Exercise, Antioxidants, and Phytonutrients, oh my!

Day two at the gym went pretty well although not as beautifully as yesterday. My muscles were stiff. Plus, I slept well after having exercised yesterday, which made me reluctant to get out of bed.

Dr. Perricone's book makes some interesting points. When he talks about his plan, he talks about an increase in energy. To my way of thinking, beauty comes from energy. Statues couldn't possibly be fascinating in the way that a real, live person with ideas and thoughts and experiences is. But, if the person is too tired or too depressed to share with others, they aren't as beautiful.

But, he's serious about all kinds of beauty -- internal and external. The first order of business is to reduce inflammation. Inflammation leads to acne, wrinkles, heart disease, cancer and other problems.

Phytonutrients are important in combating the inflammation. He says to look at colorful food as an indication of phytonutrients and to eat as great a variety of colors as possible. (Side note: this is difficult for me to reconcile with the locovore movement, which doesn't always have as many foods available at once.) Antioxidants are a big topic too. I'd never heard of an ORAC score before, but it is the oxygen radical absorbence capacity. The USDA has an interesting study here.

So I can tell there are so many details to learn about food consumption that will help me feel stronger and healthier. The exercise is helping, and I'm enjoying looking for colorful foods to eat. The cherries from the grocery store are bright, cheerful and delicious.

Gym Day

G-Day came early. That's right. G-y-m day. I'll be honest. Rolling out of bed and getting on the elliptical trainer was hard. I hit snooze so many times that I missed my chance for strength training. That rolls around on the schedule again on Wednesday, so I'll just keep moving forward.

As added incentive to arrive at the gym on a daily basis, my shampoo and make up have been strategically relocated to my locker. The thought of arriving at work without freshly washed hair and make up is terrifying. Calling into work dirty just won't fly.

The actual workout felt pretty good. Some of the tight muscles in my lower back and hips started to relax. My back popped a little bit and everything felt more comfortable. I was completely awake when I arrived at work and I felt happy inside as if I were savoring a delicious secret. I'm ready to do it again tomorrow, but I am taking some ibuprofen prophylacticly.

Reading The Perricone Promise is on tonight's to-do list. If I want to be healthier and feel better, then I should certainly read about how to be more youthful. I understand that Dr. Perricone recommends anti-oxidants. I adore blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. It won't take much encouragement to eat those.