Joe: “My uncle and I are going to start a deer cloning service.
Pete: “I’ve not heard of it. Will it work?”
Joe: “I don’t know. We’re just looking for a quick buck.”
Month: August 2023
Feeling Good Tip ~ Tap Down the Stress Level
Who hasn’t felt stressed? I don’t see any hands. It happens. What if there were a simple technique we could use to quickly lower our stress level? I’d like that. Yesterday, a potential answer showed up on my YouTube selections. In the video, Professor Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist, provides a quick way to lower our stress level. Anyone can do it. Here’s the video.
Word Jumble Challenge: Unscramble the Nutrition and Fitness Word
Today’s Word: oeniatdtim
Yesterday’s Word: Longevity
The Answer to Today’s Word will appear in tomorrow’s Word Jumble Challenge
Daily Inspirational Quotes ~ Dive in and Swim
“If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?”
Poem for Today ~ To One Who Said Me Nay
To One Who Said Me Nay
Countee Cullen
This much the gods vouchsafe today:
That we two lie in the clover,
Watching the heavens dip and sway,
With galleons sailing over.
This much is granted for an hour:
That we are young and tender,
That I am bee and you are flower,
Honey-mouthed and swaying slender.
This sweet of sweets is ours now:
To wander through the land,
Plucking an apple from its bough
To toss from hand to hand.
No thing is certain, joy nor sorrow,
Except the hour we know it;
Oh, wear my heart today; tomorrow
Who knows where the winds will blow it?
Healthy Lifestyle Tip ~ Oatmeal is a Great Way to Start the Day
Oatmeal is a Healthy Way to Start the Day
I make overnight oatmeal. I take a half cup of a high protein oatmeal (10 grams of protein) and add a third cup of ground flax seed flour. I add some goji berries aad raisons, stir in sufficient water, stick it in the fridge, and, boom, when morning arrives, my oatmeal is ready to go.
Here’s some info from Healthline regarding the benefits of oatmeal:
Oatmeal is made from rolled or steel-cut oats. It contains a soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which can help lowercholesterol and glucose levels, and also has antioxidant and probiotic properties. Because of the way the body processes oats, they will also leave you feeling full for longer, reducing the temptation to snack mid-morning.
Oats also provide:
- iron
- B vitamins
- manganese
- magnesium
- zinc
- selenium
In addition, they contain around 10 grams (g) of protein per cup (81 g) of dry oats. To boost the protein content, make oatmeal with milk instead of water, mix in some protein powder, or serve it with a side of eggs. Alternatively, mix raw oats with dried fruit nuts, seeds, coconut, and other ingredients for a homemade muesli. Oats are suitable for people with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, but you should choose oats that have been certified gluten-free due to a risk of cross-contamination.
Thinking Out Loud ~ It’s Time to Wake Up
Set it Aside, At Least Temporarily
Thoreau writes in “Walking,” “ I am alarmed when it happens that I have walked a mile into the woods bodily, without getting there in spirit. In my afternoon walk I would fain forget all my morning occupations and my obligations to society. But it sometimes happens that I cannot easily shake off the village. The thought of some work will run in my head and I am not where my body is—I am out of my senses.” P. 740
Walking is available online and gutenberg.org under the Harvard Classics.
NOTE: I can relate to what Thoreau is saying here. If I am beset with an issue, I can carry it with me and ruminate on it throughout an entire workout at the gym. I can carry it with me when i go to church and wonder when the church service is over what the sermon was all about. And, it’s happened to me when I go for a walk. If we can become aware of our issues or problems and set them aside on a metaphoric table before we commence going on with something else we will feel much better. Pope Francis referred to this as being awake. Am I awake to what I am feeling, thinking, and doing? If I am, it changes everything. I can make a decision that is more physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy for me. Here’s hoping you can set aside your problems and challenges on your metaphoric table.
Feeling Good Tip ~ A Pleasant Surprise at the Supermarket
Taking Time to Connect
I went to the supermarket today. While I was pushing my cart through the produce section, this guy comes up and taps me on the shoulder. I look at him. He looks familiar. My brain is racing for a name and location. Fortunately, my brain didn’t have to race to far. It stopped at A. I said, “Hi, Al. How are you?” Al said, “You remembered me. I recognized you, but I don’t remember you name.” From there we blocked the area in front of the jalapeños and avocados and had a nice conversation. Ten minutes later we split. Taking time to have a catch up conversation is always a good thing. I felt good after talking with Al and I hope I he felt the same after speaking with me.
Thinking Out Loud ~ Walking Without Purpose
Ruminating on a Walk
Thoreau writes in “Walking,” “But the walking of which I speak has nothing in it akin to taking exercise . . . as the swinging of dumb-bells or chairs; but is itself the enterprise and adventure of the day. If you would get exercise, think of a man’s swinging dumb-bells or his health, when those springs are bubbling up in far-off pastures unsought by him! Moreover, you must walk like a camel, which is said to be the only beast which ruminates when walking. When a traveler asked Wordsworth’s servant to show him her master’s study, she answered, “Here is his library, but his study is out of doors.” P. 738
Walking is available online and gutenberg.org under the Harvard Classics.
NOTE: Ruminating along our walk is almost counter cultural. How can we measure how fast we’re walking if we stop to smell a flower or watch a bird feed its young? I recall walking with a friend in a natural setting. All my friend could talk about was work, work, and more work. My friend did not see the array of wild flowers. Nor did my friend see the Mexican blue bird that flew in front of us. And, my friend missed seeing the two deer that were watching us. My friend didn’t relax. I think my friend would have felt much better if my friend took time to ruminate on our walk and enjoyed everything that the walk offered to us.
