2008: Our Year of Health

We're a pretty healthy family.... actually, really healthy, but I'm not taking that for granted.  Who should these days?  The rates of many diseases are climbing and physical activity is decreasing.  Oh, and I just had my birthday, so age is on my mind.  When I am 67, aren't I going to wish that I had eaten well and moved often while I was only 37?  (yes, it was that birthday). 

So, Tim and I decided that 2008 is our Year of Health.

.....well, okay, I'm the one goofy enough to call it "Our Year of Health," but Tim, being the athlete that he is (team sports are his thing), likes the idea, too. 

My role in this is to work on our eating.  Over the past few years we've made some significant changes, but you can still often hear me saying, "We're no purists!" as I'm holding a bag of Doritos and a Coke at a get-together. 

This is the year I need to be more committed to eating well.  We do well when we're at home, with just our immediate family. But we do poorly when we are out or when we have people over.  So, this year, I'm going to learn more about recipes I can make that will hopefully be accepted by people who don't know what hummus and tabouleh are.

If you are just now getting the urge to eat healthy, but don't know where to begin, here is a great ebook to get you started:  Supermom’s Simple Guide to Healthier Eating for Beginners and Beyond by Erica Johns.  The ebook is not a recipe book, although some recipes are included, but it is more of an educational book.  Through it, you wil learn what foods are good for you, and why.    I found it to be an easy read, while still informational enough to get you started on the right track.

Another job I've given myself is my personal exercise.  Tim, wouldn't touch that area with a 10' pole! (smart man!)  I still need to lose some "baby weight" (the "baby" is four!), but even more than that, I need to feel strong.  Tim gave me a kayak for Christmas (at my request; I told you he is wise!) and we have several other exercise options (like, a road in front of the house for walking or biking - no excuses!), so there is really no reason for me to not move every day.  My goal, for now, is simply to move every day in a way that makes my heart go pitter-pat.  I can't be bothered with timers that make me stare at them and count every loooonnng second, so I'm just going to move to start out.  Maybe later I'll add timers. 

Along with that, I'll continue doing strength training exercises each morning.  It only takes about 8 minutes, so I can't think of an excuse to make me stop doing them. I have really noticed an increase in strength, stamina and even energy in the 3 months since I started doing strength training. Oh, and I lost 11 pounds.  That, too.  ;) 

For strength training exercises, motivation, support, nutrition trackers, articles, and all other Things Needed or Desired for Getting Healthy, check out one of my favorite (free!) sites:  Spark People

Also, our whole family is going to move a lot this year.  We have skinny, tall kids, thanks to genetics, so they don't need to lose weight, but I want them to 1.) Know how to do many types of sports, 2.) Start good habits that will hopefully last a lifetime.  For a while, I was thinking of enrolling the kids in P.E. classes or other sport classes, until it occurred to me that the best coach I can find is right under our roof!  It often takes a smack on the head for ideas to occur to me.  So I'm going to start tossing a ball around with the........Just kidding!  The "best coach under our roof" is not me, the gal who was usually in the bottom 5 chosen kids to be picked for a team.  That would be Tim, our Resident Athlete.   He already plays with the kids, so why not teach them a few moves while he's at it?  I try to look real busy and back out, but Tim usually gets me to join in, too.   When I join in, I make the kids look good.   Real good. 

Visit the sites above, and let me know what you're doing to improve your family's health this year!  I'd love to read your ideas!

by Lori Seaborg 2008

Comments

[Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.]

Dear Lori,

You are doing all the right things! What I like most: You already realized that blogging can take away from more meaningful life...

Alexa Fleckenstein M.D., physician, author.
coldwatermd@yahoo.com

[Jill]

Lori, Mark and I love the recipes in Eating For Life by Bill Phillips. They are very healthy and complete, but also appetizing and (most are) good enough to serve to company. Have you seen it?