate yourself instinctively and intellectually on the deep topic of booty and gettin' some. Or not. Same thing with babies, sexually transmitted diseases, and boyfriends. Some things will work better for you than others.
Pick One Thing: Sexuality
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)offers a host of topics on their website under the heading "Sexual Health." I like that. They provide a definition based on one adopted several years ago by the World Health Organization:
The World Health Organization (WHO) offers a global view with research studies and publications to help broaden your view of all the things that might affect you, or be important to you or someone you know, concerning sexual AND reproductive health.
Reproduction is a whole other element of sexual health that many people I know have worked very hard on. We can see, the medical field and researchers are clearly on it. Healthcare understands that people want healthy pregnancies and babies. If this is your current quest, you probably already know as much as many of the doctors advising you. It can be almost all-consuming to some folks. But it's important. So, I share with all of you, this website, which I hope you'll find of interest or pass it on: WHO Sexual and Reproductive Health
And finally, there's Sensuality. For some of us, this will be easier. For others, clues will be required. That's alright, there's no one kind of sensuality. Look at the word. The root word is sense. You've got senses; you know what smells great to you, what tastes divine, what feels like heaven and looks like a dream. Whatever makes you feel fabulous, that's your sensuality right there, and that's why each person's is unique. You scratch my back, I'll tickle your feet...that sort of thing, there's something for everyone. It's nice when you're aware of your own.
Sensuality is an extension of the senses we all have, but as an outpost, it can sometimes be diminished, overlooked, neglected or forgotten about all too easily. Go out there this week and visit with yours, okay? Red pumps or red lips or a redhead; or a big bowl of romance topped with red sauce and meatballs.
Don't limit your view or label your expectations. Sensuality isn't as difficult as many people make it: whatever it is to you, it's already in there. Here's a terrific read on the topic on the Beautiful Women blog. (Men will get something out of it, too.) I've always said, "We choose to be inspired." I could add, "We choose to be aroused." Wellness includes all your senses. Enjoy yourself.
As individuals, we are each of us a unique set of desires and wishes, fantasies and motivations. Your gender identity, your sexual contacts, your sensual expressions notwithstanding, there is also a little matter of what smokes your shorts, what turns you off, what's safe and what's available, what's not at all worth it and what now looking back was a mistake.... All this makes it seem, and perhaps rightly so, that human sexuality is a many splendored and highly complex topic. However that shouldn't stop anyone from owning and enjoying their own. And speaking of it in the matter of fact tone it deserves as an integral component of you being a person.
So, whether your currently express your sensual side by sleeping on silk sheets all by your lonesome, or whether you are madly hot for your wife and can hardly hold yourself back, or whether you are a porn star or a contentious abstainer, fine fine fine... just know your own self and apply appropriate guidelines and boundaries according to your own heart and soul. And if you're not experienced or confident enough to do that, will you at least take care of your own sexuality by reading up on it a little?
Here are some leads to help you educate yourself instinctively and intellectually on the deep topic of booty and gettin' some. Or not. Same thing with babies, sexually transmitted diseases, and boyfriends. Some things will work better for you than others.
Pick One Thing: Sexuality
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)offers a host of topics on their website under the heading "Sexual Health." I like that. They provide a definition based on one adopted several years ago by the World Health Organization:
Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.I like that too. Covers all manner of makin' whoopie, from the consenting, adult perspective. If you Pick One Thing to focus on regarding you sexual health, I would use this definition to do an honest assessment of this part of your being. I know, I, for one, have not always experienced optimum sexual health. Not because of disease or dysfunction, but because of poor choices or disregard for my real feelings. I was younger than then now, of course, but for many people, life stages bring all sorts of challenges and new information to consider when it comes to sexuality.
The World Health Organization (WHO) offers a global view with research studies and publications to help broaden your view of all the things that might affect you, or be important to you or someone you know, concerning sexual AND reproductive health.
Reproduction is a whole other element of sexual health that many people I know have worked very hard on. We can see, the medical field and researchers are clearly on it. Healthcare understands that people want healthy pregnancies and babies. If this is your current quest, you probably already know as much as many of the doctors advising you. It can be almost all-consuming to some folks. But it's important. So, I share with all of you, this website, which I hope you'll find of interest or pass it on: WHO Sexual and Reproductive Health
And finally, there's Sensuality. For some of us, this will be easier. For others, clues will be required. That's alright, there's no one kind of sensuality. Look at the word. The root word is sense. You've got senses; you know what smells great to you, what tastes divine, what feels like heaven and looks like a dream. Whatever makes you feel fabulous, that's your sensuality right there, and that's why each person's is unique. You scratch my back, I'll tickle your feet...that sort of thing, there's something for everyone. It's nice when you're aware of your own.
Sensuality is an extension of the senses we all have, but as an outpost, it can sometimes be diminished, overlooked, neglected or forgotten about all too easily. Go out there this week and visit with yours, okay? Red pumps or red lips or a redhead; or a big bowl of romance topped with red sauce and meatballs.
Don't limit your view or label your expectations. Sensuality isn't as difficult as many people make it: whatever it is to you, it's already in there. Here's a terrific read on the topic on the Beautiful Women blog. (Men will get something out of it, too.) I've always said, "We choose to be inspired." I could add, "We choose to be aroused." Wellness includes all your senses. Enjoy yourself.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Treasure Pleasure
When it comes to enjoying yourself, there's no time like the present. Pleasures are essential ingredients in every day life. In the midst of suffering as much as in the midst of reverie. You cannot go another day without making sure you extract some pleasure out of it if you are to benefit at all from Project Pick One Thing. Pick Pleasure, now, today, I mean it. It's that important.
Not feeling very inspired toward pleasure-picking? I understand. Sometimes we get into such a rut that it's tough to see up and outta there, into the zone where things are sweet or fun or luxurious or resplendent or humorous. If illness or money worries or bad weather or the bogey man has got you down, let me help you with a few simple tips for creating a pleasing moment.
Not feeling very inspired toward pleasure-picking? I understand. Sometimes we get into such a rut that it's tough to see up and outta there, into the zone where things are sweet or fun or luxurious or resplendent or humorous. If illness or money worries or bad weather or the bogey man has got you down, let me help you with a few simple tips for creating a pleasing moment.
- There's a little fat book called, 14,000 Things To Be Happy About. If you can't think of a way to take pleasure in each day, try looking at that book. Surely 14,000 things is enough to get you started on a list of your own.
- Actually, there are many notable books on pleasure. Do an online search or scope out the topic at the library. Beyond the emotional and biological, there is the social aspect of pleasure, too. There are entire cultures who practice pleasure, on purpose, as a life principal. Forget the psychoanalysts on this one. Look for books on island culture, or hedonism, or Costa Rica or Denmark. The latter two countries are mentioned because they've been found to be the happiest people, by their own measure and admission. Here's an article to point you in the right direction: The Happiest People
- Sense pleasure. Taste something delicious, smell something wonderful, feel something soothing, look at something beautiful, listen to something that rocks. Most of us have a pleasure around every corner in our homes, just waiting to be enjoyed--a cold crisp tart apple, a fresh pot of coffee, a bit of art or photo album, an old recording, a buried pair of pajama bottoms so well-worn your knee marks show through them. ahhhh.
- Name names. Call an old friend who makes you laugh. Read your favorite author, again. Watch your favorite movie star. Cook a recipe from your favorite chef. Write a letter to your grandchild. Thank the grocery bagger by name. You can always take pleasure in people.
- Don't set limits or expectations. YOU decide what pleases you. It doesn't have to be big, small, fancy or humble. It need not take long nor do you have to cram it in fast. Pleasure is whatever works to make you smile, breathe, take it in, sigh, relax, or let it out. What you enjoy is a big part of what makes your life worth living.
"What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." --Helen Keller
This is why, as you Pick One Thing, you must pick Pleasure. It is how you come to own your life. We must master the art of creating, finding, and claiming pleasurable experiences for ourselves, every day. If we don't, our day can only range from benign and mediocre to miserable and distressed. What kind of person would knowingly choose that, when pleasure is always possible, always ripe for the picking?
A very displeased one. Don't evereverever let that be you. Pick one bit of something you love, every day. It makes you better, and in turn, you make the world a better place, when you enjoy. When you are taking care of pleasing yourself, it's nice for the rest of us to not have you walking around cranky, bitter, exhausted, sad or worse.
(P.S. Save the wink winking and ooh la las about sexy pleasuring till next time, when we'll be Picking your Sexuality for the next post.)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
You Can Do What You Want, Simple As That
This might be the absolute easiest One Thing I could write about for you to Pick. If you’re going to honor and take care of something about yourself, what could be a simpler project than choosing what you do? It’s harder to pick your job, your home, and your friends, than it is to pick your activities. It’s much harder still to pick your family or your economic status or your looks, given how much of those things are (at least partially) outside of your control. But how to occupy your time? Other than your favorite moral and legal obligations, that’s pretty much up to you.
Your Activities
So let’s keep this project simple. Answer some basic questions and we’ll have a laundry list of activities that are worth your consideration. Don’t dwell too long or think too deep--just answer off the cuff, from the heart. You’re not committing to anything at this point, don’t worry. You can say the same answer more than once, or not. You can not have an answer, or you can have several. It’s you, talking about you. No wrong responses.
1. What do you like to do?
2. What have you always enjoyed, since childhood?
3. If you weren’t limited by time pressures, what would you like to do, or do more of?
4. What have you always wanted to try?
5. What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
6. What would you do if you only had the talent (or body or money) for it?
7. If you had a whole day to spend on only your own desires, with no restrictions and no one needing you for any reason, what would you do with that day?
8. If you had to pick one thing to do today that was completely enjoyable for you, that you don’t have on your itinerary already, what would it be?
9. What’s on your “bucket list?”
10. If you sensed your time on the planet was increasingly limited, what would you want to be doing with it?
That should be enough investigation for us. If you’re like me, at this point, your list is far too long to be entirely practical in the immediate future. I’m interested in almost everything, it seems. But when I look a little closer, I see some repeating themes.
If nothing else, I can narrow down my list by focusing on questions 7 and 8. When we view our desires through the lens of one day, or one activity that strikes us as doable in the present, then we’re on to something. Case in point: I’ve been bemoaning my lack of reading for pleasure for years now. Years and years. I love reading and have high aspirations for all the reading I’m going to do at some point or want to be doing right now. Yet I don’t make the time for some reason. Many reasons. It’s a great example. Here is an activity that is contained in my answers to 7 of the above 10 questions!
What’s stopping me? Nothing. Literally nothing, on most days, except my lack of effort. My non-choosing. I believe in the idea that, if you show me what you spend your money and time on, I’ll show you your priorities. For me, this activity I love and aspire to, which is so readily available to me, it not a priority.
Now I ask you this: other than unplanned urgent matters, who selects my priorities for me?
So there we go. Nothing is simpler than this concept. It’s life-changing. What do you want to do? And really, what’s stopping you? Got a 20-year project requiring a million dollars you don’t have? Well, if you want to, you can do it. It’s a project. You pick it. Get on the fundraising shtick and start the 20 most purposeful years of your life, then.
On the other hand, make sure you’re actually listening to your heart’s desires; not just assuming what you think you want is what you really want. I know we sometimes feel we’re supposed to want to do things, maybe we’re even good at something so it seems ripe for the picking… but mmmm, nope, if we’re honest, it’s not a real want, it’s a fabricated one.
Therein is the very crux of procrastination as well as all those abandoned unfinished projects. Like how I keep thinking I want to crochet some nice gifts with all the yarn I’m storing. But today I realized, no, I don’t want to. I think I should want to, however “crochet nice gifts” or “use up my yarn” is not on my bucket list, and it’s not what I would wish to spend one whole unencumbered day doing, nor is it something I really want to fit in more of as my time on this planet is increasingly limited.
I believe we allow a small undercurrent of tragedy to exist in so many of our lives, especially caretakers’ lives, which are often the lives of women: we don’t choose to do what we want, even though it is our choice. We don’t agree that what we desire is in us for a reason. We are supposed to do what we desire, though. We need to, in order to be whole and satisfied and purposeful, right? Do we actually accept that we are NOT supposed to do what we wish to do? That we are supposed to live our lives toiling away without any reward in activities that we choose, for ourselves, based on our own wants?
I hope we can make a new agreement with ourselves in this particular project: let’s agree that our life is filled with our actions, and our actions are our choice.
I’d love to hear your comments on this topic….but not until you’ve made a commitment to your own activities, and prioritized them accordingly. According to what you want. And then do them. Don’t forget that part. As for me, now I’m going to read a few pages of the book I started a couple months ago and I’m going to keep doing that, for the rest of my life.
Your Activities
So let’s keep this project simple. Answer some basic questions and we’ll have a laundry list of activities that are worth your consideration. Don’t dwell too long or think too deep--just answer off the cuff, from the heart. You’re not committing to anything at this point, don’t worry. You can say the same answer more than once, or not. You can not have an answer, or you can have several. It’s you, talking about you. No wrong responses.
1. What do you like to do?
2. What have you always enjoyed, since childhood?
3. If you weren’t limited by time pressures, what would you like to do, or do more of?
4. What have you always wanted to try?
5. What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
6. What would you do if you only had the talent (or body or money) for it?
7. If you had a whole day to spend on only your own desires, with no restrictions and no one needing you for any reason, what would you do with that day?
8. If you had to pick one thing to do today that was completely enjoyable for you, that you don’t have on your itinerary already, what would it be?
9. What’s on your “bucket list?”
10. If you sensed your time on the planet was increasingly limited, what would you want to be doing with it?
That should be enough investigation for us. If you’re like me, at this point, your list is far too long to be entirely practical in the immediate future. I’m interested in almost everything, it seems. But when I look a little closer, I see some repeating themes.
If nothing else, I can narrow down my list by focusing on questions 7 and 8. When we view our desires through the lens of one day, or one activity that strikes us as doable in the present, then we’re on to something. Case in point: I’ve been bemoaning my lack of reading for pleasure for years now. Years and years. I love reading and have high aspirations for all the reading I’m going to do at some point or want to be doing right now. Yet I don’t make the time for some reason. Many reasons. It’s a great example. Here is an activity that is contained in my answers to 7 of the above 10 questions!
What’s stopping me? Nothing. Literally nothing, on most days, except my lack of effort. My non-choosing. I believe in the idea that, if you show me what you spend your money and time on, I’ll show you your priorities. For me, this activity I love and aspire to, which is so readily available to me, it not a priority.
Now I ask you this: other than unplanned urgent matters, who selects my priorities for me?
So there we go. Nothing is simpler than this concept. It’s life-changing. What do you want to do? And really, what’s stopping you? Got a 20-year project requiring a million dollars you don’t have? Well, if you want to, you can do it. It’s a project. You pick it. Get on the fundraising shtick and start the 20 most purposeful years of your life, then.
On the other hand, make sure you’re actually listening to your heart’s desires; not just assuming what you think you want is what you really want. I know we sometimes feel we’re supposed to want to do things, maybe we’re even good at something so it seems ripe for the picking… but mmmm, nope, if we’re honest, it’s not a real want, it’s a fabricated one.
Therein is the very crux of procrastination as well as all those abandoned unfinished projects. Like how I keep thinking I want to crochet some nice gifts with all the yarn I’m storing. But today I realized, no, I don’t want to. I think I should want to, however “crochet nice gifts” or “use up my yarn” is not on my bucket list, and it’s not what I would wish to spend one whole unencumbered day doing, nor is it something I really want to fit in more of as my time on this planet is increasingly limited.
I believe we allow a small undercurrent of tragedy to exist in so many of our lives, especially caretakers’ lives, which are often the lives of women: we don’t choose to do what we want, even though it is our choice. We don’t agree that what we desire is in us for a reason. We are supposed to do what we desire, though. We need to, in order to be whole and satisfied and purposeful, right? Do we actually accept that we are NOT supposed to do what we wish to do? That we are supposed to live our lives toiling away without any reward in activities that we choose, for ourselves, based on our own wants?
I hope we can make a new agreement with ourselves in this particular project: let’s agree that our life is filled with our actions, and our actions are our choice.
I’d love to hear your comments on this topic….but not until you’ve made a commitment to your own activities, and prioritized them accordingly. According to what you want. And then do them. Don’t forget that part. As for me, now I’m going to read a few pages of the book I started a couple months ago and I’m going to keep doing that, for the rest of my life.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Enviro-Mental Considerations
We've finished Picking our Minds over the last several posts, and now I'd like to move us into a new mental space. Consider your environment. Your environment is anywhere you do anything. It's not only the place, it's the people and things, too. It's your home, and your belongings, and your family, and your pets. It's your neighborhood, and your town, and your country and your climate. It's your place of employment, and your co-workers, and your boss, and your desk.
That's not just one Thing to Pick, now is it? Environment is huge. Plus, you likely have several. Each day. I'll have to concede, we could do an entire year-long series of Project Pick One Thing: Your Environment, just to cover the breadth of this topic. So for now, we'll specialize--we're picking Your Fitness Environment. (Next time, your nutritional environment.) And that's it. Because we can't pick everything....
"Behind You!"
If you ever worked in a restaurant you know this phrase. Without it, collisions are likely. People might get hurt, or heaven forbid, food might be lost on it's way out to the table. When you're in an environment where everyone is focused on similar, but not exactly the same, goals, it's important you feel supported but also know you're accountable for your own results. Good restaurants are like that, and so are good work environments. Actually, households work well in this way, too. And so do places of fitness.
Unfortunately, a great many people find the wrong environments for their own goals when they're seeking a place of fitness. Big gyms are an exciting playground for some, an affordable family activity for others, and a giant scary house of mirrors for others still. Small gyms with a focus on heavy lifting might be filled with a certain intensity that isn't right for a yogi just trying to get on a cardio machine once in a while. Home workout areas complete with dvds and stretchy bands can be far too underwhelming and lonely to motivate some people to regular workouts. For others, home is the absolute best health haven.
So, who's behind you? Who has your back? Tennis clubs are an environment. So are running clubs, fight clubs and country clubs. A quiet backyard where only the breeze and the windchimes are behind you, that's an environment, too. You have a lot of choices when it comes to the places, tools and people you'll choose for your fitness environment. Be thoughtful about your choices. Experiment, keep an open mind, trust your instincts, and believe anything is worth trying for a bit. When you find the environment(s) you like best, it should feel like your effort is paying off each time you're there. It should be a part of your lifestyle, not something you dread, nor an itchy uncomfortable fit.
Then again, you never know, not until you try. Big pro male athletes must be brave to enter the Pilates studio and give it a try, but when they do, they often learn it's a great environment for them to finesse and balance out all their other physical endeavors. Slim young girls must be brave to step up to the heavy plates and learn to hoist them above their heads while standing next to big pro male athletes, but when they do, they often learn it's a great environment to grow their own abilities in ways no one had really suggested before.
Proof in point: the following two videos for you to watch. Take the 15 minutes to get through both. It will help you start to form ideas about the type of environment(s) you want to place yourself in, to be fit, feel good and have fun.
In the Laura Plumey Crossfit video below, you'll witness a girl who competes with herself first and foremost, and it's incredible what she can and will do. I don't know Laura, and I don't do Crossfit, but I can spot an amazing competitor when I see one... You can view plenty of them, via the Crossfit program, but I'm sharing this video with you so you can focus on this one person working, in an environment that is both comfortable and motivating for her. The support and instructions she receives are a blessing. But even more than that I think the energy she's able to draw from this room of likeminded people really does the trick. When you're feeling at home/in a zone within the right environment, like this shot above featuring the women of Crossfit Portland, it can offer an emotional and mental boost that's hard to beat. Watch how Laura shines in this room, it's really inspiring: Crossfit Challenge: Laura Plumey
Now to contrast the first video, but also compare it, I'm sharing this lovely collection of scenes from an open gym Pilates class with 80-something Romana Kryzanowska, former ballerina and the first person given the blessing to teach Joe Pilates' method, after Joe and Clara Pilates themselves. At first glance, it seems that here is an entirely different environment for those working out. In many ways it is. But hang in there, and the similarities will start to hit you. The support and guidance of Romana, the independent pursuits of the students who are working on and with themselves first and foremost. When you get to minute 7 or so, you'll really start to see how nuts some Pilates practitioners are on that equipment, and how strong. Because they love it, it inspires them, they applaud when finished. The sharing of energy is also key: Elaine's Pilates Blog: Beautiful Pilates Video
So, there are just two of infinity, when it comes to places where, things with, and people with whom, you might spend your fitness time. If it's effective, and you're not hurting yourself, and it makes you feel good, you're on the right track. But if you're mentally fatigued by, or emotionally drained because of, or as excited as a dead fish when it comes time to go to your fitness place, then please, tweak it. Consideration number 1: YOU. You are ALWAYS the central component of ANY of your environments.
Just as this day cannot exist without you in it, your environment is nothing more than what you perceive it to be. Make it a great one.
That's not just one Thing to Pick, now is it? Environment is huge. Plus, you likely have several. Each day. I'll have to concede, we could do an entire year-long series of Project Pick One Thing: Your Environment, just to cover the breadth of this topic. So for now, we'll specialize--we're picking Your Fitness Environment. (Next time, your nutritional environment.) And that's it. Because we can't pick everything....
"Behind You!"
If you ever worked in a restaurant you know this phrase. Without it, collisions are likely. People might get hurt, or heaven forbid, food might be lost on it's way out to the table. When you're in an environment where everyone is focused on similar, but not exactly the same, goals, it's important you feel supported but also know you're accountable for your own results. Good restaurants are like that, and so are good work environments. Actually, households work well in this way, too. And so do places of fitness.
Unfortunately, a great many people find the wrong environments for their own goals when they're seeking a place of fitness. Big gyms are an exciting playground for some, an affordable family activity for others, and a giant scary house of mirrors for others still. Small gyms with a focus on heavy lifting might be filled with a certain intensity that isn't right for a yogi just trying to get on a cardio machine once in a while. Home workout areas complete with dvds and stretchy bands can be far too underwhelming and lonely to motivate some people to regular workouts. For others, home is the absolute best health haven.
So, who's behind you? Who has your back? Tennis clubs are an environment. So are running clubs, fight clubs and country clubs. A quiet backyard where only the breeze and the windchimes are behind you, that's an environment, too. You have a lot of choices when it comes to the places, tools and people you'll choose for your fitness environment. Be thoughtful about your choices. Experiment, keep an open mind, trust your instincts, and believe anything is worth trying for a bit. When you find the environment(s) you like best, it should feel like your effort is paying off each time you're there. It should be a part of your lifestyle, not something you dread, nor an itchy uncomfortable fit.
Then again, you never know, not until you try. Big pro male athletes must be brave to enter the Pilates studio and give it a try, but when they do, they often learn it's a great environment for them to finesse and balance out all their other physical endeavors. Slim young girls must be brave to step up to the heavy plates and learn to hoist them above their heads while standing next to big pro male athletes, but when they do, they often learn it's a great environment to grow their own abilities in ways no one had really suggested before.
Proof in point: the following two videos for you to watch. Take the 15 minutes to get through both. It will help you start to form ideas about the type of environment(s) you want to place yourself in, to be fit, feel good and have fun.
In the Laura Plumey Crossfit video below, you'll witness a girl who competes with herself first and foremost, and it's incredible what she can and will do. I don't know Laura, and I don't do Crossfit, but I can spot an amazing competitor when I see one... You can view plenty of them, via the Crossfit program, but I'm sharing this video with you so you can focus on this one person working, in an environment that is both comfortable and motivating for her. The support and instructions she receives are a blessing. But even more than that I think the energy she's able to draw from this room of likeminded people really does the trick. When you're feeling at home/in a zone within the right environment, like this shot above featuring the women of Crossfit Portland, it can offer an emotional and mental boost that's hard to beat. Watch how Laura shines in this room, it's really inspiring: Crossfit Challenge: Laura Plumey
Now to contrast the first video, but also compare it, I'm sharing this lovely collection of scenes from an open gym Pilates class with 80-something Romana Kryzanowska, former ballerina and the first person given the blessing to teach Joe Pilates' method, after Joe and Clara Pilates themselves. At first glance, it seems that here is an entirely different environment for those working out. In many ways it is. But hang in there, and the similarities will start to hit you. The support and guidance of Romana, the independent pursuits of the students who are working on and with themselves first and foremost. When you get to minute 7 or so, you'll really start to see how nuts some Pilates practitioners are on that equipment, and how strong. Because they love it, it inspires them, they applaud when finished. The sharing of energy is also key: Elaine's Pilates Blog: Beautiful Pilates Video
So, there are just two of infinity, when it comes to places where, things with, and people with whom, you might spend your fitness time. If it's effective, and you're not hurting yourself, and it makes you feel good, you're on the right track. But if you're mentally fatigued by, or emotionally drained because of, or as excited as a dead fish when it comes time to go to your fitness place, then please, tweak it. Consideration number 1: YOU. You are ALWAYS the central component of ANY of your environments.
Just as this day cannot exist without you in it, your environment is nothing more than what you perceive it to be. Make it a great one.
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