Wellness Post #5: The B.E.S.T Care

Welcome to the 5th Wellness link up of 2019! In case you missed my previous four Wellness posts, they are here: A Fresh Start, Icefest 2019, Ice Breakers 2019, and How I Keep My Mind Healthy.

HEALTH GOAL UPDATE

In my April Wrap-Up post, I shared how I've been doing with my health goals. April was a very good month when I got perfect score for my planned fitness routine. In total, I completed thirty meditation sessions, twenty-six outdoor walks, thirteen strength workouts in the gym, nine yoga classes, and four swimming sessions. Each activity is an hour long. I enjoy the activities and they make me feel great.

B.E.S.T. CARE

The optional prompt for May Wellness topic is B.E.S.T. Care (BEST is for Breasts, Eyes, Skin, and Teeth). I thought I would share a round-up of posts that several fabulous bloggers have written below.

Breast Care:

Let's start with appearance and comfort. Jo Castro at Lifestyle Fifty wrote the Ultimate guide to buying a bra online. While you're dressing up, remember to do self-check regularly for changes. This helps you get to know what is normal for your breasts and notice when something may be wrong. Oh, and that mammogram appointment that your doctor has advised you to book, make sure you go. Breast cancer is unfortunately common. When it's detected early, the chances of successful treatment are better.

Eye Care:

Min at Write of the Middle shared her thoughts on Beauty: Making eyes. In addition, if you're reading this and have been looking at a screen for a while, remember to do eye exercises like squeeze and release, or look at a distance, to relax your eyes. When you go outside, protect your eyes from harmful sun rays or seasonal pollen by wearing sun glasses. On sunny days, wear a sun hat as well since the brim gives more protection. Our eye sight changes over time. Check in with your optometrist if you notice vision changes or headaches that may be caused by eye strain.

Skin Care:

Sue at Sizzling Towards Sixty and Beyond shared the 7 Sun Safe Tips from skin care expert and Min's helpful Skin care tips. Take a little bit of time each day to clean, moisturize, and protect your skin from harmful elements. Similar to breast care, do skin self-check regularly for changes. When you find any unusual changes on your skin, see your doctor as soon as possible. Skin cancer is common. When in doubt, check it out.

Teeth Care:

Jodie, a retired cosmetic dentist, at Jodie's Touch of Style did an informative review of The Best Oral Care Products. Get regular dental check-ups by your dentist, and follow their advice on dental care (e.g. flossing, brushing, type of toothpaste to use). Avoid eating hard food items that can chip or crack your teeth. Most people don't like to go to the dentist but early detection is key and it can save you from much pain, suffering, and high dental cost down the road.

I know when I take care of my B.E.S.T., I feel good, and I keep my health care costs down. 

The next Wellness link up is on Wednesday June 12. Optional prompt: Mid-Year Review. Feel free to join in on the fun with your recent or past wellness-related posts every second Wednesday of the month. 

Any new B.E.S.T. tips to share? I'd love to hear your comments.

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Wellness Post #4: How I Keep My Mind Healthy

Welcome to the fourth Wellness link up of 2019! In case you missed my previous three Wellness posts, they are here: A Fresh Start, Icefest 2019, and Ice Breakers 2019. Feel free to join in on the fun with your recent or past wellness-related posts every second Wednesday of the month.

The optional prompt for April Wellness topic is Healthy Mind. In this post, I'm sharing how I keep my mind healthy. I look forward to hearing your feedback and suggestions.

HOW I KEEP MY MIND HEALTHY

I think of my brain as a muscle that needs regular exercises to stay strong. However, the type, the quantity, and the frequency of stimuli for my brain need to be just right for me so my brain does not get overloaded. It's also necessary to have some calm time to relax my mind and to give space for new sensory experiences. I'm sharing how I keep my mind healthy, in alpha order, below.

1. Get enough sleep daily - Sleep allows our mind and body to rest and recharge. As much as I love to be active during the day, I love my beauty sleep at night. Eight hours sounds good!


2. Learn foreign languages and play word puzzles - I've been taking online French and Spanish lessons on Duolingo daily and playing word games as time permits. I enjoy learning languages and I've had opportunities to use French and Spanish in my travels.


3. Listen to, or view the creative ideas of others - I listen to music recitals, view art works like this exhibit, and watch movies on a regular basis. I'm grateful to live in a multicultural city that supports the arts. The concerts and art exhibits that I go to are free to the public.


4. Meditate daily - Sometimes I meditate in one chunk of fifteen minutes, sometimes I do 7-8 minutes in the morning and 7-8 minutes at bedtime. I focus on my breathing, inhale all the positives, and exhale anything that I don't want to take with me.


5. Move daily - In addition to thinking exercises, I believe my brain benefits from a good physical workout that can help improve learning and memory. I walk daily, attend yoga class 2x/ week, do strengthening exercises in the gym 3x/ week, and swim laps 1x/ week. I'm consistent with my fitness activities because I value my good health.


6. Read as widely as I can - This is to keep my brain sharp and to stay aware of what's happening around the world. This year I took on the Toronto Public Library's 2019 Reading Challenge and have been reading more widely than before. I'll do a check-in next week to see how I'm doing with the Reading Challenge. 


7. Spend some time each day reading, writing, or doing something creative - I enjoy blogging, taking photos, creating photo collages, reading... to name a few. Meal planning and cooking are creative activities, too.


8. Stay social - I balance my 'me' time and time for my family, friends, and neighbours. Plus blogging time to connect with bloggers and blog readers :)


9. Take a trip to a place I've never been and learn about another culture - I always learn so much when I plan to go to a new-to-me place and when I travel. My most recent trip was to Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia in March.


10. Visit nature on a regular basis - By walking on a trail, visiting the lake front, or exploring a park like this cool park. Sunrise or sunset is lovely to see every day.

The next Wellness link up will be on Wednesday, May 8. Optional prompt: The B.E.S.T. Care (BEST is for Breasts, Eyes, Skin, and Teeth). Hope you join in on the fun.

How do you keep your mind healthy? I'd love to hear your comments.

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What I've Gained by Diversifying My Activities

Thank you to Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond for inviting me to be a Guest Writer on her site. It is an honor to be part of her Over 50 & Thriving Series.

The terms "diversify, diversifying, diversification" often come up in investment portfolios. They aim to optimize return and reduce risk. I apply the same concept to my Fun and Wellness plans!

To find out the Top Five Benefits that I've gained by diversifying my fun and wellness activities, please join us at Sue's site.

I look forward to seeing you there!

How I plan for trips to foreign countries

Greetings! I mentioned in my winter fun list update post that I'm planning a trip to Chile in March. It will be my first time visiting Chile solo. I don't have any family or friends there and the official language in Chile is Spanish. After researching and booking my flights and accommodations weeks ago, I took a break. Now I'm slowly getting back into trip planning state of mind which prompted me to share how I plan for trips to foreign countries.

How I plan for trips to foreign countries: 

1. Read and inquire about potential destinations: This gives me an idea of where the country is located, its general safety level, entry requirements, how to get there, the main attractions, the official language spoken, currency used, availability of public transit, and general cost of living compared to my home city. I do most of my travel readings online by visiting the official web sites, travel web sites, and blogs. I also talk to my family and friends in case they have been to the destinations.

2. Select the destination to visit: Once I've done step 1, I select the country to visit based on my availability to travel, the weather at the destination for when I plan to visit, my interests, and travel budget. In general, I prefer to visit countries that do not require a visa to enter. I also check to see if any vaccination is necessary. If a visa or vaccinations are required, they take more preparation, more time, and incur more expenses. The local weather is important as it affects what to pack, how comfortable it is for outdoor activities, and how easy it is to get good photos. Who wants to walk in pouring rain with moisture fog on the camera lens, right?

3. Book my flights: I check various flight-booking web sites and the official web sites of the airlines to compare fares before booking.

4. Book my accommodations: I check various accommodation booking sites, and the hotel web sites to compare rates and read their cancellation policy before booking. Depends on my flight arrival and departure time, the room check-in and check-out time sometimes play a factor in my booking decision. Free WiFi is always a plus.

5. Book my train tickets or bus tickets or car rental if applicable: I prefer to visit countries where I can take trains or buses, as opposed to drive a car. I'd book my tickets in advance for popular routes, or trains that require seat reservation. Some rail companies give significant discounts for early bookings, like when I travelled by train in Ireland. I usually book directly with the rail or bus company.

6. Buy a SIM card in advance if needed: It's nice to have my mobile device working upon arrival. In some countries, it's less expensive to buy at the airport upon arrival but language may be an issue to complete the transaction, or the store is closed when I arrive.

7. Buy travel insurance: To have peace of mind and coverage should I need it. I add the insurance contact number and my insurance policy number to my mobile device and my contact list (see #10 below).

8. Buy foreign currency: To have a small amount of cash on hand upon arrival, and to be familiar with the bills in advance. I also print out a cheat sheet with Canadian dollars and the foreign currency travel exchange rates that I found here, and put it in my wallet. It's very useful to quickly figure out the exchange rates and how much I'm spending. It worked wonder when I explored Central Europe and used three foreign currencies (euro, forint, and koruna).

9. Notify my bank and credit card company: To inform them of my travel plans and when I may use my card abroad. I add their 24/7 phone numbers to my contact list in case my card is lost or stolen.

10. Have useful tools ready: I'm referring to maps, or a phrase book. I prep my mobile device for what I need for the trip, and create a contact list with key contact information. I usually keep the contact list both on my device and a hard copy (see #12 below).

11. Let someone know: I leave my itinerary, booking confirmations, and a copy of important documents with someone close and whom I can contact during my trip. I also register on Government of Canada Travel Abroad web site.

12. Have a back up: I keep a hard copy of my IDs, confirmed reservations, and key contact information separate from the originals, as well as an electronic version on my mobile device.

13. Book my airport transfers if needed: I usually take airport shuttle service or local transit to get from the airport to the city centre and vice versa. Most of the time, I can buy tickets on site. In some destinations, it's wise to book the transfer service a few days in advance.

14. Pack my carry-on and day pack: I travel light and my luggage has always been under the allowable weight. It's a good practice to pack and carry before departure date, to see how comfortable I am with the overall weight.

15. Check in my flight and get my boarding pass 24 hours in advance: Most airlines that I fly with offer this option. Having my boarding pass in advance saves me time at the airport.

That's pretty much how I plan for trips to foreign countries.

How about you? What do you do differently? Please share.

Be happy, don't worry

I heard the song "Don't worry, be happy" played on the radio today. It prompted me to think about how I've been sleeping well and feeling happy in general. I can't remember the last time I worry about something. So I decided to place the positive before the negative and name this post "Be happy, don't worry" :)

When something bothers me or makes me feel worried, I think about it then act. I don't let it stay in my mind for too long as I find if I let the worry sit, it weighs me down. I've used one or more of the following simple techniques to bust my worry.

12 simple ways to bust worry:

1. Make a list of the worries. By writing them down, I get them off my mind and onto my notepad.

2. Analyze the list. I separate my worries into two buckets: what's within my control, and what's outside of my control. Sometimes by reviewing the list, I realize that some of my worries are repetitive, and I actually have less to worry about.

3. Act on what's within my control. Even simple actions like doing the next few techniques make me feel that I'm progressing towards a resolution to my worry.

4. Talk to someone close. This usually gives me a different perspective and by getting my worry off my chest, I feel better.

5. Go for a walk somewhere close to nature or exercise. Nature has an amazing way of calming my mind, or distracting me from thinking of my worry. Exercise is a great stress reliever.

6. Meditate with deep breathing. By focusing on my breath, I'm not thinking about my worry or anything else. Deep breathing is known to relax our body.

7. Find humour like call my funniest friend, watch a comedy, or read a comic book. Laughing is a great stress reliever, too.

8. Focus on three good things that happened. This usually makes me realize that it's not all bad, in fact, it's actually been pretty good.

9. Take a warm bath to relax. If I have lavender-scented or lemon-scented bath mix on hand, I'll use it.

10. Look at cheerful colours like a nice bouquet of fresh flowers or a cheerful picture.

11. Listen to soothing music. Either soothing music alone, or the combination of listening to a soothing play list and walking usually makes me feel so much better.

12. Accept that there will always be uncertainty and "this too shall pass". When I think of my past worries, I don't remember what they were so they can't be that important.

I hope your day is happy and worry-free. If you're worrying about something, try the above techniques and see if they work for you.  

If you have other ways to overcome worry, please share.

Wellness Wednesday Feb 7

Welcome to our second Wellness Wednesday link up in 2018! Back on January 10, I wrote about the link up and my three wellness goals for January here. Today, I'm providing a progress update, setting new wellness goals for February, sharing my favourite cardio exercises, three suggestions, and linking up with a group of fabulous bloggers who are also on this wellness journey.

My January wellness goals progress update:

1. Meditate 15 minutes daily: Yes, I've been meeting this goal. The short duration works well for me. I meditate in the morning to set a positive start to my day. In the evening, I do it at bed time and add deep breathing to help me fall asleep.

2. Exercise one hour daily: Yes, in January I did my 5K morning walks, fourteen workout sessions in the gym, eleven yoga sessions at home, two swimming sessions, and four 5K runs on Sundays. The community pool that I use was closed on January 26 for about four months so I replaced my Saturday swims with walking or yoga.

3. Smile or laugh daily: Yes, I've been meeting this goal as well. It would be funny if I didn't, ha! By writing it down as a goal, I remember to find humour every day. The smiling or laughing out loud has made me more relaxed in my day-to-day approach to life matters.

My February wellness goals:

Now that I've established good wellness habits in January, my idea is to layer on new goals in the coming months. Using Valentine's Day in February as my cue, I'm adding two social goals to my list of wellness goals as follows:

1. Meditate 15 minutes daily.
2. Exercise one hour daily.
3. Smile or laugh daily.
4. Enjoy two family outings on two different weekends.
5. Attend two piano recitals with my friends.

My favourite cardio exercises:

Cardio exercise is any exercise that raises our heart rate. Some of the cardio exercises that I've done over the years include walking, running, stair climbing, swimming, elliptical, high intensity interval training, jumping rope, jumping jacks, shadow boxing, cycling, and indoor rowing.

Walking is my favourite since it's the easiest, simple, free, no training required, and I can do it just about anywhere. I can increase my walking distance, or my speed, or add a few flights of stairs or hills to get a good workout.

When I have access to a gym or a pool, my favourite cardio exercises are elliptical and swimming laps. Both elliptical and swimming have low impact on the knees. With the elliptical, I can change the incline to activate more muscles, or do high intensity intervals to make it more engaging. With swimming laps, I can change up the strokes so that I work all kinds of muscles and the continuous pace works my heart and lungs.

My three suggestions:

1. When you first embark on (or resume) an exercise program, focus on consistency, as opposed to intensity. For example, start with a low-intensity routine of 30 minutes, two or three times a week, until you have a solid routine. If you've recently recovered from an illness or injury, check with your physician before embarking on an exercise program.

2. Always do warm up before doing cardio exercises and cool down after doing them. This prevents injuries and muscle tightness.

3. Once you have a consistent exercise routine, make small, gradual changes to your cardio exercises to engage your mind and moderately challenge your body. There are so many ways to inject freshness into our exercise routine and to get more out of our exercises. I've named some examples above. I'd also balance cardio with other types of exercises to use different muscles, avoid wear and tear on the same muscles, and include 'rest' days to allow for recovery.

February is Heart month. I hope you'll take up a cardio exercise that makes your heart happy and healthy.

How are you doing with your wellness goals? Any tip to share?

An InLinkz Link-up

What I've learned from my first escorted tour

Last November, my sister and I went on our first escorted tour to Central Europe. We've travelled together several times before but have always planned the trips ourselves. This time, we decided to book an escorted tour to try something new that does not require too much effort from our end, other than selecting a tour and paying for it.

We both had a fantastic time with lots of new memories and pictures from our tour. It confirmed what I thought about escorted tours, their benefits, and why I would consider another escorted tour for my future travels. At this time, with good health and being fairly active, independent travels are still more appealing to me. However, if an escorted tour comes along that meets my criteria, you may see me on it!

Why should you consider taking an escorted tour?

• Itinerary and logistics are planned by the tour company
• Guided tours are led by local guides in your language of choice
• Travelling in a group is an opportunity to meet other travellers
• Most expenses are known at time of booking

What should you look for when selecting an escorted tour?

• Tour company with a solid history and policies that you accept
• Excellent customer reviews or words of mouth from people you trust
• The tour group size and targeted audience
• The tour itinerary, its pace, and comfort level
• The driving distance per day (i.e. How long are you sitting on a bus?)
• The tour details, what's included, and what's not

What was my experience on my first escorted tour?

• We travelled in shoulder season so the group size was less than half of what it would be in prime season. We lucked out with meeting a group of nineteen friendly and considerate fellow travellers, fifteen of them travelled as couples or in small groups, and four were solo travellers. We had plenty of room on our tour bus which can accommodate fifty five people.
• The tour was well-organized. Our itinerary covered the half-day city tours and left us with free time to explore on our own. The tour manager and local guides spoke excellent English. They were also very helpful with their recommendations for local restaurants or optional activities.
• The distance from one city to another is not too far (e..g. From Budapest to Vienna was about 2.5 hours by car, and from Vienna to Bratislava was about an hour by car). Being a person who prefers walking, I particularly appreciated that I did not have to sit on a bus all day.
• The pace was just right for us although people who are not 'morning persons' might struggle with getting ready, breakfast, and out the door by 8:30 a.m. for several days in a row.
• We paid for most expenses in advance and did not have any unexpected charges. We had sufficient foreign currencies with us for small purchases (euro for Austria and Slovakia, forint for Hungary, and koruna for Czechia). Credit cards were accepted at the restaurants and shops that we visited. Coins were useful where we made stops for public washrooms since they typically had a small charge and an attendant to accept payments. We used up the coins before leaving the countries since we can exchange bills but not coins.
• The four cities (Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, and Prague) are beautiful with well-established tourism. I highly recommend a visit to each city or all four if you have the opportunity. 

Should you consider taking an escorted tour?

Ultimately, if you prefer someone else to manage the itinerary and logistics, and don't mind travelling with a group on a schedule, then escorted tours may be the right option. 

I'd consider another escorted tour for places where I don't know the local language and English is not widely spoken, and if the tour meets my travel criteria. I'm also on the look out for a Canadian tour company. There are many but if you have one to recommend, please share.

What is your experience with escorted tours?

5 huge benefits of living car-free

What are the Top 5 huge benefits that I’ve gained from living car-free for the past twenty five years?

You’ll find my answer in my second guest post appearing on Donna Connolly’s fabulous blog Retirement Reflections as part of her Sunday Guest Post Series. Please hop on over, check it out, and leave a comment.

While you’re visiting her site, treat yourself to Donna’s articles about her trek on the Camino Trail. It looks like we both enjoy walking.

I hope to see you there!

5 tips to stay fit while traveling

Happy Sunday! Regular readers of my blog have read that I exercise regularly and set specific fun fitness goals for myself. I received one comment a while back wondering how I keep up with my exercise routine while traveling. With a little bit of self-discipline, we can enjoy our vacation, and still feel fit when we return home. 

Here's my 5 tips to stay fit while traveling:

1. Stretch and stay mobile:

I do stretches and gentle yoga to release muscular tension, get my air and blood flows going, and stay flexible, especially after prolonged periods of sitting like a long flight. I also walk frequently. We can do stretches and walking just about anywhere and anytime. So build in 10-15 minutes of comfortable stretching every day, whether morning, or afternoon, or evening, stay in motion, and your body will thank you.

2. Moderation is the key:

When I travel, I enjoy the local food but I do not over eat at every meal. I drink in moderation as well. For overall hydration, I drink water. I usually have a healthy snack in my bag before I head out to explore. If we stay at a vacation rental, we usually buy groceries and prepare most of our meals. Eating out would be a treat.

Going on vacation does not equate overeating and excessive drinking. Moderate your calorie intake without sacrificing the fun experience is key. For example, you may choose a light breakfast, or lunch, on the day when there is a festive, multi-course dinner. Choose wine or dessert but not both. Having light, healthy snacks throughout the day also helps curb sudden cravings. Watch out for empty calories from sugar drinks, or accumulative calories from wine, beers, plus big desserts after a full meal.

3. Keep it up:

When I'm at home, I spend about an hour per day for exercising. One hour out of 24 hours is about 4%. I didn't count my daily walking around so my actual daily "active" time is more than 4% but basically, it's not a huge amount of time to invest in my health. When I travel, I'm mostly free from chores and have more free time available for exercising. Without the time pressure, I keep up my fitness routine by working with what I have where I stay at my destination, which brings me to tip #4.

If you work out once or twice or three times a week before your trip, keep it up. Most people say "I'm on vacation", put their workouts on hold, and find it hard to get back into the fitness routine after their vacation. Traveling is a change that can really mess up our sleep (e.g. jet lag, different time zones), or diet (e.g. new food, constant eating out) so by keeping your workout routine, you reap the benefits of staying healthy during and after your trip. The bonus is you will not need to "get back" to your routine because you have always been on track!

If you find it challenging to keep up with your fitness routine, I'd recommend at a minimum to use tips #1 and #2.

4. Modify as needed:

Most of the time when I travel, I stay for free (e.g. with family), or at low cost accommodation which means I may not have access to a gym or equipment to do my regular workouts. As part of my trip preparation, I find out what's available for me to use at my destination, and modify my workout plan accordingly.

Assuming no gym equipment is available, I usually bring a resistance band and a skip rope which are both very light to pack, inexpensive, and useful. In addition, I find our body weight is an excellent tool for strength training. Examples: Jog around a local park if it's safe to do so, use the skip rope for cardio, use the resistance band for triceps/ biceps, and use my arms and legs for jumping jacks, lunges, squats, sit ups, or planks.

Remember local activities are fun exercises, too. For example, hiking at a national park, or a cycling day tour, or tango lessons in Argentina. In some nicer hotels, such as the Westin hotels, they have indoor fitness centre, maps of running routes, and workout gear lending service so if you are staying there, take advantage of their services.

5. Track your fitness activities:

When I'm at home, I track my fitness activities on a simple sheet. I take that sheet with me when I travel as a reminder and continue tracking. The calendar function on my mobile device is useful, too. Whatever works for you, use it to schedule and track your fitness activities as part of your travel itinerary. The key idea is exercising should be part of your day plan, like brushing teeth, and can be scheduled in small chunks of time.

I hope my tips help. Take on the world and take care of your health in your travels! I'll leave you with two quotes from Theodore Roosevelt:

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

"With self-discipline most anything is possible."

If you have a tip on how to stay fit while traveling, please share below.

Ten home organization tips

Greetings! With a condo refresh project going on, and a family home to manage, I use the following ten tips to help me in my quest to stay organized:

1. Designate a place for everything that’s worth keeping, and get rid of clutter that may claim a place as soon as possible. The risk of not getting rid of the clutter right away is it will become part of our home and will accumulate over time.
2. Return things to their “home” location after each use. This habit keeps things in their designated spots and makes it easy for me to retrieve them when I need them.
3. Make it convenient for my family to stay organized. For example, I have a basket in the hallway for quick pick-ups and drop offs of keys, hats, gloves, sunglasses, etc.
4. Label clearly. I label whether it’s a file, a bin, or a box so I know what’s in it at a quick glance. On some of my storage boxes, I even tape a picture of the contents at the front of the boxes.
5. Use a calendar or a planner. I use my electronic calendar and colour codes extensively so I can keep track of my daily activities.
6. Create a list or check list. I usually use a list when I go grocery shopping. For repetitive activities such as travel, I create a travel checklist and use it every time I’m getting ready for a trip. I may modify it based on the destination, local weather forecast, and the trip duration but the essentials are pretty much the same.
7. Group relevant or similar things together. I keep a folder for each travel itinerary including air tickets, accommodation, transportation info together. In my closet, I keep pants in one section, skirts in another, etc. By doing this I can see what I already have and find it easier to choose what I want to wear. I also organize clothing and bedding by season and keep what’s in season accessible. I live in Toronto where we have distinct seasons so at least twice a year, if not quarterly, we have to change from light clothing and bedding to heavier covers.
8. Follow “one in one out” rule as closely as possible. I am not always successful at following this rule but it is on my mind whenever I think about bringing home new things.
9. Declutter quarterly or at least twice a year so the clutter does not become overwhelming.
10. Buy more “experience” and less “things” to have less physical things to maintain.

We can all learn from each other. Leslie from Once Upon A Time & Happily Ever After has five grocery shopping tips here. Please share what organizational tips have worked for you.