Ecology Cooking Tip

In the morning, I boil a pot of water for tea.  Yum!   I pour the extra boiling water over my sponges in the sink.  Also:

• I put my sponges in the dishwasher when I run it.
• I recently read in our local paper that another way to disinfect your sponges (which can harbor a TON of bacteria) is to put them in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.
• The other recommendation was use one sponge for dishes and another for cleaning the kitchen to prevent cross-contamination.

What’s your favorite kitchen tip?

Trail Tip: Better Bow Knot Improves your Footing & Performance on the Trail

A hiking buddy taught me this tip and I’ve noticed a significant difference in how my hiking shoes perform on the trail.

This 2 minute video contains one of our very favorite trail tips.
The secret to learning to do this quickly and effortlessly  is to loop the lace around your thumb, leaving enough space to easily pull the other loop through.   Be sure and watch the whole thing, as there is an important caution.
Enjoy!

Falling is BAD: Ice & Snow Safety Balance Tip

A dear friend with Multiple Sclerosis  (who lives in MN) shared a WONDERFUL tip yesterday.   She keeps a set of YakTrax on a pair of shoes (in her case – slip on boots for ease of application) in her car so that when she arrives at a client’s home, she can safely walk in and out.  This is brilliant!

From another friend:   Jayah, I finally got a chance to use those slip-on crampons yesterday at Sugarbowl.    They were great!  Walking in an icy and snowy  parking lot is usually the most dangerous part of a ski day. 

Click on image below to see which model of YakTrax we recommend.

I slipped in the parking lot on the way to cross country ski.  I landed on my hip on the hard pavement.   I’ve been a YakTrax fan ever since.  Note about sizing – Order a size larger than you think so you can more easily put them on your heavy walking shoes/boots.

Daily Quote for Inspiration, Motivation & Mindfulness

For several years, I’ve gotten a daily quote from Seasons for Nonviolence.   Most come with a practice which suggests ways to weave the quote into our lives.   I share this with my AdventureBuddies!

“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room,
drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.
Maybe this year,
to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives…
not looking for flaws, but for potential.”  ~ Ellen Goodman

Practice
Today I begin a practice of looking out for opportunity, possibility, unactualized potential.   Today I choose to focus on what is good, what is right, what I want to grow more of.

From the website:  A Season for Nonviolence, is a national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities.

Inspired by the memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
this international event honors their vision for a nonviolent world.

Seasons for Nonviolence …

Daily thought-provoking messages designed to help increase your capacity to:

• honor the dignity and inherent worth of every human being
• understand that all of our words and actions have an impact
• practice compassion with apparent adversaries
• become stewards for the rights of individuals and the environment
• use our talents to empower rather than to exert power
• engage in constructive dialogue with one another to solve conflicts

        No charge, no spam, no gimmick.

WISHING YOU PEACE ON THE INSIDE.

Trekking Poles FAQ: Are Hiking Poles for Everyone?

No, but… Using poles provides many benefits for people who like to walk or hike.  Optimal use of poles encourages better posture, endurance, confidence and gait.  Using the upper body muscles helps to preserve joints all over the body.

In the literally thousands of people I’ve encountered over the last 15 years, I’ve met a handful that really were not pole people.  One lady was so uncoordinated, that she was terrified.  It was a bad fit.   People that have progressed to a walker often can no longer benefit.   A hiking buddy of mine (who loves to talk) trips on poles when he uses them.  Best for him to not have poles.

Sometimes people have to ease into learning new skills like using poles – or any new thing (think orthotics).   Here’s a very recent example:  One lady was given this prescription:  Use your new poles for only three to five minutes, 2 or 3 times a day.  Consistency/Frequency with very low intensity & duration.   She then went out for an hour with a friend and overdid it.  She damaged her fragile shoulder and hated her poles.   She admitted she was out too long, was distracted and did not focus on her form.   She called her poles “toxic.”   I silently shook my head in frustration at her admitted and blatant violation of her body.  She blamed the poles even while admitting her ridiculous and (as it turned out) dangerous behavior.   Rather than gently and progressively lubricating the shoulder joint and slowly building muscles that support the shoulder, she ended up back at the doctor’s office in severe pain.

Poles COULD have helped her in many ways, but she did not listen to either her body or her trainer.   Regular readers of this blog know that I like to focus on the positive.  So I end this post with happier thoughts.

“To be interested in the changing seasons
is a happier state of mind
than to be hopelessly in love with spring.”  ~ George Santayana

“Giving people self-confidence
is by far the most important thing that I can do.
Because then they will act.”  ~ Jack Welch

Outdoor Activities: Hiking and Biking SAFETY TIP

The first thing rangers will tell you:  Make a copy of your ID and insurance card.  Put it in your pack. I add:  cover it in plastic wrap or in a small plastic baggie.  Write your emergency contact name and phone number on it.

People often ask me what’s in my hiking pack.  I’ll get to answering this in another post.  But for now, and FIRST, make this copy  and put it in your pack as well as with your kayak stuff and in your bike pack.  For biking, I have a small fanny pack that I keep with my helmet and bike gloves.  In it I have my ID copy, some cash, a headband (to protect my ears on cold/windy days), lip protection, full finger gloves, an energy bar and a bandana.

Allergies: Tips from an ENT Doctor

My ear, nose & throat physician in San Francisco has a great website with lots of helpful info.  Recently he tested my hearing in order to establish a baseline. How do know if you’ve lost hearing unless you know where you were? I remember having my ears tested as a little kid and the whole process is even more fascinating as an adult.

During this visit, I talked with Dr. Kumcha about allergies. I’ve been tested and am allergic to DUST. Yikes!   Tips for dealing with allergies for hikers are elsewhere on this blog (just search for Allergies).

Washing my face after a hike feels great plus it really helps reduce allergic response.   Dr. Kmucha said to use Saline Solution to rinse out my nose.  He stressed that this is very important and much better than plain water.   He suggested putting Saline solution in the shower.  Clever!

I also know about washing my hair before going to bed so I don’t transfer all those pollen particles to my pillow and breath them all night long. What I learned  from Dr. K  was so intuitive that I wonder why I never thought of it.

He told me to toss my pillows in the dryer. Depending on the pillow, either run the dryer on low heat for a few minutes or (and this is the clever part) just put the pillow in after running a dryer load. The residual heat is enough to dry and freshen the pillow.

Why is this important? According to Dr. K, when you breath into your pillow your breath has vapor.   This is moisture which gets into the pillow.   Not to mention how many times I go to bed with wet hair (now I use a towel).  This moisture creates an environment where nasty things can grow.

• This use of residual heat appeals to my environmental conscience.
• The cleansing of my pillow appeals to my sense of comfort.

Thank you Dr. Kmucha!

Car Safety Tip

I know TWO people who have been seriously injured when their cars rolled over their knees.  Whether it’s inattention or just back luck, here’s my mantra:

• Put the car in PARK whenever a person gets in or out of the car.
• If I get in or out, I wait until the driver puts the car in park.  I explain that it’s a quirk or a fetish, but I wait.

I shuttle some frail folk.  Even a little movement entering or exiting a car can cause a fall.  This is a good habit to acquire instantly and consistently.

Resistance is futile, be assimilated!

Gym Etiquette

Get outside – use your poles.  Enjoy the glorious outdoors – Yippee!

But, we still like our gym visits, yes?  Aqua aerobics, Yoga, Pilates, weight training, etc.  This post deals with some thoughts on gyms.

First, an article from the New York Times about avoiding skin problems.

Next, thoughts on gym etiquette – please feel free to submit your own request or pet peeve!

• please close the locker door
• please do not place your shoes on the bench where people sit
• please, please re-rack your weights, especially the 45 lb ones
• maybe consider drying your feet with a towel vs. pressing the loud dryer 87 times?

Just some thoughts; have an energetic, vibrant day!

Allergies in the home: Favorite cleaning tool

I was tested for allergies and – guess what – I’m allergic to DUST, Yikes!   I have tips for allergy relief for hikers elsewhere in this blog but I am reminded (this being a rainy house-cleaning day) of a tool that I use that never ceases to amaze me. If you don’t own one, get one (unless you have a new fridge that does not collect dust on the bottom). If you own one, use it at least once a month.
Clean:

• under your refrigerator (it’s a refrigerator brush after all)
• on heating vents
• any other ideas?

This is not an obscure gadget. It’s an essential part of cleaning the home. It helps keep your fridge working efficiently – which SAVES MONEY.

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