Monday, April 13, 2020

Nutritional Basics for Healthy Living

Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail

We’ve all heard it before: Exercise 60 minutes a day, Drink 6-8 glasses of water each day, Start the day with a healthy breakfast, Get at least 7 hours of sleep, Limit the time that you are sedentary to no more than 2 hours per day, so on and so forth…



Each time we hear it we think “I’ve got to loose weight… I should start exercising tomorrow…” or some variation on the theme.
But now many of us are taking it seriously. Now, more than ever, we need to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. Life has shown us that tomorrow is not guaranteed! Who knows what could be next? Who can say why that person recovered, or why this person succumbed to their medical emergency? Was it due to how fit they were, science says that it factors in. 

We cannot control our genetics, but we can be as prepared as possible for what lies ahead. 

And our diet plays a crucial role in it. None of us are going to leap from couch potato to a super(wo)man version of ourselves overnight. We can shop for a cape with the “S” on it later!

But today, we can change one thing in our habits, our daily routine, and embrace a healthy diet. From author Michael Pollan’s book “Food Rules…an Eaters Manual” he says…

” If it came from a plant, eat it: If it was made in a plant, don’t”. My father used to say that it is better to do the maintenance on the car than pay for the repairs. 

We need to do our own maintenance on ourselves, personally, my “Check Engine light” has started to come on as I age, reminding me how important daily exercise and diet are to my well-being.
Remember “Tomorrow belongs to tomorrow”, but if we wake up today armed with the knowledge that yesterday we made a single step towards bettering ourselves, then today’s trek is more inspired, and we are on the road to a better version of ourselves.
Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail


- Dennis Jones Friend of the Pacific Electric Trail
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Friday, April 10, 2020

Managing Stress Through Uncertainty

Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail

Photo by Fauxels

It feels completely unnatural to be isolated from our friends and families but by honoring social distancing, each of us can make a significant difference in reducing the spread of this pandemic. We are all accountable to ourselves and each other and this is the time to do our part for our communities.

                        Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
Each of us react to stress differently and though it might feel familiar, this type of stress is uniquely personal and challenging to navigate. What we all have in common, unfortunately, is this Covid-19 global pandemic. No one is immune to the effects of stress that we’re experiencing as we “Shelter in Place” (SIP).








Even in a crisis, you can still limit your stress levels by keeping your immune system healthy to help reduce your likelihood of getting sick. Prolonged stress can result in a weakened immune system over time.
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

  •  Be kind to yourself and listen to your inner voice urging you to slow down.
  •  Incorporate relaxation habits like meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, and visualization techniques.
  •  Exercise daily to help strengthen your immune system, as individuals who exercised regularly are less likely to come down with colds than their more sedentary counterparts.
  •  Eat a balanced diet and get 6-7 hours of sleep
  •  Play music that you can sing and dance to

“Long-term Temporary”

                 Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

We’re not used to spending extended time at home but for today, this is the drill. Many of us are trying to stay connected by calling our circle of friends and family regularly to have “actual conversations” that provide immediate comfort. 
Just the sound of our loved one’s voices laughing as we catch up with each other on the phone is positive, reassuring and healing. Others will text, post, etc. to feel like they’re not alone. 
For the first time, we’re adjusting to have to celebrate birthdays, graduations, and holidays apart from each other. For too many the trauma of not having a service for those who lost their battle with COVID-19 is unthinkable leaving us to feel incomplete-

   It’s like being suspended in time or “on hold” and we’re left to grieve privately at home, when all we want to do is hug our loved ones and comfort each other and heal our broken hearts.


                                                                         Photo by Engin Akyurt from Pexels

Hopefully we’re balancing “screen-time” with other creative activities that provide outlets for relieving stress such as: gardening, painting, crafts, music, baking, photography, woodworking or perhaps "journaling". Many of us are “blessed with work” and are catching up on all the home projects that we put off for another day, well that day is today. For those of us who find comfort in writing, this might be the perfect time to start a daily journal. Consider it as a positive gift for yourself to record your personal journey of coping with this quarantine that has forced us to re-adjust just about everything we find familiar. When this pandemic is finally over, sometime in the future, there will be thousands of us who will share our stories that defined the personal journey we took together and find out just how much we all truly have in common. Our need to stay connected and feel that together we prevailed and will help us heal.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

“Shelter in Place” for the human race.


Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail

-Victoria Jones Friend of the Pacific Electric Trail
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Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Present Traumatic Stress Disorder

Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail
No one could ever imagine that collectively we would be experiencing a global pandemic of this scale.  We are navigating a terrain that is foreign, uncharted and unimaginable.  As parents we naturally want to protect our families and reassure them that we will always be there and keep them from harms way.  How then, as we “Shelter in Place”, “are we to protect them from the daily health realities that we’re all struggling with? 
Photo by Marcus Aurelius



Collectively, we are thrown “off balance” which is unfamiliar.  We are social by nature and now we are expected to do what is “unnatural”, isolate.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the common acronym used to describe the symptoms caused by witnessing or experiencing first-hand unimaginable images and events.  What we’re experiencing now is PRESENT Traumatic Stress Disorder.  With the current COVID-19 Pandemic health reports and projections, this condition will be with us for some time and will permanently change how we prepare for emergencies. This is the new reality. The uncertainty of the unknown global effects are difficult to accept or understand. We are witnessing global statistics and images that directly affect our overall mental health.
Photo by Eric Antunes from Pexels
 

All the while, we are searching for a limited supply of items that we once took for granted. We look for guidance from our public health experts who convey their predictions and recommendations to slow the spread and take precautions and honor Shelter in Place, (SIP),  The ongoing images of stress and exhaustion on the thousands of faces of our doctors, nurses and those in our front line of defense as they struggle to keep-up with the mounting numbers of patients is staggering.
Photo by Negative Space
Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels
This collective undercurrent of fear can manifest as: anxiety, stress, insomnia, fatigue, helplessness and isolation.  Since it’s happening 24 hours a day, we are actually experiencing “PRESENT Traumatic Stress Disorder” on an hour to hour basis, with no relief in sight.  Add to that, daily updates on new cases of Covid-19, we are witnessing thousands of businesses that have had to make difficult decisions to close their doors, employees who are now un-employed, and an uncertainty of how this crisis will effect our future.  Our public health leaders are urging us to protect ourselves, families and communities by respectively honoring safe distancing of six (6) feet and wear masks when in public.  
Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels
Enormous thank you to our local restaurants are stepping up to provide meal delivery to customers and in some instances are donating meals to hospitals to feed our overworked, courageous doctors, nurses, EMT’s and hospital staff that are in the front lines.

Meditation -  Get comfortable, close your eyes, breath slowly in and out, focus on the breathing, immerse yourself completely.  Make is a daily habit, practice at least once a day.  Focus on slowing each inward breath.  Mentally visualize relaxing each body part beginning with your feet.
Our coping skills have never been tested like this before because we are unprepared for to cope at this level for weeks, months or longer.  Coping skills can be different for each of us, here are just a few:

Exercise – Get outside for fresh air and sunshine, exercising releases mood-boosting endorphins, reduces stress and anxiety and is beneficial to overall wellness.
Deep breathing   -  Is calming and directs attention away from fearful or stressful thoughts.  Breath in and our deeply through your nose slowly, exhaling slowly through your mouth.  Repeat a phrase over and over that is calming and peaceful.



Smile   -  Smile with your whole face -  smiling can help you and others feel connected.
Botanical scents   – Fresh herbs pined to your collar such as Lavender, eucalyptus, help relax your mind.
Music  -  Listening to your favorite music is calming, maybe sing along or invite others to sing along with you,
Social Support – Sharing your experiences with others who can truly empathize will help you feel less alone.  Stay connected via phone, social media, waive to your neighbors
Laughter  -  Find something each day that makes you laugh.  It is one of our most human qualities and science has proven the healing benefits of it and the best part is that its free.
Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail

-Victoria Jones Friend of the Pacific Electric Trail
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Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Mental Fitness

Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail

Due to the impact of Covid-19, our world CHANGED! 

Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels
 Seemingly overnight, how we live, work, and play is unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. This period of history will be dissected, discussed, and hopefully a solution swiftly developed. Until then, we need to stay healthy and safe.


As we take action to stay healthy, we often don’t think about the secondary benefit of our mental wellbeing. Taking a jog, walk, skate, ride a horse or bike on the Pacific Electric Trail not only is great physically, but boosts our mental health fitness.

At first you may notice people smiling and saying hello, or deep in thought. 


Photo by Matteo Badini from Pexels



Notice more subtle experiences like taking in the beautiful panorama of the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, or a whiff of orange blossoms at this time of year. A 2019 study published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that physical activity is an effective prevention strategy for depression. Another 2015 paper found that exercise can be as helpful in treating mild to moderate depression as antidepressants and psychotherapy.


Whatever activity you choose to maintain your physical strength, notice the benefits to your mental healthiness too!
Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail
- Victoria Jones Friend of the Pacific Electric Trail
Visit our Website more information
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Friday, April 3, 2020

Fitness from Home

Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail
Fitness experts encourage folks to exercise at home as much as at the gym to adopt fitness that is sustainable and as a lifestyle habit. The take home is to commit to your daily health habit religiously, no matter how small, just put on your workout gear and go!
                                         Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Create a routine that works all the major muscle groups that might include something fun like creating an Indoor Obstacle course throughout your house.  Think “outside the Box” and get the family involved by creating a “Scavenger Hunt” in and around your home to get the heart pumping while having fun!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

A warm-up could be an easy walk outside in your own neighborhood that helps with digestion and helps you sleep better.  That walk is also beneficial to good mental health, remember to respect social distancing while you remember to smile and waive to your neighbors along the way.
Photo by Elina Sazonova from Pexels




Consider adding Yoga stretching as a way to exercise your body while calming your mind.
Location, location, location.   Designate and dedicate a spot in your home for your daily workouts. Consider exercising in your backyard or patio as a welcome change of venue.  Exercising in nature gives you the added benefit of fresh air and sunshine to help calm a stressful mind.





Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail

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Wednesday, April 1, 2020

A Holistic Approach to Wellness

Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail
The healthiest approach to weight loss is a comprehensive lifestyle change that will boost your overall health and wellness.
Photo by Nathan Cowley from Pexels
Create a plan that provides long-term benefits to your health and set realistic goals that include exercise, to boost your physical and mental health.
Consider for the first week you can focus on reducing sugary drinks with water as a way to flush your system, then follow that up by completely replacing sugary drinks with water.”
These small changes compound and become new, sustainable habits that effect your overall well- being.
In the midst of the current Covid-19 pandemic, many are taking additional precautions to stay healthy and strong.

Washing hands for 20 seconds, without fail and practicing social distancing are essential in preventing the spread of the virus for each and every one of us.
Photo By Burst from Pexels 


It is just as important to have a strong immune system that can fight back against the germs you may encounter.

Pay close attention to any changes in your health such as feeling fatigued, insomnia due to stress, or have other symptoms you can’t understand, it may mean your immune system is weakened.




1. Your colds are more frequent
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
It’s perfectly normal for adults to sneeze and sniffle through two to three each year. Most people bounce back in seven to 10 days.  However, during that time, it takes the immune system three to four days to develop antibodies.







2. Your Stress Level remains Sky-High
Photo by Andrew Neel from Pexels
Long-term stress weakens the responses of your immune system according to the American Psychological Association.  Stress decreases the body’s lymphocytes, the white blood cells that help fight off infection. The lower your lymphocyte levels, the more you’re at risk for viruses like the common cold.

If you’re constantly catching colds – or have a cold that linger – that’s a clear sign your immune system is struggling to fight off exposure to other illness.



3. You’re experiencing Increased Stomach Troubles
Photo by Kat Jayne from Pexels

If you have frequent diarrhea, gas or constipation, it could be a sign that your immune system is compromised due to stress, exposure, etc.
Research shows that nearly 70 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive tract. The beneficial bacteria and microorganisms that live there defend your gut from infection and support the immune system.


4. Your Wounds Are Slow to Heal
Photo by Pixabay



The healing process depends on healthy immune cells to repair wounds.
But if your immune system is compromised, your skin can’t regenerate. Instead, your wounds linger and have a hard time healing.










5. You Feel Tired All the Time
Photo by Pixabay

If you’re suffering from exhaustion due to insomnia or stress, it’s worth considering your immune system is trying to tell you something.
Your body is trying to conserve energy to fuel your immune system so it can fight off germs that you may have been exposed to.





6. Boost Your Immune System
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

A few lifestyle changes and new habits can naturally keep your immune system healthy and strong:


o A balanced diet is essential

o Get enough sleep – consider what robs your sleep and remedy it

o Exercise regularly – practice breath control when exercising

o Wash your hands with soap and warm water, especially when returning home

o Keep up with your vaccines and medications

o Maintain a healthy weight

o Don’t smoke

o Try to minimize stress

o Frequent those things that make you laugh, there is no healthier activity for the body. Laughter    increases enzymes that boost your immune system

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