A Long Winter.......

....and it doesn't seem to have an end in sight yet. A winter storm watch is on for Winnipeg as of today.

Everywhere you turn someone is still sick, hospitals closing wards asking visitors to stay home, coughing, sneezing, sore throats and headaches. And then there is the Norwalk type virus’ making there way around the workplaces, or all inclusive resorts as my sister found out recently. These outbreaks seem to be more often and clinging on longer this winter in Winnipeg. With the temperatures still around minus 20 celsius peeps are hanging around indoors longer this year, hence the increase in the spread of germs.

And whats the best way to prevent the spread of bacteria? hand washing, hand washing and more hand washing. Properly washing that is, not the quick under the tap rinse but an A-Z scrubbing of those digits.

A couple of the other things you can do is get enough sleep and reduce stress levels. When your body’s immune system is already compromised, then has to fight off a bug, lookout!

Weak immune function, including susceptibility to colds and other infections, can  be a  sign of vitamin C deficiency. 

My respiratory therapist husband explained that since the lining of our respiratory tract also depends heavily on vitamin C for protection, respiratory infection and other lung-related conditions can also be symptomatic of vitamin C deficiency.

So even though hand washing is your best defense against virus’s, enhancing your body’s immune system is a good offense.

Thank you to www.healthaliciousness.com Here is a list of foods loaded with vitamin C.

#1: Red and Green Hot Chili Peppers

An excellent way to spice up soups, curries, and sauces, green chillies provide the most vitamin C than any other food with 242.5mg (404% DV) per 100 gram serving, 181.88mg (303% DV) in a half cup chopped, and 109.13mg (182% DV) in a single green chili pepper. Red chillies provide 144mg (240% DV) of vitamin C per 100g serving, 108mg (180% DV) per half cup chopped, and 65mg (108% DV) per pepper. 

#2: Guavas

 Depending on variety, guavas can provide as much as 228mg (381% DV) of vitamin C per 100g serving, 377mg (628% DV) per cup, and 126mg (209% DV) per fruit.

#3: Bell Peppers

 

A staple of pasta sauce and pizza the sweet bell pepper packs a high vitamin C punch. The amount of vitamin C depends on color. Yellow peppers provide the most vitamin C with 184mg (206% DV) per 100 gram serving, 341mg (569% DV) per pepper, and 95mg (159% DV) in 10 sliced strips. Green peppers provide the least vitamin C with 132mg (220% DV) per pepper. 

#4: Fresh Herbs (Thyme and Parsley)

Fresh and dried herbs are packed with vitamins and health benefits, they can be used in almost any soup, stew, or as the main ingredient to a salad like tabouleh. Thyme provides the most vitamin C of any herb with 160mg (267% DV) per 100 gram serving, 1.6mg (3% DV) in a single teaspoon. Parsley provides 133mg (222% DV) per 100 gram serving, 79mg (133% DV) per cup, 5mg (9% DV) per tablespoon, 13.3mg (22% DV) in 10 sprigs. 

#5: Dark Leafy Greens (Kale, Mustard Greens, Garden Cress)

Dark leafy greens are more than just a source of calcium, and are packed with other vitamins including vitamin C. Raw kale provides the most vitamin C with 120mg (200% DV) per 100 gram serving, 80mg (134% DV) per cup chopped. It is followed by mustard greens which provide 70mg (117% DV) per 100 gram serving, and 29mg (65% DV) per cup chopped. Garden cress provides 69mg (115% DV) per 100 gram serving, or 35mg (58% DV) per cup. 

#6: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts

Broccoli provides 89mg (149% DV) of vitamin C in a 100g serving, 81mg (135% DV) per cup chopped, 28mg (46% DV) per piece. Raw cauliflower provides much less with 46mg (77% DV) per cup, raw brussles sprouts provide 75mg (125% DV) per cup, 16mg (27% DV) per sprout.

#7: Kiwi Fruits (Chinese Gooseberries)

Kiwi fruits are tart as well as decorative, they make a great addition to any fruit salad or dessert. A 100g serving will provide 93mg (155% DV) of vitamin C, that is 164 mg (273% DV) per cup, 84mg (141% DV) per fruit.

#8: Papayas (aka: Lechoza, Mamão, Pawpaw)

In addition to vitamin C, papaya is also a great source of vitamin A and folate (vitamin B9). Papaya provides 62mg (103% DV) per 100 gram serving, that is 87mg (144% DV) per cup cubed, and 188mg (313% DV) in a medium sized papaya.

#9: Oranges and Clementines (Tangerines)

Oranges, citrus fruits, and their zest (the shavings of their peel) are all high in vitamin C. Oranges provide 59mg (99% DV) per 100 gram serving, 98mg (163% DV) per cup, and 83mg (138% DV) per orange. Clementines, or tangerines, provide 49mg (81% DV) per 100 gram serving, or 36mg (60% DV) per fruit.

#10: Strawberries

Strawberries are delicious and make a great addition to desserts or drinks. Strawberries provide 59mg (98% DV) per 100 gram serving, 98mg (163 % DV) per cup slices, and 11mg (18% DV) in a single large strawberry.

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vitamin-C.php#BlvutUYSo2rQvPJw.99 

So to help me be stronger in body, mind and soul, I try to have a balanced life that includes  proper nutrition- including a ton of vitamin C! 

Shades of 50

Shades of 50

Feeling good, happy, contented, warm and secure.

47 not so happy, 48 a year of change, 49 ups and downs but back up and healthy, pain free and happy.

50 in two!! No struggle, no fear. Welcome and come on in.

The tea is brewing, books on the table, good friends and family close by.

Moving in the right direction on the journey, goals in mind, forever learning, taking action, no judgement. Aiming high, see the goal, set new goals. Set intentions, make plans.

Bucket list, vision board make me smile. Life is precious, changing fast. Never regret, never get the moment back. Let go, no ropes holding you back. Climb on.

50 this week, exercise always, love, laugh. Lift weights, eat clean, stay healthy. 

Mind, body and spirit. I feel the energy, feel the love, only me sitting quietly. Strong, soft, feel deeply, see brightly. 

Celebrate life, new and old. Be change. Choices only I can make. Celebrate me, celebrate 50.

Don’t know what it means, how to act, what to feel, doesn’t matter. No rules.

Me as I am.  

50

Welcome

Come with me, 

A Caribbean beach

Watching the sunset on 49.

Me

50

Love it.

Full Throttle

When I was young playing on my backyard swing set  or skating on the backyard rink my dad made I never played slowly. The swing set wasn't just a swing set but a jungle gym. My speed was fast or faster. I loved swinging as high as I could , hanging upside down or skating as fast as I could.

Feeling the breeze in my hair or the cold crisp air on skates was fun. I loved being outdoors and I loved movement. As a kid I never thought about hurting myself, about helmets or padding. You just did. 

Even as I get older the adventurous side of me still burns. I’ve just had to learn to recover and heal before the next adventure, and I’ve had to learn to throttle down the activity a bit otherwise too much time is needed for the knees to recoup before the next whatever.

So I’ve had to give up a bit of speed, a bit of intensity for more consistency. I’m good with that, cause I know I will still compete, still push myself to the end goals of a ride, or workout or whatever.

I just read a great book called, The New Rules of Lifting... for middle age. We know physiological changes occur in our bodies as we age, but the key is to not to let the changes turn off the motor. The changes just might make you shift gears a bit thats all.

Movement is medicine, so as I approach 50 I’ll try to throttle down a bit. Cause when I’m 100 I’m still gonna lift the weights, maybe a two pound dumb bell but a weight never the less.

I’ll let you know when I get there how much weight it is. Until then, lets just consistently enjoy the ride!!!!!!!!

Find your Passion

I went to a funeral yesterday, to pay last respects to a brilliant music teach, singer and pianist. A well put together lady in all aspects. She was 81 and I had never met her. 

My husband and I went to the funeral to show our love and support for her daughter and son in law who we adore as our friends. 

Most people don’t like going to funerals but I find them rather cathartic. I love listening to families share stories of the talents, love, accomplishments and so may wonderful memories they have. The celebration of the life, of the soul that filled the body on earth. The end, yet new beginning.

Don’t leave this world with regrets, at any age if there is that one thing, that one thing that aches in your soul to do, that you really want to do before your body or mind can’t, then do it.

Live each day with purpose. It doesn’t matter if that purpose is active or passive, each day has purpose.

I’ve been surrounded by elderly sickness and death lately and by knowing of 3 births to occur shortly. The circle of life. Fill your days on this earth with purpose and when we meet again, tell me your wonderful memories of this life.

Peace

Age and Metabolic Whaaaat?

So your trying to loose weight and your over the age of 25 and you have crappy nutritional habits. Welcome to the world of thousands.

Well don’t despair there are a few things you have control over to change. No- one of those things isn’t that you can stop time. No -there isn’t a magic fountain of youth and no- you aren’t immortal. Now that we cleared that up, lets take a look at whats really happening. According to a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology, 1998, after the age of 25, your RMR declines 2-4% with each passing decade. Oh and one more monkey wrench just for shit and giggles, you’ll loose about 5 lbs of lean muscle mass each decade from age 25-65. Sounds kinda glum ha?

I know what your thinking, holy cow my RMR is declining!!!! Whaaat the heck does that mean, cause I don’t know what part of my body is my RMR! And muscle mass loss - geez what next, aging really does suck! Well hold your horses, lets not panic here. If we break down whats happening in our bodies it looks like this. First, your RMR refers to your “resting metabolic rate”. This refers to the number of units of energy that your body uses to process all of the chemical actions during rest time.

So an average 25 year old female may have an RMR of 1500 kcal, then at 35 yrs her RMR is at 1400 kcal, at 45 yrs her RMR is at 1300 kcals and so on. In addition she’ll lose 5 lbs of muscle mass by 35 yrs, 10 lbs by 45 yrs, 15 lbs by 55 yrs and 20 lbs by 65 yrs. This chick has declined about 300 kcal of metabolic burning and 20 lbs of lean muscle by age 65. Great your thinking this is all bad news, so whats the silver lining in all this?

Since you can’t change your age, then change your lifestyle!!!  Lean muscle is responsible for a huge amount of metabolic activity, so a loss of lean muscle is most likely responsible for a huge amount of decline in metabolic activity. Increase your muscle mass to increase your RMR. How do I increase muscle mass- contract your skeletal muscles. Run, jump, cycle, skip, lift weights- all use energy and build muscle. The more intense the activity the more calories burned and the more lean muscle built.

Now there is one more glitch. You can have the best exercise program ever, but if you have poor nutrient consumption (your diet is crappy) it may lead to the inability to build and preserve muscle mass.

Lessons learned: just because you may be aging that doesn’t mean you can’t impact your metabolic rate or ability to build muscle. High intensity exercise burns more calories during and after increasing your RMR. Proper nutrition plays a HUGE roll in your metabolic rate and ability to build and keep muscle. 

Aging is natural but to stop moving your body is not! Proper posture, musculoskeletal alignment, correct nutrition and lots of movement--- the keys to keeping my body, mind and soul young!

A Thousand Words

A picture is worth a thousand words. We have all heard that phrase a million times. It really is amazing how a picture can evoke so much from our minds. Smell, taste, touch and much more. 

My mom’s passing brought out many picture albums, old wonderfully discolored boxes and cardboard picture covers. From the 50, 60 etc. Pictures of my dad as a little boy in Flin Flon from the 30s, Piney and Vassar from the 40’s and Winnipeg of the 50s.

My dad wasn’t one to sit and reflect, look at pictures or watch videos but lately we’ve done a lot of it. New albums with old memories keep emerging from the closet.

In todays world, Instagram and the electronic files of pictures is rampant. If you want to look at a picture turn your phone on or Ipad or laptop. Where is the rough texture of old print paper, the look of wrinkled covers and torn cracked edges of a page in an album.

There just isn’t anything, anything that compares to holding onto and looking through old pictures. Create an album today and put it away. The smiles it will bring when 10,20,30 years from now, you pull it out and touch the past, priceless.

my mom and dad circa 1954

Feel Your Breath

Yesterday was about looking and calling for brother Miko in heaven, looking for her husband behind a locked door, not knowing who is there.

Yesterday was about wanting to go home because she is needed, why can’t I go, why don’t you listen. Yesterday was about finding her voice, when nutrient deprivation won’t let her. Smell, taste, nothing. 

Yesterday was about going to South America, so we went where it was warm. The sun was bright. Where are my glasses.

Mom struggled to make sense of our world. It was so different from what we saw. What was she thinking, what did she see. We struggled to make sense of her world, what did we see. 

Don’t struggle, release, let it go. Find peace with what you see in front of you, in front of me. See the moment, it changed, see the new moment, it changed. Go with the flow of what you see.

Love, peace, freedom to live or die. Go find Miko and watch our moments change from the sky. Rest and comfort, no pain only time. but what is time? 

Friday was about leaving this plane of existence. Of finding her brother and mother once again. Peaceful she sleeps until we see her again.

Friday was about letting go. Finding new moments to live. Family, friends, coping, celebrating life. 

Feel the sun, feel the rain, feel your heartbeat. Breathe deep, breathe deep again, be free, happy. let the doves fly free.

life goes on.....