Snow, snow, snow!
February is going out with a bang, indeed.
I got stuck in the driveway yesterday and had to place some wood planks under the back tires to get out. Fun times!!!
Also broke our brand new shovel while shoveling!
Comfort food was in order this morning…
Choco-cado Pumpkin Speltmeal
I have been wanting to try spelt flakes as a hot cereal. I thought I would give it a whirl this morning not really knowing how they would turn out. The spelt didn’t cook as voluminous as oats, so I bulked it up with some pumpkin. Spelt is rich in Vitamin B3, vitamin B1, manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup spelt flakes
- 1/4 cup pumpkin
- 1.5-2 cups water
- Pumpkin Pie spice, to taste
- Pinch sea salt
Toppings:
- Vegan graham crackers
- Cacao nibs
- coconut
- Pure maple Syrup
- Choco-cado pudding (amazing on this!)
The spelt tasted ‘wheatier’ than the oats and it was also chewier. Overall, I prefer the taste of oats, but with some toppings I could barely notice the difference.
Morning pot of Japanese Sencha..zing, zing.
How old do you feel?
Often, I still feel like a university student. One reason why Eric and I are waiting to have kids is because we both still feel so young ourselves. Many days I still feel like a kid myself!
However, this was not always the case. When I was working in my stressful research job while juggling my full-time Master’s degree and teaching position, I felt OLD, old, old. I was stressed out to the max, I started to get fine lines and wrinkles, and I felt like I was at least 10 years older than I really was. I pictured my life as unhappy and stressed out, working at the same job my whole life.
This all changed when I took my life into my own hands and decided to create happiness in my life. After leaving my job, I was even more stressed out, but the difference was that there was now hope. Before, I didn’t have hope because I accepted that I would always be unhappy in my career.
As the months went by in 2009, I started to get myself back. I started to feel energetic, happy, and back to my old self. I started to feel young! I also started drinking Green Monsters and shifted to a vegan diet. I ran my first race and several races after that. I set goals for myself and enjoyed trying to meet them.
I truly believe that to feel young and vibrant, we need to create happiness in our lives one way or another. It is not something that is done overnight; it often takes months, if not years, to get on the path that you desire.
As you may know, some of my favourite books are Dr. Oz’s YOU books. In his book, YOU: The Owner’s Manual, he has a Real Age test. I was curious last night, so I took the real age test online and this is what I got:
I’m almost legal in the US! ;)
I would say that I now feel about 21-23 yrs old most days. When I was stressed out with my previous job and academic career, I felt about 35-38! I’m NOT saying that is old, but what I mean is that I felt like I had much more responsibility than I should have had at such a young age. While I wouldn’t go BACK to my early twenties (I was much more unstable than I am now), I think it is fun to ‘feel’ younger, energy wise.
I took the test several years ago when I was 22 and my score was about 19, so I have brought my real age down by 3 more years since then.
The test asks questions about your health background, your diet, fitness level, family history, drinking habits, etc. It pinpoints areas where you struggle and gives suggestions on how to improve your health.
My questions to you today are:
1) How old are you?
2) How old do you FEEL?
There is a difference most of the time…
~~~
Updates:
Size Healthy around the Blog World:
- Katie: http://www.healthforthewholeself.com/2010/02/size-healthy-contest/
- Pauline: http://eatplaynlove.blogspot.com/2010/02/size-healthy-contest.html
It’s supposed to be a rest day for me, but I have to go shovel the drive-way! Boo urns.
PS- Super scary + nail-bitter ending to the game last night! Very excited for US vs Canada on Sunday afternoon!!!!
Enjoy your Saturday! :)
I’m 23 but I feel all different ages! When I go to bed at 9 PM after reading a book in bed on Friday night, I feel closer to 53 ;). When I’m with my friends from college, I feel like we’re back in college and 20. And then I start freaking out about the future and remind myself I’m 23 and have many years to change career paths!
I’m 23 (but turning 24 on Wednesday!). I don’t know how old I feel, but when I tool that RealAge test a few weeks ago, it said I was 16! People always think I’m younger than I look because I hardly ever wear make-up unless I’m going out for the night…
Ha ha, nice Simpsons reference there with the Boo-urns…
Just got back from a 5k run, so I guess you could say I’m feeling pretty good right now, certainly not older than my chronological age…34 is coming up soon!
I’m obsessed with this blog!!! I love it- you do SUCH a great job. I found it when I made the Vegan switch. SO much more fun to cook this way.
Am 25.7 but RealAge was 19.3! Woo hoo! I normally feel like I’m 19, but when my dog wants to go out at 6am I feel 85 :) Thanks for this.
I’ll be 23 soon, but my “real age” is apparently 15. Um, what? Haha, I guess I do look young for my age… ;)
so funny that you posted this. i wrote on facebook yesterday saying
“if you didn’t know how old you were, how old would you be?”
Because, like weight, i believe age is JUST a number and you are only as old as you feel.
I’ve noticed that it is the most youthful people who make the best parents. Just putting that out there. :)
i’m 36 but feel about 25. sometimes, when i notice signs of aging, i am totally shocked! or when doctors mention this or that is “simply part of the aging process” i can’t believe they are talking to me! i’m just a kid! :-)
Fun! I haven’t taken that quiz in awhile. My calendar age is 31.3, my “real age” is 22.9!!! (oh how I wish!)
I need to ask my mom to take that and let me know what she gets, she is the youngest acting 65 year old I know (running marathons and all).
I’m 25. I feel about 21. I’ve just taken the test that you took and apparantly I’m actually 17.5! That’s impressive. I suppose in terms of energy I’m about that age (I do have a lot of energy, naturally) but I wouldn’t say I feel that way, because I like to think I’m a bit more mature than I was then!
25 but I feel about 21 ;-)
I’m 27, but most days I still feel 18-20, health wise and mentally – LOL! I love feeling like a kid, but I also love independence now. My hubby is 36, and he is so super healthy now, people think he is ~25 or so!
hahaha…. i took that real age test. i’m 26 and it said i’m 17!!!! i couldn’t believe it, haha.
a friend of mine is 30 and her “real age” was 36, she didn’t like that much, hahaha. :) it’s just for fun i think, it’s not like it’s an exact science.
38 but it’s just a number. I feel like I’m in my 20’s still. My real age is 38.8 or 6 months more than my actual age.
I’m 21. I sometimes feel 21, I sometimes feel 12 (like when I see girls my age with children) and I sometimes feel 45 (like when I stay in on Friday nights doing crossword puzzles!)
I just turned 31 this week. Some days I feel young & energetic and other days I feel “old.” I think most of the “old” feelings come when comparing myself to my younger, 20 something days. For example, I like to be in bed by 9pm, 10pm the latest. It is nearly impossible for me to stay up past midnight (like some of my similar aged friends) In hindsight, this is more of a growing up issue and knowing what my body needs/craves = adequate sleep!
Other than that, I think staying fit and eating a relatively healthy diet contribute to my “younger” feeling days. Luckily, I have more of these days than the others.
My Real Age # = 26 :)
I’m almost 21, and it depends on the day! Usually I feel my age, other days I feel beyond my years. Then other days, I feel like I am 15 again! I’m happy, so it really doesn’t matter to me how old I feel… but one day I would like to feel young, even when I am not =D
xo
K
I took this test for a class assignment and I was 14.7 years old–not even the legal driving age here! I’m actually 22 in 1 week from Monday. Wahoo!
The things that were working against me was driving a small car, not flossing daily and other trivial things. Hooray for us youngins :)
I am 29, and I feel, well 29. I don’t know how you are “supposed” to feel at any age. I just took the real age test, and it said I was 27. First, the algorithms on the test are a little messed up, because the fact that you get “dinged” for not knowing an exact number is silly. Second, I think there’s some bizarre paranoia about aging going on here with this test (it’s not that I think it’s a bad test, it’s purpose is clearly to associate detrimental behaviors with decreased life expectancy).
Ultimately, this really got me to thinking about age, and how we (North America, broadly speaking) treat youth as something, ideally, can be extended for as long as possible. Youth is also almost synonymous with being “care free”. Thus, if your “care free” days are over — or you don’t somehow feel as though you are still in your “care free youth”, you somehow feel that you are “old”.
This is ridiculous, because being care free also means that other things aren’t happening – that is, you can’t grow as a person without experiencing some pain. It’s called life. A life with no pain is impossible. I would never want to go back to being 18 or 26 or any age. Some things in life only come with experience, and I’m finally getting to those things. I’ve often looked forward to getting to my 30’s, because I know that I will have the experience to do the things that I want to do with my career. And that’s happening!! Life – a healthy life – is one that experiences aging. Getting older is OK. Being old is OK. It’d better be, or we’re all in for a real crisis situation in the next 20-30 years.
That breakfast looks good. I’ve never tried spelt, but it’s on my (long) list of grains to try instead of oats.
I’m 27 but I feel about 80. I have chronic pain in both knees so most days I feel like a grandmother getting tired while walking and having to sit down after standing for just a few minutes. Other than my knee pain, I feel about my age. But I know that if I could be more active–do cardio longer without feeling pain or just walking around more–I’d feel much better.