…Your Apple Watch can make you Fat, and the color Blue.

Hello and thank you for visiting.

I recently purchased an Apple Watch. I was very excited to get it, since my sister has had one for a very long time. She uses it constantly to track her steps, heart rate and monitor her activities during the day. So when the Covid-19 arrived, and everyone was on lockdown, I thought it would be nice to start monitoring my activities. I received my watch after a few weeks, and started using it.

I have a German Shorthair Pointer, named Finn. She requires lots of walking, I never knew how much I really walked until I started using my watch! It’s a lot. She can run and walk forever and never get tired but I do!!

What I have learned is that if you set your calories to burn, say 500 each day, then you can not eat 500 calories extra. It takes 3,500 calories in a week to lose 1 pound. You would have to set your watch to burn 500 to 1000 calories per day, and combine with nutrition, it takes a combination of both diet and exercise.

I say, cut back on calories, what ever it may, potato chips, a few cans of beer, or wine, sodas, and your favorite sweets etc. everyone knows what is their cheat food, to reduce your calorie intake by just 500 calories per day, then burn the other 500 through exercise.

If you reduce your salt intake, very important, because you will retain fluid, and drink (3), 8oz. glasses of water or lemon water per day, you should lose 1lbs.-2lbs. per week!

Nutrition is the most important. You cannot just work out and expect to lose weight! Nutrition is First.

1-Set your height and weight on your Apple iPhone.

2-There is an app on your watch represented by a little green man running man. Set it for an exercise by scrolling down. This will help your watch know how what type of exercise that you are doing. When your are finished, slide to the right to stop the activity, then make sure that you go to the bottom of the activity and close out the activity, because if you don’t, you cannot start another one until you do.

The color BLUE

Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It represents stability, trust and loyalty. It is a color that is beneficial to our minds and body. It has a very calming effect on us, and can actually slow down our metabolism. The color Blue is a great color for your bedroom. It may make you sleep better!

…..”Don’t forget to make a memory each day, and don’t apologize for who you are”…Rebecca

Mushroom Foraging, and the Color Yellow!

Hello and thank you for visiting.

I have been recently inspired by two of my daughters that have been keeping busy in the woods foraging for mushrooms.

On the very first day of their walks in the woods, they nailed some Morels! Morels grow under or near Ash Trees, Slippery Elm Trees, and Oak Trees. They grow in the ground on the Southern facing slopes in the woods in the spring. You can find them in open areas.

There are different varieties of these mushrooms.

There are different color types of the Morel mushroom. Black, yellow and grey. My daughters found the yellow ones, that actually grow to be the biggest of all varieties. They are much sought after, and pricy to buy them in the grocery stores.

After soaking them in some salt water for about 20 minutes, they are dried, and then sliced and put into a pan of butter and seasoning. Now I didn’t taste this batch, but heard that they were delicious. You can eat them sautéed, fried, or add them to a black bean burger as a filler.

They are full of Iron, Copper, Manganese, Phosphorus, Zinc, Vitamin D, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamin E, and B6. They contain antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Last week I was privy to taste some of the other mushrooms that they had found. These were called Pheasant Back mushrooms.

They have a very different texture, and look just like a pheasants back. The texture is tougher and they are very hard to get off of the tree. So make sure that you bring a knife with you when looking for these guys!

The smaller and darker versions of the Pheasant Black mushrooms are more tender. You can cook these the same way as the Morels.

Other edible mushrooms are called Turkey Tail mushrooms. These are edible, but tough and rubbery in texture. They are commonly found in Tennessee, but many other places. They actually look like a turkeys tail on the side of a tree. Because of its texture, it is mostly used for making tea. The tea helps to boost your immune system as it contains a variety of powerful antioxidants and other compounds. It contains anti-cancer benefits because of these reasons.

So during these times of isolation, get out and into the woods, forage for some mushrooms. Its good to be out in the fresh air. Your entire family can take part in the search for these delicious little fungi.

The Color Yellow

As spring is trying, yes, trying to get here, I see more signs of the color Yellow. It is a beautiful bright color that just makes us feel good. We see it in the sun, plants, and flowers…it always makes me happy and energetic.

This color stands for honor, loyalty, joy, energy, optimism and remembrance.

During these tough times, the color yellow is a color that we all need in our lives right now to help us cope! By some daffodils, and look for the sun in all that you do!

…..Remember to make a memory each day, and don’t apologize for who you are…..Rebecca

…How to achieve Optimal Health -Mental Health and the Color Green…

…..”The doctor of the future will give no medicines but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”…..Thomas Edison

Sleep

Sleep is an important part of achieving Optimal Health. REM sleep is Rapid Eye Movement sleep. It happens when we are dreaming! Recently, I have started dreaming vividly, almost every night. I feel quite rested when I awake. It happens for only short periods of time, but seems like forever.

Positive Mental Attitude

This is also a part of achieving Optimal Health. In these stressful times its hard to maintain a positive attitude, when thing are such a mess with our personal lives. Every day try to adopt a positive, optimistic trend. Like, remember why you are grateful. Optimism, Joy and Happiness.

1-Realizing what really makes you happy. Acknowledge the positive, celebrate your successes, and accept compliments by saying, “thank you”.

2-What you enjoy about your life right now. Forget the past, enjoy living in the here and now, and reliving old hurts and disappointments.

3-And ask yourself, who loves me?

4-Who do I love? Make a list of all of the people that love you and that you love.

Cardio Health

Cardio health is tied to emotions and attitude it is also a part of creating Optimal Health. Get out there and enjoy the sun and nice weather with whatever you like to do. Walk, run, hike, swim, bike. etc. Just taking time in the morning or evening to stretch your body. There are many Pilates and Yoga videos that you can watch to help you get into a routine. Pick a time each day. I Love just walking very early in the morning when the “critters” are just waking up. It makes you feel great. Don’t push it, just enjoy your walk.

Recognize beauty in Art and Nature

Realize your potential. Try something new that challenges you. It’s fun! It makes you feel positive and young!!

Gain respect from others and promoting self-esteem. There are many reasons throughout our lifetime that we can develop low self-esteem. Unhappy childhood, poor academic performance in school, financial troubles, and relationship problems. Just remember that low self-esteem is just your opinion of yourself. It takes daily practice to boost your self-esteem.

Love and belongingness, receiving love, and giving love and affection.

Trust in family, friends, and be in a group. Keep social connections that are positive. Positive, meaning relationships that make you feel good about yourself.

THE COLOR GREEN

Colors can be introduced into our lives in many ways This includes flowers, accessories, paint, clothing, and the outdoors.

Green represents the way of Harmony.

It is the heart center. It strengthens without over stimulating. It can lower blood pressure and calm headaches, influenza, head colds, cramps, it is a very calming color to use in specific parts of your home.

……”Remember to make a memory every day, and don’t apologize for who you are”……Rebecca

Mandatory Perimeter Shopping and Vegetables

Hello everyone and thank you for visiting…

Perimeter shopping at the grocery store has always been my way of shopping for food. I would only visit the interior isles of the store for a very few food items. Perimeter shopping is now enforced by all grocery stores.

When shopping for groceries, I would only shop the perimeter of the store. It made perfect sense! This is where you will find all of the healthy foods, fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs and whole grains. That’s all your body needs.

Now, we are forced to shop this way to keep us safe from contracting the virus. When you enter the store, there are little arrows on the floor, to show what direction to go, and which way to go down each aisle as to help in keeping our distance from other shoppers.

I have chosen to buy more frozen fruits and vegetables as not to waste the fresh vegetables. They are, by the way, just as good for you, nutritionally, as fresh. But now I am skipping over the fresh stuff.

I have preached perimeter shopping to my clients and friends. The Coronavirus makes it mandatory for us to shop this way. Things have drastically changed. I think it’s a good thing in ways, but it makes me sad to see wilted produce and sparsely filled shelves.

Now I mostly skip over the fresh produce, except for the vegetables that I am going to cook that night, or within the next few days. I am afraid that I will waste the vegetables and fruits that I purchase. I always grab citrus, onions, garlic, avocado, and some unripen bananas. Not ever sure what the next day will bring.

I can’t wait until the Pandemic is over and we get back to our the normalsee of Fruit Stands, and Open air Fresh Food Markets!

…..remember to make a memory every day, and don’t apologize for who you are….Rebecca