Common Sense Living

Yep, I just turned 54. I look at that number and I just can’t believe it. I sure don’t feel that old. I have officially out lived my mother. I look at pictures of old friends, and I’m amazed at how old everyone has gotten. It shocks me. And all of their health problems sadden me.

I’m so thankful that -

I don’t wake up hurting

I don’t spend hundreds of dollars on medications

I’m not sick

I don’t diet

I enjoy great food

I look, feel, and act younger than others my age

I’m back to the same size I wore at age 17. OK, maybe I’m not quite so happy about that, but that seems to be my body’s natural set point. Its just hard buying clothes when you have the body of a 17 yr. old at my age.

Is it luck?

I guess you could say I’m lucky that I never cared for packaged foods and learned how to make fast easy meals from scratch.

Or you could just call me a food snob. I absolutely despise the lab created chemical garbage that tastes bad and is making everyone fat and sick. I only want to eat good food.

Or you could call me a Rebel With a Fork -

But don’t call me old!

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How to improve your skin in one week?

It’s the time of year when life kind of beats us up -

Cold weather beating on your face

Crazy work schedules

Decorating, cards, gift shopping, dinner planning and shopping, getting the house ready for company…

School concerts, special events, parties…

Eating junk

Not getting enough sleep

Have you looked in the mirror lately? I mean, really looked? I did…

And everyone’s going to have their cameras out next week. Is it possible to look young and refreshed by next week? You bet ya!

One of the best skin care foods is cantaloupe. Eat a few chunks every day.

Orange juice is full of skin loving nutrients too.

These 2 orange beta carotene filled foods will also help build up your storehouse of vitamin C that will help boost your immune system.

Green tea is not only full of anti-oxidants, but when the tea bag is cool – you can place them on your eyes and help reduce puffiness.

Eat a salad every day to get plenty of skin and body loving nutrients.

Get plenty of healthy fats. Maybe olive oil in your salad dressing, or mixed with some parmesan for dipping your french bread, or heart healthy nuts, or salmon, tuna, or sardines.

Get some protein in every day.

Drink more water and less soda and coffee.

Get enough sleep. I know – this one is really hard this time of year. I’m having a few day stretch here where sleep will be in short supply – but you can bet that I’ll be making sure to get at least 7 hours every night once I’m through these few difficult days.

Exfoliate 1 or 2 times a week to remove dulling dead skin cells.

Use a gentle cleanser that won’t dry out your face.

Use a good moisturizer and eye cream.

Wear make-up. Make up actually protects your skin from the elements, hides imperfections, and highlights your best features.  Keep it simple and natural looking.

Only listen to music and watch movies that keep your mood happy and light. Be a kid and enjoy the season. When we’re happy, our face naturally lights up.

You know how people in love glow? If you switch your attitude from aggravation to love, you’ll look a lot better. Not to mention you’ll be better to be around.

Don’t wait until the day before and expect miracles. Start today so you can look great when your relatives whip out those cameras!

Smile

Discover more foods to help you look and feel better >>>

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My dad and his wife came down today and offered to take me to dinner after my grueling day at the garage sale where we made pitiful money

We went to Golden Coral – a buffet style place.

My father and I headed off to the salad bar for our first plateful. The similarities ended there. We all made totally different choices when it came to the food items. But we at least started off with a heaping plate of fruits and vegetables.

While we were at dinner, my step-mom said that my dad was not active enough since he retired. She said that he eats a couple pieces of toast in the morning, a lite dinner, and some ice-cream later at night, and he’s gaining weight even though he hardly eats anything.

Well of course – he normally ate a lot throughout the day, and now his body thinks he’s starving. Now it’s saving up in the form of fat. Add to that his inactivity and he can be headed for some real problems real quick.

It’s a very common misconception that if you eat less you’ll lose weight. All you’re really doing is slowing your metabolism down to a crawl.

Eat all day. Make sure to make the bulk of your food choices healthy foods. Get some exercise. It’s really as simple as that.

Another misconception is that as you get older, you naturally gain weight. It’s not the fact that you’re getting older that is making you gain weight. As we get older, we have fewer physical demands. We’re not chasing around small kids. Jobs usually demand less as we get older and more established. And then when we retire, most people are less active than ever. Add to that – once the kids are grown, many people let their heatlhy eating habits slide – right at the time when your health depends on it.

It has little to do with your age. It’s your habits that have changed.

What do you think would happen if you actually ate your 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables and got some exercise everyday?

Well, you could be thin and healthy and full of energy like me. I’m just a couple years away from being able to start getting senior discounts at some places. I have a hard time fathoming that. Me, a senior citizen? No way. It’s not possible!

And then there’s Big Al. He’s an older man who walks around the neighborhood talking everyone’s ear off. I find him very intersting. You always get a history lesson. He talks mostly about jobs he’s worked, starting during Hitler. He was bragging today that he can see without glasses, he can hear just fine, he has 2 arms and legs that work fine. He will be 87 in September. (don’t tell him that I told you how old he really is)

You have a choice.

You don’t have to be a saint, but there are certain rules that you DO have to keep if you want a higher quality of life.

It’s my mission in life to get people healthy. If you’re ready to change to a healthier lifestyle, but you need some help – Find out how you can stay thin, healthy, and full of energy here >>>

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Here it is, past he middle of June, and still cold and rainy. We’ve only had a handful of nice days. So I relented yesterday and got into a tanning bed. I mean, I don’t even have a base yet! And I’m way behind in restoring my Vitamin D levels.

So, my coworker was talking about the lotions and she touched my arm. She startled me when she pulled back and exclaimed, “Oh my god, her skin is SO soft!”

Now I want to start touching everyone and compare. Taking care of my skin has been a priority for many years, but I never thought that the softness of my skin was out of the ordinary. I guess it is.

So how do I do it?

Fruits, vegetables and supplements to keep my skin nourished and hydrated from the inside.

I use a bath puff and a moisturizing body wash to exfoliate dead skin cells and moisturize while in the shower.

After Every shower, I generously apply lotion.

Once every couple weeks, I exfoliate using a scrubbing grain. I use my facial one since I’m too cheap to buy 2 separate products

That’s pretty much it. No rocket science involved.

I have used the hydration machine at the spa. It’s pretty cool. It covers you in a vitamin infused stream that helps purge gunk out of your pores and hydrate your skin. Besides the heat and steam, there’s infared light therapy and aroma therapy to relax all of your senses. Plus they say it burns up to 600 calories per 20 minute session – which I definitely don’t need – but for most people, that’s a great benefit.

If you’re in the Lake Villa/Lindenhurst/Grayslake area, drop me an email and I’ll get you a free pass to try it!

Make taking care of your skin a priority. It’s the only skin you’ve got.

I guess I’ll need to include a skin care section over at the SuperWoman Club?

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Boy, we just finished a whirlwind weekend!

My friends’s daughter graduated boot camp on Friday. We originally met them when Bill was stationed up here and trained new Navy recruits years ago. The kids played together almost every day. It’s so hard to believe that one has grown up and has gone away…

Jamie and Jeremy came in Thursday night. Bill is still in Iraq. They got in around 7. We had a nice dinner. We went for the whole 2 mile dog walk – well, Jeremy roller bladed. Then they had to get up at the crack of dawn to head out to the graduation. I was not able to attend because you have to get your guest list in by a certain time, and only a certain number are allowed. Anyway -

Gabby was able to get off base for a while and they headed off to the mall. I met up with them so I could at least see Gabby before she shipped out. Emma (my daughter) was in school, so she wasn’t able to see Gabby.

Gabby decided that we should come to the ariport and see her off so she could get her cell phone from her mom, and be able to see Emma. Except that her bus was leaving at 2 AM to head to the airport that was an hour and a half away. They would take off at 6 AM.

We ate a late dinner again. Took the 2 mile hike with the dog, and then we debated – do we try to get some sleep first, or just stay up? With visiting and stuff, before you knew it, it was midnight. We knew that if we fell asleep, we’d never get up. So we decided to hit the road at 1 AM. We figured we’d find something to do around the airport. There was nothing to to at this airport. We weren’t even supposed to be in there, but no one bothered us about it.

At 3:30 or so, the bus showed up. The grils finally got to see each other. They got wacky pictures that I’m hoping will be up on Facebook soon. At 4 or so, we headed home. When we made the last turn, it was starting to get light. We finally hit the sack at around 5:30.

Jamie and I got up around 11 AM, and it was beautiful out. The windows were open, and there was a slight breeze – like a beautiful early summer morning. I made us a nice brunch with spanish omlets, sausage, biscuits and fruit. I repeated the process again when the kids finally got up around 2. By this time, the weather had turned. The kids missed out brief taste of summer.

We had to be at a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for our lake by 5 so Emma and I could eat before our shift started. We volunteer every year. We got home by 8:30.

We all piled out to walk the dog – but he only got one mile this night. It was getting cold, and we were all pretty tired. Then we relaxed and watched a movie. While the showers were starting, I had to run the movies back – they were due.

Jamie and I got to bed a little after midnight. I hear the kids didn’t go to bed unitl around 2. Then it was up at 7:30 to start getting ready for church. I was really supposed to be out helping get the piers in the water, but it was 42 and raining. Were they really going to do this? I opted for church with the rest of the gang

We went out for lunch after church and stuff ourselves silly at Golden Coral. I hear the one by us has better food than many of them. I love the salad bar. You see the obnoxious creations I make. That and the banana pudding and I’d be happy.

When we got back to the house, they were finishing putting the piers out. Darn, I missed it. There’s nothing better than trying to move those great big boat hoists in freezing cold water, and in the rain.

It must have been 2 by the time Jamie and Jeremy pulled out. Emma started working on her ACT prep. She needed help with math, and I stink at math – plus my brain was totally in melt down by now. I washed the sheets and towels so they were all ready.

By the time I did a couple blog posts and went through emails, it was 1 AM before I hit the sack. Believe me, I slept a full 8 hours. Jamie called around 10:30 AM. They had driven straight through – home to Virginia. I don’t think I could have made it, even with 2 drivers.

But I’m over 20 years older than Jamie. And I’m here working today.

You can’t do that if you’re not healthy.

What are you eating for dinner tonight? Will it give you the health and energy you need to live life to its fullest? I’m willing to bet that you feel worse than me today, and you didn’t do half as much this weekend. Am I right?

If you want to keep up with whippersnappers 20 years younger than you, and run circles around your kids – You’ve got to be a High Energy Eater >>>

Now that’s anti-aging!