Posted by Goddess on November 20, 2009
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and we all know what that means. Instead of laying in a supply of slimming pills for the damage control, think about these few tips that might help mitigate not only extra poundage during the holiday season, but cut down on indigestion and other assorted digestive ailments.
1. Keep healthy snacks on hand and easily accessible. If fresh veggies are already cut up and in the fridge, it’s just as easy to grab those than another slice of cheesecake. Okay, I know raw celery doesn’t hit the same spot at cheesecake, but work with me here. For a sweet tooth, keep fruit on hand and for those salt cravings, try a handful of nuts — much healthier. I’m not saying don’t have the cheesecake, just don’t choose it EVERY time.
2. Stay hydrated. Water, water, water. In the winter months, indoor air is dry and sometimes you may mistake simple thirst as hunger. When you’re over forty, increased water intake gives you nicer skin, keeps your electrolytes in balance, and of course, necessitates more trips to the bathroom. What can I say, everything has a price.
3. Take a hike. No, I don’t mean a trek into the mountains, unless that’s your “thing”, but hike thy buttocks around the block or take the dog for a jaunt. I promise ten minutes won’t kill you, honest, and it will make you feel better to get the blood pumping and take the edge off the munchies.
4. Save the fat and calories for the Big Meal. You don’t have to cook like Paula Dean every meal. Throw in some healthy dinners during the holiday season, and save the butter, heavy cream, and cheese for the actual holidays and try to watch it in between. Don’t play — you know holiday dinners don’t taste the same if you use low-cal low-fat choices, but for one day it’s all right. However, if you cook that way from Thanksgiving to Christmas your thighs are gonna hate you. Trust me on this.
5. Last but not least, don’t skip meals. Try to eat at regular intervals, including the dreaded breakfast. (No, coffee is not a food group.) You’re better off with six small meals a day than three big ones, keeping your metabolism revved up and the temptations at a minimum.
All these are simple behaviors you can implement to help you control the creeping poundage resulting from holiday over-indulgence and reduce digestive woes. Let’s face it, the holiday are stressful enough without adding bloating, cramping, and strange bowel actions to the mix.
That being said — pass the cheesecake. 
Posted by Goddess on October 29, 2009
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had information backed up on hard drives and have lost them all. I learned a lesson about back-up in the Great Crash Of 2003 or ‘04, I think it was. My own memory is totally unreliable. Heh.
Last year, I lost a huge chunk of data also, on a 180 gig external HD I had. It taught me not to get too attached to what was being saved, but truth to tell, if I’m not using it I can’t miss it when it’s gone, right? I tend to hoard information like some people hoard newspapers, straws, or milk jugs. E-books I never read, recipes I never made, snippets of work I never accessed again after it disappeared into the nether-world of Back-Up.
What I do depend on is my little flash drive, and emailing myself.
My kids are like my flash drive. Many things I don’t remember; I’m not sure how my memory got so bad, other than it was a survival skill set from a traumatic childhood, coupled with some recreational activity in the 70’s. (Hey, don’t judge. You had to be there.) It amazes me how much my kids remember, but then, they’re a lot closer to the time period of their childhood than I am, if you feel me.
The stories of my grandbaby (AKA “Muffin”) my daughter tells me jogs the memory banks, and I treasure them. They’re like old friends who have come to visit, don’t overstay their welcome, and leave a warm, fuzzy feeling when they depart. Like, when Muffin wakes her up by peeling up her eyelids. She used to do that. Or when he became stuck in the couch cushions with his legs waving in the air and she was laughing so hard she could hardly pull him out. She did something very similar when she was a baby, and used to get so mad when I’d tell the story and laugh about it.
They’re making their own memories, and it’s amazing to see how they echo the past. The good part of the past.
I like it.
Posted by Goddess on
Is anyone as confused as I am over this whole thing?
I understand that it’s a complicated subject, but I get the feeling that politicians and the health industry is making it as difficult as possible, and I’m sure they have a reason. I’m equally sure that reason is for their own nefarious purposes that have nothing to do with the benefit of their constituents or patients. Call me cynical, but that’s what I believe.
It seems that whether you’re looking for a public option, an affordable plan through your employer, or something you can pick up on your own, you might as well be searching for the holy grail. What bothers me is the people who currently have insurance, and seem to be sanctimonious about it. “Well, I have health insurance, why should I worry about someone else’s? I work hard ” (implying that people without insurance are just lazy slobs) “so if you work hard, you’d have it too.” Or another one of my favorites, “I don’t want to pay for someone else’s benefits. I want to decide where my tax dollars go.”
This cracks me up. What a fairy tale, to think you have any control whatsoever where your tax dollars go. But the bigger point is, you’re already paying for people who cannot! Think about it. Who do you think picks up the tab for unpaid medical bills? Medical providers write these off, and claim a tax benefit at the end of the fiscal year. Who’s pocket does that empty? Yes, that would be yours. If it is not written off and it goes to litigation, it costs the providers money. How do they recoup their funds, you might ask. Through higher charges. Who’s pocket does that empty? That would be yours. When an insurance company writes off charges to a provider and eats it, how do they recover the expense? Through higher premiums. Who’s pocket does that empty? That would be yours. Don’t be a dumbass.
So, voting for a public option isn’t going to take your bone away from you. Stop yapping.
*Sigh* it’s disheartening and disgusting, the state of medical coverage in this country. To be honest, it might just be cheaper to purchase a low cost life insurance no exam and plan the funeral. You know, a hefty bag out on the curb.
Posted by Goddess on October 28, 2009
I’m probably making a bad situation worse, but you know me. I can’t keep my mouth shut to save my life.
Every time I hear the name Jon, Kate, or Gosslin my stomach sinks to the lowest common denominator and I feel like hurling. Granted, my digestive system hates me anyway, but this subject really gets the juices flowing.
First of all, let me say Jon is the epitome of what a man should NOT be. I never watched this show until my daughter dragged me into it last year when I spent the summer with her. I screamed and kicked the whole way. I was not disappointed. The kids were cute; the parents a train wreck waiting to happen. The writing was already on the wall. I could see the seeds already about to sprout.
He was whiny, he was lazy, and he was, and continues to be, a doosh bag. There, I said it.
Although I didn’t much like her on a personal basis, and I questioned some of her decisions, my sympathies lay with Kate simply because mothering eight children is a momentous undertaking. I don’t blame them for taking on the show, because how else in this economy are you going to support a family that size? And yes, she was on fertility drugs or whatever, but I’m sure she never expected to carry six kids to term. Having eight children (nine, if you count Jon, and I do) in the household takes a fortitude I’m not sure I could muster. Of course she was like a drill sargent — think of the logistics alone!
Since the blow-out and Jon’s chasing younger meat, I still sympathize with Kate. The nightmare has happened. Now she’s a single mom and not only does she have to manage all those kids, she has to earn a living. Do I think she should ditch the show and go back to nursing? Sometimes. But once you cross the Rubicon it’s rather difficult to go back, and I’m sure a nurse’s salary doesn’t go as far as one would think when you factor in eight children. And Jon continues to whine he can’t find a job in his field — but I highly doubt he’s really seriously pursing it, at any rate. Too much fun to be had with a younger girlfriend and Hollywood parties to attend, dontcha know.
What i find especially reprehensible is the total disrespect Jon shows to the mother of his children. That disgusts me on a level that’s hard to describe. Not that Kate has acted any better — she needs to take the higher road, stay off the morning shows crying about her situation and keep her mouth shut. Difficult? Well, hell yes. But it doesn’t do her children any good to hear the two of them bash each other right and left, and if you think those kids don’t know the vitriol that’s bubbling you’re crazy. I read that Jon took the kids to see the sister and brother-in-law against Kate’s wishes, and their betrayal of Kate (shame on you, brother! SHAME SHAME SHAME! A little pissed that you didn’t get a piece of the money train? Hmmm. Accepting Jon like that smacks of scum pooling together) is just atrocious.
ONE of them has to stop the madness.
As far as the show goes, I don’t believe it is so toxic to those children. C’mon. It’s not like they’re required to rehearse or learn lines or put in 20 hour days, for pete’s sake. They run around like kids do and camera people film them. This production crew has been there since they were born! and are a surrogate family for these kids — I think it does more harm to the kids by cutting them totally out of the picture than good. Jon is just full of sour grapes because Kate seems to be more popular (although they’re both not popular in that sense, if you get me) and because his manhood took a hit. Which is funny, because the dude never had a manhood to start with.
He needs to shut up. She needs to shut up. If they put as much effort into their kids as they do skewering each other in the media, there wouldn’t be anything for us common folk to read about. And actually, I’m okay with that.
Posted by Goddess on
Since the gall bladder surgery, I’ve had digestive woes. Actually, way before that, even. I won’t go into gory details — I’m sure you all have a good imagination and can do the math.
I’ve seen the commercials for Activia yogurt on TV. You know the ones, with Jamie Lee Curtis? Thought it was just a bunch of advertising bull, to be honest. But, I happened to be in the grocery store after a particularly bad day of digestive torture, and I saw the little (and I mean LITTLE) carton on the shelf in the dairy aisle. I figured, what the hell, right? Can’t hurt more than I’m hurting already.
So, I picked up a package of four. The blurb on the carton said to try it for fourteen days, and if you saw no improvement they’d give you your money back. Since I was sick of feeling like I’d swallowed a box cutter every time I ate something no matter how innocuous, I proceeded with caution.
It has made a huge difference.
It contains live cultures of bifidus regularis, and while I have no clue what that is, my tummy problems have been drastically reduced. Four ounces of tasty yogurt. I’m amazed and ever so grateful, believe me, and I’ll be eating this stuff for the rest of my life.
Who knew? Jamie Lee Curtis and yogurt. Life sure is funny.
Posted by Goddess on October 25, 2009
Guess what? You’re getting to that age, people. It’s colonoscopy time. The American Cancer Society recommends the test at age 50 and again at age 60. Colorectal cancer is the leading non-smoking related cancer killer of Americans. Lucky for our fine readers, I’ve been having colonoscopies since I was 15, due to Crohn’s.
My neighbor, now 51, is set to have her first colonoscopy. Not knowing what to expect, she asked me what to expect and I have agreed to go with her when she has the procedure done.
Here’s the short version. Do not eat up to 36 hours before. That is to say, the least amount of solid food you have ½ to 2 days before the procedure, the easier time you’ll have with the prep. Instead, put yourself on a liquid diet. 2 days before, it can even be full liquids like tomato and potato soups. The day before, stick to clear liquids, such as chicken/beef broth, jello and Popsicles.
In all honesty, the worst thing about a colonoscopy is the prep, the dreaded colon cleansing. I always hated that part. The doctor will either give you, or give you a prescription for Golytely. The flavored kinds are called Colytely. While the flavored is tastier than the non-flavored, that’s not saying a lot. And both kinds come in a gallon container that you just add water to. The patient must drink one 8 ounce glass every 15-20 minutes until the whole gallon has been taken.
Stay close to the bathroom because it will hit you and hit you hard. I suggest a container of tucks, as your booty might be a bit tender by the end of it. The goal is the stool should be liquid and almost clear in color. At the very least, a light, light, pale urine color. And believe me, if you’re not clear, the doctor will not do the test on you. In some cases an additional Fleet enema may be necessary the day of the procedure.
That’s the hard part, trust me. Be sure and take someone with you to drive you home. That way the doctor can give you medications to make the test easier. Most people don’t even remember the actual procedure because of the drugs.
The doctor inserts a long rubber-like tube into the rectum. He uses air to inflate the intestines, and water to wash the intestinal walls.
Be prepared when the test if over, to fart. A lot. And you may even have a little bit of fluid expelled with the flatulence.
And that’s it. It’s almost instant. The doctor is able to take biopsies during the procedure, along with photos of your large intestine. So once the lab processes the biopsies, the answer is pretty efficient and quick.
A colonoscopy sounds embarrassing, feels embarrassing, but until you’ve had as many as I’ve had (in 30 years, we’re probably talking at least 50,) suck it up and get over it. The procedure itself when done with medication, is really quite painless. As I said, the worst part of the whole thing is the prep.
Now go forth and get scoped. Your health may depend on it.
Posted by Goddess on October 24, 2009
In the summer, we have tourists wanting a beach vacation. And in the winter, we have tourists wanting a beach vacation.
I live in central Florida (really? I didn’t know that) Myself, as a writer although not really fond of much of his work, I would love to visit Key West where Hemmingway had a home which is now a museum.
But my buds here tell me Miami is the place to go. Well let me give you a little info on south beach florida hotels because Miami falls into the category.
My friend K loves to go to South Beach. He lives in central Florida, his family lives in northern Florida, Jacksonville. Once a year they all head down to south beach, which apparently in Florida means Miami.
But here’s the rub. See, off season in Florida is kind of iffy. I mean, I’m pretty confused by it myself. Off season in Florida means April-June, and late Aug-Oct. We don’t have much of an off season here. Because during the winter months, we have snowbirds. They come down here the last part of Oct. early Nov. and they stay here through March. They are escaping the winter up north. Yet we also have tourists of all kinds doing the same thing. Escaping their winter wonderlands for our warmer weather. But we also do a good amount of tourists trade through Spring Break and the summer. So our off season is kind of limited.
That being said, my friend, Rueban, in NC decided he’d come down to Florida for a vacation. He came down with a few friends and decided to book a hotel when he got here. Yeah, that’s some balls, right? However, he got a great beachside hotel for $54 a night, in Miami. He came during one of the very limited off season months.
Seriously, a Florida vacation is the best…no passport needed. My sister and brother-in-law spent Christmas in Sarasota. But my brother-in-law is the best networker, so he managed to stay in a friend’s condo for half what it would normally cost him.
And here’s a tidbit. Call Ron Jon’s and tell them you are interested in their Cape Canaveral resort. If you make over $50,000 a year (it can be combined) they will give you a free weekend, no sales pitch.
Take advantage of deals. And you can have the vacation you’d always dreamed about. Except those of you who like snowy vacations. But if you want the beach, it is doable.
Posted by Goddess on
As a child, my father smoked a pipe. He did so because he could smoke a pipe inside and my mom wouldn’t complain. It did smell good. Little did I know that he was actually a cigarette smoker and he hid it from me for years. Until his mom’s funeral and then he hid it no more.
I love a good cigar. I love the smell of them. My soon to be ex took up cigar smoking. And I found myself loving the smell just as I had loved the smell of my dad’s pipe.
Ok, please put Bill Clinton out of your head.
A good cigar smells great. I took up the habit myself. Not too many women smoke cigars and I have to tell you, I was constantly even while married, hit on because of my cigar smoking (I’m sure it’s some sort of phallic thing there going on.)
When my oldest best friend decided to come down so we could celebrate out 40th birthdays together (we’re a little over a month apart) we sat in an Irish pub in uptown Charlotte and enjoyed a good cigar together. I have the photo on the wall.
Do I smoke cigars everyday? No. Do I smoke them once a month? No. But I smoke them on special occasions. And I’m not talking about the crap you buy from the quickie mart, like cigarellas, and all that flavored crap.
No, I good cigar is a Macanudo, a Cohiba. I don’t smoke them often, but on my deathbed, like George Burns, I will smoke a good cigar before I go.
Posted by Goddess on October 23, 2009
I’ve been on Medicare since 1996 for my disability consisting of Crohn’s disease and back problems (due to the medications taken for Crohn’s) Did I want to go on disability? No, because I had a wonderful job as a floor nurse that I loved. But that’s yet another story about “don’t let your job define you.”
The bright side was that after struggling for years here and there without insurance, I now had a stable insurance that I could count on.
Medicare is great. There is not a lot of hassle with it, such as finding a doctor or pharmacy “in your network,” or needing to get certain tests or procedures “cleared before hand” although Medicare won’t pay for some things. All in all, it wasn’t that much of a hassle.
The downsides to Medicare were no prescription coverage and a 20% co-pay on everything. I say “co-pay” because Medicare only pays for 80% of medical care and the patient is responsible for the other 20%. And in the age of big insurance, most doctors want that 20% right then and there.
Believe me, that can be difficult for a person on a fixed income.
What I finally had to do was find a Medicare supplement. When I was married, one of my husband’s employers offered insurance, so that served as my supplement. But when he then found himself out of work post 9-11, I had to search for my own.
Medicare.gov is a great resource. I was able to find a very good supplemental insurance in North Carolina. Initially, I paid an extra $34 a month (on top of the $89 Medicare premium) and I had low co-pays and decent prescription coverage. When G.W. Bush passed the Part D Medicare prescription bill, my supplemental monthly premiums shot up to $84 a month. But in less than a year they dropped back down to $40 a month.
When I moved to Florida, I lost my supplemental insurance in North Carolina. I’ve been searching for a good supplement since. And there are plans that range from $0-$240 a month. The good news is that with my single disability income, I qualify for help from the state government to cover my $93 a month Medicare premium (it raises every year along with the cost of living increase)
However, even supplemental insurance will place a gap on your prescriptions, meaning, you’re allotted just over $2000 a year for prescriptions. If you go over that amount, you then have to pay that amount out-of-pocket before the insurance kicks back in under “catastrophic.”
So keep these things in mind as you head toward Medicare. Even with these flaws in the system, I’m still grateful. As a non-disabled person working 40+ hours a week, I wouldn’t be able to afford the insurance I have under Medicare. As a Medicare recipient, I’m still paying into the system (ok, technically, the state of Florida is, but I was before that) and I’m still paying a private insurer to cover the gap.
If that’s not the best argument for universal care, I just don’t know what is. It’s a win-win for insurance companies and all Americans.
Posted by Goddess on October 17, 2009
As I get older, I remember that I forget more and more every year. I actually depend on my kids to remind me of days gone by and some of the funny things that have happened. I can’t buy memory, none of us can, but it’s a comfort that my kids remember all the things I’ve forgotten as the ass gets bigger and the brain gets smaller.
You know who’s good inspiration for that? Grandbabies. My daughter is having experiences with our Muffin that hearken back to the days when my kids were young and the things they used to do. For instance, Muffin got stuck today between the couch and his little horsie thing, and became hysterical. My daughter saw him upside down with his legs in the air and became hysterical…with laughter. This is after the story I told her long ago about how she was stuck in the toy box upside down with her legs up in the air and I was laughing so hard I had a hard time pulling her out. She was pissed at me for a long time because I told her I laughed — so when she called me today to tell me her story, the both of us cracked up.
It’s nice to know there’s a circle of laughter. Even at the kid’s expense. Heh.
Eating Holiday Smart
