Building Immunity to Covid19

Home Sweet Home taken with Bill's new GoPro

While cities open up across the country with the phasing-in of normalcy, cases of covid are on the rise. States once applauded for keeping the disease under control are now the focus of media reports for having the highest incidents. Florida, Texas and California are the present hot spots for the virus. Testing has accelerated, which many experts say may account for the increase in cases. Hospitals are reporting increased activity, especially among younger victims, but not necessarily deaths.  Nonetheless, it's important to continue to be diligent about social distancing, wearing a mask in public places and keeping your immune system strong. In my humble opinion, the key tenets of a strong immune system are diet, exercise, meditation, good sleep, and Vitamin D. We're still taking it pretty seriously in June.

Birthday pic with my dinner companions

As the country continues to be in a state of civil unrest spurred by racial tensions, we took a road trip to Miami to celebrate my birthday at a favorite Japanese restaurant: Zuma.

It was nice to get away but the exposure to germs in a hotel room was a little unsettling. We've been watching our diet as we find ourselves dining out and entertaining visitors a little more. Steph and DeWayne came by for a few days to help celebrate Father's Day. We're killing two birds with one stone with our bike rides: exercise and Vitamin D. (And by the way, they say bicycles are the new toilet paper.) As for meditation, that's prayer. It's my daily ritual that I find comforting and effective for the nourishment of my soul.

So, feed your body, move your body, nourish your soul and moderately expose yourself to new venues. Building a strong immunity to help fight this crazy flu bug may just get us safely through time as we wait for a covid vaccine. And that's a whole other hot topic.

Over Heard in the Gym This Morning

"I have no will power."

True that, eh?  Especially in the snow, I say.

Flat Belly Diet Cookbook

Thanks to the blogfriend, Patty in CA, for introducing me to this great cookbook.  The diet looks interesting, too, but the recipes offer a healthy and delicious variety for those serious about weight loss.

skinny chef

I'm not sure how I found this, but I've read her mini e-book and have to say her way is pretty close to the food diary way and thought you might enjoy it.

http://ditchthediets.com/

Do Ahead: Shop, Chop, Cook

Healthy options need to be readily available when the hunger pangs strike.

21 Days Makes a Habit

Research shows that it takes 21 days to make a habit. Make each day count as you diet and exercise. In just a few short weeks, you will have developed a very good habit.

Successful Weight Loss

Even blessed with a favorable metabolism, middle age will definitely slow it down. So, here's my take on the plain and simple fundamentals of weight loss. No fancy or fads diets necessary:

-reduce total calories consumed.
-count calories: burn more than eat more.
-exercise.
-plan healthy meals and snacks in advance.
-visualize your ideal weight, think thin thoughts not fat thoughts.
-track weekly progress and tweak routine regularly.

Learn to Embrace Hunger Pangs

Calorie restriction is more about a long-term health plan rather than weight management. That's the mantra. Say that several times and day and you will find yourself getting used to those pesky pangs in no time. The cabbage soup diet is over. I blew off the last day and a half for several reasons, but I'm down five pounds in seven days. A good start.

What the World Eats

Back to the topic of food. Day three of the Cabbage Soup Diet allows the dieter to incorporate fruit into the vegetable and soup routine for the day. As rigid and boring as this diet is, it creates an element of anticipation with the addition of something new to eat each day. Who knew it would be so exciting to be able to eat fruit for a day. Perhaps because I'm simply starving, I found this photo essay from Time to be so amusing.

Think Before You Eat

One of the benefits of a calorie-restricted, but short-term diet is that it makes the dieter aware of common, and perhaps impulsive eating behaviors, which sabotage a healthy weight. It affords the opportunity to examine nutrition vs. indulgence very closely.

Carrots for Breakfast

Today is day two of the Cabbage Soup Diet. In addition to eating the soup, the dieter must incorporate all the vegetables that they can eat today. Day one dieters enjoyed only fruits and soup for the entire day (I was in bed at 7:30pm, heh).

2009 Officially Begins

The holiday season can be just exhausting!  It's kind of nice to get back to some sense of normalcy and order.  Now is the time to focus on the things that matter, such as diet and exercise; at least for the first month or two;-)