But isn’t water good for you?  Yes.  And won’t I stay healthier and more fit if I drink more water?  Yes.  So, why should I quit drinking bottled water? Here’s why.

Courtesy of TermLifeInsurance.org

Get rid of your store-bought bottled water and replace it with filtered tap water and a stainless steel bottle.  Click on the links or graphics below and start shopping.  You’ll save much more than money – how about your health and the planet.
Click here to filter your tap water.

Click here to grab and go with your own fresh water.

]]> http://remarkablewrinklies.com/2010/quit-drinking-bottled-water/feed/ 0 http://remarkablewrinklies.com/2010/how-does-noise-pollution-affect-us/ http://remarkablewrinklies.com/2010/how-does-noise-pollution-affect-us/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:58:08 +0000 Patti http://remarkablewrinklies.com/?p=2816 Looking for noise pollution solutions?  Aren’t we all.

It’s everywhere and there seems to be no escape.  Noise pollution is getting to be the number one complaint these days of a lot of people.

For me, it started when I noticed I was becoming privy to everyone’s intimate conversations.  I can’t even tell you the disturbingly personal things I happen to know about perfect strangers that I was unfortunate enough to share a gate with at the airport.  The cell phone, of course, is the culprit.

Then there’s the music.  Everywhere, all the time.  I go to a lonely stretch of beach to escape and listen to the waves.  Then someone comes along, sets up down the beach, and gets their music blasting.  The soothing waves are drowned out.

Yes, I use “noise” to make money.  I’m guilty.  Just by writing this blog I’m creating noise.  I try to keep it down.  I try not to use too many in-your-face, bouncing-off-the-wall graphics or pop ups.  But, I still use noise.  Sorry.

We need to escape the noise when we can.  It’s true that I don’t create enough escapes from the noise for myself.  I was reminded of this by David Damron at TheMinimalistPath.com .  As a matter of fact, right after I read his blog post about noise, I turned off the TV and sat out on my balcony with my tea.  Thanks David!  I suggest you click on the link to his blog and give it a read.  Very interesting and enlightening.

David’s approach was very simple, minimalist you might say.  Give up noise when you can.  He has chosen, for instance, to eliminate his music when he takes his short runs.  Something like that you have control of.

You can’t force someone else to turn off their music or gadgets when you’re trapped at the airport, but you can enjoy the peace and quiet of your own thoughts when you’re out for a walk, run, or at home.

Do what you can today to escape the noise.  Take five minutes and sit in total silence.  See what thoughts pop up without any outside influences.  It’s an interesting concept that we seem to have lost along the technological highway.  Your own thoughts… now that’s a thought.

Thanks again, David, for the reminder that we all need to spend a little time with our own thoughts.

Perhaps you know about the Dove Evolution Campaign.  If not, it’s a campaign that started a while back to show us, especially our daughters and sons, what real people look like before the make up, hair, and photoshop gets a hold of them.

I stumbled upon this video, and the campaign, through a great blog called Hummingbird Mind .  Her “Empty Nest – Full Life” credo rings true with me.  She has taken her empty nest and filled it with her passion for living.

Because she has raised daughters, she has affinity for the struggles that every mother has with her daughters;  especially when it comes to their self-esteem.

When a mother hears a tear-soaked cry from her daughter proclaiming she’s not pretty enough, it’s a cruel reminder of what our society is doing to us.  It tugs at our hearts and infuriates us at the same time.  How can my beautiful daughter or granddaughter see herself that way?

Well, here’s the answer.

Show this video to your daughters, your sons, and anyone else who thinks they know what real beauty is when they see a fashion magazine or billboard.

Granted, I wouldn’t mind a bit of photoshopping on my own ol’ lady face and figure, but it’s not reality. And happiness starts with reality and acceptance – especially when we’re young and just forming our opinions of ourselves and our bodies.

The next time you hear a young girl or boy complain about their appearance, show them this video. Let them know that what they are comparing their body to is a cartoon drawing with no basis in reality. They may as well compare themselves to Daffy Duck… or Barbie.

Back to Barbie… I thought we’d learned that lesson back in the 60′s.  I guess not.  We are still sold the “body beautiful” in plastic, silicone,  and photoshopped images.

Will there ever be a time when we are NOT told we’ll be happy if we are just ________ enough?

p.s.  I do believe true beauty lies within and one has to feel good to look good.  Exercise has a lot to do with how a person feels.  I exercise because, yes, I want to be fit and trim, but mostly because I want to be strong and healthy.  You can read more about what I have learned about exercise by clicking on this link:  Lessons I Learned About Exercising

Okay, that’s a good question.  Will you have success in any one of these areas without practicing them all?

We’ve all been, or know someone who has been on a diet which consists of some magic pills, canned drink, or other food fad.  What happens?  Do you lose the weight?  Maybe.  Do you keep it off?  Never.  And why?  Because the other two elements may be missing – nutrition and exercise.

If you diet without nutrition in mind, your health could be at risk.  If you exercise without proper nutrition, your health could be at risk.  It appears that the only way to have a healthy body is to combine nutrition and exercise.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when we talk about weight loss, we have to talk about not only dietary changes, but HEALTHY dietary changes along with regular physical activity.  The CDC states ” The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t about short-term dietary changes.  It’s about a lifestyle that includes healthy eating, regular physical activity, and balancing the number of calories you consume with the number of calories your body uses.”

At our age we should know that maintaining a healthy weight is not all about looking good in our jeans.  It’s about good health now and as we age.  As my sister the runner says, “We are creating the bodies we’ll take into our old age.”

Most of us will try to lose weight by decreasing our caloric intake.  That will work at first, but evidence shows the only way to maintain that weight loss is to exercise regularly.  There you go – health, nutrition, and exercise – together again.

The CDC also states that along with maintaining our healthy weight, physical activity done regularly helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes beyond the benefits you get from the weight loss alone.

So, yes, it’s important to lose weight, but losing weight alone won’t give you the healthy body you need.  A regular exercise program that includes strength training, combined with a nutritious diet, will be the ticket to a healthy life.

Most people of a certain age see a few pounds start creeping up year after year.  Many people don’t realize just how many pounds they have added over the course of some years because it’s a pound one year, then two pounds the next, and so on.

Start by asking yourself the hard questions.  Are you overweight?  Is your weight causing you health problems?  Are you exercising and not losing any weight?  Are you dieting and not losing weight?  If this sounds like you, consider what the CDC has to say about the necessity of combining nutrition with exercise in order to become healthy.

If you are curious about your own weight and how it is affecting your health, check out your BMI (body mass index) with this calculator provided by the CDC.  Once you know, the rest is up to you.  Start a fitness program today that includes nutrition and exercise together to improve your health now and for the future.

p.s. Want a convenient exercise program you can do right in your own home with very little equipment? Check out this simple 10 minute fitness program that includes cardio and strength training exercises by clicking on the graphic or the link here: Scott’s FatLossQuickie fitness program
Along with the exercises, of course Scott and Angie offer nutrition tips and recipes to give you a fitness program that includes all the elements – health, nutrition, and exercise. Start today developing the strong healthy body you want to take into your old age!

It’s been hot, hot, hot here. There’s no escape from the heat for me since our lovely beaches have been ruined by oil.

(More on that thought if you click here to read about the BP oil spill and how it feels to have it in my backyard.)

But, I digress…

The days are hot.  Hotter than I remember in a long, long, time.  Being lazy in this heat brings a quote to mind and since it’s so hot and I don’t feel much like writing, I’ll just send you off with this to think about today…

I’d give all wealth that years have piled,
The slow result of Life’s decay,
To be once more a little child,
For one bright summer day.
~Lewis Carroll~

Okay, you may be wondering what a diehard “wrinklie” such as myself is doing looking at buying a Kindle.  After all, people our age don’t like techie gadgets, right?  Sort of.  But, I have my price – I can be “bought” – and the price just came down within the “I think I’ll look at this” range.

Yes, the price is right.  You can now get  Kindle Wireless Reading for only $189, that’s down from $259.  It may be worth a try at this price.  Okay, it IS worth a try at this price.  Click on the link above or here to take a look at what the Kindle has to offer.

p.s.  I’ll let you know what I think after I get a chance to actually use the Kindle.  Have you used one?  What do you think.  Share your views with me in a comment please.  And if you don’t have one yet, click on here to get it now at this great price.

You know, when you’re faced with the distinct possibility that the only way you are ever going to get out of a situation is in a “flight for life” helicopter, maybe a bit of the grape is all you can hope for.  Let the Baptists come over to the “other side” and bask in the warmth of sweet Morpheus…

Hey, don’t judge me just yet.  I’m Catholic and know all about the power of prayer laced with a big ol’ glass of wine.

Thanks again Jeanne Robertson for putting our lives in order.

When is a stereotype not a stereotype? When it keeps playing the same old tune, over and over and over again, proving the song’s lyrics are right. I have many friends of many different religious persuasions and if you put us all in the same whitewater rafting boat, I’ll bet we all come to the same conclusion – 1 part prayer, 2 parts liquor.

p.s. Check out all the fun at JeanneRobertson.com and I guarantee you’ll find lots to laugh at,  and admire, too.

Aileen Bennett of ThatSpeaker.com fame, has shared another fun thing with us that I wanted to pass along.  Lesson learned?  No one should get ice cream if they aren’t smiling.  Check out this video:

No more waiting for the Ice Cream Man to come around. This is one bit of technology I think I could get behind. Thanks Aileen for finding this for us.

p.s.  Wouldn’t this be a great machine to have at home?  The next time someone acted surly, you could just walk them over to the “smile and get ice cream machine” and see if they wouldn’t like to behave a little better.  This could eliminate the need for marriage counselors.  hmmm…

Happy Father’s Day everyone!  I hope you get to spend time today with the man or men in your life.  I’m sure my Hubby and Son-In-Law will want to be fed… in our house all celebrations revolve around food.

I lost my Dad over twenty years ago.  He was a hard worker all his life – from lumber camps, to WWII, to the paper mill, and plenty of odd jobs in between.  But the hardest job he probably ever had was being the father of eleven kids.  We weren’t an easy bunch and he wasn’t what you would call a patient man.  I didn’t know any Dads back then that were.

Fathers are cut out of a different mold now.  They’re all involved with their kids, they help with homework, cook, clean, chauffeur, and do all sorts of things that Dads didn’t used to do.  That’s nice.

But, I still have fond memories early on of Dad coming home from work, taking off his “work boots,” and sitting in his chair waiting for dinner.  Yeah, he should have been in the kitchen helping cook dinner, but that’s not the way it was in most households back then.  We knew the routine and it was fine, even comforting.

As I said, my Dad wasn’t what you’d call a patient man.  He didn’t have a lot to say.  He had work to do.  But, there were moments when he remembered how to play and was even silly.  Those are the moments I remember today.

Happy Fathers Day, Dad.

Anyway, I just wanted to share a little personal story.

Now, I want to share a little laugh courtesy of Jeanne Robertson.  Take a minute to watch this short video;  a warning really to listen carefully the next time a special blessing is bestowed upon you.

Happy Birthday Paul

Sit back, relax, and enjoy your ride on the way-back machine.
The Beatles – February 9, 1964 – The Ed Sullivan Show Performance

Along with memories of this music still resonating in my head from 1964 comes the sounds of my Dad sitting in his chair behind us girls who were plunked down on the floor in front of the television.

Grousing noises came from behind us that sounded like “mops on their heads” – “look like girls” – “yeah yeah yeah what the H is that supposed to mean” – “bangity bang boom boom boom.” My Dad was a man of few words, but when The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan that night, he was amazingly verbose.

Ah, memories… How ’bout you? What do you recall of that night?

p.s. If for some reason YouTube takes down this video, there are plenty more just like it. Just go to YouTube.com and search The Beatles or Paul McCartney.