It's Been a While

That's an understatement. I've gone through a cycle like I'm sure many of us do. In the months of Feburary and March, due in large part to more work on my plate than I could complete in a regular workday, I began working at home, on weekends, and sitting A LOT. Not good. The major project I was working on hasn't concluded, but the workload is more consistent now. I'm left with having gained 15 pounds in those two months, about 5 of which I've now lost through Weight Watchers. What a bummer. That said, I'm LOVING Weight Watchers' new system because fruits and vegetables are free - Point free, that is. I was always so frustrated that a banana was the same amount of points as a small cookie. No longer!

I'm totally back into my 10-a-day. And I'm going swimming at the gym in an hour. I'm not saying that I won't get overwhelmed again and lose my balance, as that's the nature of our world, but I'm definitely back on track. And I shall blog again! Here's a recent picture of Olivia - she reminds my daily of why getting healthy needs to be my top priority.

Veggies are Good for the Heart!

More evidence olive oil and veggies help the heart

By Alison McCook

NEW YORK | Thu Dec 30, 2010

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It's no secret that eating well is good for both body and mind, so it may not come as a surprise that a new study finds women who eat more olive oil and leafy vegetables such as salads and cooked spinach are significantly less likely to develop heart disease.

A group of Italian researchers found that women who ate at least 1 serving of leafy vegetables per day were more than 40 percent less likely to develop heart disease over an average of eight years, relative to women who ate two or fewer portions of those vegetables each week.

It's not exactly clear why specifically leafy vegetables and olive oil may protect the heart, study author Dr. Domenico Palli of the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute in Florence told Reuters Health. "Probably the mechanisms responsible for the protective effect of plant-origin foods on cardiovascular diseases involve micronutrients such as folate, antioxidant vitamins and potassium, all present in green leafy vegetables."

Women who ate at least one daily serving (about two ounces) of leafy vegetables - such as raw lettuce or endives, or cooked vegetables like spinach or chard -- had a 46 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than women who ate at most two portions per week.

Both fruits and vegetables have been associated with heart benefits in past studies conducted elsewhere in Europe and in North America. The authors caution that the apparent lack of positive effect from high fruit consumption in their results may have something to do with a different attitude toward fruit in Italy. It is cheap, varied and easily available, so eating a lot of fruit is a widespread habit but it does not necessarily signal that the rest of someone's diet is as healthy, the authors wrote.

This is a shortened version, for the full article: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BT49320101230?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a49:g43:r1:c0.136364:b40727278:z0

My Body Will Catch Up

It's been over a month since I've written. The holidays were fun, filled with goodies, and generally tempting. In my new year's resolution I didn't want to change anything about what I'd committed to in 2010 - 10 a day, while not always followed to the "t", is still my goal. I also still want to run a 10-minute mile. So what needed to change?

I mentioned Marianne Williamson's article in my last blog. After reading that piece in Oprah I lost 5 pounds - just through thinking differently about my relationship with food. I then ordered her book A Course in Weight Loss. Each chapter is a different lesson. Some of the teachings feel a little silly, but I'm trying them (i.e. making an altar to my life). Some of her words though are so right-on, I have re-read certain chapters 3 and 4 times.

I don't know what I weigh today. I'm not as focused on it, to be honest. I feel a huge relief from my crutch on food to relieve my daily and long-term stresses, embarrassments, worries, and angers. Let's be honest - even my joys and accomplishments are tied to food "rewards".

My mindset is healthier today than it was yesterday, and I believe that will change my body. I have a big trip to New York planned for this weekend. It will entail LOTS of walking, and these coming nights and days will be focused on tying up details in preparation of a long weekend. Will the airplane seat be tight on my thighs? Yes, probably. But my mind will be focused, my heart will be light, and I will be living healthfully. My body will catch up in its own time.

A Weight Off Your Mind

I love Oprah Magazine. There, I said it. That and The Economist and I'm in heaven (I know, very different publications). While Oprah Magazine sometimes disappoints me with their occasional based-on-shaky-science re-publication of anti-commercial-agriculture propoganda, in general: Oprah feeds my soul. Paul always kids me when I'm reading that magazine "Is Oprah telling you how to live?"

This month's issue had an incredible article on weight by Marianne Williams called "A Weight Off Your Mind". Here are a couple of quotes from the article. I've scanned it if you're interested in a copy, just let me know.

"Being overweight is a spiritual issue. And spiritual growth is required to overcome it."

"You've subconsciously tried to get rid of difficult feelings by eating them."

"I was never a food addict, but for years I was a compulsive eater."

And finally, the paragraph that completely resonated with me:

"Imagine your excess weight as a brick wall you are carrying around. This wall has been built by your subconscious; its purpose is to separate you from other people and from life itself. Looking closely, you see that every brick has something written on it: Shame, Anger, Fear, Judgement, Pressure, Exhaustion, Stress, Heartbreak, Injustice, Protection, Jealousy, Inferiority, Embarrassment, Self-abnegation..."

All of a sudden, after reading this article I can FEEL my weight. I can see how it affects me in day-to-day interactions and why I've allowed it to stay on, even made choices that made that a certainty. This article has helped me and I thought it may help you. Pick up an Oprah or send me an e-mail and it's yours.

Abby

2011 Races

This week I've found that going to the Y in the evening, after Olivia goes to bed, is wonderful. I have guilt-free "me" time and I've spend the last few nights speed-walking 5Ks to get back into the swing of running. I also spent some time tonight finding races for the first 1/2 of 2011. Here's what I'm planning to do; let me know if you'd like to join me!

January
16th - Fort Ord Foray

March
13th - St. Patrick's Day 10K in Los Gatos

April
10th - Santa Cruz 1/2 Marathon

May
1st - Big Sur 9 miler
15th - Bay to Breakers in San Francisco

Self-Esteem

In September 2009 my friend Quinn and I listed all of my extra-curricular activities, including boards I sat on, events I co-chaired, campaigns I worked on, etc. There were 14 things on the list at that time and I was burnt out. Over 2010 I’ve worked hard to make good on what I’d committed to, all the while checking off the list and I’m blissfully at 2 as of today. I’ve already signed up for a couple of new positions in 2011, but I’ve made a promise to myself that from now on I’ll never do more than 5 so that I can focus on my family, friends and other priorities at all times.

And one of those priorities, as you all know, is my health. I was reading an article last week about exercise and weight. It said that maintaining a healthy weight through exercise actually helps our brains and memories retain and make decisions. Additionally, the more extra weight we carry not only weighs down our bodies but also weighs down our ability to be quick on our feet mentally.

Last week I also had a conversation with a person in the industry for whom I have great respect. He was commenting on my ability to retain information and said “Just wait 15 years…it’ll change.” I know he was joking (kind of) but that jolted me.

My self-esteem isn’t tied to how I look, my ability to run a 10-minute-mile, or how much I make. It’s tied to how well I do my job. I don’t know if that makes me odd, but for me it’s all about excelling professionally. All of those other things are good and can make me happy, but the bottom line is that when a grower tells me they feel I’m representing them well on an issue or a shipper calls me because they know I can get them the answer they need I FEEL GREAT. The idea that I may not have the ability to remember, retain, and basically keep on my toes in 15 years scares me.

What I’m getting at here is that I now have another reason to be healthy. And I’m realizing that by becoming healthier I may be better at my job not only 15 years from now, but today. That, coupled with being the best mommy I can be, is what my self-esteem is tied to, what gets me up in the morning, what makes me feel good about myself. I now have another reason to make sure I get to the Y, or take Olivia for a walk every day. Doing so makes me better at everything that’s important to me.

Butternut Bisque Shared

Today I wanted to share one of my favorite ways to get at least 2 servings of vegetables in a sitting. This is a soup that I make regularly during the fall and winter and I can't count the number of times I've shared a bowl of this soup, crusty bread, yummy salad and a glass of wine with good friends. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Bisque

6 C. Chicken Broth
1 large butternut squash – peeled & cubed, about 6 cups
1 medium sized tart green apple – peeled, cored and chopped
1 large onion – chopped
1 ½ t. sugar
1 t. salt
pinch of rosemary
fresh ground pepper
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
3 T. dry sherry
2 egg yolks
1 pint half & half

Combine stock, squash, apples, onion, sugar, salt, rosemary and pepper in large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender – about 1 hour. Puree squash until very smooth. Return to pan and bring to a boil. Melt butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and puree. Simmer 5 min. Mix in sherry. Beat yolks and cream in a small bowl. Blend in some of hot soup. Whisk mixture back into soup. Serve!

Re-warming is fine, but do not boil.