Better to Laugh

I am finding that some foods that I devoured in the past do not hold the same attraction for me anymore. I made a gooey butter cake (cake mix, stick of butter, cream cheese, pound of powdered sugar, eggs) for our small group Bible study, and I did not eat any the next day. I brought the leftovers to work and was perfectly happy to watch others eat it. In the past, I would have taken the first piece and let my coworkers enjoy the rest. I thought about eating a donut this afternoon, but I remembered how yucky I felt the last time I ate one and passed. Feeling extremely gross after a binge on Lay’s Original Potato Chips, I do not care to see another chip for a long while. Chocolate? Now that is another story. I still love me some smooth chocolate. At least some of my food choices are getting better.

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Even ninjas have to run safely on cold, grey, overcast days. My elder son’s comment to my husband as I ran past the house:  ”You married her.”

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We have not had chips, packaged cookies, etc. in the house for a couple of months now. Our sons have not commented on the lack of processed snack foods, so I guess they are good with not having them around. Last week, I saw Lay’s Original Potato Chips on sale. They are pretty pure (potatoes, oil, salt), so I thought they would be a good splurge. This same week, I received my Girl Scouts cookie order. Were the chips and cookies a fulfilling and satisfying treat? No, alas, they made me feel sick to my stomach and sluggish. Not that I haven’t had a few chips and a cookie here or there, but there was only a limited amount. I don’t do well with a large supply on hand, apparently. Once again, there is a ban on snack food at home.

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I just celebrated my birthday. Another year down, but I don’t keep track, anymore. Seriously, I haven’t been able to readily remember my age for years now; I have to do the math. We had dinner plans with the family to celebrate, so I could not fit in a run or workout in the afternoon. Well, I could have completed a couple of miles and just changed clothes, but that would not have been pleasant for anyone. A couple of hours after we got home from the restaurant, I felt like I needed to get out and run, run, run. Alas, the gourmet hamburger was still sitting in my stomach, and it would be near midnight by the time I changed, stretched, ran, showered, stretched again, and got into bed. I opted to get my things ready and get up at 5 a.m. to run the next morning.

Now, I did not feel the need to run so that I could burn off the calories from my birthday meal (hamburger, fries, and part of an ice cream sundae), nor am I obsessed with exercise. I was just feeling keyed up that night because I was in charge of our school’s variety show the next day, and I needed to burn some extra energy to relax and focus. Exercise is nature’s way of relieving stress, better than a cocktail or other chemical relaxer. When we work the human body, the brain releases natural mood boosters, with no side effects. And, there is no co-pay! Besides the chemical benefit, the rhythm of the movement and breathing seem to bring everything back into sync. Running, walking, swimming, biking, dancing, and so much more, choose your type of exercise, get into a rhythm, release those beta-endorphins, and unwind.

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I had a dozen reasons why I didn’t want to run tonight. It was too cold, dark, wet, and late. I had other things I needed to do, like laundry, dishes, filing, etc. I felt tired and a little blue. The house was warm, and my honey was home. Then, I thought about Erin in her wheelchair, and Joe laid up after a car accident, post-op with a broken ankle/foot, and Cathy in the hospital with life-threatening pneumonia. Not only did these people have major health concerns, they also had wonderful attitudes in the midst of their crises. I could think of more people who could not run tonight than I had excuses. So, I donned my jacket, hat, gloves, face mask, and safety vest and laced up my shoes. I prayed for those who were unable to run tonight and gave thanks for the opportunity to pound the pavement. Needless to say, I felt much more grateful the rest of the evening, and I got some laundry and the dishes done, to boot.

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