Month: November 2015

Categories
Sweat

Why Should Coconuts Have All the Fun? I Love Avocado Oil For My Beauty Needs!

I’ve used coconut oil for a while for softer skin and shinier hair. Who hasn’t? I’m not saying goodbye to coconuts completely, but avocado oil has taken center stage for many of my beauty needs.

Don’t worry, it’s not just that little green fruit you use for guacamole. It does make a great dip, though. Avocado oil is a powerfully potent anti-aging and hydration ingredient to take your skin care to the next level. Did I mention it also smells great?

Absorbs Much Faster

The worst part of coconut oil for me was waiting for it to soak in. Apply a light layer of avocado oil and it absorbs in no time. This means I’m able to apply and get on with my day quicker.

Part of the reason is that the oil is thinner. You’ll notice when you buy it that it’s still in oil form unlike the solid you get when you buy coconut oil. That’s yet another benefit. No more heating hunks of oil when you’re ready to use it.

Full of Nutrients Your Skin Craves

Avocados are full of antioxidants, especially Vitamin E. Keep in mind that the fruit itself is used to treat a variety of ailments. Now imagine what it could do for your skin.

Outside of the hydrating and healing Vitamin E, avocado oil contains phytosterols, fatty acids, and sterolin. If you don’t know what two of those things are, you’re not alone. I had to look those up myself!

Phytosterols aid in repairing damaged skin while sterolin is known for reducing the appearance of age spots. I honestly didn’t need any convincing to try avocado oil after that.

It also includes Vitamins A, D, and B6 along with proteins, amino acids, folic acid, magnesium, iron, and copper. I’m serious when I say this is one powerful oil.

The Many Uses of Avocado Oil

The real test came when I started using it for a wide variety of beauty needs. The first was as a moisturizing makeup remover. Coconut oil worked but left my skin feeling a little overly moist.

I switched the avocado oil and the results were amazing. The makeup was gone, including stubborn waterproof mascara. I lightly rinsed my face to remove any excess. I can’t even begin to tell you how soft and clean my skin feels.

Now for my favorite part! I have adult acne prone skin. The antibacterial properties help clean my pores and fight acne-causing bacteria. The hydrating and healing properties reduce redness and heal my blemishes fast. I’m also thrilled to see my older acne scars fading a little at a time.

For your skin, applying a light layer of avocado oil aids in hydration, reducing wrinkles, evening skin tone, reducing age spots and discoloration, smoothing the skin, and offering protection against harsh environmental factors.

I do highly recommend wearing sunscreen when you go out. It’s not an SPF.

Avocado Oil Beyond Your Skin

I know I’ve focused mainly on the skin so far. I’m also using it for my hair care. Don’t freak out over the color of the oil. It’s not going to turn your hair a weird shade of green.

I like to use the oil as a deep conditioner a few times each week. I instantly noticed softer, shinier hair than I’d ever gotten with coconut oil. I also didn’t have oily hair by the next day.

The nutrients in the oil help remove excess residue, lock in moisture, and repair damaged hair. It’s also great to use year round, unlike coconut oil which doesn’t react so well to cooler temperatures.

I’m also using the oil as a leave-in treatment. It’s lightweight despite being an oil. Only use a little and you’ll be fine.

Embrace the Avocado

It only takes a little avocado oil to take care of many of your beauty needs. I’m in love with it and always have a bottle on hand. I’m also eating more avocados so I get benefits inside and out.

Categories
Nosh

Do You Need A Snack? A Look At Both Sides Of The Argument

Babies and little kids have snacks. They need them. But do adults really need snacks? And do you need snacks if you are losing weight? It’s a hot topic and one that often elicits heated discussion when I bring it up during a weight loss clinic or even when discussing weight loss one-on-one with friends. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to add snacks to your weight loss meal plan.

In days past, adults did not snack as much as they do now. If you are old enough to remember back to the 1950s and 1960s, your parents and grandparents probably had few snacks and rarely had regularly scheduled snack times. Back then, fewer adults were overweight or obese. A study in a 2015 issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that over the last 40 years, the percentage of calories from snacks for adults increased.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as snacking increased, so did obesity rates–especially considering that the most popular snack foods are chips, cookies, candy, crackers, and frozen desserts: all snacks that pack a tremendous calorie punch, especially for the dieter.

The Case For Snacks

If you are trying to lose weight, obviously you have to eat fewer calories than you usually do. After all, you can’t just wish for weight loss but not take steps to make it happen. When you reduce your calorie intake, you are going to feel hungrier. A snack in between meals can help stave off the hunger and cravings.

If eating a 100-calorie snack (such as a banana with a teaspoon of peanut butter on it) helps you skip the vending machine candy bar, then that snack served its purpose. It kept you full enough to wait until your next meal, gave you some excellent nutrients, and didn’t add a lot of calories.

That’s the right way to snack.

The Case Against Snacks

Snacks can be the downfall of a dieter. I’ve seen it more times than I can count. A well thought-out daily meal plan can fall by the wayside when too many snacks enter the picture.

The reasons for this are threefold:

1) Snack calories are hard to control

Snacks for babies tend to be small bits of food. Snacks for adults tend to be large servings of food. You have to make certain you are not burning through half your calories during your 2:00 p.m. snack. Snacks need to be small, low in calories, and planned.

2) Poor snack choices

A piece of fruit or some vegetables are good snack choices. However, many dieters use snack time as an opportunity to have a few cookies, a nibble of candy, or a sliver of cake. To make snacking work, you have to look at snacks as a time to enhance your nutrient intake instead of a way to indulge a sweet craving.

3) Timing of snacks

There is little need for a healthy adult to have a mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and after-dinner snack. Snacking all day long tends to increase the number of calories you consume. In fact, a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that people who ate a morning snack tended to lose less weight than people who skipped a morning snack.

Snacking is not necessary for a successful weight loss plan. You don’t have to have two planned snacks in your day if you don’t want to. I challenge you to rethink your snack habits and decide for yourself whether snacks are helping or hurting your weight loss plan.

If they are helping, keep doing what works for you. If they are hurting, eliminate, change, or tweak how you handle snacks.

Categories
Wellbeing

5 Healthy Practices for Technology Overload

Yes, you could describe our attachment to technology as an addiction, but the reality is that we need our computers and phones in the same way we need to read the newspaper or pay our taxes. Technology has become part of our lives whether we like it or not, and we have become dependent on it in ways we never imagined.

I read a post recently from a colleague asking about a program or camp for teens addicted to technology. Another person responded to that post with lengthy paragraphs describing how addiction to technology has become a chronic problem for kids, and she expressed a need to understand how to deal with the same issue. I couldn’t help but think how ironic it is that the very people buying the technology for these children are the ones wondering how to manage the overuse. We are all guilty of being on our phones and computers too much. The only difference between adults and youth is that older people have a better ability to multitask, which masks the effects of the overuse they’re engaging in.

Clearly we are all at a loss for how to manage the use of phones and computers, and it’s a struggle for which neither parents nor professionals have a real solution. However, I had to wonder whether the word “addiction” is applicable here, or if we are simply lacking the ability to balance technology with a dose of healthy practices to manage the problem.

A research study reported by NPR stated that on average, children spend more than four hours on a typical school day texting, watching television, and playing video games. Research also suggests that screen time can have lots of negative effects on kids, ranging from childhood obesity and irregular sleep patterns to social and/or behavioral issues. Adults are not invulnerable either, because they are now at risk for being diagnosed with Internet Use Disorder (IUD). Much more research needs to be done, but some studies have found that Internet use can affect the balance of brain chemistry. One such study found that people with IUD have demonstrable changes in their brains–both in the connections between cells and in the brain areas that control attention, executive control, and processing of emotions.

The greatest issue being raised about the overuse of technology relates to the very basic construct of emotional connection. One study that looked at sixth-graders who went five days without even glancing at a smartphone, television, or other digital screen found that these kids were substantially better at reading human emotions. Clearly we need to figure out a protocol for how to manage our use of technology. But this can’t require drastic and unrealistic changes in daily life, because we need our devices to function. At the end of the day, the most successful approach will focus on changing behavior and adding in healthy habits to counteract the negative impact that technology has on all of our lives.

Here are five easy practices that will immediately change the way you use your technology on a regular basis:

Go Tech Free

Eliminating technology at home is a worthy goal but not always realistic when there are deals to close and homework to be done. But it is possible to carve out a tech-free space in your house where all forms of technology are unwelcome. It could be the dinner table, the kitchen, or the bedroom. Not unlike taking off your shoes before entering the house, this tech-free space would be sacred and unfettered with any form of technology.

Turn It Off

It may sound simple, but powering off your phone or computer is a great way to balance use. Shutting something down signifies being finished in a concrete way. It’s a lot easier to grab a phone and check it when it’s on; the time it takes for a piece of technology to power up makes it less likely that you’ll mindlessly use it. Unplugging from technology is essential for plugging into something more valuable in the real world.

Leave It At Home

If you’re heading out to dinner, a movie, or even the market, try leaving your phone at home. Being without a phone can cause anxiety, but most of us have survived a cell-phone-free period at some point. You’ll feel a sense of liberation and freedom by taking this kind of break, and you’ll realize how present you are in the moment. This will also challenge your dependency on technology by forcing you to be more resourceful instead of turning to Google for the answer to all of your questions.

Have Technology Agreements

Nagging and sporadically telling your kids or partner to get off their phones is ineffective; agreements about the use of phones and computers can eliminate the need for nagging or reminding. In these agreements, each person is well aware of what is expected and takes personal responsibility for what they are committing to. Making the appropriate use of technology a family value will lay the foundation for long-term healthy habits.

Eliminate Types Of Use

Setting limits on what technology can be used for will naturally reduce the need. Eliminating any use of social media after a certain hour–or stopping work emails at a specific time–sets a boundary around the type of use, which in turn limits the amount of use. We all know social media can be a time suck, so limiting its use (and reconnecting with habits like letter-writing and picking up the phone to call a friend) can open up a whole new way of relating.

Categories
Nosh

The Brutally Honest Truth About Red And Processed Meats

Are you sick of hearing about red and processed meats causing cancer yet?
I understand. Stay with me.
I have read a lot of responses to the WHO’s categorization of processed meat as a Class 1 carcinogen, with red meat, in general, falling not far behind in Class 2A. At first, there was an uproar (from the meat industry). Then, there was fear (from the general public).
And now, it seems, there is placation. Don’t worry, health organizations all over assure us; you won’t get cancer from eating one hot dog.
It’s not that they’re wrong. You won’t get cancer from eating a hot dog, but this sugarcoated, tell-them-what-they-want-to-hear response makes me cringe all over. It encourages people to shrug off science and go right back to what they were doing before the report made headlines.
This is not a green light to go back to your Sausage Egg McMuffin every morning.
(I mean, you can. It’s a free country, but don’t expect me to say it’s what the dietitian ordered.)
Here is what you need to know about red and processed meats and your health.

1. Processed meats and cigarettes are both Class 1 carcinogens, but that does not mean that eating bacon every day is equally as carcinogenic as smoking cigarettes every day.

We have to get this out of the way first, because as biased as I am against processed meats, they are not worse than smoking. Quitting smoking is the single most positive change you can make for your health, period.

2. That being said, this recent “announcement” is not breaking news.

We have known for years that there is a notable relationship between red and processed meat consumption and disease, including heart disease and, yes, certain forms of cancer. Eat lots of red and processed meat, and you have a substantially higher risk of getting one or more of those diseases.
Does that mean everyone who downs a double bacon cheeseburger for lunch every day will definitely wind up with cancer? Of course not. There are also people who smoke twenty cigarettes a day and live to be 100. It’s called genes, and some people get the good ones. Feelin’ lucky?

3. If you’re not as lucky, here’s how these meats and meat products could impact your life:

4. Despite what the commercials from the 1990s wanted us to believe, pork is not “the other white meat.”

It is, in fact, red meat; and if you cure it or stuff it into a sausage casing, then it’s also a processed meat. Oh, and if you swap out the pork for turkey but still call it bacon, that counts, too. It’s important to understand how the report defined all of these terms.

5. Stop looking for loopholes.

We can’t cheat our way out of this one. Turkey bacon is still bacon. Uncured bacon is (probably) still bacon. One slice of bacon is still bacon.
You don’t eat cake every day and call it healthy, do you? Desserts aren’t the only edible treats; other foods are meant to be consumed more sparingly as well.
Eat a hot dog on the 4th of July, but not on a random November afternoon. Have a few slices of Christmas ham, but don’t stock up on it for weekday lunches. The answer doesn’t have to be veganism (unless you’re into that), but why is it so controversial to say that eating bacon every day is less than ideal?
And last but not least, know this:

6. You can change a lot of your risk by eating more fruits and vegetables.

It always comes back to this, doesn’t it? Forget about the meat for a second. Ignore the lobbyists for the beef council, the PETA members and life-long vegans, the physicians and mommy bloggers and your Great Uncle Joe.
Nutrition is complex, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. When the messages get too messy and you feel overwhelmed, focus on just one thing:
Eat more fruits and vegetables.
(Especially the vegetables.)

Categories
Nosh

World, Meet Coffee Flour, Your New Best Friend

America loves coffee. In fact, 54 percent of American adults drink coffee every single day. But even if you choose coffee that’s organic, fair trade, and shade-grown, coffee production can still be extremely wasteful. No matter how much farmers streamline the process, coffee production creates a byproduct called coffee pulp. And while some of the byproduct is useful as fertilizer, far too much of it ends up taking its toll on the surrounding environment. But one former Starbucks executive thinks he’s finally come up with a solution that makes use of the pulp and provides small, indigenous communities with a new revenue stream. By turning pulp into flour, Dan Belliveau is solving a number of problems with one thoughtful innovation.

The Problem with Pulp

The process of separating the coffee cherry from the beans produces loads of pulp, a byproduct that can be used to make tea as well as fertilizer. In all, about25 percent of leftover coffee pulp is transitioned into the rich fertilizer that’s used to grow coffee trees. Still,17 billion pounds of coffee cherry pulp is thrown away annually. This coffee waste can end up in ground water, lakes, and streams, stripping our waterways of oxygen and harming wildlife.

Putting Coffee Pulp To Work

As a result, coffee producers have been looking for a way to put coffee pulp to work. EnterCoffee Flour, a new product that’s the brainchild of former Starbucks executive Dan Belliveau. In his plight to come up with some use for coffee pulp, he realized that the used coffee cherries could be dried and milled into a nutrient dense flour. Belliveau thinks that Coffee Flour could divert billions of pounds of coffee waste from waterways.

Nutrient Dense and Delicious

Coffee Flour doesn’t taste like coffee. While it has a dark, rich flavor, it’s also bright and fruity. This brown-hued flour can be baked into cookies, energy bars, coffee cake, brownies, and hot cereals. In fact, Coffee Flour can be used for baking in many of the same foods as regular flour, but it’s much healthier. The pulp-derived flour isgluten-free, plus it contains five times more fiber than whole grain wheat flour, 3 times the iron of fresh spinach, and 3 times more protein than kale. It’s nutrient dense, full of flavor, and it gives you a little boost. With around12 to 15 percent of the caffeine found in a regular cup of coffee. If you want to amp up the caffeine content, you can combine it with chocolate, which adds up to the caffeine in a single cup of coffee.

Boosting Coffee Flour Communities

Another main reason why Coffee Flour is winning praise is the positive impact it can have on communities. Belliveau wants the flour’s production to stay in local communities where the coffee pulp is produced in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and Vietnam. Creating a new product from the pulp waste means new jobs in areas that may be the first to feel thepains of global warming.

Specifically, global warming makes it easier for damaging pests to thrive, like the berry borer, a grazing predator, and coffee rust, a fungus that destroys coffee plants. Traditionally, these pests couldn’t survive the cool mountain air, but warming temperatures have meant drastically reduced yields in Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and India.

The bottom line is Coffee Flour provides another industry to help these communities make the most out of the coffee crop that survives without doing much more work. One small community in Nicaragua created 70 new jobs, 90 percent of which went to women. What’s more, indigenous communities can learn to use the local flour in their own foods like tortillas and masa bread so they can survive with the crops that they have on hand. And if communities don’t want to use their leftover pulp to produce flour, they can opt out because producing the superfood flour is up the individual community.

Coffee Flour is a means of solving more than one problem with one product, boosting up communities through production and creating a healthy and versatile new flour.

Categories
Sweat

Do Small Changes Really Add Up to Big Weight Loss Results?

Small changes add up to big results. It’s a phrase you might have heard a time or two when reading about weight loss. You might be wondering if that’s really true. Can you really make small changes in your life that add up to big weight loss results? The answer lies with you. It all depends on what those changes are and whether you keep them up.

Let’s take a look at some small changes and examine whether they really can make a difference.

Cut 100 Calories From Your Diet

I often hear people say that if you cut 100 calories from your diet you can lose weight. Well, that’s true in theory. However, it will take a long time to see big results. With a 100 calorie deficit, you would lose a pound every 35 days or so. It would take you almost a year to lose 10 pounds. It may not be a huge amount of weight but even losing 5 percent of your body weight can make a difference in your appearance and your health.

Walk for 15 Minutes a Day

Walking was how I lost 158 pounds, but I didn’t walk for just 15 minutes. I averaged between 30 and 45 minutes each day. A 15-minute walk will burn about 50 to 75 calories depending on your weight and speed. If you do that every day, you will lose slightly less than a pound a month. The best way to make walking count is to do it in combination with cutting 100 calories.

Cut Out Colas

I have friends who drink two or three cans of cola a day.

Every single day.

The math on this one works out easily. Cut out two cans of cola a day and you automatically cut 280 calories. This small change can add up to big results pretty quickly.

Ditch Fast Food

Fast food appears to be one of those things that is hard to give up. It was for me. However, losing your fast food habit can add up to big losses on the scale provided you replace high-calorie meals with lower ones.

For example, three fast food meals a week can easily total 2,600 calories. If you replace those three meals with meals totaling 1,200 calories, you’ve saved 200 calories a day. That change can help you lose weight more quickly.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

A lot of people I know struggle with eating enough fruits and vegetables. In fact, some friends of mine avoid them completely. Interestingly enough, they all struggle with their weight. If you replace unhealthy, high-calorie foods such as chips, cookies, or crackers with lower calorie fruits and vegetables, you will see a change on the scale over time.

Wear Tighter Clothes

This is a tip I give to people around the holiday season, but I’ve also heard it recommended as a way to see some changes on the scale. The truth is that wearing tighter clothing will make you feel uncomfortable but it won’t help you drop pounds unless that uncomfortable feeling causes you to cut your calorie intake.

Lift Weights During Commercials

This is one of those suggestions that can lead to big changes on the scale over time. The average 60-minute television show has about 14 minutes of commercials according to a report from Nielsen. If you watch two hours of television a day and lift weights during the 30 minutes of commercials, you can burn about 130 calories plus build some lean muscle, and see a temporary boost in your metabolic rate. When taken in combination, you can see some big changes on the scale and in how you look.

Get 30 Minutes More Sleep

Sleep deprivation is linked to obesity, according to a 2012 study published in the “Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,” Getting 30 minutes more sleep each day can help you resist fattening foods and have more energy to work out. Over time, this can make a difference in how fast you lose weight.

Categories
Sweat

Debunking Your Totally Legit Reasons For Skipping A Workout

Workouts feel like major events in my day. Not because they’re actually monumental moments that I’ll remember in a week, but because unless I’m really feelin’ it, I pretty much loathe working out. Even when I played sports years ago, I didn’t like exercising. Truth bomb: I liked competing.

I also have a little something called “the arsenal of excuses.” This pack of lies has really helped me in my quest to prevent workouts from happening “because I just can’t today.” (I’m going to go over those in just a sec… I’ll bet they will sound familiar to you, too.)

Since I’m a girl who loves logical reasoning, I recently decided to debunk my favorite excuses (probably yours, too) with the facts. A few months later, I work out six days a week and I’m in the best shape of my life.

Let me help you get there, too. Let’s take a walk down Excuses Alley and have some real talk.

You’re too tired.

I totally get it. You’re dragging, and the treadmill is pretty much impossible right now. However, there’s a body of research to tell us that the moment you get moving, you’ll see a boost in energy, increased stamina, better mental alertness–and that tired feeling will pretty much dissipate. (Cool, right?)

When this excuse is actually legit: You’re dealing with burnout. You feel emotionally exhausted and see a decrease in productivity. If so, you need to recharge in a way that works for you–which may or may not include gym time.

You’ve got other stuff to do.

“Stuff to do” is my favorite excuse, too. I mean, I could always clean out my closet, call my BFF in Texas, take a shower, finish up a story edit, or make dinner. Maybe I even should do those things. But really, within the next hour when I would be working out, will I actually do them? Um, 99 times out of 100, the answer is no. Can they be done at other times? Roughly 999 times out of 1,000, the answer is yes.

When this excuse is actually legit: Something absolutely must be done. This might include a work deadline, preparing for a party tomorrow, or meeting a friend who is only in town for the weekend.

You’re PMSing.

When I’m PMSing, I’m also moody, crampy, tender, and exhausted. With that mild “just got hit by a bus” feeling, basically the last thing I want to do is exercise. But while the jury hasn’t officially delivered a verdict on how movement may help premenstrual syndrome specifically, studies have shown us that exercise gives us a mood boost, improves mental sharpness and alertness, and helps eliminate cramps. So let’s do science a favor, put two and two together and get off the couch.

When this excuse is actually legit: You’re exhausted at that cellular level where sleep is necessary, or you’re hindered enough that you had to take a timeout from normal activities (like missing work). If so, take the day off.

It’s kind of dark outside.

With the time change on November 1, it’s officially dark in the early evening hours. So if you’re an outdoor workout kind of person and have a 9-5 job, then this may present a problem, and it may seem totally legit to skip your workout. But think about it: Do you really want to forgo workouts until spring? Didn’t think so. It might be time to finally hit up that yoga studio you’ve seen on your way home from work or join the gym and figure out how to use that elliptical. At the very least, you can squeeze in a “lazy workout.” It’ll take like 15 minutes. Go!

When this excuse is actually legit: A workout will put you in danger. Don’t go for a jog in the dark or drive to the yoga studio in a storm. Refer to “lazy workout” whenever necessary.

You just showered and/or did your hair.

This one is my favorite. It’s kind of a time-saving thing. If I just showered and did my hair, I don’t want to mess it all up with a sweaty workout. Thank heavens dry shampoo is all the rage right now. My favorite brands are Batiste and Tresemme to give your hair a boost of volume and zap any oil. (Sorry to remind you dry shampoo is a thing…guess it’s time to hit the treadmill.)

When this excuse is actually legit: You’ve got a major event in a few hours. Sometimes I like to shower early and get ready for that big date or party s-l-o-w-l-y. Don’t sweat it; just use your “get out of workout for free” card here.

Categories
Lifestyle

Who Owns the Rain?

Water has become a precious resource throughout the arid west. Many parts of the country are feeling the repercussions of building cities and planting huge swaths of farmland in the middle of the desert. This coupled with the impact of a warming planet has meant that water is becoming even more scarce. As a result, doing the rain dance in states like Colorado, California, and Arizona has become more important than ever. But when the skies do open up and provide the moisture that these drought-ravaged areas have been praying for, who actually gets to keep it?

Capturing Rain With Rain Barrels in California

California has been in a major drought. In fact, its driest years on record have been between the years of 2011 and 2014. In an effort to reduce residential water use and conserve the state’s precious resources, the state launched a rain barrel rebate program for homeowners to reuse rainwater at home. The idea is to encourage residents to recapture and reuse rainwater for home gardens rather than turn to the hose. (Although in recent years, the complete lack of rain has made rain barrels somewhat useless. Thus, homeowners are encouraged to go one step further and rip out their water-intensive lawns for another cash rebate.)

Simple catchment systems replenish aquifers and reduce water bills. Not to mention that outdoor water use accounts for30 percent of the average potable water use nationally.

After the Storm In Colorado

While rain barrels are encouraged for conservation purposes in California, rainwater collection is actually illegal in Colorado. Colorado just experienced the wettest May in recorded history, a welcomed event considering the state’s drought issues. But even though the rain actually fell in Colorado, nearly18 other states and even the country of Mexico will get the majority of the water. Colorado is only entitled to one-third of its rainwater and the other two-thirds will flow out of the state. That’s why collecting rainwater using rain barrels is a crime in the state.

This spring Colorado legislators tried to enact a law that would legalize rainwater collection. The law would allow each Colorado resident to collect650 gallons of water per year using two 55 gallon water tanks. To give you a better idea, that’s how much water the average American uses in a week. While the bill had bipartisan support, it ran into problems as a result of century-old water claims. Some ranchers see rain collection as stripping them of the water they’re entitled to downstream. In Colorado, just because water flows through your property via a stream or onto your property through rainfall, it doesn’t mean you own it.

Once it Hits the Ground in Oregon

In Oregon, residents are partially allowed to collect rain.Oregonians can collect water from artificial impervious surfaces including rooftops, parking lots, and barrels, but once rainwater touches the ground, it becomes the property of the state. One man faced 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine for digging three ponds on his property that were used to collect rain. According to state authorities, since the rain actually hit the ground, the state owns it, so building ponds to collect it is, in fact, a form of stealing.

Check With Your Local Water Authorities

At the federal level, rainwater collection is still encouraged, though you should check with your state water authority to make sure it’s legal. Some states like Utah, for example, require that you get a permit to collect water and in some cases, residents are only allowed to collect a certain amount. While it may seem like water that lands on your property is your property, sometimes this isn’t the case. So if you don’t want to end up paying a fine, check your local laws. But once you know it’s legal, consider giving it a try. Rainwater collection is effective even in states that don’t traditionally have drought problems. For example, agricultural states like Georgia, have growing populations that use up water supplies. rainwater can be collected during the rainy season and used when it’s most needed during the hotter, drier months of the year.

When it comes to owning the rain, it depends on where you live. But rain collection is just one more tool in a conservationist’s toolbox. Water reuse should never be used as a substitute for good old fashioned conservation techniques like choosing drought tolerant plants in your backyard and turning lawns into edible gardens.

Categories
Wellbeing

The Art of Leaving Things Undone

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials. -Lin Yutang

When it comes to taking care of our homes, belongings, and families, who doesn’t like to be productive? Paying a stack of bills, deep cleaning a bathroom, or even simply unloading the dishwasher can bring gratification and peace; decluttering a house can help declutter a mind. But ironically, taking the idea of “getting things done” too far can do just the opposite and leave us feeling anxious, guilty, or unhappy.

Let’s challenge the concept of “productivity = good” for a moment. Instead of being proud of what you do, I invite you to consider owning and embracing what you don’t do. There’s something very healthy and relaxing about leaving things undone and not running yourself ragged trying to get to it all. Setting unrealistic expectations can, unfortunately, set you up for failure, whereas having reasonable ones makes your task-list more manageable and can save you from unnecessary guilt trips. Here are a few ways to help you master the art of leaving things undone:

Accept Your Human Limitations

Remember in Harry Potter when Hermione had the time-turner necklace to help her with her busy class schedule? It would be so wonderful to have the ability to stop time like that to get everything done, but that’s just a fantasy. As much as we’d like to be, none of us is Superwoman, and there will always be more things to do than there is energy or time. I’ve observed that some women feel like if they can’t be everything to everyone, they are failing. But the truth is that limitation is not weakness! And it’s certainly not failure. You can have goals and high expectations for yourself while still acknowledging that you have limitations.

I’m grateful for the many career opportunities I’ve had through the years to speak about mental health topics or share my musical gifts with an audience. When I was younger, I thought I had to say “yes” to every request to perform, but eventually became burnt out. I had the realization that I didn’t have to agree to every concert or speaking engagement that came my way. By accepting my own limits, I could continue to present or perform and actually enjoy doing it (instead of feeling exhausted and resentful).

Break Your Own Rules

It may not be pleasant to hear, but a lot of the stress that we women experience is self-imposed. We may feel guilty if we don’t exercise 5 days a week, fold a load of laundry right away, or purchase and wrap Christmas gifts for every extended family member. But these kinds of expectations are self-created! Our relationships, health, careers, and families are probably not in jeopardy if we do not meet them flawlessly. So why not break your own rules once in awhile?

I encourage you to give yourself permission to be imperfect: Permission to wait a week or two until you’re ready to tackle that big home project, permission to leave your bed unmade (especially if you’re running late!), permission to not immediately do whatever it is you that you beat yourself up for not doing. I’m not suggesting that you (regularly) procrastinate or that you avoid difficult things, but don’t be afraid to cut yourself some slack sometimes! After all, you’re only human, and it’s perfectly okay to ditch the rulebook sometimes.

Prioritize What’s Important

We constantly make choices as we plan and execute our day. When you allow things to go undone, it means that we are allowing ourselves the opportunity to do something else that we deem more important. I know a woman who vacuums and deep cleans her car once every two weeks. Recently, her life had gotten very hectic, and she was starting to feel a bit of stress that her vehicle had gone uncleaned. But when she began to feel that familiar sting of guilt, she reminded herself that a few other things in her life were more pressing, her car cleaning routine might have to wait a week or two, and that things would be okay. Her family, hobbies, and career took precedence over her rule. She prioritized what really mattered.

Can you think of things in your life that you could perhaps leave undone for a bit? Maybe you could temporarily defer a task or chore so you can catch up with friends, catch up on sleep, or otherwise take some time for yourself. How can you be a good steward over your time and resources to do what needs to be done and practice self-care? I challenge you to consider (occasionally) practicing the art of leaving things undone to preserve your emotional energy and create more happiness for yourself.

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Sweat

Running Clubs That You Didn't Know Existed

One of my favorite motivational running pictures that I’ve seen floating around the internet contains the quote:

” ‘You are crazy.’ (A runner’s favorite compliment.)” ‘ 

(you can view it HERE)

I laugh because it’s kind of true. I mean, what other group of people get excited over the idea of running 13, 26, 50, or even 100 miles…for fun? What kind of people geek out over a new model of running shoe, because it has updated colors, or a different material shoe lace? We runners are a unique bunch, and we relate best to others who understand our special type of “crazy”.

Now, running is inherently an individual sport. You…and your legs, and your lungs…do all of the work. YOU determine how quickly or slowly you get to the finish line or the end of your training run. But the individuality of the sport doesn’t stop us from forming teams, groups, and clubs to share our crazy…err… joy of running with. And the crazy runner bonding doesn’t stop at simply local group runs, either.

Here are 5 running clubs where runners go over and above simply sharing their love of running.

Marathon Maniacs

How running crazy are you? Crazy enough to run two marathons within 16 days? If so, you can join the ranks of nearly 12,000 other runners who declare themselves “Marathon Maniacs“. But the challenge doesn’t stop there…there are nine different ranks to achieve within the club itself. The ultimate title is the “Titanium Level”, which can be earned by running either 52 Marathons or more within 365 days, 30 Marathons in 30 different US states, Countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) within 365 days or, running a marathon in 20 Countries within 365 days.

Marathons not your thing? That’s OK! The Marathon Maniac founders created the “Half Fanatics“, a club with almost identical criteria, except requires finishing half marathons (13.1 miles) instead of full marathons (26.2 miles).

50 States Marathon Club

Like to travel? Well if you decide to include a marathon on each of your vacations, you just might qualify for the 50 States Marathon Club. The goal is to run a full marathon in each of the 50 states, and nearly 4,000 people already have. Unlike the Marathon Maniacs, there is no time limit in which you must achieve this impressive task. And don’t worry, they let you join in on the fun as an official member after only 10 states have been completed.

Hash House Harriers

Don’t want any rules or criteria? Enjoy beer and shenanigans? Then join the Hash House Harriers, a self-proclaimed “drinking club with a running problem”. An international, yet underground, running club that is rich in history, the Hash House Harriers have more than 1700 groups, with at least one Hash in virtually every major city in the world meeting on a weekly or regular basis. The goals of hashing are to promote physical fitness, to get rid of weekend hangovers, to acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer, and to persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel. At a Hash, a “hare” will lay a trail, typically with flour, and the pack, or “hounds” will follow in pursuit. The goal of the hare is to completely confuse and delay the pack by laying false clues and directions to avoid getting caught.

Dirtbag Runners

Do your running shoes take you off road? Is your sense of wanderlust strong? Do you set out on each run looking for an adventure, instead of just a few miles to log? Then you might be a Dirtbag Runner. By their own definition, “Dirtbag Runners is a community of trail and ultrarunners exploring the world and sharing their stories.” This group represents a growing number of adventurers who aren’t afraid of getting dirty and pursuing their dreams. While it may seem like an insult to some, these runners are proud of their “dirtbag” title.

November Project

November Project is a free fitness movement that was born in Boston as a way to stay in shape during cold New England months. The movement quickly spread, and the November Project can now be found in multiple cities in across four time zones in North America. November Project serves as a simple sense of accountability to motivate and encourage people of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels to get out of their beds and get moving. While not 100% running specific, there is a lot of running incorporated into the workouts, along with much-needed cross training (burpees, anyone?)

All of the groups listed above are located all over the country, and all can be accessed digitally. So even if you don’t have a local chapter near you, you can connect with like-minded runners via internet chats and Facebook groups. The support from fellow runners can be exactly what you need to help motivate you to reach a race goal, encourage you get out the door and train…or simply share excitement with over the next release of your favorite, updated running sneakers.