I've not been able to blog regularly for a few months now. A few major projects have come my way. My normal wardrobe of hats is plentiful enough, as I know it is with most moms. I'm usually able to somewhat juggle all of them. Recently a few of the hats I wear extended themselves into deeper projects. As I have been wrapping some of them up neatly into their respective hat boxes, my dh has told me no more new hats! He wants me to excel in my normal milliner's apparel. ;)
I don't know that I will be able to excel, but I do want to honor my husband's wishes. It means a lot to him and as I accomplish various tasks around the house, it translates into hugs of love to him. ;) In the meantime, how do I keep up with it all? That is probably the most asked question of the wearer of many hats. First and foremost, my time with God daily gives me a vision, a hope, and endurance. Also, looking after my health helps me to endure. After all, our bodies, being God's temple, needs to be maintained by God's provisions: healthy food, exercise and rest. Although I know this in my head, I am constantly having to regroup and apply myself to endurance to take care of myself. Last week I spent 5 hours in the emergency room and finally got home before midnight, with a bladder infection of all things. If only I had been drinking more liquids, I'm certain I could have avoided that trip. And I do have uneaten cranberries in the house! Now I have been enduring meds with side affects. I am hoping for a clean bill of health this week.
I am not a super woman who meticulously schedules healthy food and exercise time. I go in waves of success to wimping out. For me, the need for health maintenance takes on a new meaning, because I have Impaired Glucose Intolerance (pre-Diabetes). My mom is diabetic and can control things with her diet. Her father was an insulin dependent diabetic. I'm at high risk. Even now if I don't eat properly or at the right times, I get sick and irritable. Then exercise tends to wear me out more than energize me. But after a period of perseverance, I find that I gradually build strength and endurance. However, I tend to get so busy with the putting on of hats, that I neglect myself.
Last weekend, this article came into my e-mail inbox, from fitness expert, Denise Austin.
Start Moving, Stop Diabetes
If you are at risk for (or have) type 2 diabetes, here's some news that should get you moving! Researchers from Syracuse University say exercise is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of visceral fat stores in the body. High levels of visceral fat — more commonly known as abdominal fat — are directly linked to a decreased ability for your body to use insulin properly, leading to diabetes.
In the study, researchers divided 33 women with type 2 diabetes into three groups. One group simply dieted, the second ate their regular fare, but started walking and biking, and the third group did both. Those who dieted — or dieted and exercised — both lost about the same amount of weight after 14 weeks (around 10 pounds). Those who only exercised lost about 5 pounds. But what differed between the active and non-active groups was where the weight loss came from. Those who only dieted lost subcutaneous fat — the fat just below the skin — but not visceral fat. Those who exercised lost visceral fat, and those who did both, lost both!
This news was actually encouraging to me! It helps me to know why I need to do what I need to do! And yes, I do have abdominal fat. In the pictures of myself I look slender. But when I gain weight, it all goes to the tummy and hips. I was exercising before the infection hit, then I got sore and slowed down. I need to pick up the exercise pace slowly yet consistently. I can definitely feel the difference in my blood sugar levels when I do exericise!
As far as diet, I don't like what's considered "healthy" for the most part. I met with a dietician when I was first diagnosed and learned that packaged foods that say low fat or fat free can be a killer to a diabetic. When taking out the fat, flavor is reduced. So to reintroduce the flavor, packagers add salt and sugar. Ugh. As a result, I buy few prepared foods. I may opt for something high fat, like butter, instead of substitutes full of chemicals. However, I limit the butter use and I am actually using olive oil more. I don't grind whole wheat. (I don't have a grinder. This is a hat my dh does not want me to get; where would be the time? I don't even know where the nearest health food store is to buy whole wheat pastry flour, etc.) But I am dabbling in recipes, I try to start with what I know. We are all picky eaters in our family. I try to find really good recipes that are easy, healthy and full of flavor. I have found that by starting with where we are, we learn to like a little bit of healthy stuff, then I can add something new.
I thought to encourage myself, I might start posting some recipes now and then, of how I cook for us. There are lots of recipes I am dabbling with, but there are some winners we have found! I am mainly interested right now in time saving recipes....so I have time to put on hats! ;)
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• Feb. 25, 2008 - Great entry!
The other reason is just because I "know" Denise Austin's sister as one of my online friends. I know how much her sister loves what Denise is able to do for others, and that is just a blessing to me to read it from other sources. (Okay, maybe that makes no sense.) :'P
Glad you posted this. Glad to see you're back today. :')