Spring Ambivalence

Tonight, we lose an hour of sleep.

BOOOOOOO!

I know…most people are excited about the prospect of longer daylight hours, pretty spring flowers and the promise of hot summer days.  Me?  Not feeling the hot summer days.

- Summer means lounging in the sun and swimming in the pool.  Well, if you seen me, I don’t need to sit in the sun.  And I’m not big on swimming.

- Summer means warm weather.  For me, it means HOT WEATHER!  Muggy, sweaty days…and sometimes nights.

This week, I decided to put on my amateur psychologist’s coat to figure out why I’m feeling this spring ambivalence.  What I realized is, yes, I don’t like losing an hour of sleep.  But what I really don’t like is the extremes.  Spring will soon give way to summer.  Summers here in Missouri can be hot and humid.  Winters can be brutally cold with deep snow.

The bottom line is I am truly a creature of comfort.  A lot of us are but I am especially so when it comes to weather.  Give spring and fall and you can keep winter and summer.

With my psychologist’s coat on, I started to apply this analysis to my life in general.  I just don’t like extremes.  There is some truth in the realization I like life in the middle somewhere…in the comfort zone.  Who doesn’t?

But at age 50, I also realize I can weather life outside the comfort zone.  I used to try to avoid uncomfortable situations.  Now I realize I can prevent some of them from happening but if they must happen, I have the tools to deal with them.  And more importantly, the fear of discomfort is gone.

When I wake up tomorrow morning, I will wake up with the attitude spring is around the corner and summer right behind it.  And you know what?  Bring on the HEAT!  I can take it.

Be blessed,

Carlton

It all starts with a good plan!

Intentionally Living

If you were born in the late 60′s, you probably have an idea of what this is.

Back in 1975, ad exec Gary Dahl heard complaints from his friends about the woes of taking care of their pets.  He came up with the idea of the Pet Rock.  He took a simple gray rock and packaged it in a handled cardboard box with holes and a bed of hay.  A simple idea was born.  A new product hit the shelves.

Pet rock owners had little to do with their pet rocks.  They did not require leashed walks outside or bags of pet rock food.  Parents didn’t have to nag their kids to feed it.  And there was no mess to clean up…other than stray bits of hay.

By the end of the year, the Pet Rock was the hit of the Christmas season.  In less than six months, Gary Dahl had become a millionaire.  But by the spring of 1976, the “pets”, or rocks, had been reduced for quick sale.  And disgruntled pet owners had begun to sue and harass Dahl.  Dahl remained successful as an ad exec and bar owner.  But in 1988, he publicly expressed regret for ever having created the phenomenon.

It doesn’t take too much to figure out the Pet Rock fad fizzled because it truly had no purpose.  At least a fish could swim in a bowl and entertain.  Even a mynah bird could irritate it’s owner with constant talking.  But the rock could do nothing but occupy space on a shelf or desk.

A life lived without purpose is a life lived incidentally or even accidentally.

Living life intentionally means our thoughts and decisions are in sync with our purpose of being.  Our feelings are in consideration of what’s best for ourselves and those around us.  And our actions (what we do and say) are dictated by those thoughts and feelings.

The result is a life that is more balanced and focused.  Without intent, we live our lives in a reactionary fashion.  We allow circumstances, situations and people to overwhelm and control us instead of being in control ourselves.

“…saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand”         Isaiah 14:24

“I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand.  Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy”    Og Mandino

Back on Track

Keeping a food journal - the old-fashioned way (photo credit diabetes.net)

The holidays are over…the toys are just starting to collect dust…the lights are stored away…the tree is gone….but the food is still hanging around on your waist.

Christmas may be over for you but it just arrived for the weight loss industry.  Dieters will be stocking up on Lean Cuisines, signing up for gym memberships, and buying treadmills that will eventually begin to double as clothes hangers.  Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem have rolled out the celebrities to inspire and motivate average people like you and me.  They’ve even signed up footballer Terry Bradshaw and basket baller Charles Barkley with a “loose like a man” campaign.

Whether you are inspired by Janet Jackson or by a pair of pants that no longer fit, it’s going to take some work to lose the weight.  There are no magic pills or creams…and surgery may be too scary or expensive for most to even consider.  The best way to lose weight is to change your mind-set, change your eating habits and change your activity level.

In the past, doctors and dietary experts suggest keeping track of food consumption by writing everything down.  But now, with technology, you no longer have to document every morsel of food by pen and paper.  There are many websites out there allowing you to journal not only your food but also exercise, water consumption, and current weight.  They range from free to charging a monthly or yearly fee.  The good news is many of the free websites offer a wide range of services including “Facebook” like social networking.

I’m going to share with you three of the websites I’ve tried.  All are good but each one has its own little quirks.  The beauty of all of these websites is they allow you to see in precise information how well you are doing with your food choices…how well you are doing with your exercise schedule…and how you are doing with your weight loss in general.

Note: click on the screen shots to get a better view.  Then click the back button on your browser to return to the blog post. 

Calorie Count Dashboard (photo credit - Carlton Logan)

The first website I started using was Calorie Count.  It is part of the about.com website.  Like most of the websites, it allows you to track your weight, food intake, water consumption and exercise.  There’s one stand out trait differentiating this journal from the other two I’ve tried.

The Calorie Count food journal grades food items.

When you conduct a search for a food item, a list pops up with anywhere from 10 to 137 choices.  Most of the choices have been assigned a grade.  So you find out immediately if you are making unhealthy food choices.  This could also be helpful in planning food choices ahead of time.  And at the end of the day, the analysis lets you know if you failed..or passed.

Calorie Count Activity Log shows your calories burned. (photo credit - Carlton Logan)

Analysis breaks down calories into nutrients consumed.

The more green in the analysis, the healthier your diet. And you get a final grade on your menu choices.

Like most of the websites, if you choose favorite or frequent food items, it makes it easier for you to record your meals.  Calorie Count has a “click” method.  When you’ve chosen which meal you’re recording, it loads any favorites…you click to add it.   It’s also relatively easy to change portion sizes if need be.

The new Camp page

Calorie Count also added a new Camp page allowing you to view info on other members.  You can then encourage or befriend them to offer encouragement.

The WebMD Food and Fitness Planner (photo credit - Carlton Logan)

The second site I’ve used is a good one.  If you are not familiar with the WebMD website, you should check it out.  This is the one my doctor requested I use to journal.  The great plus with this website is the medical information.  There’s a ton of it here, which makes it a great resource for keeping track of food choices and monitoring exercise.  There’s even a pet section!

Food Log breakdown

Another great thing about this site is addressing specific chronic ailments.  During setup, it allows you to indicate any health issues such as heart conditions, high blood pressure or cholesterol and diabetes.  As each food is recorded in the log, the breakdown indicates if dietary needs are being met.

Drag and drop from the favorite list saves time

Food journaling can be a time-consuming task.  On this site, if you have saved favorite foods and meals, it’s very simple to drag them from the list over to the breakfast or any other section.

The fitness log has lots of options including Wii boxing, sports and run.

A former co-worker introduced me to the last website I’ll share with you.  Actually, as much as I like the WebMD journal, I’m starting to like this one even more.

Sparkpeople has a lot of bells and whistles

With all of the motivational incentives supplied by Sparkpeople, there is no reason why anyone should have problems losing weight.  Here, if you don’t require any support, you are free to go it alone.  If you require self-motivation as well as encouragement from others, you can find it here too.  There are lots of trackers (food, activity, etc.) in addition to advice, networking, FAQs, health info, etc.

Choose from a suggested menu or enter your own choices.

Another great thing about this food tracker is you can print out a shopping list for the week as well as the meal plan.  It also has a section with restaurant meals – you can search for, say Applebee’s, see the suggested meal choices, click on one and it’s added to your meal plan.

Planning ahead saves a lot of time.

The fitness tracker is broken down into strength and cardio.  And yes, it does list Wii exercises!  But you can also print out exercises or play videos to make sure you are doing them right.  Another benefit of this site is that it does a lot of the hard work for you.  Which makes it easier for you in terms of time.

A couple of things to note about these websites:

• There are many more health journaling sites out there.  Most of the major names in the weight loss biz have them but they may not be free.  Olympic cyclist Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong even has a health journal section on their website.  The one’s I’ve mentioned here are not the best or worst…simply the one’s I’ve tried.  I’m not recommending one over any other…just providing some information for you to make an informed decision.  If you are trying to lose weight, get into shape or deal with a chronic health issue, one of these websites could be very helpful to you.  Before you do sign up, I would recommend seeing a doctor for a physical to determine your current health status.
• Journaling is not an easy task.  It takes some time to record this information.  But it may be worth it in terms of helping you determine if you are eating properly, exercising sufficiently or addressing your health conditions correctly.  Your options would be to take time out of each day to record or plan for the week.  If you feel comfortable planning out your whole week because you have a pretty normal schedule, do it.  It will be just like keeping track of your appointments.  If your schedule changes from day-to-day, then you may want to plan at night for the next day or a couple of days out.  For some people, they may only need to utilize a health journal for a short period of time.  Once they’ve lost the weight or gotten a health issue under control, a health journal may not be needed any longer.
• I’m sharing this information with you because these websites have been very helpful for me as I address my health issues.  And I know I’m not the only one.  I recently found out more about my family medical history.  No wonder my body is in bad shape.  Heredity passed down some health traits I really didn’t need or want.  But they are here and I have to address them.  You or someone you know may have health issues.  One of these websites could be the tool to get past all the failed diets and attempts to lose weight.  Or the tool that helps someone get their blood pressure or cholesterol under control.

Try one of these websites.  If you don’t like it, try another.  Keep trying until you find one you like.  If you have made a 2012 resolution to get into shape or lose weight, you’ll need some help to address your particular concerns and resolve them.

Good luck

Carlton

www.caloriecount.about.com

www.webmd.com

www.sparkpeople.com

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 9,200 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

The Search for Unsalted Saltines: A Lesson in How Foods Contribute to Our Wellness

Tonight, in a fit of frustration, I almost crushed a box of crackers…in the grocery store.

Yesterday, I cooked a pot of chili.  The recipe I use makes a lot of chili so I can freeze some, eat some tomorrow and take some to Mom.  She is recuperating from her heart attack and surgery at the rehab center.  Her doctor has stressed the importance of low sodium foods in her diet.  The recipe has no added sodium but I decided to reduce some of the saltiness by eliminating it from the ingredients.

Canned beans contain anywhere from 200 to 400 mg of sodium.  So I cooked my own kidney beans.  Canned tomatoes are salty as well but I decided to search for the lowest in sodium.  Fire roasted ones seemed to be the best choice with 240 mg.

Everyone I know adds something to their chili bowl before they eat.  In my case, it’s Fritos, shredded cheese, sliced scallions and a couple of dashes of hot sauce.  My mother has adopted the same choices but also likes crackers.  Since I don’t do saltines, I was looking for the cheapest but also the lowest in sodium.  That’s when the craziness started.

There’s the original, wheat, sea salted, unsalted, fat-free….too many choices.  Unsalted seemed the way to go.  But the food label listed 80 mg of sodium per serving.  Which I thought was a lot.  But I was wrong.  The original actually has twice as much.  But wait, there’s more.  You would think the fat-free would be a good choice…you would think being fat-free, it would be a healthier alternative.  That’s true if you’re watching your fat.  But not so true if you’re watching your sodium.  The sodium content per serving for the fat free is….180.  Which is even more than the original saltines.

It gets worse.

Food experts extol the virtues of whole wheat…it’s better for our diets, it adds fiber…yada, yada, yada. Guess what?  It has just as much sodium as the original and fat-free at 160.

The best choice?  The hint of salt, seasoned with sea salt.  Per serving, there’s only 30 mg of sodium.

The tipping point was when I looked at another brand and saw a “healthier” choice with a whopping 240 mg of sodium.  That is 8 times the sea salt version I chose to buy.  And that’s when I found myself with the box in both hands and my fingers started to close and form a grip, crushing the cardboard box.  There was a lady next to me and I turned and she was looking at me like, “what are you doing?”

I’ve created something I call the Food Label Shuffle.  It involves the following three areas on the food label:

• Fat
• Sodium
• Sugar

What happens is this:  if the fat is reduced or eliminated, there’s usually an increase in sodium and/or sugar.  If sodium is reduced, there’s usually an increase in fat.  And if the sugar is reduced, there’s usually an increase in fat.

The problem is foods with high sugar content are not good for diabetics.  Foods high in fat and sodium are not good for individuals with hypertension or heart problems.  And as we search for the best foods to meet our health challenges, we discover the food industry is not helping us.  We are all so busy so we depend on fast foods and processed foods as we rush to meetings and home to our waiting families.

So what do we do?  Well, as of last week, I’ve eliminated sodas completely from my diet.  Let’s see what else I can eliminate.

What challenges are you facing with your eating habits and your health?

What’s Your Question?

Poet Claribel Alegria

Poet Claribel Alegria on her “seed book”:  ”It’s a simple notebook, and when I read something that really touches me, or when I hear something, or when I dream…I put all these things into my seed book…Sometimes I go to my seed book and all of a sudden there’s a click.”

I cling to the wise words of my elders.

Poet Lucille Clifton - "If you fill yourself with venom, it is you who will be poisoned"

Writers conferences and workshops provide excellent opportunities to gather bundles of sage wisdom.  Poetry readings offer the chance to wrap the brain around revelatory truths and fascinating stories told through diverse voices.

Poet Jimmy Santiago Baca -"cry our differences into a lake, where we can all cleanse our goodbyes and apathy"

Many years ago, at one of these gatherings, I heard a statement I’ve stored in my soul to inspire me.

“It’s the poet’s job to ask questions”.

What I like about a lot of young poets is they are doing an excellent job of asking the questions.  Besides dealing with their own inner conflicts, they are experiencing life in an unstable economy, a dismal job market, a scandal-filled political climate…and they are asking WHY?

Whether through rap riffs, vocal lyrics or poetic verses, they are expressing their thoughts and emotions with a frankness and openness that is breathtaking.  Earlier this year, I watched with amazement as young people stepped to the microphones on HBO’s Brave New Voices 2010.  Through a creative marriage of producer/director Stan Lathan, hip-hop businessman Russell Simmons and the Youth Speaks organization, HBO has provided many teenage poets a voice in BNV’s annual poetry slam.

These young poets question the effectiveness of public school systems, the price of beauty and even the vacancy of a mother’s love.  Our abuse of nature is played out through an abusive male and female relationship.  The foster care system is viewed from the aisles of a toy store.  Even the slam’s scoring methods are challenged by a trio of young Denver poets who aggressively turned themselves and microphones to face the judges.

Because we live in a world that is complex with a lot of grey areas, a lot of young people have been forced to grow up fast.  They are dealing with issues and topics many of us adults were never faced with at the same age.  But many of today’s youth are astute enough to give careful thought and consideration to their experiences and observations.  And they are brave enough to ask questions.

To all the young poets….be brave, be honest, be your authentic self.  Tell the story only you can tell.  Ask questions, even if the answer seems obvious.  Ask questions, even if they are rhetorical.  Ask questions because you are observant and you are thinking about what you see.  And you are processing what you feel in your heart and in your soul.

Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Marie Rilke

The Spiritual Side of A Balanced Life

Photo credit: thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com

My last blog post was on a balanced life.  I”ve been working on my body out of necessity.  But if I had a choice, I would have started somewhere else first.

So I recently decided to spend the next thirty days focused on spiritual rejuvenation.

There are several reasons why I’m choosing this time:

• We are entering into the Christmas season.  I really want to spend time focused on the true reason for the season.
• A young man at my church, Tony Young, as a matter of fact, recently shared his desire to deepen his spiritual life.  It really inspired me to see a first year college student with a passion to get closer to God.
• I have a big birthday coming up next year.  I really want into 2012 with a greater zest for life, an openness to change, and a willing spirit.
• It is always good to dedicate and commit to a period of time for change.  There’s a feeling in my spirit that I’m on the cusp of my next level.  There will be new challenges to face and demons to deal with.  And I need to be spiritually grounded and centered to face whatever comes my way.

Since my relationship with God is between me and him, I won’t give you full details of my spiritual journey.  I will share with you two things:

1. I will spend a period of time each day devoted to prayer, meditation and reading.
2. Each day, I will record spiritual reflections in my journal.
3. I will challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone to connect with others and help them with their spiritual journey.

Wish me blessings on my journey!

Carlton

Romans 12:1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service. 2 Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. 

Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see.      William Newton Clarke

 

Living a Balanced Life…It’s Hard!

The joy of achieving a balanced life!

About a week ago, I achieved something I’d never done before.  For the first time in 429 days or 62 weeks, I achieved perfect center of balance on the Wii Fit Plus.  If you have no idea what I’m speaking of, let me explain.

This is the Wii Fit Plus Balance Board.  It’s used with the Wii to do exercises, yoga, aerobics, etc.  When you do a daily body test, the Wii has you stand completely still to check your left and right balance.  After a few seconds, it provides you data on how balanced you are…left to right, in percentages.  Historically, I’m about 2 – 3% off from center.  Sometimes I’m leaning to the right, sometimes, the other direction.  Occasionally, I’ve been close to dead center.  But October the 17th was the first time I was perfectly centered.

Over the past few months, I’ve been working on getting more balance in my life.  In terms of the whole body, mind, and spirit connection, my body is throwing everything off.  The reality is that I’ve been progressively gaining weight over the past 20 years.  Up until about three years ago, I was dealing with hypertension as my only health issue.  But as I approach the half century mark, my body is starting to feel the hands of time…along with unhealthy food choices and an aversion to all forms of exercise.

The good news is the Wii has been a strong motivating factor in terms of movement.  I can do it anytime I want, in the privacy of my home, without strange eyes looking at the fat guy trying to lose weight.  The real issue needing my attention was managing my diet.

Over the years, I was making better choices in terms of cutting out sodas, minimizing my sugar intake, and cooking more vegetables.  But the equation still wasn’t right because I wasn’t losing weight.

So, during a trip to Mardels book store, looking through the bargain books, I found three that I decided to purchase and figure out which might be helpful.  Coincidentally, all of the books focused not just on eating healthier and losing weight but achieving a balanced life. Although I have not read all three, I’ve surfed through the pages to determine which is the most helpful for my needs.  Essentially, each one has aspects that will be beneficial.

Perfect Weight America by Jordan Rubin with Bernard Bulwer, M.D. – Jordan Rubin is not a doctor so he co-wrote his book with Dr. Bulwer.  This book takes a very holistic approach to achieving physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance.  There are instructions on how to detox and cleanse your system.  And there’s an excellent resource guide for products and foods that are better for us and the environment.

Perfect Weight America website

Jordan Rubin’s website

The Great Physicians’s Rx for Health & Wellness: Seven Keys to Unlock Your Health Potential by Jordan Rubin with David Remedios, M.D. – This book, also by Jordan Rubin, differs a bit from Perfect Weight America.  First, there’s a different doctor.  Second, this book takes a more biblical approach to a balanced life.  Third, Rubin shares a bit more of his personal story.  As a young man, he suffered for years with health issues that left him lethargic, thin, hospitalized, etc.  That is until he started eating foods found in the Bible.  That’s when his health started to improve.

This book is hardcore.  It is intensive, comprehensive, and informative.  It would be ideal for someone who is interested in radically changing their lives or someone who is dealing with health issues that seem to have no resolution.  I do like that it addresses vitamins, alternative eating and healing, and even hygiene.  But I also like that it suggests gradually changing your eating habits instead of abruptly forcing you to do so.

The Great Physician’s Rx for Health and Wellness website

Your Plan for a Balanced Life by James M. Rippe, M.D. – Out of the three books, this book takes a more simple approach to achieving a balanced life.  It would be ideal for someone who needs to make only a few changes to their diet and exercise plan.  The only caution I would give is for someone who is hypertensive or diabetic.  Although Dr. Rippe includes recipes in the book, several meal plans include frozen dinners.  Although they are “healthy choices” (hint, hint), frozen dinners tend to contain a lot of sodium, carbs and sugars.  However, someone could still follow this plan but replace the frozen meals with home cooked ones.

Your Plan for a Balanced Life website

As I’ve learned in my experiences with the Wii Balance Board, PERFECT balance is hard to achieve.  It may be awhile before I achieve perfection again…but I’m okay with that.   And I feel good about the fact that I’m close to perfect instead of far from it.

Be Blessed,

Carlton

Poetry, Life Stories and Life Lessons

Friday, October 21, 201

7 PM and 8 Pm

Book signing following both readings

(each tiny seed $5)

 

Linger Bakery and Coffee Lounge

19 SE 3^rd Street

DowntownLee’s Summit,Mo. 

816-5-LINGER

   

During each 45 minute reading, I will be reading poetry and sharing some of the stories behind the poems.  I’ll be reading poems from the book and some new ones that have yet to be published.  I’ll also share some insights on life and the craft of writing.  After each reading, there will be about 15 minutes to purchase copies of the book and have it signed. 

Thanks to Christina Apostle Calderon, and her husband, Jeffrey for the opportunity to use their space.  Christina is a talented baker and has created a very comfortable space at Linger. 

So drop by, purchase a coffee or slice of cake, and enjoy the poetry!

We are in the middle.
Between sky above
Earth below
The power flows through us.
The light of the sun brings warmth
… rain from the skies provides moisture
and soil supplies nourishment.
We are surrounded by and
filled with a
power
that encourages us
and challenges us
to grow.
And like the trees and
flowers
we must
rise to the occasion.
- from each tiny seed by Carlton Logan