Archive for the ‘Just stuff’ Category
Posted by terrepruitt on February 26, 2011
I believe teaching Nia in the San Francisco Bay Area allows me to be exposed to a lot of different things. Recently I was able to experience or try two different things. Regarding one of them, I was showing a friend after Nia class, a product that a mutual friend sells. I was explaining what it was for and she said, “It’s a placebo.” This past week I asked a question on Twitter about a healing technique and I was told it was a placebo. These instances make me chuckle. I believe that if one is in a medical study and is told that they might receive the actual medicine or they might receive a placebo, that is applicable. When someone purchases a product or a service completely open to the idea that it might work and then they feel it does work, how can it be called a placebo? If it works for them in a positive manner, if they receive the help they were expecting, then how can it be called a placebo or just said to have the placebo effect? Could that not be said for a lot of things?
I once read a blog which has since been marked private so I can’t link to it, but it talked about all the “placebos” in everyday life. The blog stated that the buttons on traffic signals don’t actually work, they are just there to make people feel as if they have some control. The same with elevator call buttons and, if I remember correctly, thermostat controls in hotel rooms. Hmmm, I don’t actually know about the traffic lights and elevators, but I have had temperatures adjust in hotel rooms, so I think he might have been talking about some hotel rooms. Don’t we ALL press the buttons on traffic signals? And we all press elevator buttons? Do we do that because we actually think it does something? Yes. We might never know if it does actually help because eventually the light will change and eventually the elevator is going to come and by pressing the button it actual stops on the floor we are waiting on.
In regards to some products and some services for our bodies where we are left to decide if it works or not for ourselves, do you think that any of it has to do with what we think? Does any of it have to do with what we believe? I am somewhat talking about something that is difficult to measure. If you buy a lotion and you put it on you can somewhat tell if it is helped your skin. But what about a relaxation product?
Did you drink the tea believing it would help relax you and it did? Was that the actual tea or was it you believing that after you drank the tea you would feel relaxed? Did you believe that putting on cold wet socks (with dry wool socks over) would help your cold and you wake up feeling better? Was that really the wet sock treatment or your BELIEVING in the treatment?
If you feel is works is it a “placebo”?
Posted in Just stuff, Misc | Tagged: Bay Area Nia, cold treatment, healing technique, medical study, Nia Bay Area, Nia class, Nia Classes, placebo, placebo effect, relaxataion products, relaxation technique, San Francisco Bay Area Nia, wet sock treatment, Wet socks | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 9, 2010
I have to save up most of my “vertical” for my Nia classes right now. Even though I have injured/broke my toe I am still teaching my classes because Nia really is about the individual moving in his or her own way. But I still need to rest it as much as possible. Even though I am “letting go” of doing a few things this season, I am still trying to make it look “Christmasy” in the house. Since I was moving a lot today I was trying to come up with an easy dinner. Also, since I need to rest my foot my hubby has been cleaning the kitchen every night. So needing a quick easy dinner AND trying to use as few dishes that need hand washing as possible, AND trying not make a mess I was not thrilled with the thought of the mess that preparing broccoli makes.
I am going to admit that I have been making less broccoli than I think we should eat because I do not like to deal with the mess it makes. I usually just cut it in the sink so I can just rinse all the little particles down the drain, but I didn’t even want to stand that long. So I realized that I could just cut it while it was in the bag. YAY!!! No broccoli mess. No little particles all over the place.
Ok, I know this is a silly thing, but I thought it was a good idea. Saved me a lot of time. Since I am short on time that I can be ‘doing’, both this quick post and the quick tip are part of doing what I have to do in order to get to resting my foot in order to be ready for my Nia class in Los Gatos tomorrow.
Do you have any quick tips about dealing with broccoli?
Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: broccoli, broccoli mess, broccoli particles, broccoli tip, Los Gatos Nia, Los Gatos Nia Class, Nia class, Nia Classes, Nia Los Gatos, Nia Teacher | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 7, 2010
In my most recent Nia class, I decided that I wanted to help people focus on the good of the season. I think that sometimes there is a lot of negative emotions around the Holiday season. By negative emotions I mean the way people actually feel during this time of year. There is always the ever present I-don’t-believe-in-Christ-so-I-don’t-agree-with-any-of-it, the it-makes-me-sad-so-therefore-I-am-going-to-be-sad, the WHAT?-ITS-CHRISTMAS! The feelings of inadequacy; there is not enough money, goals for the year were not accomplished, baking isn’t getting done, cards aren’t being sent, house isn’t getting cleaned, nothing is enough, there is too much . . . . .oh my the pressure! I was thinking all of this is negative stuff. So in class the focus was pushing away the negative, somewhat rejecting it, with the intent of bringing in the positive.
Both the “negative” and the “positive” is different for everyone so that was a very individualized point. We didn’t discuss anything that I mentioned above, so everyone could rid themselves of whatever they needed and attract whatever they wanted. It was very nice. It is a focus and an intent that can be used any time, I just thought we’d give it a spin this season.
As with all focuses and intents we use in a Nia class they can be carried into one’s day and/or daily living. This is where the thought of “letting go” keeps popping into my head. I love this season. I love cleaning my house, getting it all ready to put up the decorations. Then I love spending days . . . at least two or three days decorating the tree and the house. I always laugh because sometimes I can’t remember where I “normally” put something and it might end up in a new spot. Then I spend the season either saying, “Yes, that’s good.” or ”No, that really doesn’t work.”
I sometimes feel very foolish for the sheer joy I feel when I look at a silly Christmas decoration that I cherish. But I do. I feel joy at the beauty and the sparkle of Christmas. This year since I am a bit limited in my movements I am having to really draw on that joy. I am going to have to strategically place things so that I can see “Christmas” everywhere yet not have as many decorations out and up.
Things tend to work in concert. We ended up with a much, much smaller tree than usual. Cool, since my hubby had to handle it without my help. Since it is smaller it will require less ornaments which will allow me to stay off my foot. Also a small tree requires less maintenance and the couches didn’t have to be moved. See? It is all gonna work out fine, I just need to let it go. Reject the negative when I start to feel a pout coming on. It’s ok that it is my favorite time of year and I can’t run around. Oh well. I can walk. My toe/foot IS healing. It is all good. For heaven’s sake its Christmastime. Let the negative go, embrace the season, embrace the unity.
Posted in Just stuff, Nia | Tagged: Christmas, Christmas cards, Christmas decorations, Christmas Tree, Christmas tree ornaments, Christmastime, Holiday season, Holidays, Nia, Nia class, Nia focus, Nia intent, unity | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 18, 2010
Sometimes we need to be reminded about things . . . at least I do. This is a brief stripped down reminder.
Carbs equal sugar in the body
Excess sugar equals excess insulin
Excess carbs equal excess insulin
Excess insulin equals increased appetite and a spike in dopamine
Dopamine is the pleasure hormone.
When you get a rush of pleasure with what you eat it tends to encourage you to eat more for more pleasure. To get that rush.
This type of situation can cause cravings for simple carbs. This could be an addiction to simple carbs.
So carbohydrates are not unhealthy it is the simple ones that are the culprits. When there is too many they rush into the body’s system and cause all the excess. Then it becomes a vicious cycle.
Excess insulin also signals the body to store the excess carbs as fat.
Exercise helps burn off calories. Nia is a great exercise to burn off the calories. 
Posted in Just stuff, Misc | Tagged: body fat, carb addiction, carb cravings, dopamine, excess insulin, hormones, insulin, Nia, Nia exercise, simple carbohydrates, simple carbs | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 30, 2010
Inflammation is a good thing . . . . normally, when it is acute. When it happens in response to an injury, or bacteria, or when it is fighting an infection. When it does its job and helps the body heal it is amazing. But chronic inflammation is not a good thing. When the immune system is a little off and there is constant inflammation in the body it is not good. The body should not be in this state of “fight” for prolong periods. It should fight the issue and then go back to a normal state, but it does not always do this.
Constant or chronic inflammation is the cause of conditions such as arthritis, and it is being linked to many illnesses/diseases including; autoimmune diseases, obesity, hay fever, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, wrinkling skin, and even depression . . . to name a few. It is as if our immune system is working overtime and not allowing our body or body’s system to be in balance.
Some things thought to contribute to inflammation: our diet, our habits, and our environment. Trans fat, saturated fats, omega 6 fat, refined sugar, and simple carbohydrates are things contained in our diets and could be pushing our immune systems into an unhealthy state of being. Even eating more protein, carbohydrates, and fat than we need is suggested to contribute to inflammation. Lack of exercise is a contributing factor, along with smoking, and stress. The toxins in our homes and work places, in all of our lives could be additional factors. When you add all of that up we are literally assaulted daily. It is no wonder our bodies can’t fight off all of the diseases and the diseases are on the rise. It is no wonder that more and more people are being diagnosed with autoimmune diseases–our bodies are fighting themselves.
To me, its something to think about.
Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: acute inflammation, autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, constant inflammation, Inflammation, omega 6 fat, refined sugar, saturated fats, simple carbohydrates, Trans fat | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 21, 2010
Tonight I went to a TweetUp, I love to be able to talk to people in person about Nia. In our area there is a group of fabulous people (Michael Brito, Jennifer Leggio, and Gabriel Carrejo) that put together the SVTweetups. Tonight it was in San Jose — I like them when they are super close. I wrote about the Halloween event last year. I posted a picture of my favorite costume of the night–last year. Tonight there was not that many costumes. Someone said he thought it was because Halloween was too far away. But since so many people dressed up last year, both my husband and I dressed up this year, I was thinking that more people would dress up. I was not original at all. I had a meeting right before the event, so I wore some scrubs and went as a Medical Professional. I figured that people at my meeting wouldn’t know if that was a costume or it was real. My hubby, bought a costume but came up with another one and pulled it off with ease.
He was Keith Stone. You know that guy from the commercial that sells the beer? Well, it was good. Did I get a picture? No, but I got a picture of his prize. See the TweetUps–the Silicon Valley Tweetups, while they are social events, they are also networking events, and charity events.
So while we paid an entrance fee it was really a donation to the San Jose Family Shelter. Which is a great shelter that helps families in need. If a family is going through a rough patch they can live at the shelter for a bit and they help to get them on their feet. Then there is usually a company that sponsors the event and tonight it was Plantronics. Ya know the company that specializes in headsets. I’ve always had a plantronics at my corporate jobs. And now they are making Bluetooth devices too! They were the costume contest sponsors and my hubby’s costume really was great and he won a prize.
Then there is the social aspect where I get to meet the people with whom I tweet. It is awesome. I have met more people at tweetups and I have a great time.
Here I am—just sharing again. Do you tweet? If you do what is your handle? I want to follow you. You can follow me if you want. I’m @HelpYouWell on Twitter!
Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: @HelpYouWell, beer commercial, bluetooth, Gabriel Carrejo, Jennifer Leggio, Keith Stone, Keystone Beer, Michael Brito, network event, Nia, Nia San Jose, Plantronics, San Jose Family Shelter, San Jose Nia, Silicon Valley charity, Silicon Valley Nia, Silicon Valley TweetUp, social event, SV Tweetup, Youtube | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 25, 2010
I think of Nia as something to help me learn things and sometimes adjust patterns, both patterns of movements and patterns of thinking. Like sayings that we might have heard most of our lives, as in the one I posted about previously “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” you have probably heard, “if you want something done right do it yourself”. Wow. Really? If. You. Want. Something. Done. RIGHT. Do. It. Yourself. I actually wish I was that good, that everything I did, I did right. That everything I did no one else could do. Well, that is not the case. I realized a long time ago this was not true. I realized when I had a boyfriend that could do a lot of things. But it was as if his brain worked opposite of everyone else. He never approached anything like anyone else. But then the end project would be pretty cool. So I realized that he could do something right, it just wasn’t done my way.
Same thing goes with my husband. He can do a lot of things and he can do them well, but he rarely does anything like I would do it. Sometimes there are times when he is helping me and it needs to be done a certain way, say cutting a vegetable that is going into a recipe, so I will tell him that it needs to be chopped and not sliced—or whatever. But sometimes I just need to walk away while he does something. If he offers to do something or I ask him to do something, sometimes I just need it to get done and it doesn’t really matter HOW it gets done, I let it go, but I often need to walk away. Not because he can’t do it right, but because he won’t do it my way.
So, this is just another one of those sayings that I don’t subscribe to. What do you think? Are you the only one that can do things right or are you the only one that can do it YOUR way?
Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: can't teach a dog new tricks, if you want something done right, movement patterns, Nia, Nia Movement, old sayings | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 7, 2010
Ever since I started teaching Nia I think that I have gotten more sleep than when I had a job with a large company. Do you get enough sleep? But what is “enough” sleep? I think some people think it is like a badge of honor if they can “get by” with a few hours sleep at night. I think we might forget that sleep is when our bodies do their repair work.
While we sleep our bodies rebuild and repair. Our brains, while they are busy performing these tasks actually gets its rests and gets ready for the next day. It is believed that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours sleep a night. Some sources say that getting even just one less hour a night can possibly affect our ability to think properly. Also it could affect your cardiovascular health and ability to fight infections in an adverse way. Your energy level and ability to concentrate might be less than desirable due to an inefficient amount of rest.
More and more studies are starting to point to sleep and the lack of it affecting our appetite. There are hormones involved that are produced while we sleep and their production is reduced when we don’t get enough sleep. These hormones control the feelings of hunger and of being full. So when we don’t get enough sleep it could result in being constantly hungry and not feeling satisfied.
Our mood is also connected to the sleep we get. Many people feel irritable and short tempered when they do not get enough sleep.
As previously stated research has concluded that a healthy adult needs between 7 and 9 hours sleep in order to function at their optimum, but everyone is different and the exact amount varies. Researchers at a California university found that a there is a rare gene in less than 3% of the population that allows for those people to get by on less than 6 hours sleep. The kind of says that probably 97% of the population is not getting the sleep that their bodies require to function properly. It is believed that most of the population survive on less than 6 hours sleep a night.
So, if you think sleeping less is something to boast about or if you think that sleep is a waste of time maybe you can try getting more sleep and see how you feel. Then maybe all these studies that are out there will be viewed in a different brighter light, through less sleepy eyes.
How much sleep, on average do you get a night?
Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: constanly hungry, Nia, sleep repair, sleep research, sleep studies, teaching job, teaching Nia | 14 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 21, 2010
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems (according to Wiki). The measurement of obesity is primarily BMI – Body Mass Index. The formula for determining BMI is divide a person’s weight by the height squared. This is just a guide as it does not always work well in determining excess body fat if the person is primarily muscle. Just like all of the information put out to the general public is a guide made to be easy and simple.
BMI Categories:
• Underweight = <18.5
• Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
• Overweight = 25–29.9
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
A report recently published* revealed is America’s BMI is going up. Adult obesity rates increased in 28 states in the past year, and declined only in the District of Columbia (D.C.). Other information reported:
■ 33 States have adult obesity rates above 25%
■ No state had an obesity rate above 20% in 1991
■ Colorado has the lowest rate of obesity at 19.1% of its population being obese
■ The number of adults who report they do not engage in any physical activity rose in 12 states in the past year
■ The number of states where adult obesity rates exceed 30 percent doubled in the past year, from four to eight –
Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia.
■ Ten of the 11 states with the highest rates of diabetes are in the South
■ Ten of the 11 states with the highest rates of hypertension are in the South
■ California’s percentage of obese is 24.4
One way to change these numbers is to eat better . . . I really believe that most of us could eat better . . . and move more. Most of us could move more too. Find something you love to do because odds are if you love it you will stick with it. This is not about looking good it is about reducing a condition that leads to a reduction in life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Feeling good is an added benefit.
Regardless of where you fall on this type of scale, what can you do to eat better? Share here. Tell me what you are going to do in order to improve your diet. What about movement? What type of movement do you love? What can you add to your day? Let me know.
*F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2010, a report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).
Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: BMI, Body Mass Index, diabetes, eating better, fat, health problems, high blood pressure, hybertension, life expectancy, obesity | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 19, 2010
As a Nia teacher I am entitled to listen in on a monthly Nia Teacher Continuing Education call. These teleconference calls are included in the cost of licensing. So I am familiar with teleconference calls and that they have value. I received an e-mail from “The Difference” and it was an invitation to listen in on a teleconference call. The calls were happening at times that I was unavailable so I was unable to listen in on the live call. But they recorded the calls and sent out an e-mail instructing us how to listen to the call.
This is a service. Regardless of how you feel about teleconference calls, you have to know that people sign up for them and pay money to listen. You have to know that all types of information is distributed this way. Regardless of whether you would have paid for a call that has to do with ‘Re-energise & Fall In Love All Over Again’, you have to know that others would. So The Difference provided a type of service.
I was not told that I could not share the information, but I don’t want to get involved in possibly disclosing something I shouldn’t have so I am not going to get into specifics. I am certainly not going to spend my time contacting “The Difference” to see what I can disclose. My purpose for this post is to continue the conversation about “The Difference”. So many people are saying it is a scam and I am not ready to conclude that. I have no proof that it is. This is me sharing that they are doing “SOMETHING”. They offered a call that might not have value to all, but it does have value.
This phone call goes along with my original assessment that being involved as a paying collaborator on The Difference is a type of “self-improvement”/”self-help” thing. In the call Jacqueline Bignell the Founder of The Difference™ interviewed two Australian Difference Makers. One was Heather Yelland (her claim per her website: “Australia’s leading female personal development and mindset specialist”) and the other was Lisa Ippolito, a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner.
They brought up the main point of loving oneself will assist in the enabling of loving fully and of attracting love back. It is not a new concept and more and more people are starting to talk about it. I just read a post today that was about the very same thing. The blog was saying that is what he saw in the movie “Eat, Pray, Love”. That Elizabeth Gilbert the author of the book came to that realization. Funny how all of this connected in one day. This type of thinking is what Jacqueline is trying to promote with her project The Difference.
The conference call that they did is just an example of what they are doing to help this “opening of your heart” type of thinking along. Again, they are doing something, they are providing something of value. I didn’t even become a collaborator and I still got something out of it.
Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: "Eat, collaborator, conference call, Difference Makers, Elizabeth Gilbert, Heather Yelland, Jaceline Bignell, Jackie Bignell, Jacqueline Bignell, Lisa Ippolito, love, Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Nia, Nia Continuing Education, Nia licensing, Nia Teacher, NLP Practitioner, personal development, personal development specialist, Pray, self help, self improvement, service of value, teleconference call, The Difference, The Differnce | 6 Comments »
Terre Pruitt
