(Lynda squatting—so to speak-- on the deck at home) Charmin Squats! Yay! Finally, toilet paper in the house! Bought some for us and for Mom & Dad! I’ve been shopping for my parents—making sure they stay safe, healthy and inside during this social distancing. It's incredible just how often and how many of us are buying toilet paper. And, on Mom's list each time I’ve gone to the store? TP. But shelves have been empty. I went to one place, stood in line just to get inside the store, then encountered another long line just to buy toilet paper. As I headed to that line, workers announced: “The toilet paper is now sold out.” Darn! So close!! (Mom, 87 & Dad, 91- last summer, downtown Gilbert, AZ.) Happy Parents But today I went to Costco. Score! And boy were Mom and Dad thrilled. When I arrived at their house, carrying the huge load from Costco, they cheered—from a safe distance behind the screen door, of course. They were so cute, really full of joy. You know you’re feeling blessed & grateful when you break out in applause for toilet paper! Exercising with my Cushy Stash So, before I “crack” open my toilet paper, thought I’d try it out for use during my overhead sumo squats! I kid. I just thought it’d make for a good pic. Felt cute, might delete later! Panic Buying All kidding aside there is an interesting reason TP has been the item to buy. We are “panic buying”. One psychiatrist says we’re essentially using “retail therapy” as a way of coping. And get this—because some stores sell it in large packaging, like this Charmin—well, then stocking up is a way in which we can feel even more secure with control over our lives. 1973 And this isn’t our first run on toilet paper. There was one back in 1973. We were in a gas shortage. In October of that year, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Companies (OPEC) proclaimed an oil embargo. In March, 1974 a barrel of oil had risen by 400%. Johnny Carson The toilet paper stock was fine, that is, until Johnny Carson delivered a joke about the run on TP. On his show on December 19, 1973: “There is an acute shortage of (shakes his head, grimaces) of toilet paper.”. What do you find comforting? Listen we are all scared. This pandemic is unprecedented in the United States. None of us knows when it will end. We all have to do whatever it is that makes us feel better. If that means buying personal hygiene items--then do it! But just know we will get through this soon and just imagine how incredibly grateful we'll all be! Aside from toilet paper, what would give you the most comfort these days to bring home from the store? Candy, cookies, a good meal, a puppy!? Please share your ideas below. I really want to hear them! I’ll start. For me, it would be chocolate candy! Make it a great--and safe & healthy day!
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Hey, Hump Day! Not your average hump day booty shot. Believe it or not, this heavy-duty, masking tape is actually concealing about 200 food samples—things I eat every day. So, yeah, taped to my back right now? Tiny pieces of salmon, egg, spinach, red lentils, homemade salad dressing, pineapple and much more. What’s the deal? Well, the idea is to find out what exactly is making me sick. For the last few months, I’ve had severe reactions to something and this will hopefully give us answers. The side effects from something I’m eating are nasty-- cramps, gas and debilitating diarrhea. It’s so bad, I’m left feeling like I have the flu. Sunflower, say it isn’t so! I’ve already completed one test and it did show a problem with sunflower seeds. Yep, I’m allergic. For the last few months, I’ve been roasting them at home, adding a little salt and devouring a few handfuls a day. Yum! Love that crunch! And they make for a great, healthy snack. But doc says I need to avoid them from now on. Cheap Shot Meanwhile, the allergy doctor is convinced there’s something else causing my problem. He suspects: nickel. Nickel is typically found in costume jewelry. My doc is really nice but doesn’t have much of a sense of humor. When he asked me if I ever get an odd reaction when I wear cheap jewelry. I put my best incredulous face on and told him this: “Who me? Why I’d never, ever be caught wearing that cheap stuff—only high-quality diamonds touch this skin.” What? That’s gold! I laughed. But he wasn’t amused and went on to explain that the inexpensive stuff is made with nickel and can cause itching and other skin problems. Nevertheless, I’ll be here all week folks. Tip your waitresses! Nickel in Foods No but seriously, turns out nickel is also found in many foods—and I’m not talking about just the processed things. It’s found in natural, holistic edibles, such as grains, seeds, tea and fish. Oh no! I eat salmon at least 4 times a week. It can be found in a lot more-- such as, 100% Cacao powder—which I also eat about twice a week. The Tape So, here’s how this tape-on-the-back test works. I gathered tiny pieces of everything I eat in a week and put them in separate plastic bags. I’m a creature of habit and eat the same things over and over, so this was a fairly easy process. I took about 200 samples in the day before so nurses could prepare each piece and place it onto tiny slides. On Tuesday, they attached all of the food to my back. So, behind that tape is all of the food. I have to hang like this for three days. On Thursday, the doc takes off the tape and measures the red spots and hives produced so far. Then they attach all of it again and I wait another 24 hours. They after the third day they measure again. Hopefully we will find some answers. Blood Test I also got blood tests. These will help determine allergens that may be irritating my bowels. By the way, you may remember in my blog post a few days ago—I had a colonoscopy because of the diarrhea. It showed an enormous number of Eosinophils attacking a food in my gut. In other words, my gut doesn’t like something so these white blood cells are gathering to fight it. That’s how I ended up at the Allergist. No Moisture Meanwhile, I cannot get my back wet. No baths, showers or (gasp!) work outs. But hey, at least during the Coronavirus outbreak right now, not working out is not much of a problem for me. Sure, I have a hastily created, make-shift place to sweat in my garage but it’s not THE gym, you know? If you know someone with food allergies or stomach problems—I hope you’ll share this blog with them. Together we might be able to help others. And stay home! We will get through this Coronavirus outbreak! Protect our loved ones by staying home. Make it a great day! Winter in Arizona Went from wearing a winter coat and gloves to a long-sleeved t-shirt & shorts. That’s Arizona weather—at least that hasn’t changed. So, it’s Friday when I opt to leave the house. First, a walk in the ‘hood with the girls, Millie & Roxy. Then, stores, gas station and parent’s house. On the seat next to me, I bring along a trusty passenger--a box of rubber gloves. Wow! The experience is challenging, even a bit frightening. I arrive at Walmart—a 24-hour location—I’m bummed—a huge line. It’s only 6:30 AM. The line stretches the entire length of the front of the store—equal to a huge city-block. I’m perplexed, curious. I can’t figure out why we’re all standing there. Crowd control inside the store? Senior-time only? Then I see a hastily scribbled sign: “Temp. hours: 7-7”. Shortened hours, I guess, due to less merchandise and to allow for stocking. So, I wait in the freezing temperatures, happy I bundled up and put on my winter coat. I have no other choice but to wait. You see, Mom needs (gasp!) toilet paper. Thirty minutes later, the doors open and ahhh, I’m inside. Yay! Workers are pointing to yet another line: “Get in this line if you want to buy toilet paper.” It reaches out the door and to the back of the store. But just as soon I scurry over there, another announcement: “The toilet paper is now sold out!”. I buy what I can, check myself out and head to Sprouts where I’m not sure what to expect. No line but most of the customers here are wearing masks, gloves, keeping their distance and even avoiding eye-contact. I smile at people. Knowing that if I get one back, I will feel a better, a little more at ease. I do get a few. Easy Breezy Then Costco for gas. This is a breeze. But the store itself which opens in two hours has lines already, hundreds and hundreds are waiting. At least five parking lot aisles are packed with people standing in line to go in the store. I snap some pics.
(Me & Roxy, Kitchen March 2020) Go on! Take it! Accept this “free” time to become better at everything. We have just been handed bonus hours. For the first time in the history of the world we have more minutes to work on ourselves. This is incredible, unprecedented. So, I vow to utilize every single second and treat it like the precious gift it truly is. Here are ten things on my self-improvement list. 1/Learn to Ommmm- Mediation tops the list! I’ve been full of anxiety. One obvious sign for me—my hair is falling out--again. I need to stem this and toot sweet! This has happened in the past. I lost about half my hair in 2016. I just now—through various treatments, including PRP from Dr. Semone Rochlin have filled in all of the bald spots. So, for the sake of my hair, I need to relax. Ommmmm. (Me & Dr. Semone Rochlin) 2/Book Nook-When I’m anxious, it’s tough for me to concentrate. But hey, hopefully the meditation will help me with that! 3/New Lingo- I should learn a new language once and for all. Here’s why: You know those long medical forms we fill out, with those redundant, annoying questions? You know the one where it says “preferred language”? I can be a bit of a smart ass so, ever since I was 16, I’ve been writing “Italian”. In part for kicks and also to see if anyone’s really reading it. And no— not once—not one time has anyone ever asked “Come ti senti oggi?” (How are you feeling today?). 4/Homie Gym- I need to set up a work-out routine that I can and will do until life in the outside world is safe again. I work-out best with structure, so this will be challenging. I will be sharing what I do—so stay tuned! 5/Investigating Recipes-Today I head to the allergist to determine which foods I’m allergic to. I cannot wait. Something has been giving me severe diarrhea and it’s taking its toll. So, I’m eager to find healthy, whole food recipes-- minus the problematic ingredient. 6/Blog Monetization- I want to (I will!) learn how to make money as I create fun, content on diet, exercise and positive, healthy living. Tips anyone? Please share! 7/Fur Lovin’- Millie and Roxy know something’s wrong, something’s off. They’ve been acting differently-sleeping and eating a lot less. Sleeping in different places and other oddities. So, they feel my nervousness and vice versa. Therefore, I will pay more attention to them--give them more playtime, cuddles, brushing and lots of walks!
Gym Clothes, Gym Closed This is what I wore to the gym today but alas no one saw it! Darn! No but seriously, I knew it was coming. I’ve been checking the gym Web site every day. This morning, I put on my work out clothes, had my coffee, checked the site (Open! Yay!) then left for my Tuesday work out which always includes: my five-mile run, shoulders, triceps & Yoga. But (tears) when I saw the empty parking lot, I knew. The sign on the door stated they’d closed last night at 8. What the heck? And they didn’t call me!? Okay. Now, the real work begins. This is when I really need to rely on my creativity, discipline and motivation to stay in good health. Lynda at Home 1/Walks-I’ll walk my dogs every day, sometimes twice a day. I have a really good 2-mile route with steep hills. 2/Stairs-I will run up and down my stairs. I have 17 steps in my house and this is a great place to burn calories 3/Squats & More-I’ll do more body-weight exercises like squats, lunges, burpees and more 4/Equipment-I have some gym equipment and will utilize it as often as possible 5/Yoga-I’ll grab my mat and do Yoga at home. By the way, click here for my favorite Yoga mat I’ve had dozens before I found this one and I love it. I never slip and it lasts more than a year and that’s great—since I do Yoga six days a week. 6/Abs-Now is a great time for me to do abs whenever I’m watching TV. 7/Stretching-I’ll stay limber by stretching my hamstrings and quads 8/Cleaning-I’ll clean. More dusting, sweeping 9/De-clutter-I’ll finally get my closet in order—something I’ve been working on for um..a couple of years. 10/Read-I’ll hit the books--More self-help books, more fiction. 11/Investigative cooking-I’ll be searching for more recipes as I try to find dishes that won’t aggravate my stomach condition. “Plans” Notice, I call these “plans”. I’ve never really been in to working out at home so I pray I can suck it up, so that later I won’t have to suck it “in”! Join in the conversation How will you stay busy at home? Share below. If you have a question on what you need to do to stay fit, please contact me. I look forward to hearing from you. Allergist Meanwhile, tomorrow I have an appointment with the allergist to find out what food I’m allergic to. It’s possible (sob!!) eggs are the culprit. Darn it. This will be tough—as egg dishes are my go-to food for healthy meals. But just like the CoronaVirus, I will get through this. Listen we are in this together. Let’s reach out to each other in anyway possible to stay fit and healthy. I’m here. If you have any questions about diet, fitness or anything else—comment below. I really want to hear how you’re doing. Lynda’s Day In the meantime, I’ll be sharing exact details on what I’m doing to stay lean and fit in this difficult time. Find that mostly in “Lynda’s Day”. Click on Lynda’s Day. It’s membership only but it’s just $9.97 per YEAR. Thank you for your support whether it’s simply reading this post, commenting or even joining Lynda’s Day-I’m grateful you’re here. Make it a great—and safe—Day! There’s no place like home Today, with all this uncertainty due to the Corona Virus, this is exactly where I want to be. I'm grateful to find comfort in the simple things--that comforting cup of coffee in my hand, a good breakfast, watching an old 1940s movie on TCB, my girls—Millie & Roxy—nearby and my husband, Kevin taking my picture (ha!!) No but seriously, I love and cherish my happy place. When I was a kid, I didn’t exactly have one. James Rd. Elementary 4th Grade Columbus, Ohio When I was younger, home for me was not a comforting place. Instead, it was stressful, scary and secluded. I fended for myself much of the time. Mom and dad were divorced. Mom worked and my two older brothers weren’t exactly nurturing. On the contrary, they were bullies and I was the focus of their ire. Mike and Steve had tempers and I would be the convenient punching bag—especially verbally. I walked on egg shells and was always on guard in my own home. You see, nothing I did was never good enough. When I opted to be brave and do something constructive—say make macaroni & cheese, dust or unload the dishwasher my brothers were always there to criticize. I didn’t add enough cheese. I didn’t put the forks back in the drawer correctly. I missed a spot. “How could anyone be so stupid?” Steve would ask. They always told me I was an idiot, I was ugly. I believed them. The result was often a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, anxiety, I guess it was. So, I’d hide in my room with the door locked until mom got home every night at 5:30. I don’t blame mom. She had to work and I loved her—and still do—very much. Today, the bully is the Corona Virus and with the situation seemingly turning dire every hour, that sick feeling is back. But compared to my childhood and compared to many people during this time of uncertainty, I’m doing quite well. And in order to get through this tough time I will keep praying for others around the world, friends & family while reminding myself to count my many blessings. I’m Happy, Grateful 1/I’m healthy and so are my friends and loved ones 2/I have a roof over my head 3/I can make a cup of coffee without any judgement from anyone in my home 4/I can create a meal without anyone telling me I’m doing it wrong 5/I can work out 6/I can sit at my computer and think & write 7/I can watch TV 8/I can read books 9/I can curl up with Millie & Roxy and take a nap secure in knowing I won’t make anyone angry 10/And I thank God, that today, I'm no longer forced to go to my room and lock the door eote to Mom Mommy if you’re reading this. This was not your fault. You were a hard-working woman who did the best job possible—giving us a home and hot meals. I would not change a thing—after all—look at my now, mommy-- I turned out just fine. I loved you then and I love you even more today! How are you counting your blessings in these tough times? Share below. Prognosis: Negative! So, I had a colonoscopy the other day. Good news and a little bad, too. No cancer or polyps. But there is something present in my gut: Eosinophils. Those are white blood cells and they are holding “fight nights” in my gut. Turns out I’m allergic to something I’m eating. Those Eosinophils immediately get to work and start attacking what my body sees as the enemy. Symptoms My symptoms have been annoying. For the past few months, I’ve had gas & bloating, stomach pain and severe diarrhea. I’ve been sore and uncomfortable. So much so that working out is a real struggle. My running these days is sloppy and slow at best and core workouts are few and far between. When you feel like the Pillsbury Dough Boy, it’s tough to work those abs! So, my gastroenterologist has set me up with an allergist. The next step—allergy tests to find out what exactly is causing the issues. Feeling Blessed I’m grateful this is nothing extremely serious but you know what? I am frustrated since I already have a fairly strict—as it is—lots of veggies, fruits, rarely anything processed foods. Though there are those times my willpower goes out the door. In my weaker moments it’s not pretty---I’ll grab a bowl and pour those highly addictive Peanut M&Ms in it—making sure to get more of the red and green, than blue! Yes, still a kid at heart. Reasons for Colonoscopy Colonoscopies are done—primarily to rule out colon cancer and/or to have polyps removed but these days the biopsies and other advances made in the procedure are helping people like me tremendously. For instance, in the past doctors might have misdiagnosed me as having colitis or a gluten issue. But my doc was able to narrow it down to the white blood cells gearing up for battle. Isn’t that cool? Choose This One! And a solid tip for you---the worst part about the colonoscopy is the prep. The day before, we fast AND take a prescribed drink mix that cleans us out. I had no idea there were dozens of different “preps” prescribed. But the one I had--Suprep ---was, by far, the “tastiest” and simplest to drink. And I do have some experience. This was my 7th colonoscopy. So, don’t be afraid to have one. This procedure could save your life. Please share this post if you know someone experiencing tummy issues! BTW: I have some suspects---nuts (no!), dairy (darn!) or eggs (egad!). Make it a Great Day! Amazing! Me in the kitchen. It really is! I’ve never been much of a baker. A childhood trauma would turn me against it. The Oven It was winter of 1968 in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio when Mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas. That’s “easy”. I only need one gift—just ONE: an avocado-colored, metal Easy-Bake Oven. All my friends have one—Janelle, next door, Michelle down the block and Ruthie across the street. Aww, sweet memories. Loved that boxed chocolate cake mix that came with it. It was a blast to watch the light bulb turn the batter into an honest-to-goodness fluffy cake. A Christmas Story I thought mom might say “I’ll let Santa Claus know”. Instead, she would tell me this—something that still haunts me today: “You’re old enough to use the big oven.” This always reminds me of Ralphie in the movie “A Christmas Story” hearing “You’ll shoot your eye out” when he asked for his Red Ryder BB Gun. Mother! But seriously, I’m convinced not getting that toy oven under the tree scarred me for a long time. But after 50 years of pouting, I’ve come to grips with using the big girls’ oven. Baking Bonanza In the past couple of years, I’ve stepped up my baking game—I’ve had to. With—what seems like—dozens of food sensitives and allergies, I have to be diligent about what I’m eating. One of the best ways to do that is to make it myself—duh! Pumpkin Bread One of the concoctions I’m most obsessed with these days is my pumpkin bread. You are going to love this! I’ve combined various recipes, tweaked them, added a healthy spin to it and made it my own. I really think you’ll love it. Keep in mind, it’s not real sweet but that’s the beauty of this recipe. You can always dust some slices with powdered or cinnamon sugar and add the sweetness to it as you like! So, without further ado here it is: Lynda’s Protein Pumpkin Bread Ingredients 1/3 cup Coconut oil (If hard, soften in microwave) 1/4 cup honey I always use this Manuka honey—healthy, great antioxidants Two ripe bananas 2 eggs 1 cup pumpkin puree ¼ cup milk or water 1 tsp freshly ground sticks of organic cinnamon ½ tsp fresh nutmeg 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp salt ¾ cup protein powder (I use this--THE best egg white protein) ½ cup ground oats ¼ cup freshly ground whole golden flax seeds (I use and love, love!! THIS brand, also buy it in bulk here—best price) ¼ cup wheat flour Instructions Butter a 9X5 inch loaf pan, bake at 325 degrees for about 60 minutes. Lynda’s notes I usually quadruple the recipe. I freeze two, give one to mom (Yes we’ve buried the “oven” hatchet!) and put one in the ‘fridge. I love sprinkling these dark chocolate chips on top for a bit of healthy cacao—a great antioxidant. Mom likes to butter it sometimes. My dad adds powdered sugar to make it sweeter but he also likes it plain. And my favorite way of eating this? A little unconventional but its yummy. I’ll add some unsweetened coconut flakes and a couple table spoons of chia seeds. Delish—with crunch and again—nutrition from those chia seeds! Love this brand! Try It! So, come on--hey, if I can do this--so can you! Contact me and let me know your thoughts!! And I want to know if you put your own spin on it, too! It's such an easy recipe to change up to ingredients you like! I do hope you’re enjoying my blog. Please share if you know someone who might enjoy it and especially if you know someone who might love my Protein Pumpkin Bread! Make it a great day! |
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