Mud

Wow, I demonstrated shocking restraint tonight.  Trader Joe's hasn't carried their Mud Pie in forever.  Of course I was able to spy it immediately.  I honestly walked around the store, continuing to shop, debating in my head about buying it.  I knew if I bought it, it would be gone by the time the weekend is over - I am that bad (no self control).  I never even knew what Mud Pie was until a few years ago - my mom was a health freak with me in my younger years and my dad was a healthy food control freak.  I thought I had discovered this fantastic dessert that you could only get at one restaurant (duh, I have my um, moments).  Oh, how I wish this were true, however as most people know, Mud Pie is everywhere!!!  Long story short, I don't know if I was saved-by-the-bell (the store was closing) or I actually exercised (no pun intended) a little self control for once, but I didn't buy the Mud Pie.  It is still haunting me right now, but I am sharing this with the "world" to keep myself in check - and because I should be a little proud, right?  I mean, Mud Pie to me is eat-in-a-dark-corner-by-myself-good.  I digress; I did buy a substitute to sooth my Mud Pie fervor:  Trader Joe's Gluten Free Brownie Baking Mix (previous link is from BakingBites.com).   I'm curious to see how it turns out.  I've been trying more gluten free items of late.  It seems the girl who can and will eat anything, finally can't (blessing in disguise?).  As I type this I'm realizing I hope my mother doesn't read this - she is convinced I have Celiac Disease (and that there is a correlation between it and the blood clot that lead to my heart attack).

that rock

Where my health is concerned, I've had a solid week of feeling like Sisyphus (thus, the reason for "hybernating" from the world).  I've been doing my best to not let my imagination get the better of me.  Maybe things aren't even as bad as they feel, however, collectively I feel like I am in my twelfth round of a boxing match, having already been knocked out.

Today is the day! April 7th: National Start! Walking Day!!!!!

Wherever you are, sometime before the clock strikes midnight, get out and walk for  thirty minutes today - even twenty minutes if it comes down to squeezing it in while you're at work (on your morning or afternoon break?!).  Start walking for a healthier lifestyle (yup, I stole that last phrase from the American Heart Association website, but it's soooo true and simple).  You have to make the time for yourself.  Your well-being and health are priceless; you'll even feel a little less stressful after going for a thirty minute walk (I can pretty much guarantee it).  The American Heart Association even has a nifty online tracker, if you're like me, and prefer to see your progress in the days and months to come.  There is no time like the present!  I'll be doing the same thing today - I confess, I've slacked off ;-)  Begin the change today.  

More Reasons To Walk, Not Only For Your Heart, But For Your Brain! From HealthDay News

With the American Heart Association's (AHA) National Start! Walking Day fast approaching this Wednesday (just two days away!), read the article below to learn about another great reason to start walking regularly.   Participate in National Start! Walking Day wherever you are this April 7th!  Check out the details here.  When it really comes down to it, all you need is yourself, 30 minutes and a pair of comfortable shoes!!! 

Exercise May Stave Off Mental Decline

Monday,January 11, 2010 (Healthday News)

FRIDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise appears to help prevent and improve mild cognitive impairment, two new studies show.

Researchers found that people who did moderate physical activity in midlife or later had a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment and that six months of high-intensity aerobic exercise improved cognitive function in people with mild cognitive impairment.

Mild cognitive impairment is an in-between state between the normal changes in thinking, learning and memory changes that come with age and dementia, one of the studies explained. Up to 15 percent of people with mild cognitive impairment develop dementia each year, compared with 1 percent or 2 percent of the general population.

The first study included 1,324 dementia-free volunteers taking part in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. The participants completed a physical exercise questionnaire and were assessed and classified as having normal cognition (1,126) or mild cognitive impairment (198).

Those who said they did moderate exercise -- such as swimming, brisk walking, yoga, aerobics or strength training -- during midlife were 39 percent less likely to have mild cognitive impairment, while those who did moderate exercise later in life were 32 percent less likely to have the condition.

The Mayo team said exercise may guard against mild cognitive impairment through production of nerve-protecting compounds, increased blood flow to the brain, improved development and survival of neurons, and decreased risk of heart and blood vessel diseases.

The second study included 33 adults, average age 70, with mild cognitive impairment. Some were randomly assigned to do high-intensity aerobics for 45 to 60 minutes a day, four days a week. Others were put in a control group that had the same workout schedule, but did stretching exercises and kept their heart rate low.

After six months, the patients who did high-intensity aerobic exercise had improved cognitive function compared to those in the control group. The beneficial effects were more pronounced in women than in men, possibly because the body's use of and production of insulin, glucose and the stress hormone cortisol differed in women and men.

"Aerobic exercise is a cost-effective practice that is associated with numerous physical benefits. The results of this study suggest that exercise also provides a cognitive benefit for some adults with mild cognitive impairment," wrote Laura D. Baker, of the University of Washington School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, and colleagues.

The studies appear in the January issue of the Archives of Neurology.

More information

The Alzheimer's Association has more about mild cognitive impairment.

cardiologist appt

went very well all things considered!