Fabulous 50s You Tube Exercise

 I've come to the conclusion I'm an introvert. During the 2020 lockdown, I had more energy, exercised more and ate better. With no goals or commitments, except to steer clear of the virus, I found the Fabulous 50s videos on You Tube and began daily exercises along with the grandkids.

But with all the upheaval and hate and daily catastrophes lately, I've been eating more and felt too lethargic to exercise. I've noticed my bad eating habits correlate with how much news I watch which in turn makes for sleepless nights. So as most of the news on television is for fear factor and to promote anger (mostly against each other) I've decided to stop watching the news, show good will to others through Random Acts of Kindness, and start eating more sensibly and exercise daily. 

I use MyFitnessPal but prefer to write in a journal. I  have  been keeping track of calories, protein and sugar and fitting in 30 minutes of exercise or a walk. And no more watching the news, instead I've found some great sermons online.

Try the fabulous 50s 14 day challenge.

Blue Zones Challenge

 Dan Buettner has found locations around the globe where people live longer and has provided steps to live a better life using information from those living longer (Blue Zones).  His book The Blue Zones Challenge is a good starting point to re-evaluate and set goals for food, exercise and better life choices. We are fortunate in Fort Worth Texas where our previous mayor, Betsy Price, made a commitment to the Blue Zones way of living and installed bike lanes and suggested better nutritional information on local menus.

Note: Blue Zones is a name chosen simply because Dan Buettner had a blue pen in hand when he started circling the areas of longevity on a map!

One thing I struggle with is bread and while looking for a healthier recipe online, I came across a video which suggests that bread is addictive and studies using the drug to suppress heroin addiction (Nolaxone) also suppresses the desire for bread. Sadly, I think I will have to give it up cold-turkey. . . or at least for 30 days - see video below

Christmas Workout

 I recently came across Improved Health videos which have great workouts for those of us who are older or beginning a workout regime.

Half Size Me - Heather

 One of the problems I've had with diet companies like Weight Watchers is that they have a one size fits all mentality. When I wasn't losing weight a few years ago, the leader told me to just follow the program which I had been doing and religiously keeping track of exercise and food - very discouraging. Her other words of wisdom were "eat more food!" !!!!! 

Heather at Half Size Me explains how to track food and exercise and find what works for you. Each of us will have different calorie intake and exercise to maintain weight or cause a deficit in order to lose weight. 

She has many You Tube videos following her journey of losing and maintaining a loss of 170 pounds.

Also download her free book Breaking the Cycle from her web site Half Size Me.

How to get started:

Comparing Salt

 I  haven't thought about looking at the contents of a salt container because the assumption would be that it contained only salt, but after watching a video by AwareHouse Chef comparing different salt, I looked at the container in my kitchen. Apparently other ingredients are added mostly to stop the salt from clumping (you can resolve this by adding a few grains of rice to your salt shaker).

Yellow Prussiate of Soda contains hydrogen cyanide which is extremely poisonous.

I'll be more careful which salt I purchase in the future.

Another mention is Himalayan Sea Salt  which comes from an ancient sea in Pakistan (there is no sea near the Himalayas) 

As for the salt with all the added ingredients I will be using that as a weed killer.

Crazy Water

Sadly our soil and water is depleted of minerals these days and we need to look for other sources. I have noticed that by drinking a glass or two of the Crazy mineral water No. 4 in the evening, I no longer have night leg cramps which have plagued me for years. Note: No. 4 Crazy Water has the highest mineral content and not recommended for drinking all day.

 Crazy Water was the name given to the water in aquifers below Mineral Wells in Texas. It's high mineral content was found to be beneficial and the town grew after it's natural mineral benefits were discovered. The Baker Hotel and spa was a popular place to visit in the 1920s and it was a bustling place. Mineral Wells isn't quite as popular now and the Baker Hotel has closed but the mineral water is still sold and there are talks of the majestic Baker Hotel opening at some point in the future.

It's available at Albertsons, HEB and Amazon or from Drink Crazy Water.

Note: Mineral Wells has an interesting history and I used the setting for one of my cozy mysteries - The Berton Hotel.

Fabulous 50s Walking Challenge

 If you haven't discovered the Fabulous 50s web site and You Tube channel, hop on over and take a look. By the way, it's not just for the over 50s. My grandkids love to work out with me to the You Tube videos (especially during Coronavirus lockdown). What I like about the walking videos is that it's combined with stretching and other exercises that are all from a standing position. 

Try the October 7-day walking challenge videos