Changing Up Meal Time

Eating healthy and a well-balanced diet has always been important in our family.  As the main cook in our household (I use that term lightly) I have found myself in a rut when it comes to meal ideas.  In over 20 years I have had a tendency to stick to just a handful of recipe and meal ideas that to be honest, even I am bored of.  Now this is where I have turned to the dark side (as Mr. Mckee calls it) and grabbed onto technology.  One of my personal goals this year is to come up with and prepare at least one new recipe a week, and I have to say it is going over well.  Google, more specifically Pinterest has been my best friend.  If my family finds a recipe that has a picture that gets their salvia glands rocking, I find it emailed to me pronto. If I have a bunch of avocados I need to use or have taken chicken out for supper, all I have to do is punch in a word and out spits a hundred different options.  I really have no excuses now.

Along with this new recipe of the week, our family has been researching and changing things in our diets trying to find different foods that benefit us and our activities the most.  With different physical make ups, gender, age and energy output, we all seem to require a few tweaks in our food and drink intake compared to the next guy.  What works for one of us doesn’t necessarily work for everyone else, which makes perfect sense being that we are all built different.  Although we all may require different amounts of carbs, proteins and fats, there are some changes that we are making that agree with all of us.  Simple healthier choices like replacing miracle whip with greek yogurt or using apple sauce in place of butter in baking, are easy to do and taste great.

There is no shortage of diets and fads out there, in 45 years I have heard my share.  Instead of jumping on the band wagon of the newest and greatest way to lose 20lbs and have buns of steel, I think it is more important is to learn your own body and what you require to fuel and function to your greatest potential. 

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

 

 

Picture of the week from this past weekend hiking in Jasper. 

With a view like this I really don't know why I come home.

 

The Dangers of Comparing

I read a quote this week making a very simple but true statement: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” I think majority of us can admit to comparing ourselves to someone else at one time or another, whether this is in our work, family, kung fu etc.  I believe it’s built in our human nature to look and take notice of others around us, observing both the successes and failures.  What we choose to take away from our observations is up to us.

In my own family, one activity that we all share an interest in is running.  Now I am not a natural born runner, every kilometer I travel on these two feet, I have to work extra hard to complete. Being surrounded by three boys who seem to have more of a knack for this whole trail running thing than this short legged tortoise making her way through pudding (yes I need this t-shirt), makes it kind of easy to fall into the trap of comparing myself to them. I have caught myself several times feeling frustrated and discouraged with what I see as a lack of progress in myself.  What I have failed to do is to remember why I started running in the first place and what it does for me personally.  I remember very clearly my first runs and how I didn’t even know how to breathe, I felt so tired I started tripping over shadows or that the longest distance I could run was 5km and with every step I was sure I was going to die. Fast forward about 7 years and I find myself still trailing behind my boys, however, with a more positive and cheerful perspective. I have remembered why I do it and where I came from and with that am able to now celebrate my own little successes with the joy and determination to continue to take it to the next level.

I believe that comparing can be dangerous. It is important to remind ourselves that no two people are alike.  Each one of us is built completely different inside and out.  We each have our own limitations, our own life circumstances and experiences along with our own lists of strengths and weaknesses. With all these things considered, our journey and results will differ greatly to the guy sitting next to us. Myself, I am truly inspired by those who things don’t come easy for, the ones that demonstrate the qualities of determination, hard work and commitment with a humble and encouraging approach. When looking at and admiring someone else’s achievements, choose to be happy for, inspired by and driven in a crazy way and rather than comparing ourselves to others find the joy in our own successes.  No matter how small they may seem in someone else’s eyes, they are ours, they are significant and they matter.

Alana Regier

 

Picture of the week, me coming down the dreaded powerline in Grande Cache, doing something that a few years ago I wouldn't of thought I could!

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Fear of the Unknown

Every day, three times a day in fact, I can be found walking our furry family member on a set route around Stony Plain. With each one of these walks I have to pass a fenced yard that has a dog the size of a pony laying and waiting for unsuspected victims. This fence is a tall solid wood one that does not allow a view into or out of the yard, unless of course you are willing to jump and balance on the top rail, which is exactly what this pony sized dog does.  Each day as I approach the yard I imagine what lingers behind it, my heart races and my stomach turns to mush. I cautiously and as quietly as possible try to sneak by all the time waiting for the beast to make his leap off the deck to teeter on the top of the fence with a throaty bark that makes me think he’s coming for my jugular. The knowledge that this property is coming up actually has the power to ruin the peace and tranquility a walk usually gives me, kind of like the jack in the box toy that some demented inventor thought would be a good idea for small children. The unknown of whether he’ll be out or won’t prevents me from not only wanting to go by the yard itself, but in some ways destroying my journey right from the start. The simple answer would be to cross the street and watch him launch at the fence from a safe distance away or to take a different much safer route, however, should I allow fear to keep me from the path I have chosen?

I admit to watching and waiting, from the other side of the street of course, as the unsuspecting group of tough teenage boys get surprised and scream like little girls.  Yes it’s a good chuckle but at the same time I admire their ability to laugh and learn from it, either by walking on the other side of the street or as boys have a tendency to do, dare one another to see how fast they can run by the next time. Unfortunately, as we get older we get more cautious. A lifetime of experiences tells us we are not invincible and we come with a pile of doubts and insecurities that can warp our perspective. Allowing these negative experiences to take over the great possibilities, we can potentially set ourselves up for failure before we even start. To be aware of and look out for this in our own lives, not allowing our perspective to be skewed to a side of the negative can be tough. However, if we instead choose to use the wisdom we have acquired to guide us, we can still strike out on the journey’s we desire and not only find success in what we set out to do but become who we want to grow up to be. The simple fact being that if we aren’t willing to choose to go beyond ordinary we will not accomplish the extraordinary.

The lesson for me in this daily saga is that fear of the unknown and the unpredictable path that life will take has an ability to destroy, cripple and take the enjoyment out of moments and has an incredible power to discourage and alter the choices I make.  I believe a certain level of fear is healthy, what we fear we respect, it’s this healthy level of fear that protects us.  However, if allowed to dominate every choice we make, keeping us safe in our little box, what kind of experiences will we have? What opportunities will we miss? How will we change a life,ours or someone elses?  Stepping out of our comfortable box or pass the tall wooden fence, into the unknown and unpredictable, will give us a chance to experience a journey few choose, give us a range of experiences from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.  It will give us a deeper understanding of ourselves and what we are capable of. It will better prepare us for the roadblocks that come up and better equip us to tear them down, deal with them or at least sneak around them.  

Alana Regier

 My picture of the week!

This would be my guard dog! Picture taken almost a year ago at our garage sale.

 Makes me laugh every time I see it!

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Patience & Faith

With unexpected and unwanted winter storms and mountains of snow that have over stayed their welcome, I have found myself working overtime to try to stay motivated with my training.  I’ve found myself reluctantly strapping on running shoes hoping not to be taken out by ice and the thought of working out in the basement is really not as appealing as in my dreams of green grass and sunshine. As I find myself in my own little pity party, I came across this excerpt in my reading.

“Cultivate patience and a faith that no matter how slow you go, you are still making progress and eventually will reach your destination, as long as you are moving forward.  Picture the Little Engine that could, chug chug chugging repeat, “I think I can, I think I can.” 

I love how words will present themselves at just the right time like they were handpicked for me. I have always and continue to struggle with accepting less than.  When I can’t or won’t meet an expectation I have set for myself I can easily become deflated, which most times results in a trickledown effect causing landslides around me.  So as I continue to move forward with my goals I am having to learn patience over and over again, yes I am a slow learner.  I need to have faith that as long as I continue to act on my intentions I will move forward even if it may be at the back of the pack. I need to accept there are things I can’t change or control but I can always choose how I react to them.  So as I continue to deal with constant knee and more recently neck issues I will continue to repeat “I think I can, I think I can” and keep chugging away.

Alana Regier

http:/alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

Entwining Passions and Goals

We all have lists of things we hope to, want to, intend to and work toward accomplishing.  The trouble is many of these lack the excitement and fun that would make doing them so much easier. If we approached our goals differently, in a way that would ignite a fire under us and give us pure joy, would our results and end products be different?  I believe they would!

Our oldest son is at a point in his schooling where he needs to propose his senior research project.  With the sky being the limit it can be difficult to narrow down a topic and direction and harder yet to do it with an attitude of  ‘I can’t wait to’ vs. ‘I have to’. What he has discovered is that with a different approach that intertwines his passion of ultra-running with that of completing his research project, he has not only discovered a renewed interest and excitement but a project that will also take our family on several trips to the mountains surrounding Grande Cache, a bonus all around. :)

The mundane, dreaded or boring things we need to or should complete, if put together with things we love and are passionate about cannot only accomplish many goals at once but can accomplish them bigger and better changing our perspective and approach to goals we choose or those that choose us. This has proved to be the case with one of my personal goals.  I have over my years in the I Ho Chuan had a couple of goals that never really worked very well for me.  It wasn’t that they weren’t important to me but rather my approach didn’t help all things to work well together.  So this year I incorporated a couple of goals that would not only complement each other but with the twist I am really enjoying.

I have an absolute love of photography.  I have thousands and thousands of photos nicely either in albums, on sticks and on an external drive. The sad thing is I rarely take the time to go through them.  In the same breath I had a gratitude journal that I had intended finishing each day off with some insightful and meaningful words of gratitude.  Well that became boring, not because I didn’t have anything to be grateful for but that I found myself worn out at the end of the day and past the moment of thinking and reliving and noticing the great parts of my day, I was done.

So this year I have put together 2 goals that will complement each other. I have started a computer photo journal.  Once a week I pick one picture and paste it in my journal followed by a journal posting of gratitude and thoughts as I relive the moment that picture was taken.  I have found this has me not only going through my photos, but reminding myself of my experiences, where I came from and all I have to be grateful for in my life. I have also made a point of placing a photo on each one of my blogs, some related to the blog others are just cause they made me smile.

intertwining our passions with our goals makes the journey all the sweeter.  Whether it’s coming up with a research project or a list of personal goals for your I Ho Chuan year, combining them with your passions they become truly personal, meaningful, more motivated and at the end of the day more successful.

Alana Regier   
http:/alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

This is a picture of my grandpa in the place he loved the best doing what he loved most, mountains and fishing!  I guess the love of the mountain beauty and atmosphere has proven to be hereditary! A gentle and loving reminder of where I came from, bringing floods of wonderful memories of a dearly loved man!

 

 

 

Vileda vs. Coffee Pot

A New Year, new weapon and new form!  As this year begins a little late for me, I do feel a little behind the ball with my weapon and form.  With spear as my weapon of choice, I am finding it challenging to find the space it requires to learn and practice this time of the year. So as I find myself surrounded by mountains of snow my practicing space seems a little limited, hence I have grabbed my vileda broom. As I go through my day and find myself thinking on my weapon I have found the need to quickly in the moment figure a portion out or have an ah ha moment that I need to confirm,  out comes the broom handle.  I have discovered that anything longer than a wooden spoon is probably not a good idea to practice with in your kitchen, my coffee pot barely survived.

We all learn a little different, for me it’s a matter of learning the sequence of a form first that benefit me the most.  If I know what move comes next I can better visualize and feel where my body needs to be, it makes sense, helps me to remember and allows me to focus on the details later with my full attention. With knowing how I process, I have found the swinging of a spear while standing on ice or in puddles (depending on the time of day) with several layers of clothes on (mittens and spear not a great combination) has worked okay in respect to allowing me to just learn the order of without the pressure of trying to put too many things together at once.

As I look out my window and see even more added snow to the already heaped piles, I find myself CAREFULLY spinning my broom handle once again. Watch out coffee pot, here I come!

Alana Regier

http:/alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

Taking Action

Now I’m not a scientist or scholar and can’t claim to have the foggiest idea of what the late Stephan Hawking’s scientific contribution completely means to the world, however, as I watched the broadcasted tributes to this man I can’t help but be in awe. Upon seeing this man’s picture alone, one would right away know that his life was not an easy one and that he faced more than a few challenges throughout his life.  Despite those obvious challenges, never mind those that we can’t even pretend to understand, he accomplished great things.  As I watched the video dedicated to Mr. Hawking, I found myself all the more grateful for the blessings I have; the working limbs, my ability to speak without assistance, the ability to walk, run and hug those I love and so many more.

 On top of the reminder of how much I have to be grateful for, the bigger lesson this week has been that I can’t only want to, need to or intend to change, I need to act. The meeting of goals I have set for myself or the place I want to be in my life will not just magically happen; I need to choose to follow those intentions with actions.

In each of our lifetimes we are going to encounter moments that we feel ‘we can’t’ or ‘it’s impossible” but it’s going to be in these moments that we choose to take action,  that our journey will become an extraordinary one.  It won’t always be easy; the things in life that are, rarely are the ones that mean the most to us.  Taking that first step and continuing to work towards our goals and to face the challenges that stand in our way, we will not only dig ourselves out of the holes we may find ourselves in but may inspire and motivate others along the way. It is a shame that so many of us are blind as to our contributions and to what we are truly capable of, we limit ourselves and deprive the world of what we have to offer.  So I challenge each one of us to take action and go after the lives we want, fill the world with extraordinariness.

 

Alana Regier

http:/alanaregier.blogspot.ca