How are you doing on the Healthy Living and Taking Care of Yourself Scale? Scoring High? Scoring Low? Scoring Everywhere in Between? I hear ya, sista, bruh. The struggle is real.
I’ve recently taken a positive step by forcing myself to become more mobile. I now take a daily morning walk. I walk most days....ok....many days.....ok....some days. I am really working on it, and it's a good thing. There are also some core-strengthening exercises that are imminent, but I haven’t nailed down a solid routine for that yet. With those, I am sporadic, at best. But, the walk..…so far, so good. I don’t enjoy moving in the morning, I really don’t. But, a recent change in my sleeping habits launched my new morning walking routine.
I have spent several months under the care of a Sleep Doctor. I don’t remember the official medical title, but that’s what I call her. After diagnosing sleep apnea, measuring my snoring level, tracking sleep disruptions approximately 10 times per hour, and analyzing my sleep patterns, the doc came up with a plan. I’m pleased with the results so far, but it is still a work in progress.
The crux of the plan is that I sleep with a new custom-fitted, precisely calibrated mouthguard in place. Because the function of the mouthguard is to slide my jaw forward to keep the airway open while I sleep, I am adjusting to mouth, teeth, and jaw soreness. When I wake up in the morning, my instructions include #1) removing the mouthpiece, #2) 15 minutes performing natural jaw movements to loosen the joints, followed by #3) 15 minutes chewing gum to massage the joints.
#1 and #2, I have no problem with. But #3? I hate chewing gum.
So, I came up with a plan. Now, when I wake up, as soon as I can manage, I head out on a walk, with my phone timer set at 15 minutes to track my natural jaw release time. When that timer goes off, I continue walking, pop a stick of gum in my mouth and chew, setting my timer to count down the next 15 minutes of chew time. I'm usually finished with the entire mouth routine before I even get back to my house. Walking helps distract me from the fact that I am chewing gum. Chewing gum helps distract me from the fact that I am walking. It’s a win-win.
Which brings up another point. Understanding myself and my ways, I knew that I had to present a logical, well-thought-out plan to my cantankerous brain, in order to convince myself that a new walking plan made perfect sense, was fairly easy to implement, and wouldn't allow too much room for backing out. I know me so well. That approach worked. I'm walking. At least for now.
Will my new exercise routine last? Not sure. It’s still in infancy stage. Weather has, for the most part, been cooperative. In the future, bad weather might turn me off. Time will tell if I am committed to my morning walking exercise. I hope so. It's a good fit. And, as suggested, kills two birds with one stone.
OK, let’s talk about healthy eating. How’s that going for ya? My family has been conscious of healthy eating habits for a long while now. Note, I didn’t say conscientious of. Meaning, we are aware of them, but, maybe don’t take steps to adhere to them as well as we should. Nonetheless, we are not starting from ground zero. I’d say, at home we are about 75% on track for having healthy food options. Away from home? Probably about 50% on track.
Recent doctor visits have re-emphasized the need for heart-healthy foods in our diets. See kids, at some point, things start catching up to you, and you need to make smart healthy changes. Which is something I take fully to heart. With the exception of the dinner that I cooked last night. I’m not proud of it......delectably satisfied, but not proud. Well, maybe a little proud in a That-Was-Fun-But-I-Shouldn't-a-Done-It way.
For dinner, I devised my own recipe and prepared Spiced Brioche French Toast and Maple Syrup, with a side of Bacon, Grits made with Milk and Butter, and Fresh Fruit. I know, I know. What was I thinking? Rob’s face was one giant question mark when he walked into the kitchen. This is what you are cooking for dinner??? Not that he complained. He scarfed it down just as quickly as I did. In fact, I never even took a picture of our delightful food, because my fork was flying from the plate to my mouth so quickly. **You need to know-- Bacon does not excite me. I'll eat it, but I'm just as likely to pass it up. Sometimes, though, the flavor combo is perfecto. As was the case with this meal. I'm still smackin' my lips.
I am not one to abstain from the pleasures of food. I never take things to the extreme. But, I always think that I should center my culinary discipline at home. That is, try to avoid cholesterol-raising foods, high fats, sugar packed treats, and other no-no’s. If I cheat in my own kitchen, then I’m already a step behind. I know I’m going to bend the rules out there in the world and on special occasions. It’s all the worse if I haven’t been faithful to a healthy diet in my day-to-day domestic activities.
So, why did I splurge to prepare a non-cardiologist-approved breakfast dinner last night?
Let it be known that I love having breakfast for dinner. But, more to the point, there was an open packet of bacon in the frig. We had bought bacon to use in a recipe for a recent event, and the leftover package was still in our meat drawer. I reasoned that I should get that bacon out of my house, and rather than throw it away, I decided to cook it for one last meal. Likewise, I had, in a moment of weakness, bought a seasonal spiced brioche loaf from a local market. It looked so good. But, none of my keep-carbs-at-arm's-length family members were snacking on it. It was just sitting there on the counter. There were a few other items that I realized I wanted to remove from sight, so as not to tempt us anymore. So, I decided to collect all the offending ingredients and throw together a Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am meal. Get it over with and be done with them. Thus, the decadent feast.
No one complained. Chef’s kiss. Mwah!
Since I don't have a picture to share of the aforementioned meal, here are some completely unrelated pictures of various delicious breakfasts that I have indulged in, at different times. Just to get your mouth watering a little....
But now, time to get back on track with good-for-you foods and habits.
In my household, is it possible to make significant progress on our healthy journey? Controlling the will power? Learning to avoid things that are noticeably and measurably having negative effects on our aging bodies? Incorporating positive foods and beneficial habits? Yes, of course, I’m sure that we can put in commendable effort and see some results. Will we be consistent with our decisions and behaviors? Absolutely not. We will never become so rigid that we will deny ourselves the joys of living. But, we will also keep in mind that we don’t have to be reckless in our choices of food and lifestyle. Balance is everything.
Developing and maintaining habits to create a healthy lifestyle can be difficult. I remind myself that, while change can be hard, when we do embrace challenges, it tends to keep us sharp, keep us on our toes, keep us moving away from dull, ho-hum behaviors. It helps open us up to new possibilities. Always evolving.
“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly." - Henri Bergson
Report in, please:
- Are you a good sleeper?
- Is it hard for you to maintain a regular exercise schedule?
- A healthy eating routine?
- Or, do you even try?
- Are new habits easy or hard for you to cultivate?
- Any tips?
- Where are you on your own healthy journey?
I once had sleep apnea and had to use a CPAP machine. And then I was diagnosed with diabetes. I completely changed my lifestyle and got both under control. It's why I still, to this day, take a daily morning walk most days, and avoid sugar. But maintaining that lifestyle is very difficult, and I am not nearly as militant as I was 10 years ago. It's really one big balancing act.
You can always invest in a treadmill, like I did. Then weather will never be an excuse.
Mark, I SO did not want to get stuck w a CPAP machine--probably one of the reasons I put off getting treated for so many years. For exercise, I could probably buy a treadmill off of one of the people I know who stash theirs away in a corner. Seems, for some people, good intentions don't always pan out. I am very impressed with people who change lifestyle & 'correct' a diagnosed condition, so good for you! It's hard to do it right all the time, but I bet you're doing a really good job at maintaining your health. Yay!
I will say, CPAP changed my life. It was worth the discomfort! But also, I'm glad that only lasted about a year. It was a huge pain in the ass whenever we traveled.
I recognize many of the same challenges you're facing. I've struggled with sleep for as long as I can remember. It was terrible when I was teaching. I'd wake up in the middle of the night, worrying about kids, and often wouldn't fall back asleep for a couple of hours. I sleep better in retirement now that I have a lot less stress in my life. I don't seem to need as much sleep as the average person, often staying up late and getting up early. I'm also a fussy sleeper, and my wife and I keep each other awake with our prodigious snoring. Several years ago, we realized sleeping in separate rooms was a necessity.
I exercise more than the average person my age, mainly because it's the only way I've found to control my weight. Hey, eating is one of life's great pleasures.
Pete, we all have to figure out how to manage, don't we? Old habits die hard, and I am still not a 'good' sleeper, but I am definitely a 'better' sleeper. Good for you on exercising regularly! What would life be without enjoying delicious foods?!
Wow, Gwen, I’m really impressed. I have lots of problems with sleeping, but it’s more because of restless leg syndrome than other things. I’m good wrt exercise, but not so much the healthy eating. I’m going to have to be OK with healthy-ish-most-of-the-time eating! And I also love a full breakfast for dinner!!
Jane, it's so hard for me to stick with the exercise, but I can't keep putting it off. I'm envious of you guys who know how to incorporate physical activities in the daily routine. I'm trying to learn!