Butch Femme Planet

Butch Femme Planet (http://www.butchfemmeplanet.com/forum/index.php)
-   Body Beauty, Lifestyles (http://www.butchfemmeplanet.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=124)
-   -   What are your healthy lifestyle habits? (http://www.butchfemmeplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6344)

StrongButch 02-23-2013 06:27 PM

Healthy
 
I stay active,drink lots of water,try to get enough sleep,creative projects,read alot and follow a spiritual path.

nycfem 02-25-2013 07:58 PM

I'm always looking to incorporate health into my life and find it of the utmost importance. It's very rewarding and an exciting journey.

Without BB knowing it, hy helped me tremendously in becoming healthier (Other relationships led me in the other direction.). Hy convinced me to get a job that didn't consume my life (I switched from a psych hospital with horrible management to an elementary school that I love.). And hy convinced me to move from a rent-controlled hellhole to a livable dwelling. Both actions felt like risks, and I was taught in my family to cling to what one has instead of ever taking a risk for something better. Wow, what a difference taking those risks made. Both paid off so much in regard to my health. I was able to sleep better, relax more, cook more, feel happier, and have a happier partner too. I think if one is partnered, the partner really has a lot of influence on one's health. I look at photos of myself when I was with a previous unhealthy partner, and I'm amazed at how I allowed myself to sink into unhealthiness: mentally, physically, and emotionally. I've also learned from the changes I described (living, work, a mature partner) that one can fool around with typical, surface changes in health, but without a solid base they just don't stick.

I like to find new exercises that feel intense and that I can hone my skills in. For instance, lately I've gotten very into stair climbing, not at the gym but stairs around the city. I found that there is a whole culture of people into climbing stairs (by googling, of course). I like to count my steps up and sometimes go up fifteen long flights. It's symbolic and positive for me. On pretty days I also sometimes walk over the Brooklyn Bridge home from work. It's an hour commute that I have by subway and three to four hours walking. It's exciting to walk through different communities and, again, the symbolism of making that long journey home feels really good. I always have interesting encounters along the way.

ac31 02-25-2013 08:02 PM

Crazy amounts of Yogi tea, ahhhh!

Kelt 03-04-2013 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nycfembbw (Post 756886)
I'm always looking to incorporate health into my life and find it of the utmost importance. It's very rewarding and an exciting journey.

Without BB knowing it, hy helped me tremendously in becoming healthier (Other relationships led me in the other direction.). Hy convinced me to get a job that didn't consume my life (I switched from a psych hospital with horrible management to an elementary school that I love.). And hy convinced me to move from a rent-controlled hellhole to a livable dwelling. Both actions felt like risks, and I was taught in my family to cling to what one has instead of ever taking a risk for something better. Wow, what a difference taking those risks made. Both paid off so much in regard to my health. I was able to sleep better, relax more, cook more, feel happier, and have a happier partner too. I think if one is partnered, the partner really has a lot of influence on one's health. I look at photos of myself when I was with a previous unhealthy partner, and I'm amazed at how I allowed myself to sink into unhealthiness: mentally, physically, and emotionally. I've also learned from the changes I described (living, work, a mature partner) that one can fool around with typical, surface changes in health, but without a solid base they just don't stick.

I like to find new exercises that feel intense and that I can hone my skills in. For instance, lately I've gotten very into stair climbing, not at the gym but stairs around the city. I found that there is a whole culture of people into climbing stairs (by googling, of course). I like to count my steps up and sometimes go up fifteen long flights. It's symbolic and positive for me. On pretty days I also sometimes walk over the Brooklyn Bridge home from work. It's an hour commute that I have by subway and three to four hours walking. It's exciting to walk through different communities and, again, the symbolism of making that long journey home feels really good. I always have interesting encounters along the way.

This is a great post!

I think both points you have brought up are spot on. Our partners DO have a tremendous impact on our health simply by how they treat their own health and how supportive they are in what we want to achieve for ourselves. Another way I also like to look at this is that we can also be a big influence on our partners and others we care about. Not by trying to convert anyone else's habits, but by sticking to our own and being both an example and supportive when they want to make positive changes for themselves. Sometimes people want to do things that are different from each other, and that can be fun too. I have picked up areas of interest from being a participant in other activities that I might not have thought of on my own.

I also think that not enough credit is given to things like where we live and work when it comes to our health. As you discovered, it can feel risky when it goes against the grain due to upbringing or maybe ending up being different than expectations, in this case, better. :) The stress reduction that can be had by taking a chance like you did can pay off huge, and stress is a major player in a lot of diseases.

I love your idea about the stairs. It reminded me about a radio program I had heard a couple of years ago on NPR about it. I took a quick look just now and found a place listing public staircases; I don't know if this is a site you use, but it seems to have a pretty good list of things like maps for various cities and it is a volunteer effort. It lists the stairs, how many steps (some have hundreds), and photos included. I just googled 'urban stair climbing' and there are a lot of resources. Maybe some other folks might like this as a way to explore their own city.

:cheesy:

cinnamongrrl 04-17-2013 03:14 PM

I mostly only drink water..with very rare exceptions...

I get plenty of sleep...

I don't eat a lot of meat...

I loveeeee my veggies...

and

I love to hike..and I'm beginning to truly love yoga...

:moonstars:

deb_U_taunt 07-15-2013 02:06 PM

meditate daily
walk 4 to 5 miles a day
eat a low fat/high fiber diet
no sugar

I no longer work over 50 hours a week
I sleep 7-8 hours every night
I keep my stress level down
I spend time with friends and family daily
I laugh a lot
I keep a positive attitude (most of the time, if I don't I have good friends who kick me in the ass)

Kelt 07-15-2013 03:43 PM

Hey deb_U_taunt,

These sound like great habits and a good balance.

Question; how did you manage to scale back your work load?

deb_U_taunt 07-15-2013 03:49 PM

I started saying NO lol and pushing back for reasonable deadlines

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelt (Post 822741)
Hey deb_U_taunt,

These sound like great habits and a good balance.

Question; how did you manage to scale back your work load?


Kelt 09-20-2013 01:50 PM

One habit I cultivate is to know what I am putting in my body.

I am one of those folks who tracks what I eat. While I know most folks don't, doing it for just a day or two can be very educational to say the least. Even without, occasionally looking up what is in a food item can be interesting.

Today I stumbled across a source that I never would have thought of but it is interesting. In checking the nutritional data on lentils this site popped up. It is from Self magazine of all things :blink: but really complete. It shows the standard nutrition label but also gives good snapshot looks at other factors like glycemic load, amino acid balance, protein quality, and nutrient balance, on easy to visualize charts. The nutritional density rating is a really interesting tool. Also breakdowns of vitamins and minerals.

Bon appétit!

:eating:

SirLucian 09-20-2013 01:52 PM

Stay active
lots of fruit and veggies

deb_U_taunt 09-20-2013 02:02 PM

Great link! Thank you and straight to one of my favorite foods. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelt (Post 846515)
One habit I cultivate is to know what I am putting in my body.

I am one of those folks who tracks what I eat. While I know most folks don't, doing it for just a day or two can be very educational to say the least. Even without, occasionally looking up what is in a food item can be interesting.

Today I stumbled across a source that I never would have thought of but it is interesting. In checking the nutritional data on lentils this site popped up. It is from Self magazine of all things :blink: but really complete. It shows the standard nutrition label but also gives good snapshot looks at other factors like glycemic load, amino acid balance, protein quality, and nutrient balance, on easy to visualize charts. The nutritional density rating is a really interesting tool. Also breakdowns of vitamins and minerals.

Bon appétit!

:eating:


Gemme 09-20-2013 07:32 PM

A few months ago....around the time of my birthday....I decided I really didn't like being the weight I was. I'm short and every pound feels and looks like much more on my frame. I didn't like the way I felt when I moved and I certainly didn't like growing out of my clothes. I also didn't like my inability to do things that I thought I should be able to do and/or not do them as well and gracefully as I thought I should.

So, I decided to do this whole 'healthier' thing again ("Healthy" feels like a black/white thing...like you either are or aren't. Healthier says "I'm trying" and sometimes that's all you can ask of yourself).

I won't ever be as dedicated as some of you are because I will not give up sugar. Notice, I said 'will not'. I can, of course. It's a small matter of willpower. But I won't do it. However, I did decrease my sugar consumption quite a bit and when I do eat and candy and sweets, I actually eat the true portion sizes, not what I think should be a portion (strangely enough, whole bags are not often '1 portion'....who knew?).

I've exchanged fatty/greasy/goal-eroding foods with lighter and mostly yummy options (there have been a few lessons learned in this department). I've learned that I can, indeed, eat chicken without the skin. Again, who knew?

:blink:

I've increased my water intake and decreased my soda consumption. I readily admit to being a soda fiend. But 1-2 cans a day is certainly better for me than 4-6, no? I also mostly buy those lil baby cans that are about 100 calories per can and that still counts as 1 even though it's smaller than my usual cans. And sometimes my '1' is just a fraction of the can/bottle. But if I were to say 'no more' and deprive myself of the sweet stuff, I'd fail for sure.

I take more time when I eat and I try to gauge what it is that I am actually doing when I eat. Am I eating for fuel? Am I hungry or am I feeding something else? Am I upset, angry, sad, lonely, bored?

I move my body much more. I missed that. Being sedentary grows on you like a tumor and the weight of inactivity is far heavier than anything I will ever lift in the gym. I'm developing more of an appreciation for my body and noticing things that probably wouldn't have occurred to me if I weren't attached to an Arc trainer for an hour. Things like, my wrists are sexy when they are sweaty. That's not something that typically comes up in self-image discussions, but I know I sure feel better and stronger and more powerful when I glance down and see my effort gleaming like a diamond sheen on my skin.

I have a new wardrobe!!! I'm a bit of a packrat and this has come in handy lately as I've been falling out of my work pants. lol I absolutely LURVE that.

Music. I listen to music while I work out and, when I'm a dolt and I forget my MP3 player, it's not the same. Music motivates me and keeps me going when I feel my resolve and energy slipping. Music wakes me up when I'm sleepy and calms me down when I'm upset or trying to get to sleep.

Sleep. It's been mentioned several times and there's a reason for it. Everything gets wonky when we don't have enough sleep. Cortisol levels go up, crankiness ensues and that just makes for a bad day.

Sex. Whatever/whoever/whenever. Just make sure you have some, whether it's with yourself, an appliance or someone else.

Finding my happy. I've got a good handle on this but I'm open to learning about other things that make me happy. Sometimes it's crafty things, sometimes it's arranging the apartment, sometimes it's just me snuggling on the sofa with my silky pillows watching TV. Different things for different days.

And, with the Reunion coming up, I'm increasing my intake of Airborne.

:tea:

Bèsame* 09-20-2013 10:17 PM

Its all about the choices you choose to put in your mouth:)

PoeticSilence 09-21-2013 02:55 AM

Having become recently disabled (lymphedema, fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression) I've had to learn some new things. The main things I have to be careful of is knowing my limits, not being able to walk further than ten to fifteen feet (assisted, i.e. with a walker or cane) and unable to stand in place for more than five minutes.

I do a lot of exercises in bed since I'm in bed a lot of the time during the day.

I have a shower chair (backless) that I can sit on and do all of my stretching, which I do three times a day.

The wife cooks for me and I'm not a big eater. My snacks are the problem, I will eat a whole can of wasabi flavoured pistachios, or a whole can of mixed nuts, etc. She has to limit my snacks (not too hard, just put them where I can't get them) She also buys weight watchers ice cream bars for snacks.

I used to have a fluid issue regarding my intake of fluids, I haven't had that trouble in a few years, but for a long time I was drinking double what most people did and would still be thirsty. Nope..NOT diabetic.

I gave up smoking, not even an issue. I have oxygen added to my bipap machine that is supposed to help with healing in my legs, seems to help me with alertness.

I don't meditate per se, but I do practice thoughtfulness. I pick a few subjects and I give them a lot of thought. If it's pain, then that's what I think about, different ways to approach it, how it affects me, how it makes me feel, how I let it affect me outwardly, etc.

I don't plan to have this forever. I know it's spreading, and it is incurable, and it never "goes away" but I wasn't expecting it, and it doesn't fit into my future plans, so I'm not planning on having this illness forever.

Rockinonahigh 09-21-2013 04:01 PM

I just watch waht I eat,drink as much water as I want wich is probly not enough but I also drink unsweet tea.I use to drink a 12 pack of coke a day so I cut it down to a couple wich often I end up caping the bottle for the next day.Veggies are the mainstay of my food plan,yougurt is something I like and often eat insted of a meal or with fruit or cottage cheese with som kind of fruit.I have bran flakes or captain crunch with enough milk to wet it down with.I cut my red meat consumption way down and now eat fish or chicken.I have a nasty sweet tooth so I need to be careful about it so far I do pretty well staying away fron them,now with halloween comeing then the hollidays it will become a battle to not fall off the wagon cause I like to cook the favorites of the season so I use a diabetic cook book so I can keep it as real as I can.My down fall is usely sweet potato pie or pecan pie,when I eat sweets I drink lots of water to flush it out as quick as possable.I have lost 80 pounds over the last couple of years,even tho i'm down to 250 I still want to get to my goal wight of 200.The doc says It's still not enough I will stick to that goal,if I get past that great if not i'm ok with it.My doc is skinny as a broom stick and really beleaves everyone should be...I do not think that way so as long as some weigh is fallin off I am ok with how things are going.I also workout 3 to4 days a week enough for the workout to be a shade more than moderate amount.I tryed to do harder workouts but it caused to many problems with my pain leval or pops something out wich isn't cool either.

Kelt 09-25-2013 11:34 AM

There are so many ways the sleep is critical for all of us. A few years ago I spent several months changing my sleep habits away from what had become 6 hours a night, and revamped it to 7.5 regularly. It has made an enormous difference in my health both physically and mentally.

This article is a good refresher course on the basics.

Hacking sleep: Engineering a high quality, restful night

In case you haven’t heard, sleep is absolutely crucial to your health. With a few simple strategies, you can get the high-quality, restful sleep your body and your mind deserves.

Introduction;
Sleep is just as important as nutrition and exercise when it comes to improving your health, performance, and body composition.

Good sleep helps our bodies and minds recover, keeping us lean, happy, mentally focused, and healthy.

But chronically bad sleep slathers on body fat, screws up our hormones, ages us faster, increases chronic illnesses, and drains our IQ and mojo.

Fortunately, research also shows that returning to adequate sleep can quickly reduce these risks.

So how do we go about getting that replenishing shut-eye?

Read the rest of this article....

Kelt 10-04-2013 08:20 PM

Mental health is my current personal project and honestly I know very little about it. I have been talking to some friends lately and we seem to be experiencing sort of a common thread; age making things seem closer to the surface. I thought it might be man-o-pause (thanks Dak for the term!), but a lot of my friends are men, so out with that idea.

I am putting the first and a middle paragraph here and a link to the whole article at the bottom.

Trapped in negative emotions?

Why don’t we apply the same standards and value for filtering out unhealthy thoughts, as we do for filtering out unhealthy foods? I find many people logically understand that if they eat something unhealthy they get that it will make them feel awful, and therefore avoid eating foods with undesirable consequences. Yet, this same logic is not equally applied to filtering out unhealthy thoughts which make an individual feel awful. If you wouldn’t eat stress inducing foods all day long, than why would you allow yourself to sip on the “I’m not good enough, “or “I am bitter and angry, it’s not fair” Stress-Slurpee all day long?

********

To understand why these Achilles Heel emotional and mental triggers are so powerful picture a large reservoir of water in your mind say the Hoover Damn. Behind the dam is an amazing amount of pressure. The reservoir took time to fill up, but overtime the pressure began to build and once full the force behind the dam grew to be enormous. Achilles Heel triggers are like a dam, they have an accumulation of trapped emotional kinetic energy behind them, and once triggered an overwhelming amount of emotions and strewing mental tangents gets released inside an individual – temporarily overtaking an individual’s logical, reasoning mind.

Link to full article.

Kelt 11-13-2013 02:35 PM

This has me pretty wound up today. Driving along listening to the radio when I hear that there are new guidelines around proscribing statins for cholesterol lowering and that now it will include people who do not have high LDL levels, but also for a number of other reasons.

I still have homework to do on this BUT, now about 25% of the population is on these meds and the changes could raise this to 50%. Not a fan of statins to begin with, or the pharmaceutical industry in some instances, I'm giving this the hairy one-eyeball.

What about you? Are you taking statins already?

Do you see this changing as a result of the new parameters?

I am also wondering if we can find ourselves being labeled as 'uncooperative' patients if we opt to not take them under the new guidelines or as part of the new rules of healthcare in the USA?

Here are a couple of early articles for the public with different opinions about the way the numbers will play out. Both mainstream press.

Forbes: When Should You Take A Statin? The Answer Just Changed.

NPR: Shift In Cholesterol Advice Could Double Statin Use

Time to buy shares in Crestor? :blink:

One more item, here is a link to the American Heart Association risk calculator

*At this moment it is overwhelmed, may have to try later*

silkepus 12-19-2013 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelt (Post 850933)
Trapped in negative emotions?

Why don’t we apply the same standards and value for filtering out unhealthy thoughts, as we do for filtering out unhealthy foods? I find many people logically understand that if they eat something unhealthy they get that it will make them feel awful, and therefore avoid eating foods with undesirable consequences. Yet, this same logic is not equally applied to filtering out unhealthy thoughts which make an individual feel awful. If you wouldn’t eat stress inducing foods all day long, than why would you allow yourself to sip on the “I’m not good enough, “or “I am bitter and angry, it’s not fair” Stress-Slurpee all day long?


Link to full article.


That is such a sensible thing. Mental health should be seen as just as important as physical health I think. And I have noticed I’m always physically healthier when I am mentally healthier too. If I get enough sleep and have a positive outlook being healthy is just easier.

But overall I don’t think I do much to be healthy. I don’t go to the gym and I haven’t stopped eating sugar and carbs like many of my friends have. My sister eats wheat grass mixed with water for breakfast- that’s taking it a bit too far for me.

I think the healthiest thing I do, is not owning a car. I know that’s not possible for everyone. But it makes me walk or cycle a lot if I want to or not. And I am lucky enough to live next to not only the sea, where it’s lovely to walk and swim (when it’s not too cold), but also several mountains and forests where I try to go for long walks or ride my bicycle at least three times a week. I love walking up one of the smaller mountains and see the sun set in the sea. It’s really lovely.

Happy_Go_Lucky 12-19-2013 03:14 PM

Healthy lifestyle habits include seeing humor in everything!

Laughing will cure most anything and prevent many chronic conditions. Perhaps the scientist amongst us may debate this, however I am speaking from an anecdotal observation.

As well as eating anything you want. (in moderation)

Drinking anything you want. (in moderation)

Having a fur-friend around can keep you healthier as well. :)


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:07 AM.

ButchFemmePlanet.com
All information copyright of BFP 2018