Woo-hoo! I got my BTD health library books from Amazon yesterday. I was going to get the Cardiovascular and the Diabetes books, but with just those two, I was only three cents away from getting free shipping on the order. So, I blew caution to the wind and ordered the Cancer book, too. Haven’t had a chance to delve into them much, but I’m enjoying the anticipation.

I’ve had a couple of intense days. Work was hectic yesterday. Being the first of the month and a Friday, we were pretty well slammed all day long. In the middle of the day I had my ‘annual’ voice lesson from our chorus coach that comes up from California a few times each year. Since I switched voice parts this summer, she coached me on how to sound more like a baritone (new part) than a lead (old part). It was really cool. There’s lots of stuff to work on.

Then today the chorus had an all day workshop with said same coach. It was great how she just ripped in to everything we were doing and changed things for the better. Very inspiring and exhilarating. It was a long day, and my brain is a little numb from all the mental and sensory stimulation.

My feet are a little tired, too.

Of course, along with the all day workshop came the potluck lunch. I took compliant vegetable and fruit trays. I tasted some of the homemade casseroles and other dishes, and splurged on a cookie. My throat reacted by closing up a bit and getting too phlegmy. I shoulda’ known better! I did know better. I just couldn’t resist.

It’s true. The new forum board is getting to be quite addictive. It cuts into my online time and I put off my blogging for too long again.

I’ve been to six yoga sessions so far. I really like the thorough stretching that is involved. Last night we did alternate nostril breathing. I really appreciated it, because that is the exercise the book Meditation as Medicine says I should be doing on a regular basis to control blood pressure. I have attempted it several times at home, but just couldn’t keep it up. As I have said many times, I haven’t learned how to meditate properly yet. Anyway, in the yoga setting, I really got into the exercise, and had a glimpse into how calming it can really be. I want to start doing it at home, too. I just have to make the push to find the quiet time and the quiet place on a regular basis.

I also have been trying to fall into that relaxed state at the end of the yoga session. It’s about ten minutes of laying in repose and focusing on breath and letting things go and - oh yes, of course - meditating. It’s not working very well yet. I’m wondering if it has something to do with what fellow blogger Erika mentioned in her blog yesterday. Music is not relaxing to a musician. I was trained as a music therapist. I started piano lessons when I was six years old. I studied music all through college. My critical mind turns on when listening to music. They usually play chants and ohms during the relaxing part of the yoga class. But I find myself listening for the rhythm and music in it instead of letting it carry me along. Must control. Must control.



I’m going to keep working on it. One of these times I will feel it click.

Nemaste

Just taking a small break here. I’m allowing my natural ‘B’ proclivity for flexibility to take charge today. Hubby and I had great plans for a beautiful fall motorcycle ride this afternoon. He can’t find the ignition key to the bike. We spent quite some time searching for the tiny, elusive little thing. He thinks that maybe it fell out of his pants yesterday when he was riding the smaller bike and stopped for gas. Oh well. I feel badly for him. I know how I feel when I do things like that. And he tends to take these things a lot worse. It’s not good for his ‘A’ cortisol levels.

So, I decided to tackle the bedroom drawers and closet this afternoon. Making a Goodwill pile of things I haven’t worn in over a year. If it has dust across the top of the hanger, then out it goes! If it’s all wrinkly and smells musty like it hasn’t been laundered in over a year, then bye-bye! I’ll probably go on to the mess I have on my desk after doing the clothing. It’s a harder task. I like to save these things for rainy days. But, sometimes those rainy days take a long time in coming.

Anyway, it’s after 3:00 pm and the sun never came out as they promised it would. It would have turned into a mighty chilly motorcycle ride, come to think of it.

I took the plunge and bought a Green Star juicer. Just like fellow blogger Jim has. It was a spendy thing, that’s for sure. I did have an Omega juicer before, but it was a centrifugal juicer. I’m sorry I bought that one. Centrifugal means that the machine juiced by spinning around really fast and creating a high heat that oxidized the juice. That would force me to stand there and drink the juice immediately, so that I could get the most nutrients in as fast as I could, otherwise the air in the juice would dissipate the good stuff and render it just south of so-so in the nutrition department. So, I’d stand there gulping the juice while cleaning the machine and not really enjoying the whole process. Especially, since just shortly after I had bought it did I learn that it was the wrong type.

So, anyway, this Green Star machine is a masticating juicer. It processes by squishing and tearing and smooshing the produce to make the juice. It creates a minimal amount of heat. I can cut up enough veggies and fruit at one time to make leftovers and store in the refrigerator and still retain most of the nutrients. The instructions say I can store the juice up to 72 hours. That way I can have fresh organic juice everyday without having to spend so much time making it and cleaning the machine each time. I’m hoping I will follow through with my juicing efforts. I think I can make myself do it as long as I don’t have to mess with the process every day.

How are you doing with your vegetable and fruit intake? Let me know how you keep up with the recommended servings.

The experiment is over, and I wasn’t successful. Last May, my blood lipids and glucose levels were darn near perfect. I had been taking Red Yeast Rice for the previous six months for elevated cholesterol. I also had made some changes in my diet. Mainly I was trying to eliminate as much animal fat as possible (without being driven mad) and to keep my starchy food intake to a minimum. So, in May my naturopath wanted to know if it was the RYR or the diet changes that had made my readings so good, and had me stop taking the RYR for three months and get tested again. Well, everything bounced right back up to the levels they had been last December. Total cholesterol is back up to 249. Triglycerides are triple digit again, as is the glucose level. HDL also jumped from a healthy 59 to 70. Heart health ratio is at 3.5. Up from 3.1 three months ago.

I’m pretty discouraged. I was hoping my level of compliance with BTD was enough to keep me at near prime health. Obviously I have a lot more work to do. First thing will be to get Dr. D’s new book on Cardiovascular health. Of course, I will start in again with the Red Yeast Rice. Now.