Debbie Downer vs Jubilant Jill

I was raised by a sassy mom and a sedate dad.  As a child, I behaved more like my father, but now, as a mother of five, I behave much like my snarky mom.  My grandmother exposed me to British comedies...nice and dry.  I adore sarcasm.  More than one past relationship disintegrated due to my partner's lack of ability to handle constant sarcasm and cynicism.  Unfortunately, I am getting flooded by negativity as an adult and "sarcasm" is not the life raft I expected.  My attitude MUST change!

I read a great article by Mary Vance.  The article has 5 steps toward having a happier outlook.  Although these methods are nothing new, it is always good to be reminded about how your attitude can damage (or strengthen) your wellness.  I regularly perform the first suggestion in the article - the gratitude list.  I write down three things that I am thankful for. 

Today I am thankful for:

1. My great-aunt who is in town to help my grandmother after surgery!
2. My backyard which is fenced in and large enough for an above ground pool, BIG garden, shed, trees and play space for 5 kids and 2 dogs. 
3. My seed collection - The last time I planned a garden curriculum for my students, they were in first grade and totally uninterested.  Now they are in fourth grade and ready to handle more gardening responsibility on their own.  I'll be planning a spring curriculum around the garden again!

I am thankful for much, much more.  People don't usually realize how much they have to be thankful for.  You can go basic...air, water, shelter.  You can go specific...my recliner, The Biggest Loser, tortillas.  The point is, look at all these things you have to be happy about...cheer up!  Look at what you've got, not what you don't have!

Dirty Living - Energy Drinks

On certain days I want to be disgustingly over-fed...those days I seek comfort food and television over salad and walking...you know those days.  It pays to have a reminder of how bad it feels to eat dirty.  We each suffer differently for our self-abuse.  Here is a taste of my dirty-life.

Red Bull and how it makes me feel/behave:

• Moody - I become angry, mean and intolerant especially toward the people I love most.
• Stinky - My body odor becomes tremendous!
• Jittery - I bite my nails to bloody stumps; I find myself sitting around biting nails or picking at things instead of being productive.
• Light-headed - Due to pre-existing medical conditions, I'm already prone to syncope; it is increased with each serving I drink.
• Dehydration - The more I drink, the more orange and dark the urine.
• Diarrhea - The more I drink, the less I eat and the more my poop turns liquid.
• Joints - My back aches on a lumbar level especially in the morning; my elbows, knees and even fingers hurt when I wake up and most of the day.
• Teeth - Man, I thought Coca-Cola could harm pearly whites - red bull causes cavities and turns my teeth yellow-green.
• Guilty - I am ashamed by my addiction.  I stash cans in odd places so my husband won't catch me.  I know it is wrong.  Every can makes me feel more disappointed in myself.
• Broke - It costs a fortune to drink as much as I like to.  I might as well be smoking 2-3 packs of cigarettes a day!

How-we-doing Humpday

Sustaining and foraging. 

Growing up, I spent four years living in Central Florida in a yard landscaped with exotic plants; supposedly, the previous owners landscaped for Disneyworld.  Looking back, we could have eaten much more from our yard - our internet connection was fairly slow in 1990...we couldn't just Google "edible plants".  We ate the young bamboo shoots.  We ate the ripe loquats from the tree in the backyard.  At one point we even tore apart a fruit from one of our palm trees (Queen Palm perhaps) to get to the seed just to smash it open and eat the edible nut inside. 

Now, in my own yard, I eat the hibiscus blooms and leaves.  We have a small herb garden on the back porch with rosemary, basil, mint and cilantro.  Strawberries come back every year.  We grow gardens in the summer.  And every other year, our two pecan trees provide a harvest, if you can compete with the critters.  Next spring I hope to use our copious amounts of wild onion in place of chives (one less thing to grow).  And I look forward to dandelion greens next year - must continue research on dandelion's detoxifying effects on the liver.

My father has a spectacular garden every year.  He's been growing these amazing, long "Chinese Beans" since I was in elementary school.  Squash, tomatoes, cucumbers (he's been pickling!). His jalapeno peppers are an amazing gift each summer. He can be so generous!  I remember, just a few years ago, watching him snack on pine nuts from his yard.  I'm glad those tall, scary pine trees have something to offer.  There is yucca and wild passion fruit in their yard, which they are less exited about than I am.  I'll try anything.

How-we-doing Humpday

It's that time again.  Time to be glad about one less step toward a healthier me.

Condiments. 

I was raised on salt, pepper, syrup, and jam.  Dips and toppings were the spice of life as a child.  In high school I'd eat packets of sugar at a time...by themselves.  In the school lunch line, I got ranch dressing...for my cheese pizza and fries. 

Once I moved out and started exploring supermarkets, I discovered options that had not existed in my childhood home.  Mango, papaya, guava...these were not the "apple" and "pear" I grew up with.  Once I had my first set of twins, I realized they were eating these things I've never tried in BABY FOOD! 

I have a strict rule of "If I don't try it, my kids don't try it!"  I tried my breast milk and baby formula, so why not tropical fruits?  Right!  It makes sense to try something on its own the first time...so you know what it tastes like...what to add.  I realized these new things were yummy without additions.  No added flavors.  No added sugars.  Just ripened fruits.  Perfect.

After I tried a few new foods with nothing else, I started trying familiar foods all alone.  What a difference!  Fresh fruits and vegetables taste unique and delicious as they are.  There is no need to add salt to your watermelon (I know it's good, right) or caramel to your apples or sugar to your strawberries.  Salad dressing masks all the natural flavor of the produce.  These foods are perfect little packets of nutrients without messy, less-nutritive add-ons. 

Spare the calories.  Spare the sugar.  Spare the money. 

How-we-doing Humpday

After writing out last Wednesday's Pat on the Back post, I started brainstorming other things I should be grateful for.  Progress is progress.  Success is success.  I'd like to keep this up.  This week I'm happy about two food groups that I enjoy eating.

Whole Grains.  I LOVE whole grains!  I prefer brown rice to white rice.  I wish I could afford more wild rice...really adore that stuff!  I enjoy whole wheat noodles and bread.  Ezekiel bread with the sprouted grains - I love that too!  It makes no sense to refine a grain.  None.

Veggies.  I am not a picky eater.  I enjoy those odd veggies people have horror stories about.  I enjoy Brussels sprouts, Lima beans, and okra in any form.  In fact, since my last pregnancy I eat all the "A's" that I once could not fathom eating with joy.  That's right.  Artichoke, avocado, and asparagus are now welcome on my menu.  I've been known to turn up my nose at cooked greens (mustard, collard and turnip), but I can eat ANY greens raw and still savor them.

Vision Board...sort of?

I've always felt so lame making a vision board.  I act like I'm ashamed of my interests, passions and good memories.  Like I want to hide what makes me happy.  What a pointless habit. A disgusting waste of energy too. 

I'm working on creating a vision board on my computer desktop.  It shows random pictures of past events and memories that make me happy and/or motivate me.  I'm about half done with it.  I add a picture here and there when I have a spare minute. 

I'm also considering a photo album.  Real, hard copies of photos are SO much better than cropped, shrunk images, collaged onto an icon-crowded desktop.  The feel of a photo has a "macaroni and cheese" effect on me.  Comfort food. 

I seek the comfort of prints when all else fails.  And it works.  I'll see one of those photos, all by itself and not part of a busy collage.  That photo will make me smile.  That memory becomes more tangible when I hold a picture in my hand.  The moment captured becomes more real, more intimate. 

I often forget the amazing adventures I have been on.  Usually I'm too caught up worrying about the things I haven't done.  Waste of time and effort.  More positive moments are available in photo form to remind me of the thrill of whitewater rafting.  Camping trips.  That crazy, high train trestle I walked across.  Disneyworld.  The beach.  Sweet family moments.  Friends.  Family.  Connections. 

Pat on the Back

Do not let the last post fool you.  I do have bad habits.  But, I have made some positive changes.  Those positive changes are progress that I need to acknowledge, no matter how small they seem to be. 

Sugar.  I have eliminated white sugar from my coffee; rather, I switched to Agave Nectar.  It is true, you use less nectar than white sugar.  The taste is not as strong as honey - at least not the Agave in the Raw.  I'm sure the darker nectar is more intense.

Chocolate.  We all need a little chocolate.  It stimulates parts of my brain that otherwise seek out far worse substances.  It is a lesser evil.  I like dark chocolate, but lately I've only had milk chocolate around to nibble on.  I've gotten very good at portion control by eating only one or two rectangles off of a Hershey's bar or by eating only one little chocolate out of an Advent calendar.  Hershey's are approximately 17.5 calories per rectangle on a standard size bar; the Advent chocolates are about 15 calories each.