Blue Zones Project: Diet and Exercise

What ho, Live Journal!

(The husband and I have been reading The World of Jeeves, Wodehouse’s Jeeves short stories organized chronologically. Good, clean fun, but you start speaking affectedly two pages in.)

Spring break is over, and there really wasn’t a lick of spring in it. Most of our temperatures were in the low 30s, with wind chills to boot. I was taking a cruise in my head, but my body was very much here. So, it wasn’t bad, but it was not particularly memorable. And cold. I did mention that, yeah?

What did I find myself doing mostly? Watching videos, actually. My brain wanted a little downtime, and so we went with it. Over break, Bryon and I rewatched X. I watched Rock of Ages (do yourself a favor and don’t go near the movie) and the last of Black Books. We went to see The Croods, and we started in on a rewatch of Revolutionary Girl Utena, which might get some journaling love.

But overall, I guess I was tired, and I needed a vacation. My acid reflux and I have been coming to terms with each other again, so I was busy with that as well. I am finding that the suggestions in the book I talked about the other day are helping some. Who would guess that a doctor would know what they are talking about?

At any rate, I am back in the saddle. That means work and writing and stuff like that.

And it means it’s time for me to write another Blue Zones Post. I’m focusing on

Number One: Move Naturally
Number Four: Eighty Percent Rule
Number Five: Plant Slant

I wasn’t keen to talk about these before, but now it’s easy for me to talk about them, because of the recent changes in my portion size and digestive habits. Let me explain.

The first precept of the acid reflux plan I’m following is to control portion size. I eat five small meals every day. I was doing that before as a clean eater, but I have to admit that my dinners weren’t really small all the time. And those weekends with friends? Well, none of my meals were small. Number four asks you to always leave 80 percent of your food on your plate. I find that if I just limit my portion size, and use the leftovers when I can (I can’t always, like during travel), I’m following this rule in spirit. I really hate the idea of wasting food, but I also hate the idea of having acid reflux attacks. And it really, really helps.

Another pieces of the plan is to move naturally. The idea is this: If you plan to have an active lifestyle, you will. Have sporting equipment around the house. Bike. Walk. Climb stairs. You know, the usual advice. Well, I’ve had varying success with these things, but what is really helping me know is that walking aids digestion. So now, instead of reaching for an antacid, the first thing I do if I’m having trouble is take half an hour and walk. I have permission from the boss to do this if I need to at work. Now, with my arthritis and the reflux, I’m never going to be a marathon runner, but hey, I can become quite the hiker! So, this one is definitely on.

Finally, I’d already made the shift to mostly plant based food. My struggle has always been too many carbs, but with the limited portion size and careful planning, I am beating that demon.

Now, I am currently devoted to this like a Born Again, but I imagine eventually I’ll find I break the rules from time to time. However, pain is a good deterrent, much as I hate to say it. And in theory, these are the right steps to lose more weight. Yes, that is coming along, albeit slowly.

There’s only one more Blue Zones Power Nine that I need to talk about, and that concerns faith, which may well be a very hard one for me to write right now. But that’s for another time.

Author: Catherine Schaff-Stump

Catherine Schaff-Stump writes fiction for children and young adults. Her most recent book, The Vessel of Ra, is the first book in the Klaereon Scroll series. She is currently working on its sequel, as well as penning the middle grade adventures of Abigail Rath, monster hunter.

One thought on “Blue Zones Project: Diet and Exercise”

  1. So funny, I just finished World of Jeeves yesterday. The inscription in the front said I’d been given it in 1993! Never read it before.
    The affected speech didn’t bother me, because I saw Frye and Laurie in the roles anyway.
    Keep walking!
    Robyn

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