Sunday Snippets #7
Black and White thinking, a 103-year old practicing physician, Cindy's Sober Summer Update, bone density and more!
I have been told by family members that I have a tendency (aka a habit) to see things as either black or white. As soon as this tendency was described to me, I couldn’t NOT see it! 🫣 I’m very grateful that this predisposition of mine was pointed out so that I can be on red alert when it sneaks into my way of thinking. 🙅♀️
With that being said, my first two snippets may seem diametrically opposed but with my black and white glasses tossed aside 👓, I can now see the value of both approaches to living a healthy life.
If you ask 103-year old Dr. Gladys McGarey how she has managed to live a long, happy and vibrant life, she will not point you to a fitness tracker, glucose monitor or gym membership. But rather she will talk to you about finding your unique purpose that feeds your soul. Her wisdom will inspire you to reflect on your own purpose, face life's challenges with resilience and make the most of the years ahead. Click here to listen to her speak to Dr. Chatterjee about her amazing life.
Here is where I enter the grey zone and suggest a food tracking device called My Net Diary. The Black and White thinking side of me says that tracking is bad and that you should pay attention to your body and notice when you are full. However, I know from years of health coaching that MANY people find this to be really hard. If used properly, tracking tools are a great way to educate yourself on the calories and nutritional makeup of many foods. It’s worth a try. However, if tracking feels stressful or restrictive to you then I say, “ditch it”.
One more tracking system that I think is really cool is called Polar Habits. It can be really helpful to pay close attention to your habits so that you can see them clearly and tracking may help. Once you can clearly see your habits, then you can start working with them. I love the approach of Polar Habits 🐻❄️ because they are all about building lasting habits without feeling the guilt of broken streaks. If you have a habit that you are working on, check it out!
Let’s pivot to bone density, shall we? 🩻☠ My collar bone is on the mend by the way and I’m very grateful that I am back to running, my exercises classes and many of the activities that I enjoy. Here is a gift link to a wonderful New York Times article that goes into great detail on ways to keep your bones healthy as you age. (especially for woman) For those of you in my exercise classes, you are already doing MANY of the suggested exercises, which include jumping, lifting weights, moving in many directions and squatting. For those of you who have not jumped on this band wagon yet, it’s never too late! ⏰💪🏻
Last but not least, The Sober Cindy Update. 🍷 In a nutshell, so far, so good. I have not missed alcohol and have noticed several things. As expected, my energy level is higher during the evenings. In the past, a glass of alcohol with a meal or out with friends would lead to a drowsy Cindy 😴 by the end of the evening and that has not been the case. 👏🏻 On the other hand, I did expect to have better sleep without alcohol but that has NOT happened. 🙁 That being said, I have been able to tease out the culprit and I think it’s stress. It’s always something, right? 🤷♀️
Let me leave you with a fun article titled, “What food product came out the year that you were born?” I’m a Sprite! 🥤 What about you?
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Really enjoy the Snippets! Keep them coming!
I love the Sunday Snippets. Short sweet, to the point ,and always a learning experience.