Tips for the Calorie Conscious Baby Boomer

Eating Too Much?

Is overeating an issue for you?  Here are some tips that might help:

1.  Take smaller bites and chew your food more slowly. Take at least 20 minutes to consume a meal because that’s how long it takes for your body to give you the “I’ve had enough” message.  Taking longer to eat will make you feel as though you are actually eating more. 

 
2.  Sit down to eat.  If you stand or eat on the run, you are more likely to eat more food. Making it a point to sit down while eating will help you think about how much you are consuming.

 
3.  Change to smaller plates. You will feel as if you are eating more than if you put a small amount of food on a large plate.

 
4.  Drink a 12-ounce glass of water before eating.  It will take up room in your stomach and make you feel less hungry. Sometimes you are really thirsty rather than hungry. If the sensation of hunger comes on in an instant, it usually means you are thirsty.  Feelings of hunger generally come on more slowly.

 
5.  Wait 10 minutes before having a snack.  It will often make you realize you weren’t hungry at all.  Between meal snacks are often impulsive acts. 

 
6.  Keep the “right stuff” where you can see it.  Make foods such as fruits and vegetables readily available by keeping them in the front of the refrigerator.

 
7.  Avoid eating distractions.  If you find you are constantly eating too much food, then you may want to consider reducing distractions during your meal. A French study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (August 2001) reported that women who ate lunch while listening to a detective story consumed significantly more calories than when eating without distractions, even though their hunger level was the same. So the next time you sit down for lunch or dinner, turn off the phone, the television and any other distraction.

Boomer Health: To See or Not to See!

Aside from aging eyes, you might also find yourself suffering from eyestrain particularly if you spend a considerable amount of time in front of the computer. Long hours staring at a screen often cause us to forget to blink and replenish moisture to our eyes. 

 
Here are a couple of ways in which you can relieve eyestrain.

 
• Rub your hands together briskly for 10 seconds, generating heat. Close your eyes and place your palms over your eyes, resting the heels of your hands on your cheekbones and your fingertips on your forehead. Do not apply pressure.  Hold your hands in place for at least one minute while you relax your facial muscles and breathe deeply.  The deep breathing together with the warmth of your palms combines to relax the muscles around your eyes.

 
• Eye rolls.  Keeping your eyes open, roll them around in clockwise circles, then anti-clockwise circles.  Do each direction for about 15 or so rolls. Begin slowly and gradually increase your speed, ensuring that you roll your eyes in as wide a circle as you can.  This stretches and tones the eye muscles and increases blood circulation.

Have you Hit Midlife without Having Lived Your Passions?

This evening my husband and I went out for “date night”, something we do periodically just to go off and chat, particularly when both of us have been busy doing our own thing. We decided to try out a restaurant we had not been to before – Busboys and Poets.  Not only does it have good food, it is also a bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place. Even the menu makes for interesting reading.
The following poem (part of the menu) caught my attention. Many of the clients I work with have no idea what their passions are when we begin. Others have put aside their passions (dreams) for a variety of reasons. If you’re in that category, then perhaps this poem “speaks” to you.

A Dream Deferred

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore–
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over–
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

— Langston Hughes, African-American Poet

 
If you would like to discover/rediscover your passions, please visit my website (http://www.blueprints4change.com) or email me, evelin@blueprints4change.com. The Passion Test™ has been of tremendous benefit in helping so many individuals clarify what is truly important to them, make major changes and live more fulfilled lives.

Boomer Health: Concerned about Swine Flu?

With all the press about swine flu, I thought I’d share what I would take if it seemed I might be exposed. This natural remedy would, in fact, be excellent for any type of flu. May not be the tastiest concoction for some folks but would definitely give the flu bug a “run for its money”!

Enjoy!
The Master Tonic: A Natural Antibiotic

by Richard Schulze, University of Natural Healing
Based on a tonic by Dr. John Christopher

Raw unfiltered unbleached non-distilled apple cider vinegar
1 part fresh chopped garlic cloves
1 part fresh chopped white onion (or hottest onions)
1 part fresh grated ginger root
1 part fresh grated horseradish root
1 part fresh chopped cayenne peppers or the hottest peppers available, i.e. habanero, African Bird, or Scotch Bonnets, etc.

Fill a glass jar 3/4 of the way full with equal parts by volume (i.e. a cupful each) of the above fresh chopped and grated herbs. Then fill jar to the top with raw, unfiltered, unbleached, non-distilled apple cider vinegar. Close and shake vigorously and then top off the vinegar if necessary.

Shake at least once a day for two weeks, then filter the mixture through a clean piece of cotton (cheesecloth, old T-shirt, etc.), bottle and label. Make sure that when you make this tonic that you shake it every time you walk by it, a minimum of once per day. Remember that all the herbs and vegetables should be fresh (and organically grown if possible) and use dried herbs only in an emergency.

This tonic is extremely powerful because all the ingredients are fresh. Its power should not be underestimated.  It stimulates maximum blood circulation, while putting the best detoxifying herbs into the blood.

The dosage is 1/2 to 1 ounce, two or more times daily (1- 2 Tbs.). Gargle and swallow. (Don’t dilute with water.)

For ordinary infections, 1 dropper full taken 5-6 times a day will deal with most conditions. It can be used during pregnancies, is safe for children (use smaller doses) and as a food is completely non-toxic. Make up plenty as it does not need refrigeration and lasts indefinitely without any special storage conditions.

Ingredient properties:

– Garlic cloves (anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-parasitical)

– White Onion, or hottest onions available (similar properties to garlic)

– Ginger Root (increases circulation to the extremities)

– Horseradish Root (increases blood flow to the head)

– Cayenne Peppers, or the hottest peppers available – a great blood stimulant

– Probiotic – antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitical

All material is provided for informational or educational purposes only. Please consult a physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or condition.

Intuition Improves with Age … Hopefully!

I don’t know how many times I’ve had the “sense” that I need to do something – drive to work a different way, call a friend at a certain time, spontaneously buy an item that turns out to be the perfect gift, etc.  Often however, my logical brain gets in the way and I rationalize myself out of it.  How often have you done the same thing?

Last week I had an “out-of-the-blue” urge to call a friend, for no apparent reason.  Although I was extremely busy, I decided to pick up the phone and call anyway.  As it turned out, her father had just passed away (1/2-hour earlier) and she really needed to talk.  I was able to provide support at a time she needed someone most.

Listening to our intuition is also applicable in today’s fast-paced business world in which there is often a need for quick and accurate decisions.  Where there isn’t time to think it through, using your intuition can be a key component to making the right choice.  Instead of living “by the rules” and all the “shoulds” and “ought tos”, learning to trust and listen to our inner self, that knowingness (our intuition) can guide us every step of the way.

Here are a few tips to help you get more in touch with your inner guidance:

Practice Listening to your Intuition
Everyone receives intuitive information.  It’s a skill and the more you practice, the better you become. 

Slow Down and Relax
If you are relaxed and open to receiving valuable insights, they are more likely to happen. 

Is Your Path Clear?
Do you know what you want (rather than what you don’t want) and what it looks/feels like?  Being clear is the first step in creating it. 

What Excites You?
Passion and excitement about something are often intuitive messages. If a decision about a course of action leaves you feeling bored or drained, that’s a message saying “Don’t go there”. 

Go With Your Gut!
Instincts, gut-feelings such as “I knew I should have….”, or “I had this bitter taste in my mouth about…” are intuitive signals.  These clues can help you make decisions. 

Put it in Writing
Frame a question or an issue and then write down the thoughts or feelings that come to you.  Don’t analyze the thoughts; just put this “stream of consciousness” down on paper. 

To improve your intuitive ability, learn to make decisions on “little” information (or at least, less than other people need) and be comfortable in ambiguous situations. Life can become more interesting when you listen to your “sixth sense”.  Give it a go, you might be surprised!

On Being Human

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning is a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness
Some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome, and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows
Who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture.

Still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice. 
Go to the door laughing
And invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes
For each has been sent
As a guide from beyond.
— Rumi

Each day gives us a chance to start anew. We get to choose whether to learn from it or not; whether to embrace it and treat it as a gift or dismiss it in quiet desperation. What are you choosing?

Now that You’ve Hit Midlife, What are you Going to be When You Grow Up?

Sometimes you get forced into change through no fault of your own.  Although it is often scary, change can be an opportunity to finally do what you’ve always wanted, assuming you know what that is!  How can you make the most of the changes you’re going through?  How do you decide which changes will steer you in the right direction and which ones won’t? 

You do it by creating a stable, internal point of reference – a clear picture in your mind of what you need to feel satisfied. To feel in control and actually be in control, you need to make choices based on your inner direction. The choices of the past have brought you to where you are now. If where you are now is not satisfactory, you can make new choices.

If you could be anything you wanted to be, what would that be?

If you don’t know, start by thinking about where your greatest pleasure is.  Think about those times when you’ve been supremely happy, when you felt like you were your best self, when you felt “jazzed” and alive.  Those times when you’ve felt a deep sense of satisfaction. 

This may not be a quick exercise and it may not be easy but persevere. Make a list of 20 such experiences. Perhaps some of these were early on in your life.  These parts of you may have been lost or hidden as you made your way through life perhaps taking on many of the expectations of others.  Let these hidden gifts come out into the open and provide direction for positive change.

Which of these gifts would you like to use more fully in a new career?

Which ones do you need to express? 

Where might these be needed?

How do you want to act on them?

Great ideas come into the world as gently as doves. Perhaps then, if we listen attentively, we shall hear, amid the uproar of empires and nations, a faint flutter of wings, the gentle stirrings of life and hope.  Albert Camus

Exercise Tip for Baby Boomers: How to Avoid Shin Splints

I remember the first time shin splints paid me a visit!  It was my first morning in Sydney, Australia, after having just spent 24 hours on a plane flying in from Washington DC.  The air was crisp and clear, the harbor was sparkling in the sunshine and I was jogging excitedly in one of my favorite areas of the city.  It felt like I could run forever.  But then I started feeling a pain in my shins and before long I was hobbling back to the hotel.  If you’ve ever experienced shin splints, you know how that felt and what the next day was like!

What are shin splints? 
Shin splints involve small tears in the muscle fibers or connective tissue along the tibia (the inner/larger leg bone of the lower leg). The pain resides over a long area. (Note that pain in a specific place may indicate a stress fracture of the bone rather than shin splints.) Shin splints may result from an imbalance between the strong muscles in the back of the leg and the weak muscles in the front of the leg. If in doubt about the injury, consult a physician.

The following are some ways to help prevent shin splints or recover from them:

* Check your shoes. Shoes should have good arch support and overall cushioning. Replace running and walking shoes every 400 to 500 miles or every six to eight months.

* Walk on your heels. This exercise will help you to build muscle in the front part of your lower leg. Take long steps until your shins begin to burn. Gradually increase the length of the time you can walk this way without feeling the burn. Do this daily.

* Ice cups. Freeze water in a paper cup, peel back the top, and moisten the ice with water and rub over the injury. Do this for five to seven minutes/four to six times a day.

* Switch exercises. Choose a low-impact activity while you are healing.

* Change exercise surfaces. Run or walk on a soft but level surface. The shin splints should improve within two weeks.

You Are Unique

Think what a remarkable, unduplicatable, and miraculous thing it is to be you!  Of all the people who have come and gone on the earth, since the beginning of time, not ONE of them is like YOU!

No one who has ever lived or is to come has had your combination of abilities, talents, appearance, friends, acquaintances, burdens, sorrows and opportunities. No one’s hair grows exactly the way yours does. No one’s finger prints are like yours. No one has the same combination of secret inside jokes and family expressions that you know. The few people who laugh at all the same things you do, don’t sneeze the way you do. No one prays about exactly the same concerns as you do. No one is loved by the same combination of people that love you – NO ONE! No one before, no one to come.

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE!

Enjoy that uniqueness. You do not have to pretend in order to seem more like someone else. You weren’t meant to be like someone else.  You do not have to lie to conceal the parts of you that are not like what you see in anyone else. You were meant to be different. Nowhere ever in all of history will the same things be going on in anyone’s mind, soul and spirit as are going on in yours right now. If you did not exist, there would be a hole in creation, a gap in history, something missing from the plan for humankind.

Treasure your uniqueness. It is a gift given only to you. Enjoy it and share it!

No one can reach out to others in the same way that you can. No one can speak your words. No one can convey your meanings. No one can comfort with your kind of comfort. No one can bring your kind of understanding to another person. No one can be cheerful and lighthearted and joyous in your way. No one can smile your smile. No one else can bring the whole unique impact of you to another human being.

Share your uniqueness. Let it be free to flow out among your family and friends and people you meet in the rush and clutter of living wherever you are.  That gift of yourself was given you to enjoy and share. Give yourself away!  See it! Receive it! Let it tickle you! Let it inform you and nudge you and inspire you!

YOU ARE UNIQUE!

~Author Unknown~

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Are you interested in discovering your uniqueness?  Through coaching and with tools such as The Passion Test™, I can guide you through the process.  It’s an eye-opening and fun experience!  You can contact me via my website at http://www.blueprints4change.com

Sleepless in Boomer Land: What to Do?

When I was first asked to do some lectures on getting better sleep in order to be more productive, my first thought was “How many people are going to attend this?”  Did I get a surprise!  This turned out to be a popular topic, particularly for the more mature audiences.

If you’re a typical Baby Boomer, you may be finding that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get the amount of sleep that you need. This can be due to health issues, medications or as a normal part of aging. Not to mention the snoring of a spouse! 

As we age, the various sleep stages are affected. The deeper stages are reduced and replaced with more of the lighter stages of sleep.  In addition, sounds and interruptions are more likely to awaken us. Have you ever felt as if you could be awakened by a mouse tiptoeing through the room?  Another aspect is that sleep tends to be spread more across the 24-hour cycle rather than just at night.

What to do?

Here are some simple tips for getting a better night’s sleep:

Create a healthy sleep environment.
— Keep your bedroom for s** and sleeping.  Get rid of the piles of magazines and books, the treadmill, the TV and discussions about bills and other negative topics.
— Make sure your bedroom is well ventilated and at a comfortable temperature. The optimum temperature is 60-65 degrees F.
— Consider keeping pets out of the bedroom. Did you know that 21% of dogs snore!
— Hide the clock and the night light. Even a small amount of light will affect your body’s production of the sleep hormone.
— Use blackout curtains or blinds. If you can see your hand when you hold it up in front of your face, it isn’t dark enough.

Keep a regular sleep/wake schedule. Try not to vary it by more than one hour.
Be light-wise. Avoid excess light before bedtime but expose yourself to bright light within 5 minutes of waking.
Avoid stimulants (coffee, nicotine, colas) late in the day.
Don’t drink alcohol before bed. It may help you fall asleep but will wake you up later on when it’s being metabolized by the body.
Don’t exercise or eat heavily before bed.
Don’t nap after 3:00pm. It may undermine your nighttime rest.
 
Numerous studies have been done around the topic of whether we actually need less sleep as we age. A recent UK study seems to indicate that this is in fact the case. So if you’re sleeping less than 8 hours a night, it may just be a natural consequence of aging.