Winter tips for health and happiness

While the calendar still says fall, winter is settling in here in the Northwest. The days are shorter, the nights dark and long, and it's starting to get very cold by Northwest standards. Staying healthy and happy this time of year can get a little trickier as we all spend more time in closer indoor quarters. The weather, the light, and all that togetherness can affect us both physically and emotionally.

A murder of crows in a backyard tree

Since I'm often asked how I stay sane and sated, here's a look at my philosophy and a sample of my own practices for the long winter months.

Sustenance: Eat chocolate. I have a sliver of organic dark Theo chocolate every day, usually after dinner. I'm a firm believer that what we put in our bodies has an impact on how we view the world around us, and a little bit of chocolate makes me happy. By some standards, I may eat too much, but at about an ounce a day, I'm not going to worry about it. That said, I eat whole, fresh and largely organic foods and avoid most of the packaged stuff. I'm not afraid of butter, oils and cream, at least in smallish quantities. But too much sugar or fake food and I'm sluggish and depressed.

Hydration. Coffee with cream is a weakness, but I feel better if I drink more water each day. I don't buy bottled water; I've seen too much washed-up plastic on beaches and I don't trust the packagers to do any more than filter the tap, while fighting to privatize water when fresh clean stuff should be everyone's right. Filtered water from my own tap in a reusable bottle works just fine for me, or I'll make a pot of herbal tea when I need to warm up. If extra hydration is needed, coconut water offers up good nutritional value and electrolytes, and doesn't add unhealthy sugars.

Move more: While eating less and moving more is always a good idea, these are much harder for me this time of year, with moving more the hardest. A recently acquired FitBit has me tracking my steps, though, so I aim for no less than the requisite 10,000 a day to maintain some semblance of fitness. This may mean a walk at lunch, or, if I'm a few thousand steps short at the end of the day, running in place on my rebounder (the mini trampoline that lives in my dining room). I've yet to make the gym a habit but I intend to change that this winter. And when I need an inspirational lift, I plug in my Zune (yes, I'm one of the few who have one), and do some form of aerobic dance movements in my living room to old Motown. (Yes, I dance like no one's watching, and I really hope they aren't...)

Move less: Getting enough sleep is essential, and the amount needed varies by person. The suggested amount usually hovers at no less than 6 hours per person, and I am wont to get this. Yet, life looks so much rosier when I do so I continue to make the effort. Recent reports suggest it's OK to break it up into 3 or 4 hours here, another 3 or 4 hours there, with just a few hours in between. If only I had all those hours to make that work! When I boot the cat from the bedroom, I'm more likely to get my sleep. A soft heart and warm bed makes for sometimes sleepless nights.

Shilshole Marina before a storm

Get out: I'm less likely to venture out when I'm cold, especially once I'm tucked inside the house, comfortable and warm. And, I know that being in nature is good for my mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, so out I go... not always, but sometimes. To the marina, the beach, around the neighborhood... When I'm at the beach, I'm always in awe when I remember there's an entire big city behind me, and all I can see is an expansive horizon. This feeds my spirit and opens my mind and heart. I'm especially fond of these places during winter months, and at night, when there aren't many people there.

Get social: At one time a full-on extrovert, I am adopting more introverted ways as I age, so I can be just as comfortable at home as in a social environment. But research shows that a solid social circle can extend life, and therefore, I suspect, it can figuratively shorten the winters. I am content with my own company and books, magazines, and the Intranet are my friends, yet I'll admit that nothing compares to shared experience with my partner or a sister, connecting minds and hearts, enjoying a laugh. So making the effort to socialize has multiple benefits.

Get inspired: As a kid, reading opened me up to whole new worlds, and while I spend far less time with books now, a good winter tale can make even the shortest day of the year seem ... well, too short. Who inspires you? What intrigues you? Reading about people and things can spark the imagination, replenish your soul, and fill a void with ideas and dreams. I have so many books waiting to be read that I can't begin to list them, but I'm sure there's one in every genre. Or close.

Find light: Long nights coupled with gray Northwest skies can get the better of me now and then. Full spectrum bulbs and regular Vitamin D3 supplements go a long way to brighter days. Most of us who live with limited natural light need to supplement; while Vitamin D3 really doesn't have side effects, it's still a good idea to have your blood levels checked first. And... as mentioned earlier, getting outside at any opportunity, even in low light, is better than not at all. I'll admit to a penchant for Christmas lights; my pagan heart likes the light and festivity and their cheerfulness make December much more bearable.  
And lastly, there's gratitude. I think that's how all my posts close these days. I have endless things to be grateful for, and when life looks gray and grim, well, I can remind myself of all that's good in my world, and almost everything gets easier.

I believe every one of these contribute to a healthy, vibrant immune system, as well as my overall happiness. I'll also give a shout-out to being germ friendly; our love affair with anti-bacterial everything does us more harm than good, And even when I couldn't afford it, I'd find a way for a semi-regular massage. I'm convinced it keeps me both sane and sated, in every way.  

Nothing like a little health scare...

... to catch my attention. It might still be a scare. I don't know yet. When I got the results of my last blood test, I had a bit of a surprise.

Food yet to be.... I am also grateful
for my grandfather's garden as a child.
He taught me to love fresh vegetables.

I have exercised and eaten well for most of my life (although I cringe to think of the Vienna sausages, margarine, Crisco, nacho cheese Doritos, Top Ramen and fast-food burgers of my early years). I made a big change in my mid-20s, though, when I made the connection between food and health. So whether by design or by luck, I've stayed pretty healthy and at a good-for-me weight. And at mid-life, that's no small feat, really, especially given my family genetics. But my recent blood work showed slightly high cholesterol (the kind that isn't supposed to be high) and elevated liver enzymes.

I think I know why my cholesterol is high. I'm barely moving. I sit all day at work. I haven't exercised - much - over the last two years or so. The first year due to... well, not sure why; the last, due to injury from trying to do too much too soon. I've gained some weight. I'm sluggish.

The liver enzymes sent me spinning. With any luck, the high numbers are a fluke and related to the two glasses of wine I'd had the Saturday night before my Thursday morning blood draw. Since I so rarely drink now, the guy at the supplement store said it's possible. Still, I couldn't help but flash back to all the years I over-consumed: the self-abusive teen years, the early 20s backslide, the early 30s divorce, a couple of single years, and then trying to keep up with my hard-drinking social circle until about 40, when I finally had enough. Chances are, any damage from those years would have shown up sooner (thank god for teenage resilience), so right now I'm just counting my blessings and trusting that maybe I have a higher purpose and that all will be well.

What this did, though, was got me moving again, in a much bigger, consistent way. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've exercised since my late teens (despite countless bad habits to counter-weight the benefit in those earlier years), but stopped running - my exercise of choice since anxiety kicked in at 32 - in late December, 2009, when I lost my resistance to cold temperatures and couldn't make myself leave the house for much of anything but work. I did, however, continue to go to the climbing gym pretty regularly til June, 2012. Good for strength and balance, but not for maintaining general fitness or keeping off the weight from a mostly sedentary lifestyle. In 2010, 2011 and the beginning of 2012, I dabbled in exercise doing things like Zumba, marina walks, and 'dancing' in my living room aerobic-style to Motown, alt rock, post-punk and some 70's classics (I sure hope nobody can see through my curtains) - but nothing consistent to maintain an acceptable level of fitness.

In June 2012, I decided to start running again - slowly, just a run / walk routine. But I quickly added in some stair climbing from the beach to upper Golden Gardens park, and damned if it wasn't too much too soon. An injury sidelined me. Despite joining a gym in November, it's been nearly a year since I've done any kind of consistent exercise.

Now I'm in physical therapy for what I thought was plantar fasciitis but appears to be more hip and glute related due to sitting too much. My calves are insanely tight, and my poor feet aren't able to handle the burden. I am now on a regimen back to health: a run / walk program, heinous glute strengthening exercises called 'fire hydrants', and a variety of other stretches and toning exercises. It seems to be helping - my body feels better and I have more energy, but the real test will be the next blood draw. I don't have the genes to be a slacker. I just don't and I know this.

I do have other things in my favor. When I read about liver health, I give myself points for these:

Black beans, brown rice, avocado
and a dollop of sour cream (all
organic) - a typical weeknight dinner.

• My daily diet is better than most. I love kefir and yogurt, I've always loved vegetables, and I don't eat a ton of fruit or meat - and when I do, it's likely organic and, in the case of meat, grass-fed. My morning cereal is gluten free and my naturopath says the amount of soy I use in tea and over cereal is nothing to worry about. Black beans are a favorite, and I've given up white rice for brown. I don't eat junk food, or rarely, and nothing with high fructose corn syrup goes in my body. Ever. I am a label reader. And I avoid aspartame and sugar and white flour and rice (mostly - sushi being an exception, although I prefer sashimi), and attempt to be GMO-free. I admit I indulge in Theo organic dark chocolate every single day, and I do like tea and coffee for their caffeinated impact. I've started making a green juice every few days. And I finally found a Kombucha I like (GT's raw, organic gingerade - yum!). 
• My supplements are the result of previous blood draws - I take only what my blood work shows I need - D3, DHEA, cod liver oil, cal/mag and a thyroid boost. And the only drugs I take are allergy meds.
• Most of my personal products are nearly toxin-free, with organic ingredients when they're available. I use soaps, shampoos, cosmetics (except mascara), lotions, potions and household cleaners and detergents that are free of the most egregious additives. I do get my hair colored. I'm not a complete purist; I'm not interested in looking my age (although my "real age" according to my biometrics is 38 - that I can live with!) and I want to always look my best. But I also want to age well and stay healthy.

So the piece that's missing was vigorous exercise and while I'm not there yet, I'm getting there. I have left my personal little pity party that kicked in with the injury behind and I'm about six weeks into my new plan and so far, so good.

Now I'm crossing my fingers, saying a few prayers and asking for grace that my next blood tests come back within normal range. My mantra: I'm healthy in every way. I'll keep you posted.

Feet to the fire: Time to get moving again

I have now publicly committed to being a LifeWise of Washington ambassador with a promise to help model the way - with 29 other ambassadors, all at various fitness and activity levels - to a healthy lifestyle.

I stopped running for the most part in December of '09 when the temperatures hit freezing and I got too cold. And for whatever reason, I never got back into it with any consistency. I sit at my desk for work all day every day, and often go home at night and sit and do more computer-related tasks.

While I have made fitness a big part of my adult life, I've had a hard time getting going again. Up until last June, I was still going to the climbing gym (about twice a week), but other than the occasional walk, I wasn't doing much else between that December and spring, 2012.

So I got moving around Easter last year with Zumba, a little running, more walking and some Golden Gardens stairclimbing, only to end up on the sidelines by mid-summer with plantar fasciitis. Tight calves, hamstrings and hip flexors, as well as hips that could use more strength, all contributed. I've always stretched a lot when I'm exercising, but I really suck at it when I'm not. And I never developed a love affair with yoga. My lack of flexibility makes it frustrating and uncomfortable.

I think being part of this program will help get me back on track - keeping me focused on my goals and reminding me to at least do something. Even if that something is soaking and massaging my feet every night, and maybe just a few good stretches. Oh, and maybe a few pushups, a pull-up or two, and a little bit of core work. I can do this! Everything I do with a focus on healing will contribute to getting me back up and literally running again. Which is what I want. Really I do. So why is it so hard?

I am so ready for a physical outlet - I feel better physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually when I am moving, particularly when I'm outdoors. And I believe it absolutely when I say that we're really all we have, and we are our own health plans. Whether or not we have insurance. Sure, stuff can happen no matter what - I certainly don't mean to imply that it can't, but we at least have some control around managing our health, and I'd rather be proactive than just wait-and-see. My health isn't something I want to leave to chance.

So here's the blog post I wrote for LifeWise, which puts my intention out there for everyone to see.