Day 10: Plan my boyfriend's birthday
PIN IT!
So i wrote an amazingly emotional, very beautiful post yesterday about my 10th day and surprise, my computer just turned off. Not even a little “hey, I’m dying, give me a charge” or the ever popular “your computer is completing an illegal operation and needs to abort.” It just stopped. Luckily, it restarted with ease, however, my post and all of its literary genius was gone.
So, I gave up and went to bed (it’s rather exhausting typing with only one arm). Although its a day late, I’m trying best to re-create it because I’m just that excited.
That handsome stallion beside me is my boyfriend, whose birthday this year is a rather substantial one (25, yikes! halfway to 50!) Not only that, but our past birthdays together (for him) haven’t really been that great. Our first year I bought him dishes and a frame (I was broke!) and last year we were driving 14 hours to DC to move in. So this year, with over 4 months to plan, I wanted to plan something knock-out and amazing.
So if you are not familiar, the above landscape is that of Chicago, which was my first choice of presents (he was born and raised here) so I was planning on buying Cubs tickets and spending a weekend. However, its come to my attention that instead, Elliot would rather spend his day at E3. [A convention of nerds in a room talking about video games, 1080 p and lcd screens]. At first, I was very hesitant to go. What girl wants to spend 4 days with a bunch of nerds when she could be having a romantic day/night in the windy city? Well, that was until I found out it was in LA.
Happy Birthday to me!
Of course I said yes! Which led to 2 hours of planning [hotel, plane, dinner on his birthday] and let me tell you two things: 1. I’m a fantastic girlfriend! 2. I’m more excited than he is!
Hotel–Sofitel
Plane tickets–2 nonstop tickets to la on Virgin!
Dinner–Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood
Not a bad job planning, aye? More updates to come!
Day 9: Get your D!
Being the obsessive health nut that I am, I read a lot of health news. I follow all things health, healthcare, nutrition, fitness, etc compulsively. So lately as I read my daily fix, I’ve noticed that one topic keeps showing up in every source; the importance of Vitamin D.
Now I’ve always known how important the “sunshine” vitamin is, but I never really knew how pivotal it is in preventing diseases like cancer and helping strengthen bones. Current research has found that D deficiency is a significant factor in at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, etc. Yikes! Current research has also found that a high number of people are no longer getting enough of the nutrient, doctors say. I will get to why that is in a bit.
How can you get enough D? Vitamin D, (aka the sunshine vitamin) can be naturally produced by the sun, and spending 15 minutes in the sun a week can produce enough of the vitamin naturally. (More reasons to sunbathe and play in the sun!)
However, If you are like half the world, finding adequate sunshine in the frigid winter months is just not possible. So if your stuck inside from October to March, luckily you can take a supplement with at least 5,000 units (IU) of vitamin D daily to get the recommended dosage. (visit www.gnc.com to purchase a bottle!)
So if it’s so easy to get, why is the number of adults with vitamin D deficiency increasing at such a high rate each year? Well, according to an article in The San Francisco Chronicle, we have turned into a culture that shies away from the sunshine and doesn’t drink enough milk, due to increased sun cancer cases and the high calories and fat found in milk. So more and more doctors are prescribing vitamin D supplements to ensure adults are getting enough. (see the full article here http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/08/MN8T1BEG4V.DTL).
So whether you take it orally, play in the sun or drink a gallon of milk, make sure to get at least 200 IU’s up tp 600 international units of vitamin D a day to prevent cardiovascular disease (along with many other diseases) and strengthen your bones!
So to help my poor radial fracture, I bought a bottle of D and began my first dosgae! No better resolution than that to improve my bones and my heart!
For more information on D, visit these sites!
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618.php
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
Day 8: Start my novel
I found out some good news today, I don’t need a cast! Although my elbow is still fractured (I cracked my radial head-the small bone in the elbow that controls the left-to-right movement of my forearm), it will hopefully be healed in half the time! So I’ll be back to typing, dressing and showering in no time!
Although that’s good news, Ive had kind of rough day. I just feel a bit lost right now. Even though I’m young and have plenty of time to figure “out my life,” I still have this aching-nagging feeling in the back of my mind like I’m forgetting something or missing out on something big. So as I was admist a tiny mental breakdown (I hid away in my room and cried), I realized what I feel like I’m missing and not fulfilling: writing a novel. From as long as I can remember, I’ve always been a writer, writing has been my passion-my calling-what I’m supposed to do (I wrote my first short story at age 8). Although I’ve grown up and found other callings (hello nutrition), writing a novel about my life has still been something I knew I would do, but it just keeps falling to the wayside. (Life happens, bones break, people get sick, new jobs happen!)
So here I am, on day 8 of my resolutions, outlining a book that will, I’m completely sure of, change my life, even if I don’t sell a copy. To be honest, I’m scared-to-death that this book may destroy me and resurface all the pain and self-destruction that once defined me, but I’m willing to take that risk.
What then, in black and white, is today’s mini-lution? To have this memoir written by February of next year and to have a page update for you the 8th of every month. Writing is my stress reliever and mt anti-depressant, so this deadline not only helps my book get done, it also improves my mood and relieves my anxiety, which equals to a much healthier Claire mentally! It’s a giant leap of faith and a huge commitment, but it has the ability to change my life and my world, and I can only pray it has the same effect on others who read it!
Staying positive despite a cough and broken bone
So now, to accompany my incurable whooping-cough, I have a fractured elbow. (I know, shit luck, right?) I fell 2 days ago and landed on my left arm, causing my elbow to fracture. We had to rush to the ER at night and have the radiologists manipulate my very painful arm to take x-rays and concur that my elbow was fractured. Yuck! (See below x-rays!) So please excuse the smaller posts for a while (well, until I perfect typing w/ one hand).
So my update for yesterday and today will be short! Sorry I didn’t post yesterday, but I did complete a mini-lution! As I was stuck at home w/ my poor arm in a sling, I decided I was going to text an old friend who I hadn’t spoken to and let them know that I missed them and wanted to talk soon. It’s amazing how something so little could have such a drastic impact on my mood. I was feeling down and sad, and just those few texts immediately made me smile and remember all of our good times. Here’s a few photos of us partying in Kansas City (what an adventure) last year for our student media trip.
So what’s my mini-lution for today? Simple. To think positively. Obviously my life isn’t perfect right now and with all that is going on, it’s very easy to let self-pity and negativity take control and cause me to feel sad, angry and resentful. So instead, I’m trying to put a positive spin on my current predicaments and try to laugh it off. It is so amazing how just a quick change in attitude can give you a whole new perspective on something, no matter how crummy it may be. So instead of sulking, I’m making jokes about being one-armed and make the statement that this will make a good chapter in my memoir (which I’m already planning!)
Be wary of restaurant nutritional facts
Don’t solely rely on nutritional boards and pamphlets in your favorite restaurants for your nutritional and diet facts. You could be eating more than you think, leading to a stall in weight loss or even weight gain!
Check out this new research featured in Time! http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1951798,00.html
