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The other night I went to a sushi cooking class at The Auckland Fish Market. It was a wonderful birthday present from a good friend.
I have always enjoyed sushi and bought into the ‘It’s gotta be good for you’ vibe.
Some lunchtimes I had dashed down to the local sushi bar and felt all virtuous for having chosen that over something fatty and cholestrol laden!
Is sushi good for you though?
The simple answer is, yes it is!
But like anything there is a proviso.
Moderation is a key (just like it always is) and the quality of the ingredients also play a role. Xcuse the pun.
Traditional sushi is low in calories, high in fibre, vitamins and the good old Omega 3 acids.
Sushi is a fun way to eat.
This week as I have made my own at home for taking to work I have found myself well satisfied for my lunch with 4 pieces. I have not gotten hungry in the between times.
It’s not hard to make really, you can improvise your heart out. Fresh lean ingredients………fish, chicken, squid. YUM.
I have lost weight, and saved money this week.
That’s gotta be good for you mentally and physically!
The important thing to remember when eating sushi is this, like all foods, when eaten in excess it is not very healthy. The fresh, nutritious ingredients are not calorie free, although they are low in calories.
Be weary of Westernised sushi…..not all sushi is equal or all sushi good for you just because it’s wrapped in seaweed!
Have fun. Go to a class.
Auckland Fish Market Seafood School
I don’t know about you but sometimes smaller works better.
Most workout/fitness programmes end up being at least 1 hour long. I have learned that when you exercise for 35 minutes plus you are into the zone that eats into fat reserves, and the available carbohydrates have been burned. Ultimately the 1 hour plus 3 times a week works for building muscle and fitness when combined with exercise that gets your heart going.
BUT………sometimes when you have worked all day, and getting to the 1 hour can just seem too much.
I am lucky and just live up the road from the gym. Lately I have been enjoying the ability to dash down to the gym and do a quick 30 – 40 minute workout just before it closes at 9pm. And I might do that 4-5 or more times a week.
I am figuring that this is better than nothing, and in the weekends I can do the full programme.
This works for me. And seems to be having the results I want. I had been working on a split workout that serates different muscle groups, so I just rotate it all.
ALSO I have an aversion to doing cardio in the gym. I would much rather be out in the air, on the road and pushing against the earth than a treadmill.
The good thing with this approach tpo working out is that in my head it doesn’t become so big that I don’t do it.
Of course it;s all about my ability to do this living so close, and making your exercise programme work for your unique situation is what its all about. If I had a training buddy then maybe the one hour thing wouldn’t be such a hurdle for me. But I work alone and small is good.
Blood circulation has to be something that is really important. Blood transfers nutrients and oxygen to all parts of our bodies, it also plays a role in eliminating used carbon dioxide, lactic acid and other waste materials. The ability and ease with which it delivers and removes waste/used materials must be pretty important.
Here are some simple foods and ideas that you can use to improve your circulation is a very natural way.
- Onion. This can improve the blood circulation level, as well as relax the muscles.
- Infusing rosemary leaves or flowers with red wine. (I like this one, especially in winter, like mulled wine)
- Cayenne, Ginger, and Garlic are some of the best defenses against poor blood circulation.
I love the fact that you can simply add this to your diet and know you are doing something for your circulation. I really like cayenne pepper, so I add it to a couple of meals a week, or put it in a shake. Nothing over the top but enough to be doing something good for me.
I like red wine so I can add some rosemary for fun.
There are so many other things and foods that help circulation. Massage, (lovely to give and to receive) exercise ( great release and time to talk) and some herbs.
Fun things that can lead to a getting well and staying well.
Simple if you want that. I sure do. Even chocolate is good for your heart!
Sometimes in this life, we can actually get so busy and pre-occupied with so many things we forget the contributions that different aspects of our lives can actually make to our health.
Our health is about far more than what goes into our mouths. That really is probably such a small part of the total picture. You can have the best eating habits in the world, exercise, and eating plans BUT have bad health related to emotional and mental aspects of your well being.
I am learning this. My goal is not only to eat more whole kinds of foods nutritionally BUT also to be more whole myself, to be more balanced.
Being a follower of Jesus, and so not to be preachy or opportunistic, I love this verse. ‘And Jesus increased in wisdom, and stature and in favour with God and man’. We are multidimensional beings, we are made that way. Being okay with the social world, ourselves and our spirituality, is about balance.
Health can get hyper focused on certain micro aspects and miss the whole. That’s my journey this year, to look at my insides and find things that are not doing me any good at all. Untrue perceptions of myself and others, tracing negative stuff in me and replacing it with the new truth where needed. I do not think that positivism works when it is just empty words, for me I have to look deep and identify stuff, where it came from, deal to it and replace it when I understand it (if I can).
That takes time and silence, and these are not commodities we always seek out in this noisy, full and fast world.
It also takes a willingness to let it get a bit messy at times, looking into or back at painful and paraletic stuff inside us is not something we like to do, even if we are aware of the effects on our whole health. AND emotional wellbeing definitely has an impact on our physical health. If fact we hate it so much we do our best to avoid it, we become skilled at it.
I thought here I would include so pictures here to represent some things I have done lately to work towards a more complete view of health. I would like to write more about this aspect of ‘whole health’ as it is my journey.
STOP LOOK and SEE
We all know the saying stop and smell the flowers, well this is a different aspect. We get so busy going from a-b, stop and watch things, pull over, and just look at that sunset, or that father playing with his kids………become an observer of life.
ENJOY friendships and often look back at what you have done, said or felt, look at photos, and share what you love about them and value.
In looking back on positive friendships we can shape what we want the future to be like and filled with.
RECONNECT. Make time to connect with old friends, and share in whats happening in their lives, their dreams and aspirations.
Ask the questions and listen…….
This takes time………and is more precious than time maybe in front of a TV. (tho we need that chill time too).
GET SUNSHINE, find spaces to breathe, beyond exercise, find the sun and the sky, and feel the earth beneath your feet.
Kiwis are notorious it seems in USA for wearing bare feet. Fortunately that don’t make us primitive. Let your feet feel the earth.
FINALLY…..go out to something
This concert was a gift from my daughter, I had never heard them, but now I will NEVER forget them. Go out, listen to something different, take a risk, open yourself up to smiling. I smiled and had watery eyes all thru this concert, of Saints & Sinners in Whangarei last night
Our health is about much much more than what we put into our bodies, and I wanted to provide a different perspective here.
And if I may I will add to it as I explore this in my own life.
Liking your insides, and having a healthy inside is very important. I like the feeling and the good it is doing me, my family, my relationships and my world exploring this. I am working towards balance. The most important person you can have genuinely like you is yourself.
Are you like me and have by design, default, life’s path or your personal camoflage gear ended up telling yourself so many lies about yourself, and living life like a cover up job, and not really being true to who you want to be?.
I having a suspicion living under cover is not good for you.
Try some of the things above and let me know what happens. Aren’t journeys exciting!
Some wisdom for the new year from my favourite cowboy
‘Some people prefer old problems rather than new solutions.’
I can be very guilty of that.
Mental health means breaking into new ground, and sometimes that takes courage.
2010 is shaping up to be a year of courage………..
Ahhhh the silly season is just about over and a new year is ahead, my new motto is “I will win in 2010″, win what you say? Win over bad habits, create new (good) habits, set new goals towards optimum health. Research has proven that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Habits are an essential part of our life, without them we would fail in most things we try to accomplish. As Dr. Andrew Weil says, anything you do with repetition and emotion will become your reality. If you’re not satisfied with your current experience, examine your habits.
Athletes know all too well how important it is to stick to habits, especially in training. But most people struggle with their day to day practice of habits and if you are one of them fear no more. You too can change your bad habits into a good one, just take 21 days and you will be well on your way to become a changed person.
The 21 day habit practice
(I didn’t write it but it is a good guide to follow)
- First of all, you will need to be clear on your intentions. Do you really want to play the violin? or was this wish merely conceived when your best friend showed you their instrument.
- Once you are absolute certain you want to follow through with this, here is what you do. First write down your intentions. It is important you use positive affirmations to write these goals.
- It helps if you can identify your why. Why do you want to play the violin, lose weight, run a marathon, etc. The bigger your conviction, the easier it will be be for you to make the transition.
- Create diversions to help you stay on track. If there is a specific weakness you battle that stops you from progressing and practicing every day, try to find ways to distract you from the negativity. It will help to keep you on track. Total honesty with yourself goes a long way here.
- Celebrate each step, regardless how tiny it is. You need all the help you can get to keep motivated. It also helps to enlist the support of friends or family members. People who can motivate you to keep on going.
- Stay clear of negative people. There will be those who try to sabotage you. This doesn’t even have to be intentional. It could evolve from a negative statement aimed at you, or even a deep rooted belief you had since you can remember. Any trigger that could bring this out should be avoided.
Above all be “thankful” to yourself each day that you made it another day! Positive affirmation is essential to your motivation………..
Q
I found this great little article/website, so thought I would share it.
http://www.scchiropractic.com/
I have been busy with the silly season and I am kinda glad that my head is in the right space according to this.
Yes the silly season has arrived and I ain’t got no money, and you know what, I am hilariously happy. When I see everyone out and about flooding The Warehouse getting prezzies, there is a certain amount of gladness that not being flush don’t mean you cant give.
AND in all this I so damm well know that compared to most of the world I am fabulously wealthy. I am so blessed.
So for Christmas all my loved ones will be getting home made mint sauce from my garden and other creative stuff from my own hand.
Far more satisfying in fact, I feel like a revolutionary conspirator knowing I am not on the consumer band wagon, sucked in by advertising and the desire to make money.
So folks that’s my space at the moment.
I have recently updated theBlindPoet.com .
Also I have redesigned QGDesignz.com
I would love you to take a look and let me know what you think, and while you are at it check out my book. Blind Man’s Bluff Vol 1
On the health front, try not to beat yourself up. This is a crazy time of the year for exercise and food. Cut yourself some slack.
Even making choices not to eat certain things or less of them are steps in the right direction and victories.
Me I have have eaten too much chocolate lately……BUT I can stop and I can say no and not open my mouth.
With the business its hard to keep exercising too, but you can get back to it…………I am lucky it is summer in MNew Zealand but up North in America its winter.
Get onto those dumbells or the exercycle.
I hope to write more soon, if I don’t catch you I hope you all have an awesome Christmas, with real mint sauce!
And after all the eating and drinking is done, we just manage it all again and work back.
Relax and enjoy being ahuman.
I had been noticing lately that my shoulders had been getting a bit sore. I had been working out at the gym 4 times a week and reasonably intensely. My goal at the gym is not to be muscle bound BUT to have my muscles working for me as part of increasing my metabolic rate. Muscle burns energy that if it wasn’t there would be stored as fat. An over simplification perhaps, but that’s generally how it works.
Back to the shoulders anyway.
I have cut back on my workouts, time wise, and going to aim for 3 times per week.
The shoulder thing was also due to me doing some exercises wrongly. Well not really, I was doing them how I have seen them done for 20 plus years…………….but yes wrongly because as we understand more about our bodies, muscles and training, the way we do exercises is changing. I was over extending my shoulder and benefit could be gained from the exercise with 3/4 of the movement.
Sometimes we forget that knowledge is changing across so many areas and disciplines, and we keep on doing the same old same old.
I owe a lot of thanks to my gym instructors and Donelle my trainer for helping me see this. There is also a bit of me in there. I realised I was not enjoying going to the gym and it was becoming a drag after starting out as a joy…………my goals were threatened by this change. So I asked for help and initiated some changes. You have to listen to your body and hold on to your goals and be willing to change. I am glad I did. My muscle mas is up one percent, and its good muscle, so the software says, which means its being feed good protein. Keep at it guys.
This week is my second week of eating only raw vegetables. each day I have fresh vegetable salads some from my garden and some from the whatevers the best deal section of the supermarket. Broccoli has been real cheap lately, and asparagus. So into a salad they go, with a bit of balsmaic and home made yoghurt.I am loving eating like this. sometimes I just slice my portion of meat, (palm sized) into the salad, stir it up and off we go.
Yeah, eating good don’t always mean you ain’t gona struggle with the issues life throws at you emotionally, I confess to being human and a little down lately……..thinking back it’s a Christmas thing for me, BUT healthwise, I feel great, I have energy, zing and i feel dangerous. LOl
Sure managing raw onion and friendships may be a challenge, but I read a bout some natural breath fresheners/disguises the other day which I will dig up for another post.
Green is good, raw is good, I am good. ( I keep up my BarleyLife daily too) I am ready for the beach, and walking the rock pools treasure hunting.
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