Wow, the holiday sure is putting my resolve to maintain my ideal weight to the test. I think my cheeks are getting a bit puffy and flabs around the middle are getting plumper by the day. I have not really been gorging so much food. Well okay, maybe I am eating a little more than I normally do when I'm on my own. Or it's probably that I miss my mom's home cooking, so I'm taking advantage of it while I'm on my long vacation. Also, I never have to wake up so early as I normally do when I have to report for work. Add to that, I get to take naps in the afternoon when all chores are done. Oh yeah, this is life...but I have got to do something about these flabs hehehe.
I have not been watching the television for quite some time. So it was a bit late for me to hear about the news down south of the Philippines. And I only got to the details of things through posts in Facebook profiles and this post from Paula of BC Bloggers :
A friend in Facebook shared this video some days ago.
I used to attend classes in Tai ji but for some reasons, I had to stop for a while. Hopefully next year, we could resume classes. It's one thing I have been missing for sometime now, a fitness routine. Once in a while, I do the routines but I must say I have forgotten some forms already. I still remember the very basic routine so what I do is to repeat it three times over. It's a good cardio exercise, a low impact one that's just right for me. With my condition, I couldn't last for long in an aerobics class. I get all red in the face with too much exertion. I wanted to go jogging but with my current fitness status, that would probably put too much strain on my heart. Practicing Tai ji is my best bet. The movements look slow and graceful but don't be fooled by what you see. Quoting the Little Prince, "What is essential is invisible to the eye." It is still essentially a martial arts form but one that focuses on internal strength. A lot of the movements have application for self defense. But more of that in future posts.
I just like to reiterate what was said in the video, that it is a good alternative to the usually brusque and fast martial arts forms. I had wanted to learn the fast-paced Wushu but I don't think my bones and ligaments could stand up to it, having injured my knee some years ago. I don't want to aggravate its condition.
Tai ji is for any age and fitness level. And it's not just for the old folks you see in the parks. Try it. You just might enjoy it.
It is pretty interesting that there are so many existing diets and there are still a lot being concocted to date. I once thought I could be a vegan. It remained just a thought up to this time. I realized I couldn't remain faithful to that kind of eating lifestyle for long. Besides, humans are omnivorous by nature. I suppose the animal food to plant food ratio depends on every individual. As for me, keeping a healthy balance is the more reasonable way to go.
For me, that is more achievable than these extreme diet fads :
There is no one-template-for-all when it comes to the proper diet. Finding the one that gives good results without putting too much stress on one's mind and body is what everyone should strive for.
I've recently come across this cool group, BC Bloggers. It perked up my interest, probably because of the word "secret" in the logo. Who doesn't get curious with secrets? I visited the site and liked what the secret is all about. One thing I can say is it's a great channel to meet like-minded folks...bloggers and writers.
Wondering what BC bloggers is all about? I'm not going to blabber about it here on my blog and spoil the secret. You have to discover it for yourself by clicking on the image below. Besides, they can explain all about it much better. See you there!
When I first learned about my so-called essential hypertension, the first thing that came to my mind was the food I have been eating for the past few years. Ever since I started living independently, I could not vouch for the nutritional value of what I am ingesting. There was a time when I became a fast food junkie when I was just in my mid to late twenties. That was the time that I was going out a lot, and eating out seems to be the more convenient choice. I don't smoke or take alcoholic drinks, but greasy fast foods laced with a lot of artificial seasonings and generously sprinkled with salt and monosodium glutamate has finally taken their toll on my body. Where I work, the foods served in the canteen were no better, if not worse than fast foods. Add to that dangerous combination is that when I do get to prepare my own food, it usually comprise of instant food such as noodles.
In essence, I am literally digging my own grave with this kind of lifestyle. I am now in my late thirties and should still be in good health. But having to take Losartan for now says otherwise. I don't want to be on medication for the rest of my life. So I know it's more than just lowering my blood pressure with this medicine.
A few months back when I started on my medications, I have also started to make some changes in my eating habits. Truth be told, a lot of people say that I have slimmed down considerably.
It is quite unbelievable for me the first time my blood pressure at rest registered at 150/100 mm Hg. Could it just be the so-called white coat syndrome? The nurse told me to take a rest for a few minutes before she took another reading...140/100. That's when she asked if I was feeling anything and I said I didn't feel any different. But from that time on, I am not the same person. That was more than a year and a half ago. When my blood pressure went down to 120/80 without doing anything, I thought that was just some fluke. I didn't have my blood pressure taken again since then.
