Search

foodfoodbodybody

eat, move, think, feel

Open Search
Author

Susan

writer, memoirist, foodie

Day 17 #NHBPM: My Running Playlist

Day 17 – Saturday, Nov. 17

My strengths and weaknesses list post
OR
Health Playlist. Make a playlist for your health community

The music that I listen to when I run means a lot to me. Often it moves me to tears. It keeps me going. This is a little sample of my “must listen to” music when I’m running.

  • God Says Nothing Back, by the Wallflowers. This song is just the perfect rhythm for my running pace. If I just had one song to listen to over and over while I run, this would be it.
  • Friend of the Devil by the Counting Crows. This slower version really works for me. And the part about “set out running but I take my time” always resonates with me and makes me smile.
  • Home by Marc Broussard. Fantastic nonstop pound it out song. Makes me just pump it out and GO. Great for bringing up the energy.
  • Drive by Incubus. This one is kind of fast for me but it really also gets me going.  The lyrics speak to me.
    Sometimes I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear
    And I cant help but ask myself how much I’ll let the fear take the wheel and steer
    It’s driven me before, it seems to have a vague
    Haunting mass appeal
    Lately I’m beginning to find that I should be the one behind the wheel
  • Radio Nowhere by Bruce.
  • You Found Me by the Fray. If I hear this song when I am driving my car, it makes me want to stop the car, get out and run.
  • For the Summer by Ray LaMontagne. This is a gentle, loping song. I just love Ray. And I laugh out loud and sing along when he sings “I’m tired… I’m tired…”
  • It Won’t Take Long by Ferron. This is a long song, almost 8 minutes, and it’s one of my almost perfect running songs. “Don’t you want to see yourself as strong?” Yes, I do.
  • Wild World by Cat Stevens. Another slow loper. This is a great cool down song.
  • Human Wheels by John Mellencamp. Great running song. Yeah, human wheels keep going.
  • Come to Jesus by Mindy Smith. I am not a religious person, but this song gives me religion. Especially when running.
  • Safe and Sound by Capital Cities. This was the background music for the Big Blue Test video I did, and will always make me feel emotional and motivated.

Those are my top running songs. If I hear any of them when I’m not running, they make me WANT to run. I know, I know, running with earbuds is unsafe and all. I usually just wear in one ear and let the other one dangle so I can hear what’s going on in the environment too. I will forever be grateful to some of these songs for getting me going when little else would. I can now run without music because I’ve trained myself to do it but I will always have a soft spot for these tunes.

 

2

Day 16 #NHBPM What’s Unusual About this Picture?

Day 16 – Friday, Nov. 16

Create a comic strip about your health / life / community OR
Use a picture or video to inspire a post

I know, I know, I’m two days behind again. Weekends can be tough. So this is Friday’s post coming to you on Sunday. I have to say I am getting a little bit weary of the blog posts every day. But I am hanging in there and today will be my catchup day.

This picture is from today’s walk with Mr. McBody. We went up to the beautiful woods near our home. This picture is unusual because we are very rarely up there together. Usually he is riding his bike and I am running. I don’t like bike (trail) riding up there much.  It’s too bumpy and there are too many obstacles (ie people and animals and other bikes) for me. He doesn’t run anymore. Back in the day, when we were younger, he was the serious runner and I was the couch potato. Somehow in the past few years it seems that now I am the runner and he does… other stuff.

Today he suggested that we take a walk up there together. It was so nice. Afterward we went down to the Farmers Market together. We ordered our Thanksgiving turkey and had some lunch and walked around our little neighborhood. Normally that is something I also do alone or with Juniorette or sometimes Junior. So that was another nice thing.

Later this afternoon we are going to the movies. (Lincoln) All of this is not at all our norm. I am used to rushing here and there, meeting up with my various peoples. He spends a lot of time hanging out and being with Mama McBody (who is MY mom, not his).  Today she was off at church and we had the nice opportunity to spend an unrushed Sunday together. A little sad that this was remarkable. But it was awfully nice.

I think it’s healthy to slow down and take a walk sometime instead of a run or a challenging bike ride. And nice to do it with someone you love.

2

Day 15 #NHBPM: I Nominate…. My Incision Blog!

at a poetry reading

Day 15 – Thursday, Nov. 15

Why healthcare companies (or healthcare professionals) should use social media OR

Nominate someone for a Health Activist Award bit.ly/haawards12 & write a post about why you nominated them!

I am nominating my friend Wendy for the “Best Kept Secret” Health Activist award. Although she has been blogging about a very important health issue for a long time, our bloggy circles haven’t really crossed paths all that much.

I first met Wendy when we were both getting our masters degrees in creative writing. She is an exquisite, sensitive and wonderful writer. We were in a writing group together for over a decade. She is a beautiful soul.

we go way back

Wendy has written poetry, creative nonfiction and blogged about her experience as caregiver for her elderly mother, and as a survivor of infant surgery, from way back in the day when babies who were operated on had no anesthesia and little comfort. It is an experience that can ripple out for a lifetime.

She has recently been sharing her experiences in wider and wider circles – in the medical humanities field, and with individuals, survivors, health professionals and family members of those who have not only had surgery as infants, but who have had other types of trauma. She is a true healer, a generous spirit in every sense of the word. I have been so fortunate to have known her. Last year, at my Stories of the Body retreat, she helped people tell their body’s stories through simple drawing. Soon she will be launching a service where she will be offering guidance to others.

She is truly a gift. I encourage everyone to go read her blog. Check out her beautifully healing art.  Read her poetry and an excerpt from her memoir.

She writes about:

If you are interested in any or all of these topics, go to my dear friend’s blog. It won’t be a secret for long.

1

Day 14 #NHBPM: FoodFoodBodyBody, the Reality Show

Day 14 – Wednesday, Nov. 14

“My life is a reality show.” Write characters, plots, the set, and why people should watch OR
Advice for dealing with negative feedback in your community

Here are the main characters in FoodFoodBodyBody the Reality Show:

Foodie McBody: Our reluctant star. Sometimes she’s up, sometimes she’s done, but she’s always getting herself into some new pickle or another, whether it be a triathlon or a solo performance show.

Mr. McBody: main cheerleader, medic and love interest.

I couldn’t do it without him

Junior McBody: elder daughter. Zippy runner and magic maker.

Juniorette McBody: younger daughter. all-star baker and carbohydrate temptress. Also known to juggle and make awesome tie-dye.

Junior & Juniorette

Mama McBody: Junk Food Junkie and chocoholic. Although she is pushing 90, she is also a heckuva weekly bowler (with a 15 lb ball!)

mama McBody

Our Four Legged Friend: The only dog alive who really doesn’t like to go on walks. Especially if it means she will have to encounter Other Dogs.

our four legged friend

The Cast of Friends: We’ve got the loving and loyal Sidekick (always there for carpooling to workouts). We’ve also go the Greek Chorus of visible and invisible Internet friends (plot point: Are they REAL if you can’t see them? Stay tuned and find out!)

best Sidekick ever

The set: main set is a cabinish home high in the Oakland hills, under the redwoods and eucalyptus. Extra steep hills can be good for a little drama, huffing and puffing and gnashing of teeth. However, Foodie is big into travel, so you might often see her On Location in various locales like Baltimore, New  York City and Elsewhere.

Plots: Will Foodie finish this crazy endurance event (triathlon) that she signed up for? Will she (and her health) survive the departure of her beloved endocrinologist? Will she be able to show her face at Fitbloggin’ even though she is in worse shape than the previous year? Will she succumb to the temptation of the new Mac-and-cheese only restaurant in her hometown?  How will she celebrate her healthaversary THIS year?

Find out the answers to these and other questions by tuning into this week’s episode of FoodFoodBodyBody – a laugh (and sometimes a tear) every time!

3

Day 13 #NHBPM: What Does My Favorite Book Have to Do With My Health?

Day 13 – Tuesday, Nov. 13

Book report. What’s your favorite book and how can you tie it to your health or life? OR
Write about something taboo

Hmmmm. My favorite book? That’s a tough one. Of course it would be easier to write about my favorite HEALTH book (I think the prize for that goes to Savor). But my all-around favorite book? That’s a very tough call. I have many favorite books.

Okay. I am going to really stretch here.

I’d say that one of my top five favorite books of all time is Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. How much do I love this book?

I’ve read it to myself at least four times. Mr. McBody has read it (out loud) to me at least twice. I have two copies – a dog eared and tattered hard back, a new paperback, and it’s on m Kindle AND my iPhone AND on my computer. When I heard Marilynne Robinson read from it out loud at the Associated Writers Program conference several years ago, I stood in the back of the room and bawled like a baby.

I’d say that pretty well qualifies as a favorite book.

What is it about? It’s a fictional book-length letter written by the Rev. John Ames, as he is in his seventies and dying of heart failure, to his very young son who will most likely never grow up to manhood, knowing his father. The letter serves to convey all the love and messages that the narrator wants to impart to his son – family history, small moments of attention. It’s a long and loving conversation.

When I read this book for the very first time, I cried with my entire soul and body at the end of it. I won’t say more or spoil except to say that it’s about a deep bitterness, and ultimate forgiveness and redemption. Which is surprising and overwhelming.

So.. what does that have to do with my health? Many things.

I think about the legacy and the message I want to leave to my own children. In a way, this blog is like my own version of that – the message I want to leave about what is important to me, what I have learned and what I want to share.

And, I think it is actually not too much of a stretch to think about the own bitterness and hostility I have had toward myself, my own body. And how much forgiveness is necessary. I think this is why stories of forgiveness and redemption never cease to move me – often to tears-  because it is so very needed in my own life.

Thanks, National Health Blog Post Month, for helping me to remember this book and these memories.

4

Day 12 #NHBPM: My Favorite App(s)

It’s a good thing that we get two “get out of jail free” days from NHBPM. It looks like I just took mine this weekend. I got SLAMMED, scheduled wise. On Saturday I drove four hours (ack!) for a Weight Watchers training (it was good, but more sitting! I paced a lot) and then four hours home.  I was FRIED when I got home. NO blogging Saturday.

Then, Sunday was filled with fun but time-eating social events: a clutterbusting gathering at a friend’s house (how great is that -a small group of us cleared out and organized a pantry, cupboard AND a big entry shelf/drawer thing) in the morning, then a very cool baby shower (books for baby! to build her library! I LOVE THIS IDEA) in the afternoon and then dinner and visit with Junior in the evening. That was my weekend. But no more slacking for me! I’m in it till the end.

Day 12 – Monday, Nov. 12

Call BS on something. What’s something that is just ridiculous? OR “My favorite health app / device / game is…” and review it

OK. I will admit I am not in the mood to “call BS” on anything because I’m just not in the mood for controversy right now. But I could definitely do that in a few cases. I’m going to take the easier route (and more positive!) of discussing my favorite health app/device(s).

Everyone knows I am a big fan of movement devices. I’m loving my Weight Watchers ActiveLink, which is pretty much a WW linked device that is the same as the DirectLife activity monitor. Very similar. They work great.

I was looking at my phone and trying to figure out which app(s) I use and like the most. I think the one I use the most (other than SleepTime, which I already wrote about) is RunKeeper. I’ve been using it a few  years now and anticipate I’ll be using it a lot more now that I am on RUN TEAM (YAYY!).

I love Runkeeper. I love that you can GPS your route, measure time and pace, sync your music and also have audio reminders at time and/or distance markers (every 5 or 10 minutes, every half or quarter mile). It keeps me going to know that I am running an X minute mile. I love being able to link it to FB and Twitter. It’s a great and motivating app and I know I’m going to be using it a lot more.

So that was Day 12! Almost halfway through the month!!

2

Day 9 #NHBPM: Walking Again

Today’s blog post was supposed to be either about a “care package” which I didn’t quite understand, OR writing in detail about “a memory.”

I have only about ten minutes to write so…. ummm…. a memory. I’m going to write about something that happened today, which triggered a memory for me.

Today in my work as a physical therapist I worked with a woman I’ve been seeing since July.  She has a bunch of medical problems which led to her not being able to walk for over a year.  When I started with her in July I asked her her goal and she said “to walk again.” She wasn’t really even able to get out of bed without a lot of help. Well, we worked at it. And worked and worked and worked. And there were a ton of setbacks. For a long time it was a major thing to be able to stand for 5 seconds (and I was counting fast). But TODAY – TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! she walked with a walker for about 40 steps across her kitchen. We were both elated. And it felt like meeting someone at the end of a 26.2 mile marathon. It reminded me of why I do this work.

My dad was one of those people who, after a spinal cord injury, seemed to not ever be able to walk again. But that was all he wanted. He worked his ASS off, at the age of 81.  He was the best physical therapy patient on the planet. I was across the country from him so I never really worked with him in that capacity. But after working like a MULE for months and months and months, he miraculously and amazingly was able to walk with a walker for up to about a hundred feet. It meant so much to him. And to me.

These things humble me and remind me to be grateful. They also show me how determined people can be to do what seems impossible, and which maybe hardly anyone believes can be done.

(I took that picture in my patient’s kitchen today. Another huge accomplishment was that I was able to step away to take it and she could stand there without anybody holding on to her. In physical therapy language we call that “standby assist.” SUCH A BIG DEAL!)

So that made my day. And brought back a memory that meant a lot.

6

Day 8 #NHBPM: A Letter to My Health

Dear Health,

I wonder how you think I’ve been treating you lately. I admit it isn’t the same intense, hot love that we had back in 2009 when all I thought about was you, all I dreamed about was you. I know, I was kind of borderline obsessed with you, but that was only because I’d neglected you for like, decades, and you gave me that big scare that made me think you were leaving me forever.

I admit that the last year has been kind of bumpy. I know that I sort of was giving lip service to the fact that I cared about you, but that sometimes my actions spoke otherwise. That was not so great of me.

I really want you to stick around. For a long, long time. I think I’ve been trying to figure out all the different things that I need in order to keep you around. I used to think that you would only love me if I exercised all the time and was really strict about what I ate. But then I realize that you are more attached to me than I ever realized and that if I didn’t take care of all of the parts of me, then you would suffer too.

I’m realizing so many more things about our relationship lately – that you need to sleep and rest. That you actually LIKE it if I take time to write. I used to think you were jealous of my writing and that I couldn’t spend time with my writing and have you too. I didn’t really get that you guys are like BFFs. Wow.

I used to think that you only liked doing a few things and I think maybe our relationship got into a little rut and I started feeling bored. I didn’t realize that you liked doing so many of the same things that I do.

Did you know that I’ve been writing about you for 8 days in a row? (how’s that for attention? are you feeling it??) And I’m going to be doing it for the WHOLE month of November. I know! You must be in shock.

Guess what? Some of my favorite people are also writing about their health, too. Isn’t that cool?

Anyway, I just wanted to acknowledge that I was not the best friend I could’ve been. I was trying, but you know how you can be trying and still be sort of “off.” My intentions were good but hey, this is a really long term relationship and sometimes we just make mistakes. I think I can say that I learned from them.

Let me ask you. What did you think of that triathlon training last year? I know it was pretty badass. YOU were a badass and you did things I really never believed were possible. But I also think I was beating up on you a bit too. I don’t know. Maybe it was my mind beating up on both of us. I still have to mull that one over.

This next year, let’s do some more running. Like a couple of half marathons. You want to go to Disneyland again? Let’s dress up for the Tinker Bell Half. I promise it won’t be anything dumb, just something fun and comfortable. Definitely a tutu and maybe some wings? Or just sparkles.

Then I’m going to take you on a half marathon tour of OUR TOWN – yeah, the Oakland Half Marathon! We’re going to see so many of our friends. I’m super excited about this one.

I’m reallly excited to train, with like a REAL running coach, and a team, this time. I know how dumb it was to try to drag you out for half marathons in the past (remember Las Vegas? Yeah I don’t want to either) when I didn’t really know what the heck I was doing. But you should be pleased to know I’ve joined Team in Training again and we’re going to do it RIGHT! With lots of cowbell and support. And of course you know this means you’ll be wearing a lot of purple in the months to come. Heh.

Well, body, we’ve been through a lot. I want to let you know I appreciate you. I’m going to be taking better care of you. I know you’re feeling kind of tight and that you’ve got some aches and pains. I’m going to get that taken care of. Maybe some PT. Maybe some Pilates. I’m not going to ignore you when you’re crying. I love you!

That’s it for now. I like writing to you. Now the question is  – are you going to write me back?

Love,

Susan

 

5

Day 7 #NHBPM: Being Mindful/The Doctor’s Waiting Room

Today for #NHBPM – people are writing: 1) Redesign a doctor’s office or hospital room OR 2) Be mindful. Write about staying centered.

“Mindful” is one of my favorite words in this whole “being healthy” process. It’s the opposite of “mindless” which is what got me into this mess in the first place. I especially love talking about being mindful when I am talking with Weight Watchers members. It’s the thing that really pulled me back when I had joined and left WW so many times. I had a favorite leader, Stan, who talked a LOT about being mindful. I sat there kind of incredulous. I couldn’t believe he was using that word!

But Weight Watchers has come a long way since I first joined in 1997. It’s not just about counting points and toting up activity. Now, being Mindful is one of the key components of the program. Just last week we focused on just spending five minutes per day thinking about our health and the choices we are making. We sat there for five minutes contemplating various questions and I timed it in the meeting. I was so happy that this was our topic. And even better, this blog challenge has kept me thinking about my health for more than five minutes every day.

It’s when things get so busy and we go “on automatic” that it gets slippery and difficult. It’s good to develop healthy habits so that the “automatic” we fall back on is as good as possible. But that doesn’t always happen.

I truly believe that 99.9% of our health has to do with our minds – how we think about things, how we respond – to stress, to fear and worry.

Which reminds me. I started attending meditation classes when I was first diagnosed with diabetes – because I was in a PANIC state, and I knew I would need to calm down the stress in my mind. I didn’t keep it up for very long, even though I loved it. I am remembering that now and I would really like to make a plan to return.

On the to do list. Thanks NHBPM for a full week of blogging every day – this definitely wouldn’t have happened without you!

And since I’d already been thinking about it – my two cents on the doctor’s waiting room. I spent a long time in one last week and although I love my doctor, her waiting room leaves a bit to be desired.

  • comfy chairs, please. Chaise lounges would be lovely! Especially for the family members who are waiting and don’t even go in to see the doctor.
  • Lots and lots of fish. They are known to be calming.
  • Classical music. Most doctor’s rooms I have been to are dead silent. Which somehow adds to the tension.
  • Soft, even dim lighting, except for reading lamps (ha!)
  • A cooler of ice water with some cucumber and mint, like they have at spas. And a hot thermos of tea! Nice!
  • A separate little post-appointment cove or nook for people to absorb new information or diagnoses/prognoses.  A place that is soundproof with a nice box of Kleenex and a stuffed animal to hug. This would actually be my number one recommendation. How many times have we heard difficult or shocking news and then have had to stagger out to our car? How nice it would be to have a safe, comfortable place to just take in what we’ve heard, and maybe a friendly face to ask how we’re doing. That would be so much nicer, wouldn’t it?

Here are some other bloggers to check out!

 

2

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑