Mental Fitness: Caring for the Caregiver

When you play the role of primary caregiver in the family, it isn't always easy to find the time or energy to find personal balance while caring for others. This is especially true when you have the double responsibility for taking care of young children and ailing parents, even when it comes from a place of love and respect. I recently found the following website that has a wealth of useful information available to people in this situation or one like it -- you may access this site via the link: http://www.caring.com/

As the primary caregiver, keeping life on a healthy track and moving forward takes on even greater importance when you have people depending on you. Take advantage of this helpful website when you need to reach out and inform yourself of what you can do to find spot-on advice from experts or from people sharing their testimonials about their own experience. I was particularly struck by an interview recently posted on the site. I found it very insightful for those people struggling to help elderly parents who resist their efforts or reject much needed care. When you are on the site, go to:

Talking With Barbara McVicker: Caregiving in a Dysfunctional Family
The coauthor of Stuck in the Middle: Shared Stories and Tips for Caregiving Your Elderly Parents talks about caring for difficult parents.

One often discusses the importance of physical fitness and diet in our daily lives as key areas of focus for maintaining an optimum level of health. There has been much talk and research around the positive impact of achieving spiritual and mental balance -- i.e. meditation, yoga and prayer, alternative healing methods, etc. -- and what role these play in preventing illness and/or healing after medical interventions. (More about this subject in a later post dedicated to it.)

Hopefully you will find that the http://www.caring.com/ website will help you put your mind at ease in some way. At the very least, it provides useful ideas and resources that will allow you to do mental "push-ups" for better fitness in that area.

Good luck -- Carmella

Getting started and finding support resources

Thanks for last night ladies! after the pictures, am more inspired (disgusted?) than ever and need to get this party started!

A friend who lost 100lbs and has kept it off for 6+ years advised sparkpeople.com so thought I would share!

To detoxify, or not detoxify... food for thought

Detox -- who me? It's true, it's not for everyone. Choosing a detox program is an individual and very personal decision. With that said, I am a big supporter (although a relative novice, I must admit) of creating a regular routine of cleansing the body of toxic matter, physically and spiritually.

I just began reading a book that I wanted to share with you. It has peaked my interest and motivated me to buy my first "real" juicer for my next cleansing diet. The book is called The Complete Cancer Cleanse, written by Cheri "The Juice Lady" Calbom M.S., John Calbom MA, and Michael Mahaffey P.C. The focus is a four prong approach:

• detoxify for good health and prevent cancer
• remove toxins from your life (cosmetics to household cleaners)
• spiritual health, and
• developing a Purposefull Living program for maintenance.

I haven't read the entire book, but continue to be impressed by quality of information and resources cited throughout it. From time to time, I will post tips from the book that I think are useful to anyone who is interested in nuturing their well-being -- regardless of their current status of health. You can be the judge of what fits into your lifestyle.

Here's something to chew on... when one out of three people develop cancer in their lives, doesn't it make sense to try to thwart the epidemic??

Carmella

Fighting disease through diet -- not a "new age" concept

"Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

"It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has." - Hippocrates

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." - Thomas Edison

check out this calorie counter!

http://mindbodybalance.msn.com/?section=articles&content=202_balance&source=msn&GT1=25048#/caloriecounter/

Group Meeting - April 22, 2009

MEETING: 6:30pm @ 7-A Graham Ave., Newbury (behind red Nbpt 5 Cents off of Upper Green)

OBJECTIVE: Setting goals -- Weigh-ins, measurements, discuss online tracking and individual plans

TO BRING: outfit for "before photos" and laptop so we can look at sites together (optional). NOTE: Carmella will be strutting her stuff in an itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny, yellow polka dot bikini for the photo shoot.

On-line Food and Exercise Diary

A recent study found that people who keep a food diary enjoy twice the weight loss of those who rely solely on dieting and exercise. This site was recommended to Carmella...

NOTE: There is a $9.00 a month subscription for this service.

http://www.myfooddiary.com/