There is a chill in the air today, which makes me think of turmeric tea, aka "golden milk." 

I first learned about the power of fresh turmeric three years ago, when I was a CSA member at JennyJack Farms.  Each week we received a beautiful box filled with the vegetables that were harvested that week.  We were introduced to several interesting and new items this way.  I loved looking up recipes and trying to figure out what to do with our weekly bounty.

When I looked up turmeric recipes, I found out that there is evidence that it is a highly medicinal root. Here are some of it's benefits:
 
1.  It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
2.  It may help prevent cancer.
3.  It may help improve brain function.
4.  It may lower the risk of heart disease.
5.  It may help with mood. 

I began making turmeric tea and drinking it before bed.  It is delicious, and it helped me relax and prepare for good sleep.

These days I get my turmeric at Kroger.  I usually buy more than I need when they have it, and I freeze the extra.  In a pinch, I will use powdered turmeric, but it definitely is not as tasty.  

​Ingredients:

2 C milk of your choice (I use almond milk)
1" piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped (or 1 t turmeric powder)
1" piece of ginger, peeled and chopped (or 1 t powdered ginger)
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t coconut oil*
1 t peppercorns*

Procedure:
1.  Place ingredients in a sauce pan and let come to a gentle boil.  
2.  Turn heat down and let simmer for 10 minutes or so.  (You may alter the time, depending on how strong you like your tea.) 
3.  Strain the tea into two mugs.
4.  Add maple syrup or honey to taste.  
5.  Garnish with a little extra cinnamon.

*The peppercorns and the coconut oil help with the absorption of the curcumin in the turmeric.  

Sometimes I will make a double batch and keep it in the fridge.  That way I all I have to do is warm it up.  

I am the absolute worst at "shoulding" all over myself. 

I should write her a thank you note. 
I should write a new blog post today.
I should use this time wisely and get ahead on my work.
I should get to bed earlier.
I should call my mom.
I should talk to my boss.
I should make that phone call.
I should have that conversation today.

Our intentions can be the purest of pure, but if we don't take action on them, they are worthless.   They are just a bunch of nice words hanging around in your head or on a post-it or on a pretty quote card. 

We must have a bias toward action regarding our intentions and in all we do.  We cannot simply think ourselves happier, healthier, wealthier, into a better relationship or better job.   

I challenge you to join me in turning our shoulds into musts.

Why do we should ourselves to death and neglect to follow through?  I think it is because we are afraid.  We are afraid for so many reasons.  We are afraid to succeed, and we are afraid to fail.  We are afraid of what “they” will say about us.  We are afraid to be vulnerable.  We are afraid we aren’t good enough.  We are afraid we won't know the next right step.

What if we turned the feeling of fear inside out and really looked at it?  What does it feel like in your body when you are afraid?  What is the actual sensation? Where do you feel it?  Try to put it into words. 

I feel fear in the pit of my stomach.  It is hard to explain but it is kind of like the feeling when you are on an amusement ride and your stomach kind of drops—kind of like the bottom has fallen away under my feet.  Sometimes I get butterflies when I am scared, and sometimes my ears ring a little.  I even get a little twitch in my eye on occasion. 

We all get similar feelings from time to time.  Here is something to think about: What if that feeling isn’t fear at all?  What if we could redefine it as excitement, encouragement, fuel, fire, or motivation? What if we took it as a sign that we are alive and that we are headed in the right direction? 

Think about it.  Things that don’t give us that feeling are not the things we are going to be recollecting when we are old ladies.  No.  We are going to remember the things that made us feel—the things that woke us up and reminded us we are alive.  We are going to remember the times when we were scared and did things anyway.   Those are the stories that we are going to look back and be proud about. 

Take bold action.  Take risks.   Turn your shoulds to musts.   Turn your fear into energy to propel you forward. Turn it into excitement.  Use it as a sign that you are headed in the right direction.

​Let me know how it goes.
​

We all know we need to exercise to stay fit and healthy.  Exercise helps us fight disease, it boosts our immunity, energizes us, and it makes us happy.  It gives us confidence, helps us keep our weight in check, and helps us to age gracefully.

But there is a point of diminishing returns at which we don't get the benefits of the exercise.  This can happen in a variety of situations.  It may happen if you are forcing yourself to engage in a physical activity even though you don't enjoy it.  It may happen if you are overriding your body's need for a rest or a different type of exercise.  These situations can cause more harm than good.  They cause mental and physical stress, which usually results in injury or non-compliance.  

To figure out if our exercise routines are healthy for us, here a few questions we can ask ourselves:

1.  Do I look forward to exercising?  
2.  Am I exercising as a punishment for the food that I ate?
3.  Does this exercise bring me joy?  
4.  Do I feel like doing this particular exercise today?
5.  What exercise do I need today?
6.  How do I feel after I exercise?
7.  WHY am I exercising?


It takes a paradigm shift, but if we find movement that we enjoy, and if we can do it as a celebration rather than a punishment, we will be more likely to continue with our exercise routine and we will reap the benefits.

I am noticing this in real time with my own exercise habits. 

For the first time in the last 6 years, I am not teaching group fitness classes.  I have always loved being a group fitness instructor-- I love the energy and the sense of community I got from working in the company of others.  But things have changed, and my workouts look different lately.

I now work out with my husband in our garage at 5:45 four mornings a week.  We work out with heavier weights for a shorter amount of time, we sweat a ton, and don't really speak to each other very much.  😂 I absolutely love it.  I love how my muscles are reacting, and I love how strong I feel.  On the weekends, we may ride our mountain bikes on the trails, or we may take a hike, we may simply take a leisurely walk,  or we may not do anything.  It depends on how we feel.  

Last weekend, the weather was cooler and I felt like running.  So I did.  It was great!  I loved how I felt afterwards.   I was sore the next day, so I took a rest day.  I stretched because that's what I needed.  

Do you notice a pattern?  I am in the habit of lifting 4 days a week.  I very rarely opt out.  I may go lighter or take more rest breaks, but I created this habit and I don't have to think about it.  This leaves lots of time for other kinds of movement, if I so desire.  I like to mix things up, so I decide what I need when it is time.  This makes things more interesting and enjoyable and I am more inclined to move 6 days a week because of it.  I am listening to my intuition and the feedback my body is giving me.  

If you are in an exercise rut, or if you are just trying to build an exercise habit, consider asking yourself the questions above and figuring out what movement is going to bring you joy and give you something to look forward to. 

​If you need some guidance, drop a comment!