First week update of 590 mile walking goals for health and fitness.
There were things that went well throughout this first week and things that didn’t.
I give my thoughts on what went well, what didn’t and lesson’s learned.
Overall, I’m very happy with the way the week went. On to week two now and I’m off for a walk.
Make it a beautiful day.
Nancy
https://youtube.com/shorts/SWE04bhWFOo?feature=share
Update of day 1 walking goal.
Yesterday I completed 3, 30 minute walks, plus walked several laps around a mega grocery store.
Stats:
To acquire these statistics, I’m using the Health App on my iPhone. I find this app to be reliable and accurate. Another great app is Map My Walk.
I would use Map My Walk, as although the Health App is good, Map My Walk is great. However, I don’t want it running in the background all the time as it uses GPS tracking and that just runs the battery down too fast. So just dong the best I can.
I hope you have set a goal and are walking along with me.
Make it a beatuiful day Friends,
Nancy
I’ve set a walking goal of 590 miles before my 59th birthday in August. I am doing this both for my health as well as to help be physically prepared for our travel adventures this summer.
To reach my goal, I will need to walk almost four miles a day, every day. Somedays I may walk more and somedays less, but 590 miles is the goal.
So I have som accountability, I plan to share my journey with you. Perhaps you can set a walking goal for yourself and walk along with me.
Today is day 1. I’m using the health app on my phone to record the distance I walk. I have found it to be very accurate. Another option is the Map my Walk app on my phone.
Tomorrow I’ll check back in and let you know how I did.
Have a beautiful living phase 2 day friends,
Nancy
Today we are sharing the latest on selecting reef safe sunscreens that are best for you and for the environment. Don’t get burned when going to your long-awaited tropical vacation destination with banned sunscreen! Did you know your sunscreens may now be illegal in many areas you may be visiting? More and more places around the world that are implementing more and more strict regulations on sunscreen. Banning certain ingredients and only allowing certain formulations.
Sun protection is absolutely critical for your health and safety. How do you navigate the changing rules while still protecting yourself? We have dug in and reviewed all the latest regulations and also investigated what sunscreens are safe, effective, won’t break the bank, and you can use at that tropical paradise you are visiting!
Now most “Reef Safe” labeled sunscreens will not have these three ingredients: parabens, oxybenzone, or octinoxate. Most will now use octocrylene.
Walmart Equate Ultra Sunscreens. These are very affordable, highly available and are considered reef safe in most places
It’s important to note all these all still have Octocrylene which is soon being banned in many places. That brings us to mineral sunscreens.
If you are looking to go the mineral route, which is considered the most reef safe and are not currently banned anywhere. Here are our recommendations:
We want all of you to have the best sunny vacations and we don’t want you getting burned.
Here’s to living life during phase 2. Make it a great day friends!
Mike and Nancy
Hi Friends,
It’s a New Year with that comes a new resolutions, including being more healthy while cruising.
Here we pass on our best tips related to being more healthy when on vacation, especially on a cruise. Just click on the video above to be inspired to live a more healthy lifestyle.
We will cover our top 3 tips to help you cruise more healthy while still having a great time!
One items we cover was when you need special needs on your cruise. Here’s a link to Royal Caribbean’s special needs form.
We want to remain in Phase 2 as long as possible before moving into Phase 3 – when our health declines.
Lets live healthy Friends,
Mike and Nancy
Today we cover one of our favorite activities in Phase 2, hiking! We love going for a walk in the woods and getting close to nature. However, there are a few hints and tips we can pass along that will help your adventures go smoothly, be safe and be even more enjoyable. Take a walk with us today.
One thing that living in phase 2 has afforded us is more time for leisure activities and we LOVE the outdoors. For us that means hiking. We get to see so many places that can only be accessed by hiking and we have found that being prepared makes it so much more enjoyable. Hiking is a great form of exercise in phase 2 of life. It incorporates cardio and even a bit of strength.
After many years as a scout master and hiking and backpacking for hundreds of miles I, Mike, have learned a few things over those miles and we’d like to pass them along today. Also, note that many of these hints are NOT just when you are hiking in the woods, but are also applicable when you are on a long day touring a city or new area. When you are prepared for any long time on your feet walking, it can make for a much more enjoyable day.
First, let’s make sure you have the basics when you are out on a hike and that means you need to be able to carry some supplies and a good backpack is invaluable. Look for a backpack with comfortable, padded shoulder straps, not just strings. Don’t get one too big. Just big enough to charry what you need. Having a waist strap is also a big help. That positions the weight of the backpack lower on your waist vs. your shoulders which can make a huge difference on long hikes when you have to carry more with you.
#1, first and foremost always bring water! Hydrate or die! That is not an exaggeration. When travelling you may not realize the lack of water or length of a hike. This goes not just for hiking, but also when traveling, walking around cities, or on excursions. Bring more than you think. We were on a recent hike we thought should have been about 8 miles and it ended up being almost 13! That’s a huge difference and thank goodness we brought plenty of water.
Another reason to say hydrated is you will feel better at the end of the hike. By saying hydrated your muscles will feel better overall, post long day out. Preventing fatigue and headaches.
A general rule of thumb is you need about 32 oz. / ½ liter of water per hour when doing moderate activity. In the US Desert Southwest or areas at higher elevations or low humidity you are going to use a lot more water and won’t even realize it. So, plan accordingly. You can carry your water in bottles either disposable or reusable or as a hydration pack, if your pack is made for that. One item to note with hydro-packs is be sure to keep them clean as the hoses can be a little difficult, so don’t ever put anything in them but fresh water.
Finally don’t drink water from a source if you’re not sure of it’s safety. If you are in a city touring, especially a foreign area, stick with SEALED bottled water or as a last resort soda. They will be safe.
So you have the pack and the water, what else do you need in that pack?
Your first line of defense from the sun and insects is your clothing. Always wear a hat. This is some of the best protection against both ticks and the sun. Your attire should include good walking/hiking shoes appropriate to the terrain, with good socks. Long pants and long sleave shirt may also be appropriate, especially depending on where you are going. You may be thinking that will be hot and uncomfortable, but there are some great breathable products out there that protect from the sun and insects and keep you cooler by keeping the sun off your skin. Of course, you always want to dress for your adventure, and these are just guidelines and something to think about.
It is critical that you protect yourself from various insect bites. These can not only be a nuisance but can carry diseases such as West Nile Virus, Lyme’s Disease, and malaria.
In addition to your clothing, you need a good insect repellent. When it comes to bug spray. There are a ton of them out there, none still works as well as those with Deet as the active ingredient with at least 25 to 30 percent concentration. We believe you don’t want to take a chance on Lyme’s disease, West Nile, malaria or other illnesses and Deet has long been shown to offer the best protection. Additionally, you can treat your clothing with a Permethrin spray that will actually last a few treatments. However, DO NOT use this directly on your skin. It is designed to treat clothing. I used these products when traveling the world in areas with malaria risk with great success.
When you must go #1 while hiking just be sure to do it far from the trail. Don’t do it on any trees. That’s right guys don’t pee on the tree. It causes animals to chew the bark and wood to get at the salt. It’s best to aim at a rock where animals can get the salt as a salt lick but do no damage.
How about #2? First make sure you know any special rules about going in the area you are hiking. Some have prohibitions, other don’t allow any TP to be left behind, so it’s good to check that out if you are going on a long hike in remote areas without bathroom access.
When you go in the woods you use what’s called a “Cat Hole”. What is that? It’s a hole you dig for your business that is at least 200 feet from any water source, camp, or trail and is 6 to 8 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches wide. Once you are off the trail be sure to consider your surroundings and squatting position before digging to make sure it’s properly located, and you can go in the position. Once you go it is recommended to pack the TP out with you, but not required in most areas, just make sure you are using a biodegradable TP. If you pack it out, carry a marked Ziplock with you. You can even cover the Ziplock in duct tape to hide the contents. Then dispose when you get back to civilization.
NEVER leave any feminine product, wet wipes, or other items like this behind, always pack them out.
After you are done, re-cover with the dirt you dug out and scatter leaves or other material cover hand hide the evidence. 😊
Carry a cat kit (sounds better than poop kit 😊) Have biodegradable TP, a small portable hand trowel, hand sanitizer, and a pack out Ziploc. It’s always good to have in your pack, just in case.
If you take away anything from this, PLEASE don’t leave TP on or near the trail. When hiking in the UP it was terrible. It was like TP flowers everywhere. Please think of nature and others on the trail, even when you need to go. Keep nature for everyone.
Friends, we hope this has been helpful when it comes to travel and hiking. Our goal is to make your adventures as enjoyable as possible, passing along our experiences.
Make it a great Living Phase 2 day,
Mike
Cheers!!!
I’m working at low carb living. Friends, ever since I had my three babies years, YEARS ago I’ve wanted to get to a weight I’ve felt to be reasonable. For me, that humber on the scales represents health. I’d get there, and go up. Get there again and then go back up. Over and over and over and over. I’ve tried numerous things, Weight Watchers always being my go to program. I’ve always felt like I knew what I was doing. I knew how to make my weight go down and I knew why it would go up. But was I really eating “healthy”? And as I’ve gotten older, why is it harder for the weight to go down?
Over time, I’ve learned more and more of what foods I should and should not be eating. I’ve learned even “healthy” grains are not so healthy for me. I feel I’ve made myself insulin resistant with my poor food choices over all the years. Some of those poor food choices where taught to us as being healthy choices! We have been taught wrong.
Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t easily take up glucose from your blood. As a result, your pancreas makes even more insulin to help glucose enter your cells.
Finally, I feel like I am addicted to sugar.
On a positive note, I do feel that I can change and heal my body through diet and exercise. The one thing I don’t care for is to track my foods or my macros and calories.
“Macros” is short for macronutrient. Macronutrients are the three categories of nutrients you eat the most and provide you with most of your energy: protein, carbohydrates and fats.
That said, I’ve heard the quote, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” I know I need to measure and track. So for this week, I WILL measure and track what I am eating to see just how many carbohydrates, fats, proteins and calories I am eating. I will also track my weight as well as how I feel. Right now, I’m ok if I don’t follow a KETO diet. I want to mainly stay low carb and see if I can get my body back to normal and then keep it normal. After a week, I will re-evaluate where I am on my journey and decide what changes I need to make.
Please follow along with my journey. I’ll share the up’s and down’s of it. When I run across some amazing recipes I will share them here.
But the ultimate goal is health. My ultimate goal is to stay Live in Phase 2 as long as possible before moving into Phase 3 (where our health declines).
If you’ve found something that works well for you, I’d love to hear.
Live life healthy,
Nancy
Today’s video shows some tips, tricks and supplies for your CPAP machine as well as how to care for it. This is part 3 of 3 in the videos about the correlation between sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation.
You can find part 1 HERE. Part 1 is where I share my story of sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation.
You can find part 2 HERE. Part 2 talks about the relationship between the two, sleep apnea and afib.
At the end of this video, Mike joins me and we discuss our feelings related to the use of the CPAP machine and how it has helped my overall health.
Friends, we care about your heart health. You know we are not giving medical advice, but we hope that these videos give you food for thought and possibly help you think of questions you may wish to ask your health care provider.
May we all live Phase 2 of our lives strong and healthy.
Mike and Nancy
Friends, there is a direct correlation between between obstructive sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation. In the video today I discuss the relationship between the two.
Please friends, if you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned, don’t hesitate to contact your health care provider. I don’t want you to go through atrial fibrillation and then need to have a cardioversion like I had.
This is part 2 of a 3 part series on sleep apnea.
In Part 1 I share my story of sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation.
In Part 3 we cover CPAP tips and tricks.
Friends, please care for yourself and know if you are experiencing either sleep apnea or atrial fibrillation. A-fib is serious and can even be life threatening. I hope my story will help keep you informed and if needed, spark a conversation between you and your health care provider.
Here is the video.
This is part one of a three part series.
In part 2 I talk about the correlation between atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea and you may find PART 2 HERE.
Part 3 gives tips and tricks for your CPAP and how to care for it. Find PART 3 HERE.
Thank you friends. It is my wish that you stay healthy and for us to remain Living in Phase 2 as long as we possibly can.
Make it a great day!
Nancy
The Phases of life
As we thought about our life, some major changes had taken place over a relatively short period of time. Our children had grown and moved out which had brought along that accompanies being an empty nester. We had moved away from our first careers and raising our kids to becoming owners of our new business. Our parents needed more care as they were aging. We started calling this time of our lives “Phase 2”. Looking back, we saw all the changes we were experiencing and how much we had to learn. That was the genesis of Living Phase 2.
But what is Phase 2? We’ve defined it as that time in life after an early career and raising families, but before the late retirement years. We measured each of life’s phases using 3 key characteristics, time, money, and health.
Thinking about each of these measures, let’s look at each of the phases of life to see why and how Phase 2 can be possibly the best time of our lives.
Phase 0
Phase 0 is the start of life. It’s our childhood. It is days of playing, going to school, growing up, while living with a family support system. Phase 0 continues up until we start “adulting”. It’s that time of life where we have the freedom and minimal responsibility. Looking at the chart in Phase 0, there’s plenty of time and great health, however, there is little “money” available in this phase. While our family may have “money” it’s not generally our choice how that money is spent, and it is not an important component for a person in phase 0.
Phase 1
In Phase 1 it’s time to transition from childhood into adulthood. It’s the time in life where many of us start our careers, marry, have children, and raise our families. During this phase, our time is often limited. We are early in our careers, not making much in the way of income yet. We may have only 1 or 2 weeks of vacation and time off is spent around family activities. Money earned goes towards necessities along with buying cars, houses, raising families, and hopefully investing in the future. Although we have excellent health and vitality, our time is often not our own.
Phase 2
Now here we are, phase 2 of life. Our children are grown and most likely out of the house. At this point we may start to feel some of the early effects of our age. We wake up a little stiffer. After a night out, it takes a bit more to get going in the morning. We start grow hair in places where we didn’t want it and lose it where we do. It is at this time of life when we are well into our career, making more money, and most likely have more in the way of vacation and free time. We may even be wondering what to do with ourselves now that we aren’t spending all our time catering to our children and their activities that have been such a significant part of our life. We also may be looking at a refreshed career, more travel, spending time with grandchildren, and caring for aging parents. Our thoughts become more concerned about our health. We also look outside ourselves and consider how we can spend our time, talent and treasure to help others. Finally, our retirement is on the horizon, and we are thinking about options and hopefully seeing the fruits of our retirement investments and wealth planning.
It’s around these pillars of Health, Wealth, Career, Leisure, Family, and Faith & Charity that we will have discussions in our Living Phase 2 community, including website and social media. It is our hope to build a community of others in Phase 2 where we can share ideas and help each other have the best Phase 2 life possible.
Phase 3
And last, lets identify phase 3. During the transition from phase 2 to 3 we find that we have even more time with being retired and having less career responsibilities. Often our home, cars, and other debts are paid off. We also have fewer family expenses and if our retirement plans are well executed this can lead to more disposable income. However, it’s during this transition that our health and vitality decline. That is the major transition indicator from phase 2 to phase 3. We have plenty of time and money, but not the energy or health we once had.
Wrap up
We would like to note, we certainly understand that this is a very broad and generic view. You will note that we don’t put ages on these phases. They are keyed by the balance between health, wealth, and time. Everyone’s experiences will differ and how we experience each of life’s phases will be unique. How we see phase 2 is the time in life where you have the freedom while having a good balance of time, money and health. For some people that may be in their 30’s and for others it may extend well into their senior years. We hope you will enjoy our journey through phase 2 and look forward having you join us. Together, we can help each other get the most out of life.
Nancy and Mike Jacobs