Tag: Health

Reflection

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Spring has sprung. And just before it my 59th birthday. Both of these have recently helped drive my latest time of reflection. My final motivator is the news that to get out of lockdown we need to live with Covid -19. As Australia up until these last few months has been able to contain the virus this reality creates anxiety in most of us. The reality is however that I can only reflect on things in my life I can change and Covid isn’t one of them.

I’m a firm believer in the following quote:

My favourite way to break down powerful words is through the use of acrostic poems. So for me, reflection means:

Review where I am currently at

Explore where I want to be

Freely and honestly check my initial review

Look at what needs to be different

Enact a plan

Choose daily, weekly and monthly goals

Test and track my goals

Include in daily, weekly or monthly routines

Observe regularly what works and what doesn’t

Negotiate any changes that may be needed and enjoy the new me blossoming

For me the main areas of reflection involve:

  • My health
  • Blogging/Writing
  • Career/Retirement Planning

After reflecting on my health I realised daily tracking needs to be around my water intake, movement and sleep. I started doing this a few weeks ago and I have already noticed a huge increase in my energy levels.

Returning to blogging last month made me realise that over the years Inspiring Max has developed its own momentum. I was surprised that even when I haven’t been blogging, it is continuing to be read. This has inspired me to spend more time blogging. Not just writing posts but also engaging with the blogging community. Over the last few weeks I have been able to maintain 3 posts a week, which on refection is sustainable. Me getting better at planning posts will be the key.

Reflecting on this last area is in some ways out of my control. I am a mental health nurse who trained 40 years ago. I have obtained many skills over my career but have no general nursing experience. As we open up I have no idea what will be expected from me as I go about my work day. I have decided to follow my gut and see where the journey takes me. It is also tricky to plan for travel at the moment but it is certainly something I am hopeful to start in 2022.

What areas of your life are you currently reflecting on?

The Power Of Sugar

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This week, I have read David Gillespie’s The Sweet Poison Quit Plan and discovering the impact of sugar on the body. Research has shown that sugar, or more importantly the fructose in sugar effects us because it’s:

  1. Converted to fat by our liver
  2. Interferes with our appetite control hormones

I like everyone else thought my diet was reasonably balanced however what I didn’t realise is how much hidden sugar is in the healthy everyday foods we eat. So as a challenge, between now and the end of the year I  plan to watch my daily intake of  sugar attempting to keep it down to the recommended 6 teaspoons a day for women. This is actually 24 grams of sugar as 1 teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams of sugar. It won’t be easy but I think the improved health of my body will make it worth it. Let me know what you think and if you are up for the challenge too.

 

 

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/craving/

Food Tips #1

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Don’t wash your chicken it only spreads the bacteria over you and the surrounding benches — it doesn’t remove the bacteria from the chicken. Thinking about it this makes a lot of sense. After all, the only way to remove bacteria from chicken is to cook chicken properly. If you want to remove anything from your chicken before cooking it, use a piece of paper towel and throw it away. These ensures you don’t spread the bacteria around. Personally I don’t wash my chicken but not for the reasons outlined in the video. I just haven’t  ever developed the habit. Being aware of chicken’s bacteria however I do use a separate boards to chop my chicken, red meat and vegetables.

Not having heard it before, the simplicity of this food tip inspired me to develop a new regular category — Food Tips. Knowledge is powerful, so join me as I find some interesting facts that relate to food especially in the areas of  health, hygiene and history. It will be a work in progress so let me know if you have any suggestions.

Sleep Equals Beauty

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Sleep is one-third of our lives: write a post about it. Do you love naps? Have trouble falling alseep? Wish you could remember your dreams? Remember something especially vivid? Snuggle under a blanket, or throw the windows wide open? Meditate on sleep.

Sleep rejuvenates you. I knew that but I don’t think I fully understood its meaning until I this video by researchers out of London. It shows very clearly the impact on skin of having 6 hours sleep each night instead of 8 hours. Personally I rarely get 8 hours as I have such a long commute in the morning however aiming for 7 – 7.5 is probably a realistic goal and cheaper than all the correction make-up required if I don’t.

https://youtu.be/Vy4CoCDh9nA

Other benefits of more sleep include:

  • Better mood
  • Increased metabolism
  • Increased concentration
  • Improved memory
  • Helps creativity
  • Improves athletic performance
  • Improves attention
  • Increases well-being
  • Improves ability to study
  • Reduces stress

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/sleep/

Share Your World – 2015 Week 15

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Regarding your fridge, is it organized or a mess inside?

My fridge usually starts off the week organised as I clear it out every Sunday to co-inside with the weekly garbage collection. I have my own system to keep it organised—dairy on the second shelf, leftovers on the third shelf, chocolate on the bottom and large items on the top shelf. My husband however doesn’t care for my system and put things wherever he can find a space.

Have you ever been a participant in a parade? What did you do?

When I was a teenager in the 1970’s I participated in the Mattara parade in Newcastle. Mattara was held during the last week in September and celebrating the people of Newcastle and the arts. This festival is over 50 years old and includes people from all walks of life. I remember feeling very proud to  march in the parade representing the Girls Brigade.

How do you stand out from the crowd?

It depends on which crowd I am in as to how I stand out. I don’t deliberately try to stand out but I usually find my own way based on my personality. If |I am interested in what is going on I will start talking and using open sentences give people enough information that they are interested in finding out more. If not I like a chameleon will blend in with the environment and not let others know anything specific about me.

How many bones, if any, have you broken?

I broke my right arm skate boarding when I was 15, my right little toe in the Newcastle earthquake and my right foot when a girls gymnastics beam fell on it about 7 years ago during agynastics set-up.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Last week I was grateful that I recovered from illness in less than 24 hours.

This week I am looking forward to celebrating 100 years of the ANZAC spirit.

http://ceenphotography.com/2015/04/13/share-your-world-2015-week-15/

Embrace The Ick

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Think of something that truly repulses you. Hold that thought until your skin squirms. Now, write a glowing puff piece about its amazing merits.

Fortunately for me I don’t have anything that truly repulses me. The closest I come to is anything requiring or pertaining to surgery. I am a mental health nurse not a general nurse, so anything greater than a bit of blood or a few stitches required, needs to be managed quickly. Then I hand the problem over to someone who knows what they are doing quickly and watch. Medical shows on television are usually always on at my dinner time and they are the worst— as for some reason, they like to show the gory details. I am brave however, and force myself to watch so I can learn something.

When I do need to deal with something icky, I breathe deeply and l keep in the present moment. By being mindful, I  get the job done quickly. I put on my professional hat and even if it is at home, I use the experience to improve my knowledge and embrace the ick—even if the knowledge I want to improve is a fascinating icky story to tell at a later date around a camp fire.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/embrace-the-ick/

Danger

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Tell us about the time you rescued someone else (person or animal) from a dangerous situation. What happened? How did you prevail?

When someone or something needs to be rescued, deal with stress or is in a dangerous situation, everyone has 3 alternatives. Depending on the choices made, our body responds differently allowing us to do what we required them to do.

  • Fight – Attack or do what is necessary to rescue
  • Flight – Run away
  • Fright – Stop and shut down

Fortunately, in my personal life I have never employed any of these options. In my professional life, as a mental health nurse, I have often triggered my fight response. Each time having a positive outcome. I love that by trusting our bodies they give us the ability to do what we need, without us thinking about it.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/daring-do/