May 04, 2007

Crabby's Ten Health Commandments


Don't worry, these aren't the bossy kind of Commandments. Loyal readers are not being exhorted (yet, anyway) to do or not do any of these things.

Rather, this is a list presented simply to let all of you know what Crabby tries to do in her own life. Having scrounged around all kinds of interesting back alleys of the internet in search of readers, Crabby realizes you all come here with your own unique perspective on health.

Among you are writers, scientists, feminists, hard-core dieters, natural-foods aficionados, cream-filled apple donut addicts, environmentalists, fitness board fanatics, mammary-googlers, triathletes, and who knows who all else. Crabby loves this diversity and also knows that it means many of you will find this list annoying in one way or another.

Be that as it may, these are Crabby's Ten Health Commandments (to herself).

Thou shalt:

1. Do some sort of exercise every day (aiming for about 400 calories worth--4 miles walking or jogging for those of average weight).

2. Make sure that at least every other day (but optimally 4-5 times a week), said exercise is aerobic.

3. Perform some Unpleasant Strength Training 2-3 times week.

4. Stretch most days in order to get out of bed without moaning.

5. Eat enough Virtuous Healthy Food (about 85-90% of total calories) to as not to feel guilty about eating Complete Crap for the remaining 10-15%. Virtuous healthy foods include lean protein, whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables and "good" fats. (There are lots more specifics here which Crabby will bore you with in future posts).

6. Seek variety and hedonistic pleasure in Virtuous Healthy Foods so as to encourage the consumption of them. (This is made easier by the news that red wine, coffee, chocolate, cheese, nuts, avocados, honey, and even beer have all now been redefined as Virtuous Healthy Foods).

6. Watch portion sizes even of Virtuous Healthy Food so as not to Consume more calories than are Expended.

7. Endeavor to do some sort of breathing/relaxation activity if signs of stress become apparent.

8. Appreciate the consistent wonderfulness of spouse, and take time to enjoy family, friends, and cat.

9. Appreciate great music, the outdoors, fine art, literature, and even the Big Ass HDTV if something good is on.

10. Do a bunch of other Important Things that Crabby can't remember right off the top of her head (that would in any event keep the list from being a nice even 10).

Please readers, feel free to share any Good Health Commandments you live by too. Or trash Crabby's (nicely). Either way is good.

10 comments:

  1. I know- number 10 can be to drink water. Love the list!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm real bad. I eat crap and don't exercise, but I do drink lots of virtuous health foods :P and enjoy the relaxing activities like video games, computers, literature etc. even without doing said healthy stuff.

    Though, stress exercises sound good coz I'm getting some of that at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey, I am actually already doing over half of these. That surprised me. I subsitute mowing the lawn for a walk. We've got a big lawn and orchard and I divide it into three.

    And I am so pleased that avocados have been moved onto the good food list. Love them. Just waitng for cream filled apple donuts to join them!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What about where you make or order a salad roll with no butter or mayo. Then you have to order something like a danish to counteract the salad? Isn't that a balanced meal?? lol

    ReplyDelete
  5. I do many of these things already. Stretching is Very Good Advice. And I'm glad you included breathing/relaxation. That's also Very Good Advice.
    Sadly, I don't own a Big Ass television although the average screen TV gets the job done.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hmm, I thought I commented here last night but I don't see the post. Will try again.

    If fact I distinctly remember expressing gratitude for the water reminder from Samanatha (I've been slacking on the water drinking), and gently chiding benjamin to get away from his computer and go outside (but then taking it all back and just being glad he stopped by).

    I don't even have word verification on anymore, so I must have forgotten to hit publish. Duh.

    Anyway--Dawn! Good morning! Do you actually mow all that without having the lame american-style riding lawn mower? I'm impressed. That definitely counts as exercise. And lets hope for new donut related research that turns them into Virtuous Healthy foods.

    And welcome Cactusfreek, thanks for stopping by! Cactusfreek is indeed a Cactus Freak, (she has cacuts graphics available too, for other Cactus freaks) and she maintains many fine blogs including one on weight loss.

    And leah--I'm betting your commandments are probably healthier and more rigorous than mine, so I'm glad you didn't embarrass me by listing them.

    And we Love our Big Ass tv. It was an excessive purchase that we debated about for years--but we've stopped going out to movies much and they're just not the same on a small screen. I would take a bean bag chair and sit about two feet from the tv in order to feel like I was watching a movie.

    Seeing that pathetic behavior, Sympathetic Spouse decided it might be time for an upgrade.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Three of ten isn't bad, right? The walking is my first choice an it's a good thing that beer is good for you now. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm neither cream filled nor addicted to apple donuts (I'm just a grammar prig), but I do find the list potentially useful. With the possible exception of unpleasant weight training. I hate unpleasantness of every kind. I do try to climb Nob Hill from the bottom and then do a lunch-hour walkabout whenever I can during the week. Cf. the American Heart Association's Start! Walking at Work campaign. Gardening can be somewhat aerobic, or pushing a heavy mower as Dawn does. I don't understand why anyone drinks soda -- liquid sugar. I'm with Samantha on drinking water. Then you get up to pee at all hours and that's a tiny bit of exercise right there.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for stopping by, Harbormaster!

    And hi again appleton!

    Your routines sound quite sensible and healthy.

    And yeah, I tend to get the same sort of "nightly exercise." I never seem to remember to drink enough water until evening, so I drink a bunch then, and have to get up a couple times. You'd think a some point I'd get wise and consume more earlier in the day, but I just don't think about it until I start getting thirsty, usually in the evening.

    Ok, now I'm off to get a glass of water.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That is a wonderful list! Thanks you for sharing with the rest of us :)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting, Cranky Fitness readers are the BEST!

Subscribe to comments via RSS

(Note: Older Comment Threads Are Moderated)