yoga

July Goals

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Alrighty, nearly one week into July and it is time to get some goals down in writing.

Due to my illness and slow recovery my goals  this month are broader and more focused on food than exercise.  I am still feeling extremely fatigued and often sore and achy.  As the month goes on and I get healthier and stronger I will be adding back in some exercise goals.

  • Eat greens 2-3 servings a day minimum and a variety (not all salad greens, not all spinach, etc.).
  • Practice mindful eating Eat slowly. Chew, chew, and chew some more.  Be really in tune with hunger and stop eating when 70-80% full.
  • Eat berries regularly These little bits of deliciousness are high in antioxidants and great for my struggling immune system.
  • Stretch EVERYDAY at least a little bit.

I am looking forward to getting back to my abs/arms and anticipate feeling strong enough in the next day or two.  When I get back to it I will add that to my goals list also.

The last two mornings I did my yoga routine and it felt challenging and amazing.  Well, yesterday it felt amazing, this morning I struggled to stick with it.  I never quite got warmed up this morning and my body ached throughout.  I am definitely suffering some repercussions of laying in bed for 8 days.  My body is stiff and sore and out of whack.

Taking it easy was, well, easy for the first few days we were in Portland.  I was enjoying just being here and the fact that I wasn’t flat on my back all day meant I was moving more than I had been.  I am starting to get antsy though.  And frustrated with the long recovery.  Yesterday a group of us went to the Oregon coast for the afternoon.  The beach we went to is about a 1/4 mile or less walk in.  The walk felt good and it is so gorgeous out there but I had to walk REALLY slow.  Once at the beach I couldn’t go for a walk or do anything but lay on the blanket and the walk out really wore me down.  By the time we were in the car on the way home I was exhausted.  I don’t feel like this is my body. And I feel trapped in this unknown body.  My mind wants to MOVE.  And so it’s time to practice patience.   I am contently reminding myself that this patience will pay off in the end and my body will be stronger because of taking it really gentle and easy now.

So until I can run around again, I will focus on what I put into this recovering body of mine and nourish it as best I can.

Do you have any goals for July?  What area of your life does this quintessential summer month have you focusing on?

Overworked and Lazy Susan

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(THIS POST IS FROM JUNE 22. SOMEHOW BETWEEN BEING ILL AND CHINESE INTERNET IT NEVER GOT PUBLISHED, SO ENJOY NOW!)


Yesterday, our last day in Wuhan, was all about the eating.

But first, I woke up determined to be more active and energetic and get over this sickness.  I did my yoga routine, which felt AMAZING, and then managed to squeeze out 5 sets of 10 push ups.   On my knees.   Better than nothing.  I took 3 days off from my arms/abs portion of June Goals and was eager to get back to it in even a minimal way.

And on to the FOOD!

Guilia invited us to attend a lunch that she was having with her students.  She teaches English to post-high school students and it was a little end of the term celebration.   The students chose the place and ordered.  And ordered.   There were 18 of us and something like 25 dishes!! It was obcene but a fun way to try many different things.   This was one time it was perfectly fine to be a vegetarian!  Tate made it his goal to try EVERYTHING and left stuffed to the gills.

Our table had a huge “lazy susan” and some sweet AstroTurf underneath.  All of the dishes went in the center and we used our chopsticks to pluck things into our little personal bowls as they rolled by.

These are the dishes I sampled.  The veg and the fish.

My bowl.  Bring on the garlic! Note the pools of oil everything is swimming in!  By the door to this restaurant there were 5 GALLON jugs of oil sitting there.  Ewww……

THE MEATS! (and a few other items I didn’t try)

Yes, in that last one Guilia is holding up a whole chicken foot.

O.k, I think you get the picture but there were at least a dozen more dishes!

Lucas enjoyed the ribs!


There was so much left over, it was tragic.  In China it is rude to finish dishes because it is a sign there was not enough food so for a social meal like this they purposely overorder.  We encouraged the students to take leftovers home but they weren’t interested and we were spending the afternoon walking around the city.  They were very generous and treated Tate, Lucas, Guilia, and I to this feast.  So sweet.

We wondered around Wuhan and took a boat ride into the lake and low and behold, 5 or so hours later we were ready to eat MORE.

We went for “hot pot”.  There are many versions of Chinese hot pot but the one we went to was a raw buffet of meats, veggies, tofu, and seafood and you cook it in your individual little caldran of boiling broth.   This was perfect for me because I could really load up on the veg and finally not eat a cup of oil with my otherwise healthy meal.

My plate before cooking.

I piled my plate high before the cooking.  It was a lot of spinach-like greens,  some mushrooms, tofu, tomato, cauliflower, and a few slices of sweet potato.

The “hotpot”.

By 9 o’clock we boarded the train for Beijing full and tired.

One more night on the train!