January 21, 2008

A Conversation With One

Conversation normally requires at least two people. However, sometimes the "other one" is in our heads. Okay, the other one is in MY head. Maybe most people don't have another "voice" carrying on a conversation with them like I do.

My "one" can sometimes be my voice of reason telling me to limit what I'm putting in my mouth to healthy small quantities of dark chocolate kisses and fresh hot buttered bread. It warns me when I've had enough Merlot or Chardonnay to drink. My "other one" tells me to listen to my body and ask questions like, "Am I really hungry or thirsty"?

Currently, I am reading a book with which you may be familiar, YOU: On A Diet (Roizen, M.D. & Oz, M.D., Free Press, 2006). There is a lot of information about the internal workings of our bodies that I find very interesting. Some terms and names of internal parts we never knew existed are a little tricky to remember. So, if you read this book, you might want to take notes. I wish I had thought of that sooner. The authors do a fairly nice job, however, of dumbing the content down so us regular brains can comprehend the gist of what is being taught. It even has nifty little cartoon-type drawings to illustrate our complicated inner parts.

Last week I had the dreaded colonoscopy test along with an EGD done here at our local hospital. The results of my tests revealed some "things" that had been making my upper and lower GI tract upset for quite some time. This book that I'm reading explained a whole lot about why we have stomach aches and intestinal problems. Mostly it boils down to what we are putting in our mouths and how much of it we allow to continue going down our gullet.

God created a mean lean machine and some of us are gumming up the works with all the junky fast food we put in our bodies. According to Roizen and Oz, I might have avoided 2 polyps if I had eaten more fruits and vegetables. What? You mean French fries and ketchup doesn't qualify as vegetables? Yeah, and gummy bears are not fruit.

Over the past couple of months, I visited my general M.D. complaining about my stomach. She put me on Nexium (the little purple pill) with no refills until I did those nasty tests. Then, she took me off of dairy products. Leaving off the dairy really wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, and besides there is a pill for the lactose intolerant of us. I can drink Silk (soy milk) on my cereal and Coffee-Mate is non-dairy so my coffee taste the same. Even Starbucks mixes up a nice grande decaf Latte with soy milk that tastes as good as the real stuff. The Nexium just helps tame all the other inflammatory foods battling it out in my stomach and upper GI tract.

Now, all that bad food going into our GI tract isn't the only thing to blame for our stomach unrest. There is also stress. Roizen and Oz calls our small intestines our other brain. They say, "How you feel influences how you eat, and how you eat influences how you feel...Ultimately, when you're caught in a cycle of feeling bad and eating worse, you'll create a chemical stress response in your body--one that is handled by your...fat." So, don't stress! Easy for me to say since I'm retired, ugh?

Well, that is what is going on with me these days. Trying to get my body, mind and eating habits under control. The next book I'm going to read is written by the same guys, YOU: Staying Young." I'll let you know how these books turn out.

So, listen to your other voice when you're hungry. Have a conversation about whether or not you should have another slice of pizza or glass of red wine. You might hear it say, "Step away from the table, Sis! You're about to tip the scales!"

Hope all of you are having a very happy start to 2008.

January 11, 2008

A Thankful Heart, Not a Complaining Mouth

The Lord has blessed me. Of that I am sure. Advantages, while not luxurious, abound in my life and have indeed enhanced my life. My family has for generations slept warmly beneath sheltering rooftops, consumed food from their labors, experienced minimal financial angst, and reveled in the love of many. Yes, God has surely heard our prayers and seen fit to provide for us. There have been periods of sadness or trial, but those were times of growth and learning. The word thankful doesn’t say enough for the grace shown to me in times of weakness.

May God continue to shower His grace on me, a sinner. I complain too much and act too little. My motives, while good at the core, become a challenge when obstacles block the way. Questions of why are asked and the good act now becomes an issue of trust. Thoughtless gossip of those in authority exude from my mouth with satisfaction. What a rotten person I am! God have mercy on my soul that I may learn to tame my tongue and trust that all things work for good to those that love the Lord. Should a ministry be worthy of your grace, please bless my participation in it and sanction it with the approval of your shepherds on earth.

Thank God for his mercy and for prayer that allows me to ask forgiveness for my selfish acts. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son to die on the cross for our sins. May I be selfless and understand the reasons the Lord causes me to wait for things I desire. May I see the wait as a time to reflect on my motives and not an obstacle put in my way by humans that want control of me. I know that all things come from God to those that wait. Perhaps I will see what it is I should do with my talents and desires to help others. God will grant me permission for what I want to do if my heart is right and it fits into His plan.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalms 27:14

January 7, 2008

Happy, Get Well, New Year, 2008!

I am a week late getting this post up, but I have an excuse. I've been sick. I spent the last week in my pajamas, coughing, and achy with a cold or flu. I can't tell the difference. Saturday before the year ended, I started to have an itchy, sore throat. Friday night Kim and I went to a wedding rehearsal dinner and I could tell I was coming down with something. My throat was really beginning to hurt. Saturday I tried to take it easy at home and that evening we went to the wedding where we sang. The weather had turned chilly and windy, plus being out in that damp air didn't help. By Sunday my voice was gone and I could only speak a whisper. I'm sure my husband loved that, but I wasn't really feeling all that bad. So, I kept with my schedule of activities. By Monday morning, I was coughing, chilled, my head felt full. I was sick. But we were going out that evening to celebrate New Year's Eve. We had reservations at a local community theater with friends and this was going to be a lot of fun. I wasn't going to stay home on New Year's Eve. So, I took Tylenol, Tussin DM and drank hot tea with lemon and pretty much thought I could ring in the New Year relatively well.

By now the weather had gotten colder and windier. I wore my new black sweater and wrap to the party. I needed a heavier coat, but we were inside most of the time. After the show ended, our friends and us decided to catch up at another party in town at some friend's house before midnight. So, we left that party, got out in the cold again, and went to our friend's house. I had a real good time visiting with them. We went outside to burn sparklers and fireworks in their backyard and by now the wind was really kicking up. Back inside we counted down to the New Year. After a cheer, a kiss from Kim and a glass of cheery champagne, I was spent. We got home and in bed by 2:00 p.m. where I collapsed.

Here it is January 6, a week later, and I still have a slight cough that worsens in the evenings, I'm sluggish, my throat still hurts a little and sleeping is still a chore. My watery eyes and nasal drainage have lessen, but I have no energy. I should have gone to the doctor 5 days ago, but I kept thinking I was going to be well. I only ran a low fever for 2 or 3 evenings, so I thought when the fever quit I was out of the woods. Now I wish I'd gone. However, I think there's probably no point this late. I mean, do I really want to pay the co-pay for an office visit, paying for expensive medicine that at this point, won't do much for me? I might as well ride it out. Right?

The problem here is that I have some work coming up. I'm going to start testing for the school district pretty soon. I pick up my tests tomorrow and I'm sure my schedule will begin within days after receiving my materials. I need to be well. Schools frown on people who cough and blow their nose a lot, working with their children. Anyway, I have got to get rid of this crud. Any suggestions? I'm open to your opinions.

Oh... and Happy New Year. :-/
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