My Out Of The Box!

By Wendy Joy


I was sitting on the beach reading under an umbrella when my 20 year old son came over and said that he was going to go on a jet ski.  My first words were "be careful...please don't go too fast".  But it was my next words that shocked even me...."I'm coming".   "Really?" was his reaction.  It was a happy "really?"  Maybe a surprised "really?".  But even though I was nervous and would have loved to sit for a couple of more hours, I went.  Something inside of me felt like I needed to do something "out of the box", something a little scary and thrilling and my feet just kept walking to the jet ski. What I didn't know was that I was going to remember this ride for the rest of my life.  I held on tight to my son, as he sat in front and led the way.  I was definitely screaming "be careful, go slow and omg!!!!",  but it was different than the way I was telling him when I was sitting on my beach chair.  This one was that of a much younger person being scared and having a blast at the same time.  Being able to hold onto my son and let him take me over the waves and slow down for me when I got too nervous was both heart pounding and exhilarating.   I felt like a kid again as the water pushed up from the ocean onto my face and I screamed with happiness.  That's just it....I wasn't just happy, I was screaming with happiness.  At one point I just held on tight and took in the moment silently as I held on....thinking "wow, I need to get off the beach chair more often".

No, this wasn't how we were jet skiing, but
the thrill I had was as if we were!!!

You may be a jet ski expert and go on daily rides with one foot on the seat and the other in the air behind you like a ballet dancer...but I am not.  There may be something that you would find to be out of the box that I do on an everyday basis.  The point is to try to do something, no matter how small, that makes us a little nervous and excited at the same time.  If I didn't go that day I wouldn't have this incredible memory with my son...not to mention that I look forward to doing it again soon.  But even if walking to the park alone and sitting on a bench and eating lunch is something you have never done....then do it.  Try a food that you have never eaten before, take a walk and have yogurt for dinner on a summer night instead of cooking.  Jump off a dock and take a dip in the ocean or lake (don't forget to scream out loud when you do it!), or jump off the high diving board at the pool, or as my friend did last year (jump out of a plane).

 I'm still not sure I need that kind of thrill, but she did and she loved it.  She happened to have done it with her son too.  It kind of puts my jet ski story to shame, but that was my thrill, my out of the box, my change, and I loved it. 

Now You Are Telling Me To Eat Two Meals A Day?

Hi Ladies,
One of my friends just told me about an article that he read about how many times a day we should eat.  He said that this "expert" said that we should eat only two meals a day.  I had to address this because I totally disagree!
I think that if we only had two meals a day then we would be so hungry that we would definitely overeat at those meals.  Also, when you don't eat for hours I have always agreed with the fact that your metabolism starts to store fat because no food is coming down.  Your metabolism becomes sluggish.  If you don't eat breakfast your metabolism thinks that you are still sleeping and continues to store fat.  When you eat breakfast you kick-start your metabolism for the day.  You wake it up!  It starts to work in day mode and starts to do its job of burning fat!

Always start your day with a healthy breakfast!
Good Morning Metabolism.....start working!!!!!

 I believe in eating four to five smaller meals throughout the day.  You don't have to overeat at a meal because you are going to eat again in a few hours.  This way you are keeping your metabolism on its toes!  It has to work faster and harder.  I'm not saying that our meals are to consist of cake and cookies.  Eating the proper foods are also key to losing weight.  Protein is extremely important.  Protein keeps you feeling more satisfied which will easily get you to your next small meal.  Protein is also an important ingredient in building muscle.  It is extremely important to have toned muscles because besides looking good muscle burns more calories than fat.  So the more muscle you have the more fat you will efficiently burn throughout the day!  Muscle makes your body a more efficient "Fat Burning Machine."
 Try to limit your carbohydrate intake.  Try to limit processed sugar.  These things are a negative when it comes to losing weight.

Always Use The Smaller Plate!

Remember, ladies, portion control is extremely important.






 Please don't listen to the latest fad diets.


                                                                              

                                                        

Fill up on fruits and veggies!
No one ever gained weight from eating too many blueberries!!!!

 Sensible eating is  the way to go.  Limit sugar, eat protein and exercise.  (and we don't have to  make ourselves crazy with the exercise......Stay tuned for easy and effective exercises!)

Remember...your metabolism has a job to do.  If you feed it less meals in a day than you are not letting it do its job.....so keep those meals coming but portion control is key....the meals should be small, often  
 ( every few hours),  and healthy!  I'm not saying no sweets (we are human.)  We know when we have gone too far with the treats!  Nobody loves chocolate more than me but I kind of know when I am eating just a little too much chocolate!

The Acai Berry

                                                                      
Every day, every cell in your body takes about 10.000 separate hits by free radicals, a leading factor in the onset of aging and degenerative disease.  In search of a defense against free radicals, scientists have focused intensely on the potent antioxidant capacity of berry extracts......especially the Acai berry, now considered an antioxidant powerhouse.
The ORAC  (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) test measures the ability of antioxidants to absorb free radicals.  Fruits and vegetables with a higher ORAC score (and richer color) have been shown to suppress free radicals far more effectively than lightly pigmented foods.  And the Acai berry tops the list with the highest score of all.

Acai has been shown to powerfully counteract the superoxide and peroxyl radicals, which are among the most destructive free radicals.  Its potent antioxidant properties and highly beneficial polyphenol profile give Acai the ablilty to combat cellular aging and oxidative damage.  And research reveals that Acai may be a major cancer fighter, a major cardiovascular protector, and beneficial to brain function (with potential for treatment of neurological disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease).      

Ladies........this is another important berry that we should add to our diet.  This is the perfect time of year to add these extremely healthy fruits that will keep us boomers forever young!


This article was taken from Life Extension - page 13.

Midnight In Paris

Hi Ladies,

Just a quick post.  Last night I saw "Midnight In Paris" written by Woody Allen.  It was great!  Just wanted to share with you.
 I have never been to Europe.  I hope to get there one day!  Woody Allen is of course genius.  In the beginning of the movie I felt like I was on a tour of Paris.  So beautiful!  I won't tell you details, I want you to be surprised.  The movie was so well done.  Owen Wilson plays the main character and he was amazing.  I could have sat there for another hour.  That is how enjoyable it was and such a great message!  Try to see it!!!

The End Of An Era

By Wendy Joy

The end of an era is something we think of on a grand scale.  It's something that has to do with our government, our times and any change that affects our society as a whole.  Together we get it.  Together we understand that the world as we knew it just changed, and we find comfort in one another so that we may stay strong, move on and adapt to our new surroundings. But what about the end of eras that go on in our own private lives.    Some endings are good, and some bad, but either way they require us to change.  For some it could be a move, a new career, or the end of a relationship.  Even the good endings can shake our core and make us feel unsteady on our feet....When my mom died it was the end of an era for my family and for myself.  Life as I knew it would never be the same and I was now a very different person.  As soon as she got sick, it was the end of an era but it was all happening so fast that I didn't realize it. Then when she died it was the end of an era again and nothing would ever be the same.  But slowly, I came back to life with the help of my family and friends and because as my mom used to say "time has a way of letting you heal".  I miss her everyday and I think of her everyday, but now her memory gives me strength. 

                                                                       
When my oldest son was leaving for college, I was prepared a year in advance.   I was hyper aware that there was another end of an era right around the corner.  I knew that in one year his kind hearted face was not going to be behind his bedroom door talking to ten friends on video chat on school nights.  I knew I could not walk in at 11:30 at night and say "please it's getting late......get ready for bed and I love you."  I knew I would no longer have all four of us under the same roof every night in what seemed like forever.  When they were young it felt like this would be my world forever....or at least for the next forty years.  College and the age 18 were for older kids....not mine.   But there it was staring at me in the face and I was setting the table for three instead of four.  I was going into his room at night and crying for a bit....remembering the year before and all the life that was happening in that space.   In actuality everything was great.  My son was in college at a school that he loved.  He was extremely happy and successful there and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.  This was the way it was supposed to be, but go tell that to my heart. 

In time I got used to our new set up like my sister said I would.  I got used to him coming home for vacations and talking and texting on the phone.  I got used to our new era and it's working just fine.  All is good.

                                                             

But as I sit here and write this I am sitting across the table  from my youngest son who is going to be a senior in high school next year.  He is studying for finals and looking on College Prowler to check out the schools he is interested in.  Together we are laughing, just hanging out and talking about something that just went on in school.....but in my heart I'm thinking "one more year and my baby will be off.  One more year and it will be another end of an era".  I am huge on enjoying the moment.  I never have to be told to enjoy the here and now.  I do. But go tell that to my heart. 

So as I begin to practice adjusting for the day that he too leaves for school and I begin the next era, I remember what my dad has posted on his wall in his office.

 "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." Darwin.