Sensible Guides » Lifestyle

Nutritional Food Trends Today

Gertie — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:00:16 +0000

We are all aware that staying healthy requires that we do our best to maintain a balanced diet, get plenty of exercise and stay away from unhealthy habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol and other drugs.

As more and more people are making nutrition and healthy eating a priority, alternative healthy eating ideas are rising in popularity.

There are many studies today that indicate consumers are taking better care with their personal food choices for better health, but they are also taking a more global approach that includes social consciousness and the environment.

Here are some of the most common food trends that are gaining in popularity today.

I have tried through the years to encourge Gord to eat more vegtables and less meat for better health but I have to admit he is not very happy when he doesn’t see some sort of meat at mealtime. He thinks anytime I make a vegetarian meal, I am putting him on a diet and sneaks more sweets to help him “keep his strength up”.

Organic Food

No longer difficult to find, almost every major food chain has an organic section for alternative choices. The range of food choices is growing substantially and the selections available can now be incorporated in every part of our lives from organic ketchup to pesticide free produce. Though often higher in cost, the choice of buying organic is becoming much more main stream.

Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism has been embraced today like never before. The market for vegetarian foods is more prevalent, and the choices have expanded enormously with most restaurants offering vegetarian options. Becoming vegetarian also goes hand in hand with reducing our carbon footprint and is also seen as a positive contribution towards the best use of our planets resources.

Raw Food Diets

With all the different meal choices out there now, I can never remember who eats what anymore so now when I have a family dinner, I tell everyone to make a favorite dish to share just in case I am not up to speed on any new meal plans I may have missed.

The raw food diet is not as common but is growing significantly today. The idea is based on the belief that the most healthful food for the body is uncooked and that heating food at high temperatures diminishes its nutritional value.

Vegans are the primary consumers of raw food diets however many are turning to this type of lifestyle for the increased health benefits of weight loss, lower cholesterol levels and less overall digestive illnesses.

We are no longer a meat and potato society. Companies have learned to modify their products to appeal to more lifestyles and the more selection available, the better the profit overall.

Taking care of our health doesn’t means bland and boring meal plans with little flavor and less taste. The alternatives available today have changed the landscape our grocery aisles.

The sky is the limit and depending on our choices, we can make a significant impact in our life and in our environment just by making a few changes.

Sensible Guides.

Lifelong Learning

Gertie — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:00:24 +0000

As we grow older we understand the importance of what we need to do to enjoying a long and healthy life but we often forget to take into consideration the role that learning plays into our well being.

We are not only talking about academic learning but learning in all aspects of our lives. From learning a new language, how to make a quilt or taking up a new sport.

Every new opportunity is a chance to grow and evolve in all areas of our lives and by taking on new challenges; we are expanding our comfort zone. By doing so we are increasing our energy, our happiness, and our overall health.

By keeping our brains active we are decreasing the chances of age related illness and gaining a better of quality of life.

Age is Relative

I have always taken classes of some sort for most of my life from dance lessons to Spanish classes. Of course there are times I would take a break from learning and it would be while I was siting on the couch at night channel surfing that the restlessness would get to me and I would sign myself up for something the next day. Gord often tells me that my “relaxing” needs some work.

By living with the motto “you’re never too old to learn” we are continuously taking steps to keeping our mental and physical selves mobile. By working our brains we are essentially keeping ourselves young. And the best news yet, is that no matter what age we start, we can reap the rewards in any number of ways.

An increase in self confidence
Improvement in memory
Better hand-eye coordination
Improved balance
Improved social skills
Reduction of stress
Improved outlook on life

Most importantly, when deciding on a new project or taking on a new skill, we are in effect working with the “use it or lose it” mentality. We are gaining strength and are becoming fit from the inside out by providing stimulation for our brains and action for our bodies. And the earlier we begin this habit of tackling new challenges, the better able we are of keeping this behavior ongoing throughout the rest of our lives.

With Gord’s hobbies and my classes, we both arrived home one night to find a message from our daughter who was a little miffed. It appeared our social lives had left her feeling like the parents who’s teens were never home. After some soothing of feathers, I helped her line up a sitter so she could join me one night a week. We had a good chuckle over that for a while.

Resources to Consider

Check out the community centers and local colleges in your area for courses that appeal to you. Look in your local newspapers for groups and classes that will get you out of the house and into a new social circle. Don’t forget the bulletin boards at your local church and grocery stores.

Encourage a friend to join with you as an added bonus of fun and friendship. If transportation or mobility is a problem, then sign up for online courses that offer class participation.

There are many ways to keep the learning throughout your life and the benefits are far reaching. Regardless of your personal choices, the important thing is to keep the right attitude.

By adopting a lifelong learning mentality, we have the ability to keep your physical and mental health in the best shape possible and increase our sense of happiness in the process.

Sensible Guides.

The Importance of Going Green

Gordie — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:00:05 +0000

Today, there are not many people who don’t know the meaning of Going Green. It’s a new term that has picked up a lot of steam in the last decade and will continue to grow in the years to come. With global warming, the depletion of the ozone layer and the disappearance of many plants and animals species on the rise, its time to take a stand.

The first step in going green is to become aware of how the decisions you make affect the world. Most people do want to help the environment, but also want to balance it with living a comfortable lifestyle.

Learning how to become greener at home is not as difficult as you may think and many of us have already been living this way for years.

I like to think we have been environmentally friendly for years. But if we have any questions on what get recycled and where it goes, we just call up one of the grand-kids. I swear they learned this stuff in nursery school.

Here are some of the simple ways to go green at home that don’t require a lot of time or money:

Replace your regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs which actually have a much longer lifespan.
Turning off lights when you leave the room and use power bars to turn off any electronics when not in use.
Only run the washer and dryer when you have a full load and on off-peak hours.
Use the delay timer on your dishwasher so that you can run your load while you sleep.
As you replace old appliances purchase the most energy efficient ones you can afford.
In the bathroom use a low flow shower heads, water saving toilets and turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth.
Have programmable thermostats installed and adjust your heating and cooling to your work and sleep schedules.
Recycle everything. This is the cheapest and easiest way of going green at home. All you need is two garbage cans and willingness to separate your trash.
Water your gardens early in the day to prevent evaporation and invest in rain barrels if possible.

When I am outside doing the yard work and using the push mower, the only thing that runs out of gas… is me!

Contact your city for drop off locations for disposal of all hazardous wastes. This includes oil, paint, batteries, pesticides, and cleaners.
Update the R value of the insulation in your home to prevent heat loss and be sure to seal all cracks around doors and windows.
Contact your utility company for an energy audit. There may be government incentives and cost savings.
Always keep your tires fully inflated and your vehicle maintained. You will increase your mileage, while saving money on gas.
Plan your errands to maximize your time and minimize your gas consumption.

Our Carbon Footprint has taken its toll on our planet and going green is not a choice any longer, it’s a responsibility. Just by doing our part in our own small way, we are improving our environment and making a positive impact on our planet.

One person at a time really can make a difference.

Sensible Guides.

How to Find The Motivation to Exercise

Gertie — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:00:51 +0000

In today’s stressed out world, finding and keeping the motivation to exercise is one of the most difficult challenges in maintaining our health and wellness. In other areas of our lives we tend to do a much better job in balancing but for majority of us, exercise gets pushed to the side.

Motivation is what provides meaning for all our efforts. It’s what gets us up in the morning. It’s what puts a smile on our face. And it sustains us through tough times.

Most of us do have a strong sense of motivation in at least one area of our lives. It’s what or who we love: our spouse, children, friends, pets or even a great job. We do anything to protect and be the best we can be regarding it. However when it comes to taking care of ourselves, our motivation often falters. Why is that?

We know that we need to take care of ourselves and that it’s good for us. Problem is, knowing it is not enough to get most people maintaining a regular fitness routine. Excuses abound because we’ve been focusing outside ourselves.

What Motivates Us To Exercise

Motivation can come in many forms. An upcoming obligation or event may be enough to move us into action, like desiring to fit into that perfect wedding gown or tuxedo. New Year’s Resolutions usually kick start the majority of people. In fact it’s peak season at most fitness clubs.

Setting attainable goals has always worked for Gord and I. Whether is was the Christmas Banquet or our Nieces wedding, we helped each other reach our goals with rewards. Mine of course being a new outfit and Gord’s often a new pair of Golf shoes. I say whatever works.

A wake-up call may have come from our health care provider, warning us that we have now entered the high risk group for heart disease, cancer, or other life threatening illnesses. This may do the trick, but we’ve just added the extra stress and fear of illness or even death to our decision. It’s certainly not a healthy state to be in, but unavoidable to many.

The most difficult hurdle we face to getting ourselves moving is an emotional one. If depressed already, finding the motivation to get on with an exercise routine seems almost impossible. This is despite the fact that regular exercise is a great stress reliever and depression fighter.

So, how do we get going down a path that’s so good for us? What helps us take that first step or sustain a program already begun?

Internal Motivation

It starts inside. We need to turn that desire for something better into an intent to become healthier and more fit. We need to internalize the love we have for others into feeling more compassionate about ourselves. Everyone deserves to be fit. Well, we do too. And we don’t have to go it completely alone. There are options to help us get focused and keep us on the right track.

Getting Help

Find a friend who will join a program with you. It’s a great way to help and encourage each other when one of you is struggling. This friend will not only call you out when you falter, but actually help you get back on track. Be each others champions.

One of the best things I learned from my mother was if you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place. Makes good sense to me.

Do before and after Images. Taking pictures after each week will help you monitor you’re gradual progress while letting go of expecting dramatic overnight changes.

Tell your friends and family you are committed to this fitness plan and you expect their support or complete non-interference.

Celebrate the milestones, be it a week of committed walking, or a drop in clothes size. Revel in all the victories no matter how small they seem.

Have a back-up plan in place before you begin your program, for those times when you are truly unable to meet your commitment. If you need to be away on a business trip, for example, commit to finding facilities there, either at a club or at the hotel itself. Ultimately, planning is the key to your success.

We can do this. We’ve seen it work with others now let’s give this gift to ourselves.

Sensible Guides.

Why is it Important to Volunteer?

Gertie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:30:45 +0000

Volunteering is as natural to me as living. You see, I was brought up with the idea that helping others grows me as a person of value and compassion. My parents, however, were very careful to make sure I was developing a strong inner core for myself and not simply using volunteer work to compensate for my own lack of self-love. As they taught me about giving, they would also question why I was volunteering for this or that.

No matter how serious the volunteer work may be, staying light-hearted and bringing others a bit of your sunshine goes a long way. Laughter lightens!.

Thanks to my parents, I’ve been a volunteer is some form or other most of my life. I have been blessed with receiving their wonderful philosophy of service. Many of you may not have had this type of mentorship, so let me give you my perspective on volunteering.

Reasons People Volunteer

Volunteering is important for as many reasons are there are people and needs.

Some people volunteer because they just love helping others. Their own joy of giving and making a difference makes them feel valued and valuable to the ones they are serving. They receive back a thousandfold by seeing the impacts created for the people they are helping.
Others volunteer because they feel a need to give back to a community that has been good to them and they want to express their gratitude by paying it forward into their community. This is powerful leverage that can build lasting beneficial changes in a viral way.
Still others volunteer because it gives them a sense of purpose and meaning to their lives. It’s like their contribution to others is fulfilling a critical aspect for their own self-expression in the world.
And, of course, many people volunteer to gain valuable new experience in a certain field and pay their dues for developing expertise and career advancement opportunities.
Last but not least, great volunteers enjoy themselves while giving to others. Long term studies have shown that volunteers live longer, are in better health, have lower rates of depression and less heart disease.

The poet John Donne said it best, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…”

Share Your Gifts With Others

Everyone has unique gifts to offer, bar none. When you share your gifts from your heart, you cannot help but feel great! If you don’t feel these self-rewards, then you are either volunteering in an area that doesn’t fit who you are, or else you’ve got some deep inner work to complete first.

Many of us don’t think that we can really make a difference. That’s why, if you have a desire to help out, do some research and find an opportunity to try it out. Your very own community will have plenty of opportunities to do so. If you are new at this, it’s also a good idea to choose the volunteer leader to whom you feel you can relate to and learn from.

The opportunities to make a real difference and impact the lives of others present themselves everyday. The question is, will we take advantage of them or let them pass by like an afternoon breeze?

Sensible Guides.

What is Organic Garden Pest Control?

Gordie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:08:36 +0000

I’m a self-admitted lover of nature and natural gardening. When I was a boy I remember working in my Grandpa’s garden. He used to call me ‘Gordie The Apprentice’. Back then, before gardening was even called organic ( it just was organic!), we were controlling pests the natural way.

I was impressed by how the art and science of gardening was perfectly coordinated and balanced. And as I play in my garden today, I can still hear my Grandpa’s wisdoms come through my own gardening practices.

It is heartening to know that traditional organic gardening practices are ‘in’ again. And it’s about time. I want to introduce you to some time-tested ideas for your own organic gardening enjoyment.

Pest Prevention

When looking at pest control for your organic garden, there are a variety of things to consider. The first thing to remember is that prevention is your first line of defence. Plants that are strong and healthy, grown in healthy soil, and given all they need to thrive are much less likely to submit to an insect attack.

Beneficial Predators

Did you know that birds are great natural predators to garden pests. The Hummingbird, for one, just loves to search for aphids (lice) on roses. Their chirping sounds are varied and really quite amusing. I’ve learned to figure out the gist of what they’re saying and this one guy just goes on and on till he’s kicked every other bird out of the garden. Oh well, at least he’s saving my roses!

However, if you find your garden already infested, identifying the insects that are chomping on your prized broccoli, for example, is a crucial step. You may, in fact, have beneficial bugs such as Ladybugs, Praying Mantises, or Dragonflies that are preying on the bad boys. You definitely want to attract these bugs into your garden. Keep them content and they will stay there and work to keep the holes out of your savoy cabbage.

Companion Planting

Planting complementary varieties near each other can make each plant stronger. Also, certain plant smells will confuse the insects, and effectively control damage passively. For instance, if an insect is sniffing out your carrots, planting Dillweed amongst them will likely have the pest pass right by their favorite lunch. Garlic is a well known companion plant as well, fooling the ‘sniffers’ of many insects.

In the organic garden, the Frog is Prince! Yes that’s right, frogs love flying insect pests. So have your organic garden near a pond, or build one and YOUR Prince will come.

Non-Toxic Repellents

There is also a myriad of spray-on mixtures and insecticidal soaps that you can either purchase or make up fairly easily yourself. These usually consist of a little natural detergent, some oil for stickiness, and a camouflaging smell such as Garlic, Cayenne Pepper, Oil of Peppermint, among many others. These types of repellents need to be re-applied initially after both rain and dew. Once the infestation is under control, the application many be reduced somewhat.

This is just a taste of the vast subject of organic pest control. Just know that you have an arsenal of natural weapons at your disposal to safely deter any pests in your garden. Happy gardening!

Sensible Guides.

What to Wear to a Winter Wedding

Gertie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:18:54 +0000

Last January, Gord and I were invited to a formal wedding in snow country. My first reaction was, “I have nothing to wear,” which made Gord burst out laughing. He knows my taste in clothes and always remarks how perfectly elegant I look, no matter what the occasion.

But this was different. It was a winter wedding. And I was at a loss for ideas. So I began to research for choices. I was surprised to find lots of information and opinions on what is best, both online and offline. Winter weddings have been steadily growing in polarity in recent years. The contrast between the snowy outdoors and cozy, elegant venues makes for an atmosphere of added romance.

Dress For Location

Cold winter weddings by their very nature require additional thought about what to wear. Of course if the wedding is formal, your choices are limited to tuxedos for men and evening gowns for women.

Don’t forget your winter ‘woolies’ if you’re dashing in and out of the church and reception. Nobody’s the wiser, unless you ‘Flash The Fashion’ after your first dance. Oops!

In our case, the wedding party was formal but the guests had no restrictions. Also, the wedding was indoors, except for a quick outdoor sleigh ride only for the wedding party photos. I was relieved. I didn’t have to worry about extra ‘woolies’ and such. And, I already had an elegant black faux-fur mid-calf length winter coat that would go well with any dress.

Dress Styles

My research revealed that dresses should be knee-length to tea-length with no plunging necklines or high slits. Sleeves are better, but if the dress is strapless or has spaghetti straps, just add a wrap or bolero jacket.

The prevailing recommendations are to avoid bright colors such as yellow and orange, which are best suited for spring weddings. Instead, they suggested ladies dress in rich wintery colors such as burgundy, gold, deep plum, black if accented with bright accessories, and forest green, while reds should be deeper tones only. The focus was on single colors with lots of texture in the material itself.

The trend towards shimmer and sparkle has definitely taken hold. But it’s important that your attire does not to overstate. You want to complement the decor, not become it!

Accents

The jewelry should be light and add a sparkling contrast to the dress. Diamond settings or gems like rubies and emeralds are appropriate. A simple necklace, earrings and/or a small jeweled handbag will add just the right sparkle. The overall effect is the glamor of elegant simplicity.

Thanks to some wonderful jewelry from Gord throughout the years, I have all the sparkle I need. I chose a rich black velvet fitted A-line dress falling just below the knees and accented it with my gorgeous ruby pendant on a gold chain with matching earrings given to me by Gord for our 40th wedding anniversary. My pump shoes glittered in the color of rubies to complete the outfit.

I could tell it turned out just perfect by the sparkle in Gord’s eyes when he whispered to me that I was the most beautiful woman at the wedding.

I wish you all the best in your own search for the perfect dress for the Winter Wedding. Follow the heart of romance and you can’t go wrong.

Sensible Guides.

What is Meditation?

Gertie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:51:03 +0000

Meditation is the feeling of oneness, where there is no separation between you and wherever you place your attention. It’s like you dive into the moment with all your being. You then go beyond the sensations to merge completely with the experience itself.

A Natural State

Meditation can be experienced naturally in many different ways. You get the feeling of deep relaxation and having a greater focus and awareness without attachment. You may be contemplating, praying, walking in nature, enjoying beautiful music or romancing with your beloved. I could go on and on…

For example, ever since I was a little girl, when I get deeply into a project that I really love, my regular mind stops chattering. It’s like I’ve released it from all its conditioning and stress. A feeling of peace and calm comes over me, and nothing seems to get in the way. And, I am able to see the solution to what I’m setting out to do, even before I have begun.

Regular Practice

It’s important to keep your meditation journal private. As the poet James Allen says, “He thinks in secret and it comes to pass.” This way you can keep the power of these just-forming seed thoughts.

I realize that I have been meditating much of my life without even knowing that’s what I was doing. Studying about it and taking meditation classes has helped me return to those meditative states in a more conscious way. I now experience them more regularly and on demand, whenever the situation warrants it.

Most people have glimpses of these “greater than ordinary” moments, but often they are fleeting and soon get forgotten in the turmoil and stress of daily living.

That is why, especially today, I am grateful to have consciously re-learned meditation, so I can access this natural state more easily and deeply.

Watching Your Breath

My best times for meditating are early in the morning before the day begins. I keep a journal handy and capture thoughts that come to me as I come out of the meditation. It’s amazing what ideas and visions I’ve been able to bring into my life. If Gord only knew where the idea for that last trip to Bali came from…

I enjoy showing others how they can access this state too. For example, here’s a simple “Watching Your Breath” Meditation:

Sit quietly on a straight chair, with your feet touching the floor.
Place your hands gently on your lap, unclenched and relaxed.
Gently close your eyes and focus on the space between your eyebrows without effort.
Breathe slowly in and out, filling your belly to fullness on the in-breath and emptying your belly on the out-breath.
Watch your breathing without effort as you settle into a slow rhythm.
If thoughts come in, just observe them and let them go on each out-breath.
Continue to breathe and watch your breath without attachment.
Feel the peace of the experience as you empty your mind with your breath. Stay there for as long as you’re comfortable (5 to 15 minutes).
Slowly open your eyes and wiggle your fingers and toes to bring yourself back into ordinary consciousness. Take a few more grounding breaths before returning to your other work.

Whenever you are stressed out or stuck on a problem, this simple little exercise can free your awareness so you can uncover solutions that were just waiting for you to realize them.

Remember, meditation is your natural state. Stress is not natural. It robs you of that natural state. But now you can actually catch the stress in mid-flight, so to speak, and let your breath take you back into your natural state any time you want. How cool is that?

Sensible Guides.

What is Ballroom Dance?

Gertie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:31:32 +0000

I must confess. I’ve fallen in love with ballroom dance. After watching Dancing with the Stars a few years ago, where non-professionals learned how to dance with such beauty and elegance, I was hooked. So I took it upon myself to find out more about this type of dance. In the back of my mind I was looking for a style that both Gord and I could enjoy.

Shall We Dance?

At its most basic level ballroom is partner dancing. Once exclusively enjoyed by the upper class at their social gatherings, it dates back as early as the 16th century. The Waltz was first introduced in the early nineteenth century and today many variations have evolved, including Spanish Waltz and Cross Step.

Modern ballroom dance includes various types and styles within both Standard ballroom and International Latin ballroom. Of course, thanks to Elvis in the 50’s, new variations of the Swing and Rock-n-Roll were introduced. Then along came the Disco mania of the 70′s. American Smooth and American Rhythm have also been added to the ballroom world.

Ballroom Dance Reborn

Finding a good teacher is critical to starting off on the right foot. Your local college may have ballroom dance clubs, open to the public, below standard dance club rates. We found a great Tango teacher at our community college. Funny enough, we keep winning the ‘grandparents’ category.

Ballroom Dance has enjoyed a resurgence since the 90′s. The addition of DanceSport has added a strong competitive edge and ballroom dance is now regulated by The World Dance Council.

TV programs, like Dancing With The Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, have boosted ballroom’s popularity into the stratosphere of dance genres. It has been embraced by a wide mix of people from all ages groups and across many cultures.

Today Ballroom Dance can no longer be confined to strict required steps and patterns, because new dances and creative variations continue to be added all the time. Yet it does maintain a formal distinctive beat and precision.

Social Interaction

More than the competitive edge, I love the social interaction between dance partners that ballroom dancing enables. It’s quite genteel and respectful. It reminds me of the days when Gordie first courted me with dance dates.

The dancer partnership within ballroom is somewhat more formal than in a night club. But don’t get me wrong, you can still be provocative and sexy, but you do it with class, elegance and romance.

Novice couples should stick to the center of the ballroom, or risk getting clipped by the more experienced dancers. Gord and I quickly came to that conclusion after a few collisions and bruises. Staying in the ‘eye of the storm’, is the best place to be.

Because the dance choices are so vast, it can boggle the mind. So, I suggest you start with a genre of dance you feel most attuned to. Study the dance by observing others and listening to the matching music.

Once you choose your genre, commit to sticking through the awkward learning phases. It’s well worth it. If you do, you can then go out to dances and just enjoy yourself. Gord and I have chosen the Tango, and now we’re having great fun. The romance is great too. It takes two to Tango, you know!

Sensible Guides.