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Winter Recess (A Diet Change Rebrand)

The beginning of the year, my husband and I do a "fast." For six weeks we take things out of our diet. Sugar and alcohol are always included and sometimes other things. The first year we did this, we were insanely ambitious: sugar, alcohol, dairy, most meat, all wheat, in fact anything that rhymed with "eat", particularly if it was brown, looked like the moon, or had been blanched. That's my memory at any rate, and no, it did not go well. (Lotsa cheats.) Subsequently, we've been more modest. And generally it has gone better. (I won't lie. There are still cheats.) At the end of this detox, sure, you go back to a retox. But each year (Is it ten years we've done it now?), you go back less. Your tastebuds actually change. You get more sensitive to sugar and stop wanting it so much. You start truly liking and desiring the things that are good for you. It's incredibly valuable. But it is a negation. We take things away. It's hard not to feel

Posture assessment: Barbie

I love Barbie dolls. But what have they done for me lately? Uh, help me work on my posture assessment skills? Fun! Now, don't get me wrong, I like this a lot: Artist Nickolay Lamm re-created a Barbie doll to reflect more realistic proportions. In fact, he made the doll using average measurements for a healthy 19-year-old. Sigh. Yes, a 19-year-old who likes her cell phone and computer. How do I know? Well, she's 19. Duh. And also, her posture. There are some clear signs, so let's take a look! (Why is posture assessment so hard on humans and so easy on these two? Maybe it's that they seem so downright proud of their snazzy swimsuits and shiny hair. I'd say they're completely unaware I might suggest they give up the "Big Boob" thrust and the high heels. I guess they won't be so happy post-posture assessment.) Let's start with original Barbie. It's a little hard to tell with her hair, but I don't think she has forward head (a least not

The path to the future isn't straight.

Although my housekeeping doesn't really testify to this, I like things tidy. Well, I like tidy ideas of the world, like that things could be simply black or white. It's just so satisfying. But I know it's not real life, at least not mine. Which is why, today, when I went to a friend's house to give one of my first ever practice Pilates lessons, the first stop I made was at the community college where I've been teaching English for.ev.er. Yet another semester. Ugh. Yet another round of paperwork to get on the sub list. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. It was as though part of me was moving towards the future and part of me retracing the same old steps. I'd had fantasies of being completely done with that job. I was a fitness instructor now, no looking back! I think any journey is like this, whether it's starting a new career or becoming a healthier person. Maybe you've decided you're going to start eating better. And you do, for a while. Then it's back to doughn