Happy October everyone! I love this time of year. Up north, the leaves are changing, the air is cooling enough that you need to get your hoodies out, bonfires are glowing, the air feels magical. In the south, the Fall gardens are going in, the humidity has dropped enough that breathing no longer hurts and the nights are sweet and cool. It is magic! This October is especially magical since it has 2 full moons. I love decorating for this season as well, I'm partial to skeletons, my front yard skeleton family grows a little bit every year. And that's not a bad thing.
Fitness
As I acknowledged in my last post, we are all having to think outside the box when it comes to our activities right now. I get that, you get that, it's a crazy world we live in. Flu season will be here soon, and Covid-19 is still kicking around causing trouble. That doesn't mean that we can't enjoy this weather though. Cool, fresh air is so good for us. (Again, if you live in a state that is on fire, please check air quality measures before going out and enjoying it.)
With the spooky season upon, we can start to look to more "themed" activities to get some movement in. Depending on your state and county codes, start looking around for fun corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and apple picking. I know that social distancing is a thing now, so it might be harder to find these activities than it has been in the past. However, if you can find a local farm to head to, picking your fruit, and wandering the grounds, while socially distancing and wearing a mask, is a great way to get some exercise and some fresh nutritious food.
A quick search in your favorite search engine of "apple picking near me" or "corn maze near me" should give you a bunch of options.
Nutrition
Let's talk apples, since I mentioned apple picking. Apples are low in calories while being full of vitamins and fiber. Different apples have different tastes and textures. They're delicious uncooked, and cooked. Apples are easy to pack as a snack for adults and kids. Add a bit of nut butter and cheese and you have a fairly filling meal. Apples are just plain awesome. If you pick them yourself, they are even better. Stay away from apple juice though, it's crazy high in sugar.
One medium sized apple only has approximately 55 calories, score low calorie high fiber. However, they are super high in carbohydrates, 13.8 grams of total carbs, 10.4 of which are sugars, ouch, but they are still considered a low glycemic index option, hooray! They're about 85% water, which does count towards your daily hydration needs. They also boast a decent amount of potassium and vitamin C.
You can easily just wash them and eat them. The skin is totally healthy and fiber filled. Don't eat the seeds, please.
If you want, you can also bake them up with a little bit of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger and have a delicious, fairly healthy dessert, as long as you don't add a bunch of sugar and butter. Just core them, season them, and bake them for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees F. Yummy!
Mind Body Connection
The mind body connection is a powerful thing. Thinking positive thoughts actually does help you feel better. Mindfulness has been shown to help reduce anxiety and depression in people.
Try to stay present, I understand that it's really easy to start ruminating about the past, or worrying about the future. However, the only thing you can truly control is the now. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't think about your future, you most definitely need to think about the future, budget, plan, etc. But, don't worry about things that are out of your control. It also doesn't means not to think about the past and use it to guide your now. Of course you need to remember the things that you have done that have led you to where you are right at this moment in time. Those things help prevent you from making the same mistakes you've already made, or falling into a negative health/mental cycle. I'm also not saying that you cannot acknowledge the negative aspects of a situation, you can't make improvements if you only choose to see the positive.
Mindfulness and positive thinking asks that you acknowledge the past and the future, that you see the negative things that need to be changed and change them. If what you are thinking about is beyond your control and isn't going to help you grow and improve, don't hold onto it. Thank your mind for telling you about it and let it go. If the negative things you are focusing on aren't in your power to be adjusted, try to move past them and see the positive in the situation. It's a struggle. I understand that. Our society likes to hear about the negative so much more than the positive. Our brains are literally being rewired to identify all the negative aspects of things and ignore the positive aspects. Dare to be positive. Dare to be happy in a dark situation. This doesn't mean that you're delusional, it means you CHOOSE happiness. There are always exceptions to the rule, and there are always going to be reasons to be miserable. Try to break that thinking. Try to find your light in the dark. Pick one (healthy) thing every single day that makes you happy! Be bold, be positive, be happy!
The world might look at you funny if you're smiling, they might judge you for choosing not to suffer. Let them. Why do we let the opinions of strangers change the way we view ourselves? We don't know them, they don't know us. Be you! You are an amazing person, I promise.
Ok, everyone. Have a fantastic spooky month. Get some rest, get some exercise, get some love.
I love you all,
