Healthy Habits #3 - Life, Love, and Laughter

Yesterday had some bitter sweet moments. I was at Costco and did some people watching as I shopped. It must have been 'date' time because there were a lot of couples walking around and several families. It touched my heart to see these sweet couples taking care of each others needs. It was also sad to know I didn't have that in my life. Then I saw a spouse tell their partner to go get something. When they came back with the wrong thing a little anger came through. I observed another person shake their head and give their spouse a disgusting look over something. It was sad.

Then I turned my attention to some families. An adorable family was picking up dog food and the dad was having the five year old 'help' him put it in the cart. We all know how much help a five year old would be at that. Another family was deciding together which cheese to buy. Then there was the parent who got mad at their child for taking an extra sample. They picked them up and threw them in the cart and started yelling at them.

My point is we have all had moments like these parents. Sometimes we respond the right way and sometimes we respond the wrong way. Whenever  I responded to my children or spouse the wrong way, I usually felt bad afterwards but I wasn't always sure what to do to change what happened. I have worked years on teaching myself to smile, worry more about the child then the situation, and to try and release the tension with kind words or laughter. It isn't easy and it doesn't always work out that way, but I try. My kids can tell you that if you just make me laugh, I cannot discipline or get angry!

Now that my children are grown and married, I am trying to do the same with my grandchildren and I hope that my example rubs off on everyone around me. The sad part is now that my spouse is deceased, it saddens me to see how spouses sometimes treat each other. If I could go back in time, I would put his needs before mine more often, I would listen better, be slower to judge or get angry, and find more ways to spend quality time with him so he knew he was needed.

Life is to short. Be careful  with your words because the tongue can be as sharp as a knife. Don't leave 'I love you' unsaid, your kids not hugged, or your spouse not kissed. If you are raising your voice because you are angry, you are not raising it for the right reason. Raise your voice in praise and love. When they are still in your life it is hard to sometimes understand this, but when they are suddenly gone, you will.

To stay young and healthier longer, I suggest laughter, love, and happiness.

Fun Food #4

Food is so much more fun to write about! Since I started this blog, I have made better food choices and still gained weight. No fair! Part of this has to do with the doctor adding 3 new medications to my routine.  I don't like meds and am really bad at remembering to take them. My LDL is way too high along with my triglycerides. Knowing my dad passed away from a massive heart attack at the age of 63 isn't comforting.

But I am on the right track and learning a ton from my nutrition classes. I am loving all the fruit this summer and still learning how to make great health food. One of my favorite treats now is kale chips. By eating kale chips and juicing fruit, I am doing pretty darn good.

I don't have a lot of self control so for me it is best not to have food in the house that is not healthy. We had a lot of great fruit and salads for the 4th of July.

I love this vegie dish that Rachel taught me. It is healthy and delicious! You can find the recipe on my Pinterest or at http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/08/summer-vegetable-tian/

Healthy Habits #2

Today at my church a great lesson was taught based on a talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf entitled "Grateful in Any Circumstance." It is a favorite of mine. He talks about knowing how to comfort and support people in their trials. He teaches that if we choose to develop a spirit of gratitude, it will bring us true joy and great happiness. Many times we wonder what we have to be grateful for when our world is falling apart.

I felt that way 6 years ago when my husband took his life. Where do you find the good and happiness in a situation like that? This week was the 6 year anniversary of that loss and I felt more sadness this year than in some of the past years. Sadness that a man with so much to offer couldn't see the good he was providing the people around him. For the most part, I have done very well after such a devastating loss. Many people have wonder how I have bounced back and how I have done so well, so I am going to let you in on a few of my successes with this tragedy.

First, it was not my fault and there was nothing I could do to stop what happened or change it. So I chose not to take the blame for his decision. No going to the 'what ifs' or 'if I'd only."
Second, I focused on the good he did in this world and the stories other shared about how he helped them.
Third, I wrote. I wrote my feelings of sadness, happiness, trials, pain, joy, and loss. As I wrote, I tried to find humor and peace in the crazy things life was throwing at me.
Fourth, and this one took awhile longer, I realized the good I could do because he left me well taken care of.
Fifth, and most important, I made the decision to be happy. Happy with what I had in the past and with what I still had.

Was life easy, no. Was I always happy, no. But it was my choice and I believe it was what carried me through to a healthy state of mind so quickly. I never needed counseling, but I did need my friends and their support and understanding.

So what is the point of writing this entry? Hopefully to help other see that life is tough and we have many things thrown our way to knock us off track, but most of us hold the key to being happy. Our health depends on it. With a smile and a happy heart, I believe we can help our bodies stay healthy too.