Archive for Blog – Page 6

I love Costa Rica!

Recently a few girlfriends and I ventured to Costa Rica for a week. This was my third trip and each has been different from the previous. This was a “girls” trip where we read lots of books, had long leisurely meals filled with conversation and lots of laughter! Talk about relaxing! We stayed in a lovely home perched on the hillside above the ocean.
We didn’t raft any rivers, go to any yoga retreats, or take any trips up to volcanos (all of which I have done before.) We did however, explore the ocean with a day of snorkeling, and made a trip to the zipline another day. Both were fun and exhilarating!….but my favorite part of this trip was the harem of Howler Monkey’s that visited us the last day. On male and the rest were females of varying sizes and ages with lots of babies in tow!


Whatever the reason for visiting Costa Rica…GO! The people are so friendly, the scenery unbeatable, and the sound of the waves mesmerizing.

This trip was an important part of my Big Picture as I made time to spend with close friends and rejuvenate. Enjoying a long and healthy life is more eating well, it’s about nourishing ourselves on all levels. That’s what Big Picture Long Life is all about.

 

Found this great article on Huffington post today written by David Perlmutter, M.D.

Turn on the television, open a magazine or listen to the radio and in short order you will no doubt be exposed to an advertisement extolling the virtues of some newly discovered exotic fruit juice that has the highest antioxidant content on the face of the earth. You may wonder — why all the hype? What is the benefit of an antioxidant?
Antioxidants are chemicals that break down or neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals — chemicals produced as a byproduct of normal cellular metabolism. Under normal circumstances, there is a balance between the rate at which free radicals are produced and the rate at which they are eliminated by the action of antioxidants.

Read entire article

The last six months have been a wake up call to my nutritional and health practices. Like most people I thought I had the tools to lead a healthy lifestyles and maintain a strong body. I had enjoyed a sense of well being  until I hit my 50th birthday. The fifties are much more difficult than I had ever expected. The lack of energy, the weight gain and the vague (and some not so vague) aches and pains were making me feel old beyond my years. I fought back by trying yet another calorie restricted diet and even competed in two triathlon last year. I was moving through life, but literally struggling with every step.

I contacted Nina with the goal of losing weight thinking she would make me accountable or my lack of will-power. I had convinced myself that if I lost the weight, all the aches and pains would go away. Soon I found that I had so much more to learn about being in tune with my every-changing body and environment.

Instead of handing me a “one-size fits all” food plan, Nina took time to get a baseline of my current medical condition and nutritional habits. She did this without passing judgment. She listened to my concerns and took note of my eating patterns and the subsequent impact on my body.

“Patience!” she would remind me, “this is not a “quick fix”, but a transition to better health and longevity”. Nina provided the research and information to get me motivated, the support to keep me motivated, and a plan that I could maintain. Throughout the process there were many opportunities to practice new strategies until they became automatic. This process is about education and awareness. There is not place for guilt.

 Testimonial by Candace, Austin, Texas