a major component of a typical mormon lifestyle is adherence to some basic health guidance called the word of wisdom. the fundamentals of the word of wisdom are generally considered to be abstinence from tobacco and alcohol, coffee and tea. however, if our bodies are temples, then isn't there so much more we should be doing to put good stuff in rather than just keeping bad stuff out? and aren't there tons more bad things beyond alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea that we should be keeping out as well? this line of thinking led me to start taking a closer look at what i eat and how i take care of myself. i can't be of much help to anyone if i'm not healthy, and i haven't been feeling all that healthy for a while.
i'm not quite sure when i first started to pay closer attention to quality vs quantity in what i eat. i know this interest is rooted in a desire to kick a wicked sugar habit i have that waxes and wanes with my stress levels. i have made various attempts to cut down on sugar and eat healthier over the past few years but lately i've gotten more concerned about the effects of what i put in my body as i have struggled to maintain energy levels high enough to do more than just work, eat, and sleep. i also realized that diet is more important to maintaining healthy weight than is exercise. not to say exercise isn't important because it is, but i used to think if i exercised i could just eat whatever i want. and i've learned this is sadly not the case because if i eat whatever i want, i don't want to exercise.
i knew it was not normal to completely crash after getting home from work and having each weekend spent sleeping and vegetating to try and recuperate for the coming week. i felt like i was in survival mode more often than not and although going into hermit mode helped me feel better in general, it also meant i was out of touch with friends and family as i often didn't feel like talking to anyone. i wasn't quite sure what to do about my never ending feeling of being exhausted and what was even wrong in the first place since physically, i felt fine other than being tired and worn out all the time. i often thought that if i just quit my job, that would solve the problem as it would eliminate the major source of daily stress. but when i took a closer look, i realized the problem was more in my reactions to stressful situations and not being able to let things go easily. my job didn't have to feel so stressful if i learned how to manage my reactions to various situations better.
i began to limit the amount of processsed food in what we ate at home and tried to incorporate more organic and local produce into my diet. then last year, an article in Outside magazine opened up the world of "clean eating" for me as one of the Outside magazine writers tried out dr. alejandro junger's clean detox program. i ordered the book "clean," read it, and thought i'd give it a try. in the "things to consider before you start" section of the book, dr. junger presents a list of 9 questions and states that if you can answer yes to at least 2 of the questions, you are likely suffering from a condition he called "spent" where your adrenal system is not functioning properly and those who are "spent" need to address this issue before jumping into a detox program. i answered yes to 4 of the 9 questions so decided to look into the "revive" book by dr. frank lipman. (both doctors have websites and all kinds of products for sale but in reading their books, you don't have to buy the products- just follow the programs they have laid out in the books.) in the "revive" book, dr. lipman walks you through a 6-week program that i got 2 weeks into and was feeling better but life got busy and it fell temporarily by the wayside. i will get back to it as i saw a definite increase in my energy level in just those 2 weeks.
this brings me to now- i know a lot of my friends and family members struggle with some of the same things i do and i need to be more accountable so i'm going to put my goals in writing. i want to share more about what i'm doing to take better care of my body. let me know what works for you too.
08 May 2011
rising star outreach = our best vacation ever
as i was perusing my friend's blog last spring (2010) about her adventures the previous summer in india at rising star outreach (RSO), i considered how fun it would be to spend some time with my dear friend catnip on her birthday, especially since she would be going back to india for the entire summer as the volunteer coordinator for RSO. what started as just a fun thought became the best vacation we have ever had. in early august 2010, j and i spent 10 days at the rising star outreach (RSO) facility near chennai, india in tamil nadu. for the three days prior to arriving at RSO, we did a whirlwind tour of delhi, agra (taj mahal and agra fort), and jaipur. this trip was my second to the taj but first to jaipur and i have to say, i LOVED jaipur. the fort and surrounding landscape was awe inspiring. but nothing we saw or experienced during this three day jaunt compared to the experiences we had at RSO.
some basic facts
RSO is a non-profit established to serve leprosy afflicted communities in india. see the RSO website (risingstaroutreach.org) for more info. basics about leprosy:
--it is a curable disease if caught/treated in the first or second stage;
--if caught in the first stage, a simple course of antibiotics wipes it out but leprosy afflicted among third world populations either don't have access to medical care or can't afford the antibiotics;
--95% of people are naturally immune to it;
--there is still not a clear understanding of exactly how it is transmitted;
--there was a recent article in the New York Times about armadillos transmitting leprosy to humans.
a day in the life of an RSO volunteer
RSO volunteers stay in a dormitory-type building with a central courtyard, shared kitchen, and male/female bathrooms. the rooms all had AC which was fairly reliable so we slept in complete comfort. volunteers assist with three main tasks- support to mobile medical team visits to leprosy colonies in the area, construction projects at leprosy colonies in the area, and tutoring children at the RSO boarding school which is on the same compound as the volunteer dormitory. RSO boarding school students are children from leprosy-afflicted families. the school gives them an english-language education giving them a wide range of employment opportunities after graduation thus breaking the social stigma associated with coming from a leprosy colony. female volunteers wear traditional indian clothing and RSO has a community closet of long tunic-like tops and baggy pants to choose from each day- so comfy and so convenient. (sidebar- i wish i could dress like this everyday in normal life too. i get away with tunics and leggings as much as i can but it's not quite the same.) whichever of these three tasks we did in a given day, the day always began with a group huddle to discuss the plan of the day and to share an inspirational thought. likewise, each day ended with playground time with the children from 4:30pm until devotional time followed by dinner. fabulous indian dinner every night, eaten on the roof of the student dormitory, with a banana leaf plate, and each volunteer sharing one high and one low experience of the day. after dinner, volunteers went in pairs to their assigned homeroom, aka "family," to help the children in that family with homework, reading to the small children before their bedtime, and having cuddle time with whoever needed it. evenings were magical and J and I fell in love with the group of 20 boys in our "family." the room mother was amazing as well, Kala. she was sweet, kind, caring, but stern when needed and the boys both loved and respected her. she was such a source of strength and inspiration for me during those 10 days.
here are some photo highlights of our 10 days at RSO. i hope you can get a sense of the impact this trip had on both j and i- we went to serve and we ended up reaping so much more than what we gave. i can't wait to go back.
first day doing support for the mobile medical team, we were greeted by this sweet man. we called him "the hallelujah man" because he continually raised his hands over his head and shouted "haaaaallelujah!" he had been blind for over 20 years due to complications of leprosy and thanks to a simple surgery RSO Dr. Kumar finagled from a state-run hospital that had previously refused to perform it, the hallelujah man had vision restored to one eye and was able to see his children and grandchildren. out of pure gratitude, he bubbled over with joy and praise nonstop. it was inspiring and brought the parable of the 10 lepers* to life. (*this term is actually a derogatory term that should not be used to refer to a leprosy-afflicted person and i only use it in this instance to reference the particular story from the bible.)
we helped the medical team by washing wounds (my favorite task by far), taking blood pressure, and measuring insulin (a lot of them were diabetic). when we didn't have any of these tasks to do, we visited with the people and played games, sang songs, or just chit-chatted.
this man was so intently talking to both j and i... alas it was in tamil and we had no clue what he was saying. but he was so sweet, it didn't matter.
this is a photo from our visit to the bindu art school. we bought this painting and got to take a photo with the artist. i look so chubby but it's the best photo we got with the artist holding his painting so i'm posting it anyways. google bindu art school for more info on this amazing place.
there was a pack of goats outside the art school. they were pretty cute, i want goats someday!
the standard stop after a day of construction is a gas station with ice cream cones. i couldn't decide between dulce de leche and chocolate so i got both. maybe this is why i continue to look chubby in photos.
here is the morning school formation. the students all look so sharp in their uniforms! during a day of tutoring, volunteers stay in the library and students are rotated through to get help on whatever task they may need a little native english help on. it was so great to have this one-on-one time.
after school comes PLAY TIME!! here is a shot from the playground looking toward the student dormitory building. girls live on the right side, boys live on the left side. each "family" has about 20 boys or girls ranging in ages from kindergarten to high school.
the merry-go-round was quite the popular spot during play time.
the children loved adding water to dirt and making little shapes from clay balls. who doesn't love playdough??
j's paper airplanes were a ginormous hit. the boys couldn't get enough of them.
sweet jessy, the girl i decided to sponsor. when i told her i was going to be her sponsor and i wanted to take a photo together, she insisted on changing out of her play clothes. this outfit, complete with the rainbow socks, is what she came back in. SO cute!!
after dinner it's family time. j and i were with a group of boys who were so fun. each had their own unique personality and all were the best cuddlebugs! such a great way to end each evening filled with hugs and "i love you auntie and uncle!"
these two were enthralled by a thunderstorm raging outside. i love this shot because the one little boy is just chilling in tree pose. the children do yoga as part of their daily routine.
here's our family photo. i'm standing next to kala and making an i love you heart with krishna moorthy- an amazing young man! i can't wait to see them all again!!!
a magical 10 days. this year, we're doing 3 weeks. i can't wait.
who wants to come with us?
some basic facts
RSO is a non-profit established to serve leprosy afflicted communities in india. see the RSO website (risingstaroutreach.org) for more info. basics about leprosy:
--it is a curable disease if caught/treated in the first or second stage;
--if caught in the first stage, a simple course of antibiotics wipes it out but leprosy afflicted among third world populations either don't have access to medical care or can't afford the antibiotics;
--95% of people are naturally immune to it;
--there is still not a clear understanding of exactly how it is transmitted;
--there was a recent article in the New York Times about armadillos transmitting leprosy to humans.
a day in the life of an RSO volunteer
RSO volunteers stay in a dormitory-type building with a central courtyard, shared kitchen, and male/female bathrooms. the rooms all had AC which was fairly reliable so we slept in complete comfort. volunteers assist with three main tasks- support to mobile medical team visits to leprosy colonies in the area, construction projects at leprosy colonies in the area, and tutoring children at the RSO boarding school which is on the same compound as the volunteer dormitory. RSO boarding school students are children from leprosy-afflicted families. the school gives them an english-language education giving them a wide range of employment opportunities after graduation thus breaking the social stigma associated with coming from a leprosy colony. female volunteers wear traditional indian clothing and RSO has a community closet of long tunic-like tops and baggy pants to choose from each day- so comfy and so convenient. (sidebar- i wish i could dress like this everyday in normal life too. i get away with tunics and leggings as much as i can but it's not quite the same.) whichever of these three tasks we did in a given day, the day always began with a group huddle to discuss the plan of the day and to share an inspirational thought. likewise, each day ended with playground time with the children from 4:30pm until devotional time followed by dinner. fabulous indian dinner every night, eaten on the roof of the student dormitory, with a banana leaf plate, and each volunteer sharing one high and one low experience of the day. after dinner, volunteers went in pairs to their assigned homeroom, aka "family," to help the children in that family with homework, reading to the small children before their bedtime, and having cuddle time with whoever needed it. evenings were magical and J and I fell in love with the group of 20 boys in our "family." the room mother was amazing as well, Kala. she was sweet, kind, caring, but stern when needed and the boys both loved and respected her. she was such a source of strength and inspiration for me during those 10 days.
here are some photo highlights of our 10 days at RSO. i hope you can get a sense of the impact this trip had on both j and i- we went to serve and we ended up reaping so much more than what we gave. i can't wait to go back.
first day doing support for the mobile medical team, we were greeted by this sweet man. we called him "the hallelujah man" because he continually raised his hands over his head and shouted "haaaaallelujah!" he had been blind for over 20 years due to complications of leprosy and thanks to a simple surgery RSO Dr. Kumar finagled from a state-run hospital that had previously refused to perform it, the hallelujah man had vision restored to one eye and was able to see his children and grandchildren. out of pure gratitude, he bubbled over with joy and praise nonstop. it was inspiring and brought the parable of the 10 lepers* to life. (*this term is actually a derogatory term that should not be used to refer to a leprosy-afflicted person and i only use it in this instance to reference the particular story from the bible.)
we helped the medical team by washing wounds (my favorite task by far), taking blood pressure, and measuring insulin (a lot of them were diabetic). when we didn't have any of these tasks to do, we visited with the people and played games, sang songs, or just chit-chatted.
a post-construction group photo followed by photos of us mingling with leprosy patients after we finished the project. (we worked hard! we were there before 9:00!)
this man was so intently talking to both j and i... alas it was in tamil and we had no clue what he was saying. but he was so sweet, it didn't matter.
this is a photo from our visit to the bindu art school. we bought this painting and got to take a photo with the artist. i look so chubby but it's the best photo we got with the artist holding his painting so i'm posting it anyways. google bindu art school for more info on this amazing place.
there was a pack of goats outside the art school. they were pretty cute, i want goats someday!
the standard stop after a day of construction is a gas station with ice cream cones. i couldn't decide between dulce de leche and chocolate so i got both. maybe this is why i continue to look chubby in photos.
here is the morning school formation. the students all look so sharp in their uniforms! during a day of tutoring, volunteers stay in the library and students are rotated through to get help on whatever task they may need a little native english help on. it was so great to have this one-on-one time.
after school comes PLAY TIME!! here is a shot from the playground looking toward the student dormitory building. girls live on the right side, boys live on the left side. each "family" has about 20 boys or girls ranging in ages from kindergarten to high school.
the merry-go-round was quite the popular spot during play time.
the children loved adding water to dirt and making little shapes from clay balls. who doesn't love playdough??
j's paper airplanes were a ginormous hit. the boys couldn't get enough of them.
sweet jessy, the girl i decided to sponsor. when i told her i was going to be her sponsor and i wanted to take a photo together, she insisted on changing out of her play clothes. this outfit, complete with the rainbow socks, is what she came back in. SO cute!!
volunteer dinner on the roof. i think we're about to start going around the table to do our high/low of the day soon. notice the banana leaf plates! i wasn't exaggerating- they were perfect and super easy to clean up. compostable plates anyone?
after dinner it's family time. j and i were with a group of boys who were so fun. each had their own unique personality and all were the best cuddlebugs! such a great way to end each evening filled with hugs and "i love you auntie and uncle!"
these two were enthralled by a thunderstorm raging outside. i love this shot because the one little boy is just chilling in tree pose. the children do yoga as part of their daily routine.
here's our family photo. i'm standing next to kala and making an i love you heart with krishna moorthy- an amazing young man! i can't wait to see them all again!!!
a magical 10 days. this year, we're doing 3 weeks. i can't wait.who wants to come with us?
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