Wellness Wednesday, 05.2019: Goals Update & B.E.S.T. Care

 

Fit, fab friends,

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday, 05.2019.  Linking up with my friend Natalie at Natalie the Explorer and some of my dearest blogging buds for an update on my 2019 wellness goals and B.E.S.T. care.  Am I the only one who didn’t know what that acronym stands for?  B is for breasts, E is for eyes, S is for skin and T is for teeth.  Will share a couple of thoughts on that after my goals update.

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY, 05.2019:  GOALS UPDATE

Back in January I came up with my wellness goals for the year.  Really enjoyed improved health and wellness as I worked to achieve last year’s goals.  And hoping to do the same this year.

Here’s where I stand right now.

Physical Health  3.5 (HOLDING STEADY)

• Work back to running 5K  (want to run more regularly again) – Ran a 5K on Saturday.  Not my best time, crossing the finish line at about 36 minutes for the 3.10 miles.  But according to this chart average running speed per mile in a 5K by age at Healthline.com, I didn’t do too shabby.

• Lift weights (at least 4x a week) –  Both of us being out of town for almost 2 weeks put the kibosh on lifting weights and going to the gym.  Although, we both did go some while we were gone.  Paul will have a second nerve ablation tomorrow where they burn the nerves in his back that are being compressed by his spine.  The first ablation brought some comfort but not the complete relief we were hoping for.  Praying that this second go-round does the trick.
• Walk 7,200 steps a day and 3 stories (build walks back into my daily routine) – Have done very well about getting my steps and stories or floors in.  Mom was on the 4th floor at the hospital and I took the stairs every visit, some days 3 or more times…yay me!

NUTRITIONAL HEALTH – 3.5 (HOLDING)

• Eat more veggies and fruit (and cook meals at home 4x a week) – Have cooked pretty well when we have been home but ate out and from vending machines when I was in Kentucky.  No bueno.
• Drink 75 ounces of water a day (pretty good at this already) – Even at mom’s, thank you very much.
• Alcohol and sweets on weekends  – The more I read about how detrimental sugar is, the more I realize I really need to have my sweet tooth extracted!!  Drinking less again, not that I ever drank much.  But trying to enjoy a glass of wine or cold beer only on the weekends.

SPIRITUAL HEALTH – 3.5 (Down .5 )

• Quiet time 5x a week (M-F, bonus points for the weekend) – Packed my devotionals but hardly opened them while I was gone.  Although, I started right back up again once I got home.
• Attend church more regularly (at least once a month) – We did go at least twice during April.
• Gratitude journal before bed – Overall, I am good about this but while I was in Kentucky, when I needed to do it most, I just didn’t.  Back on track again now.

MENTAL HEALTH – 3.0 (-.5 FOR STARTING BUT NOT FINISHING ANYTHING)

• Work puzzles and play word games, practice Spanish (Wordscapes, Word Classic, jigsaw puzzles, Brainscape/Duolingo) – This is what I wrote for March and the same holds true.  Lost interest in playing Wordscapes, Word Classic and Draw Something on my phone last month. Did buy a small jigsaw puzzle to work but it’s still in the box. No practice on my Spanish. ¡Ay, caramba!
• Weekly art date (do something creative or attend something artsy) – Packed my coloring book for Kentucky and did take time to color several evenings.  While I was at mom’s, we participated in a couple of craft activities.  Made a candy dish from a terra cotta pot and glass bowl.  And decorated hats in honor of the Kentucky Derby.

• Read 3 books a month (in order to meet my Goodreads goal) – Just finished reading It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, today.  Excellent book, even though it took me months to get it finished.  I will, I will, I will finish It’s Never too Late to Begin Again and Finding Your Balance this month.  Next Year in Havana was a savory read with just the right touch of picante.  Have just started Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly.  And my virtual book club just selected it’s latest read, The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson.  Would love to have you join our group!  Holler if you are interested!

RELATIONSHIP HEALTH – 3.0 (Holding Steady)

• Unplug at 9:00 pm –  Did this well in Kentucky because I had no Internet connection a lot of the time!  Here at home, we are taking bedtime walks which is a form of unplugging. And this week, I am going to get back to unplugging at 8:30 to work on some kind of craft.
• Date night 2x a month (bucket list activities) – Haven’t had what I would call a real date night for a few weeks. Of course, it helps to have us in the same city in order to have a date night.  Thinking back, though, I guess we went to the MLB minor league ball game one night and to church and for Easter buffet afterward.  Need to get on those bucket list activities.
• Skype with Brennyn/Cady & Lauren/Lucia (read books to my babies) – I have Skyped with all my girls but still have not read to anyone.  Tonight, Brennyn did send a video of Cady reading a Junie B. Jones book I sent her.  Loved hearing Cady giggle at Junie’s antics.

MAINTAINING HEALTH – 3.5 (HOLDING STEADY)

• Use sunscreen on my face daily (moisturizer with SPF) – Always good about using it on my face but without thinking, I ran my 5K without sunscreen and got a little burn through the open cutout on the back of my shirt.  Have read something about sunscreen being bad for us.  Geez, is nothing sacred?
• Floss  – Did today!
• Take vitamins and minerals daily (multi, vitamin B, C, D – LMNOP – flaxseed oil, biotin) – Yes, and took them with me on my trip.

FINANCIAL HEALTH – 4.5 (Holding)

• Save money for Christmas – Will begin with my next retirement check.
• Pay off Amazon card – Done.  Feels sooooo good.
• Have money in my checking account at the end of the month – Yes, and have been transferring money to savings.

I am always amazed at how well my friend Natalie manages to keep up with her workouts and health rituals while traveling.  Perhaps it is somewhat easier to do so when you are on holiday.  After hours of sitting at the hospital with mom, the last thing I wanted to do (but the thing I need to do most of all) was go to the gym.  Will be back on track now that I am home.

B.E.S.T.

In addition to our goals update, today we are talking about B.E.S.T. care…breast, eyes, skin and teeth care tips.  Love that that acronym and that the letters are in ABC order.  Can take the librarian out of the library but can’t take the library out of the librarian!

Breasts

Recently my daughters and I were talking about how often I should be having a mammogram.  Interesting how my breasts are a general topic of family conversation!  It had been a couple of years since I had had one and my PCP realized this in the fall and reminded me to make that appointment.  That was what prompted my discussion with the girls…my girls…not my breasts.  Here’s what I found at the Cancer.org website about screening guidelines for this important test.

• Women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms (x-rays of the breast) if they wish to do so.
• If you are a woman age 45 to 54, you should get mammograms every year.
• And women 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years, or can continue yearly screening.
• Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live 10 more years or longer.

If your ta-tas haven’t been inspected and squeezed by a professional, make that appointment today!

Eyes

My sweet mama is going blind with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which is is the leading cause of visual impairment and irreversible vision loss in the United States [source].  Brightfocus.org describes AMD this way:

AMD causes deterioration of the macula, the central area of the retina. The retina is a paper-thin tissue at the back of the eye where light sensitive cells send visual signals to the brain. Sharp, clear, straight-ahead vision is processed by the macula. Damage to it results in blind spots and blurred or distorted vision. Those affected by AMD find many daily activities, such as driving and reading, increasingly difficult.

In about a year’s time, mom has gone from watching TV, reading large print books and playing Bridge to no longer being able to enjoy any of those activities.  She cannot make out the features on my face and doesn’t recognize me until I get up close to her and begin to speak.  This image simulates her limited sight with macular.

[source]

Mom’s days are very long.  And I am desperate to try to find some pleasure for her in life.  Macular degeneration is also hereditary.  But even after diagnosis, there are healthy living steps that you can take to slow its progress.  I am very careful to wear sunglasses almost all of the time that I am outdoors…especially in the Sun City that I call home.  And there is some link to foods with a high glycemic index (those tasty carbs and sugars) and AMD and cancer.  I have got to got to got to get my sweet tooth capped, crowned or pulled.

Skin

We all know now how dangerous sun exposure and those pesky UV rays are to our skin.  But now there is indication that many of the sunscreens we have been using to protect us are also potentially cancer causing.  Can’t win for losing!

As recently as this week, the “Journal of the American Medical Association”, in this report, has determined that sunscreen ingredients can enter the blood stream and be absorbed or build there.  This article at Health.com lists 7 reef-safe, biodegradable sunscreens options.  Most affordable is an option by Neutrogena…good for them!  Available on Amazon, here, which is not an affiliate link because Amazon won’t let me be an Amazon Associate.  But I’m not bitter.

This Health.com video has some great reminders about skin cancer risks, too.

Teeth

Last but not least, teeth – dental care.  My sweet mama is always thrilled to tell health care providers that she has all of her own teeth.  They are quick to compliment her about that and her amazing skin…which is also her own!  This article on APlaceForMom.com explains that oral health in those of us of a certain age directly impacts overall health.  Follow these steps for keeping your pearly whites pearly and white and healthy!

• Brush twice a day with a toothbrush with soft bristles and fluoride-containing toothpaste
• Use an electric toothbrush
• Clean between your teeth once a day with floss or another inter-dental cleaner (I know, I know)
• Rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash once or twice a day
• Clean full or partial dentures on a daily basis
  • Take your dentures out of your mouth for at least four hours every day, and know that it’s best to remove them at night

I need to take all of these tips to heart, myself.  As I see first hand the struggles of my own mom (and dad before he died in 2012), I realize the importance of doing my best now to ensure my good health continues for as long as possible.

Your Turn

Appreciate you wading through this rather length Wellness Wednesday 05.2019 post.  How are you faring on your wellness journey this year?  Have you had any hiccups along your way?  Please leave me a comment about your success and/or stumbles.   Or with any B.E.S.T. health care tip you might have.  If you are a blogger, how ’bout linking up your wellness related blog post below.

Please come back on 06.12.2019 for our mid-year wellness review.  And to see if I have made more progress on my goals.  Thank you for taking a bit of time from your busy day to be here with me.

Hugs and kisses,