Author: Jill McCauslin (Page 7 of 23)

2021 Fitbit Goals Halfway Mark

July 15, 2021 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

It’s now July 2021 and it’s time to check on my 2021 Fitbit goals halfway mark. At the end of last year, I decided to go for it and set my step goal for the year at 5 million steps. That’s a lot if you ask me. It will be the most steps I’ve gotten in a single year since I started wearing a Fitbit many years ago.

I was going to say that I’m not sure if I can accomplish this goal but then I remembered we’re not supposed to say things like that. Instead, I must say, I will walk 5 million steps this year.

2021 Fitbit Goals Halfway Mark

I checked in at the end of the first quarter of the year. At the end of March, I had a total of 1,169,909 with an average of 12,999 daily steps.

At the end of June 2021, I had 2,269,020 steps with an average of 12,433 daily steps so I’m falling behind! I should have gotten 2,500,000 to be half way to my goal. I’m behind by almost 231,000 steps. I’m going to to have to kick it into high gear if I want to achieve this goal.

I will have to get a total of 2,730,980 steps for the rest of 2021. July through December to be specific. I’ll have to bump my daily average to close to 15,000 steps per day. That’s a lot of walking!

Penny had better get ready for more walking! She’s loving her Couch to 5K training so I guess we’ll need to do more of that. I get a lot more steps on my run days so I need to improve my commitment to running a few times a week. Here’s a picture of Penny on the couch. She needs to be doing more of the 5K part!

I’m lucky to have such beautiful trails near me for walking. I guess I need to be doing more of it. Walking that is.

How are you doing on your goals for this year? Let me know how it’s going.

Canine Couch to 5K

July 1, 2021 / Jill McCauslin / 4 Comments

What’s this about canine Couch to 5K? One of the reasons I got Penny, my crazy little Irish doodle, is that she’s an athletic dog. My plan has always been to teach her to run with me. I decided the easiest way to accomplish that was to use the Couch to 5K app that I’ve used in the past. I don’t know if there’s actually a canine Couch to 5K app. I’m just using the one that I’ve used in the past.

I waited until Penny was a year old to start to run with her. I gather it’s important that her bones are fully grown or something like that before she runs for any distance. Since we’re doing the run/walk plan with the Couch to 5K, she hasn’t really done a lot of running yet so I think we’re fine.

It turns out that when I am running, Penny just has to walk more briskly. She’s rather confused by it. She keeps looking at me, as if to say, “what are we doing, Mom?” I think the important thing is for Penny to know that when we’re running, she can’t just stop to sniff something or dart off in a different direction. We’re working on learning to run beside me.

My daughter-in-law bought us a running leash, one of those things that go around my waist. We’re just starting to use it so I can’t really report on its efficiency. The leash lets me have my hands free while I’m running. I know that will be convenient as well as a more safe way to run with a dog.

We’re still working on this so I’ll keep you posted on how Penny is doing with her canine couch to 5K program. Any advice on how you trained your dog to run? Let me know in the comments below.

Salmon and Sardine Patties Recipe

June 24, 2021 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

I love salmon patties. They’re quick and easy and taste great. I was trying to figure out how to get more sardines into my diet. I had a number of cans of sardines in my pantry so it made sense to use them but also sardines are supposed to be good for you. Sure, salmon is too but I find it harder to work sardines into my eating patterns. I’ve written about this before so I guess it’s an ongoing challenge for me. This time I wanted something warm for dinner, not a sardine salad so I came up with the idea of salmon and sardine patties.

Because we’re doing the 2021 Veggie Challenge, I wanted to be sure to add some vegetables to this. Normally I would have used only onion but this time I used diced onion, celery and red peppers. I also added ground flax seeds because flax seeds are rich in fiber, nutrients, and omega 3 fats. I often look for ways to get flax seeds into my diet.

Salmon and sardine patties

Ingredients

1 can salmon (6 oz.)
1 can sardines
2 eggs, whisked
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup celery
1/4 cup red pepper (You can add more vegetables or remove some of these.)
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
Salt
Pepper
Avocado oil or olive oil or oil of your choice
Spinach
Lemon slices

Directions

Prepare patties:

Drain both cans of fish and fork into a small mixing bowl.

Add eggs and mix.

Blend in the diced vegetables, mustard, garlic powder, flax seed, salt and pepper.

Mix well and then form patties.

Refrigerate patties for half an hour or longer.

When ready to cook the patties, heat oil in cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet.

Add the patties to the pan.

Cook patties for several minutes until browned and then flip and brown on the other side.

Serve on bed of spinach or other greens with slices of lemon.

A side salad or other vegetable completes the meal.

I think you’ll find this to be a delicious, easy dinner to make. It’s versatile and tastes good. You can add or delete as many vegetables as you want.

Changes in the Gut Microbiome Due to the Pandemic

June 17, 2021 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

What’s this about changes in the gut microbiome due to the pandemic? I was listening to a podcast and heard a researcher comment about this. I don’t mean changes in the gut for people who had COVID-19 but for the everyone else who was socially distancing and washing hands frequently. Apparently researchers have found that the gut microbiome has changed for many of us, with a decrease in diversity. This appears to be due to the decreased exposure to bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.

Changes in the Gut Microbiome Due to the Pandemic

The pandemic led many countries to have a lock down and travel restrictions to reduce transmitting viruses. These restrictions were mainly hand washing and use of antibacterial soaps, limited travel, and many people working from home. Therefore we weren’t sharing any microorganisms, including of course the COVID-19 virus. The result of that is a less diverse gut microbiome.

Because of the pandemic, many people did not see their doctor for routine health care. This resulted in having health issues escalate for many people.

Nobody really knows what the implications are for this but the more diversity in your gut microbiome, the better has been the consensus. Well, for the most part. Obviously there are some things that are better not to have.

Remember when Chris and I talked with Kristin Kirkpatrick and she mentioned the increase of alcohol consumption during the shutdown? Well, alcohol changes the gut too. There were also changes in diet and exercise for many of us too, all of which can change our gut diversity.

What Does This Mean?

Who knows what all of this means? I suspect nobody but it might be interesting to see how it matters long term. The combination of changes in eating, drinking, and exercise habits, exposure to microorganisms, and mental health changes all work to change our microbiome.

Those of us who are dealing with chronic illnesses may see some changes in our ongoing health so it’s probably important to be sure to be eating foods that support our health and to be getting adequate exercise and sleep. That sounds like the usual advice, doesn’t it? I guess all we can do is move forward and take care of ourselves as best we can.

If we experienced changes in the gut microbiome due to the pandemic, I’m assuming we can continue to make changes by focusing on being fit and strong.

Five Things to Know When Starting at the Gym

June 10, 2021 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

Five things to know when starting at the gym? Obviously, there could be many more than this but I thought I’d share a few ideas.

Many of us don’t go to the gym regularly so that when we sign up, we feel overwhelmed. It can be intimidating to go to the gym but it can also be enjoyable. Here are some tips to help make starting at a gym a rewarding experience.

Don’t overdo it. We get excited to start our new fitness routine and tend to over do it with weight or repetitions when we first get there. After all, if some is good, more is better, right? Wrong, in this case. All you’ll end up doing is hurting yourself. Your muscles will be too sore to return to the gym in a couple of days and that will be the end of that. Instead, start easy. Focus on form. Maybe don’t even use weights. Just do the workout without the weights and do a few more reps. I suspect you’ll still feel it the next day but you should be able to return to the gym in a couple of days, still feeling enthusiastic.
Go to the gym two or three times a week. That way you can begin to build a routine and begin to challenge your body in a consistent way. Your body needs to have a change to repair itself in between sessions so be sure to have some rest days. You can also throw in a day or two of cardio and perhaps a day of gentle yoga.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your gym has trainers available to answer questions and show you how to use a piece of equipment or how to set up something. That’s what they’re there for and they are happy to help you. (If they’re not happy to help, you probably need to find a different gym.)
Check out the classes. Most gyms have group classes. This is a great way to learn some new workout routines and get challenged in some new ways. If you’re a social person, classes help you get to meet people. If you’re not social, there’s no need to chat. Just focus on what the instructor says and enjoy the class.
You’re the important person here. Do not worry what others are doing. Don’t discourage yourself by wondering why someone can lift twice as much as you. Your workout is all about you and your progress. Just focus on your own workout and don’t let competition with others discourage you. You really want to be competing with your past self. Each workout is a chance to do a bit more in some way.

There are certainly more things you can do to make going to the gym a rewarding experience but these five things to know when starting at the gym should help you get off to a good start. If you want some more suggestions about working out at the gym, check out this article about gym etiquette I wrote a couple of years ago.

What advice would you share with others? Let me know at jill@becomingelli.com or comment below.

Springtime Hiking

April 15, 2021 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Don’t you love springtime hiking? It makes life feel glorious, don’t you think?

It’s spring here in Ohio and flowers are beginning to bloom. Trees have blossoms on them but there’s still a look of winter because the trees don’t have leaves on them yet.

I’ve gotten out to local parks and hiked trails that I haven’t been on in quite a while. Some are actually brand new to me. In the photo above, I hiked a new trail (to me, that is) with my son. It is part of the Edgewater Beach park in Cleveland.

Because of the Covid-19 shutdowns last year, I ended up not hiking much any time of the year because the parks were so crowded with people who couldn’t go shopping or dining that I decided to just stay home. Well, I also went to the parks that aren’t so pretty because nobody else was there.

Chris and I have been able to walk together a couple of times. It’s been such a pleasure to see her live and not just on Zoom. I’m very grateful that Zoom has allowed me to see people live but there’s a difference between a virtual visit and being there in person.

I also got to see my friend Lois recently when we went for a hike. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent time in person with her. We hiked to Brandywine Falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Last year I found huge crowds there so stayed away for most of the year. We got in a lengthy four mile hike that day.

There’s something wonderful about seeing the daffodils blooming and the leaves beginning to bud on the trees. It’s just a great feeling to be outside, enjoying some sunshine and not braving the winter elements. I like not worrying about slipping on the ice.

How are you enjoying the new season? Feel free to let me know!

Check in on 2021 Step Goal

April 8, 2021 / Jill McCauslin / 2 Comments

Time to check in on my 2021 step goal! We’ve just finished the first quarter of 2021 and I thought I should see how I’m doing with my Fitbit stats.

Last year, I resolved over half way through the year that I was going to try to beat my 2019 statistics and I managed to do that. When I looked at my Fitbit numbers for the past seven years, I saw that 2016 was my best year. I was doing a lot of running that year so it’s not surprising. I decided that for 2021, I would beat my best and get 5,000,000 steps by the end of the year.

In order to reach this goal, I need to walk an average of 13,700 steps a day. I know from my past experience that my steps can fluctuate pretty wildly over a year. Therefore, I decided that during the winter I was not going to worry if I didn’t walk that many steps because I can make it up over the spring, summer, and fall. It’s better, though, not to get too far behind, or I’ll be struggling to hit my goal for the year. Wouldn’t it be dreadful to get to November and realize that I have a million steps to do by the end of the year?

Check In on My 2021 Step Goal

Here are the statistics for my steps from January 1 to March 31, 2021. I’ve walked a total of 1,169,909 steps and my daily average is 12,999. (What would I have had to do to have my daily average be exactly one step more? I really prefer nice round numbers.)

I’m a bit shy of where I need to be to hit the 5 million mark by the end of the year. I’ll have to increase my daily walking or add in more running to get the necessary steps. Since it’s now spring, I think it’s doable. I’ll check this again when we hit the half way mark for the year and see if I’m on track. The half way mark would be 2.5 million steps, which means I need to walk 1,330,09 over the next three months or 160,182 more steps for the quarter.

Sounds like a bit of a challenge, doesn’t it? That is why it’s good to do a check in on my 2021 step goal. If I wait too long to check, I won’t be able to increase my daily activity in time.

That’s the point of these kind of challenges, don’t you think?

How are you doing on your 2021 fitness goals? Did you check in for the first quarter?

Green Goodness Salad Dressing

April 1, 2021 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

You’re going to like this Green Goodness Salad Dressing. I recently reviewed the Wild About Greens cookbook by Nava Atlas and thought I would try to make something out of the cookbook.

I chose to make the Green Goodness Salad Dressing. As you can see in the photograph, this dressing is a gorgeous green color. It’s just lovely.

Green Goodness Salad Dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 good handfuls of baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup peeled seeded and chopped cucumber

1/2 cup firmly packed fresh parsley

Two tablespoons lemon juice

Two tablespoons white or red wine vinegar

One tablespoon chopped fresh dill or one teaspoon dried dill

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in the container of a food processor. Process until all that remains of the parsley is tiny flakes.
refrigerate the unused portion in an airtight container. Use within 2 days.

The cookbook says that this is a delicious dressing for grain or bean salads. It’s also tasty drizzled on lightly cooked or roasted vegetables.

Wild about greens, by Nava Atlas. Publisher is Sterling publishing,
Copyright 2012

This was about the easiest recipe to make. Just throw the ingredients in the food processor and turn it on. In seconds, you have a gorgeous salad dressing. It tastes good though I will confess that I added a bit of sea salt. I thought it needed it. That’s certainly personal preference though.

I continue to try to find new ways to prepare a variety of greens and this is a good addition to the repertoire. We’re still doing the 2021 Veggie Challenge and I think this recipe qualifies as a hit.

Chris posted a recipe for a Veggie Blender Dressing a while ago and this reminded me of that. I wonder how this compares to her dressing.

Review of Wild about Greens by Nava Atlas

March 25, 2021 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

A friend gave me Wild about Greens by Nava Atlas a while ago. I looked through this cookbook and thought “what a nice gift” but then never really did anything with it. I do enjoy reading cookbooks though I don’t always feel compelled to actually make anything from them.

Since we’re doing the 2021 Veggie Challenge and I’m trying to introduce some vegetables into my diet that, while not necessarily new, are foods that I don’t normally eat. When it comes to greens, I’m comfortable with a variety of lettuce, spinach, and kale. I struggle with some of the other greens but I’m feeling compelled to improve my greens repertoire. That’s when I remembered Wild about Greens.

This cookbook has 125 recipes in it, all based on greens.

The book is broken into five chapters:

One is about the basic preparations of greens. It includes wonderful descriptions of the different types of greens and the best way to prepare them.
Two focuses on greens with beans, grains, pasta, and other vegetables.
Three covers salad dressings and dips.
Four provides recipes for using greens in soups and stews.
Five is green juices and smoothies.

One thing I like about the recipes is that at the end of each recipe it lists what other greens would be best used to replace what is used in the recipe.

There’s lots of good introductory material about how to buy and store your greens. It also covers basic ways to prepare them and explain some of the differences between the different greens. If you’re at all intimidated by the thought of cooking collard greens or of using dandelion weeds, this is a helpful resource. The recipes cover a wide range of dishes and she provides lots of great advice about how best to use the various sauces and dressings.

The book is visually pleasing with lots of great photos and lots of white space. I used the index and found it to be well done. I hate cookbooks that don’t have a good index and this has passed the test.

The Author

Nava Atlas, the author of Wild about Greens, has written a number of other vegan cookbooks. She also has many recipes on her website, The Vegan Atlas. You might want to check out Wild about Greens and some of her other books.

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Outdoors

March 19, 2021 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

This year we were Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Outdoors. It was a great way to spend the day.

Last year at St. Patrick’s Day, we were in shutdown here in Ohio. Most everywhere was in shutdown. I remember that my friend bought my a corned beef sandwich as takeout and left it on my front porch for me to enjoy. I sat at home by myself, ate my sandwich and drank a beer. It was an odd day, for sure.

This year that same friend and I went to a local restaurant to have that corned beef. The day was so beautiful and warm that we were able to sit outside, have a sandwich, and a beer, and enjoy each other’s company. What a nice way to spend some time with a friend.

Later in the day, I took Penny, my now 10-month-old puppy, for a hike in the nearby national park. It was a glorious day for a hike. Lots of sun and it was warm enough not to have to be bundled up. Penny loved that hike. She sniffed everything she could and hopped around on that trail like she’d done it many times before. It was a rather rough trail in places but we managed to make it around the loop without problem. I think the total hike was probably around two miles so certainly not too long but we both enjoyed it. I told Penny that it was her holiday since she’s an Irish Doodle.

The hike with Penny made me realize that I now have a great hiking companion. I’m hoping that one day she’ll be able to run with me but if nothing else, having a dog to take on the many trails around me is wonderful.

The day was so much more enjoyable than last year. I suspect I might not have enjoyed the day so much if I didn’t remember how I spent it during the shutdown.

It was wonderful celebrating St. Patrick’s Day outside. How are you enjoying being able to get outside and maybe spend time with others?