January 2008

Moods can be kind of fickle.  Sometimes there are reasons behind their madness.  For example, winter duldroms can have even the happiest person in the world searching for things to smile about.  And of course if something unpleasant has happened, we expect our mood to be dampened for awhile.

Being overly busy can put someone in a bear of a mood also. Before you know it, you’re snapping at people completely undeserving of snaps.  The good thing about these types of moods is that they pass quickly. Once you switch gears and start to unwind, things begin to look a lot better.

Then again, there are the bad moods who’s origins you couldn’t identify if it meant a steak dinner.

Fortunately, when you find yourself feeling as down as Eeyore or as crabby as Lucy, there are things you can do to pull yourself out of it.

1. Do something good for someone else, without wanting anything at all in return.  This one’s sitting at Number one for a reason. The best way in the world to put a smile on your face is to put one on someone else’s first. It’s especially sweet if they aren’t expecting it at all and even sweeter if you expect nothing in return.
2. Eat more protein.  Protein promotes good moods, and one of the first signs that you aren’t getting enough is the presence of cloudy moods.  Good sources of protein are:  lean red meat, low-fat yogurt, soy, seafood, poultry, rice with beans, lentils…
3. Fruits and vegetables are also mood-lifters.  They replenish the brain and body with oxygen and provide energy.   If your mood is suffering from overactivity, eating your fruits and veggies can give you the extra energy you need to make you feel in control again.
4. Laugh!  I know this one seems obvious, but it’s priceless.  It’s also, surprisingly, underused.  When you’re struggling to find reasons for an upbeat mood, laughter is the bolt you need. Different people have diffent sense of humors, so what makes me double over laughing might make you simply chuckle.  The trick is to find the particular feather that tickles your funny bone.  Whether it’s Andy Griffith or I Love Lucy, Family Guy or Seinfield, Everybody Loves Raymond or King of Queens - just lose yourself in the fun and before you know it, you’ll be laughing and feeling 100 percent better.
5. Fake it until you make it!  This one is surprisingly effective.  Give it a try, you’ll be amazed.  When you find yourself in the middle of a feirce “mad on” or you simply feel irritated with everyone and everything….smile the biggest smile you have at your disposal.  Crack a joke or two with the nearest person and act as though you just won a year’s worth of Starbucks, my equivalent of the lottery.
6. Find the source and do a little repair work.  If you can identify where your bad mood is coming from, very often you can alleviate it simply by attacking the situation.  Even if you don’t completely take care of it, your mood will lighten when it realizes you’re on top of things.  For example, if money problems have you down in the mouth, sit down with pen and paper and find ways to start saving more and spending less.  If possible, find ways to make more.  When your mood sees that you’re on top of the situation, he’ll lighten up considerably.

Whatever you do, don’t just “wallow” in the misery - it’s not only the worst thing for you, it’s the worst thing for everyone around you.  Because misery may love company, but company most definitely doesn’t love misery. 

Anyone who knows me knows I’m freakin’ obsessed with vintage Hollywood - so much so that I even have a blog devoted entirely to Hollywood, Yesterday.  There are few things I love more than piling up on the couch and watching a great old movie or reruns of some of my favorite old series (Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, The Flintsones, The Beverly Hillbillies…).

Do you remember the episode of Andy Griffith where the travelling preacher gives a sermon with the catch phrase, “What’s Your HURRY?“  I thought about that one last night when I found myself zipping around the kitchen like I had someplace I HAD to be.  I was throwing mixing bowls in the cabinet, cat food at my cats, green tea into my glass… like I was on The Amazing Race and trying to complete my task before anyone else.  I was nothing but a fuzzy pink blur in my housecoat and houseshoes.

At some point, I stopped my pink self long enough to ask, “It’s 9:50 at night, what’s the rush?” I was dumbfounded, which fortunately slowed me down.

I put my elbows on the counter and mulled it over with one of my cats (the other was too busy eating and couldn’t be bothered with such things).  Alexa and I decided that I’ve conditioned myself lately to go too fast, and possibly even too much.  At some point, when I wasn’t looking, someone inserted a new video card into me and my speed is now second to none. 

The problem is, when you’re zipping and rushing around, not very much good comes from it.  For one thing, that’s pretty much when all accidents happen.  You drop things, cut yourself on your very sharp, new Wolfgang Puck knives (4 times in one month), get speeding tickets, etc.

It’s also hard to fully live in and enjoy the moment if you’re at full steam.  It’d be like trying to sight see in a jet.  A hellicopter provides a much better view!

Do you ever find yourself in the middle of a needless rush?  If you’re like me, it’s probably something new to you.  I’ve only noticed myself recently switching gears, and I can’t quite figure out if it’s because I have a lot more to do or if it’s the reason I have a lot more to do.  Whatever the case, I think we should all MAKE ourselves slow down a little bit.  The rushing to and fro just isn’t healthy for the body or the mind. 

I’ve worked out a little trick- whenever I see the color red, I’m going to “check” myself.  I’ll see if I’m doing my best Speedy Gonzalez or if I actually have both feet on the floor.  I remember this little trick from years ago - one of my daughters had a habit of biting her nails.  She wasn’t nervous or bored, she just enjoyed the whole process of chewing them off.  I told her that whenever she saw the color red to “check” herself to see if she was in the process of abusing her poor nails.  The routine, in itself, didn’t cure the nail biting.  But it pointed out to her just how often she did, in fact, bite her nails.   After a few weeks of “stopping at the red,” she was able to completely break the habit.

If you suspect that you’ve begun to move an accelerated speed, too, I hope you’ll join me in a good old fashioned cooling of the heels.  After all, it is true: life is a marathon, not a sprint.  Let’s just enjoy it every step of the way! 

My beloved Google and I were doing a little research on cholesterol earlier and I came across a great web site I’d never heard of before (Health Castle.com).  I found exactly what I was looking for and then some.

One of the best, most informative articles I read was titled “5 Super Foods:  The Next Generation.”  With respect given to Garlic, Broccoli, Soy, and Peanuts (Salmon made the cut), Health Castle listed the following as the next generation of Power Foods:

• Walnuts
• Flax Seed
• Pomegranate
• Salmon
• Dark Greens

I thought the information on pomegranate was especially interesting:

Pomegranate has quickly become one of the most talked about super foods in the past two years. Pomegranate fruits contain polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins, which are all beneficial antioxidants. On the other hand, pomegranate juice contains high levels of antioxidants - higher than most other fruit juices,red wine or tea. Preliminary evidence suggested that drinking concentrated pomegranate juice may reduce cholesterol. It was further suggested that drinking a glass of pomegranate juice a day for one year reduced blood pressure (particularly systolic pressure) and slowed down low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) oxidation.

The first chance you get, read what they have to say about the other Super Foods.  Be sure to bookmark the site and give it a good once over - there’s a lot of really great information just waiting to be uncovered.

Buy at AllPosters.com

I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising, what with the way society caters to making everything faster, easier, and as effortless as possible. 

Generations before us had to:

• Walk into the gas station to pay.
• Mow their own lawns.
• Hand wash their vehicles.
• Plant and tend to their gardens.
• Park and walk into restaurants for their food.
• Get off the couch to change the channel.
• Go to greater lengths to prepare a meal.  Frozen pre-chopped onions? Instant potatoes? Instant rice?

These are just a few of the things that are depriving us from getting more activity.  Add to that the number of hours we spend in front of computers and television sets, and it’s a real wonder we aren’t all the size of the monster in Cloverfield.

In the December 2002 issue of Prevention Magazine, Steven N. Blair, PED (a physical education doctor) said, “Most people don’t realize how very sedetary their life has become.”  Dr. Blair believes that a major reason behind so many people battling their weight is simply a matter of becoming to sedetary.  He referred to it as a “…gradual ratcheting down of daily life activity.”

Fortunately, just as a vehicle can be turned around when the driver realizes they’re on the wrong road - a lifestyle can be turned around when the liver realizes they’re on the wrong road.

The trick is being consistent and, downright, dogged about it.  When trying to incorporate something into a pre-existing routine, you have to have a single-mindedness, a stout disposition, and an obstinate resolve.  It isn’t something one can make up their mind about on January 26, then think about it again on February 22.  It has to be thought about each and every day between those dates and beyond those dates.

The following are some pretty cool ways to outsmart yourself and sneak some more activity into your days.

1. When putting away laundry, take only one or two items at a time.  Your heart will love all of the extra steps.
2. If you have children who are responsible for certain chores, take at least a few of the days during the week to do them yourself.  You’ll be super-parent for those days AND accumulate more activity.
3. When you go to the store for one or two items, take the longest possible route to get them.
4. Save the closest parking spaces for the elderly and for people with small children.  Park as far away as your health with allow you to walk and stride on out!
5. Stop going through drive thrus and make going into the restaurant a habit. Every little step counts, you know, and over time this one could really add up.
6. If you’re watching a favorite episode or a made for television movie, get up and move every time there’s a commercial on. Walk around the house, pace back and forth like you’re a nervous Nellie, or run in place.  If you have pets, they’ll love it. PAR-TY!
7. When you’re doing your regular activities, go at it with extra vigor.  Turn on some great music and move like you mean it. 
8. Every time you’re confronted with the choice between taking stairs or the elevator, head for the steps and never look back.
9. Mow your own yard, rake your own leaves, and grow your own vegetables.
10. If you work at home, set a timer to go off every hour or two - then get up and DO SOMETHING for at least 10 minutes.

If you have any to add, please leave them in the comments!

The journal Circulations serves up another great reason to drink tea.  Research shows that drinking tea may reduce the risk of death following a heart attack. 

The research shows that people who drank two or more cups a day had a 44 percent lower death rate following their heart attacks than did non-tea drinkers.

Another big plus in tea’s column comes courtesy of a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.  Their study discovered that tea drinkers have stronger bones than non-tea drinkers.  People who drank tea regularly for at least 6 years had greater bone mineral density than those who didn’t.  Those who drank tea for more than 10 years had the highest bone density.

Guess that means it’s always a good time for Tea Time!

As you know, Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of my personal heroes.  He stood less than 5′7″ yet he was an absolute giant of a man.  You may or may not agree with everything Martin Luther King, Jr. said or with every single stance he took, but you have to applaud the fact that he dedicated his entire life to helping those who were unable to totally help themselves.  What’s more, he did so at a time where he, literally, put his life in danger each time he went in public. 

You also have to respect and admire his wife, Coretta Scott King.  She bravely stood by him - knowing, full well, that her safety was just as much in danger as her husband’s.  I personally think she’s one of life’s most unsung heroes.

I read an article on CNN.com that pointed out how we’ve lost touch, over time, with who Martin Luther King, Jr. really was. We remember his words, “I have a dream…” and even very small children can recognize his face.  But, like all icons (From George Washington to Ronald Reagan), we tend to put what little information we have of them into a little bundle and lock it away.  George Washington?  He could never tell a lie.  Benjamin Franklin?  He flew a kite.  Martin Luther King, Jr.?  He had a dream. Ronald Reagan? He was an actor before we was a politician.  

It’s as though we try to associate only one or two things with each individual.  That’s a disservice to us as well as to them.  None of us would want to live a full life and only be remembered for one act or one speech.  Plus, knowing where they came from and what they went through helps you to better understand the things they said and the things they did.

Reading biographies and autobiographies is a great passion of mine - whether they’re men and women from history or men and women from the golden age of Hollywood, I love visitng with them.  Martin Luther King, Jr. is one I’d highly recommend reading more about.  One of the things that’ll stand out the most is that he was extremely brave and, at least, as stubborn!  Stubborn’s not always a bad trait, you know.  It can be the glue that helps you stick to your purpose when everyone else (and maybe a little voice inside of you) says, “Are you nuts?!”  He was one of the most quotable people I’ve ever read about as well.  Just about everything out of the man’s mouth was worth writing down.  The quote on the banner above is a classic example of his wisdom.  It’s also a classic example of his heart - which, from what I can tell, was always in the right place.

…stay until after the credits (even though they’re, like 12 minutes long).  Don’t leave your seat - trust me.

BTW, Cloverfield debuted with $41 million, a record opening for January - making it the “monster hit” people were predicting it’d be. 

My daughter Stephany and I were at the mall last night looking for a particular cd.  We never saw the cd, but unfortunately we saw something that will stay with us even longer.

There were a few teenagers walking past one of those small jewelry stores that cater to young people.  They were staring in at something that interested them greatly.  Of course, being nosey parkers, my daughter and I had to look in and see what was going down.  Unfortunately it wasn’t pretty.  A very young girl, in tears, was being handcuffed by a police officer as the worker and a few customers looked on.  When my daughter (who was about this girl’s age) and I left the mall entrance, we saw her (still in tears) being put into the back of the police car.  The officer was talking to her, trying to calm her down - and I’m thinking, “As if!”

At some point last night at least one parent got, not the worst call a parent could ever get, but close to it.

What could have been worth all of that?  The humiliation, the fear, having to look your parents in the eye, getting a police record, etc.  A $5.00 necklace?  A High School Musical sticker set?  A dare from a friend?  You could have combined everything in the entire store and none of it was worth any one of those nightmares.  I kept wondering all night, Why would someone do something so stupid?!  Then it hit me - the same reason we all do stupid things:  We don’t stop to think about the consequences.

When we speed, we don’t stop to think about the humiliation and inconvenience of getting pulled over.  We certainly don’t think about the cost of the ticket.  If we did, we wouldn’t speed because we’d realize that it just isn’t worth it. 

When we overeat, we aren’t thinking about our waistline, our Levi’s that keep shrinking, or our health - we’re thinking about what’s left on the buffet that we haven’t tried yet.  If we stopped long enough to picture the rearview….. you get the idea.

Consequences!  Robert Green Ingersoll once said there are no rewards or punishments in nature, only consequences.   He makes a great point.  What makes it especially hard to live with consequences is the fact that we’re the ones that invited them into our life.

It’s a short post with just a few short thoughts.  And those thoughts are:

1. We would save ourselves a great deal of stress and grief if we’d start engaging our brains before we engage anything else.  We shouldn’t just drive up to a potential action…we should drive all the way around it, taking a really close look at it from all angles.  Consequences should be dealt with before they happen.  They’re total bitches if they’re allowed to call the shots.
2. We should all tell our kids about the young girl who was handcuffed in front of other kids and put into the back of a police vehicle. Sometimes putting something on their level, in a way they can relate to, will go a lot further than, “Don’t do it, because it’s wrong and I said not to!”

No punishments, no rewards.  Just consequences.

Recently, I came across a quote I really liked by Loretta Lynn (”You have to be first, different, or great.  If you’re one of them, you may make it.“).  It made me think about some of her other quotes and then I remembered that some of my all time favorite quotes are actually by Lady Parton (Dolly’s had some beauts).

Long story, short - I searched out quotes by other Country Music legends and came up with the following.  If you have any to add, leave them in the comments!

Do the best you can with yourself and hope for the best.  - Loretta Lynn

I don’t like to talk about things where you’re going to get one side or the other unhappy. My music has no politics. - Loretta Lynn

A fan will grab you and hug you and will not let go. When that happens, you wish it could be that way all over the world. - Charley Pride

I don’t care what the religion is called; as far as I’m concerned, one God, the God I adhere to, is in charge of all of them. - Charley Pride

No one had ever told me that whites were supposed to sing one kind of music and blacks another-I sang what I liked in the only voice I had.  - Charley Pride

What qualifies me to tell people how to act or what to think? I’m Charley Pride, country singer. Period. - Charley Pride

I still close my eyes and go home - I can always draw from that. - Dolly Parton

I’m old enough and cranky enough now that if someone tried to tell me what to do, I’d tell them where to put it. - Dolly Parton

If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one. - Dolly Parton

Storms make trees take deeper roots. - Dolly Parton

We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. - Dolly Parton

When I’m inspired, I get excited because I can’t wait to see what I’ll come up with next. - Dolly Parton

You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try. - Dolly Parton

Just keep taking chances and having fun. - Garth Brooks

You aren’t wealthy until you have something money can’t buy. - Garth Brooks

Be different, stand out, and work your butt off. - Reba McEntire

For me, singing sad songs often has a way of healing a situation. It gets the hurt out in the open into the light, out of the darkness.  - Reba McEntire

Life ain’t always beautiful, but it’s a beautiful ride. - Gary Allan

You can be the moon and still be jealous of the stars. - Gary Allan

How well I have learned that there is no fence to sit on between heaven and hell. There is a deep, wide gulf, a chasm, and in that chasm is no place for any man. - Johnny Cash

Sometimes I am two people. Johnny is the nice one. Cash causes all the trouble. They fight. - Johnny Cash

You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space. - Johnny Cash

You’ve got to know your limitations. I don’t know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren’t too many limitations, if I did it my way. - Johnny Cash

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results. - Willie Nelson

You learn the most from life’s hardest knocks. - Conway Twitty

I’ve become a captive of my own ambitions. - Patsy Cline

I’m a romantic, and we romantics are more sensitive to the way people feel. We love more, and we hurt more. When we’re hurt, we hurt for a long time. - Freddy Fender

Whenever I run into prejudice. I smile and feel sorry for them, and I say to myself, There’s one more argument for birth control. - Freddy Fender

Children are easily influenced, and I always want to do things I can be proud to show my kids someday. - Faith Hill

I don’t let things go unless I’m ready for them to go. - Faith Hill

I think what makes our marriage work amid all the glare is that my husband is my best friend. He inspires everything in my life and enables me to do the best that I can. I want to hang out with him more than anyone. - Faith Hill

Don’t be afraid to give up the good for the great. - Kenny Rogers

Everybody should have their own thing, and if he don’t want to be a role model, that should be up to him. In the right situations, I can try to help and be a role model, but I’m still gonna speak my mind, and if that affects the role-model deal, then too bad. - Toby Keith

I was a pretty good imitator of Roy Acuff, but then I found out they already had a Roy Acuff, so I started singin’ like myself. - Hank Williams 

If you’re like most people…and certainly like me….you get a great deal of pleasure from treating yourself to ”morsels of mmmmmm” on a regular basis.  Maybe it stems from childhood, when our parents would take us out for ice cream or a burger.  The treat would tickle every single little cell in our body, causing each to do a happy dance.  Fast forward to adulthood.  What’s one of the fastest ways we know to put a smile on our children’s faces?  The golden arches come to mind.

Did you know that in a recent study, school kids were given a taste test.  They were given carrots - some were served in a McDonald’s package, while the rest were served in a plain package.  Although they were the same carrots, the vast majority of the kids said the one in the McD’s package “tasted better.”

There’s absolutely nothing you can do with that information, I just thought it was interesting.

Getting a treat with (or without) your family represents happiness and, even, fun.  After all, think about it, some of the best times in our lives are often accompanied by a treat of some nature.

It all sounds innocent enough, doesn’t it? The problem is, many of these treats are anything but innocent.

I don’t mind throwing myself under the bus first, so let’s take a look at what I’ve been doing to myself with my favorite “treat.”

For nearly a year, I’ve been enjoying (no - really, really, really enjoying) a grande Green Tea Frappuccino with Whipped Topping on top, drizzled with Raspberry Syrup on an almost daily basis.  If I had a blog to install or redesign, I’d go get my beloved drink and then we’d tackle it together.  When my husband and I ran to Starbucks in the evening during the summer, I’d “treat” myself to my gGTFwWTotdwRS while Mr. Smarty Pants had his tea.  Unsweetened.  Zilch calories.

Which brings me to my recent discovery - my beautiful, colorful frap that turned heads wherever it went packs nearly 500 calories.  Like I said, I had one (at least) 4 times a week. 

It occurs to me that the whole experience of “treating” ourselves should treat us in the long run as well as the short one.  Besides, it doesn’t really matter if the delicacy has 1 calorie or (gulp) 500.  So, I’ve been outsmarting myself the past few weeks.  I will not ever stop going to Starbucks - it’s the nectar of the gods and my inner diva believes that what she’s meant to drink.  So, I’ve been experimenting lately with different drinks on the menu - drinks that don’t cost my calorie bank the equivalent of a big fat hamburger!

I’ve found that the green iced tea shaken with lemonade is not only delicious, but has about a fourth of the calories as the fraps.  There’s also the strong and heavenly coffee - with zilch calories or a great assortment of hot teas that also have 0 calories.  They’re also coming out with different varieties of “Skinny Lattes” - thank you, Starbucks!

The gorgeous green delight will now be saved for the most special of special occasions - like my birthday, anniversary, valentine’s day, Thursdays, days that begin with S….kidding about the S days.

Okay, your turn - under the bus with me!  What’s your weakness?  Is it fries, hamburgers, ice cream, pizza…  Whatever it is, I challenge you:  Look online and find out how your treat has been betraying you.  That’s right, find out how many calories are lurking behind its beauty and sex appeal.  When you recover (I know, I know - it hurts), determine to start experimenting with alternatives.  If burgers are your thing, give Boca Burgers a try - I saw that scowl! - Honestly, with enough garlic powder, pickles, tomatoes, and onions, they’re very, very good.

If Ice Cream makes you scream, try McDonald’s fruit and yogurt parfait - they’re soooo good, even kids would love them.

As an incentive to find less trick-y treats, I’ll let you in on a little somethin’ somethin’ - for two weeks I’ve been ordering calorie-free coffee or tea, or the iced green tea.  I haven’t really been doing anything else differently. I’ve been walking the same as always and eating the same foods.  But, I’ve lost 2 pounds - simply by cutting out this particular treat.

Now, that’s sweet.  Do a little detective work, yourself, you might be amazed by the bandits you uncover.