Days 9 and 10: Limit my caffeine intake
PIN IT!
This is one of my favorite “bumper stickers” of all time because it’s so true! Although I enjoy my job, there are times when the tasks I have to complete are less than glamorous and I’m confidant that I could not accomplish them without help from my favorite stimulant. But let’s be honest here, I probably could not do any of my normal, everyday tasks without coffee. Although one cup a day is fine, even two some days, I can’t actually remember the last day I had just 2 cups of my addiction. [I’m averaging about 3-4 cups a day]. Although it’s a giant improvement from the pot-a-day I was gulping down in college, I’m still drinking entirely too much caffeine in a day’s time.
Too much caffeine can leave you shaking!
This realization [that I can’t function in society without a boost from caffeine] brought me to the mini-lution for days 9 and 10: Limit my caffeine intake. Even though it was really easy to come up with, I knew it will be a nightmare to follow through.
Day 9: The hardest day of both of them, for many reasons. When you go from having 4 cups of coffee and a soda a day to one cup of coffee and no soda, it’s really hard to adjust. The hardest part of the day to get through was the 3 p.m. hour, which is when I hit the “afternoon slump.” This is usually when I reach for a Coke Zero or Diet Dr. Peppar and not having that pick me up really affected my energy level, as well as my motivation and enthusiasm. It took everything in me not to raid the fridge and chug every soda I could find. When 5 p.m. finally rolled around, I felt more awake and energized [mainly because the work day was over], but that soon wore off on the long commute home. I went to bed at around 9 p.m. that night, vowing to never subject myself to such ridicule again.
Me during my first day of “limited” caffeine
Day 10: Surprisingly, was not as hard as the first day. Maybe it’s because there was a light at the end of the tunnel, either way, I got through most of the day with ease. The afternoon slump still hit me pretty hard, but I found it much easier to come back from than day 9. The hardest part, though, was staying up past 9 pm [American Idol helped though, I will give you that!] I still felt sluggish and fatigued all day, but I found it was much easier to combat the second day around.
So did I continue to limit my caffeine for days to follow? I am happy to report that I am down to only two cups of coffee a day and NO afternoon soda! As much as I would like to completely stiffen my desperate need for caffeine, I know, at this point in time, with so much on my plate, that it is not a feasible or good option for me. So I give myself two hearty pats on the back for limiting and one day hope to live freely without it!
I’m happily down to just 1-2 cups a day!
So why can’t people drink 2 pots of coffee a day and a 24 pack of soda? Well, besides obvious dietary reasons, there are actual hazards to consuming too much caffeine which can have serious long-term effects on your body. The biggest dangers one faces from consuming too much caffeine includes insomnia, dehydration, high blood sugar and symptoms of withdrawal. Sure, many of these symptoms take a while to appear, however, once they do, they are very hard to take care of. For many people struggling with insomnia and high blood pressure, they often face years of battling these problems before any solutions are found.
Claire
Tags:caffeine addiction, caffeine addition, caffiene limit, limiting coffee, too much coffee
Days 4-8: VEGAS
For days 4-8, I was in Vegas. Since words can not explain what ensued, I will post a photo blog instead where I’ll let my pictures tell the story. Photos will be uploaded this weekend. Not all of them, of course. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Day 3: Become more 'DIY' oriented
As much as I love doing things myself, I have a knack for pawning everything off to other people. Some call it laziness, I call it a lack of time. Don’t get me wrong, I love arts, crafts, home-made dinners and the like, but time is just not running parallel with me lately. Between a full-time job, keeping up my blog/web site and planning a wedding, I barely have time to eat, think, bathe and exercise. Most of the crafty tasks I end up pawning off on others or purchasing aren’t that meaningful, therefore don’t bother me that they weren’t constructed with my own blood, sweat and tears. However, when it comes to my wedding, my personal touch is too important and meaningful to forgo.
As my wedding date inches closer, I am beginning to freak out a little bit about how much I want to do and how much time I have to do it all. I have so many visions of my wedding day and all of the beautiful decorations, party favors, florals and centerpieces that will make it up. However, as soon as I have the realization that I haven’t even begun these projects, these beautiful and serene visions quickly turn into horrible, tear-wrentching nightmares.
So, instead of procrastinating, which is something I do oh so well, I am getting a full year head start on the aspects of my wedding I plan to do myself [or partially do myself] which are my party favors, table decorations, save the dates, place holders and invitations. I’ve given them all a lot of thought and am really excited about how fun they will be to do and how beautiful I hope they turn out. BUT, I’m going to keep them a little secret from the world [until they are finished] so I don’t get ahead of myself and let myself down if they all do not turn out exactly as I hoped.
Although I can’t share my exact plans, I will definitely share some of the great tips and pieces of advice I’ve picked up along the way regarding DIY weddings for all of the other brides out there who want to add a special, personal touch to their big day.
Tip 1: Don’t bite off more than you can chew
As a first time bride and complete novice to the wedding planning world, one of the first places my mind went to after I got engaged was how I was going to do everything for my wedding. I remember gushing to Elliot, “I’m going to hand-make all the decorations, chose all of the bridesmaids accessories, hand-pick all the flowers, decorate the venue myself, plan the whole thing without any help!” His face of utter terror was all the response I needed because both him and I knew I’d literally turn into a sleep-deprived, crazy, alcoholic lunatic if I tried to take on EVERYTHING. So after a few sob sessions and bridal magazines, I realized that I don’t need to do it all. That’s why there are wedding planners, maids of honor and parents, to help out with the stuff that us brides just don’t have time to tackle. The last thing we need is something else to stress over!
Tip 2: Have realistic expectations going into any DIY project
We are all not Martha Stewart, obviously. Some of us girls are much more crafty and DIY inclined, while some of us, well, aren’t. I like to say I fall in the middle. I do know girls on both sides and truthfully, not one is better than the other. Keep that in mind. If you’ve never sewn a button, been to a fabric store or even painted your own nails, don’t think just because you are engaged you will wake up magically one day with the ability to make a 25 piece centerpiece or pinecone candle holder. You need to have realistic expectations on what you can accomplish. For example, I know I can creatively construct beautiful centerpieces and party favors, but for the life of me, can not bake and decorate a cookie. [SPOILER ALERT!] As place settings, I want to have cookies decorated with the guest’s name. Well, knowing I can’t bake or decorate, I’m going to have those ordered. DIY weddings are all about give or take, we can’t do everything, because if we could, we’d be Martha. If you aren’t a DIY kind of girl, don’t think your wedding will not be as beautiful or meaningful as a DIY bride. In the end, the guests will not know the difference between a hand made centerpiece or one store bought. They will, instead, be gushing over how beautiful you looked and how great of a party it was.
Tip 3: DIY projects don’t always mean less cost
I know, seems wrong right? DIY should cost less than buying! Which, in most cases, is true. Most DIY projects do end up saving you money in the long run, but that shouldn’t be expected with every project you take on. According to my best friend, who is getting married in 2 months, some DIY projects can end up costing more than if you had just bought it. She says it’s due to the cost of supplies, how many ‘do dads’ you plan on making or the amount of people on your guest list and whether or not you make mistakes. Many brides don’t take in account that they may fudge up a project and have to re-buy all of the necessary supplies for a do over. In most cases, though, DIY projects can save you some money, especially if you chose to build your own centerpieces, goody bag gifts and bridesmaid/groomsmen gifts. Just make sure you add into your wedding budget the cost of all of the supplies for each project.
Tip 4: DIY does not have to be labor and time intensive
DIY is not code for burning the midnight oil. I’ve read so many articles in magazines and blogs where brides-to-be chose not to make anything for their wedding because “they just didn’t have all of the necessary time to do it.” In some brides cases, like ones with short engagements or for brides with children, full-time jobs, etc, time is certainly a constraint. I understand that, but it’s also key to understand that many DIY projects take very little time, sometimes less time than it would take to buy it! I have seen so many great ideas for a home-made touch that can take under an hour! [Come on ladies, who doesn’t have an hour?] For example, instead of numbering your tables, hand write or print in a fancy font names of your favorite things instead, such as wine varieties, cheese varieties, countries, oceans, designers, etc. Another great idea [that takes almost no time!] is filling little gift boxes [can be bought at JoAnne Fabrics or Michael’s] with home-made cookies! Just buy little boxes and ribbon to match your color scheme and fill with cookies for each guest or each table, depending on your budget and time.
Your wedding is about you afterall, why not have it reflect your tastes and personalities? DIY!
For some great ideas on DIY projects for your wedding, visit http://www.mydiyweddingday.com/, http://www.diynetwork.com/topics/weddings/index.html and http://www.diybride.com/
Nutrition in the News: Guest column by Melanie Fischer
This column is written in response to the article titled “Study: Sin taxes promote healthier food choices” featured on Time’s wellness blog. To view the original article, visit http://wellness.blogs.time.com/2010/03/10/study-sin-taxes-promote-healthier-food-choices/
This is an interesting article. I think they’re ignoring a lot of extra factors, but it’s a very interesting start. I’m generally against government taxes on subjective things like “proper” choices, but if the obesity epidemic is going to cost us money in the long run, I guess the taxes could be justified as a cost-preventitive measure. I still don’t think the tax is the best thing, because that raises the question of how we define and quantitatively measure what’s “healthy.” There are too many factors, such as good and bad fats, additives, organic, and then misleading labels.
For example, companies can say “no trans fat” when in reality the product could contain up to .5g trans fat. (Oreos.) There’s always going to be a gray area. Not to mention, the FDA probably doesn’t have the manpower to have a team sit there and analyze all of the factors that go into defining a healthy food. However, as someone who frequently pays $10 for a salad when everyone else is paying $5 for a sandwich at lunch, I’d be extremely (albeit selfishly) happy if the cost would even out a bit.
Another option that isn’t mentioned, but should be considered, is to simply stop with all the high fructose corn syrup and other additives and go more natural. For example: Not that soda is by any means natural, but in the UK it’s made with legitimate cane sugar (still processed, but is not as bad as HFCS). It tastes BETTER. It’s not overly sweet, has fewer calories, and is a nice treat. The bottle sizes are also smaller, so you satisfy your craving without going overboard. If going an entire day without soda is not an option, then you’ve got a great compromise. There’s no reason we can’t do this with other foods too. A tax incentive would probably need to be provided to the companies, but beyond that, there would be no struggle to regulate the cost of individual food products. It is a problem, though, that healthy choices really are so much more expensive than a frozen pizza and a bag of cookies.
By: Melanie Fischer, HR/Accounting professional at Avalere Health in Washington, DC.
Claire
Tags:nutrition, sin tax, sin tax 2010, soda tax, tax on fast food, trans fat
Day 2: Sign up for an AED/CPR class
Day 2: Sign up to get AED and CPR certified
Along with a select few things in my life, I’ve sort of been procrastinating on getting certified in CPR and AED. [For those who don’t know, AED stands for Automated external defibrillators, which are devices that are used on individuals who are suffering cardiac arrest]. Well, as spring kicks in and I’m no longer facing seasonal affective disorder, my motivation to do more in my life and chase my dreams kicks into high gear. So a few days ago, I sat down and did a bit of research on what I need to do to get a personal training and group fitness instructor certification and the first thing that popped up was getting CPR and AED certified, neither of which I am.
For many obvious reasons, it is clear why these certifications are necessary in the fitness industry. Firstly, if a client goes into cardiac arrest as their personal trainer or fitness instructor, you need to know exactly how to use an automated external defibrillator machine, which analyzes the victims heartbeat and tells the rescuer to deliver a shock, if necessary. Secondly, if you are unable to get an AED machine and the victim is facing cardiac arrest, a heart attack, or heart failure, you need to know how to perform CPR fast and efficiently to ensure oxygen is being given and blood is still pumping. Also, all accredited gyms, schools and country clubs require a CPR/AED certification before they grant employment.
With that being said, the obvious next step for me is to get certified. However, it’s not as easy as it used to be. You need to study and do prep before you sign up for the 6-8 hour training class. Which means more studying and freshening up on human anatomy, physiology, nutrition and fitness for me before I take the class in April. [I signed up for Saturday, April 17th].
If you are in the DC area and would like to get certified, visit http://www.redcrossnca.org/index.php/health-a-safety/cpr-courses.html?course=17. For classes nationwide, visit www.redcross.org
Claire
Tags:classes, CPR/AED certification, red cross, registration for CPR, saving lives
