Thursday, November 17, 2011

Fight the Flab and Germs

It's Thursday - just one more week to Thanksgiving!

I drive a lot when I work. And this is one route that I particularly enjoy.
I love how vast the sky is.
And I really like grey days. I find it melancholically beautiful.
People in the other states make fun of Arkansas.
This may not be California redwoods, but there is beauty here too.

 Eating-wise, I am doing much better.
Eating is such a social thing and it is not easy to just eat clean food everyday, every meal.
But it is a choice. If I eat too much greasy food or empty carbs types of food for one meal,
I NEED to balance it with a light, easy, clean meal afterward.
There is absolutely no need to add grease on grease, right?
Also, you can have a choice within a so-called "fatty meal."
For example, the teachers I work with decided to have a pot-luck soup day yesterday. I got assigned to bring Frito corn chips, while two other teachers/aides brought taco soup and creamy potato soup. The others brought all the fixins' for the soups and desserts.  Now, I cannot just have one soup and not the other's (silly school teacher politics) . But instead of filling my bowl up twice for the two different kinds of soup, I spooned half a ladle-ful for each kind. Instead of covering my taco soup with cheese and corn chips, I actually used less than a spoonful of cheese and less than 6 or 7 corn chips. Instead of getting a hunky piece of yummy cake for dessert, I used a fork and got myself a mouthful serving size. This way, you get to enjoy the social aspect of it and no one will label you as the snooty, don't eat/health nut freak girl.  

Today, I had 2 hardboiled eggs and tea with milk for breakfast.
Lunch was just the school's lunch.
And this is dinner - to compensate for the kinda funky lunch I had.
(Greek yogurt with a drizzle of Arkansas honey, grapes, some mango chunks and 1 Asian pear)
If I am hungry later, I will just make some brothy soup with some chunks of chicken breast and vegetables.

Lastly, I know some of you readers are teachers. Tell me what I can do to minimize getting all the nasty germs from those germy kiddos. I work with preschoolers and I have been trying so hard to teach them to cover when they cough/sneeze. I have some kids who like to mouth crayons/my therapy materials. And even though I have been more diligent about washing and disinfecting, I still get sick.
And I am sick of getting sick.
Today's run was only 1 mile because I was coughing non-stop on the treadmill at the Y. I didn't want to worry that old lady next to me, so I quit after 1 mile.
I came home and took Paddy for a walk, and called it quits when it started getting dark.
So, I welcome any suggestions to keep me sick-free.

5 comments:

  1. You have will power.
    I know of no way to minimize germs other than washing hands a ton.
    Knock knock knock on wood I haven't had my usual fall cold.

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  2. I'm not working with kids but my mom always taught me to eat 1 orange a day - this keeps you healthy! :)

    Hope you feel better soon!!

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  3. My mom swears by elderberry (you can actually get it at health food stores, but she makes her own juice). Vitamin c helps, but I try to get it naturally. Mostly though is handwashing and getting fresh air and exercise. Are you new to working with kids? Most teachers I know say the first few years are the worst. Hang in there.

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  4. Arkansas really is beautiful. I didn't appreciate it when I lived there - it's not until I go back to visit that I am in awe of the greenery and "naturalness" of it all.

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  5. Good for you on making good food choices at school. That is super hard. And, last week I watched kids cough on the table, pick their noses while listening to my lesson....kids are just gross and germ-ridden. Keep washing those hands!!

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Thanks for reading! Do leave me a comment or two. They keep me motivated.