Healthier living: An everyday resolution
[video width="720" height="720" m4v="http://www.theblindcook.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Pull-ups.m4v"][/video]The hubs likes to catch me on candid video. He also likes to put them in hyper lapse & add soundtrack. Here I'm doing assisted pull-ups w/ my trainer. My biceps & lats hurt for 4 days after this!
Happy 2015!As you might detect from last year’s post about getting fit, I don’t really believe in New Year’s resolutions; I’m of the mind one should set goals whenever one is ready instead of waiting for the calendar year to run out. But, I’m aware come January 1st, many people resolve to become new and improved versions of themselves, and I know many of these resolutions are something like, “I’m going to eat less sweets in 2015” or “I’m going to actually use my gym membership this year.” Essentially, the aim is often to achieve good health, so it’s only appropriate I blog about the topic of healthier living for my first post of 2015.I say “healthier living” because what one believes is a healthy lifestyle may be understatement or overkill for someone else; it’s all relative. When resolutions are too lofty, they can be discouraging and difficult to uphold. Therefore, unless you have the will of a Jedi knight, it’s going to be damn near impossible to quit smoking, turn vegan, and run three marathons in 2015 if you’ve been smoking a pack a day for 15 years, swallow an entire family sized bag of potato chips as a daily dessert, and your idea of exercise is getting up from the couch to fetch said potato chips from pantry. (Hey, no judgment here--I used to eat a whole bag of Lays sour cream and onion over two days when I was in fifth grade.) In fact, if you’re that person, I commend your efforts if you resolve to just quit smoking—the marathons can wait till 2016.When I wrote about my goal to get fit, I asked readers what were their physical exercises of choice. guidepooch, who is also vision impaired, commented that swimming, yoga, and walking with her guide dog are her favorite ways to stay active. She also suggested dragon boating, which I’d actually asked my bro-in-law about since he participated in local races last year. During my recent trip to the Bay area, I learned about adaptive rowing programs, but I haven’t had time to pursue it yet.I’ve enjoyed yoga on and off for the past 10+ years, and when a yoga studio opened in my neighborhood this summer, I became a regular again. The hubs drops me off on the way to his gym next door, but if you’re vision impaired and don’t have convenient access to a studio (whether due to proximity or finances), you can still do yoga at home if you have internet with YogaGlo (thanks again to guidepooch for this tip.)I also do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) at home with a personal trainer, and although I appreciate the fruits of my labor (I could barely do four push-ups from my knees when I first started with him over a year ago, and now I can do 20 from my feet), I still dread my HIIT sessions every time. (Does anyone know when or if I’ll ever look forward to these HIIT hours? I thought exercise was supposed to release endorphins!) Regardless, because I don’t have the ability to just hop in a car and drive myself to the gym, it’s nice to have someone bring the gym to me. I haven’t been this active since high school when I played tennis, and I’m proud that I’ve manage to work physical exercise back into my routine.Working out, however, is only a part of healthier living. Years ago, when doctors and I were trying to pin down my diagnosis, I read a lot of literature on autoimmune diseases. I found stress to be a contributing factor to not only autoimmune conditions, but perhaps cancer and other diseases.I used to have a lot of trouble keeping my stress levels in check, but I’m a lot better at it today. Ten or so years ago, when I was going through my first bouts of Neuromyelitis Optica/NMO attacks, my friend gifted me the audio version of Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I admit I never finish the book, but I don’t doubt there are true benefits to meditation, especially for those with MS. I often set goals of daily 10-minute meditations, but my American and generational tendencies steer me towards instant gratification and impatience, and I find myself dropping meditation off my daily schedule like lunch with an ex. But even Oprah meditates daily, so “I’m too busy” is not a valid excuse.Healthier living also means adequate sleep. Nightly sleep is what your body needs to restore itself from the daytime grind. I’m also a poor sleeper, often having trouble falling or staying asleep. The hubs showed me this song that scientists created to help with sleep since white noise and pleasant tones are apparently better than complete silence for inducing sleep. I personally listen to audio books set on a sleep timer before bed, and this has been my MO for years. (Just be sure to avoid Stephen King if you want to fall into pleasant slumber.)Last but not least, diet. The Nordic diet has been gaining popularity since Noma was named the #1 restaurant in the world, and people are beginning to discover the immense benefits of the fish- and berry-laden Scandinavian diet. (Read more about my Stockholm eats, including a memorable experience at Michelin-rated Frantzen.)As an attempt at healthier living, I’ve drastically cut down on simple carbs. For me, this has been extremely challenging—I just love noodles, bread, pasta, and white rice, but I recently trained my tastebuds to accept quinoa as a substitute for rice. Luckily, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but potato chips are my weakness, so I’ve stocked my pantry with baked veggie chips instead. Occasionally, I consult with a health expert at V Well Health whenever I have nutrition questions, and she offers helpful tips and guidelines tailored to my individual needs and lifestyle.It’s taken me over a year to employ some of these changes, many of which are not major at all, and I feel I still have a ways to go. But that’s the thing with resolutions: don’t make them impossible to achieve, and if you don’t achieve them, don’t beat yourself up about it. You’ll be ready when you’re ready. Above all, I believe in “everything in moderation.” You still need to enjoy life. It’s okay to treat yourself to those peanut M&Ms once in a while, or that last piece of fried chicken, or that soft-baked pretzel at the airport, or those (gasp!) fast food fries. Keep your eye on the marathon, but don’t feel too guilty when you deviate off that path now and then to smell the flowers.My personal ongoing resolutions are to do some sort of physical exercise at least three times a week, eventually meditate for 10 minutes a day, which will hopefully help me attain better sleep without the need of sleep aids (which prevent true sleep), and be more aware of the foods I choose to ingest. Remember that goals should be measurable: “I will slow-jog 20 minutes on the treadmill three times a week” is more ideal than “I’m going to work out more.”What are your healthier living resolutions? What are your other resolutions? Any comments on my personal exercise regimen or diet, thoughts on meditation, or problems with insomnia? I’d like your input. Till next time, be healthier, friends.