January 2023 newsletter

Let’s talk about habits, weight training, what you focus on, salad recipes, healthy drinking, and being an angel.

Surprise, it’s January again.  Are you better off today than you were a year ago? I made a few changes regarding my age (for the better), one because I had to (get cataract surgery) and two, in spite of my best efforts I’m slowing down, so I bought a mountain EBike. These two changes mean I no longer have to deal with contact lenses and I’m biking a lot more than I did a year ago.

A habit I started this year was to do squats every morning and do pushups twice a week.  After one year I maintain a regimen of squats every morning and pushups 2 times per week. The secret is consistency of purpose, like brushing my teeth to prevent cavities and gum disease.

The other thing I am working on is practicing the “fruit of the Spirit” listed in Galations 5:22; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  I find that it is particularly tough to get all nine qualities in line at the same time, every day, but that is my goal this year.

Whatever your goals for the new year, below are some ideas to help you get started.  

Cheers, Dr. Ben                                              

IT’S TIME YOU STARTED WEIGHT TRAINING (regardless of age)

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/dec/08/strengthen-your-heart-bones-and-maybe-even-your-brain-a-beginners-guide-to-weight-training-at-any-age?INCOGNI-2022_12_19=&sponsored=0&position=3&scheduled_corpus_item_id=cb34a01d-b737-4046-b181-049b01b9d68e

 

FOCUS ON LEARNING AND CREATING RATHER THAN ENTERTAINMENT AND DISTRACTION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlCz8nkDNqo

 

NUTRITION (no one ever got overweight from eating too much salad)

https://getpocket.com/collections/13-recipes-for-hearty-meal-worthy-salads

 

DRINK MORE – from Vanessa Marsden, R.N.

Here are some ideas you might want to implement. 

  • Homemade Cocoa (not the sugary, chemical-laden packets). Check out the link for the recipe and article I wrote about this a few years ago. I have had several cups recently and it is quite a treat, guilt-free too.
  • Hot tea – Either caffeinated or herbal. Relaxing with a cup of hot tea can be very comforting.
  • Coffee – Black (the right way to drink it!) or with heavy cream, skipping the sugar and junky stuff
  • Topo Chico or other sparkling waters
  • Tart Cherry Juice splashed in sparkling water – adds color and a little flavor
  • Sparkling water or plain water diffused with muddled basil or mint
  • Ranch Water (1 shot of tequila with sparkling water and lime) or gin & soda with lime, if you would rather go the alcohol route occasionally.
  • Soup even – like butternut squash, kale-cauliflower, carrot-ginger soup, even vegetable or chicken broth as well.
  • Electrolyte water, as most of us are deficient in minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and even sodium. I use the one from Seeking Health, but there are other good ones.
  • Why am I promoting drinking more?
  • Many of us are chronically dehydrated.  This can cause you to feel fatigued, your kidneys to be taxed, can cause headaches, toxins can build up, and can make you think you are hungry when you really just need fluids.
  • It can be soothing to relax with a warm beverage.
  • It can be a diversion from food.
  • It can help with lipolysis, which is basically burning fat
  • It can temporarily increase your metabolic rate.

So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to drink more this year and build it into a life-long habit. Drinking more doesn’t seem to come naturally to many of us, so plan on needing to plan for it. Your body will appreciate it!

Hot cocoa wishes coming your way,
Vanessa
www.vanessamarsden.com
Instagram @wellnessadventure_RN
https://www.beautycounter.com/vanessamarsden

BE AN ANGEL

This story is from an acquaintance of mine who lives in Tahoe, thus the shoveling of snow.

In the middle of a snowstorm, I noticed my neighbor franticly trying to dig his car out. This man is a strong-willed, self-reliant, retired police officer who frequently refuses help. Suddenly a thought came to me, have your boys dig him out. I immediately sent my boys over to help the neighbor while I kept working on our driveway. After they finished, our neighbor met me in the street. He was emotional and said, you don’t know this, but Cindy (his wife) has breast cancer and we are on our way to Sacramento for treatment. He continued, since we got stuck in the driveway, I was worried we wouldn’t make it to her appointment in time and she wouldn’t be able to receive treatment.

Several weeks later my dad brought over a newspaper article titled, My Neighbors, My Angels. In the article, Cindy spoke about suffering with breast cancer and shared the driveway experience. She added that she had got down on her knees and prayed to God for help. When she got up and looked out the window, she saw my boys – her neighbors and her angels – outside digging their car out of the snow.

Suggestions:

  • Forget about yourself
  • Use your God-given talents and abilities to find people to serve and serve them
  • Keep them close to you
  • Stick with it for as long as it takes

Truth: There is an endless number of people on their knees right now praying for help.

Bottom line: God will answer most of those prayers through other people who have the talents and abilities needed to help. Your opportunity is to be the answer to those prayers!

 

Kettlebell commercial: Inspiring (and not exclusive to kettlebell only)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REcZopXwOXo

 

THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH

“Kindness in words creates confidence.  Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.  Kindness in giving creates love.        Lao Tsu

“May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.”  Mary Anne Radmacher

Call Us Text Us
Skip to content