Cutting Down On Sugar and Coffee

Last night I realized  that I need to reduce the amount of sugar that  I eat. I've always had a sweet tooth. Lately I've been snacking on gummy bears, pineapple sherbet, and chocolate.  I've also been sneaking in a third cafe au lait in the afternoons,  which is one too many for me. Not to mention the fact that I put two heaping spoonfuls of sugar in my coffee. When you live alone, it's so easy to cheat. Nobody's watching. Last night in bed my arms started aching. It reminded me of when I had osteoarthritis in my hips. I've been so fortunate since having my hips replaced, able to sleep soundly, and living  pain free. I don't want to cause diet related  problems. I can tell that I am, so it's time to change.

I've also been baking homemade bread regularly. It's so delicious, but I make it with white flour. That's not the greatest choice, health-wise, either.  It just tastes so good! The thick slices are incredibly soft, chewy, and delicious. Today I made a broccoli cheese casserole, and put homemade breadcrumbs on the top of it. Instead of making a turkey ham and cheese sandwich on freshly baked bread, I put the ham and cheese in a salad with from scratch balsamic vinaigrette. I've got to be more disciplined, in order to prevent age related aches and pains.

The garden is exploding with energy. It's crowded, but happy. I planted things close together in order to save water. One of the mystery squash plants that I transplanted looks like it is adapting. I'm curious to see what it is. It may be a butternut squash, or a pale pink pumpkin sized gourd. We will see...

My neighbor stopped by with her dogs. We think Lula and Bam Bam look so cute together. They have the same coloring.  It's been perfect dog walking weather here. I walked a few miles today to the post office, to mail a monthly soap order to an Etsy customer. I took the bus home, and chatted with a friend. Hope you are doing well.

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Staying Creative

As an artist, I have spent my entire life being creative. When I was a little girl I would make up dances. I loved to pretend that I was a professional dancer. I would watch the Rockettes on television, and dream of dancing in the line with them. The whole idea swept me into a place of tremendous anticipation and excitement. I would stand next to the television and try to follow their steps. I loved the music and the tap dancing. I just knew that was something that I wanted to do someday. It felt like my destiny.

Now that I'm older, I stay creative by cooking, gardening, making soap, and redesigning knitting patterns. It feels wonderful to make things. There's something about getting your talents out into the world that is satisfying. Writing is also a wonderful and free way to express the creative life force. Just recording your thoughts and feelings  in a journal is therapeutic. I often go back and reread my journals from the past. It is so eye opening. We really change and grow as we age. It's interesting to see your perspective on problems a few years after writing about them. One thing that really stood out to me when I read my old journals was that I was riddled with self doubt. Things always worked out, and I learned to trust myself and my gut. The body knows the truth. As the saying goes, "The body never lies."

Once I began writing again, I felt a real surge of  inner electricity.  After my hips were replaced, it was a low time, emotionally. I knew that I probably couldn't dance anymore, and I needed to find something that was fulfilling as a career. Writing gives me that jazzed up feeling. It's exciting, fun, and energizing. We all need something that fills us with happiness and excitement. Often it's something that we loved to do when we were about nine years old.

Our sexuality is directly linked to our creativity. When we aren't creative, we can become depressed. Creativity needs to be expressed. When it's repressed, the body can have problems. Children are naturally creative. They love to sing, dance, and act out stories. They don't worry about making money. They just do it for the pure joy and expression.

When I needed to have my hips replaced my libido dropped severely. I was in a relationship, and wondered if my body was just aging. Was this what happened at menopause? I was shocked. Once my hips healed, I was able to resume my favorite exercise routines and hobbies. My libido returned. I think that there is a direct link between sexual health and general health. When your body is struggling with osteoarthritis, like mine was, it takes all of the energy you have just to do basic household tasks. I found I didn't have any energy leftover. My sex drive had faded. Once I healed and was engaged in life fully again, my energy and enthusiasm returned. People worry a great deal when they are sick. Worry and fear really zap the creative juices. Joy and pleasure replenish them.           

Getting Up the Courage to See the Doctor or Dentist

Until recently, I was a terrible procrastinator when it came to making doctors' appointments. I would wait and see, hoping that I could cure whatever was wrong with me through diet, yoga, or rest. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. I was big into the self healing movement.

 As children, my mother used to take us to the doctor as soon as we had any symptoms or pain. "Why do we always have to run to the doctor?" my father would ask. "Just wait a few days," was his advice. That approach always made sense to me. I thought it was kind of funny the way  he called it "running to the doctor." He felt the same way about taking the dog to the vet. Quite often, our dog would get better on his own. Sometimes it seemed like he would limp on purpose, for attention. It was like a trick. We would all make a big deal over him and he liked the sympathy. I saw the parallel with people.

I always  liked the folk remedies. I still do. Gargling with warm salt water for a sore throat is one of my favorites. I am amazed at the power of salt. Rinsing with heated salt water after having dental work  gives such immediate relief. You feel an instant sensation of healing in the gums. No wonder salt was so valuable in ancient times.

At some point in my life I really took the do it yourself method  too far. One example was not seeing a dentist out of fear. I had experienced a lot of trauma in the dentist's chair as a child. As an adult, I became very avoidant.  It backfired. By the time I would finally visit  the dentist, I  needed a root canal or a crown. It was always expensive, especially for a dance teacher. Since several years had passed,  it usually  involved weeks of appointments to fix numerous cavities. It was also embarrassing. Once I discovered a preventive program by Dr. Ellie, I began to enjoy going to the dentist. Her system of using zylitol and mouth rinses completely changed my life. Now I rarely get cavities and I go to the dentist at least once a year. It's such a relief to be out of that cycle of fear and dread.

As I've gotten older, I've made a conscious choice to take the reins. I address health problems while they are a whisper, instead of waiting until my body is screaming at me for relief.  By the time I saw a doctor about my hips, they were bone on bone and had reached the stage of deformity. In retrospect, I see how sad it was that I waited until my joints were so painful and damaged. Now that I have new, pain free hips, I really want to take care of them. I never knew it was possible for my hips to feel so good. It's just incredible.

The other day I had an earache. I am normally perfectly healthy. I have always been very fortunate that way. I rarely, if ever, "catch" colds or the flu. I waited a few days, but it didn't improve, (in spite of my salt water gargling and eating fresh garlic.) I went to see the doctor. He diagnosed it as swimmer's ear. He prescribed ear drops and antibiotics. Since artificial joints can't fight infection, I have a lot at risk. I am very protective of these hips, and they've made me more responsible.   

The doctor asked me if I had been swimming. I had been working out and doing hydrotherapy at my local gym. I probably contacted it in the jacuzzi. It's ironic, because I've always loved water therapy. I guess being in other people's water is not the greatest idea. You never know what kind of bacteria is lurking in the pool or the hot tub. One can only imagine...

A simple thing that  I've learned as I've gotten older is that it's better to find out what's wrong right away  than to wait. I used to pretend that the symptoms I had weren't there. I tried to heal osteoarthritis with exercise. I was in denial. We are fortunate to live in an age where we have so many solutions and medical advancements. Although I try to cure most things with diet, garlic, and herbs, sometimes a professional is really what's needed.