This morning I needed to get to from Point A to Point B, and I felt like walking.  Never mind the headline, “Boiling Heat Refuses to Simmer.”  So what if the temperature is going to hit 100.

As I walked, I thought of Eric Northman, the fictional character from the TV show True Blood.  Eric is a Vampire.  As we all know, sunlight destroys vampires, unless of course they have sucked a Fairy dry.

Last episode, Eric sucked Sookie’s Fairy Godmother dry!  Filled up and high on fairy blood, he headed outdoors.  Standing in full sunlight he reveled in the ecstasy of the heat and the daylight.

As all good things must come to an end, so did the effects of the Fairy Blood.  Eric began to blister, burn and sizzle.  He had to hightail it out of the sun, and get back to his underground lightless dungeon.

I lasted a good eight blocks, before I started to overheat.  Similar to Eric’s experience, once the heat started to take hold, I went from fine to fried in less than one quick second.   I ducked into a market, re-hydrated, cooled down and then, took a fast and air-conditioned taxi home!  (Praise Be for New York City Taxis)

On these hot and humid days of summer, you may feel fine and be actually enjoying the extreme heat, but beware, because both heat exhaustion and heatstroke can sneak up on you, come on fast and knock you over and out!

The symptoms of heat exhaustion are:

Profuse sweating
Muscle cramps
Cool, clammy skin
Dizziness

What to do?
Grab yourself some shade.
Drink water.
Rest for a good 15 minutes.

Heatstroke is another matter and is life threatening.
The symptoms are:

victim may be confused,
hallucinating and/or
lose consciousness.
His/her skin will be hot and dry,
and his/her body may have lost its ability to self-cool.

What to do?
Call 911 and ask for medical assistance.
While waiting for an ambulance (Yikes),
move the heatstroke victim out of the sun and into the shade or into a cooler place.
Give her/him water.
If you have anything that can be used as a fan, get fanning!

Before you head out into the sun, into these hot and humidv100 degree days of summer, grab a hat, sunglasses and water!  Walk on the shady side of the street!

Spread the word … NOT the icing!

Janice
wise * fun * utterly useful

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join the Kick in the Tush Club ]]> http://www.janicetaylorliving.com/2011/07/heat-stoke-hot-and-bothered-with-vampire-eric-northman/feed/ 0 http://www.janicetaylorliving.com/2011/04/its-time-let-your-weight-loss-warrior-out/ http://www.janicetaylorliving.com/2011/04/its-time-let-your-weight-loss-warrior-out/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:57:17 +0000 jtaylor http://www.janicetaylorliving.com/?p=888 I have in the past written about the difference between being assertive and aggressive – and advocated for the assertive side of life – stating that there’s no need to bring the police into the picture!!!!  (Referencing an incident I had –or created, depending on your point of view – in an Italian restaurant in Little Italy, at which time I specifically said at a minimum of three times, “NO BUTTER!”  Nevertheless, when served, my food was swimming in butter! It got ugly!).

However, I was WRONG. True enough, although it is the first time that I’m wrong!  But I’m woman enough to admit it.

There is nothing wrong with being AGGRESSIVE.  In fact, it is the RIGHT PATH!!!  It is the WAY of the WEIGHT LOSS WARRIOR!!!!

AGGRESSIVE ENERGY
Aggressive energy is an essential part of being human.  Aggressive energy will always be with you.  It is an integral and meaningful part of you and it is up to you whether or not you use it for good or ill or even worse, deny it altogether.

When you deny aggression, you are abdicating tapping into this natural and vital well of energy and power.  It is your natural resource that can make all the difference.

The aggressive energy that rumbles through you is simply the Warrior within that is thirsting to accept responsibility, wanting to come out and lead YOU to victory!

You have, in our time together, made the decision to permanently remove your excess weight; you have looked into your future; filled up on confidence; spoken words that energize and motivate; fed the soul and the body and now …

It is TIME!!! To let YOUR WARRIOR OUT!!!!

YOUR WARRIOR … gets things done!
… gives you a sense of yourself as Champion of Your Vision.
… slays the dragons of fear and doubt.
… is inspired and optimistic.
And when your warrior runs into obstacles your warrior recognizes them as tests and does not abandon her Quest …
… YOUR WARRIOR … battles on.

Your warrior … perseveres in the face of difficulties, in the face of temptation.

Good Intentions Are NOT ENOUGH. Sacrifice is necessary.

How you and your warrior bond together now will determine the outcome of your story.

Will you live your best life, or will you remain in bondage to food, emotional eating, and the circumstances that life throws in your path?

Your Warrior actually enjoys discipline, planning, and boundaries.  Your Warrior does not stamp its feet and act like a 4 year-old; your warrior sees the above as opportunity to live life to the fullest.

Be a Warrior.  Be a Weight Loss Warrior.

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful

____________________________________________
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Our Lady of Weight Loss
join the Kick in the Tush Club
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Forks and Knives

What has happened to us? Despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, we are sicker than ever by nearly every measure.

Chew on these facts!
… and then … WAKE UP!!! to the truth and do something about it!

1. Two out of every three of us are overweight.
2. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population.
3. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug.
4. Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive health care costs to astronomical levels.
5. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the country’s three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to “battle” these very conditions. Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative diseases.

Could it be there’s a single solution to all of these problems? A solution so comprehensive yet so straightforward, that it’s mind-boggling that more of us haven’t taken it seriously?

FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.

Could it be that degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even several forms of cancer, could almost be prevented and in many cases reversed simply by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet?  

Despite the profound implications of the findings of Drs. Campbell and Esselstyn, their work has remained relatively unknown to the public. In FORKS OVER KNIVES, filmmakers travel with these two doctors on their separate but similar paths, from their childhood farms where they both produced “nature’s perfect food”; to China and Cleveland, where they explored ideas that challenged the established thinking and shook their own core beliefs.

The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments–while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.

FORKS OVER KNIVES utilizes state of the art 3-D graphics and rare archival footage. The film features leading experts on health, examines the question “why we don’t know”, and tackles the issue of diet and disease in a way that will have people talking for years.

FORKS OVER KNIVES was filmed all over the United States, and in Canada and China. It premieres in May! Get Ready … to spread the healthy word!
(Source: Forks Over Knives)

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful

The first is the “Jack theory.” All work and no play makes for a cranky Jack. All this and no that, too much of this and too little of that, just doesn’t work. The challenge here is to balance what we must do with what we enjoy and want to do. We need to carve out time for the serious stuff as well as play.

The other way to live a balanced life has more to do with going with the flow; not letting the inevitable glitch in our day throw us off-balance, sending us careening off course. It’s about staying balanced.

In other words, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. No matter how carefully a project is planned, something may still ‘go wrong’ with it. When lucky, we experience a minor glitch; a glitch so small and short-lived that you hardly notice it – a transient fault that corrects itself.

However, there are the times when a hornet’s nest of difficulties presents itself, and you need to change course, immediately, lest you get knocked off your tush!

Here follows eight guidelines on how you can ‘root’ yourself in balance, enabling you to smile and stay steady the course, even in the face of the inevitable hiccup, glitch or major league malfunction.

8 Tips For A Well Balanced Life
… go with the flow, baby, lest it knocks you off-balance

1. Take Care of YOU. I promise you that your health is the key ingredient to ALL! They don’t say, “If you’ve got your health, you’ve got everything” for nothing! It’s the truth. You simply cannot function in high gear, if you don’t get the right amount of rest, exercise or good, healthy eats (a.k.a. real food vs. processed ’stuff’). At some point, ‘it’ will catch up with you.

2. Set Priorities. Leading your ‘best life’ does not mean that you need to be or should try to be perfect and do all. It means that you self-reflect, known thyself, determine your true values. Not knowing who you are and what you want and trying to do everything is a recipe for burnout and disaster. Do not bite off more than you can chew!

3. Plan Pretty. No, planning is not a dirty word, although you might think it is based on the response I sometimes get when I stress the importance of planning. Do not stamp your feet, like a 3 year old and say, “I don’t like to plan.” Keeping an organized calendar and planner, tracking your appointments and food, your (a.k.a. movement for the exercise phobic), leads to freedom.

When you plan, you essentially dump your thoughts onto the page, organize them so they do not overwhelm you, which leads to a productive, relaxed kind of day. Instead of cringing at the thought of ‘planning,’ embrace it. Once again, planning presents a clear path out of the state of ‘overwhelm’ and into a state of ‘freedom.’

4. Stuff Happens; Expect the Unexpected. Have you ever had a day when something unexpected didn’t happen? An unexpected phone call, unexpected traffic jam, a platter of pretty cupcakes being paraded in front of you or maybe worse yet, a computer crash? Stuff happens my friends. Stuff happens big time. So expect the unexpected and just roll with it.

5. Wake Up Happy. Your first thoughts are the most powerful, the strongest and they can set a tone for the day. You can easily train yourself to begin each and every day with a positive thought.

Begin to pay attention to your waking thoughts. If they are not ‘happy’ or useful thought, change them. In the place between being asleep and fully awake, note your thoughts and change them if you have to, or if positive and useful, embrace them. “Today, I am going to get organized and ‘motor’ through the day with great, happy energy.” Vs. “Crapola, it’s Monday. Another day, another dollar.” Get my drift?

6. Stay Connected with Family and Friends. Another key ingredient to living a balanced life and staying ‘in balance’ is your connection to your friends and family. However busy you may be, be sure to reach out to at least one friend or family member daily. Preferably, in real time, either in person or via telephone; not electronically! There’s nothing like the real thing.

7. Be Spontaneous. On the one hand, I do believe that planning equals freedom, as mentioned above. On the other hand, let’s not get so rigid that we lose the ability to be spontaneous. If you suddenly have the urge to go for a long walk, go to a movie, hook up with a friend at lunchtime, feed the hummingbirds … do so!

8. Breathe Deep and Unwind. At the end of your glorious day, take a minute or two or thirty to unwind. Curl up with a good book, take a hot bath, listen to music that soothes or stirs your soul. Do nothing. Take in a few deep, cleansing breaths, congratulate on a day well-lived and just plain relax.

What is the one most important thing that you do to help you stay balanced, enabling you to go with the flow? Weigh-in below!

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful

____________________________________________
For the best in wellness and weight loss wisdom, visit Janice:
Our Lady of Weight Loss
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I’m referencing the one night-stand that sits next to your bed. The stand that you dump the contents of your day onto before you drift off to sleep. The stand that holds your eyeglasses, your meds, your alarm clock, the book(s) you are reading, maybe your laptop, your cell phone, your landline, a pad, a pen or two, your watch, your rings, a glass of water, a glass of wine, your peace pipe, your sex toys, sugary snacks, crunchy snacks, full meals, and maybe a statue of the Buddha. And let’s not forget all our sleep paraphernalia, including eye masks, aromatherapy candles, sound machines, sleeping potions and sleeping pills.

What does your one night-stand say about you and about your quality of sleep?

As Dr. Rubin Naiman, sleep specialist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine, explained at the Weil on Wellness Immersion Program at Miraval Resort Spa, so aptly put it … “If sleep is a nightly get-away, then the nightstand is the overnight bag we carry at our side. We can learn a lot about a person and their travels by examining their bags.

“What’s on your night-stand? Is it suggestive of a rejuvenating personal retreat? Or, is it more about a stressful business trip?”

Dr. Naiman’s “one night stand” concept instantaneously captured my imagination! And from the sounds of the gasps, the aHA and light-bulb moments popping throughout the room, I was not alone. An intriguing and simple visual that tells me with certainty what I am dragging with me throughout the day and straight into the night.

Hungry for more insights on what my nightstand says about me, and curious how I can have a more restful and rejuvenating sleep, I caught up with Dr. Naiman post-conference for a most soporific conversation.

JT: How might the contents of our ‘nighttime baggage’ interfere with a good night’s sleep? What does it matter?

RN: Take a closer look at what’s on your nightstand. Ask yourself if these things encourage a natural surrender to sleep or keep you subtly tethered to the world of waking.

Things that keep you connected to waking such as clocks, lamps, radios, computers and telephones, as well as energy spiking foods, substances and information have no place on an overnight sleep retreat.

The ubiquitous digital clock, for example, can draw us back into the waking world of time.

JT: If one is ‘out,’ how does it specifically draw us back into our waking world? And retreat? Am I really going on an overnight retreat?

RN: The depth to which we will go ‘out’ depends on our willingness to let go of the waking world. It’s nearly impossible to resist the temptation of checking the time when we can’t sleep. But, doing so draws us into even greater wakefulness. To make matters worse, both the light and the electromagnetic field radiating from such a device suppresses melatonin, further compromising our sleep and overall health. Best to get the thing away from your head and your bed.

JT: Melatonin?

RN: Melatonin is a complex neuro-hormone synthesized from serotonin — primarily in the pineal gland or “third eye”-when we are exposed to dim light or darkness. I think of melatonin as the queen of our nighttime biology. It gently but decidedly ushers our bodies, brains and minds into sleep and dreams.

Melatonin has been touted as a miracle substance. As a key player in our night biology, it regulates circadian rhythms, facilitates sleep, and promotes dreaming. Melatonin is also involved in the regulation of a wide range of hormones and neurotransmitters and functions as a potent antioxidant. Beyond its usefulness in managing jet lag, circadian rhythm disorders and insomnia, a growing body of research is finding that melatonin shows promise in treating diverse conditions like hypertension, premenstrual syndrome, macular degeneration and even certain cancers.

JT: Do you take melatonin?

RN: I personally have been taking a small dose of melatonin nightly for nearly 20 years. I don’t do so to help with my sleep. I take it because I believe that like most people, I am overexposed to light at night. I use a .5 mg sublingual and sustained release preparation of melatonin. Sublingual means that it dissolves under the tongue. This carries the melatonin directly into the bloodstream before it can be filtered out by the liver. And a sustained release preparation will remain active throughout most of the night, in contrast to standard melatonin which has a very short half life.

To date, melatonin has a good safety profile. Much better than most popular sleeping pills. Still, it is generally not recommended for use in children and during pregnancy. Melatonin may exacerbate nighttime asthma and, possibly, certain autoimmune conditions. Its always wise to talk with a knowledgeable physician before embarking upon supplementation.

JT: During your talk at The Weil for Wellness Immersion at Miraval Resort Spa, you mentioned that our nightstands reflect our personal stance toward sleep and that we are all too frequently ‘desperate’ for sleep.

RN: Yes, when faced with the prospect of yet another bad night, many of us will do whatever it takes to make it through the night. Whether it’s about overeating or relying on alcohol or sleeping pills, such a one night stand approach ultimately backfires. It erodes our belief in our own natural ability to surrender to sleep.

JT: Overeating? Do you mean that people get up in the middle of the night and graze, snack or binge as a way to get back to sleep?

RN: Because eating triggers a relaxation response that temporarily sooths anxiety, food can readily become a kind of drug we depend on to get to sleep. Unfortunately, sleeplessness can readily become entangled with a number of eating disorders. Although sleep and eating are both nourishing, in one respect, they are opposites. Eating energizes us. Sleep is about relinquishing energy. We don’t sleep in our refrigerators. We shouldn’t eat in bed.

Ultimately, we need to think in terms of developing a sustainable relationship with sleep. Consider developing a personal, soothing evening ritual under gentle low-blue lighting. This might include a warm bath, some yoga or stretching, meditation or prayer, and some light or even lighthearted reading. And always, in the end, it’s about surrendering to sleep.

JT: Thank you Dr. Naiman. Fantastic! Any final thoughts for our readers?

RN: Yes. I think it’s helpful to reflect on this simple truth: We are all always already asleep. What I mean by this is that sleep is the foundation of all consciousness. It’s always present beneath our waking. And because we’re already there, we literally can’t ‘go to sleep.’ Trying to do so will only further activate the wakeful part of us. What we can do, of course, is learn to let go of waking and practice surrendering to sleep.

For more on restful and rejuvenating sleep visit Dr. Rubin Naiman: www.DrNaiman.com

And be sure to order your copy of The Yoga of Sleep. Highly recommended!

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful
____________________________________________
For the best in wellness and weight loss wisdom, visit Janice:
Our Lady of Weight Loss
join the Kick in the Tush Club
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Follow Janice Taylor on Twitter: www.twitter.com/OurLady
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OurLadyofWeightLoss

Dig it! Scientists recently found that sweetened, caffeinated coffee not only gives you an energy boost to prepare you for your busy day, but it can also help you to remember by boosting cognitive performance.

The golden, sugary, yum delicious nugget of this research showed that when caffeine and sugar are taken together, they help boost the brain’s performance, as compared when they are ingested separately.

The research was conducted at the University of Barcelona, Spain, and it included conducting brain scans of 40 volunteers. The volunteers were tested after they consumed coffee with sugar, coffee without sugar, just plain sugar and just plain water.

The findings showed that when these two substances – caffeine and sugar – when taken together, improved brain performance. The combo increased the efficiency of two regions of the brain; regions that are responsible for sustained attention and working memory.

(Source: journal of Human Psycho-pharmacology: Clinical and Experimental)

While this may be exciting for us caffeine and sugar lovers, remember – there are 16 calories per teaspoon of sugar. This ‘news’ by no means gives license to over-indulging and creating a sugar high.

Nevertheless, I am going to purposefully enjoy my teaspoon of sugar soaked in coffee this morning.

More Coffee News:
Coffee and Aspirin Cure
Fast Weight Loss and Coffee!!!

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful
____________________________________________
For the best in wellness and weight loss wisdom, visit Janice:
Our Lady of Weight Loss
join the Kick in the Tush Club
Virtual Shoulder

Follow Janice Taylor on Twitter: www.twitter.com/OurLady
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OurLadyofWeightLoss

With the exception of the State of Arizona and parts of Indiana, on this Sunday, March 13th at 2:00 am, we set our clocks ahead to enjoy an additional hour of daylight.

How will you utilize your extra hour; the hour that you will have ‘gained’ this weekend?

Will you shake off your tale feathers and take a long walk in the ‘light?’ Will you spend an extra hour decluttering, giving your spring cleaning plan a kick in the tush?

Will you allow the ‘light’ to shine bright or will you set your dials to dim?

How will you ’spend’ your extra hour? Will you kick start Spring by springing into action, sending your ‘upward spiral’ into motion? How will you fuel your inner fire? Those parts of you that are hibernating?

1. Gardening? There is magic in ‘dirt.’
2. Taking a long walk around the park?
3. Sitting on a mountain top?
4. Calling old friends?
5. Chanting Om?
6. Contemplating your navel?
7. Sitting on the porch, rocking back n’ forth?
8. Cleaning out the fridge?
9. Sleeping In or stretching it out?
10. Jumping high or laying low?

How will you set your ‘upward spiral’ in motion?
Please ‘weigh-in’ below!

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful
____________________________________________
For the best in wellness and weight loss wisdom, visit Janice:
Our Lady of Weight Loss
join the Kick in the Tush Club
Virtual Shoulder

Follow Janice Taylor on Twitter: www.twitter.com/OurLady
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OurLadyofWeightLoss ]]> http://www.janicetaylorliving.com/2011/03/does-daylight-savings-time-make-you-fat/feed/ 0 http://www.janicetaylorliving.com/2011/03/stay-fat-tuesday-shopping-when-hungry/ http://www.janicetaylorliving.com/2011/03/stay-fat-tuesday-shopping-when-hungry/#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:06:57 +0000 jtaylor http://www.janicetaylorliving.com/?p=835 Today’s post doubles as a ’stay fat tip’ and well as a Weighty Confession! Here goes!!!

Even though I know better and was well aware that I was headed for big trouble, I stopped at the supermarket on my way home from a very busy day and bottom line, I was hungry. Very hungry. Ravenously hungry. So hungry that the minute those automatic doors swung open, I could hear the chips calling my name!

By the time I reached check out, I was covered in crumbs and my bill was twice the usual amount. Yes, hungry also makes us buy more as well as eat more.

Now, I know that you know this. Me too. I know it, too. This is just a friendly reminder.

If you want to stay fat, then go shopping when hungry.

What’s your best ’stay fat’ strategy?
Weigh-in below and have a good chuckle. It’s okay to slim down while you laugh it up. It’s okay to be ‘light’ about heavy topics.

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful
____________________________________________
For the best in wellness and weight loss wisdom, visit Janice:
Our Lady of Weight Loss
join the Kick in the Tush Club
Virtual Shoulder

Follow Janice Taylor on Twitter: www.twitter.com/OurLady
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OurLadyofWeightLoss

Dr. Phil defines authentic self as, “the you that can be found at your absolute core. It is the part of you that is not defined by your job, your function or role.”

Human beings speak in metaphors, and while I understand that having a “core” is a metaphor and/or a mythical place that we imagine lives within, I still would be grateful if Dr. Phil, Oprah and/or any one of the “healers” true and/or self-proclaimed (authentic or fictional), can tell me where my authentic self and its absolute core live.

If it is at the heart of what matters, then does it lie within my heart? Does it beat? Pulsate? Have a life of its own? Is my core behind my liver or perhaps under my pancreas? If someone is rotten to the core, can they request a core transplant?

And if you are at times not your true self; not your authentic self, then who are you?

Dr. Phil makes the distinction between “authentic” and “fictional” selves. He describes the fictional self… “When you’re not living faithfully to your authentic self, you find yourself feeling incomplete, as if there is a hole in your soul.”

Another set of questions come hurling forward from what I suspect is my authentic self, although I can’t be sure.

The questions: Where is my soul? How do I repair its hole? And… Does your authentic self call upon your fictional self, at times, to surface? You know, maybe your fictional self is needed at a meeting; maybe your fictional self is a better negotiator than your authentic self. Therefore, your fictional self is at times your authentic self and visa-versa.

You see, it’s rather tricky, isn’t it? Even when you are striving to be something that you are not, how do you know that you are not that — and perhaps you need to stretch yourself to become that?

What about multiple selves? Each of us has the capacity to be generous and selfish, loving and hateful, inclusive and magnanimous as well as petty and small. Which part of ourselves live at our core?

Is this where free will comes into play? Do we each have the ability to choose what aspects of our character we’d like to develop?

From the psychoanalytic perspective there are differing opinions. Some theoreticians concur with Dr. Phil. They believe there is a core, authentic self. Other analysts believe that we are composed of a multiplicity of self that emerge in different situations.

Despite the different perspectives, aren’t we all seeking peace, harmony, love and satisfaction in whatever way we arrive at it?

Perhaps, dear reader, you can journey inward and see what answer resonates for you.

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful