Sleep...Are You Getting Enough?

Sleep. This was one of our habit changers before January 1st. How are you doing with it? Me? Not so good.

Let's start with some important facts.

Recently a study went viral about how women need more sleep than men. I don't know why this is news, because we women knew that all along. But at least we now have some scientific backup to wave at our significant others. This is the link. Copy in triplicate.  Duke University Scientific Study

Another study shows how sleep deprivation can kill you. I'm not so sure many people know this. Just look at what we do to our bodies everyday, with that idea that we can "catch up" on the weekend. Well, this study says there is no way to catch up. Here is the link to this article. Sleep deprivation

So we are really looking at something serious. If you don't sleep well, you are not going to be healthy. In a previous post I offered some suggestions on how to get a better night sleep. I do all those things myself, but sometimes life happens and sleep doesn't.

We have this dog. I'll call him Tony. Well, that is his name....but sometimes we call him other not so nice names. He is a little Shipperke. Small, but with in superiority complex. He weighs maybe 40 pounds, soaking wet. For some reason, he thinks that whoever is in the bed at any particular time...may it be me or my husband, needs to be protected. I guess that is an alright thing, at times. Ok, did I mention he sleeps in our bed, too?

We have another dog. I'll call her Cookie. Yes, that's her name. She is a Doberman mix of some sort. She weighs 80 pounds. She is kinda skittish and for some reason likes to wander around the house at night. We haven't figured out why. I can hear her nails clicking on the floor at all hours. She has lived in this house for 5 years. That's important.

The problem arises when Cookie wonders into our bedroom. She is just wandering around. She has a pad in the room that she may or may not lie down on. Well, Tony goes ballistic!!! He snarls, lashes out and shows his teeth at her... to defend us. After 5 years you would think he would know Cookie is harmless. You would think.....he snarls at Hubby when he comes into kiss my goodbye in the morning....but that's another story....

Well, the barking and snarling DOES NOT make for a good night sleep.

Now, this doesn't happen every night. Sometimes Tony just doesn't care. But these past few nights, it has happened several times. Last night it happened 4 times! Hubby has to get up at 4 am to get to work. And I am not a happy camper.

Needless to say, we aren't sleeping very well.

My point in all this....Sleep deprivation is not good. I am a woman; I need my sleep. I'm tired...Just plain tired. I have little gumption to do anything and have to force my way through the day.

Hubby and I are going to find a way to solve the Tony problem, but until then...What will I do?

NAP.

January in the Garden Part 2

Let's say you don't have a space for a garden. You live in an apartment and don't have dirt.

I have a few ideas for you. There are so many options.

When I lived in an apartment, I found that the city I lived in has a community Garden. For $20 a year...yes, that's right, I had a plot that was 16 ft X 16 ft. I still have a plot there. I started with just digging rows 16 ft long and planting whatever was in season. It was pretty successful. I then went to the Raised Bed method and was even more successful.

Many communities have them and they are a good way to meet like minded people, make new friends and share gardening tips.

Another option, if your apartment has some sun on the balcony, is to use several planter boxes. You can grow so much in container gardens....anything from herbs to tomatoes. They can be the wooden box planters or the plastic hanging baskets, or the ones you attach to your balcony railing. Get some good organic garden compost and plant away. I suggest checking out online how to do each veggie in that they all need a little different care. You can even plant potatoes in containers. I have mine planted in wire baskets out in the garden. They seem to produce more that way.

Check out those upside down planters. They work well, too

If you have limited space, you can get herb planters with grow lights for in your kitchen, living room...where ever. There are kits you can buy, or make your own.

If you do plant on a balcony or in your kitchen, you have a larger selection to start with in January. Grow lettuce and spinach, chard and kale on your porch. Plant from seed and they will spring up in no time. They like cold weather. You can put some onions into a larger planter. As they grow tall, thin them out and eat the scallions. They are easy and grow fast.

Inside, plant a tomato in your upside down planter. You will have fruit to eat by March. Herbs plants are available in many nurseries now. Get the ones you will use, like basil, oregano, thyme and chives. There are thousands of ideas for small space planting. This is one of my favorites.

The best food is the food you grow yourself. There isn't a greater thrill than eating that home grown tomato right off the vine.

SO go for it!

An Exercise Alternative

How are your walks coming? Have you gone beyond the 15 minutes? 

I've been faithful to walk at least 15 minutes a day. We take the dogs and goat....yes we have a goat, down the hill and back up.  It takes about 20 minutes. But I'm finding that isn't enough for me. My plans to walk to the Farmers Market have been nixed by the weather these past few weekends. So, what to do?

This morning it's 25*.  I will bundle up and hit the streets, brrrr, but not for long.  I could go to the gym....but I don't have a gym membership. Really, nothing beats a good walk and I want to go longer. If you have a treadmill, you are golden.  

BUT.....If you don't, I have an alternative. A standing desk. It's the latest trend.

I have one. It's a crude wooden thing my husband had built for something else. It's the perfect height for my computer and I plan to start using it again.

We, as mammals, were designed to stand, run, walk, chase bison, squat, but not sit in a chair ALL DAY. At the office we sit at a desk, at home we sit at the table, in front of the TV. We don't move. That is what the walking is for, but the benefits of a standing desk are amazing.

We burn more calories while standing. Studies show up to 20% more. We are less likely to get blood clots, our metabolism increases. Our cardiovascular system improves. Our work productivity increases. I  know. There are articles out there by 'experts' that dis the idea, claiming varicose veins, bad posture....standing 10 hours a day. Well, I don't stand 10 hours a day. I do sit down...maybe too much. It has been proven to help your body.

An article in the New York Times spells it out for you.

I know many folks that are getting those Tread Mill desks. But, in a pinch: There are all sorts of options for work and home. Seriously! You can find them cheap at many Office Supply stores. Amazon and IKEA. Or build your own. Here are some I found.

This does not mean you can give up your daily walk. As the weather gets better, I plan on hiking more and will eventually increase my daily walks to 30 minutes.

But the Standing Desk is an added health booster. I hope you try it. 

Let's Talk About Pets.

We have been talking about our own health for a few weeks now. Healthy us, healthy kids...what about our pets? We want them to be healthy, and happy, too. I briefly mentioned elsewhere that what we find in our pet's food is very questionable. As far as I am concerned, what is not healthy for me is not healthy for my pets.

What's in the cheaper dog food? Are you ready for this? From Dog Food Advisor: comes a description of "rendering". It's too disgusting for me to share here. But check it out. It's how they get the by-products you see on dog food labels. They also share a list of what is legal to put in to dog food. Ready?

• Slaughterhouse waste (organs, heads, hooves, beaks, feet)
• Bread and cereal rejects (cobs, stalks, mill sweepings)
• Contaminated grain middlings
• Dying, diseased and disabled farm animals
• Road kill (deer, skunks, and raccoons)
• Distiller fermentation waste
• Spoiled supermarket food
• Dead zoo animals
• Restaurant grease
• Euthanized cats and dogs

I have dogs. 3 of them, to be exact. They are all up there in years and have really only been fed on bagged dog food and some wet food from a can. Since I am concentrating so much on the health of me and my husband, I decided that our "kids" needed good healthy food, too.

This is what I am doing. Or attempting to do.

Many Paleo folks are just switching from the store bought stuff to raw meat and bone broth. I am uncomfortable with the raw meat. It is my feeling that maybe our dogs don't have the intestinal fortitude to digest raw meat anymore. I may be wrong, but better safe than sorry.

Hubby has always given them a share of his meal. Bacon and eggs from breakfast. Chicken from dinner. They love it. So...that's what I have been giving them. I recently bought the ends and pieces of bacon in the deli section. I baked it as I do my own bacon. Granted, it took awhile because I wanted to cook all of it right then and there, and my pan didn't hold all that much at one time....but boy? They loved me for days. I was able do save some very pretty leaner pieces for us and gave them the fatty ones. I also got a lot of bacon fat that I turned around and used in my own cooking and shared with them.

I am still giving them the dry dog food, but am buying healthier brands. I pour beef broth or bacon fat on it and stir it in. They are now spoiled and prefer it that way. Eventually we want to eliminate the dry stuff altogether. I found some healthy canned dog food for a really good price. No meat by products or gluten. Some rice flower, peas and carrots in with real meat.

I cook them ground beef, ground turkey, eggs and give them the extra pieces of fat from our own meats.

This is what NOT to give your pets.

I know dogs are easier to feed. They will eat poop if you let them...at least one of ours does. EW. But cats are finicky. When I had a cat, he would ONLY eat the bagged cat food. If you can't cook for them, my suggestion is to find good quality for your pet. Go online and find good sources of pet friendly food. I know it can get a bit expensive, but remember: Supply and Demand. The more we buy of the good stuff, the cheaper the good stuff will get.

Your pet is like your child. Treat them well, and they will love you forever.

Time to Clean our Cleaning Supplies

In order to bring the optimum health to our lives, we must look, not only at our food and spiritual health, but the health of our environment. This means it is important to look at what kind of chemicals we have in our homes.

The EPA says:

"The products you use for cleaning, carpentry, auto repair, gardening, and many other household uses can contain ingredients that can harm you, your family, and the environment. These include

• Oven and drain cleaners
• Laundry powder
• Floor polish
• Paint thinners, strippers and removers
• Pesticides
• Grease and rust removers
• Motor oil and fuel additives
• Arts and craft supplies

Toxic substances in these products can cause harm if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. People respond to toxic substances in different ways. At high doses a toxic substance might cause birth defects or other serious problems, including brain damage or death.

To avoid problems, keep products in the containers they come in and use them exactly as the label says. Follow label directions or get medical help if you swallow, inhale or get them on your skin.

Environmental Protection Agency"

If this is what our EPA says, why would we even have these things in our homes, around our children, our pets.

My plan is to rid my home of these chemical products. I understand there are things we cannot do without. But, for the most part, there are more natural ways to do things. I will be sharing recipes for those as we go along. 

To start, here is a good substitute for many of our home cleaning supplies. 

Vinegar.

That's it. Vinegar is an amazing thing!

It is a grease cutter...use it to clean the oily residue off your stove top.

Use on mildew. It will kill the stuff...avoiding those nasty bleach like products

Use in your toilet. I pour a whole bottle in the tank and let it sit for a few hours. It evaporates all that nasty lime buildup on your plumbing. Pour it in the bowl and watch that ring disappear.

Clean your dishwasher, inside your stove, windows, oh so many things. You can find so many uses for vinegar, most of your cleaning products can be thrown out. 

So, today, throw out one nasty cleaning product. Consider buying more natural ones. They are a bit more costly, but your health is worth it. Let your wallet talk. The more we buy the good stuff, the cheaper it will become. Supply and demand. 

Where are we? 

Have you junked your kitchen junk? Some more junk may have snuck in over the holidays. Junk it....

Are we walking? Just 15 minutes a day....easy

How is the purging going? I've rid our home of over 4 boxes of stuff. Working on another today.

I know you are eating your veggies, right?

Oooooommmm Meditate.

I Love You,

Are we sleeping? Napping? 

How are we doing on our first week of the year eating plan? I'll have more ideas on that tomorrow.

Did you try a new recipe? 

Maybe a new healthy holiday treat to add to your traditions?

Now, go throw some or all of those nasty chemical cleaners away. 

Tomorrow starts the final 5 day countdown. Oh, we are going to be SOOO healthy!