Enjoying Your Long Weekend

 

         This is really my motto.  You have to be fit enough to have fun in your life.  To enjoy going for a walk, going on vacation, to enjoy living.   This does not require a lot of work, just a little day to day thinking and moving.  If you make healthier choices during the week while you are eating, you can cheat a little on the weekend when you are out.  If you walk a little bit outside or on the treadmill, you don't have to worry so much about that beer and hamburger you are going to have this weekend at the family cookout.  

        On Memorial Day, we think about those that have gone before us and we think about the time we have spent with them.  We think about family picnics, going to baseball games, walking around the park, going to fairs and festivals, etc.  We don't think about sitting on the couch and watching TV.  What are people going to remember about you?  Will your legacy be that you had trouble doing things, moving and going places?  Or will it be that person really did what they wanted to do and enjoyed their life?  I am aiming for the last one.  

If you are not fit enough to enjoy your life you need to make a change...

      

Live Life

     Life is meant to be lived.  To get out there and eat, drink, laugh and love.  Going to festivals and fairs, walking around new cities and going to carnivals and picnics are some of the things my wife and I like to do.  However, you have to be fit enough to walk around them and enjoy them.  Every day, you need to go out for a walk, to keep in some kind of shape and to keep moving.  It's okay to eat a potato pancake or some ice cream, if you balance out the rest of the week by eating sensibly and more balanced.  During the week, eat three meals and include fruits, vegetables and nuts.  On the weekend, you can have a beer, or do more fun things.  You earned it, right?


Be in good enough shape to have fun.

Time To Get Fresh

     

     This picture may seem odd. It is most certainly a different combination of ingredients. I use these ingredients weekly as a base for making my "bean crap" as my wife calls it. I combine the beans, the Ro-Tel tomatoes and peppers, the onions, the olives, etc. I end up with a bowl of tasty beans that I eat as part of my lunch or dinner every day.
     Beans are good for your metabolism and blood sugar. The reason for this is that the soluble fiber in beans provides a long lasting source of energy, thanks to the complex carbohydrates and proteins available for your body to use. Since these macronutrients take longer for your body to break down, blood sugar levels remain stabilized. 
      I was just reading an article about food that looks like a specific body part being good for that body part.  They went on to say that walnuts are good for the brain, the inside of a carrot looks like an eye, celery stalks look like bones on x-ray, sweet potatoes look like your  pancreas, etc.  While interesting, it just reiterates something we already know.  Fruits and vegetables are good for you.  The more of them you eat, the fuller and the better you will feel.  Since we seem to have gone right past Spring into Summer, you should be thinking about watermelon and other melons, sweet corn, fresh salads and other produce.  My wife can't wait for the Farmer's Market to open because she absolutely loves supporting the local growers and getting the freshest selections. 
     Also, a reminder, to get up and go outside.  Take a walk, pull some weeds, sweep the sidewalks...whatever makes you move.  Don't forget the sunscreen.




Eat your fruits and vegetables...