Listen for my review and summary of "Anticancer" by David Servan-Schreiber. This book is not just for those trying to avoid cancer. If you want to hear the research on being healthier overall - then listen here and pick up the book yourself!

In the podcast, I reference another blog post about Organic versus Conventional Fruits and Vegetables. You can find that here.

One of my favorite quotes from the book:
"...the realist's credo: What is most important is to always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst."

This book got me thinking and started some great conversations within my family. I hope that this summary encourages you to pick up the book. As discussed on the podcast, here are some of the questions that I like from the book.

Questions that matter - from the book:

1. Do you want to be resuscitated if your heart stops?
2. Do you want aggressive treatments such as intubation or mechanical ventilation?
3. Do you want antibiotics?
4. Do you want tube or intravenous feeding if you cannot eat on your own?
5. If time becomes short, what  is most important to you?

Questions I wish doctors would ask - from the book:

1. What do you understand your prognosis to be?
2. What are your concerns about what lies ahead?
3. What kind of trade-offs are you willing to make?
4. How do you want to spend your time if your health worsens?
5. Who do you want make decisions if you can't?

These questions need to be revisited more than once. Share your comments/thoughts here. I would love to hear them. 

I have been reading a lot about longevity lately (more podcasts and blogs to come on that topic) and it has me eating more and more vegetables. I buy organic as it is available but like to keep the "Clean Fifteen" and "Dirty Dozen" in the back of my mind. 

Those lists vary from year to year but mostly look like the following:
Clean "Fifteen" (okay to buy conventional)

1. Bananas
2. Oranges
3. Tangerines 
4. Grapefruit
5. Pineapple
6. Melons
7. Plums
8. Kiwi
9. Blueberries
10. Mango
11. Papaya
12. Broccoli
13. Cauliflower
14. Cabbage
15. Mushrooms
16. Asparagus
17. Tomatoes
18. Onions
19. Eggplant
20. Peas 
21. Radishes
22. Avocado
23. Sweet Potatoes

Dirty "Dozen" (better to buy Organic)

1. Apples
2. Pears
3. Peaches
4. Nectarines
5. Strawberries
6. Cherries
7. Raspberries
8. Grapes
9. Peppers
10. Celery
11. Green Beans
12. Potatoes
13. Spinach 
14. Lettuce
15. Cucumbers
16. Squash
17. Pumpkin

​I created this visual representation of what you should buy Organic versus what is okay to buy conventional. I believe in supporting organic farms and in some regions of the US (mostly the pacific northwest) the cost of organic and conventional is close to the same because so many people buy organic - how cool is that???

​I had an interesting conversation with a friend today about all the New Year “shoulds.” I call any time I say “should” about something “the shitty shoulds.” I am happy with my body, but I am not as active or fit as I once was, before kids, and when my full time job was working out (as a personal trainer). I don’t work out often enough and I find myself “shoulding” about it. She asked me what I enjoyed about working out. I said the runner’s high is probably my favorite feeling. Thinking about it know (after a run) I also enjoy the clarity of thought and great ideas that I have while running.

I researched (googled) the various topics related to the pursuit of runner’s high and my favorite definition was this “A runner’s high is a brief, deeply relaxing state of euphoria. Euphoria is a sense of extreme joy or delight.” That is the feeling. After an intense workout or run I LOVE the feeling of floating that I get.

We call it the runner’s high because of endocannabinoids (basically internally produced THC) that make you feel calm. It is good to note that not just endorphins are responsible for making you feel so great.

Runner’s World even has a five steps to a runner’s high that I will summarize here:

1. Do Tempo runs – ‘comfortably hard.’
2. Run longer – find your sweet spot for duration.
3. Be well rested (get 8 hours of sleep).
4. Workout with others – I definitely run harder with others.
5. Listen to music – get pumped!

Today I did hill repeats in the rain and mud, listening to music, with my kids standing in the driveway watching, and I got my coveted runner’s high. I will also note that I got around 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep last night (which is rare with my kids).  

More thoughts on the “shoulds” for working out... I am reading Jenna Kutcher’s book “How Are You, Really?” and one of the questions that she asks is “When is the last time that you felt 1,000 percent amazing? Vibrant? Giddy? Alive?” My first thought and response took me back to my last hard run. I was in Las Vegas in November at a work conference and got the last treadmill in a crowded hotel gym. I ran intervals for 30 minutes while people waited and scooped up any piece of equipment that became available. I got off the treadmill and floated my way up the stairs to main floor to grab breakfast to bring back to my room before getting ready for the day. I love that feeling, that feeling of floating, the clear head that is ready to tackle anything.

I have so many reasons I “should” workout. Going forward, I will be working out for the pursuit of the runner’s high and/or any time that I need to get my ideas straight for a problem at work. The stronger and more toned body will be the side effect. 

Sure. 

I did not realize how eroding to confidence that "sure" can be when said, sent, or written as a response to an important question. I am guilty of using it with my kids when I don't really want to answer yes but am going to answer anyway. 

In the workplace it is particularly inappropriate because the answer given should be more clear - ie yes or no. I did some research to see if I am the only one that feels this way about the word "sure," and sure enough I am not the only person on the internet that thinks it should be eliminated from the everyday vernacular as a response to closed ended questions. 

One person went as far as to state "it is a weapon of passive aggressive indifference," and I agree with this statement. Urban dictionary defines it as "the worst response to a yes or no question."

To be clear, the best times to use "sure" are as follows:

1. When you do not completely agree
2. To annoy someone
3. To acknowledge a statement (usually followed by a disqualifier like "but")

I will be working towards eliminating this response and other passive aggressive responses this month and into the new year.

Learn more about hot sauce and mustard. Is spicy flavor/taste or pain/heat? Why doesn't water help? Why do we eat spicy foods? Why can some people tolerate more heat? Listen to hear the answers.

It has been 7 months since Mutlee, our lab mix, passed away quietly in the night. We decided it was time to take a break from dogs, or at least wait until the right dog came along.

Enter Layla. Her parents are two ginormous junk yard German Shepherds.

Puppy life is wonderful and Layla goes with us everywhere. She has made it through three 16 hour car rides like a champ. She is crate trained and can sit and shake. Look for more updates as we go through the process of training her. 

This year I have sought out counseling in order to better understand myself and my relationships. I have attended weekly individual counseling, as well as couples counseling with my husband. I share this because I feel like there is a stigma that if you need counseling or go to counseling there must be something wrong with you. Truth is, there is something "wrong" with all of us. I am choosing to work hard on becoming a better person; and counseling is helping me.

In addition to counseling, I have expanded my horizons on books I am reading. I will blog or podcast as I revisit them and can provide clear summaries of what I have learned. Most recently, I read that when we communicate, there are actually four things going on:

1. What we mean to say
2. What we actually say
3. What the person hears
4. What they think you mean

I am calling this a communication epiphany; because it is so simple, yet so complex, and very true; that what we mean to say is not always what is said, or what the other person takes away from the conversation. 

Keep this in the back of your mind when you are communicating. Try to think of things from the other person's perspective. Repeat back what you are hearing, and most importantly, listen to the other person.