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Happiness and Mildred’s Mistep

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“In here is the sitting room.  I do all my sitting here.  I’m becoming quite an expert here… at sitting.”

A favorite line from the 1945 movie version of Mildred Pierce with Joan Crawford.  Her trust-fund boyfriend tells her this once he’s become the ultimate procrastinator and mooch, and is being forced to sell his grand mansion.  Instead of kicking him to the curb, she buys his house (sitting room and all) and marries him!

Whaaaat?

She should have done some spring cleaning!

As the plot sickens (that’s not a typo), we find out our heroine has ulterior motives for wedding Mr. Do Nothing.  She wants to appear upper crust to please her relentlessly spoiled daughter.  Her despair balloons, however,  as she becomes mired in disorganization and excess; never enough for the insatiable child.

Our lives are not a movie script, I realize.

We are indeed our own screenwriters, however, crafting the sequence of events that might allow us happiness through order and simplicity — and, fortunately, we don’t require great plot twists.  As the weather warms, this is an inspiring time of year to hone our scripting technique.

Let’s begin with the impetus to inspire you toward more order…

A study on happiness, (reported in Reader’s Digest, March 11, 2010, and printed in the book, The Longevity Project, Hudson Street Press) followed 1500 people for 80 years.  Incredibly impressive research for sure.  The outcomes are intriguing…

People who were “conscientious” or were described as having “a good head on their shoulders” were the “winners,” living longest.  Why?  Conscientious people were most likely to develop healthy patterns they were able to maintain.  Sorry Billy Joel, you were wrong, the good do not die young.  Here’s what they had in common to support their patterns:

  • A job in which they felt engaged
  • An education
  • A healthy, stable, close relationship
  • Involvement with community

“People who are most involved and dedicated to accomplishing things” are most happy, which leads to health, which leads to longevity.

How do we get started?  First, don’t spoil your bratty daughter.  Oh, I digress again!  No, the research states that it helps to surround yourself with those who are dedicated, engaged and responsible.  Positive peer pressure does make a difference.  It rubs off.

Second, for you hands-on folks, here is a quick tip for ordering paper clutter on your desk that you can share with your buddies for good peer pressure:

Touch paper only once until it needs to be acted upon.  To do so, file papers in one of two places:

  1. “Permanent action files,” and then add the “action” to your “to-do” or task list; OR
  2. Archival files for referral to down the road – but do it right away, rather than making a pile.

Bottom line, tips are great, and we know so many of them.  Why don’t we do them?  Because we need that gosh darn village to cheer us in the right direction, rather than away.  Quite simply, by being around those who have orderly patterns, you’ll have more potential to become orderly too.

In some fields we call this, “Vicarious Resiliency.”  By choosing jobs, people, and hobbies that lead you in a healthy direction, wellness becomes the path of LEAST resistance.

Had Mildred only known!  Had she dumped the deadbeat boyfriend and stuck to her skilled and ordered business plan, and to her core values of dedicated hard work, she’d have been rich like a queen; and maybe her bratty little daughter wouldn’t have pushed her to the brink (I won’t spoil the plot twists but let’s just say it didn’t end well for bratty).

“Oh boy!  I’m so smart it’s a disease!”  – said by Wally, Mildred’s very organized manager pal.

Happy spring cleaning everyone!

See YOU on the green and flowery PATH Ahead.

Cleaning Calories

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It’s Passover and almost Easter (“Peastover” in my family)

Holiday hosts are scurrying around cleaning, cooking, cleaning, cooking, and did I mention cleaning?

Lest you think your exercise routine is going to the matzah (or to chocolate eggs)…

Remember that many household chores burn ample calories.  Here’s a list:

  • Cleaning (general):  5-6 cals per minute
  • Cooking:  3-4 cals per minute
  • Dancing: 4-5 cals per minute (what? Maybe you are dancing while dusting?)
  • Doing Dishes:  2 cals per minute
  • Folding Laundry:  3 cals per minute
  • Carrying Laundry Up Stairs:  11-12 cals per minute
  • Ironing:  3 cals per minute (use those arms!)
  • Moving Furniture:  7 cals per minute
  • Scrubbing Floors:  4-5 cals per minute
  • Singing:  3 cals per minute (what??  Doesn’t everyone sing while cleaning?)
  • Sweeping:  4-5 cals per minute
  • Vacuuming: 4 cals per minute
  • Hiding Easter Eggs: 3 cals per minute (not on the list, but fun!)

Now…  There is much debate about these activities being on our PATH list and conversion tool.  Some people write to us unhappy, saying it’s too easy for people to get credit for things they do every day — that it’s not hard work.  These noble exercise purists should be lauded for their dedication.  Nevertheless, we all must “start where we are” (title of a popular book by renowned Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron).

For beginners, cooking may be more than that person has done in many days, weeks or months.  Credit for moving forward is worthy, in our book.  Any jumping-off-point has value simply because jumping off happens.  Ramping up to the launch pad takes mighty effort.  For anyone who has strayed from a desired PATH, you are well aware of the painstaking process.

For those beyond beginner level, those well in flight, be satisfied that you are free of the launch pad and focus on your journey forward.

The PEASTOVER lesson:  Take credit for active movement you do outside of your normal daily routine.  In the grander scheme of life: take credit for every action of yours that is out of the ordinary.  Hmmmm, I was going to edit that sentence but realized I really meant exactly what I said I liked it.  Use your strengths in new and extraordinary ways, and happiness will follow — and calories.

Chag Samay-ah!  (happy holidays in Hebrew) and Happy Easter!

“Smart Food”

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After reading Gillian’s Wednesday post about brain health, I decided to look into Omega-3 fatty acids, which I vaguely remembered from my days of reading Dr. Andrew Weil’s Eight Weeks to Optimum Health, were important to the health and intellectual performance of the brain. What I didn’t recall is that in addition to significant brain health benefits, studies have also shown benefits related to cancer, cardiovascular disease, delaying the effects of neurological diseases, immune function, mental health, and the development of the eyes and nerves and reducing inflammation. And, in 2004 the FDA gave Omega-3s a “qualified health claim” status indicating that they may reduce the risk of many heart problems. After this refresher, I am convinced I need to pay more careful attention to getting these Omega-3s into my daily diet!

Since these fat compounds cannot be formed in our bodies they must be consumed as part of a healthy diet. There is no daily recommended value for Omega-3s but the sources we considered (1, 2, 3, 4) generally recommend a minimum of 2-3 servings of Omega-3 rich food per week. Many companies are now fortifying foods like pasta, mayo, orange juice, and peanut butter with Omega-3s but why not get it straight from the source? Omega-3s are commonly found in deep water fish, but if you are not a big fish eater, you can find more than adequate amounts in flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans and squash and lesser amounts in cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage.

Excellent sources of Omega-3s:
1) Flaxseeds (2Tb) – throw a tablespoon of ground seeds into your morning smoothie or mix with cinnamon and sprinkle on a sliced green apple
2) Walnuts (1/4cup) – toss a handful of toasted, chopped walnuts into your salad or on top of your oatmeal
3) Salmon (4oz) – choose baked or broiled rather than smoked for higher levels of Omega-3s

Other good sources:
4) Sardines (3.25oz can)
5) Cooked soybeans (1cup)
6) Halibut (baked/broiled) (4oz)
7) Shrimp (steamed/boiled) (4oz)
8) Raw tofu (4oz)
9) Scallops (baked/broiled) (4oz)
10) Winter squash (baked) (1cup)

What are your recipe ideas or tips for working these “smart foods” into your diet?

Smartest Brain Around

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“The brain is wider than the sky.” By poet Emily Dickinson.

Beautifully said.  Neuroscience tells us Emily is right and yet all I can think of is how little brain I must actually be using!

Since that’s a terribly negative angle on things, I’ve decided to re-frame my point of view…

Just in case I happen to discover my inner rocket scientist and suddenly find I have the intellectual capacity to use all that nature has bestowed upon me…  In order to make full use of my very own “Smartest Brain Around,” what would I need to keep it fit and dully ready for Pulitzer Prize action?  I’d need it to be healthy of course!  But how?

Science has been clear on that lately.  So clear in fact, that some days we need to be a rocket scientist just to keep up on all the brain research out there.  It’s an exciting time for the brain!  To simplify, here’s our short list of ways to tackle the “if I only had a brain” conundrum:

1) Keep it rested – Poor sleep digs out cells from the Hippocampus, the area of the brain that helps with memory and learning.  By contrast adequate sleep actually builds more grey matter, helping consolidate memories and learning, thus giving true grit to the problem solving option, “Let’s sleep on it.”

2) Keep it moving – Exercise is a one-two punch for brain health.  First it increases our resistance to “brain insult.”  Don’t-cha love science-speak?  Second, here’s more from the researchers in that joyous pontificating tone:  “Exercise recruits use-dependent plasticity mechanisms that prepare the brain to encode meaningful information from the environment and, at the same time, activates mechanisms that protect the brain from damage.”

So, beyond staving off deterioration, what’s even more exciting is that exercise goes one step further (pun intended) making the brain more “plastic” or better able to learn and grow, at all ages!  Holy cow!  Science is fantastic.

In fact, just to punctuate it further, in an exercise study of 55-80 year old subjects, the brain actually increased in size by 2% when the natural trend is a 1.4% loss.  Some parts of aging present a choice: do it gracefully through exercise.  In this study, subjects walked 40 minutes, three times a week.  That’s pretty doable.  (Science News – Univeristy of Illinois study by Dr. Arthur Kramer)

3) Keep it connected and happy. The brain does better when we are forming and maintaining quality relationships, and when enjoying positive emotions.

4) Keep it thinking. The more you use it, and in new and exciting ways, the better and stronger it gets.

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”  – Charles R. Swindoll

Dr. Bruce Perry, a prominent brain scientist in child development, tells us that the cognitive part of the brain can change throughout our lifetime.  Feed it with music, movement, oxygen (exercise), healthy touch, and happy emotions and your inner rocket scientist has all the chances in the world to be its best, to solve the world’s problems.

Gorgeous crocuses growing impossibly in a rocky driveway patch - Now that's resilient!

Since it’s raining and all my friends are at work, I’m off to do a Soduku while walking on the treadmill listening to Tchaikovsky; Winnie the blog dog snoozing on the recumbent bike seat next to me.  Ahhhhh, life is good.

See you on the PATH Ahead!

“My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.”  –Dalai Lama

Music To My Brains

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Do you ever wonder why music is such a big part of the exercise world?

No, okay well I do. Olga and I wonder about stuff like that all the time.

So there I was reading health news when… This just in…

A study in Nature Neuroscience done by the Neuro lab at McGill University proved that exciting music (as defined by the listener) releases the pleasure chemical, Dopamine.

Study subjects demonstrated a 9-21 percent spike in dopamine while listening to music that consistently “gave them chills.” For context, psychoactive drugs like cocaine cause a 22 percent spike while the pleasure of good food causes a 6 percent spike. The pleasure of sex is somewhere in between, though not yet definitively measured, for obvious reasons (ha!).

So, once again science proves what our belly-button knew all along:  music plays an important role in and is deeply connected to the human condition. Even though it has no apparent use in pure physical survival, societies cannot thrive without it. Dopamine explains everything. Music is officially as exciting and potentially addictive as other intense pleasures.

As a has-been college athlete, I will never forget the feeling of swaggering onto the field in Buckeye Stadium (mid-80’s mullet and all), to the pounding beat and base of Madonna over the crazy-huge sound system.  All the while I was thinking, “Ha-haaa! Little do they know this our psyche-up music too!” I was sure our Michigan Wolverine field hockey team would kick booty as a result.

Funny, I only remember this scene and not the final score that day… Must have blocked it out! But I was truly happy in that moment, totally high on believing, thanks to, gasp, the queen of “Vogue-ing.”

ANYHOOOOO… A better story maybe is that of Rocky’s big comeback song “Eye Of The Tiger,” right? He’s on the beach, sprinting, ripped, tan… Absolute inspiration incarnate. How many people used that song to psyche up for a task after the movie came out? Or “Maniac” from Flashdance. Or “Footloose” from, ah, Footloose… Okay, so I’m a Gen X’er. What’s the problem?

The point is, memories come with music because music oozes enthusiasm, which we crave, deeply. You can’t help but tap your feet and bounce, even just a little. Exercise can be intimidating and uncomfortable for so many of us at times. What better way to re-frame that discomfort by throwing in some powerful enthusiasm, some passion, some fervor!

A great song may be all it takes to turn dread into joyful anticipation. For help to get you started we looked up “Workout Playlists” on Google and, holy cow, did we find a plethora of options. Many come from women’s magazines. If that disappoints you, remember, they’re just a starting point (a tutorial, if you will).

Here are just a few:

  • Women’s Health Magazine
  • Shape  **When you click on the playlist, click away from the “drag this to share” button that pops up so you load the page you want, rather than a share option (unless you actually want to share, then ignore me).
  • Marie Claire
  • Redbook

Two caveats about these links: 1) Try not to look at all the air-brushed-beautitul, skinny people and get discouraged. Instead, fire up about reaching your peak fitness through music and march on past all that. 2) These are just playlists, not the actual songs. You’ll need to go to iTunes or Amazon or the like to purchase any you don’t already own; and, of course, there’s no obligation. The nice thing about iTunes or Amazon is that you can get a taste of the songs to see if you think you’ll be inspired before you buy. Also, in both cases, the artists get paid for their product.

Best of luck to you in your musical endeavors! And please share your favorite psyche-up music with us! See you on the PATH Ahead!

NOTE: We are not endorsing any music, music website, magazine, or fitness product here. We’re just pointing you in the direction of some interesting ideas. We fully endorse paying a fair price for all licensed music. After all, it’s important to feed your source of inspiration, no?

PS.  Olga and Winnie listen to a mix of songs from Glee, the hit TV series about show choir.

Sharing is Caring

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We all love reasons to celebrate at work.
“It’s so-and-so’s birthday, let’s have cake for a 4pm snack!” Or,
“The team has been working so hard, I’ll order in some pizzas for lunch!” Or,
“It’s Friday, here is a box full of doughnuts!” (Enough for us to have at least 2 each!)

We know why we do it.  We love our colleagues and care a lot about our work community as a whole.  Sharing a meal, a treat or a snack together deepens our connection to each other and often allows us a few minutes to share a story or a laugh.   The intention is good — we care, so we share. The problem is in all of those unhealthy choices that seem to have become the norm.

Here at PATH we have been trying to show how we care for our colleagues in new ways. Below are some of the PATH team’s ideas.

6 ideas for sharing at work that won’t derail your health goals:

  1. Bring in a bag of something seasonal (apples in the fall, clementines in the winter, is anything better?)
  2. Soak up some sun! A 15minute lunch-time walk with a coworker (or three!) will give you an energy boost and put a smile on your face for your entire afternoon.
  3. Stretch.  Take 3-5minutes at the beginning , middle or end of a meeting to give everyone some stretch time.  Use chair or walls to deepen the stretch.
  4. Prep some ‘home-chopped’ goodies (cheese and crackers, fruit salad, veggies and dip, celery and peanut butter, the list goes on and on!)
  5. Cook some vegetarian chili or vegetable soup in your crock pot
  6. If you want to bring a baked treat, try finding a healthier version of a favorite treat. I like these muffins from Everyday Food.

Healthy Morning Muffins

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup skim milk
  • 4 medium carrots, shredded
  • 1 medium ripe banana, mashed

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. In a
large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt until there are no lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots, and banana and
stir until blended.

Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in
center of a muffin comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.

Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 3 days.)

A Health Thriller

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Yesterday was World Health Day.

I know, I know, this day then that day. Everything’s got a day.

Maybe look at it this way…  Isn’t it exciting!?  Every day is a new day!

Now, back to yesterday…

World Health.

There are many health issues (and disparities) that affect all those who inhabit this Earth. Clean and accessible  water, clean air, health care, sugar, salt, fat, oh my!  The list is huge and highly political.

Ugh, again, I’ve daunted you (wait, is that even a verb?).  Sorry, we in public health tend to do that with our passion.  Thus, to ease anxiety, we have focused on one key issue this year, drawing your attention to…  Wait for it…  Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) or drug resistant pathogens (bugs).

Sexy, right?

Whew!  Start the parade!

If you think about it, though, it’s a big one.  Superbugs are on the move.  Rich with accusations, fraught with risk, and rife with confusion, this story could be quite the thriller…

Chapter One – The Accusations:

The consensus is that the general public has played its part in drug resistance by:

  • Taking antibiotics too often or for the wrong reason; and/or
  • Not finishing a course of antibiotics as prescribed because we either feel better and forget, or because we are hoarding the cure for later if symptoms re-appear.

The general public also likes to weigh in that drug companies aren’t doing enough with their profits to create new drugs that can beat the resistance, or they cheapen existing drugs so they are not strong enough.

It’s a case of Ye Olde Finger-Pointing Syndrome.

Chapter two – The Risks:

If we believe the accusations, what are the risks?  Check out the current list of drug resistant pathogens from the Centers for Disease Control.  It’s freaky.  (Warning: Don’t look if you have a Chicken-Little type of constitution like me.  Before you know it you’ll be roaming the streets yelling.)

Malaria is a kingpin bug that has flourished in this finger-pointing mess.  While we’ve been arguing, it’s become resistant to conventional treatment, especially in poverty stricken areas.  Treating it is a mean feat, with near dark-ages knowledge.  Were it to be eradicated, mortality and quality of life worldwide would change dramatically.

Likewise, we practically eradicated tuberculosis (TB) in the modern world.  The World Health Organization (WHO), however, says 440,000 new cases of multi-drug resistant TB emerge annually.  Annually!?  The idea that it could resurface out of our neglect is astonishing.

How are we to find a cure for cancer when we can’t stave off basic infections?  How are researchers to keep up when pathogens are bolstered by our misuse or disregard?  And then we point the finger back at drug companies?  I can just see the villagers’ torches swarming.

Chapter three – Confusion and The Red Herring:

It’s important to know that bugs will naturally work to become resistant.  That’s not to say we shouldn’t do our part and avoid speeding the plow.

But accusations are irrelevant if all they do is cut us off from action.

If we chip in and fully educate ourselves on proper treatment, if we also are diligent about following said treatment, and if we allow research to do its handiwork without a pitch-forked mob breathing down its neck, we’ll likely thwart more resistance than not.

Final Chapter:

Here’s the real crux of the issue:  Drug resistant microbes grow when there is “inadequate national commitment to a comprehensive and coordinated response, ill-defined accountability and insufficient engagement of communities.”  (WHO Fact Sheet)

Here we go again…  Other people matter.  And darn it, there it is again…  It takes a village.  A proverb is such for a reason.  Its perfectly concise prose speaks volumes.  Further, every village is ours, especially where infectious disease is concerned.

Do your part by curbing the confusion in your village and by heeding the wisdom of your providers.

Take medication only when it’s right, finish the course, wash your hands, cough into your elbow, wash your hands, oh, and did we say wash your hands?

And support coordinated public health efforts in your community to do the right thing.

Happy World Health Day! And we’ll see you on the PATH Ahead!

PS.  For more on what’s being done about AMR, check out this article from the Journal of Infectious Disease.

What Do You Know?

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Today is National Employee Benefits Day…

How much do you know about your “Benefits Package?”

Seriously.

I know it’s not “sexy” but people are always asking me if their insurance or benefits will pay for outrageous things.  Did you know, in fact, that a person actually tried to deduct “underwear” on his tax returns last year?  But I digress.  The point is we don’t seem to really know our options and where to take advantage, properly.

So…  What are your resources?  We talk to people on a daily basis who are unaware of the vast array of benefits their employer provides.

For example, one of our amazing groups provides its members with $800 a year in cash incentives for participating in health promotion programs.  They work hard on communications and marketing and yet there are still people who are shocked when they discover the benefit.

What’s the deal guys?  Are we that oblivious?

The first year we launched our website, we had a couple people call us in an irate stupor, trying to access our annual PATH Adventure.  They each said, “This site is horrible!  I can’t figure out how to register!”  When we apologized and politely asked, “Did you click the big bold word in the middle of the screen that says REGISTER,” they each sloughed it off without so much as a thank you.

I don’t mean this to be a post condemning all our participants to “idiocracy” as I confess there are huge signs I’ve overlooked.   Check out this one I walked right by as my friend grabbed my jacket and yelled, “Stop!”  What a knuckle head!  I took a picture because I thought it was ironic.  It’s exactly the kind of boundary we all need at times!

Sometimes we just can’t help ourselves.  I get that.  It’s what we do to recover that I care most about.  It’s the “without so much as a thank you” part to which I draw your attention.  It would never occur to me to blame someone else because I didn’t read the big bold print.  I was mortified that I’d passed the Keep Off sign.

In fact, I wouldn’t even blame others if I didn’t read the fine print.  Caveat Emptor, no?  Buyer beware.  In this crazy busy world, with human beings at the core, it’s up to us to dig in and discover what’s available, and to remember to be thankful for the exciting options available.

The case of Employee Benefits is no different.  We are silly if we don’t take full advantage of the support offered to us in return for our blood, sweat and tears.  It’s all part of your total compensation.

Most of us give the best of our heart and soul to our jobs.  Sure, some skate by, but that’s another blog post, and I’m convinced it’s a precious few.  By and large, people want to do good work.  For such effort, people ought to be rewarded.  Employers, by and large, are also good and want their employees to succeed and be well cared for.

Make an effort to better your life today by going to your HR, personnel, benefits or business manager to uncover the depth of resources at your fingertips.  There’s an added layer as well.  Most benefits people work with vendor partners like PATH and insurance carriers to help bring you even more resources for living your best life.  Once you know who these partners are, explore them and find out what they have to offer.

The world is yours!  And there is a host of support waiting to take up your hand when you’re ready.  What better time than now?  Why wait for a crisis?  Investigate, educate, prepare and grow today.

Oh, and because it’s Monday…  Which is usually Olga’s day…  And since she is one of your resources…  She wanted you to have this little tid-bit for exercise at work:

Take the stairs!

What a difference it can make in your day.  Pump that heart, those leg muscles, and all of you – especially when a staircase is this gorgeous!

FYI…  Here’s a great toolkit from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) on making your workplace stairs fabulous:  “StairWELL”

Tell us your favorite worksite benefit.

See you on the PATH Ahead!

Spring Resolutions

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It’s April. A transition month. Here in the northeast, the days are longer, the sun a bit stronger, the snow is receding and the foot traffic around the “loop” in my neighborhood has picked up.  Sure, we got 7 inches of snow on Fri. and the ski mountain is still jammed with people. But if you look closely, here and there are the small, but sure signs of Spring.

For me, more than New Year, the change of seasons inspires my resolutions. This year, my Spring resolution is simple: No Excuses. No more, “I am too tired, too busy, too stressed” to pay attention to my health in some small way, every day. As Gillian said in Wednesday’s post, “There is always something we can do, every day, every hour, to gently improve our well-being, it doesn’t have to be huge, it just has to be. No excuses.”

So I have put a sticky note on my computer screen reminding me to get up and stretch throughout the day. And when I cook tonight’s roast chicken dinner, instead of the usual mashed potatoes and gravy, I’ll be substituting in a whole grain and Spring vegetables with this recipe courtesy of Ina Garten and the Food Network.

Spring Green Risotto

2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
  • 1 cup chopped fennel
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
  • 2/3 cup dry white wine
  • 4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 1 pound thin asparagus
  • 10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, preferably Italian
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving

Directions

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

Note: In an effort to reduce calories, I have had good success preparing this without the butter in step one (sautéing the vegetable in just olive oil) and omitting the mascarpone cheese.

Excuses, Mexspuses…

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Mad Hatter to Alice:  “You’re not the same as you were last time.  You’re much less muchier.  You’ve lost your muchness.” (Lewis Carol, Alice in Wonderland; screenplay adaptation by Tim Burton).

What was that guy smoking?

Actually, silly as he was, he does hit a nerve.  We all lose our much-ness now and again.  As we’ve said, it’s inevitable that excitement about and diligence toward healthy living can ebb and flow.  The real test of fate is how we become much more muchier over time (say that five times fast), allowing each ebb to be a resting place, a launching pad or a gearing up for the jump ahead; where we’ll bound past the place we once stood.  “Reculer pour mieux saute” the French call it — take a step back for a better leap forward.

Even Hatter loses his much-ness when enslaved to make hats for the big-headed queen.  At first he is intoxicated by the challenge, going wild with hatting — his true passion.  But upon realizing he’s been chained to one dimension of his vast creativity, he weeps and bows to impotence.  No muchness in sight.  What saves him?  No excuses for the sake of creative freedom and the promise of happiness.  For Alice, it is the same.  The only way home and to be happy is to live her truth, no excuses.  For both, that means fighting a beastly foe: fear of failure.

“You see,” we often think, “if I act without my much-ness, when I fail, it won’t be because I am incapable but rather because I never really gave it true effort. On the contrary, if I put in all my effort and fail, failure becomes my name.  Call me, her royal highness, Madam Failure Less Muchness.”  (wow, it’s catching)

Fear and fear of failure are at the heart of all excuses.

Time, schmime.  Stress, smesh.  There is always something we can do, every day, every hour, to gently improve our well being, our circumstances on the whole in fact.  It doesn’t have to be huge, it just has to be.  Indeed, as we’ve discussed, huge can be off-putting.

We are not bound by one dimension of wellness.  No big headed queen has chained us to one forced act over another.  We simply have no excuse given the vast array of healthy options abundant on the buffet table.  Further, we are entirely resilient.  Put a barrier in our way and we heft our souls over it, H E double hockey sticks or high water.  Why should health be any different?

Finally, those who do have a built in, seemingly inescapable excuse, (e.g. the wheelchair bound, the arthritic, and so on) find a way.  Paralympics anyone?  I just read about a group of young, visually impaired athletes who plan to summit Mt. Everest.  I dare you to keep up with them.

Sooner or later time and stress have to stop being our top issues.  Sooner or later our lives depend upon it.  The vast majority of us MUST move more and eat at least a little better.

Stick to our mantras:

Love yourself, not perfection.  One degree of change moves mountains.  Be on a continuous spiral up toward optimal health.  All progress is good, all forward motion un-retractable.  No excuses.

See you on the PATH Ahead.