Today my horoscope said this:

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t get depressed about what you can’t change. Today is about communication and clearing up anything that has been bothering you. A change at home will be good for you. 4 stars

I don’t put much stock in horoscopes, but it’s something to read. The interesting thing about this one is that today is the anniversary of my mom’s death (32 years). That’s something I can’t change and something I should not get depressed about. It’s better to remember and celebrate her life than to cry over her death. Especially after all these years. The first thing I’m going to do is go out for a walk. The gray from earlier this morning has burned off and it’s sunny, but cool, outside.

A couple of news stories concerning ferrets:

Medically Necessary Ferret?

Burberry Ferret Brouhaha

I’ll try to write some comments on both of these stories a little later today.

I’ve been thinking about this for a few days now, so I figured I’d try to get it into words.

One of the things I’ve learned is that you can’t approach weight loss as a temporary change. You need to change your lifestyle. You need to change how active you are and what you eat. It has to be a permanent change if you want permanent effects. To that end, I’ve thought of some of the things in my life that are non-negotiable; things I’m not willing to change because my quality of life might not be what I’d like it to be.

I won’t give up half and half in my morning coffee. I have cut down the amount I use, but I’m way too cranky in the morning to not have what I love. I have tried regular milk and light cream, but they just don’t do it for me. The benefits of cutting out my half and half are not greater than the benefits of me being happy in the morning. HOWEVER, I drink only two cups of coffee at the most on any given morning. Usually I just have one big cup and measure out three tablespoons of half and half. (more…)

It’s only 9:30-ish on Wednesday night and I’m ready to go to sleep.

One of my biggest concerns when I have a cold is that it can trigger an asthma attack. The only time in the last few years that I’ve had a bad asthma attack was as a “complication” of a cold. Not even the flu, mind you. Whenever I start coming down with a cold, I monitor my peak flow and I start myself on albuterol every 6 hours. Sometimes (like today, actually) I start on inhaled steroids, too. I’ll go to every 4 hours if every 6 doesn’t do it for me. If I start having problems maintaining a decent peak flow between albuterol puffs, it’s time for the doctor and a course of prednisone (which I hate to take).

The other key in keeping my breathing normal is drinking lots of water. Lots. Water helps to keep chest congestion from getting too thick. (Not a nice thing to talk about, but it’s relevant.) Forget that 8 glasses a day thing — drink much more than that. I also take expectorant (guaifenesin syrup) pretty early on in the cold. That also helps keep things “fluid.” I take the plain Robitussin stuff. No cough suppressant. Just guaifenesin.

Obviously, if you have asthma you need to run all this past your doctor. But this is what I’ve found helps keep me out of the ER with an asthma attack when I have a cold.

Today is Eric’s and my 12th wedding anniversary. I’ve been spending it fighting off a cold. Eric’s doing the same. Maybe when we’re feeling better we’ll actually celebrate. Until then, it’s sniffling, coughing, and sharing a warm blanket.

About a year ago my health insurance company sent me a form to fill out about my asthma symptoms. They then sent me a package of neat things: A peak flow meter, an inhaler spacer, a carry pouch, a video, a magnet for my refrigerator with important numbers on it, and a booklet about keeping my asthma under control. (more…)

This is not a rant. This is the truth. People who are sick make me sick. Or, at least, someone made me sick.

My throat is sore. I’m queasy. I have a headache. I’m sleepy. Generally, I feel like crap. Nothing like ending out the weekend with some kind of bug. I’ve already had a two-hour nap today. I could use another one.

Eric’s been sick much of this week, so I think he’s the one who gave it to me. Thanks. He probably picked it up from the Internet marketing seminar we took last weekend in NYC. The seminar was good. I don’t recall seeing anyone there who appeared ill, but they must have fooled me.

Let’s just hope it’s a little cold that will go away on its own. I’m not good with the flu because I have asthma. The problem is that I already feel my lungs tightening up a bit. I really don’t want to be sick.

You’re not going to get your body in shape just by starving yourself. In fact, starvation diets are very unhealthy. You need to commit to changing your lifestyle. You can do it little by little or you can do it all at once. It depends on how you personally deal with change. But if you want that incredible body, you’ve got to do the work.

What work? Exercise, eat properly, and take care of medical problems before they become catastrophes.

Exercise means resistance training (weightlifting) and cardiovascular training. It’s not enough to walk or jog or do a few rounds on the elliptical. You need to move weight against gravity. Cardio does little to nothing for your overall muscle. It doesn’t help strengthen your bones. It does help your heart and lungs. It helps you lose fat and maintain a healthy body weight. It also makes you feel good — it contributes to mental health. But to get the full benefits of exercise, you need to be resistance training, too. Resistance training will fill in the blanks that cardio leaves: building muscle, strengthening bone, improving balance and strength, and helping you to prevent injury as you get older. (more…)

Not everyone wants to take medication when they’re depressed. For many, it isn’t even necessary. But if you do need to take medication, you need to work with your doctor very closely.

I’ll write more here soon.

I never much cared for eating breakfast. Women are like that. Many of us skip breakfast. For me it was always that eating took too much brainpower in the morning. Coffee, I could do. But chewing? Never mind preparing something to eat. (more…)