Posts Tagged ‘Wellness’

Wednesday Wellness: Are We Done Yet

By Tammy Parkinson | July 21st, 2010 0 Comments

Yesterday, I was at the tail-end of one of my yoga classes when a new person in class asked, in a slightly louder voice than she intended, “Are we done?” I’m sure she was hoping with all her heart that it was!

At the time, it was pretty comical, however it got me thinking: Are we ever really done? Or maybe more precisely: are we beginning, ending, or always moving?

Doesn’t it seem that whatever task or event we are working on we’re benchmarking it as if we are starting or working towards finishing?

If I look at my industry of health and wellness, I meet cool folks all the time who are looking to “begin” a training or nutrition program so they can reach their “end” goal and in their minds “finish.”

Truly, though, this life is just that…a life journey. Sometimes we are traveling a little slower than others, sometimes we are reaching a pivotal goal and other times we are renewing our commitment to something, yet through the ebb and flow of all of this, we are always IN it, always moving, always striving. The only time we really begin is when we are born and well, you know when we truly end (at least in this body).

Enough of the heavy stuff! Seriously though, maybe we can take a look at our week a little differently right now and consider what we are IN and the joy of the momentum, the newness of projects and the satisfactions towards reaching a goal. If we only look at when we start and when we are done, are we really enjoying the middle…which is actually our life! Think about this heavy topic and contemplate stepping out of the limits of a time clock and rather start being IN the entire process, for life!

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Wednesday Wellness: Getting to the Top is Optional, Getting Down is Mandatory!

By Tammy Parkinson | March 3rd, 2010 0 Comments

Recently I read the book, No Shortcuts to the Top, by Ed Viesturs, one of a handful of humans to climb the highest 14 peaks above 8,000 meters (approximately 29,000 feet) and he did it without the use of oxygen tanks.  Currently, he’s a world renowned motivational speaker.  I love to backpack, however I have never been a Mountaineer!  I was memorized!  No, I have NO desire to climb Mt. Everest (ok, maybe to base camp!) however reading his biography of what he and others have endured was quite inspiring!

He was there during the Everest tragedy several years ago, and has witnessed several deaths.  Yet, throughout his quest, he had a motto which he feels kept him alive “Getting to the top is optional, getting down is mandatory!”

He always trusted his gut and never let the excitement of reaching the peak override his sensibility and safety.

Through this 18 year journey, he finally completed the 14th peak, Annapurna (which he had attempted a few time prior during this vigil).  Once he completed his lifetime dream, he questioned what was next.  He had reached his summit so to speak.  He always had a “peak” to achieve and at the time of accomplishment…he no longer had a summit…a goal, a purpose or a lifelong quest!

This got me thinking as to what my summit was (or is).  I always have goals, challenges, monthly routines…but it has been a while since I have set my eyes on a true summit and started the long arduous yet rewarding climb to the top!

We get in to our day to day mindset, day after day year after year and rather than reaching the top of a mountain, we traverse, back and forth, sometimes up a little, sometimes down.  Life, however is a journey as they say, not a destination, but what if during that journey we created a quest that we are always able to keep our sights on even when the mountain seems too stormy to climb?

I challenge you this week, as I challenge myself, to create your own summit to keep your eyes on during life’s daunting moments.  Search out the right route, the one which will get you there with safety (I didn’t say ease) but also the route which will get you back down the mountain…because that is mandatory!

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Enter the New Year With a Light Heart & Body

By Tammy Parkinson | December 9th, 2009 0 Comments

Over the last several weeks I took a challenge with a close friend which grew to involve close to 20 more friends. The challenge was to not have added sugar (sweets/ sugary foods) until the Sunday past Thanksgiving day. Since then, this challenge has now stretched to January 1, 2010 (not for all 20, but for many).

The first week wasn’t easy (I love my little chocolate treat daily) but because I had those close to me also committed to the challenge, the team work and accountability made it so much easier. Who wants to nibble at a piece of cookie when you know there are 20 others who are nibbling on a carrot stick because you talked them in to it?!!

The idea behind this was to begin (or now to “end”) the holiday season with strength and ending the year as healthy as possible; a metaphor of sorts towards how I want to enter into 2010. Although the holidays are fun, exciting, loving and special, the word “stress” and “indulgence” are at the forefront of the month of December. Carving out how to take care of yourself so you feel strong and healthy is vital towards enjoying the real tradition of the season. Not just running from obligation to obligation.

Think about it; if you can go through this next month staying (or becoming) healthier, you’ll have stepped in to a New Year feeling stronger than past years! You will be 10 steps ahead of where you were last year and you’ll have an amazing sense of accomplishment in respecting your body and your inner strength.

Your challenge doesn’t have to be no “sweets” (course, you know you have a strong group rooting for you if you DO choose that)! It can be anything which in past years has caused you to feel worse when the New Year turns the corner.

If you decide to try this, announce it and know others believe in you and will help you when you struggle! These commitments don’t have to be forever. But testing your willpower will help you give love back to your body and your spirit so you can focus on the other matters of the season which help you enter the New Year with a light heart – and body!

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Healthy Holiday Solutions

By Tammy Parkinson | December 2nd, 2009 0 Comments

No matter how you celebrate the holidays, this is the time of year that exudes parties and indulgences!

When we start to think about the potential weight gain during these festivities, a little here and there can add up to a lot on the waist line! 

Some of the foods which unknowingly can get us in trouble are:

  • Dips
  • Salad dressings
  • Cheese plates
  • Pasta/potato recipes with butter/cream

 A little bit of added fat to the recipe can add up to hundreds of calories in no time. 

Recently, I played around with some traditional dips and prepared some yummy alternatives!   These 3 favorites were created with a food processor and were well received at Thanksgiving:

Instead of hummus (traditional with a lot of Tahini)

Edamame Hummus dip
Ingredients: 
1 12 oz package frozen shelled edamame (thawed)…organic preferred
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp of rice vinegar
Tiny bit of sea salt to taste
¼ cup to ½ cup water
1/3 cup chopped parsley leaves

Place thawed edamame in a food processor, add all ingredients and blend until smooth.  The texture should be slightly thin and pasty.  Add parsley leaves and blend until well incorporated.  Serve with all kinds of veggies!  This freezes well too!

Pesto
Ingredients:
2 cups basil leaves tightly paced
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp crushed garlic
Tiny bit of sea salt
1/8 cup raw pine nuts (chopped very finely) or raw almond slivers (chopped finely)

Place basil, olive oil, garlic and salt in an S blade in food processor.  Add nuts after basil is chopped well.  This is delicious with meats/fish and by itself!

No Avocado guacamole
Ingredients:
12 oz package of frozen green peas (thawed)
4 limes (squeezed)
7 oz of nonfat Greek yogurt
2 handfuls mint leaves
1-2 cloves garlic

Blend together until smooth.  Add tomatoes after blended if desired.  This freezes well and can be used with anything you like guacamole with.  It’s great as a sandwich spread too and a lot less fat!

ENJOY eliminating extra calories and enjoy your new recipes!!

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Are the choices we make driven by our mindset?

By Tammy Parkinson | October 14th, 2009 0 Comments

Attitude; it’s the emotion which trumps and dictates nearly everything in our life!

For instance, have you ever experienced your paper jamming in your printer over and over again and on one day you are ready to take a sledge hammer to the printer, then on a completely separate day when it jams again,  you laugh it off and by that evening you barely remembered it occurred!

Take the day when you go out to dinner and you resist the chips and guacamole and choose a simple clean fajita sans guacamole, fried tortillas and no cheese. You enjoy the conversation and enjoy your time at the restaurant vs. focus only on the food. Then, there’s the following week when you go back to the same restaurant and can’t stop until you’ve eaten the entire basket of chips and will accept nothing less than something laden in cheese!

What happens here?

Why do we waver on our choices, our attitude?

Why is it so easy one day and so incredibly difficult the next time?   Could it be the way we choose to view the moment based upon our attitude?

I’d like to suggest this week you think about this when something you’ve overcome in your past (or want to overcome in your future) creeps up and becomes difficult in this new moment.  Consider your mindset, your stress and your attitude towards this event.   Consider that maybe, if you open your mind to the possibility that you can overcome it, even easily…you can!!

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Shed What’s Not Working

By Tammy Parkinson | September 30th, 2009 0 Comments

Look outside!  Fall is approaching quickly!  Kids are back in school, schedules are revived and balance is cherished.  Doesn’t it feel as though all is right and “normal” once again?!  Nature is a lot like our personal schedules.  If you take a look at the trees, they are changing colors and some are losing their leaves.  If we compare this to our own lives, we too, at this time of year start to eliminate things which we no longer need; we “shed”. 

Consider the idea of getting “rid” of an old health or fitness habit (or lack of) which was of no value to you any longer.  Examples might be going to that kickboxing class which is no longer fun and you were simply doing it to go through the motions…you were barely even burning calories!  Or maybe you were eating a salad for lunch from the same restaurant, getting bored and possibly binging later because you felt you deserved it for putting up with the same old food every day during a break.  All these old habits do is cause frustration and excuses of why you can’t break through the barrier of your weight loss and fitness goals.  This month…get rid of the same ol’ same ol’ and try something new…invigorate your routine!  Try a yoga class you’ve heard about, create a new meal with low fat versions or try a new restaurant with a different spin on your healthy meal.  Whatever it is, emulate nature and shed what’s not working!  I bet you feel lighter already!!

Have a healthy week!

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Hurry Up and Relax!

By Tammy Parkinson | September 24th, 2009 0 Comments

Last week I had made plans to take a 5 pm yoga class.  Yoga, you know, that workout which is supposed to be about mindfulness, Zen moments, body awareness, and relaxation of the mind, body and spirit.   I actually do take yoga for the physical aspects, but mostly to help keep my mind and spirit centered, to relax my soul. 

As I was driving to yoga, I got caught in some very bad traffic, after already taking off to class later than I had planned.  I was in a panic.  Have you ever walked into a yoga class late?  It’s not a good idea!  I started to get frustrated and anxious about the traffic and worried that I would disrupt the class, irritate the teacher and maybe not even get a spot to lay my mat; or worse yet have to move the whole back row over a foot so I could squeeze in. 

I had a little “self talk” and decided I had 2 choices:

1) skip yoga completely
2) go in to the class late, accept it and smile at the other students and teacher

I chose option #2.

Still, however, I was uptight and wound tight as I rolled in at 8+ minutes past the start time.    During the first 20 minutes of yoga I kept thinking about how hurried I felt and was trying to relax.   I realized my angst about being in a rush started from the moment I knew I was running a little late (before I even got into my car).  I was rushing, so I could go to a class to relax!!  Do we really need to put so much pressure on ourselves just so we can get to an environment in order to find our Zen moment? 

After the class was over, I went to the teacher and thanked him for being so gracious in letting me step into the class late (note, I had to wait outside the door until meditation was over!).  I told him I realized I was in a hurry to relax and that the mindfulness of yoga helped me consciously realize I don’t need yoga in a class ROOM to find my peace, it really should be in many moments throughout the day…especially at my most frustrating situations (like rush hour!).  

Since last week, I’ve tried to observe my behaviors centered around my harried schedule and how I can “relax” more.  This doesn’t mean I don’t take the situation (frustration) seriously; I am simply trying to take the situation more “gracefully”.

I hope in sharing this experience with you, you too can notice when and where you might be trying to be in a rush to relax and see if you can stop the rush and find the relaxation in that moment!

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