Unit 10 Round Up

Is it really all over???

Hard to believe the term is over. So here's my last 'Tip-Bit'.

In an effort to lose weight and eat better many people decided to eat more salads. This is a great idea- in theory! The base of any salad is lettuce- Yes? And while any lettuce will do, when you eat, you want it to be as nutrient dense as possible, especially if you're dieting. So skip the Iceberg lettuce and try a Spring Mix, red or green leaf, or romaine. So then many people add the rest of their stuff (carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc). These are all great choices. But don't stop there. You're poor lonely salad needs a protein. . . otherwise you'll be hungry again in an hour or two. So add some beans, cheese, chicken, or tofu to it to make it a complete meal. Be aware however, you don't have to have ALL of them. On average, 1/2 cup of beans (about the size of your fist)or 3-6 oz of meat/tofu (think a deck of cards)is a serving. If you want to add a sprinkle of cheese- go ahead, but that's about as much as you can PINCH, not a ladle onto your creation. Lastly is your dressing. In an ideal world we'd all love oil/vinegar with a touch of lemon juice, but let's face it. . . ranch and blue cheese taste good! If you go the cream dressing route, put it a separate bowl and dip your fork in the dressing before a bite. And remember that just because a dressing isn't creamy or milk based that it's a good choice. Keep in mind- dressing should compliment your salad-not drown it. Now go eat!

As for me. . . well I reviewed by Unit 3 assessments and decided that while my physical hasn't changed, I can safely call my spirituality improved from a 5 to a 7 and my psychological up from a 6 to a 7. I believe my numbers improved because of the goals I set. I determined to examine my nutritional status, take up Tai Chi, and work on mindful meditations. I have done all these things. I left my physical score as is because I can't say the Tai Chi has changed my physically but it's been amazing for my mind. I find it easier to focus and stay that way now, especially during meditation. Which brings me to my last goal. I committed to 5 minutes. At first it was so hard. The longest five minutes, ever! But it got easier and then I found that sometimes I was looking forward to it. That's when I knew I'd successfully integrated meditation into my life. Implementing Tai Chi was easier. I signed up for a class and just keep going. It's has been fun but challenging as remembering the moves and order still eludes me sometimes, but I'm getting better. The class also reminds me to laugh- typically at myself. My instructor moves like he's on a cloud. When I watch him I think of water. He's like fluidity personified! I aspire to achieve an ounce of his grace. . . in the intermin I laugh at my attempts which resemble ballet with concrete shoes, but like I said- - I'm getting there!
As for my personal experience in this class.. . I'm so glad I took this course. It opened my mind to many things I only knew on a cursory level. I knew what meditation was but had no interest in practicing it. Now I enjoy it. It's also nice to have something larger than myself to aspire to. I'm going into the nutritional field and so much of what we've discussed will serve me well when counseling people on their eating and life-style habits. I'm hoping to share some of what I've garnered with others. I think the concepts I've learned will help me be a better person (everyone say LOVING-KINDNESS!) and a better educator.
Best of luck to everyone

EAT WELL and BE WEll