We are surrounded by information and advice and suggestions about how to lead a better, healthier, happier life. And yet so many people are not only overweight but also miserable. So, maybe it’s time we tried a different approach. Here is an alternative prescription for a “better” life – courtesy of myunusual.com - So maybe we should give up on offering people “good” advice and just give them advice they want to hear!
Q: I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
Heart healthy
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that’s it… Don’t waste them on exercise . Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that’s like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
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Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
Moooo
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
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Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
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Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
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Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?
A: You’re not listening….Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they’re permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
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Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
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Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable. It’s the best feel-good food around!!
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Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
Sperm whale
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales.
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Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
It’s one of the biggest conundrums in public health: we have more information about how to lead a healthy lifestyle than ever, more information about how to lose weight or eat a healthy diet, and yet more and more people are fatter than ever and eating worse than ever. So why is that?
The only choice
Well, part of it is obviously that we have more options now. Growing up in England there were two choices of salad dressing at the local supermarket: mayonnaise or nothing. Today, the average grocery store has so many options you could spend a week trying to decide what to put on your lettuce. And the same applies for pretty nearly every other food group. We’re spoiled for choice and often do a bad job of making good choices.
Making the right choice
Part of it is that even when we make good choices, such as choosing a low-fat version of a product, we undermine that by eating too much of it. I have seen people eat a whole non-fat cake just because they thought that the lack of fat meant an equal lack of calories, forgetting to notice that the manufacturer had added a ton of sugar to make it taste ok.
Dr. Teresa Quattrin, the Chair of the Pediatric Department at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine, noticed a similar thing in a recent study she did with children 2 to 5 years old. She found that seven out of ten of those children were eating too many calories, in some cases far more than the recommended 1,200 calories a day. In addition they weren’t getting as much activity as kids that age needed. Even at that age we are leading more sedentary lives than in the past.
Even healthy options can have a downside
Quattrin said that even children whose parents were giving them healthy foods were overdoing it. For instance, there were children who ate a whole carton of strawberries in one sitting and their parents thought that was fine. But, as Quattrin points out, even healthy food can have a downside if you are eating too much of it. And of course, if you are eating too much of a healthy food the chances are you might also be eating too much of other, much less healthy foods.
Shirley says her mum once decided that carrots were really good and she should eat more of them. A lot more. She ate so many that her skin started to turn orange. True story.
Not always a healthy choice
Quattrin says the most important thing when trying to lead a healthy life is to surround yourself with healthy options, and limit the number of unhealthy ones. For instance, have lots of fresh fruit and vegetables in the house and refrigerator, but very few so-called “treats” such as cookies and cakes and chips and candy. If children are surrounded by healthy food options they will grow up thinking that is the normal way to eat. Good habits are important things to develop from an early age.
Banish temptation
And let’s face it, the same thing applies to grown ups. If we have fresh fruits around us we are more likely to snack on them. If we have fresh fruit, plus cakes and candy and cookies, guess which things win out first.
That’s one of the reasons why I don’t have chocolate bars in the house. I know that, like Oscar Wilde, I can resist anything except temptation!
Do you ever feel like “Wow, it’s been a crazy week at work.” Where every day feels like it is one day further away from the weekend. I think we all know that feeling.
So there comes a point where you say “I need a break”. But, you have things to do, you have used up all your vacation time, you have maxed out your credit cards (I hasten to point out here that these are all hypothetical examples and not real life ones, honest!) so you need something to transport you back to a time when things were calm and serene and lovely.
I’ve been going to Glendalough for many years, ever since I was a kid but this was the first time I ever saw it in the spring, in sunshine. Normally it’s overcast, or wet. It’s beautiful but with that kind of weather the beauty has a melancholy tinge. On this day it was simply divine. That’s why I love this little shot of a stream through the hills. It reminds me of a time that was more peaceful, and of a future time that will be so again.
There’s a scene early on in the movie “Defending Your Life” where Albert Brooks realizes he is dead and is being assessed as to whether he will move on to another realm, or go back to earth to try again. Rip Torn tells him that it all depends on how much of his brain he actually used, saying that most people only use a tiny portion of their brain. Brooks is stunned to learn that he only uses 3 percent of his brain. Three percent, says Brooks! “Yes” says Rip Torn “Everyone on earth uses 3 percent of their brain, 3-5 percent. That’s why they are there. When you use more than 5 percent of your brain you don’t want to be on earth!”
That’s how I feel sometimes, that there are large parts of my brain that I’m not using. That half the time I’m kind of day dreaming my way through life. That large sections of time are taken up with my brain trying to remember obscure lyrics to bad 80’s pop songs, or the name of the actor who appeared in that movie that was set in Paris and directed by whojamacallit! You know the one!
Whole hours can disappear without a substantial thought appearing or taking hold. I appear to be thinking. But appearances can be deceptive.
What’s on your mind
And I’m guessing I’m not alone. Looking around me on any given day there seem to be an awful lot of people staring blankly around them. Now, I’m sure some are brilliant astro-physicists who only appear to be day dreaming, but instead they are thinking deeply on the origins of the universe. But I’m guessing most of the folks who look as if they are blank are, actually, blank.
What a waste eh! Think about it for a minute, or more. If we were able to really concentrate for extended periods of time, to focus on a task at hand, a challenge, to work out a problem, to bring an idea from a notion to reality -- just imagine what we could achieve. No more hours spent in front of the TV watching shows that we barely remember the next day. No more days where if someone were to ask you “what did you do today” you couldn’t really answer.
We might be able to do wonderful things, create beautiful works of art, write wonderful literature, or at least witty and interesting stories. Or maybe our talents lie in other directions. If we could concentrate for a while we might discover what those are.
It’s all in the mind
Perhaps the reason so many people respond to the question “What’s new” with “oh, you know, same old same old” is because there really is nothing new. We’re all too busy not thinking to do something new, try something new, or even realize that we’re doing the same thing over and over again.
Charles Schulz
As Charles Schulz, creator of Snoopy, once said “Sometimes I lie awake and night and I ask ‘Where did I go wrong’. Then a voice says to me, ‘This is going to take more than one night.’
So maybe the solution is to stop. And think. Just think. That’s all.
Every once in a while we become overwhelmed by our circumstances. That overwhelming feeling of despair may be caused by events that you can’t seem to control. Maybe your life is not working out the way you planned or you think you should be more successful or richer, or happier. You may be facing some challenges that seem out of your control. We all have moments, days, even weeks where we feel down about where we are and where we want to be. So to help get through those nasty moments, here are six steps you can do to take control back and create a better future for yourself.
What’s Your Problem?
Get out a pencil and paper and take a little time to work on yourself! Write out these questions and list everything that comes to mind as you answer them. No judgement. No distractions. Find at least 3o minutes to just work on your life. Put down the first thing that pops into your mind, even if it doesn’t make any sense to you now.
1. What problems or challenges are you facing right now?
Write it all down.
2. What is the Solution?
Find the key and use it!
Accept your first thoughts on how to solve each one. Can you visualize solving the problem? What would you be doing if this challenge were already solved?
Imagine yourself living as if you have already solved the problem. It’s gone. It has been solved. It is in your past. (Do this for each problem)
3. Now, Make a Plan.
Work backwards. The problem has been solved, you feel good about how you did it. What did you do? Take your time. What happened? Fantasize, dream about it. Think about how you solved it creatively. Note every detail. Write it down step by step. Make it real by adding practical ideas. Refine the steps. Be flexible.
4. Believe in the plan. – Visualize yourself carrying out each step. Imagine yourself taking control. How do you feel as each step is completed? What are you seeing? Watch yourself complete the steps.
5. Anticipate the plan.
You can take a step every single day. You are on your way! Practice the plan.
6. Hone the plan, work it, make it yours.
Add new ideas and throw out things that don’t work. Don’t give up. Don’t let it go. Do it for yourself. How serious do you take the plan? Make it live. Make it a priority. See it, feel it, be it and it will become a reality. Notice how good it feels to be in control of this plan.
Attitude Is Everything!
Attitude is Everything!
Do this for one full week. You will see a difference in your attitude and your perspective! You can solve life’s challenges by taking the time to take action rather than worrying and feeling incapable of changing your circumstances. I guess that’s why Nike says: “Just do it!”
There is a phrase that I hear a lot at the gym these days. It usually involves someone, typically over the age of 35, sitting on a chair or stool, red faced and sweaty at the end of a workout, saying variations on “Oh man, I’m too old for this.” The “this” in question can be anything from tennis or running to basketball, swimming or squash. But while the sport may vary the reason behind the statement does not – the body in question has taken a beating and doesn’t want to do it any more.
Ouch!
But here’s the amazing part. Next time I go to the gym I see those same fellows – and it’s always men because they don’t allow women in our locker room and for some reason the club won’t allow me in the women’s locker room to see if the same thing happens there – doing the same activity, hurling their body around and bruising and battering it all over again.
Too old for what?
There’s an almost ritualistic quality to it. They tell themselves they are too old to do that kind of physical activity, and then go out and do it any way to prove they are not too old, or maybe just to say “Well, I may be too old but what the heck it’s too much fun to stop now.” It’s as if they are using the notion of “too old” to psych themselves up for the activity.
None of us are kidding ourselves that running or swimming or biking or playing basketball are age-defying activities. Our knees and backs and and ankles are constant reminders that we are not turning back the clock, that we no longer bounce back as quickly as we used to, that the things we could get away with in our youth no longer apply. Instead there’s a kind of wonderful “oh heck, who gives a tinker’s curse” approach. Everything wears out sooner or later and the more you do the greater the odds are that it will be later. And even if it isn’t then at least you can have fun along the way.
There’s endless studies out there that show if you exercise regularly you are better able to cope with stress, less likely to get heart disease or diabetes or even cancer, more likely to lead a longer, better quality life.
But to be honest, I’ve never heard anyone in the gym lift a weight and says “take that cancer” or chase a ball in tennis or basketball and say “wow, this greatly reduces the likelihood that I might develop type 2 diabetes in the upcoming year”. No, most people are doing what they are doing because they enjoy what they do or how it makes them feel.
Ice ice baby!
There’s a kind of camaraderie among us, sitting around after a tough workout,
Ankle, on the rocks!
bags of ice strapped to different parts of our body, trying to calm down the flaring and inflamed muscles and tendons and whatever else we injured.
It’s almost as if there’s an unspoken agreement among us. Yeah, we probably are too old for this. But what the heck, see you next time.
Last night we met some very interesting people. People who were open and friendly and chatty! People who do interesting things, people who love the things they do. There was food, conversation, wine, beer and a presentation from the artist Richard Lang, who shared with us his circuitous route in his career as an artist, he and his wife Judith have spent years collaborating and creating amazing Art, as a printmakers, as an environmentalists, as an advocates for the ocean, working in poetry, paint, publishing and ultimately creating a wonderful life.
The evening was the brainchild of Anthony Sandberg and friends, he’s the founder of OCSC (which is a Sailing School and Club). Anthony is a man who obviously loves what he does, and he does alot, plus, he is addicted to “TEDTalks” The popular – Technology Education and Design conversations that invite amazing people to discuss great ideas.
Well it occurred to Anthony that he knew some amazing people who did amazing things too, so he thought, why not?
Start Your Own Salon!
So he did! And we are so glad he did because we attended our first Salon, last night to hear and become inspired by Richard Lang. Since my daughter is an artist I have always been intrigued about how artists make their way in this culture. We are wired to go to school, learn a profession and make a living. Artists don’t have that kind of career ladder. Art is…well it’s Art and it is sometimes interpreted as not really essential, and even a luxury. As Anthony says, ” In our culture, art is too often marginalized as the “fun” part of life, only pursed when the “hard work” is done”. But in order to have a fulfilling life, creative insight and thinking is an essential element. Everyone can be creative in their work, no matter what they do.
There Are No Small Parts Only Small Actors!
You have probably heard “There are no small parts, only small actors”! To me, that always meant, Everything you do should be done with your whole heart in mind! No matter what job you have, do it with the thought of doing your best work. It makes such a difference, and changes your attitude. I learned that lesson when I got my first job at Frontier Village Amusement Park in San Jose. I was a cashier, no big deal, but we dressed in cowboy hats and jean skirts with little scarves around our necks. I remember thinking, “I love this! They pay me to be here!” It was at that moment that I realized, I had to do work I love and I had to do my best.
I’ll bet you have met people who simply do a job. You know, show up, put in the hours and go home. Waiting or life to get better. They wait.
So Richard Lang showed showed us some of his work, told us how he went from sculptor to painter, printmaker, and writer, and shares some life lessons through poetry. He showed us pictures of him at Burning Man as the Poetry Jukebox and how he & Judith collect trash from Kehoe Beach in Point Reyes. Instead of throwing it away, he and Judith wash and separate by color and kind and then make Art! Their work, From Kehoe to Cavallo: THE MYSTERY IN THE MESS will be on exhibit at Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito.
So How Do You Become A Successful Artist?
One lesson Richard advocated was to stop judging and worrying about if you are good. For instance, he said “If you keep wondering if your writing is good. Always worrying. Stop writing.”
He made it easy to see how his career evolved overtime, how his wife and he collaborate to do their best works and come up with great ideas. Richard, left us with one thought,
Do Something You Love And Do It Every Day!
It was an evening of inspiration, friendship, and music. Just like Anthony said!
The other day the fabulous Miss Shirl and I were out walking when we came across three fellows working their gluteus maximi off. All they had was one piece of equipment in the park -- basically a glorified pull-up bar -- and some rubber bands, but man were they getting a great workout. It reminded me that if you really want to stay in shape all you need is the desire and a bit of imagination.
Every once in a while we become overwhelmed by our circumstances. That overwhelming feeling of despair may be caused by events that you can’t seem to control. Maybe your life is not working out the way you planned or you think you should be more successful or richer, or happier. You may be facing some challenges that seem out of your control. We all have moments, days, even weeks where we feel down about where we are and where we want to be. So to help get through those nasty moments, here are six steps you can do to take control back and create a better future for yourself.
