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Getting Steps in Autumn

October 8, 2023 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

One of my goals this time of year is to be outside and enjoy nature. I find that it’s easy to get plenty of steps walking in nature and it’s easy to get the steps when you’re not thinking about it. Lately I’ve done some hiking and talking with friends. It’s always a pleasure to walk and talk. It’s also one of the prettiest times in nature here in Northeast Ohio — Fall!

I was lucky to be out in sunny warm weather and still get to see trees just beginning to change. One of my walks was at Hudson Springs Park, not too far from where I live. Jill and I took a short walk around Hudson Springs Lake with our dogs, Penny and Peanut. It sure seemed like a perfect day for walking a dog and many of the people we passed by were also walking their dogs.

I snapped this photo as we were coming into the home stretch. You can see that the trees are just beginning to change color.Tonight the temperature is supposed to drop to 38 degrees, so I will try to recreate this photo to see what changes have happened in less than a week!

Another great place for taking photos and walking is the Holden Arboretum. I love taking photos and the views at Holden Arboretum really don’t disappoint. There are so many beautiful walkways there. I really get inspired to work in my yard after walking in an arboretum. The Holden Arboretum has a tall tower with many steps. It is exhilarating being up so high and looking down on the very very tall oak trees!

Chris at the top of the tower at Holden Arboretum. Windy!

Walking on the bridge was a little bit dicey for me. My vertigo kicked in a little because the walkway sways as you walk, up & down… and side to side!

Beautiful reflection pond with a path all around.

A giant Hydrangea plant, made even bigger with a panoramic photo.

Autumn crocus

By the end of the day, I had almost 22,000 steps. It’s funny how when my mind is thinking of the plants and nature’s beauty, I don’t think about getting exercise. It just happens!

Returning to the Gym

October 2, 2023 / Jill McCauslin / 2 Comments

I’ve returning to the gym that I’ve belong to for years after trying out some new gyms over the summer. It was interesting to see what was available to me and I didn’t get to check out as many as I intended. I may still go to some of the gyms that are further from my house just to see what they have to offer.

I decided that my gym was still a good option for me. It’s close to my house. I can drive there in five minutes. When I returned, it was good to be welcomed by people. Having people know your name has some value. (Of course, if you go to any gym, eventually they know your name.)

I decided to try some different classes once I returned to my gym. I thought it w would be good to see what was being offered in the classes. That has been fun. I’ve taken a few strength classes, a stretching and mobility class, a yoga class, and a Pilates Reformer demo class.

There were a couple of strength training classes I really enjoyed. I used kettlebells and dumbbells for some of the exercises. Body weight exercises were also popular. I ended up with some good workouts.

The yoga class made me realize that I really need to be going to yoga because I’m not nearly as flexible as I could be, and my balance is not great. Yoga would be a great way to get better at both.

A friend in my neighborhood recently joined the same gym and she’s very new to working out. I’ve taken her to some classes with me. It’s enjoyable to have some company. She has taken a liking to the yoga classes so I think that’s where she’s going to spend her time.

I have not been back to my bootcamp class because I felt that I should work my way back to it. It’s a strenuous workout and I liked starting my Saturday with that class so I suspect I’ll return soon.

Tips for Returning to the Gym

Here are some tips for returning to the gym after a long break:

Start slowly. Don’t think you can start where you left off. You don’t want to return to the gym only to end up with an injury. This is true whether you are returning to strength training or endurance sports. Start with lower weights or run for a shorter distance. You’ll soon catch up to where you want to be.
Try something new. You’re back after a break which can be exciting but it’s also a time to reevaluate your routine. Is there something new you can add to the mix? I tried some new classes and found some good options.
Don’t forget to rest. Since it’s been a while, you might not want to return to the gym every day. Maybe take it a bit slower than you were doing before. Your body will need to recover as you adjust to the new fitness regime.
This is a good time to set a goal and then track your progress. You’re starting with a clean slate so give yourself something to aim for. Personally, I’d love to find a bench press competition but haven’t managed to find one.

I’ll keep you posted on how I do with my workouts now that I’ve returned to the gym. Let me know if you have any suggestions on things to do when you’re ready to resume your fitness activities.

New Goals and Dreams with Wendy Green

September 26, 2023 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Episode 139 – New Goals and Dreams with Wendy Green

In episode 139, Jill and Chris interview podcast host Wendy Green who helps people to feel more purposeful and engaged with life. She helps them increase their confidence to re-Imagine their next chapter, helping them understand that they still have a lot left to give and that they can have a positive impact on their lives and their community.

Wendy Green is the host of the live show & podcast. “Hey, Boomer!” Her goal is to serve an inspirational role for people 55 to 75, who are looking for ways to live meaningful, fulfilling lives. Wendy wants to help people see that they are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.

We met Wendy Green in Denver when we were at Podcast Movement, the conference for podcasters. We hit it off right away. We were women of a certain age who host podcasts and discovered we have a lot in common. We realized very quickly that Wendy should be a guest on our podcast. She lives in Greenville, SC. She has two children and four grandchildren.

We discuss:

How people handle changes in their lives
Specific advice for women going through physical and mental changes
Cultivating a healthy mindset
Reframing a difficult transition
Dealing with stress
Healthy ways to handle a loss (death in the family or losing a job)
What people need to know about retirement
The role of physical exercise in a healthy mindset
Exploring the “100 Year Life“
Unpacking what we feel about aging
Defining your “why”
How she helps people virtually as a life transition coach

Links:

Hey Boomer Website – https://heyboomer.biz/
Hey Boomer Podcast – where she podcasts live on Monday’s at 1pm Eastern Standard Time
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/heyboomerpodcast
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@HeyBoomer
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-green-heyboomerpodcast/
Transitions by William Bridges

Tracking Food with Cronometer

September 21, 2023 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

I wrote about tracking food in the very early days of the Becoming Elli website. I wrote a blogpost entitled Counting Calories or Eat Less and Move More. At that time, I was using SparkPeople for tracking my food. I stuck with that app because I had a large body of data in it. I had created recipes and lots of favorites. It was easy to use. Five years later, I’m now tracking food with Cronometer.

Unfortunately, SparkPeople closed its doors for food logging. It changed its focus and no longer provided a free tool for tracking food.

Within the past year, I tried logging food on the Fitbit app. It was ok but I definitely prefer tracking food with Cronometer.

Some of the reasons why I prefer Cronometer is that I can see my macros by food item and by meal. The Fitbit app just gave me the macro breakdowns for the day so I couldn’t tell which meal was low or high in protein or fat.

Logging food is easy. I can tag foods as favorites so they are easy to find. It also lets you swipe a bar code on the product and gives you the nutritional information right away.

One thing I noticed with the Fitbit food logger was that it also provided bar code scanning but often misread the bar code. I’d have to swipe the code several times to get the correct food. Cronometer is much more accurate.

The other feature I really like about Cronometer is the ability to import a recipe from a different website. You simply paste the URL into the field and it creates the recipe for you. You can modify the recipe if necessary but it’s so much easier than having to enter an entire recipe manually.

I use the Android version of Cronometer and I don’t know if the Apple version is different. Sometimes, I access the Cronometer website on my computer. It’s easy to use there too.

I’ve been working hard on tracking food for the past six months. I can see very quickly when I’m overeating or under-eating. I also like seeing how much protein and fiber I get each day. It’s a challenging habit to create because food logging takes work. It helps to use a tool that makes it a bit easier.

Let me know what tool you use to track food.

Lunch of Veggies with Protein

September 18, 2023 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

I had an awesome lunch over the weekend of veggies with protein. It was delicious. It seems like all the vegetables are becoming ripe and are really tasting especially good to me right now. Maybe it is just that time of year!

By this photo you might think I didn’t get enough protein ,but I added a couple of ingredients at the end of cooking and after I took this photo that really boosted the protein levels in my meal.

Here’s my recipe for these delicious veggies. No surprise, I sautéed them on the stove.

To prepare this meal, first I pulled out the cutting board and a sharp knife. Heated up the pan with some extra virgin olive oil.

Chopped and sliced the following veggies:

Onions
Peppers: red, orange, yellow, (forgot to get green peppers)
Yellow Squash
Celery
Mushrooms

The onions went into the heated olive oil first because it took them the longest to cook. I sautéd all the vegetables over medium heat and after it started really cooking, I added a little bit of water, then covered it and turned down the heat to low.

I put the mushrooms in very last because they so cook much faster.

Adding Protein
In order to get more protein I added some tofu and some feta cheese. Tofu has a lot of protein (9 grams of protein in a 3 oz piece.) And the feta cheese added some great flavor. I added a little salt and pepper to taste. This meal was really delicious. Tons of colorful vegetables, so I am “eating the rainbow” and getting lots of veggies. #veggiechallenge2032

These vegetables are are fairly typical, probably the only unusual ingredient was the tofu, which I don’t usually have on my shopping list.

Tofu takes on the flavor of the other foods and it didn’t take much for it to take on the flavor of the vegetables in olive oil. So if you’ve thought about trying tofu in your meals, this might be a good way to try it. I usually slit the top and drain it. There’s a lot of water in the carton.

I cut it like a checkerboard into probably 25 pieces, at least 16 pieces. And when storing it in the refrigerator, I place it in a gallon zip lock sandwich size baggie. It’s got a consistency that is thicker than yogurt or pudding, but similar texture. It’s probably not something to eat plain, just by itself unless you really love it.

Do you like tofu? How do you prepare it or add it to recipes? I’d love to learn new ways of eating it as I think it’s a really good protein for me.

Fall: My Favorite Fitness Season

September 14, 2023 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

I didn’t realize that fall is my favorite fitness season until I sat down to write a blog post. I thought, I’ll write about how the fall season is a great time to change up my fitness plans. When I did a search for other blog posts I might have written, I found these posts:

2018 Ten Tips for Fall Fitness

2019 End of Summer

2020 The Fun of Fall Biking

2021 Running in the Fall with My Dog

Apparently last year (2022) I was more focused on food than on fitness because I wrote about roasting pumpkin seeds in the air fryer. This is a good reminder that I should get a pumpkin to carve this year.

In 2017, which I believe was the year Chris and I started the Becoming Elli website, I wrote a couple of articles about running in the Akron Marathon. That year we ran the half marathon and had a fantastic time. I guess it makes sense that I was focused on the race and not on the season.

Here it is, 2023 and I guess it’s time to write another blog post about fall, my favorite fitness season.

Here in Ohio, September and October tends to be great months, weather wise. The temperatures are warm during the days and cool at night. We often have clear blue skies and of course the flowers are in their end of summer glory.

It’s a great time to go hiking. I’m lucky to have some wonderful park systems in the area. There are parks run by the local communities, the country metro-park system, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. All of them have fantastic hiking trails. I also live by a bike and hike trail so I’m usually on that every morning for Penny’s daily walk.

I explored some of the trails a bit further from my home. It’s rewarding to get out and see a new area while hiking.

I also started back to my gym. I took a couple of months off because I was traveling and decided to save some money. Returning to the gym has been so enjoyable. I’m trying a fresh approach to it this time. I’ve tried some new classes and thinking about what I want to resume and what I want to change.

I did not do much bike riding this summer so perhaps I’ll try to get in some rides before the weather changes. Once it gets cold and dark, I’ll have to resume my indoor bike riding.

Right now, I’m feeling energized and it’s showing in my activities.

It also occurs to me that I should visit a local orchard. Ohio produces fantastic apples and it’s prime apple season right now.

Lots of excitement in this time of year and fortunately it’s not nearly as food oriented as the holidays in winter.

Let me know how you handle the change in seasons. I know many of you live in warmer (or colder!) climates so perhaps fall isn’t as exciting a time.

Control Your Own Health Care with Susan Salenger

September 12, 2023 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 138 – Control Your Own Health Care

Today Jill and Chris speak with Susan Salenger, an author who has found effective ways of dealing with frustrations with the healthcare system and better ways to ask your doctor questions, resulting in more complete answers.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Susan attended UCLA to study English. After graduation, she worked alongside her husband Fred for 25 years at their production company, Salenger Films, which produced corporate training and development films distributed worldwide.

She is the author of Sidelined: How Women Can Navigate a Broken Healthcare System. Today, at age 80, when Susan is not speaking about her book or spending time with family and friends, you will find Susan power lifting to stay in shape.

We discuss:

How women are often treated differently than men by doctors and medical experts
Why getting a second opinion is so important and how to do get a second opinion
How to ask questions at your doctor appointment to get more complete answers
Differences between nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and medical doctors
Why blaming ourselves for an illness can prevent us from getting the care we need
Autoimmune diseases and why their is so much difficulty in diagnosing them

Links to follow Susan Salenger:

Website: www.SusanSalenger.com
Link to her book on Amazon: Sidelined: How Women Can Navigate a Broken Healthcare System
Instagram: @SusanSalenger
Facebook: Facebook
TikTok: Grandma.Gains
Twitter: SusanSalenger

sheet plan veggie soup cup lightened for feature

Sheet Pan Veggie Soup

September 9, 2023 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Loyal readers will know how much I enjoy sheet pan recipes, so this week I tried a new recipe that I’m calling Sheet Pan Veggie Soup. I’m considering this month the start of my Veggie Challenge 2023, since my garden vegetables are really in their prime!

The ingredients are the left over vegetables that are getting a little tired from staying in my refrigerator. Namely, the cauliflower that was given to me by my daughter and a huge pepper from our garden. I hadn’t been in the mood to eat these earlier and I wanted to use them before they got too tired.

So I turned on the over to 425 degrees and lined a cookie sheet with tin foil.
I chopped the cauliflower, carrots, and onion into large pieces. The really big homegrown tomato and the giant bell pepper were sliced into chunks. The pepper was home grown and both red and green color but I believe it was a bell pepper.

I set the timer so it all could roast for 25 minutes.

After the buzzer went off, I placed all the roasted vegetables into the Vitamix blender with some water. I probably should have had more water, since I only added maybe a cup of water to the blender. It not only makes it easier to blend, the consistency of the soup wouldn’t have been so thick. I didn’t expect to have it as full as that with the veggies! I almost filled the entire blender with the roasted vegetables.

This Vitamix blender has a soup setting, so I used that. It blended for about 5 minutes (and got hot!) I hadn’t made soup in the blender recently so I forgot how it makes HOT soup!

The final soup was very, very thick. In fact a spoon could probably stand up in this cup!
I should have added more water for that many vegetables, because it was more like the consistency of a really thick gravy or thin mashed potatoes.

Delicious, it tasted great! I ended up eating it for lunch and dinner with some protein on the side. The roasted tomato gave it the color.

Next time: I am adding more spices. I didn’t even have salt in this one! Also it needed more water and I’m going to leave out the tomato. Put olive oil on the roasting vegetables.

Keeping Flexible – Muscles, Joints, and Ligaments

September 3, 2023 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

It’s amazing what a few of the right exercises done consistently can do for keeping flexible!

Before you read any further, please know I am not a doctor or am I prescribing any medical advice. Everyone is in a different place with flexibility, so know your own body and proceed slowly if you feel resistance and stop if you feel pain. You should just feel mild tension.

Recently I’ve been gently doing finger, hand and shoulder exercises to carefully stretch and limber up my fingers. I don’t pretend to be near as flexible or nimble as this cat, but I have seen a significant improvement lately.

I’ve been working on my hands, shoulders and neck. Too much time on my computer and working on my phone has caused things to tighten up. It’s made a minor injury flair up from last fall. I was hiking and slid down an embankment. I grabbed a sapling to slow my fall which pulled my shoulder up and back quicker and farther than I had expected. It was sore for about a week in October, but my fingers and hands started hurting more recently. So after a trip to the chiropractor, I have some stretches that are really making a difference.

Here are examples of what I’ve added twice a day. You can Google images to find these exercises. I am not linking or attaching them, because my virus protection cautioned me to watch out. Also many of the downloads are copyrighted. The version I’m using is pretty old – 1996.

My twice a day routine:

Hand, Arm and Shoulder stretches
Computer and Desk stretches
Doorway shoulder stretches
I’ve also added some 90/90’s and windshield washers for my hips.

Making sure I have range of motion is really important to me as I age… And one of the only ways to make sure that it happens is take care of myself. Ignoring things like this doesn’t usually make it go away.

What do you do to stay flexible? Let me know your routine or other ways you take care of yourself. Leave a comment below or reach out on our @becomingelli social media. We’re on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Healthy Eating at the Hotel for the Podcast Conference

August 25, 2023 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

During the recent conference I was eating at restaurants in the hotel for 5 days. How did I keep up with healthy eating choices?

Healthy eating at the hotel this week has been a challenge! This past week Jill and I attended a giant podcasters’ conference in Denver where we learned from the best in the industry.

The conference was held at the Gaylord Rockies, a HUGE hotel with 7 different restaurants & bars with hundreds of hotel rooms.Located in the prairie outside of Aurora, it is a ten minute Uber ride from the Denver Airport and far away from any other restaurants. We were pretty much limited to the food that we could buy in the hotel and a few excursions off the hotel grounds.

I realized how much effort we’ve been making over the past years to focus on food program. This focus has helped, because it seemed to come naturally as we would made our meal selections.

Some of my conscious healthy eating decisions:

Try to stay away from fried – although I did have a crispy chicken sandwich for lunch one day. I paired it with fruit, not fries
Get your greens – I had a delicious apple and feta salad of spinach and walnuts, as well as the pictured quinoa and friess (curled endive) salad. Also a Greek salad from the Rockies MarketPlace convenience store inside the hotel.
Greek yogurt – at least 3 of these during the week.
Almonds – grabbed a bag of almonds for snacking. This was helpful when it wasn’t convenient to eat when I was hungry due to breakout sessions or while traveling.
24 nuts for 160 calories: 14 gm fat, 8 gm carbs, and 6 gm protein.
Alcohol – I went light on all the available free alcohol at the conference. It was a higher elevation and different time zone for me, so I was a very light drinker.
WATER – because it was a higher elevation than I’m used to, I was drinking about one and a half times as much water as usual. Still felt a quart low most of the time!
Timing – didn’t do well with this. I often was eating right before bed. Not my favorite way to “rest & digest.” I usually give it 2-3 hours before bed, but was impossible because I was tired due to the time zone change and being very busy with conference activities later into the evening.

After returning home, I stepped on the scale in the morning, expecting a gain. Nope, same weight as when I left. That is a win!