Tag: health

Happy Anniversary to Me

kimbrown16154 Comments

Today, February 27, 2020, is my 2 year blog anniversary!

Happy blog-iversary to me!

 

I started this blog as a fun way to share the things I have learned about health, wellness, and holistic living. I have been able to do much more than I expected! Although I don’t get to write as much as I would like, I have managed to post 76 blog posts over 2200 people have viewed.

Some highlights:

  • My most loved post was Benefits of Dry Body Brushing (A great practice during these dry winter months).
  • I have received a lot of comments and questions since I posted about my acupuncture experiences.
  • The book lists have been a hit and I have so many more to add this year (I am on a roll with reading right now).
  • Hummus Veggie Wraps was the most loved recipe.
  • I had my first guest post.
  • My favorite posts? That’s a toughie. It is a toss up. A Year of Gratitude and Thanks talks about a life changing habit for me.
  • Let’s Talk about Sleep is a favorite because Emily and Bo were hilarious in this one.

If you haven’t already, sign up on my blog and new posts will be emailed so you will never miss a thing! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook. Check my home page for links.

Thanks for sticking with me for 2 years!

 

Kim and Ally’s Favorite Podcasts

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I’m probably a little behind the times (OK fine, A LOT behind) but in an effort to make the most of my time, I have started listening to Podcasts. I’ve heard several people talk about them lately, including my niece Ally, home on a visit from Boston. I decided to check them out and it didn’t take long for me to find some favorites. Since I’m so new at this, I am including her favorites as well! True Crime is such a popular category, but you will notice those are absent from my list. No worries – Ally has you covered! I am basically afraid of my own shadow, so listening to True Crime is NOT a good idea for me. One episode of Dateline and I’m convinced a murdered is lurking in the woods.

Thus far I have focused on those in the scope of mind, body, soul health and wellness. Since I typically listen while I’m getting ready in the morning or during my commute once the kids get out of the car (which is only about 10 – 15 minutes) I prefer shorter podcasts I can listen to in 20 minutes or less. I’ve tried listening at work but I find it too hard to focus.

I will post an update in a few months once I’ve had more time to explore. But for now – here’s our favorite podcasts!

Kim’s List

Optimal Health Daily

Dr. Neal Malik

This podcast reads the latest and greatest health and fitness blogs and also has Q&A Episodes. I like these because they are short (usually 15 minutes or less) and cover topics I find interesting. A sister podcast to this is Optimal Living Daily, which reads content on personal development, productivity, and more.

Daily Inspiration

Steve Harvey

A daily dose of inspiration from The Steve Harvey Morning Show. I like him, although sometimes he’s hard for me to take serious because, well, he’s Steve Harvey! (Think Family Feud) This shows a different side of him and I have enjoyed it so far.

The Mindset and Motivation Podcast

Rob Dial 

(Soon changing names to The Mindset Mentor.) This is probably my favorite podcast. The episode about his 10 day silent meditation retreat was so interesting. I actually know someone who attends a retreat like this every year. 10 days without talking! #Meditation goals. I’ve had several good takeaways from each episode and have stayed engaged with very little mind wandering! I love his tag line at the end: “Make it your mission to make someone else’s day better.”

The Daily Still

Cindy L. Helton 

At first I listened to this on my way to work, but for me, good meditation requires closing my eyes. Not a great idea when you’re driving! So I moved it up in my day. I have a morning routine that works well for me, which you can read about here. I have been listening before I get out of bed, however the last time I got so relaxed I almost fell back asleep! Oops. Because of this, I’m thinking about actually moving this one to the end of my day right before I go to sleep.  They are short, which is great if you are new to meditation.

The Nutrition Diva

Monica Reinagel 

Information on easy ways to upgrade your eating habits.

Ally’s List

The Daily

The NY Times

20 minute news podcast – new 5 days a week. If you like a quick news recap, this is a good option.

Serial Season 1

This American Life

A podcast from the creators of This American Life. It unfolds one story over the course of a whole season. If you like murder mystery, this might worth checking out.  As for me, I’m skipping this one!

Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez

The Boston Globe: Wondery 

“Football star Aaron Hernandez went from the bright lights of the Super Bowl to a convicted murderer in a few years. The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team takes a hard look at the crisis facing football through the lens of Aaron Hernandez’s life and terrible crimes.” This one looks interesting and Ally enjoyed it. I plan to check this one out!

The Moth

Ally says this one is really good. it’s about people telling their stories. Some are funny, some are sad. She actually went to a live show and loved it! She lives in Boston so more exciting things happen there compared to my little town of Grass Lake, Michigan. No live podcast shows here!

What the Health

Kaiser Health News

Weekly Healthcare news. She has a degree in Public Health so it makes sense this is on her list!

If you’re new to the world of Podcasts and don’t know where to start, check out your favorite categories. You can find pretty much anything: Art, Comedy, Fiction, Business, News, Sports, and more. It’s a great way to fill your time! Let us know some of your favorites! Thanks to Ally for her awesome suggestions.

My 7 day low sugar diary

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If you read my last post, you are probably dying for an update on my low sugar challenge. Your wait is over!Here’s what happened…

Day 1:

Today was a partial fail. It started off good, even though I really, really, really wanted an almond butter biscuit. Since that would break the rules, I stuck with fresh fruit and veggies. I did have some accidental cheats throughout the day. In my snack boxes I always pack nuts. This blend I bought had dried cranberries and red tart cherries. Glancing at the package (after I had eaten most of it) I realized it had 10 grams of sugar with 6 of those grams being added sugar. Oops. The ingredients list showed the dried cranberries and cherries are made with sugar and sunflower oil. Since I was hungry and it was part of my lunch, I picked out the nuts and threw out the dried fruit. By mid-afternoon I was really hungry so I ate some Skinny Pop. I tried the hypnosis from my Sugar Stop app. She wanted me to get comfortable and close my eyes. Um, yea, can’t do that lady. I’m sitting at my desk trying to work. Needless to say I skipped the hypnosis and just drank water.  It was my mom’s birthday so we went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse, which was a hot mess thanks to the warm, buttery rolls calling my name. I ate one with the most angelic cinnamon butter I have ever tasted. I did redeem myself with a pork chop and steamed veggies and only drank water.

I finished off the day with a 30 minute walk and the most beautiful sunset!

DAY 2:

It’s only day 2 & I have already noticed a lot of my go-to snacks have added sugar. So I’ve been snacking on veggies and nuts (with no dried fruit) and popcorn. I have been hungry the last 2 days, even though I’m drinking a lot of water. (Got up to pee 3 times last night) I skipped the chips and salsa at work because the salsa had added sugar. Despite my best efforts, between my protein shake and my lunch (soup and salad from Panera Bread) I have still had a little bit of added sugar, but WAY less than normal. I did find myself thinking about food a lot throughout the day.

DAY 3:

Today my lack of low sugar snacks was really pissing me off. I got home to eat my strawberry salad only to realize ALL 7 grams of sugar in the dressing were added sugar. Grrr.
I got very tired after lunch. I feel like my stomach is adjusting a little bit to less snacking. Normally I would be glad it’s Friday but I’m nervous because I will be at my kids’ all-day softball tournament tomorrow. Concession stands are one of my many weaknesses. I have a cooler packed full of healthy snacks and water and ready to go.
I finished off the day with a White Claw and the 2 grams of sugar was worth every sip. Cheers.
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DAY 4:

Proud of myself for making it through a whole day at the field with no concession stand junk food! It was sooooo hot and humid, so I drank a lot of water. I think this helped keep me full. We went to my parents house afterward and I steered clear of the sweet stuff (my mom’s pantry is FULL of junk food and candy) I started feeling withdraw symptoms like a headache and a little shaky but I was able to power through it. Over all it was a very successful low sugar day!

DAY 5:

Well, it turns out I have inadvertently replaced sugar with salt. I woke up today so puffy and swollen. I had a lot of nuts (pretty sure they were salted) and skinny pop yesterday. So I need to rethink my snack choices just a little bit. Individually they aren’t too bad, but eating them all together is way too much salt for me!
Another headache today and very hangry in the afternoon. I am so impressed with my willpower. I know it has only been 5 days but I am proud of myself. Today I held my daughter’s chocolate chip cookie in my hand and didn’t even want a bite.
I’m a little frustrated that the scale hasn’t budged, but hoping I will notice some progress there soon.

DAY 6:

Another day of low sugar. Another day without an Almond Butter Biscuit. Sad face.
I made the rookie mistake of grocery shopping while hungry. I overcame the urge for sweets and ate an apple instead. Normaly I would have gotten something junky from the checkout lane. It was a little surprising at how many things have added sugar. I spent a lot of time reading labels during this trip so it took me a longer than normal. Still had a headache which I was hoping water would help but I can’t possibly drink any more or I will float away!

DAY 7:

I did it! I feel very accomplished and only had a couple of moments worthy of the panic button.  My friend brought the kids some cake today and I didn’t eat any! I held it in my hands and said no. Pretty impressive. I mean look at this thing!
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In the last 7 days I cut down on snacking, drank more water, and survived the sugar withdraw headache. I am much more aware of the sugar content in my go-to foods and have found some alternatives.
I am excited to try another 7 days of low sugar!