New Year, New Me

Anyone that knows me knows that I don't make new years resolutions. I set goals but I don't see a point in waiting for the new year. I can procrastinate but when I want to change something about myself or my habits, the time to start is right when I get the idea. Kudos to those who wait for the new year.

This past month has been busy with the flu and everyone around me getting sick. I have taken the month to really reflect on what I want for myself. These last couple of  years, I have really lost myself in the hustle and bustle of life. I woke up, went to work, got home, ate went to bed. Repeat. I set time aside for me, which was mostly me crafting for someone else. Don't get me wrong, I still love to craft and I love gifting more than anything in the world.

I spent my life trying to make everyone around me happy that I really just lost my own happiness. That isn't anyone's fault except mine. It is important to take time for yourself. You should take care of yourself. I have always told others that you need to make sure that you are taken care of before you take care of anyone else. What good are you to someone if you still have needs that are unmet?

Well, I didn't take my advice until just recently.

January was a month of reflection and setting goals. I want to concentrate on my health. I'm not in a bad way but there are things I want/need to improve.

• Vitamins- I have been low an a good amount of my vitamins (D, B6, B12, A and another one that I can't remember). My iron is finally out of the red zone, but the rest still need a lot of help. So, I went and bought almost a year's supply (300) Women's Daily Multi-vitamins. I am on Day three of taking them. I don't feel much different but I'm sure I will soon.
• Drink more water! These last few months I have mostly been drinking Dr. Pepper. It is my vice and although I still want to have some every now and then (because it is my vice) I need want to consume my weight, in ounces, of water, every day. Dr. Pepper should be a treat (like when the dear husband and I go out to eat)
• Consume less sugar!  Outside of Dr. Pepper I don't really consume sugar. I have my thin mints that I get into after a long, really rough day at work but I'm more into the salty things than the sweet. Getting (almost) rid of Dr. Pepper will help with this. Also, the dear husband is diabetic so we have cut down a lot. 
• Eat more fruits and veggies!  I am a fruit and veggie fiend. I got away from it because the dear husband is a carnivore through and through. He doesn't eat veggies or fruits, usually and I haven't been able to eat through an entire bag of apples before they go bad. We are working on this.
• Exercise! I walk to work, every day. That is about 20 minutes of casual walking 5 days a week. Then I walk at work but it isn't enough. I want to get rid of my belly. Doc says it isn't anything out of the normal because your insides make it to where you won't have a completely flat belly. But, I need to get in more of a routine than just walking. So, today, I started the 30 Day Abs challenge. I also want to follow some dance work out videos because the Ab challenge is only about 5-10 minutes. 

I have played with the idea of joining a gym but my fear is that I don't know what half of the machines do or how to work them. Treadmills, I won't do, I get enough walking in and when the snow melts, I will try my hand at running. I'm thinking a couch to marathon type deal, that way I don't tear my meniscus again.  I would love to be able to run a 5k!

These are my goals and I am going to try and post updates, every week, jut to keep me accountable. 

Never fear, crafting things are on the way! We are not going to be doing just fitness. Also, with eating right, comes new recipes!

What are some of your favorite ways to stay fit?

I would love to hear what you think! Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Remember you are Beautiful and well loved.

Food to fight the Cold

I found this picture, today. It is not mine, but I did want to post it on the blog because it has something to do with Raynaud's Syndrome. I never really thought about foods that could actually help your body to keep it's temperature. I always drank hot chocolate because it is hot (duh). No matter what I put it in, it keeps my hands warm. When I sip it, it warms my core.

I have read that ginger can help people who have Fibromyalgia. It is something that my mother has and I was trying to help her find some home remedies so that she wouldn't have to take medicines. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not a fan of pills, so I try to do things in a somewhat natural way. I do understand that sometimes, medicine helps. I didn't even consider the fact that ginger might help people who have Raynaud's. After all, ginger helps to improve your body's circulation.

Also, I am anemic. I have low iron, among a bunch of other vitamins and minerals that my body seems to be missing. I thought that it was interesting to learn that iron can help your body contain up to 30% of it's heat. Unfortunately, I cannot take iron supplements and my doctor has said that I could eat nothing but meat, spinach, multigrains and other iron rich foods; but I would still have low iron. I have been anemic since I was six or seven years old. I remember my first encounter with Raynaud's around that time too.

My family and I were living in Gulfport, Mississippi. It snowed for the first time and my dad took my brother and I outside to build a snowman, with all of the snow that was in our yard. We went out and bought gloves, but even with the gloves, my hands hurt. They turned interesting colors, I thought I had frost bite. I was crying and my dad didn't know what to do, except to take me inside, start the fireplace and have me roast my hands by the flames. Needless to say, I still have yet to build a snowman, and I still have yet to have decent levels of iron.

With this new knowledge, I am going to try and find other remedies that could help control the symptoms.

Feel free to comment below, if you have any thoughts, questions or comments. I would love to hear from you.

Do not forget, you are beautiful, inside and out!

Raynaud's Syndrome

I was diagnosed with Raynaud's Syndrome, a bit over a year ago. Sadly, I am just now starting to look into it and what I can do to help. I think that I am going to start writing about my findings, so that if any of you (my beautiful readers) have Ray's you can maybe learn and provide some insight. If you do not have Ray's that's still great! I think that it is good to know about it, especially if you know someone with it.

Raynaud's (ray-NODES) Syndrome/Disease, also known as Ray's, is a disorder of the small blood vessels that reduces blood flow. My doctor explained it to me like this: In the normal body, when your body experiences cold, the blood vessels open up so that more blood can reach the entire body. People who have Ray's, instead of dilating, the blood vessels shrink. This keeps a lot of the blood from reaching the extremities (hands and feet) which can really hurt. Typically, the fingers change colors (blueish-gray, purple or blue), the color really varies from person to person, when exposed to cold temperatures and turn red when they start to warm up.

There are two kinds of Rays: Primary and Secondary. Primary Raynaud's is the most common and is not associated with other medical conditions such as scleroderma, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Primary Raynaud's has no known or apparent cause and isn't disabling. However,it still can cause a lot of pain and discomfort.

It is not known whether Raynaud's is hereditary. Also, there is no known cure. The most that can be done is to try and control the symptoms and be in the least amount of discomfort as possible.

People with Ray's are often said to have cold hands all of the time. I know that when I greet people at church, I usually get some comment about the temperature of my hands. Even the little old ladies say my hands are freezing. I used to avoid shaking hands but I find that their hands are warmer and it feels nice. Ha!

Those who do not have Ray's have a difficult time understanding, exactly what goes on. My family used to, and I think sometimes do, think that I complained to much about my hands hurting when they were cold. To me, it feels like I am getting frostbite, just by grabbing some chicken from the freezer. My husband, God bless him,has gotten so much better at dealing with my Raynaud's. He is quick to remind me to put my gloves on before I get something frozen, or he will get it for me. He is also, very concerned about my hands when the car hasn't warmed up yet or I decide that I want to go for a short walk in the winter. We are still trying to figure out ways to keep my hands from hurting. Especially since I have yet to build a snowman.

So, join me, on an adventure of my own, and learn more about Raynaud's whether you have it, know someone who has it, or are just curious. Raynaud's affects 5-10 percent of the population.

Not to worry, I will still post about all of my other adventures and the little things in life that make me smile. But, Raynaud's Syndrome, has made itself a part of my life. Thank you!

Remember that you are beautiful.

scleroderma (also known as systemic sclerosis), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) and rheumatoid arthritis - See more at: http://www.raynauds.org/frequently-asked-questions/#sthash.qChrArpg.dpuf

scleroderma (also known as systemic sclerosis), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) and rheumatoid arthritis - See more at: http://www.raynauds.org/frequently-asked-questions/#sthash.qChrArpg.dpuf

scleroderma (also known as systemic sclerosis), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) and rheumatoid arthritis - See more at: http://www.raynauds.org/frequently-asked-questions/#sthash.qChrArpg.dpuf

Wait, weight!

We live in a sad age where beauty has been defined by the shape, tone and texture of our bodies. The internet is the bane of true beauty. With all of our magazines, celebrities, shows like "America's Next Top Model" and "Biggest Loser", we all see beauty as something we are not. As a woman, I can say that I never feel beautiful because even at 125 pounds, I'm not thin enough. I have rosacea, which means I am in a perpetual state of blushing and dry skin. My hands aren't soft because I work hard and develop callouses. My skin is only slightly darker than snow but it isn't tan. I've tried and I look like a cherry for a day or two and then go back to being my bleached-skin self.

At 125 pounds, I don't feel beautiful. I'm in a war that I can't win with my body because my brain says I'm not thin enough, when I go to put on the swimsuit, but it also says that I'm back to dancing on the line between healthy weight and being underweight.

As a wife, I know that men don't escape the lens of beauty. I don't know how many times I have heard "I'm not toned enough", "I wish I had abs", "I need to lose weight". Thanks to American Eagle and other stores where  thin, toned, tan males are plastered on the walls in beyond life-size potriats, males can see themselves as less than what they are because the magnifying glass shows them what they aren't.

So, what do we do, ladies and gentlemen? We fall into the pit of despair and become victims of the diet and fitness scams. Don't get me wrong, eating healthy and staying active is a good thing, but all good things should be done in moderation.  Food becomes our center focus. Young men and women starve themselves when starving only breeds starvation. Or, we eat and make ourselves sick. Or, we just eat.

In high school, I ate one meal every other day. This means that I had 3-4 meals a week. I was busy with working and going to school, but we all are busy. 3-4 meals a week is no bueno!

More recently, I have been losing weight like that one strange episode of Dr. Who where the little adipose dudes just walk off your body and run around town. Weird. In January, I weighed 140 pounds. Now, I weight anywhere between 120 and 125. I wasn't conerned about my weight loss until one of my co-workers mentioned it. Then my husband mentioned it and his mom said something as well. I got the whole "You need to eat more" speech, nearly every day, from someone. I know they have the best of intentions, so I looked it up.

Several websites told me that the best way to gain weight is to eat more and do less.

Huh...obviously these people have never met me. I'm not a health nut but I eat at least two meals a day, do yoga every other morning, clean my house and work 20-40 hours a week. Added up, that is...roughly 30-50 hours of activity, a week. There are only 168 hours in a week. I sleep about six to seven hours a night. So, let's say 50 hours of sleep. That leaves roughly 68 hours open. I take walks, go for rides, play with my dog, go grocery shopping...basically, I don't sit still!

So, I asked my Aunt and my Dad who are both very dear to me and happen to know a little something about the body and medical stuff. They gave me the best advice ever! I will share it with you. Ready? Here it is:

Wait!

Yep, that's right hold off on looking at those numbers! As I have said before, we live in a society that no matter what we look like we will never be able to reach the media's definition of beauty. Men and women both have poor body image and that links to depression and stress which does less for you and can wreak havoc on your body (not always in the way you want it to). So, don't look at the numbers on the scale, instead, here is what you do:

1. Tell yourself that you are beautiful.
2. Respect yourself. 
 You wouldn't throw garbage at someone you love (unless you are my husband and I who throw straw wrappers at each other). You wouldn't throw a pail of grease or sticky, icky, gooey stuff at someone you love. Don't throw it at yourself. Eat well. Don't eat when you aren't hungry and don't stuff yourself. Put good things into your body (veggies, meats, fruits, bread...)Remember the food pyramid?
3. Be as active as you want to be. You don't have to go run marathons every day but you also don't have to be a couch potato. Go for a walk, even for five minutes.
4. Enjoy life.

When your body (including your mind) takes in all of the good things (food, nature, things you enjoy) you will start to feel good. When you start to feel good, you can see yourself (and others) in a new and better way.

5. Don't look at the numbers.

Bottom line, eat balanced meals (healthy, some say), be as active as you want and enjoy all the things that life has to offer.  You are beautiful! Yes, those American Eagle models and Victoria Secret Angels are beautiful too. BUT! They are individuals, unique in their own way (looks included). AND! Just because they weigh less than a penny doesn't mean that they are living a healthy lifestyle.

Healthy is only one part of what being beautiful means. Beautiful isn't any number or set of numbers.

Beautiful...

I want you to look at that word again. See what I see. The word has nine letters but only one of them is repeated.

beautiful

U