Healthy Living

Life.

…A wonderful gift we were all given though we never asked for it ourselves…

How many times have you heard it…’Enjoy your life and live it fully…you only go around once.’

I’ve said this myself many times.

Believing that life is meant to be lived to its full capacity, I think never a moment should be wasted. Days and nights ought to be filled with activities enjoyed and people whose company is appreciated. Regularly partaking of these pleasures is something that should hold a priority and significance for all of us.

For some, however, the interpretation of living life ‘fully’ can be lost or misconstrued. With the desire to have and do it all, the focus is fixated on living it ‘up’ rather than living ‘well’.

Translated by throwing caution to the wind, eating and drinking is indulged without concern while exercise is viewed as hobby instead of necessity… a pastime..’fit in’, if at all, whenever convenient. Less desirable habits are adapted acknowledged with empty vows to ‘quit’ them forthcoming.

Although we subconsciously know better than our actions indicate, we are convinced that anything less of this way of living ….is living life deprived.

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I believe it benefits everybody to adhere to some type of Fitness program along with adapting a Healthy Living lifestyle.

Practicing fitness myself for the last 15 years, and currently involved in the field, there is always something new to learn on this ever changing topic. I enjoy exercise and feel it is vitally important to an optimally functioning body, but it is really just part of the equation for healthy living.

To truly keep the body running efficiently and optimally, it must begin at the cellular level, essentially starting with the foods we eat. The importance of a nutrient rich diet cannot be stressed enough and it is always worth repeating.

I like to equate the body, and the food that’s put into it, to the care of an automobile. While it is important to wash and wax a car (exercise) at every opportunity, in attempt to achieve it’s full luster (muscle tone), the effort would prove futile if cheap, bad, junky gas (food) is put in it’s tank. Letting the fuel drop continually near “E” (hunger), or never changing the oil (nutritional variety), would undoubtedly lead to problems, ….eventually resulting in failed Inspection (never good news). Similarly, that is what bad food does to our bodies, …our ultimate ‘driving machine’.

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Always hopeful for an outdoor cardio session, …today looks promising.

From a quick assessment at a glance outside,…it’s a beautiful day. The sky is blue, the birds are feeding, and the sun is shining…brightly. It looks just perfect…

But as we all know, ….looks can be deceiving…

…baby, it’s cold outside!

Unable to commit myself to reaching optimal capacity, purely from the displeasure at exposure to what I perceive as frigid temperatures, I’m reduced to remaining indoors…

…to reluctantly board my detested Treadmill. ….God I hate it.

My distaste for it undeniable, I cannot, for the life of me, understand its appeal.

Appreciating this mechanical ‘convenience’ for exactly what it has to offer, is all I’m able to muster. It is the capability to continually enable a person to effectively condition their heart…despite all kinds of weather. If fortunate enough to own your own, the luxury of never leaving the house is an added bonus.

But try as I might, I just can’t get into to it. As much as I love to exercise, (…I need that endorphin high), I’ll do anything short of standing on my head to avoid the thing.

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We’ve all heard it…

At least a million times growing up…

“Eat your vegetables!”

Well, it turns out Mom was right. Making vegetables an important part of your daily diet may have more benefits than you might have thought. Unfortunately, for some, vegetable consumption did not just remain a “childhood” aversion. A significant number of adults, …(you know who you are),… do not eat vegetables on a daily basis thereby depriving themselves of the nutrients and required fiber vegetables have to offer. While it’s true that all vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, most offer additional health benefits as well.

What follows is a list of a few favorites along with some of their nutritional properties, as well as the health benefits they offer. I will mention, however, that when coking vegetables, some of their nutrients are lost, especially if they’re boiled. Unless you’re going to use the cooking water in a broth of some sort, it’s better to steam any fresh vegetable.

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Television.

America’s favorite pastime.

I’m not one to sit endlessly in front of the TV. Hour after hour of constant television drives me crazy.

Now don’t get me wrong, I do have a few favorite shows that I simply won’t miss. But for the most part, I’d rather keep busy..Reading, Drawing, and I’ve recently taken up Sculpting. I love to work with my hands.

But drawing remains my passion. I love the ’smoothness’ of the graphite on the pad and the ability to create textures with various strokes. I draw only wildlife, no pets or people. I drew my daughters’ portraits’ when they were younger and they didn’t come half bad..It’s just that ‘people’ are not where my interests lie….at least not now.

There is an intimacy in drawing that’s not mentioned often …if at all. I experience it with all my pieces… a kind of connection in a way. It’s like I come to know the spirit of each animal I draw. I imagine portrait artists must experience it as well.

Remember that movie “Titanic”? The most intimate part of that film, to me, was when Leonardo Di Caprio sketched the picture of what’s her name. ( I really forgot … you know who I mean). (OK, she was naked as well but that really is beside the point) An artist studies, really ’sees’ his subject. ..Every line, every contour, ..as if he sees deep into her soul. She becomes etched in his mind…He sees her while he sleeps.

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On A Walk With A Collie…Or Two.

Dogs.

Trustworthy, devoted companions, …ever loving and forgiving.

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes, each with their own traits and characteristics…but all capable of demonstrating the same human-canine bond. It is this connection which dog owners find enriching and rewarding.

My dog of choice is the Collie. Collies are a beautiful, noble, well-tempered dog and adapt well into most households. Although maintenance can be high, one look into those expressive, warm, brown eyes and one cannot help to be charmed. I have two Collies, brothers, who will be four years old this month. These guys love to camp, hike, and go for long walks, as do I. It was on one of these walks that today’s post was inspired as my dogs reflected ‘life’ back at me, through their own distinct personalities.

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Wine.

…I love wine.

Red wine in particular.

Being half Italian, I’ve been introduced to wine at a very young age. My Mom often tells the story of how my Grand Father once advised her to “water-down” my few sips of wine for fear of it being too strong for me…(I was about six at the time). But I knew the difference. Even my very first sips had to be full-bodied and flavorful.

I drink wine because I love how it tastes. There’s something in the bouquet of red wine that simply seduces me and I can honestly say that I have never had a glass I did not enjoy.

Now, I’m not a connoisseur of wine by any stretch of the imagination. I have been to a few wine tastings and have found them to be enlightening, especially if one is interested in developing and expanding their palate. I like tastings because they’re fun! However, I must comment, that after sampling a few different bottles, one can distinguish the smoothest (and more expensive) from the rest.

My first “tasting”, I eagerly filled out the order form based on my “favorites”, not realizing the cost per bottle. Suffice it to say, buying with my palate left me quite surprised at my quantity-divided-by-cost purchase! (Rest assured these bottles were reserved for special occasions only!)

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Hey there!

Today my intentions were to write an entry regarding my beloved wildlife, but alas, another beautiful day here dictates my post. Almost 60 degrees! In January! In the Northeast! …What a tease, ..but I love it. This unseasonably warm weather enabled me to capture yet another outdoor walking session with my dogs, … soaking up some sunshine,… i-pod snugly under my jacket,….rocking to my favorite tunes. It was this invigorating hour that prompts todays’ entry….

..Music.

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A Resolution…for Life..

Change is good….

Well..another Holiday season has come and gone…
Good times shared with family and friends… new memories created, old memories remembered, and bright hopes toward a new year filled with health, prosperity, and happiness as we make resolutions to change things for the better…

…But do we?
…change things I mean.

If you’re tuning in late and do not know anything about me, I am really a jack-of-all-trades. Besides being a mom, artist, and veterinary assistant, I am also a fitness enthusiast. I work in a fitness center around people striving to get healthier, stronger and, need I say it? ..thinner…
..which brings me back around to “change” and the infamous New Year’s Resolution, “I’m going on a diet….I gotta’ lose some weight”. You don’t have to work in a gym to hear that one. Maybe you’ve even said it yourself.
…maybe it was last year …

So….
..Did you lose it?

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