Reader request: Finding a Natural Mascara

For years I wouldn't even consider leaving the house without mascara.  I love how open and bright my eyes look and because my lashes are very light, I love how dark and full they look with a nice thick coat of mascara.  Unfortunately mascara can be one of the most toxic cosmetics because it contains all of the bad guys: parabens, petroleum, dyes, and aluminum.  That's a lot of toxins to dump directly into my bloodstream every single day.

I want my mascara to both color my lashes and add fullness so I use Aveda Mosscara (so named because it is plant based).  It works, it's natural, it's fairly cheap, and it's readily available at http://www.aveda.com/ for $16.  It doesn't contain allergens, carcinogens, or parabens and is completely petroleum free.

I tried just using castor oil on my lashes.  I washed my mascara brush and dipped it right into the castor oil that I had poured out into a small cup.  It darkens the lashes and adds a lot of shine, but there really isn't any added fullness.  I have also tried aloe vera gel (pure, cold pressed only, and be sure to blot off the excess with a tissue) which again adds some separation and shine but absolutely no darkness or thickening.

When I was researching this subject I found a recipe that uses black oxide mineral powder combined with aloe vera to get the darkness.  I haven't ever tried this so I can't comment on how well it works.

I haven't actually tried to make my own using beeswax or caranuba wax.  The process is daunting because you have to melt the wax but you can't put hot wax on your lashes of course, so you have to thin it with water or castor oil and then add some darkening agent and you have to either preserve it or make it fresh every morning and I just don't see myself whipping up a batch of mascara each morning without 1. burning my eyes with hot wax because I couldn't wait for it to cool, or 2. deciding that it isn't worth it and digging some toxic Maybelline crap out of the trash in desperation.

In other words, get the Aveda and call it a day.

Green Tip Tuesday: Getting the Petroleum out of your beauty products

I do love to rant about reducing my dependence upon petroleum products, don't I?  I have good reason though, petroleum, which contains petrolatum, was never intended to be used on the human body and it certainly wasn't supposed to be eaten (lip balms, food dyes) or rubbed onto our feet and hands (ever used Vaseline to cure your really dry skin?  I used to rub it on my feet and then put on socks.)! 

Pure petroleum jelly is pure petrolatum, a known carcinogen

And just like those dangerous parabens, it's chemical markers are showing up in breast cancer tumors.  (As a side note I once saw an excerpt from the Tyra Banks show where she extolled the virtues of Vaseline to keep her breasts firm, she rubbed a known carcinogen right into the lymph nodes in her breasts!)

Chapstick not only contains petrolatum but a healthy dose of saccharin as well.

Luckily there is a safe, readily available alternative: beeswax.  Beeswax which is a natural product of, well, bees, isn't a by-product of crude oil manufacturing.  It doesn't need to be heavily processed to be used, it contains only natural ingredients and there isn't any harm to the bees to harvest the wax so long as the products come from a competent beekeeper like the Burt's Bees company.

Burt's Bees lip balms contain only beeswax and natural oils

I really like the Burt's Bees products and though they are not the only all natural beeswax products available, they are probably the most readily available and cost efficient.  Want to go even more natural?  Rub a drop or two of almond oil directly onto your lips or dry skin.  The naturally occurring vitamin E will heal the skin while the oil protects against drying.  You can even make your own lip balms or lotions by buying beeswax pellets (available at most craft stores, like Michaels) and melting 2tsp. beeswax in a double broiler with 7tsp.  oil like almond oil, safflower oil, or castor oil.  When the mixture is combined remove it from the heat and add 1 tsp. honey and 4-5 drops of peppermint oil for scent and flavoring.  The mixture will begin to harden quickly so put it into a small glass jar, one made for spices would be perfect, and use at your leisure. 

Soft skin, reduced dependence upon petroleum, and not a single carcinogen to be found.

Does makeup expire?

A few minutes spent at a natural foods store cosmetic counter and I'm like a kid in a candy store.  I want one of  everything, please.  I love to buy new cosmetics.  I like to have several lipsticks to choose from, depending upon my mood, outfit, and tan-ness (is that a word?)  Once I find a product that works I like to stick with it.  I can guarantee that I will be that old woman with the lipstick bleeding into her mouth wrinkles - the very dated hot pink lipstick that clashes with skin tone, outfit, and age by a few decades.  I just hope that though my look may be past its prime my make up isn't.

All cosmetics have expiration dates.

Sadly, not all cosmetics print their expiration dates on the packaging because they aren't required by law to do so.  Ironically it may be even more important to check your makeup for signs of deteriorating because anything you rub on your skin bypasses the liver and goes right into the ol' bloodstream without benefit of a filter.  Any bacteria, fungus, or viruses growing in your make up get rubbed right into your skin.  Here are a few commonly used items and when they should get replaced:

I love lipstick, and I do mean LOVE lipstick.  It hurts my heart to have to throw out a good lipstick, especially if I can't find the color again or if the new batch of color just somehow doesn't look as good as the old. I still haven't quite recovered from Burt's Bees changing their line of lip shimmers and not carrying my favorite shades.   Lipstick begins to chemically break down within 1-2 years.  I have usually lost my lipstick before this 2 year date approached, but you may be more organized than me, especially if you have a few colors that tend to stay in the drawer.  If you've had 'em longer than 2 years, toss them.

Now for mascara - poor mascara.  With a shelf life of only about 4 months before it has received so much air exposure that it is drying out/clumping/growing all sorts of bacteria/flaking off your lashes it is definitely the purchase we should make most often.  Until I learned about cosmetics expiring I could not have told you the last time I bought a new mascara.  Now that I know I try to remember to buy mascara more often but the one I'm using right now?  I couldn't tell you how old it is...in other words I should replace it.

Foundation/pressed powders can be tricky.  I use mineral makeup as a combined foundation and powder.  I use it up about every 8-10 months so I haven't been too worried about it expiring, I get more concerned about the makeup brushes I use.  Brushes need to be washed every 2-3 months but if you use a makeup sponge it should be washed daily and thrown out after a week.  When I used cosmetic sponges and liquid foundation I used a new sponge every day because my skin has a tendency to break out and I didn't want any extra bacteria causing me problems.  I also threw out my foundation when it was time to change colors with the seasons because I like to be tan, despite all health warnings to the contrary.

The more natural the cosmetic (which probably means the more expensive the cosmetic) the more quickly it will expire because it won't have as many preservatives.  This week I'll be blogging about some natural recipes that can replace some beauty care products so that being natural doesn't get so expensive.  But for now go find that make up bag and if you still see your frosty blue eyeshadow in it -- toss it out.

What goes in must come out

Yep, this post really is about pooping.  Yesterday I was running on the treadmill.  It was my first day back to running after a 4 day break because I had injured my calf muscle.  I don't know how I could possibly have forgotten in only 4 days that running always makes me have to go to the bathroom.  Always.  But I did.  Luckily I was running on my home treadmill and not at the gym, otherwise that hunched-over-abdominal-clenching-crab-walk I had to do would have been really embarrassing.  The fact is that moving your body makes your body move: you heart rate increases, more blood is circulated, lymph fluid is circulated, peristalsis, catastalsis, and colon motility (intestinal contractions) increase, and metabolism is kicked into high gear.

It's the colon motility that got me.

As with any muscle we want to keep our intestinal muscles in excellent shape.  The contractions known as peristalsis and catastalsis are what make digestion and waste removal possible.  If these contractions become sluggish and irregular we've got partially digested food just sitting around rotting inside of us.  We can tone those muscles and ensure proper elimination of our waste in a number of ways:

1.  Drink plenty of water.  Each intestinal contraction is designed to use waves of mucus and fluid to push food particles along the 23 feet of intestinal tract.  Staying properly hydrated ensures that the mucus isn't too thick and thus peristalsis sluggish.  I heard a rule of 1 ounce of water for every 10 pounds you weigh.  That seems a little low to me but it's an excellent place to start.  I like to fill up 2 water bottles each day (stainless steel, of course!) and leave one in the refrigerator or on the counter at home and one in the car.  I remember to drink water a lot better if I have it already filled and ready to go.

2.  Eat plenty of fiber.  Fiber rich foods act as a binder, just like adding bread crumbs to your meatloaf.  Fiber binds all those food particles sloshing around your intestines together.  It's rough cellular texture gives a little intestinal scrub as it moves through ensuring that it gets all the particles along with the gooey stuff like cholesterol, excess mucus, and the slimy chemical residue left by many processed foods.  I like to add psyllium husk to my morning smoothies to ensure that I am getting enough fiber each day.  I can't taste it in the smoothie at all and it doesn't seem to affect the texture.

3.  Move your body. Walk.  Run.  Jump on a trampoline, kick a ball, dance, swim - it makes no difference what you do, just that you do something.  Just like lymph fluid which has no pump and depends upon our bodies movement to flow, exercise stimulates peristalsis and gets that which we no longer need moving out of our bodies.  Doing housework or walking to the printer is not enough movement unless you are doing laps to the printer and have a really big house...

4.  Laugh!  Laughter tones the abdominal muscles.  The whole reason I try to pepper this blog with nonsense posts about torturing my brothers in the car  or showering at the gym is to (hopefully) make you laugh, giving you an abdominal workout.  (Okay maybe abdominal workout is a stretch, but smiling is an excellent way to tone your facial muscles and reduce wrinkles and you at least smiled while reading showering at the gym, right?)

5.  Breathe.  Breathe slowly, deeply, and evenly.  Deliberately slow, deep breaths tone our diaphragm and abdomen.  Consciously pulling more oxygen into our bodies is an excellent way to reduce stress and tension, both of which can halt natural digestive function.  Take a deep breath in through your nose right now.  Hold for a moment.  Now slowly as you count to 5 release that breath.  Did your shoulders come down?  Did your eyes relax?

Now that wasn't so bad, talking about poop, was it?  Aren't you glad this post didn't have an accompanying picture...?

We all had the same mom, but we're not related

Yesterday Steve and I were chatting with the server at a restaurant (Side note: I truly feel sorry for the servers in restaurants who get Steve and me for customers because we just looooove to chat so God help you if you have other tables to attend to 'cause we are about to monopolize your time!) and laughing about sports teams, childhood, marriage, you know the usual stuff you chat with your poor can't-I-just-take-your-order-and-move-on server about.

It struck me how common our human experience is: take sibling relationships, for example.  We had a big ol' brown station wagon with jump seats that popped up out of the floor of the back.  Seated 10, comfortably.  Our bench seats were made of vinyl so they had these stitching lines that ran vertically down the seat.  My 2 brothers and I sat in the back with my baby sister in the front (my how times have changed) so that meant that one person in the back didn't have a window seat.  That's a recipe for a knockdown, drag out fight if I ever heard one.  My mom had designated certain stitching lines as our 'boundary lines' and we weren't supposed to put our hands or legs or any other body part over onto anyone else's seat.  Because we were good little children with immaculate behavior and sweet dispositions we spent most of our time creeping our fingers, legs, elbows, basically any body part we could stretch, move, or pull, over those stitching lines just to annoy each other.  I would creep my pinkie finger over my older brother's stitching line, he would promptly take his fist and try to pile-drive that finger into the seat (which didn't really hurt because the seat would give a little and absorb some of the impact).  I would snatch my finger away.  Meanwhile my little brother was moving his leg over my stitching line so I had to pound my fist into his thigh (which did hurt a bit more) and then he would yelp and my mom would threaten and I would deny and my older brother would laugh so I would have to breathe really hard on him so he would yell "Mom!  Beth is breathing really hard on me" so my mom would start to lose her mind and the baby would start to cry so finally Mom would reach into the glove compartment, pull out the wooden ruler she kept there for just these sorts of occasions and she would take that ruler and begin to smack whatever she could reach.

The ruler smacking generally didn't work out too well for the person sitting in the middle because my mom's reach was limited and the window-seat folks could suck their bodies into the doors as much as possible but the poor middle seat person just had nowhere to go.

I'm willing to bet that most people reading this (who have siblings) can relate to some version of that story.  I don't care where you live, what God you worship, what your socio-economic status is or was: if you have a brother or sister at some point in your childhood you were willing to risk pain, retaliation, and a wooden ruler just to annoy that sibling.  And you'd do it all over again if given the chance, even knowing what you know now.

You may even have a slightly different but no less immature and annoying game you play with your spouse, I know I do.  I know it drives Steve crazy if I get the remote before he does.  I like to get the remote and then put it on my legs with my hand loosely on top of it.  Then I can be "too slow" to fast forward the TiVo, something which is guaranteed to make Steve lose his mind, but before he can grab the remote away I snatch it out of his reach and then speed up the fast forwarding.  Seeing poor Steve's hand twitching on his lap as he tries to control his urge to pile-drive me into the couch and take that remote is true entertainment my friends, it really is.

So 'fess up folks.  What did you do or are you currently doing to annoy your siblings or spouse?  Don't be shy, chances are that whatever you did/are doing we have all done or will use as something new to try!

Exercise your brain!

Your brain needs exercise to stay young and fit.

A few days ago at the gym I was getting ready to do a 60 minute intense boot camp class.  Two women were excitedly talking about a new book they had just read and they casually asked the instructor if she had read the book yet.  The instructor's reply was a condescending "I don't just sit around and read.  I like to keep myself  too physically active for that."  Stunned, one of the women began to backpedal and claim that she only read a few pages at a time while the other just looked embarrassed.  Since I can only think of witty responses 15 minutes after they are needed, I said nothing but thought to myself that it was a shame that the boot camp instructor doesn't keep her brain in the same good shape she's keeping her body.

Our brains need exercise.  Everytime we learn something new, read a book, try something different, solve a problem, memorize a list, or meditate we are exercising our brains.  New neural pathways are created, extra blood is circulated through our blood vessels yielding more oxygen for our brain cells.  Dead cells are swept away and room is made for even more learning. 

It is essential that we continually challenge ourselves and it can be as simple as the daily crossword puzzle in the newspaper, or as complex as microsurgery, our brains don't really care as long as they are constantly used.  People who are in the habit of thinking are faster at problem solving, have quicker reflexes, suffer less from depression, and have less likelihood of developing senility as they age.  Of course diet and exercise play a huge part in how healthy our brains are and how much blood and lymph can circulate, but denying our bodies the downtime they need so we can focus on exercising our brains is just as aging to our bodies as a sedentary lifestyle.  Watching TV, youtube, and movies sadly does not count as brain exercise, but surfing the web sure does.

I've always been a fan of the walking meditation but I also like to listen to podcasts and audio books as I walk.  I am exposed to so many new and different ideas that way and it helps to broaden my horizons a bit.  In the evenings I like to play a game of spider solitaire on the computer while I'm waiting for dinner to cook.  Sodoku, crossword puzzles, mah jong, and solitaire are all readily available free games that come with Microsoft Windows or are available on the web.

I'd like to think my brain is in excellent shape: lean, young, full of oxygen-rich blood just circulating around as my super-smart thoughts are being zapped from neuron to neuron.  Lacking that, I'd at least like to avoid becoming a stale old curmudgeon.

My boot camp instructor has amazing abs, but I bet her brain is flabby.

Green Tip Tuesday: Is your cookware adding toxins to your food?

The year was 1998.  Steve and I had just moved into our dream home.  A huge box is waiting on the kitchen island for me as I enter the  house for the first time as a homeowner.  Steve has given me a huge surprise: a gorgeous set of Teflon-coated Calphalon cookware.  I was in heaven.

Fast forward to 2006.  The pans are no longer gleaming a gorgeous black anymore.  Despite my vigilant use of plastic utensils on the pans scratches have appeared, some deeper than others.  Basically the pans look as though they have been used daily for 8 years - as they should.  Do you have any Teflon coated pans?  Teflon is a cook's dream in my opinion because food simply doesn't stick to it.  Teflon is also a huge health hazard because it breaks down from usage and heat - the 2 things to which any pot is guaranteed to be exposed.

I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to heat my coated pans above medium heat.  Perhaps there were instructions that came with the pans,but I didn't read them.  I only read the Care Instructions that were printed clearly on tags attached to each pan.  There certainly weren't any warnings attached to the pans.  I frequently turned the burner on high and boiled water in my pans or sauteed onions -- you know, I cooked with them.

The problem is this: once the Teflon coating has scratches on it breakdown occurs.  Every time the pan is used a compound called perflurooctanoic acid (PFOA) is released.  PFOA is toxic to human beings, cannot be metabolized by our bodies, and therefore becomes just another toxin we have stored in our fat that is a poison to us.  Now it's true that it takes very high temperatures for PFOA to be released in pans that are unscratched, but after the surface Teflon is compromised it doesn't take very much heat at all.

If PFOA were only present in coated pans then I suppose we could all safely argue that our exposure is minimal, quantifiable, and completely avoidable - unless of course you ever eat out at a restaurant in which case you never know what type pan in which your food is prepared, but PFOA is also present in ScotchGuard products, carpet, furniture, some paints, food wrap (!), some dry cleaning products, and the StainMaster line of carpet protectors.  In other words you may be exposed to PFOA in almost every surface of your home, not to mention direct ingestion from your cookware.  Not so quantifiable and avoidable anymore, is it?

The answer: stainless steel cookware.  Not coated stainless steel, just plain old stainless steel.  Add a little olive oil to the pan so food won't stick.  Cook at lower temperatures, you'll destroy less enzymes and vitamins that way anyway, and treat yourself to some stainless steel cooking utensils, cookie sheets, and mixing bowls while you're at it.  Sound expensive?  It doesn't have to be because unlike Teflon coated cookware which breaks down uncoated stainless steel cookware can last for decades so you can buy it used, give it a wash, and off you go.  Found some great used stainless steel but it has stains?  (I know, it's supposed to be stainless!)  My old friend vinegar and a scratch-free scrubber should do the trick.

Now go cook up a safe and healthy meal!

Diary of a Sugar Free Life, Volume 2

Ahhh, the Easter hangover: too much sugar.  I didn't actually partake of anything from the bunny, nope, my sugar intake was far more insidious than that.  It all started with a breakfast that included cinnamon rolls, a lunch that included bundt cake, and a dinner that included rootbeer.

And I was doing so well.  Remember my resolve back in December?

The problem with sugar addiction is that it is so acceptable to be addicted to sugar.  You don't have to sneak a cinnamon roll, heck, have two!  So it's all up to the addict to police themselves and hold fast to their resolve. 

I did not hold fast to my resolve.

I have been working out so hard.  Religiously I have been building muscle, continuing aerobic activity, and gaining flexibility.  While I won't be so dramatic as to say that I've undone all my hard work, I certainly feel as though I've let myself down by allowing sugar to creep back into my diet.

The good news: I'm not eating sugar right now.  Tomorrow is another day.  Every minute, every hour, every day and week and month and year that I don't eat sugar is a major victory.  There are so many reasons not to eat sugar and really only one reason to eat it: it tastes good.  Taste is a cheap reason though, I mean I love the taste of avocado but I wouldn't say I'm an avocado addict.  It's the ability of sugar to alter the body's chemistry and become a regular craving that makes it so dangerous.  Eating avocado doesn't make me crave avocado, and I've never had a carrot hangover.

I read an interesting article that said if you start craving sugar try fruit, cinnamon, vanilla, or peppermint (even the smell of peppermint or vanilla may satisfy a sugar craving) instead of eating the sugar.  I can definitely attest to the fruit and the cinnamon but I've never tried the scent therapy.  The reality is that nothing is going to be the magic solution.  I didn't even realize I'd fallen off the wagon until I'd already chomped down a piece of bundt cake, my ability to compartmentalize and deny is so great, but I certainly noticed how headache-y and irritable I was all afternoon.  And how tired.  And how disappointed I felt with myself.  And rather than looking forward to my weight training class tomorrow morning, I find myself dreading it because I know I'll probably have a headache.  I'll feel lethargic.  I'll feel weak and out of shape. 

Could any cinnamon roll be worth all of that?  Nope.

Never underestimate the weight of water

Weighing yourself after workouts may give false numbers

Lately I've been noticing a woman at they gym running for the scale after workout class.  One day she triumphantly crowed "I lost 2 pounds since this morning!" as her friend high-fived her and they wandered off into the locker room still chattering about her victory.  I felt really bad for that woman knowing that when she got on the scale the next morning that 2 pounds may indeed be back.  It's pretty unlikely that she burned 2 pounds of fat during a single 50 minute aerobic class, but she easily lost that much in water.  It's how the Biggest Loser candidates "throw" a weigh-in, they load up on water right before they get weighed.

Water weight, or the body retaining water due to a medical condition, medications,  or diet, can really add pounds to the scale and a bloated or swollen appearance to the body.  Now you all know how pro-drinking-lots-of-water-every-day I am so the answer clearly is not to drink less water, but to look carefully at what foods may be causing water retention.

I had no idea that foods could cause water retention until a friend of mine mentioned several years ago that she couldn't fit her wedding rings on the day after eating pizza.  I had to know more about that but didn't want to question her (that much nosy-ness was too much, even for me) so I Googled 'foods that make you retain water' and was presented with list after list of foods that cause water retention all with one thing in common: sodium.

I have a tendency toward very low blood pressure so I wasn't paying very close attention to the sodium in my diet but when I started reading labels I was appalled!  All the "healthy" substitutes I was eating like veggie burgers, boca burgers, tofu this and dairy-free that were loaded with sodium to make them taste good.  In fact many things that say "low fat" "low sugar" or are canned and processed are going to be high in sodium.  All that salt was weighing me down and I didn't even know it.  I had to dump most of the convenience foods from my diet and really scan labels to find veggie burgers that weren't high in sodium.  I noticed that my never-have-actually-found-a-stomach-muscle abdomen looked flatter within just a few days.

My advice: let the water flow.  Drink it, but don't retain it.

Reader Request: What is a Carbon Footprint?

I received an excellent question recently from my friend Debbie, she wanted to know what is meant by a "carbon footprint."  Lately I see the term used in a lot of different ways, some more relevant than others, but what I mean when I say carbon footprint is the amount of energy you use existing on this planet.  Do you have a big footprint?  Do you consume a lot of packaged goods, using a new bag to bring them home every time?  Do you circle the parking lot for 10 minutes looking for a "good spot" rather than parking and walking a little farther?  Do you leave on lights, computers, TVs, radios, and stereos even when you're not in the room using them?  Do you have a bunch of chargers plugged into the wall that aren't charging anything?  Do you create a lot of waste by buying but not recycling packaged goods?  If you are nodding yes to all these things then the cost of keeping you on this planet is pretty high because tremendous amounts of energy must be used to support your lifestyle and most of the energy created in the U.S. has a lot of toxic byproducts.

On the other hand perhaps you have a small footprint.  Perhaps you are reducing, reusing, and recyling everything you can.  Perhaps you are walking more and driving less, when possible.  Even walking on a track or outside is preferable to using an electric treadmill.  Right now it is still cold and rainy where I live.  This morning I spent 37 minutes on an electric elliptical machine so I'm certainly not living off the grid.  I did, however, rescue 4 earthworms that would have been stranded on my driveway...

Unplug, turn off, reuse, recycle.  Any little change and every little change makes a difference.  I wear a size 8 shoe, but I try to have a tiny footprint.

4-6 Small Meals or No Meals, Whatever Works for You

When you're not eating is as important as when you are...

No discussion about health, fitness, or metabolism is complete in my opinion until we talk about fasting.  The tradition of fasting on holy days, to prepare for ceremonies, to gain spiritual knowledge, or to begin a rite of passage is centuries old.  The ancient wisdom still holds true today - if you want to cure what ails you: be it weight issues, allergies, disease, or stress - try fasting as a miracle cure.

I began doing one day fasts about 9 years ago.  Just a simple juice fast where for one day about every other week or so I would plug in the ol' juicer and drink only freshly juiced fruits and vegetables for the day.  I got away from the habit for awhile and kind of forgot how good I felt after a fast.  The reasons are simple: digestion takes a tremedous amount of energy to accomplish.  The amount of processed food typically consumed means that it takes even more energy because we barely need chew processed foods so natural enzymes present in our saliva don't have much chance to work.  Energy used digesting food is not being directed toward cellular waste removal, healing, and general maintenance.  Remove the need for digestion for a day or two and your body can get a lot of work done that it has been "meaning to do" when it had time.

Frequently when I am feeling overwhelmed, sluggish, or suffering from a cold I remind myself that it must be time to fast.   It's probably not a good idea to chomp down a cheeseburger for dinner and decide to fast the next day because that's a shock to your system and there can be side effects like headaches, irritability, and dizziness if you begin or end a fast abruptly.  The best way I have found is to plan the day on which I will fast.  The day before I begin the fast I have a smoothie for breakfast as usual, a salad of raw veggies for lunch and something simple like soup (a simple soup like vegetable or tomato, not a heavy soup like clam chowder or broccoli cheese) or another salad for dinner.  The next day I begin the fast with fresh juice.  All throughout the day whenever I feel hungry I drink more juice or water.  My favorite juice is apple celery juice because it just feels clean which sounds weird I know, but try it and you'll see what I mean.

You could continue this way for a whole day or even 2 or 3 days but definitely no more than 3 days the first time.  When you are ready to break the fast you eat the same or similar menu as you did the day before you began the fast: simple foods, mostly raw, with no dairy, very little fat, and definitely no animal products, including eggs.  You may wish to continue the pre-fast diet for 2 or 3 days but it's not absolutely necessary.

Some studies show that fasting for just one to two days a month increases life expectancy, lowers disease risk, is an excellent weight management tool, and can help overcome weight loss plateaus.  I am going to fast this Friday.  It's a Holy Day in my religion, the official end of Lent (though I won't actually watch HGTV until Sunday, I promise), near the beginning of a new month and a new season.

What could be a better time to let my body rest and rejuvenate?  How about you?  Anyone ready to try a fast?

Green Tip Tuesday: Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Stainless Steel water bottles don't need to look boring!

By now I think I've probably heard all of the debates about plastic water bottles and the possible water contamination that takes place as the plastic begins to break down due to time, sun exposure, heat/cold exposure, or rough handling.  I know that the water inside the bottle may not necessarily have been regulated and could be worse, much much worse, than the water from my tap.   I know I can't leave the water bottles in my car because I'll speed up the plastic breakdown due to the heat buildup inside my car, so I have to be really organized and remember to bring a reusable water bottle with me.  It's hard to turn on the news without hearing some new danger posed by bottled water - so why is it still so popular?

Convenience definitely plays a part.  I am guilty of purchasing water because I didn't plan very well, forgot my bottle, or had to choose between buying water or buying soda - water is definitely the lesser of the two evils there (remember, the soda is packaged in a plastic bottle too and is subject to the same toxic leakage from the plastic - or worse due to the harsher effects of the chemicals in soda).

To counter these problems I've decided to make an investment:  I have bought 3 stainless steel water bottles.  One is for the car.  It's still cold enough here that my water is actually chilled whenever I drink from that bottle throughout the day.  The second is for my gym bag.  In a pinch I have had to refill it from the gym's water fountain, but I suppose that's (somewhat) better than buying bottled water.  The last bottle is the pinch-hitter.  It steps in whenever one of the other bottles is being washed, cannot be immediately located, or whenever my daughter wants a larger bottle than the little ones I bought for her.

It's never a good idea to let water sit in a bottle for long periods of time because bacteria can really build up inside that bottle, but at least if it has to sit for awhile, it's better that it does so in a container that won't leach toxins into the water, won't contribute to bacteria growth by allowing sunlight in, and won't increase our dependency upon petroleum products.

We need to drink water.  All day, every day.  Proper hydration can cure headaches, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, shine your hair, increase your metabolism, ensure proper digestion, aid kidney function, and help you fight off disease!  Unfortunately it can't do any of those things very well if the water itself is the source of toxins.

Be good to your body.  Be good to your planet.  Drink water from a safe, reusable, stainless steel water bottle.

The Gift that keeps on giving

I just posted about a funeral I attended, a funeral for a child, which has left me shaken and despairing for his parents and siblings.  At first I thought I wouldn't post again today but I felt dissatisfied with the brevity of the previous post and also felt the post lacked the true essence of how I feel about life -- and death.

The boy's father created a beautiful picture of his son's life using anecdotes of their family's life.  He talked about trips they had taken, famous people met, baseball caught, golf balls signed, and even the time his son caddied for ChiChi Rodriguez.  The father wove a tale of a beautiful life.  He began the eulogy with the words "My son was a lucky guy..."  I was astounded at the father's ability to move beyond his grief, shock, anger, and despair to truly capture the spirit of his son.  I think everyone present felt lucky to be there, even as tears streamed down our faces.  The son was definitely alive again as his father enriched us all by sharing his son's joyful life experiences.

Last year our family started a new tradition: giving experiences for gifts as opposed to the tangible clothes, toys, "stuff" we usually gave each other.  It began with Steve's 40th birthday for which my daughter and I gifted him a day as a fantasy Formula One RaceCar driver.  We all loved the experience and decided to make "experience giving" our tradition.  This year for our daughter's birthday she went indoor skydiving.  Steve's birthday present was tickets for all of us to see a Boston Red Sox's game.  My birthday present will be for our family to go white water rafting.  For Christmas this year we want to go to the Bahamas.

It took me awhile but I finally figured out that I rarely remember the shirt, or the kitchen gadget, or gift card that I receive as a gift, but I always remember the experiences I have that create those family stories that get told and retold, embellished upon and edited until finally they become our family's history. 

I want a life rich with experiences, memories that I can keep forever.  Those are the gifts that require no storage, no dusting, never go out of style, and never wear out.

And that, my friends, is a gift that keeps on giving.

Have you said "I Love You" today?

I just returned from the funeral of a 17 year-old boy who died unexpectedly during a routine operation.  The experience was just as devastating as you think it was.

The boy's father gave a beautiful, stirring eulogy that captured his son's life and made the congregation laugh and cry.  Mostly cry.

The essence of the eulogy was this: life is short.  Life is unpredictable.  Grab hold of the ones you love, hold on tight, tell them you love them.

And for God's sake, kiss your kids!

Metabolism Myths

I was talking to my sister yesterday and listening to her worry that her slower metabolism  is due to aging.  I set her straight about metabolism and thought perhaps there were others out there thinking that their metabolic rate is dependant upon their age.  Not so, my friends, not so.  Your metabolic rate is determined by your muscle mass.   Build more muscle, burn more calories.  Lose muscle, your metabolism will slow down. 

Lift weights to lose weight

Recently one of my blog buddies, Karen, wrote on her blog Fitness A Journey Not a Destination about this very topic.  I learned a lot about metabolism when I was enrolled at the University of Toledo taking kinesiology classes.  My instructor emphasized that three exercise components are necessary to ensure overall health: weight training, cardio, and gaining flexibility.  Focusing on only one of those 3 may give you the appearance of good health but as you age the deficits will become more apparent.  Since metabolism is the topic of the day, I'll focus on that and cover the other topics later.

How to rev up your metabolism?  Follow these steps:

1.  Eat 4-6 small meals a day to keep your blood sugar levels constant

2.  Weight train 3 times a week, increasing the difficulty level as reps become easier

3.  Drink plenty of water, dehydration decreases metabolism

4.  Limit consumption of alcohol, OTC drug, and prescription drugs (when possible)

5.  Sleep and wake at regular hours, preferably for 7-8 hours a night.

Have you ever heard of your Real Age?   Your body doesn't know how old it is, only how well it is maintained.

I'm sure there are many other ways to increase metabolism, if you have any other tips I'd love to hear them.

Dr. Oz is on TiVo probation

Recently when I asked if I should give Oprah another chance a reader named Karen suggested I try Dr. Oz.  I didn't know much about him so I TiVo'd him to try out a few shows. 

My jury is still out.  I liked that he mentioned poop and how important it is to have one (or two or three EVERY day) because so many people shy away from that most normal of bodily functions, but I was disappointed that with all the other medical topics in the world he chose sex addiction and even worse, Dr. Drew, as a topic and guest.

He had great advice on fiber content in vegetables and grains, how to give yourself a breast self-exam, and the dangers of diabetes, but he seems awful touchy-feely with his female guests and the giggling from the women he calls up on stage gets a little old.

I will admit to being fairly free with the fast forward button on the remote which is probably kind of a shame because I think Dr. Oz gives little nuggets of great information mixed in with a lot of fluff.  The problem is I don't allow myself to spend a lot of time watching TV so whenever I sense fluff coming up, I fast forward to the next topic.

Am I being too critical of the man?  Admittedly I have only seen 3 shows and of those shows, maybe a total of 18 minutes per show.  I do have some questions: Why do the audience members who go up on stage have to wear a lab coat?  Why does he change into scrubs for the last 20 minutes of the show?  Why do the women giggle so much?   Does anyone else think he could spend more time on a single topic and explore it more fully rather than have 3-4 topics per show?

Be you a fan or not I'd love to hear your thoughts on Dr. Oz.

While Eavesdropping at the Gym...

Have you ever overheard just part of a conversation but the part that you heard was so interesting you really wished you could hear more?  This happens to me a lot at the gym probably because people are talking more loudly to be heard over the noise of the equipment and the music.  Lately I've heard some pretty intriguing snippets so I thought I'd share what I heard along with my best guess for what the rest of the story may be.

Conversation 1: (man next to me on elliptical, talking on cell phone) "Uh huh, yeah, yeah, okay, uh huh, okay well go ahead and put her in her box.  Yep, okay, talk to you later."  I have to admit that I really, really, really want to know who is going in the box.  Is the "her" in question a doll?  A piece of art?  Doesn't using the pronoun "her" imply a living being?  Is it a cat who needs to use a litter box?   Surely it's not a punishment for his daughter, or a way of keeping track of his half-crazy mom, right?

Conversation 2: (woman on elliptical next to me talking to another woman) "Well I still think that he gave it to her because she has been itching ever since she last saw him, either that or its from her dad."  That's all I got before they walked away.   Are we talking about poison ivy here?  Head lice?  A yeast infection?  What does her dad have to do with it????

Conversation 3: (woman in locker room, talking to me and the room in general) "Okay I'll see you all later I have to go wiz and then take a BodyVive class."   Excuse me, did she say "wiz?"  I haven't heard that slang for 20 years and I'm positive I've never heard a woman use that word!  That, my friends, is a case of WTMI, way too much information!

Conversation 4: (woman in restroom stall complaining loudly) "Oh this smells just great in here!  What are you women doing, eating cabbage?"  I stood there washing my hands shaking with laughter on that one.  Mostly because just a few days earlier I had eaten a New England boiled dinner which is mostly potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.  I swear I hadn't used the restroom!  It wasn't me!

I'm a shameless eavesdropper.  If someone is yammering away on their cell phone within my hearing I'll listen.  I don't even pretend to look like I can't hear them.  I peep through people's windows when the lights are on and the shades are open.  I even ask Steve to drive by more slowly so I can get a better look.  I never think of myself as a voyeur but clearly I have a few privacy/boundary issues (though I swear I am just interested in how the room is decorated!)

Is it just me?  Are you all out there politely turning away from loud cell phone users and other people's conversations?  Remember, most of what I hear is being said so loudly I can hear it with my earbuds in...

Is that wrong?

Green Tip Tuesday: Creating your own container garden

It has long been my dream to have an herb garden.  Two years ago my friend Chellie cultivated a little corner of her neighbor's garden and grew the herbs she used most commonly in cooking.  Every time we would be chatting on the phone and she'd casually say "I'm walking outside I'm going to cut some basil for dinner tonight." I reaffirmed that one day I too would have an herb garden.

This year is my year.  I'm not tilling up any soil, making any grandiose plans, or marking off rows in the backyard, I am merely purchasing 3 large planter pots that hook on the railing of my deck.

This planter is designed to fit over the deck railing.

Now all I have to do is fill these planters with herbs.  To make the most of the small planting space I am going to plant some herbs together.  Some herbs grow better together than others so I researched a little to see what will work best.

Pot 1: Sage, rosemary, and thyme

Pot 2: Cilantro, oregano,and parsley

Pot 3: Basil and mint

Mint grows very well in a planter environment because it has a tendency to take over gardens if not contained.  I plan to grow a lot of Basil because I love pesto and it takes a lot of Basil to make a small amount of pesto.

There are a lot of different ways to grow herbs in small spaces

I have only ever tried to grow tomatoes and I had pretty good success so I am feeling a little more adventurous.  I like that I can grow these herbs organically.  I like that I reduce my dependency on grocery stores by creating a garden.

Have you ever had an herb garden or done container gardening?  I would love any tips or hints you may have!

Scary Cousin Terry

I have really enjoyed going through all of the pictures my dad sent to me for Christmas.  It's great to look back on Christmases past and see the family...well, most of the family.  I have a scary cousin Terry.  He's really my second cousin, but still too close in the gene pool for comfort.  In deference to the fact that Scary Terry is still alive I won't post his real picture, but he really does look a lot like Charles Manson.

It's the eyes that remind me of Terry...and the scary goatee.

I got to thinking about what made Cousin Terry so scary.  My mom said she first started being a little weirded out when she noticed that although he was over 30 years old he always wanted to go play Barbies with me in Grandma's bedroom.  Alone.  She wasn't weirded out enough to actually stop him, just enough to check on me regularly.

My brother thinks that it was Cousin Terry's weird stare that made him so scary.  He would just stare at you with these hooded eyes and then kind of smile.

For me it was the smile.  Whenever I looked at Terry he was smiling at me.  Just smiling.  I don't remember him ever actually saying anything to me, just that little smile.  It gives me the willies just thinking about it.

I realize that every family must have a scary member.  Even the Brady Bunch vilified poor Jan, making her wear wigs, glasses, and 2 tiny curls on either side of her forehead just to show that she was the Scary One.

Again, look at the eyes!  (No goatee, thank God)

Who is the scary member of your family?  If it's you, that's okay, name it and claim it.  After all, even Jan Brady ended up selling her bike to save the Brady Kids' gift to Mrs. Brady.  As for Scary Cousin Terry...I think he may still be an elementary school teacher...

Should I give Oprah another chance?

This year for Lent I gave up HGTV.  I haven't cheated, not even at the gym where I am forced to choose the elliptical that is smushed up against the wall just to avoid the TVs, one of which is always playing HGTV.  I have remained steadfast. 

Lots of times at home I find myself ready to fold laundry, cook a meal, dust, or do some other mindless task and I usually flip on the TV for some entertainment.  With TiVo it only takes me about 38 minutes to watch a 60 minute program because I fast forward through the whole intro, the commercials, the credits, the 'sneak peeks' at what will be on later in the week, etc.  I have been filling this 38 minutes with the Ellen show, which I have to admit, I really, really like, but Ellen has a lot of celebrity interviews and/or bands on her show and I fast forward through those and sometimes only end up with about 18 minutes of interesting-to-me Ellen.

Last year I decided to add Oprah to my TV viewing.   Sadly, poor Oprah didn't last but 2 weeks before she got yanked from my TiVo because of I couldn't take her coverage of the election any longer.  I haven't seen a single show or even a preview since. 

Are there any Oprah watchers out there?  Any suggestions for shows that require little attention and can be TiVo edited down to about 20 minutes?

The Art of Gift Giving

March is a huge birthday month in our family with a total of 6 birthdays being celebrated before the month's end.  It makes sense, I suppose, that gift giving has been on my mind a lot lately.  I wrote this post over a year ago about some Christmas gifts I had received that made me wonder how the gift givers saw me.  Now, as the gift giver, I wonder how the gift recipients see me when they receive my gifts.

I like to think BIG when I think of gift wrapping.  I perused way too many issues of Martha Stewart living to be content to just throw on some paper, tape it up, and call it done.  I like to choose beautiful, unique paper, preferably from places like The Container Store or Ikea or the like that sell papers not necessarily seen everyday.  I like to add wired ribbon, perhaps some leaves, pinecones, or twigs from nature, maybe raffia...yeah...I feel a theme developing here!  I'll wrap all the gifts in plain brown paper that I'll stamp with leaves from a stamp I make myself by gathering the last few leaves left on the ground and then carving them into a potato to make my own stamp and then I'll gently clean those leaves and use them as a pattern to make felted leaves that I'll attach to the package with raffia that I have recycled from a wreath I made 5 years ago!

Needless to say, my gifts always arrive late.

Can you say "pressure?"  When you tear hand-stamped-with-a-carved-potato paper off a gift you are bound to be either a) disappointed that the giver spent more time thinking about the potato carving than the gift; or b) not even aware that the paper was stamped (though you do notice a slight potato-y smell...) and thinking that the giver sure spent a long time sticking junk from the yard on a package that just contains a gift card!

Did I mention that I am not an inspired gift giver?

My mom's birthday is tomorrow.  I haven't sent her a gift yet.  I haven't even purchased a gift for her yet.  I have thought about her gift.  I've thought about little else for the past week.  Last year's gift went over like a lead balloon.  It wasn't the gift my mom wanted.  What she really wanted was a gift card to Olive Garden.  I gave her what I wanted her to have, not what she wanted to receive.  This year my mom really just wants a gift card to JCPenney.  Why do I hesitate?  It's not hard to send a gift card!  I'll admit it feels a little meaningless to me but then again, I'm the giver, not the receiver.  It's not about me.  Do I make the potato-stamped paper for the gift recipient?  Or for myself?  Ahhh, narcissism and gift giving make strange bedfellows, yes?

I better go.  I have to get to JCPenney.  And then to the post office.

Do you have any gift giving/receiving stories to share?  I'd love to hear about the worst gifts you received or better yet, sent!