What a great holiday!  We had so much fun this year going around trick-or-treating!  Katie was a little fairy. I know mom's are partial, but I just think she's a little angel... :)  Typical mom--love to show off the little one...

“Still Spooked by High-Fructose Corn Syrup,” by Tara Parker ran in The New York times yesterday.  I was interested in the article because like many Americans, I suspect one of the biggest risks we are taking with our health is continuously loading up on high-fructose corn syrup that is in just about everything we eat.  The article cites a recent study and suggests that if you drink even two sodas a day, you increase your risk of kidney disease by 40%--women’s risk was double that of men’s… There is also a suggested link between fatty liver disease and high-fructose corn syrup written about in this article…

The article cites another study that suggests that high-fructose corn syrup makes you fatter quicker than other sugars. Yikes… 

And many consumers don’t even realize how many items that we buy regularly contain corn syrup.  Have you ever read the ingredient label for the whole wheat or multi-grain bread that you buy?  You’d think this would be healthy for you, right?  Likely, it’s loaded with high-fructose corn syrup—it’s near impossible to find bread at a regular supermarket that doesn’t have high-fructose corn syrup in it…  I’ve looked and have resigned to buying the Sara Lee low-cal wheat bread, as I have not to date seen the high-fructose corn syrup included in the ingredients.

I’ll end with a quote sited in the article by Michael Pollan from  The Washington Post written earlier this year,

“The environmental footprint of high-fructose corn syrup is deep and wide,” writes Pollan, a prominent critic of industrial agriculture. “Look no farther than the dead zone in the Gulf [of Mexico], an area the size of New Jersey where virtually nothing will live because it has been starved of oxygen by the fertilizer runoff coming down the Mississippi from the Corn Belt. Then there is the atrazine in the water in farm country — a nasty herbicide that, at concentrations as little as 0.1 part per billion, has been shown to turn male frogs into hermaphrodites.”

Now that’s spooky! 

And finally, wishing you a festive and happy Halloween!

Boy:
Now I lay me down sleep... I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If someone asks what I’d like, I’d have to answer “a brand-new bike!”

 




Dog:
Bacon
Bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon                        Bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon                      Bacon, bacon, bacon!!!!!

           

It's that time of the year--pumpkin pies galore!  But if you want to fix this delightful treat with a little less bad... here is a healthier twist on a traditional favorite. 

Healthier Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Pastry
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons fat-free (skim) milk

Filling
3 egg whites or 1/2 cup fat-free egg product
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not regular pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12 oz) evaporated fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1st
Pastry: Preheat oven to 425°F. In medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt and the oil with fork until well mixed. Stir in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened. Shape pastry into a ball, using your hands. Press pastry in bottom and up side of 9-inch glass pie plate.  Flute or press pastry to top edge of pie plate with fingers or fork.

2nd
Filling: In medium bowl, beat egg whites slightly with wire whisk or egg beater. Beat in remaining filling ingredients. Pour filling into pastry-lined pie plate; carefully place on oven rack. Bake 15 minutes.

3rd
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Cover edge of pie crust with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent too much browning. Bake about 45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cooling rack at least 1 hour before serving.  

So, I was reading the Communication Exchange blog this week—Patricia Rockwell said, “communication researchers have found that it is difficult to make people more concerned about their health without making them overly fearful.”  (You have to find a happy medium between too little fear and too much!)

Hmmm....What the heck is the answer, then?  We can’t overly scare people into taking care of themselves—how about guilt! (Kidding.)

I know that before I became sick, I buried my head in the sand—hoped that I could cloak my bad choices in what I called “everything in moderation.”  But the truth was, I had no idea how just a few simple decisions could make me feel so much better and add, statistically, years to my life. 

Alright, if you haven’t been incentivized to get healthy up till now, here is a study that I think you will find interesting.  Researchers at King’s College London have found that there are visible signs of cellular aging in people who are inactive…  That means that if you’re not active, you’re growing older quicker than those that are getting plenty of exercise. 

Kinda sounds simplistic, but how did researchers come up with this data?  They studied 2,400 twins—measuring for variables like activity, smoking, and socioeconomic status.  What did they learn?  The telomeres—sections of DNA at the end of chromosomes in people’s white blood cells—were shorter in those that weren’t active.  The shorter telomeres correspond to AGING folks.  If you’re not getting exercise, you are getting older faster.  Period.  No joking. 

Researchers suggest that living a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of all aging related diseases and premature death.  So what?  Well, not only are you opening yourself up to age-related diseases if you don’t exercise, you are just plain getting older quicker than people that get some regular physical activity.  Aargh!

And guess what, not only did the researchers find that lack of exercise ages you quicker, they measured this controlling for weight, smoking, and socioeconomic background.  That means that if you’re a poor, overweight smoker, you can still fight off aging by introducing some physical activity into your lifestyle… Encouraging!

How much aging are we talking about?  Well, the most active—over 3 hours a week, were compared to the least active—around 15 minutes a week…  The most active participants had telomeres that measured the same as those 10 years younger—a decade…

Have you figured out where I'm going with this?  If we don’t get off our bums and start moving, even you inactive skinny, non-smokers, we will still age quicker than if we took a few walks or a run during the week. 

And if I’m not throwing enough at you, researchers have shown that if you get regular exercise, don’t smoke, drink moderately, and eat your 5 fruits or veggies a day, you can add 14 years to your life…

I always thought that I’d just take my chances—I wasn’t worried about what was going to happen to me 30 years from now…  That was a mistake.  Look, you can’t measure intervention, and now that I know better, I’m doing something about it.  I still do stupid stuff like make cookies with my daughter and then chow down on them (that happened today—and they were damn good BTW) But that’s life; I’m back on the health ride the next chance that I get.  I know I’ll never be a die-hard vegan, but I will make choices that are smart and research proven to give myself better odds of being here for a longer time.  Why not?  Life is fun ;)

Life is good, isn't it?  It's always nice to take a moment to reflect on what we are grateful for...  I sure am lucky to have a wonderful hubby and a beautiful daughter...  There isn't much more that I need.  :)  I am so fortunate!  I used to be a die-hard Oprah fan--I haven't had much time lately to watch, but I do remember her talking about keeping a grateful journal--I need to get on it!

I was so far from sexy—not sexy as a chemo patient with one breast and no hair; there was not an ounce of seductress, a pinch of pretty, a cup of baby got back—nada.  I was left in the gutter; no vacancy for slinky.  Even now, two years later, I’m still working at getting sexy back.  But I think it’s truly crucial to any recovery; we need to make our inner kitten purr to be truly healthy.  But what does that mean?  Do I need hair and all my body parts to be sexy?  Nope.  At my worst, I felt abandoned, misguided, my body had let me down—it wasn’t about my appearance.  I was angry, and angry is definitely not sexy.  To be sexy again, I had to get past the anger, pity, and hurt. 

And my definition of sexy is likely a bit different from yours. I can still remember the first time I met sexy.  I was in a college, and I met a woman with amazing sexiness.  She wasn’t gorgeous or thin or rich.  She was a middle aged woman who knew who she was.  She lived her life in balance, and if she didn’t want to wear a bra, damn it, she didn’t!  I learned from her that day that I wanted to be sexy…someday, but as an awkward 20 year old, I had a ways to go to find sexy.

Sexy definitely requires self-worth.  You have to be able to love yourself up if you’re going to feel it.  And I mean that in the most innocent way—truly.  If you can’t look in the mirror and love the blemishes and lines and curves and what not—you can’t wake up your inner sex-pot.  I started to feel sexy back when I found a belly-dancing-how-to program on television.  And although I wouldn’t invite my dog to watch me learn belly dancing, the movement inspired sexiness.  It was therapeutic—and that’s what I’m getting at…  To be healthy, you gotta have some sexy.

If you’re wondering where your sexy went, it’s time to get it back.  Where do you start?  I would start by choosing something sexy for each of your senses.  For smell, buy some incense or candles—then use them!  I picked some up from the dollar store—the dollar store, folks!  There is definitely something sexy about the musky, sensual smell of incense.  For taste, try some exotic or tropical tasting tea.  I recently picked up coconut chai, which was the perfect choice for me.  The blend of spices reminds me of another place and time. For sound, find some ethereal, sweet music to listen to.  For touch, invest in massage stones or massage oil. I bought some massage stones to give my husband a massage, and I ended up using them to meditate.  I picked up some aromatherapy lotion to use to relax when I’m getting a bit uptight.  For sight, find a mirror and strike a pose until you feel your sexy staring back at you!  (A new outfit never hurt anyone, either)  You’ve got it in you; I know it—so go on and find it…    Check out my astore for ideas and easy links for getting your sexy back.

Or my Wii Fit page--although Wii Fit might not make you feel sexy right away, it's a fun way to start working toward better health. 

Coconut and Tea...

So here it is--my new healthy elixir!  Coconut Chai tea by Zhena's Gypsy mixed with some virgin coconut oil.  Tasty, and sexy, too.  The coconut oil coats your lips and soothes your tummy.  I highly recommend this combination--and as noted below, if you want to learn a bit more about tea--check out Miss Lainie's site for more info on tea goodies...  Thanks again Lainie!

So this weekend we did the fair.  We do this more for Kate than for us--although I have to say I thought it was pretty cool to see my first giraffe. 

Scott, my hubbie, would not be happy that I posted this picture of him chowing down on ice cream on my blog, but it brings me to the point of my post--it ain't easy getting healthy.  I have brought my family along on my "getting fit" journey--I'm sure they feel captive at times... 

We're still trying to figure it all out--how to become healthier day-by-day... Most days we do pretty good--although I think I've given myself a false sense of security by taking supplements.  I am blending my greens, but we haven't converted 100% to organic--not even close.  I am trying not to become a health-freakoid, but the more I read and learn about healthy living, the more I hear myself saying and thinking the darnedest things...  (can you hear yourself think?)

Scott wanted to put lotion on Kate today--dry desert skin--and I cringed thinking about all the unpronounceables that  go into making over-the-counter lotions.  I've started to replace shampoos and some lotions--but good God there are so many things to consider.  So for now, I'm thinking a lot about Seinfeld--SERENITY NOW! and making the little choices that make the big picture palatable.  It is important to take our health seriously, but we also have to enjoy life, too.  If we (I should say I) become too obsessed with the harmful effects of this and that, we'll all go batty! 

I did pick up some virgin coconut oil today and tried it in my tea, as Lainie from Lainie Sips recommended--yummy!  If you're into tea, or if you want to learn more about tea--you should definitely check out her site...

Listening to your favorite music is easier than ever—with ipods and mp3 players, you can have access to your tunes 24/7.  And haven’t we all used music to relax or get a move on? But if you’re depressed or battling cancer, music might be something you want to tap into for healing benefits as well.

What is it about music that can soothe or excite—what is it about music that affects the mind and body?  There have been scientifically documented effects of listening to music, and it is fast becoming another alternative therapy for a myriad of diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer.   

So, what is music therapy?  It includes listening to music, writing music, making music, and even using music while engaged in other activities like writing or drawing, for instance.

Music has been credited with the following effects:  reducing blood pressure, heart rate and breathing; improving self-esteem and easing depression; decreasing pain; and reducing stress, anxiety, and fear, among others.

If you are interested in learning more about music therapy, you can check out the book Music as Medicine by Deforia Lane—as noted in my favorites from Amazon.

Bottom line:  people respond to music.  Music is a natural source of distraction, relaxation, and even inspiration...

My personal favorites:  Nanci Griffith for an anytime pick-up, Jack Johnson makes me smile, Sarah McLaughlin is great for those melancholy days, or just about anything from the 80s works to brighten my mood!