Me, Gwyneth and Dr. Oz

posted by Melissa Baumgart

Margarita, anyone?

While January is Sweepstakes month, and I have been busy finding every which way to rake in the winnings, I have also deemed January as "Healthival!"  If you haven't heard about it, it is simply my version of cleaning up and clearing out, so to speak.  Gwyneth Paltrow may have her Goop Cleanse created specially for her by a detox guru doctor, but leave it to me to be inspired by my homemade margaritas and a Disney movie. (BTW, I may use some of her recipes on that link, they do look good.)

Nine days in and it is going great.  I am not having dairy, wheat, sugar, or alcohol.  These are all items that I am suspicious of being allergens, or perhaps sensitivities in my diet.  If nothing else, I overeat these things like nobody's business (pizza, baguettes with butter, pasta, cheeseburgers) so even if it doesn't help that damn rash on my leg (it has been there for a year and ten topical creams now), I may lighten up a bit.

I guess I wasn't feeling challenged enough by my Healthival festivities, so as I was reading through my latest email from Oprah I found myself clicking on a link to Dr. Oz's "28-Day-Plan to renew your body, mind, and soul."  (I never do this.  I never read Dr. Oz.  I typically am turned off by the popularity, simplicity and mob mentality that he and Oprah incite.  I know, so what am I doing getting her emails then?  Anyway, back to the topic at hand.)

Ok, Dr. Oz, you're on.  After professing my love for the average American during a post-Bingo stupor, I owe it to myself to tune into what those ladies might very well be watching, or buying into as far as their health and happiness are concerned.  Out of the 28 ideas he shared, I settled on 18 of them.  The ones I exclude involved using a scale (which I do not own) or taking supplements (which I do not do), among other things not in my repertoire.

Here is my list of Dr. Oz suggestions that I am willing to take on:

1. Drink green tea.  I can do this.  My goal is one cup/day.  If I get more in, good for me!  I think I actually have a few boxes of green tea just sitting in my china closet.
2. Eat Dark Chocolate  Um, OK.  No problem there, Oz.  Just gotta find one that doesn't have sugar.  
3. Eat Heart Healthy  He says to include wild salmon, tomatoes, garlic and lima beans in your diet.  Done and done.  Salmon once a week (even though I don't really like it except when my friend Keith makes it, and he lives in Baltimore), I already eat tons of tomatoes and garlic, and just add in lima beans.  Simple.
4. Forgive Someone  Wow.  Dr. Oz is going deep, yo.  He says "studies show that forgiveness can lower blood pressure and heart rate and reduce depression, anxiety, and anger."  I'll buy that.  
5. Memorize a Poem  Done.  That was a good month, and I am always thankful that Amy picked it.  I think I'll commit another little poem to memory this month too.  
6. Have More Sex  Really, Oz?  You're going to go there?  
7. Write Every Bite  I do like to do this for a number of days when I am trying out a new eating plan.  I keeps me accountable and dedicated to my intention.  
8. 30 Minutes of Walking a Day  I walk to and from school every weekday, which ends up being about 40 minutes.  It's the weekends I need to pay attention to.
9. Get More Sleep  This I have been doing.  I have been having a cup of Nighty Night tea before bed, reading a good book, and sleeping like a baby.
10. Meditate  Does it count if your husband does it instead of you?
11. Don't Graze at Night  Ok, during the week, I'll do this, but on the weekend I will be likely to have some popcorn with nutritional yeast during a family movie.  (I guess this one goes without saying that I won't be following his "Don't eat popcorn" rule.   But I do pop own!)
12. Portion Size  Be mindful about the portion on your plate.  I could totally be better about this one.  
13. Pack a Smarter Lunch  For me this means, thinking ahead.  And not, under any circumstances eating out at lunch. 
14. Call an Old Friend  This made Dr. Oz's list so we could be mindful of the power of connection.  I can use a reminder in this category, it's even on my list of things about me on the blog. 
15. Floss!  Enough said.  Dental health weighs on my mind like an elephant on a shih tzu.   
16. Practice Saying No  This is hard, even though I don't want to admit it.  I am social, I feel bad if I let people down, and I like to be helpful and part of a community.  All of that lends itself to saying "yes" a lot.  I am not sure if I actually want to do this one.
17. Stretch  This is one I can see me starting, and then letting it fade away.  Maybe I should keep it simple, like touching my toes in the morning.  
18. Keep Healthy Snacks on Hand  I carried a small bag of pecans with me today.  Seems good enough.  But I always have this fear that the more I carry food with me, the more I will eat.  And then I'll still be out there with no snack, cause I ate everything 10 minutes after I left my house.  

There you have it.  I am not declaring that I am sticking to ALL of these suggestions, because I know how that feels...to not follow through with something I say I will do.  (Run a Mile Everyday?  Writing month?  Salsa dancing?)  But I am saying that I will be conscious of these intentions, and I wouldn't mind a few reminders here and there. (hint hint)

To Healthival!!

Melissa