Thursday, April 1, 2010

Singing in the Rain

It's spring and it's still soaking wet. I've learned, once again, that dogs don't understand about rain. They want to go for their walk no matter how drippy and smelly they get. But heaven help that they have to go outside in the soggy weather for bathroom duties. My puppy Einstein has been known to stick his little wiener out the doggie door to take a long overdue pee, while keeping his back legs in the house where it is warm and dry.

But walking is a whole other story. Water be damned. Walking is an instinct we should all have, not just dogs. To keep moving, get outside, see things. Every single day. It would probably take the sharp edge off all our stress.

Don't believe you are moody or stressed? It turns out we just have to look at what foods we crave to learn what our mood is. Some researchers believe many moods send specifics signals to our bodies (i.e. stressed adrenal glands could send salt-craving signals). So think about your food cravings. Mine are usually for crunchy chips. Now compare:
° tough foods, like meat, or crunchy foods mean we're angry.
° candy means we're depressed.
° ice cream means we're anxious.
° salty foods mean we're stressed out.
° filling foods like pasta mean we're lonely or sexually frustrated.

Yikes, what a mess we are! Certainly it's time to learn from Einstein and get out there -- rain or shine -- and walk off some of those gloomy moods. Then, as we dry off, share a nice glass of Pinot with a pal. Just hold the chips.

2 comments:

Joan Voight said...

Taxes are turned in. Everybody is broke. And it is STILL raining here in Wine Country. Maybe it is sunny somewhere.....

Joan Voight said...

It's past Mother's Day. Cheers to Mom.
Veggie gardens are planted, and it is raining AGAIN. We had to go to Ireland for some sunshine.
The lettuce and spinach plants are the only ones who seem happy.