Daily Gratitudes

I hope to make this a weekly post as long as other people join in and show interest! I’ve mentioned daily gratitude before- it’s simply a list of what you are grateful for. I recite my daily gratitude’s every morning as I wake up and it really puts a little extra pep in my step.  It feels nice to think about all the amazing people in my life. I am also grateful  for experiences, financial stability and other random things.

Before you start the coffee and choose an outfit, take a minute to appreciate what makes your life so special. I encourage you to do this privately, but also to share your ‘happy thoughts’ on the Be. blog. I’ll start…

Today I am grateful for Chris, Sparkle Kitty, days off, whole wheat bagels, my family and Chris’ family. I am grateful for Alice’s Tea Cup and all the great people I work with. I am grateful for discovering feminism and veganism. I’m grateful for facebook reunions  and the ability (and means) to travel.

Simple, right? Give it a go.

Be Thankful,

Marcy

NYC Health

I have been admiring these clever health banners throughout my neighborhood for months and I finally googled them to see what they are all about.

Mt. Sinai Medical Center sponsored the Prescriptions for Healthy Living campaign from 2007-2008 (no explanation as to why they are still up in 2010). The banners are located on the Upper East and Upper West Sides and Greater Harlem, being exposed to millions of people on a daily basis. Their objective is to “get residents to think about the importance of a healthy lifestyle to help prevent and manage chronic diseases.” A worthy, and much needed, cause!

I think the banners are great. They remind people that good health does not require a personal chef and a swanky gym membership.  The messages are straightforward- Eat less.  Stop Drinking Your Calories. Take a brisk walk. Stop Smoking. These may seem like  ‘no brainers,’ but today everyone is so obsessed with fad diets, miracle pills and quick fixes that we underestimate simple, straightforward advice. Eat less means eat less. I like that.

Keep an eye out for the latest NYC health ads, like the one below. I think it’s great that they are focusing on sugar (soda in particular). The harmful effects of excessive sugar intake are all too often overshadowed by carbs, cigarettes, fat and salt. Sugar=calories=fat.  Simplification works!

Be Well,

Marcy

Sugar Cravings Newsletter 10/03/09

Hi there,

I hope everyone enjoyed reading my sugar cravings newsletter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Sugar is not evil, in fact, I think it’s good for the soul in moderation. In excess, sugar can be damaging to your health and that’s where health counseling comes in.

If you need help preventing and controlling sugar cravings, please contact me for a consultation. I will meet with you by phone or in-person free of charge to set up a game plan that works for you. My newsletters are simply meant to spark your interest in various health and wellness issues.  I have more tips and tricks up my sleeve and I would love to share them with potential clients who are interested in living and loving life on a new level. Contact me to learn more.

In my newsletter, I asked, “What are you most looking forward to this season?” This is the place to share your thoughts, goals, vacation plans and other questions/comments with other Be. Newsletter readers. So start posting! Don’t be shy:)

Are Nutri-Grain Bars Healthy? As if! The following is the ingredient list for Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Honey Oat and Raisin Granola Bars. The sugars are in bold.

Granola (Rolled Whole Oats, Crisp Rice [Rice, Sugar, Salt, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Malt Flavoring], High Fructose Corn Syrup, Brown Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Rolled Whole Wheat), Raisins, Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Soybean, Cottonseed and Palm Kernel Oil), Sugar, Fructose, Corn Syrup Solids, Glycerin, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Honey, Dextrose, Natural and Artificial Flavoring, Salt, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Soy Lecithin, Nonfat Dry Milk, various added vitamins and minerals.

Be,

Marcy Langworthy

Bottled vs. Tap Water Feedback

I hope everyone found my Bottled vs. Tap Water newsletter  informative. I received a really great email from my dear friend Emily in Arizona. Here’s what she had to say:

“This is great Marcy!  I am actually working with a group of students at NAU putting together a “Take Back the Tap” campaign to eliminate bottled water from campus vendors. The program has been successful on hundreds of campuses and we’re hoping to convince our administrators to follow suit and quit allowing money to be spent on such a wasteful product. Anyway, great newsletter, it was good to hear those thoughts reinforced as I get going on this project!”

I will be writing brief posts (like this one)  after each newsletter to provide a space for commenting, questioning and communicating. I welcome emails for personal matters and/or scheduling appointments, but I would love it if everyone could start sharing their comments on the Be. blog.

I hope everyone is having an amazing week! Fall is here!

Be Active,

Marcy:)

Digestion Newsletter Feedback

In my last newsletter I asked everyone to “identify one person, place, or experience that warms your heart and brightens your day.”

I didn’t get much of a response which means either 1.) you did not read my newsletter or 2.) you simply do not have anyone or anything to brighten your day and warm your heart. I hope neither are true and you were just too lazy to reply! I did receive three (much appreciated) responses and here they are:

J. - “Mine would be spending quality time with family as there is not much left and it doesn’t happen often enough.”

E. – “One experience that warms my heart and brightens my day Marcy is reading about you visiting a farm, being cheered up by friends and hugging a kitty. But to dig a little deeper I would say a person warms my heart is my friend Mustafa who works at the Turkish restaurant Bereket in the Lower East Side. I have been eating there for around eight years now and every now and again I stop in to say hi and introduce him to my friends if they are with me. When I am alone he gives me a free coffee to send me on my way. A good man he is.”

S.- “In brightens my day to be near water.”

I am happy (in a strange way I suppose) that so many of you found my tips on better digestion to be useful. Poor digestion is not a fact of life. Take control of your own digestive health.

I am available for health consultations in-person or by phone. This  involves going over your health history and establishing future health goals to get you back on track physically, mentally and spiritually!

Be Happy and Healthy,

Marcy

Victoria Moran’s Infinite Wisdom

I am easily stressed out. Ask my partner Chris, he knows all too well. But recently, I adopted a new motto “finding peace with the unresolvable” and it works wonders. The other day I took the train to meet Chris at work (in 100 degree weather I might add) so we could drive to Long Island. I was really looking forward to hopping in the pool and grilling up some veggie kebabs. Unfortunately, it starting pouring and we hit traffic and what would normally take an hour, took close to three hours. What did I do?  I took a deep breath and made a conscious decision not to let this inconvenience spoil the night. Chris kept watching and waiting for the ‘freak out’ that never came. It’s a whole new me:)Sometimes, it’s easier said than done, but it’s worth a shot.

Below I’ve quoted (and slightly edited) a portion of Victoria Moran’s book, Creating a Charmed Life:

The ability to coexist gracefully with the unresolved has immense practical value. Without it, we can function at our best only when everything is perfect (in other words, never). Even solvable problems seldom have instant answers. Until these problems are worked through, we share space with them.

Most of the unresolved irritations we have to live with are simply that: irritations. Maybe you get a letter from the bank saying you’ve bounced a check. You’re sure it’s a bank error- well, pretty sure- but its Friday evening and you can’t do anything about it until Monday. Occasionally, we have to coexist with something serious. A suspicious mammogram, for instance, means waiting for a biopsy, then waiting for the results. It can be agonizing to live in the limbo of not knowing about our own health but we build the courage to get though the substantial trials by learning to cohabit serenely with the trivial.

A charmed life is one that is lived fully during both smooth times and rough ones. To help do this, remember:

~There will always by something to work on, something that could be better.

~You are not “in denial” when you recognize a problem and behave normally in spite of it. That’s the difference between having a problem in your life and making a problem of your life.

~Dilemmas need fences to prevent them from migrating. Fencing in an obstacle means keeping it contained so it doesn’t affect the rest of your life.  Remember all that is going right in your life.

When you’re met with a situation that can’t be solved right away, do what you can to coexist with it. Talk about it with someone you trust. Write about it in your journal. Then take whatever action toward resolution you reasonably can, and give each action session a definite ending. Proclaim to a loved one “I’ve done all that I can right now.” Then stop, breath, take a shower, take a walk and move on.

It’s no small thing to attend to your life in general when everything in you wants to obsess over some nagging particular. But as Rudolph Nureyev once said of ballet, “It never becomes easy. It does become possible.”

Be Calm,

Marcy

Ithaca is Gorges (I couldn’t resist!)

For a couple of years, I’ve been slightly obsessed with wanting to visit Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen. Little did I know,  the Finger Lakes have so much more to offer- great hiking, yummy food, a killer farmers market and a quaint, communal vibe that makes you feel completely at ease.

We stayed in a picturesque bed and breakfast, Morning Glory, that proved to be just as charming and homey as bed and breakfasts claim to be. The family-style breakfasts were great. I’m not usually one for chatting up strangers, but it was fun to hear their stories over coffee and toast.  I want this to be our new ‘thing’- staying in bed and breakfasts.

We managed to do quite a bit in three days without feeling rushed. We did a tasting at a near-by winery and cidery on Cayuga Lake and  picked up a few bottles to bring home, including an interesting blueberry port.

There are wonderful parks and hiking trails in the area. We visited Ithaca Falls, Watkins Glen Park, and Taughanock Falls. My dad used to drag me on hikes when I was young, but now I relish the opportunity to be out in nature. Those brief moments of silence are priceless.

The Farm Sanctuary was a great experience.It is a non-profit organization that rescues downed animals- including cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, sheep and goats. Interacting with the animals reinforced why I eat the way I do.

We did some other random things too like antique shopping and exploring the Ithaca Commons. But, by far, my favorite thing about Ithaca was the food! We had a delicious dinner at Moosewood, a well-known local/seasonal/organic ‘flexitarian’ restaurant. I had the best chocolate cake ever…vegan, of course. I was quite fond of the Ithaca Beer Company brews too.

I was in awe at the local Greenstar Co-Op. So amazing. They had a huge selection of bulk items from castille soap and olive oil to nuts, seeds and grains. Before heading back to the city, we hit up the local farmers markets. I love all farmers markets, but Ithaca’s had a little extra flare. In addition to leafy greens, a two-pound onion, strawberry rhubarb jam, and the best garlic I’ve ever tasted; I scored some handmade cards, vegan fudge and some really unique earrings made from red maple.

Ithaca really is gorges:) I loved the sense of community and the focus on sustainable living. We had a fabulous time and I look forward to our next visit.

Be Adventurous,

Marcy