Are Blue Jeans a Good Gauge of How Trim We Are?

Old blue jeans that we’ve had for years will have shrunk. So if we can fit into them decades later, we should feel pretty good about that, right? Yes. Maintaining the same weight through the years is desirable but not always easy. It’s a struggle for most of us.

I started wearing tight blue denim so long ago, I hate to admit the year. But let’s just say that I loved denim then and I love it now. Especially the new stretchy denim that’s been popular these past few years. With that fabric, we can all look good in blue jeans, right? Right.

Tight jeans are like corsets for the lower half of our body. And if we can squeeze into them, they fit, right? It’s not good for us to wear clothes so tight it cuts off our blood circulation but in my book, if I can wiggle myself into an old pair of “jeans” life is good.

Suellen Ocean is the author of many books on diverse topics. Her books are available here: http://www.amazon.com/Suellen-Ocean/e/B001KC7Z78

The Link Between Depression and Inflammation

I get this dark aura over my head sometimes, when I am about to take a second helping of food. Sometimes it’s another bowl of whole wheat pasta or another handful of nuts. It doesn’t happen all the time but throughout the years it has happened enough times to make me curious. The curiosity ended when I went ahead and had that second helping and the next day, that dark aura surrounded me. I was a little “down.” So, I took note and sure enough, the cause and effect happened again and again. Now, I may know the answer to my body’s warning. Dr. Marlynn Wei was on the radio today, talking about people with depression and how they have 30-40% more markers for inflammation. White flour, white sugar, fried foods, etc. cause inflammation. Just like another bowl of ice cream might lead to chubby cheeks, a second helping of some foods and a first helping of many others just might lead to a gloomy day.

Suellen Ocean is the author of many books on diverse topics. Her books are available here:  http://www.amazon.com/Suellen-Ocean/e/B001KC7Z78

Fitness and Exercise… Ever Wonder Why Your Body Doesn’t Trim?

I just finished a short session of lifting five-pound weights. I have a little routine where I dance around, kick my legs up, lean backward (hoping to tighten my core) and raise and stretch the weights over my head. Feels good. I also have my own moderate yoga routine and I hike quite a bit. The five-pound weight lifting does an excellent job of keeping my upper body strong, I also feel it in my face muscles. But the only easy way to trim my legs is on my bicycle. Why doesn’t hiking, yoga and leg lifts do the trick? If I’m active in a variety of ways, wouldn’t you think those muscles would trim just like my calves? Why in the world do I need muscles that I don’t use? What can I do that will use those muscles, particularly the inside thigh? Obviously we used to be frog-like. I’m not kidding. They swim, climb on rocks and hop around. If you look at their outstretched bodies, their arms and legs and little round tummy, resemble humans so much, science teachers have seventh graders dissecting them.

Swimming is great for exercise and trimming up, but who has a pool? I don’t. Now that my kind has evolved to terrestrial living, I’ll have to make do. But it would behoove me to remember that my ancestors, millions of years ago, might have been more like frogs. When I dance around the living room trying to trim up the easy way, I must be more frog like. Lunges and squats. Think that will do it?  Suellen Ocean is the author of many books on diverse topics. Her books are available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Suellen-Ocean/e/B001KC7Z78

Dieting Is Painful This Time of Year… Let’s Eat Pie

This time of year our self-control gets put to the test. Believe me, I know. I’ve got a box of Sees candy in the fridge given to me as a gift. If I open it, all hell will break loose. I’m the one who went through two boxes of Tofutti Cuties in about four days. I bought them for some teenagers who were coming to visit but didn’t show up. If you haven’t tried non-dairy ice cream sandwiches, you are missing out. But I can’t do that all the time. But I can still enjoy desserts, one of my favorites is pumpkin pie. In the summer I grow lots of pumpkins but you can buy pumpkin in the can and still make a nice pie. Where I save on calories is in the crust. What crust? That’s what I should say but hey… it works. I take a glass pie pan and sprinkle the bottom with about 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour. That’s it. I pour my pumpkin pie mixture into the pie pan, over the flour and I bake the pie. It’s really good. I keep the filling ingredients low calorie too. It makes a wonderful dessert, especially with a hot cup of tea. Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Jonnys-Cookbook-Suellen-Ocean/dp/0965114031

eBook or computer download through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260122

eBook through Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-jonnys-cookbook-suellen-ocean/1102338251?ean=2940016618609

 

Don’t Be Fooled by Coconut Oil… It’s a Saturated Fat… Like Cream

Coconut oil is everywhere these days, including natural foods stores. It’s popular with food manufacturers because it offers a non-dairy alternative for vegans and it has a better resistance to spoilage, NOT because it’s low fat. Coconut oil is an extremely saturated fat, like cream. If you wish to avoid saturated fats, watch out for Macadamia nuts because they are roasted in coconut oil, which is probably why people always say, “They’re so fattening!” Coconut oil is fabulous in shampoo and for dry skin but be careful, just because you find it in a “health food store,” doesn’t mean it’s the correct food for you to ingest.  Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Jonnys-Cookbook-Suellen-Ocean/dp/0965114031

eBook or computer download through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260122

eBook through Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-jonnys-cookbook-suellen-ocean/1102338251?ean=2940016618609

Weight Loss… Am I Missing Something?

I suspect my family suffers from the problem of being full but not feeling it. Unfortunately, that makes us want to keep eating. I suspect though that what my body is telling me is not to eat MORE but to get some activity going in my intestines. Foods like hot peppers stimulate digestion and good ‘ol old fashioned unfiltered organic apple juice will get something goin’ on. When we deprive our bodies of enzymes, found in fresh raw fruits and vegetables, we aren’t as happening as we should be. I don’t know about you but I’m pretty sure one of the key to keeping pounds down is listening wisely to your body as it cries, “Give me something to do.” Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here:

Paperback:

https://www.createspace.com/4282927

eBook or computer download through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260122

eBook through Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004PGO2EA/ref=nrn_si_text

eBook through Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-jonnys-cookbook-suellen-ocean/1102338251?ean=2940016618609