While I like to have fun with health, I take health topics very seriously. By seriously, I mean that I use research-based medical science to answer questions and as the foundation of the blogs I write. And, when someone asks me a question, I believe that a timely and factual response is what is required - nothing laughable about that, for sure.
Lately, I have been getting emails with links to all kinds of serious articles from sites where lots of women and teen girls get info. The article topics range from cardiac to incontinence, from menopause to sexual dysfunction and cancers of all kinds. For teens, there are articles on periods, puberty and weight. While immensely helpful, there is no humor there for me, for sure!
Based on current events, right now, I feel a need to lighten it up a bit, for myself as well as for others. There is only good to come from a good belly laugh. To do that, I’ve decided to play the health version of fun with phonics. Well, sort of, since I’ve never found phonics that humorous. Enough with that, here we go, my version of FUN WITH HEALTH!
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” ~Proverbs 17:22
1) Dancing: Dancing with the Stars. Yep, every season we see larger women loose weight while moving, shaking, sliding and kicking to some of the best music with some majorly buff dancing professionals. It is hard work, but the result is a slimmer body and doing something that most have never done. Not only do they tone, but also they usually express the satisfaction of having accomplished something difficult and challenging. There are many ways to enjoy dancing and music movement even if you are not on Dancing with the Stars. The latest craze of Zumba seems to be everywhere. Just Google it and you can find classes in just about any city. Zumba offers music and movement, then toning and weight loss. Can’t beat that!
2) Finding Humor in a Frustrating Situation: Best quote I have heard lately was when Paula Deen was entertaining Oprah and Gayle (note my use of first names, as I feel like I know them both) at her lake home. They each hitched themselves into a bungee jumping machine and had a blast. Paula mentioned that she wet herself from the jumping. Then she said something like this to Oprah: My definition of multitasking is farting and then peeing at the same time. (I think that is close to what she said.) I laughed because, I can identify with that. In fact, Oprah, Paula and I laughed so hard that I think Paula wasn’t going to be the only wet one!
3) Fun with Fitness and Friends: Getting active with friends is always a joy, especially when it involves moving and talking and then celebrating the event. For example, there is golf, tennis, soccer, softball, swimming and skiing, which bring everyone outside and together. Love that. My personal favorites are: swimming and walking on the beach with family or friends.
4) The “Joy of Cooking”: Why is this fun? Because, I love to try new recipes and enjoy the preparation process. Also, I am a believer that eating well is a very important aspect of our lives. By well I mean eating nutritionally sound foods, like fruits and vegetables, low fat protein choices like poultry or lean meats, and grains that include barley, buckwheat and couscous. Then, find a great recipe (check out HomeRearedChef’s blog for some unique suggestions) and create using well-selected seasonings. Lastly, turn the ingredients into succulent meals that can be shared with friends and family or enjoyed just by your self.
5) Growing Your Own: This part is dedicated to SunBonnetSmart and to my husband. Both like to have gardens that bring healthy, homegrown bounty into the house. This not only takes knowledge, but energy and movement. You have to till the land, water and cultivate. Outside gardens require weeding and ongoing maintenance. Also, there is joy to be had from the beautiful flowers and bushes that enhance any yard space. There must be fitness when sweating, bending and lifting (all using good body mechanics) happen.
What is fun for you with fitness?? Any laughs or joy lately when it comes to health??
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Creativity, Art, Poetry and Good Health
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“Like the expressive arts therapies, the arts in healthcare movement recognizes the arts, creativity, and imagination as agents of wellness and their consistent and central presence throughout history as healing practices.” Patients who are involved with the arts require less pain medications, better compliance with treatments, and even, stay in the hospital fewer days. Along with that, art in the hospital environment improves the appearance and decrease the stress levels of both the patients and the caregivers.
After reading the Psychology Today article, I Googled creativity and healthcare and came across a myriad of articles from online health focused sites, as well as publications and books for healthcare professionals touting the benefits to health of creative activities. We know that children get a boost to self-esteem when their teacher and parents compliment their art. For adults it is the same. Another aspect of creativity, for some, is the social benefit of sharing what they have produced.
Love when I get to experience my blogging friends’ creative beings. Along with the discipline of creating interesting reads, they share compelling stories about their daily lives, their history and what they have created. I have used my imagination and sat in fragrant and lovely gardens that my friends have grown. Others have shared day and night photos of a fresh new snowfall. That, with their words, has driven me to hot tea and a warm sweater, despite the lack of freezing temperatures in my home city. Another aspect of creativity that really impacts me positively, are the beautiful photos of the culinary creations that HomeRearedChef and others post. I also like travel stories, home stories, narrative prose, student/teacher experiences, the angst of daily exercising laments and humorous reading about the challenge of working from home when you have children diverting your attention, while still fitting in roller derby queen preparations. There is no doubt that after reading most posts, I am more relaxed and connected, all impacting me in a healthy way.
Now my turn to share: I have a friend, Barbara Brenton, whose art I absolutely love. She describes herself this way: I am an experimental painter and like to incorporate both traditional and non-traditional materials into my work. Ideas for my art come from visual experiences from the external world around me. I then take those ideas and experiment with abstraction and all forms of media, materials, and color combinations to create a work of art that becomes my own. When I look at her art, my mind gets swept up into the colors, the composition and the unique aspects of how she uses the familiar to create the abstract.
Last year, Barbara asked me to create a poem describing her art, as part of an exhibit highlighting her works. I did. Last week, I did the same thing for an exhibit that took place in Bonita Springs, Florida. Would you believe that there is a name for that called: ekphrasis. Yep, that is my newest art form. Below is one of the paintings that Barbara created for last week’s exhibit and my poem that accompanied it. Note that the overall theme was "monochromatic collage".
ONE RED SQUARE AMONGST THE WHITE
One lone dissenter
Standing amongst the throngs.
Waiting for something to happen
Lots of rights, yet many wrongs.
Doesn’t have to be political
Nor self-righteous indignation
But quietly making the point
Without gross exaggeration.
Red Square stands there as my hero.
While all others look so white
Not many do what square has done.
The red sun in the light.
What else do I think about
when looking at this creation?
My mind goes in many ways.
From structure to elation.
It makes me think of bravery.
Then takes me to a wild flower
Its red beauty stands out bright and bold.
In the midst of a lively white shower.
When I focus on the white design
The red isn’t as pronounced.
Its almost as if it stands apart
As a guest whose not yet announced.
Again I take another look.
And see some puzzle parts
Not together but placed quite close
It reminds me of dancing hearts.
There is gauze and cloth and mesh and board.
And indistinguishable additions.
Is it a pirate’s map to a treasure chest
That leads to some search expeditions.
All in all, I love to look,
As Red Square is so engaging.
It takes me away, then brings me back.
And leaves me staring at its white staging.
Honored I was asked to write this poem.
To express what I think when I stare.
To gaze at fine art and study it hard.
I thank you for the chance to share.
I am not saying that the poem was the greatest poetry ever (I still like Edgar Allen Poe far better), but I had fun studying the art and letting my mind be engulfed by it. Also, at the end of the reading, I invited other attendees to share their interpretation and a lively discussion followed. It turned into something far more than I expected and was totally enjoyable. The other participants treated me, as if I was their own personal poet laureate, which made me feel like I was one with the creatives there, but in a humble kind of way
Stress Incontinence and the Public Tinkling Incident
Just read that Marie and her brother, Donnie, were laughing so had on stage in Vegas that she peed her pants in front of the audience. From what I understand from media coverage about this, is that she wiped up the puddle, laughed more and went on with the performance. How many of us would be able to do this in our real everyday, non-showbiz, lives?? That is, when you are having a rip-roaring laugh in a public place and all of a sudden you feel a tinkle coming on, can’t stop it and it just flows, flows, and flows some more then you manage the wetness and move on. Would you laugh about it, cry about it, clean it up or what??
One aspect of this, other than admiring Marie for not running off the stage embarrassed, is that she could have avoided the public tinkling by wearing some kind of pad protection. While I have no idea why she has stress incontinence or whether she is being medically treated, I do know, pretty assuredly that it is stress incontinence since she was laughing hard when it happened. Also, bet it wasn’t her first time with stress incontinence. Though, it may have been her first time on stage for the world to experience it with her.
In March, 2011, I posted a blog titled, “I laughed until I Peed My Pants; Info about Stress Incontinence”. In the post, I offered the definition of stress incontinence provided by The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and that is:
“In this type, a woman leaks urine when she coughs, laughs, or sneezes. Leaks also can happen when a woman walks, runs, or exercises. A weakening of the tissues that support the bladder or the muscles of the urethra causes it. Stress incontinence is the most common type in younger women.”
http://www.blogher.com/i-laughed-until-i-peed-my-pants-info-about-stress-incontinence
Rather than repeat the information in the post, I am linking to it today, as it seems like a good time to revisit the information while writing further about this because Marie’s story is more than just a medical one. It is about self-esteem, composure and how to avoid an accident. There are tons of articles on women focused sites and on medical sites too about stress incontinence. There are medications to help, weight to loose, exercises to do, surgeries to consider and behaviors to modify. All in all, the most sensible way to manage the problem is multifaceted and personalized to the individual.
Marie, in many ways you are my hero on the topic. It happened, you addressed it and you moved back to the show. That is what I hope for every woman who deals with stress incontinence. But, along with that, is I hope you see your health care professional to better understand what is causing your stress incontinence and get a plan of care that works for you. In the meantime, I wish you many hearty laughs and the confidence and protection to not worry about it.
One aspect of this, other than admiring Marie for not running off the stage embarrassed, is that she could have avoided the public tinkling by wearing some kind of pad protection. While I have no idea why she has stress incontinence or whether she is being medically treated, I do know, pretty assuredly that it is stress incontinence since she was laughing hard when it happened. Also, bet it wasn’t her first time with stress incontinence. Though, it may have been her first time on stage for the world to experience it with her.
In March, 2011, I posted a blog titled, “I laughed until I Peed My Pants; Info about Stress Incontinence”. In the post, I offered the definition of stress incontinence provided by The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and that is:
“In this type, a woman leaks urine when she coughs, laughs, or sneezes. Leaks also can happen when a woman walks, runs, or exercises. A weakening of the tissues that support the bladder or the muscles of the urethra causes it. Stress incontinence is the most common type in younger women.”
http://www.blogher.com/i-laughed-until-i-peed-my-pants-info-about-stress-incontinence
Rather than repeat the information in the post, I am linking to it today, as it seems like a good time to revisit the information while writing further about this because Marie’s story is more than just a medical one. It is about self-esteem, composure and how to avoid an accident. There are tons of articles on women focused sites and on medical sites too about stress incontinence. There are medications to help, weight to loose, exercises to do, surgeries to consider and behaviors to modify. All in all, the most sensible way to manage the problem is multifaceted and personalized to the individual.
Marie, in many ways you are my hero on the topic. It happened, you addressed it and you moved back to the show. That is what I hope for every woman who deals with stress incontinence. But, along with that, is I hope you see your health care professional to better understand what is causing your stress incontinence and get a plan of care that works for you. In the meantime, I wish you many hearty laughs and the confidence and protection to not worry about it.
How to Avoid A Text Gone BAD!
Had a rough experience a few weeks ago about a text I wrote that was sent on to someone else though, I hadn’t intended that to happen. Within the text, I was being a bit critical of someone’s husband, who deserved it, due to some disruptive behavior he exhibited at a meeting I had attended. While I really wasn’t disrespectful, I did point out that it was too dramatic for the situation and I was hopeful that we could avoid that kind of thing in the future. Now, in looking back, it was true and was actually a bit nicer than it could have been. But the point is, the text went further than I would have preferred. Before you tell me to GROW UP, I know that I need to be careful with online communications and I usually am quite sensitive about what I put in writing. The message here is that despite the best of intentions, we really do need to abide by some self-saving guidelines when texting. Texting shouldn’t be a free-for-all dumping ground of every emotion that one feels at the moment and then expresses. NO. Because, even the most texperienced (my word) of us can get caught up in the moment and then regret what we texted.
While I am not a teen, many times I use the beinggirl.com website to make a point and to provide information about a topic. This time, I found an article, titled, “The Rules For Texting” that offers some aspects of texting watch-outs for even the most seasoned of us girls.
Below are a few of my favorites, as I like the way the rules are being articulated, along with the fact that it is sound information. There is a link at the bottom to the complete article.
• Nobody's grammar and spelling are perfect, but really bad grammar and sloppy spelling are like bad breath...it doesn't bother you but it bothers everyone else. (Despite my best efforts, sometimes my notes are really skink breath due to the errors. At times, I am shocked when I reread my text because of changes made by the auto-features that I didn’t notice. OY!)
• Keep it light. Texting is informal and fun. Keep your messages short and sweet. According to Verizon, anything over 160 characters should be an email. Bad news, invitations, and serious conversations should be reserved for face-to-face talks or actual phone conversations. (One thing I do, but will try to stop, is sometimes I send 3 texts consecutively, because I have superseded the number of characters. Oh well, another alteration to my texting self.)
• NEVER text and drive. Talking on the phone is bad enough. You won't know what hit you...or what you hit...if you're pounding out a message on your keyboard. (NO KIDDING!!)
http://www.beinggirl.com/article/rules-for-texting/?utm_source=blogger&utm_medium=nurseelaine&utm_content=link20120319&utm_campaign=comm_mgr
I am a real fan of using texts to communicate quickly and conveniently and for receiving rapid feedback. However, I really should curb this when doing any non-fun or business related communications. For photos and for immediate notifications, great, but for other things, perhaps an email might be best.
Would love to hear other stories of a text gone badly, as it would be reassuring to know that I am not the only renegade and now, reformed, texter. By the way, about the text regret I talked about, no one brought it up to me, even the guys wife!
While I am not a teen, many times I use the beinggirl.com website to make a point and to provide information about a topic. This time, I found an article, titled, “The Rules For Texting” that offers some aspects of texting watch-outs for even the most seasoned of us girls.
Below are a few of my favorites, as I like the way the rules are being articulated, along with the fact that it is sound information. There is a link at the bottom to the complete article.
• Nobody's grammar and spelling are perfect, but really bad grammar and sloppy spelling are like bad breath...it doesn't bother you but it bothers everyone else. (Despite my best efforts, sometimes my notes are really skink breath due to the errors. At times, I am shocked when I reread my text because of changes made by the auto-features that I didn’t notice. OY!)
• Keep it light. Texting is informal and fun. Keep your messages short and sweet. According to Verizon, anything over 160 characters should be an email. Bad news, invitations, and serious conversations should be reserved for face-to-face talks or actual phone conversations. (One thing I do, but will try to stop, is sometimes I send 3 texts consecutively, because I have superseded the number of characters. Oh well, another alteration to my texting self.)
• NEVER text and drive. Talking on the phone is bad enough. You won't know what hit you...or what you hit...if you're pounding out a message on your keyboard. (NO KIDDING!!)
http://www.beinggirl.com/article/rules-for-texting/?utm_source=blogger&utm_medium=nurseelaine&utm_content=link20120319&utm_campaign=comm_mgr
I am a real fan of using texts to communicate quickly and conveniently and for receiving rapid feedback. However, I really should curb this when doing any non-fun or business related communications. For photos and for immediate notifications, great, but for other things, perhaps an email might be best.
Would love to hear other stories of a text gone badly, as it would be reassuring to know that I am not the only renegade and now, reformed, texter. By the way, about the text regret I talked about, no one brought it up to me, even the guys wife!
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