Hey Everyone, Hope your spring is going wonderfully! Easter weekend in Seattle could not have been better. The weather was perfect and the sun was out late with the clear skies. What a treat!
I love my animals. I always have. All my life, animals have provided great comfort for me. They are unconditional in their love, always glad to see you, and always glad to go with you. Well at least the dogs are glad to go. Cats, not so much! Ha Ha!
Having a pet has been proven to reduce blood pressure. Older individuals live longer if they have a pet. Everybody needs something to love and unfortunately, in our busy everyday lives, families and friends are busy doing their own thing!
An interesting article appeared on NCB today: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30990170/ns/health-health_care/t/music-medicine-docs-use-tunes-treatment/#.UVtkMjfHz5M
This article tells of the healing effects of listening to music while recovering from surgery. I know I listened to Andree Bocelli until I wore out the CD after my mastectomy. I found it so comforting and energizing too. After I had listened for a full hour, I felt like getting up and being active. Does listening to music do that for you too? I would like to hear what readers think.
Is having pets and listening to music just our way of talking ourselves back to health? Does that matter? Does it matter the journey you take to recover as long as you do recover? I know that when I was stressed and feeling anxious, it was so hard to get relaxed. Cancer is one of the most fearful diseases I have ever encountered. At least when I was diagnosed with diabetes, there were things I could do to manage and control it. Cancer stops for no one except probably the surgeon’s knife. It fights the chemo, and it ignores the radiation as long as it can.
I also have been reading an interesting book called What Healthy People Know by Dr. Bob Gleeson, M.D. I read the book with interest. He talks about colorful fruits and veggies every day in your diet. So many of us have dieted all our lives, trying this one and that one. We now know that yo yo dieting is not good for health.
So what can you cook that is easy and healthy, and hopefully tastes good for meals? My Scandinavian background always included carbohydrates of potatoes or rice, and of course bread, at every meal. We didn’t have much rice, and as a kid I didn’t care for it. But the infamous potato was present everywhere.
Today scientists have proven that vegetables of color are the very best choices in our diet. Green and Red and orange peppers; broccoli and cauliflower, beets and cabbage, and don’t forget onions! Tonight I had a nice entree of onions and red/green cabbage sauteed in butter and olive oil. To go along with it, I chose a white fish baked 15 minutes at 325 degrees and a whole grain dinner roll. It was yummy!
Previously, I would have not chosen those things. Well, maybe I would have had the fish but twice as much. And I definitely would not have had cabbage anything. Funny though, now, I like that. Its good for me, tasty and it’s enough.
I am struggling with the exercise. Some days I just forget, but other days I get out and walk and walk. And now I think I will try taking my Ipod along and listening to music, at least out of one ear. You have to pay attention so you don’t get ran over on these streets! Do you have any tips for making exercise a priority? What do you do? Do you do a healthy reward for completing your activity? If so, what in particular (and no, I don’t mean a slice of chocolate cake!!).
Change doesn’t happen over night. I have had a lifetime of poor habits and they won’t leave all at once. But having a mastectomy is definitely a life event for motivation!
I hope its not to late.
Bonnie
