You Learn Something New Every Day...

Anyone who has been around me lately knows that I've really been trying to eat healthy and get into better shape.  It's a shame that I waited until I had digestive and spinal problems to do so, because if I'd started this a few years ago I might not have all the health problems I face today.  Ahh well.  Since I can't turn back time, I have to just do my best to take care of my body now.  (At least by moving home I'll be less likely to smoke cigarettes, since I'll have to smoke outside in the cold.)

My healthy living regimen right now consists of a specific routine:

1. Wake up around 10 AM.  Feed the cats.
2. Do my lower back stretches and modified ab crunches.
3. Weigh in with WiiFit.  (I met my first weight-loss goal yesterday!  Wahoo!)
4. Do 20 minutes of low impact Step Aerobics.
5. Do 10 minutes of "expert" level Rhythm Boxing.
6. Cool down with 5-8 minutes of Rhythm Marching and some basic Yoga moves.
7. (On weekdays) Turn on Dr. Oz and make my iron supplement drink.
8. Eat lunch and watch the show!

On weekends or days when I'm feeling extra strong (i.e. back isn't killing me as soon as I wake up) I will also include 10+ minutes of medium-high impact cardio by playing other WiiFit games, and add some strength training (usually push-ups, plank and lunges) too.

OK now that I've written that all out, I will be even MORE likely to stick to my routine!  :P

Anyway, today I really liked the Dr. Oz episode.  He was talking about different alternative remedies from around the globe.  I'm really into alternative therapies, because it seems to me that a lot of modern medicine treats the SYMPTOM of a problem, and not the cause.  I don't see much point in that.  Why cover up the effects when you could try and fix the actual underlying problem??

Two items I will look for the next time I'm in a health food store:  Arctic Root and Devil's Claw.  Arctic Root is a plant that grows in Alaska, and has shown to help de-stress and relax the body.  (I'd much rather try this natural solution than just start popping anti-depressants!)  Devil's Claw grows near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and is a natural anti-inflammatory.

Something else that I learned on the show today was REALLY interesting to me.  It was about common beauty mistakes that make you look older.  The first one that I was shocked by was when to wash your face.  I always wash my face first when I get in the shower.  Apparently that's a big mistake, since when you're shampooing, oils from your hair flow down onto the skin on your face.  Today when I showered, I washed my face with my acne wash LAST, to ensure that my face was going to stay as clean as possible.

The final thing I learned was the importance of moisturizing your neck.  I admit I almost never moisturize my neck.  But I learned that the skin on your neck is even thinner and more fragile than the skin on your face - making it quite deserving of moisturizer and retinol!

So yeah I learned things today!  Hooray!  :D