Tread Lightly...Those Are My Toes!

Lying can be a form of ego protection.  A defense mechanism.  We lie to ourselves because believing the lie is easier than making the change that would logically follow embracing the truth. 

Author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn put it like this:  "We do not err because truth is difficult to see.  It is visible at a glance.  We err because this is more comfortable."

I see this tendency to lie to ourselves particularly in the world of health and exercise.  With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy for the style, here is my list of health lies.

You Might Be Lying to Yourself If...

• You tell yourself you can eat that cheeseburger and fries because you're drinking a diet soda. 
• You think that taking the stairs in your building or parking a bit further from the office will substitute for working out. 
• You say that you can't work out because of that pain in your head, the cold you have, or the ache in your back.  You say that you will work out when you feel better.
• You decide that you're not really THAT overweight because you weigh less than some random stranger at the store appears to weigh.
• You consider yourself to be healthy overall but you still smoke.
• You think you are a safe driver but you don't wear your seatbelt or you speed regularly

Did you see yourself in that list anywhere?  I know I did.  In the coming days, we'll take a look at each of these lies, uncover the ugly truth beneath them and discover ways to make the changes you need to make in ways that you can live with. 

Happy Valentine's Day

Grow old with me!  The best is yet to be.  ~Robert Browning  


On this day dedicated to love and all things of the heart, I thought I'd remind you to take care of your actual heart.

Looking at several health sites, I find that the top advice for a healthy heart are the following:

1. Eat plenty of fiber and whole grains.
2. Avoid cholesterol and unhealthy fats (trans fats & saturated fats)
3. Maintain a healthy weight.
4. Exercise regularly.
5. Find effective ways to deal with stress.
6. Stop smoking.

 If you have someone special in your life, enjoy your day together.  If you don't have a significant other, then do something nice for yourself.

Whatever you do, I hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day.
 

Why Exercise?

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. ~Confucius

A friend's daughter has had health issues and several surgeries since she was a little girl. She had an appointment with a new doctor this week and he told her she needed to try to lose weight in order to be "pretty and sexy." Now, in my opinion, this doctor isn't worth the paper his diploma is printed on for saying something like that.

Weight is a health issue, not a beauty issue. Obesity is one of the top three causes of preventable deaths in the US (http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/medicine-health/articles/smoking-high-blood-pressure-and-being-overweight-top-three-preventable-caus). Obviously, weight is a serious issue.

But it's not exactly easy to lose weight, either. This particular young lady injured herself quite badly trying to work out and lose weight. I myself have been laid up for weeks at a time from twisted ankles, shin splints, and bad knees just from running a few miles. I keep trying, though, because I want to live a long and healthy life.

What those who are overweight need is understanding, love, help, encouragement, and support, not humiliating and belittling comments, snide remarks, or any other form of abuse.

However, we can't escape the vanity, can we? We're human and it creeps up on us. The society in which we live doesn't help much in that department, either. We are daily bombarded with images that would have us believe we're only beautiful if we're skinny and perfect in every way, and we often forget that those very images have been airbrushed within an inch of their lives.

If you wonder sometimes if you are pretty and/or sexy, I suggest you ask your spouse, significant other, parents, children, and best friend. These are the people who know the true you and can see just how lovely you are. Anyone who doesn't see your beauty is not worth your time or effort. To paraphrase what I told that young lady, "You are beautiful and whoever doesn't think so is an idiot."

A little reminder for you: