Sometimes when looking for our purpose, it’s best to look back rather than forward. Think about what you wanted to do when you were a kid. What was it that you dreamed of being able to do when you became an adult? For myself, I first wanted to be the lady at the circus who rode the white horse standing up (circa 5 or 6 years old), then it was a Navy fighter pilot (circa 9-18 years). The latter dream I followed intensely most of my childhood. In the end I elected not to go the Naval Academy and I think it was good choice. When I think about why I wanted to be a fighter pilot, it was the plane and nothing else. I wanted to fly a fast, maneuverable plane that could do amazing things in the sky. I didn’t, per se, want to shoot people down (I’m a lover not a fighter). Now, as an adult, the two most prominent features of my life (outside of my kids and career of course) are my love of animals and skydiving. I’ve always had a house filled with animals… usually enough to make it feel like a zoo without it being nasty (currently that equates to three cats and a Saint Bernard in my townhome). Before I started skydiving, I volunteered at a stable as a trail guide. My love for animals in general (horses in particular) is still present in my adult life. As far as skydiving goes, it doesn’t take a genius to make the connection to fighter jets. I get to do the things I would have done in a jet, but I do it with my body instead. Sure, I’ll never go Mach 2 or 3, but believe me when I say I’m not getting shortchanged by going 120 miles per hour flying my body.

Look back to your childhood for some insight if you’re trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your life. The passions in your life that have stood the test of time (and of growing up!) are the things that you will likely always love. I am a true believer that if you’re doing what you love, you will find success and wealth and all the things that you want in life.

So, what did you want to be when you grew up?

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So, I thought to compliment a post earlier this week on the 5 power fruits we should eat everyday, I would give a little love to the vegetable world. Here are my top 5 veggies I try to always have in my refrigerator. Vegetables are like free food. They don’t cost you anything, and you have so much to gain in health. The more you eat them the more your body craves them. I have removed much of my grain/starchy foods and replaced them with vegetables. It has made a huge difference in my health.

• Broccoli. Bean-O anyone? There may be a couple side effects to eating too much broccoli, but it’s worth it. To keep this short, I won’t try to list all of vitamins and minerals that it’s packed with, but it provides a ton of good stuff, including more than your daily requirement of Vitamins C, K and A in just one serving. In addition, the calcium provided by broccoli can be absorbed easily by your body (up to 50%), so it’s an efficient calcium provider as well. Broccoli contains the phytonutrients sulforaphane and the indoles, which have significant anti-cancer effects. These phytonutrients have been shown to fight several different types of cancer, suppress tumor growth, and these compounds actually signal our genes to increase production of enzymes involved in detoxification.
• Asparagus. In addition to providing more than your daily requirement of Vitamin K, this baby packs a Folate punch, delivering over 65% of your daily requirement. Folate is essential for a healthy cardiovascular system. Folate is involved in the methylation cycle. Asparagus is also loaded with B vitamins and minerals. Asparagus is a very good source of potassium (288 mg per cup) and low in sodium (19.8 mg per cup). Its mineral profile, combined with an active amino acid, asparagine, gives asparagus a diuretic effect. It has also been used to treat problems involving swelling, such as arthritis and rheumatism.
• Bell Peppers. Most of us know that you can get a green, red or yellow bell pepper. But did you know they also come in orange, purple, brown and black? Different colors indicate different vitamins and minerals. Red bell peppers are loaded with lycopene and beta-carotene for example… this is what gives them their red color. The red’s also have three times more vitamin C per weight than any citrus fruit (green’s have twice as much)! Loaded with antioxidants, bell peppers help to neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells. Free radicals are major players in the build up of cholesterol in the arteries that lead to heart disease, the nerve and blood vessel damage seen in diabetes, the cloudy lenses of cataracts, the joint pain and damage seen in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and the wheezing and airway tightening of asthma.
• Spinach. So, I’ll have to admit, I can’t eat the stuff cooked. I absolutely refuse to eat something that is squishy, slimy, warm and green. But, I do eat tons of fresh baby spinach. It’s good stuff. As far as density is concerned, dark leafy vegetables such as spinach deliver more nutrients per ounce of weight than any other food. Here’s a site dedicated to spinach so you can read up on all that it has to offer you. Researchers have identified at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that function as antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents. The vitamin K provided by spinach is almost 200% of the Daily Value in one cup of fresh spinach leaves (vitamin K can help maintain bone health). It’s also loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Talk about a power food!
• Carrots. Easy to find, easy to eat, and they’re a great snack when you’re craving something crunchy and sweet. Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of beta-carotene. Carrots’ antioxidant compounds help protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision.
• Avocado (my honorary favorite “vegetable”). It used to be that buying an avocado was an excuse to make guacamole; now, making guac is my excuse to eat the avocado. I love them! I love putting them in my salads, on a sandwich with turkey and bacon… yummmmm. And yes, it is actually a fruit but like tomatoes… I’m going to assume you’ve always thought of it as a veggie. One of the most nutrient-dense foods, avocados are high in fiber and, ounce for ounce, top the charts among all fruits for folate, potassium, vitamin E, and magnesium. The delicious healthy monounsaturated fat in the avocado is one of its biggest health claims. The monounsaturated fat in avocados is oleic acid, which may help lower cholesterol. One study found that after seven days on a diet that included avocados, there were significant decreases in both total and LDL cholesterol as well as an 11 percent increase in the “good” HDL cholesterol.

When buying veggies, organic is best (especially bell peppers and broccoli) and make sure to lightly steam your vegetables rather than boil them. All the good stuff tends to leach out into the water when they’re boiled. If you’re on a budget (and lets face it, who isn’t) frozen veggies is good alternative to fresh. Definitely go with frozen over canned. These are my favorites, but I also eat tons of cucumber, artichokes and other leafy greens. I hate tomatoes (another veggie imposter), but I know that they’re good for us. Adding a healthy amount of vegetable servings can only be a good thing, and when you consider that almost no vegetables “cost” any calories, they’re even better! So, here’s to happier, healthier eating. And on that note, We the change has a great article on how to get the most out of your food, regardless of what it is! I recommend checking it out.

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So, I was at the gym last night, and as I was running a Black Eyed Peas song (Where is the Love?) came on my MP3 player. I hadn’t heard it in a while (my player’s on random for running purposes) and there was a section of lyrics that really expressed the way I’m feeling about our world… well, my country for the most part. I thought I would share them with you.

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I’m gettin’ older, y’all, people get colder
Most of us only care about money makin’
Selfishness got us followin’ our own direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids act like what they see in the cinema
Yo’, whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ under
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ down
There’s no wonder why sometimes I’m feelin’ under
Gotta keep my faith alive to lovers bound

If you aren’t familiar with this song, or you just want to listen to it (I will admit, the lyrics are better heard than read), go here.

I’m really left just wondering how to change a movement in society that seems so different and contradictory to how I feel life should be. I guess the positive thing is that I’m not alone; if I was there wouldn’t be songs like this that I could relate to.

Somewhere I’ve heard an expression… I can’t remember it exactly, but it basically says that individual people are smart; it’s only in large numbers that we’re stupid. I agree with that. As an individual, I think many of us see the same problems and issues and wish something would change. But when you look at us as a whole… as a society, we create the problems and issues everyday. What we think on our own doesn’t manifest itself in society as a whole. I believe it’s a problem of disconnection between us all. As the song says, we’re all on this trip of selfishness, going our own way. If you think about it, we’re really all trying to go the same way. We all want the same thing: happiness.

The Dali Lama talks about having compassion for others regardless of what they might have done in their life to you or to others. He says the key to finding compassion like that is to break things down to the most essential element- that we are all human beings. I hope that just as “going green” has taken hold, we will someday take hold of living with compassion, love and respect for each other.

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Gone are the days of the old mall arcades, but that’s where it all started for me. Anytime my Dad was watching me, we would sneak away to that old arcade. He would give me a handful of quarters to keep me busy and off we would go into the darkness. I would play Galaga and Gauntlet until I was out and then go back for more. As long as 1943, Space Invadors and the like were available, my Dad would continue to feed me quarters so that he could get his fix.

Then we got an Atari. As soon as it was on the market it was in our living room. We would sit on the floor for hours playing Pacman, Missile Command, Defender… if it was available for Atari we would play it. Eventually the Atari evolved into the first Nintendo, then computers and well… here we are in the days of Halo3. I have always been a computer gamer. For reasons I can’t explain, both my Dad and I have always preferred computer to console. I supposed I am that way because I already have a computer, so all I have to do is purchase the games (I can write-off all the upgrade expenses because I use the computer for my job). With consoles, it’s a never ending sea of upgrades and newer units and frankly I can’t afford another toy.

If I sit down to play a game, I might as well take vacation time from work. I don’t sleep, I don’t eat. Nearly all life functions cease to exist outside the world of my game. I forget who I am, for now I am a Thief, a Hero, or an Adventurer. It’s like heroine to me, and once I start everything else can easily take a backseat to it. Just one more level… then I’ll go to bed. I swear its genetic (if you could see what happens to my son when he turns on a game, you would agree with me)! If you could see my Dad’s gaming machine (dedicated solely to that purpose) you would drool… well, if you were a gamer anyway. I might be able to blame my Dad for the genes, but I can’t blame him for my lack of control.

I have had to learn to manage this addiction. I first had to acknowledge to myself that I have an addictive personality. It is not only with games that this happens to me. It happened with cigarettes, espresso, skydiving… it can happen with anything really if I put enough of my energy into it. One thing I’ve learned about myself is that it’s either ALL or NOTHING. I can’t just smoke once in a while, or just a few each day. I’m either a serious smoker or I’m not. Games are the same. I can’t play an hour here or an hour there. Not possible. I must win. I must succeed. I must find the artifact or the alien or the ship that is preparing to launch a nuclear strike against the human race. How at a time like that, could I go to sleep or work… or eat??? I have to save the world, people!

Since moderation is key and I apparently lack the ability to self-moderate I’ve gone to something completely different. I have stopped buying games (ok… lets be honest here. I’ve stopped buying games on a regular basis. It’s a once in a while, hope I get one for a gift kinda thing), and the ones I do have I play and then uninstall them so that I won’t go back to play it again. I force myself to stop once I’ve completed the game and I don’t return until withdrawal is complete and I’ve gone back to a normal life. When I do decide to play a game, I resign myself to the fact that this little box of goodness is going to be my life for the next week (or longer). I accept that I will be sleep deprived; that I’ll be drinking WAY too much coffee to stay up and that I will miss out on other things until it’s completed. I also avoid buying new releases… ever. That’s not easy… I followed the Halo3 release with a fervor that you cannot possibly imagine. But I didn’t buy. I was a good girl. And now that it’s passed, the only torture I endure comes during NFL Halo3 commercials. I get goosebumps… but I survive.

Staying in control of our weaknesses is necessary to achieve balance. Before I began to force myself to take breaks in between game “sessions” I literally would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning every night. I was tired… but more importantly I was missing out on real life! When we allow our vices to take control, we lose sight of what’s happening now and what matters now. Being in control not only allows you to find balance, but it is empowering. There is something amazing that happens when you look at something that you would never say no to, and you turn around and walk away. Suddenly, you have faith in yourself. You believe in your ability to achieve whatever you want. Something as simple as saying no to a game, to a piece of pie, to a person’s invitation can give you empowerment and pride; in turn it can evolve into the power you need to achieve your dreams.

Never deny yourself your vices completely. Err… unless it’s heroine or something sketchy like that. Give yourself the things that bring you joy, but make sure you balance them against the other aspects of your life. Stay in control and your ability to achieve is endless. Oh, just so you know, I am in the closet… lets face it. There aren’t a lot of girlfriends out there who will understand ditching a shopping trip to sit in front of a computer and shoot bad guys. It’s not much of a secret now though. I suppose today’s post is my coming out party.

Hello. My name is Bluskygirl and I am a Gamer. I have been game-free now for… ummm… well, since I woke up this morning to go to work. 

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Fruit is underused by so many people. It’s also misused. Some claim the sugar content is to high; others mistakenly believe that they’re getting all the benefits of fruit from the juice they drink. Wrong! There are so many great things about fruit that are lost when it is juiced. My son loves fruit. He’ll eat any kind of fruit I put in front of him. In fact, each night before he goes to bed he asks, “Mom? If I stay in bed can I have strawberries (or an apple, banana, etc) for breakfast?” 80% of the time he’ll choose fruit over fruit gummies or other sugary treats. It got me thinking that he could teach us all about how much we can get out of adding a few servings of fruit to our diet. Here is my list of the top 5 healthiest fruits and why.

• Berries. If I took the time to break them down, they would take up all five slots on my list. Blueberries top this “sublist” in that they contain 14 mg of Vitamin C in one cup and are filled with antioxidants. Then there’s strawberries, blackberries, cranberries, and the list goes on. Berries are extremely nutrient-dense. A one cup serving has less than 50 calories and packs a serious punch. Berries should always be purchased organic. Pesticides are not only very heavily used on berries to increase yield, but also have an ability to retain the chemicals which are used. Check out my article on buying organic if you’re interested in learning more.
• Cantaloupe. Cantaloupes have significant amounts of Vitamins A and C and are a good source of potassium and other minerals. In fact, a one cup serving will provide you with more than 100% of your daily requirement of Vitamins A and C, as well as good amounts of Vitamin B6, Folate and Dietary Fiber. It packs an extra bonus in that it is very sweet and juicy. When you’re fighting a big time sugar craving, this is the fruit to go to (and at roughly 60 calories per serving, you can’t go wrong)! It is primarily in season from June to August, but these days you can typically find it year-round at your local grocery store. Since we don’t eat the rind of this fruit, it is generally safe to buy non-organic.
• Grapes. Grapes are low calorie, sweet and wonderful in texture. Aside from providing a good amount of manganese, these gems are packed with flavonoids. Flavonoids have been found to protect blood vessels, enhance Vitamin C uptake, and even control inflammation. Generally, the more purple/red the grape is, the more flavonoids they contain. A one cup serving is just 60 calories… beat that snickers. Add this fruit to your must-eat-organic list.
• Apples. So yeah, there’s really something to “An apple an day keeps the Doctor away“. Besides being rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C, a group of chemicals in apples could protect the brain from the type of damage that triggers neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies done at Cornell University found that the apple phenolics, which are naturally occurring antioxidants found in fresh apples, can protect nerve cells from neurotoxicity induced by oxidative stress. Apples are another good sugar-buster, and studies have found that organic apples actually contain higher levels of phenolics than pesticide-laden alternatives. Why? The apples that have to defend pests on their own create more phenolics to defend themselves.
• Tropical Fruits. This might not have been the expected 5th choice for the list, but I think there are so many great benefits to nearly all fruit in this category not to mention how absolutely divine they taste. If you’re an athlete then you already know what a banana can do for you! While bananas are probably the most common tropical fruit there are many others to take advantage of. Here’s an article which boasts the benefits of pineapples, bananas, papayas, coconuts and more. While these fruits are generally higher in calorie content and fat, they make up for it in flavor and nutrients.

Here’s how you can make fruit work for you (besides all the healthy benefits they provide). For the next week, instead of your typical sugar fix… candy, soda, cookies, etc… eat a piece of fruit instead. Overtime, you body adjusts to crave what it has been given. If you replace your sugar craving with fruit instead of sweets, eventually you’ll find that what you crave is that piece of watermelon or pineapple… not the m&m’s. Experiment in your produce isle and find your own top 5 favorites. No matter what you choose you can’t go wrong.

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