Author: Mary Kiningham

I have a gum chewing addiction.

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I am working on reducing my stress so I will feel better. I actually have been feeling nauseous at times lately, and I have gained a few pounds. Five years ago, I began playing around with intermittent fasting. I would drink bulletproof coffee in the morning, workout, then come back and have my breakfast. In the beginning, I would feel nauseous and a bit woozy before breakfast. It took about three months to adjust to my new protocol. Once I adjusted, it was actually quite amazing. I started to lose weight. I dropped ten pounds, which was the menopausal weight gain I was beginning to think was impossible to lose.

Back to now. I have been feeling off and have been wondering whether my bulletproof coffee, intermittent fasting routine was the cause. I reached out to my friend and creative Holistic Health Counselor Jessica Shepard. I have known Jess for years and we actually bonded over bubble gum at a health conference. I gave Jessica a call and told her what was going on with me. She asked if I had been doing my breathing and meditation. Usually, when I need it the most I stop. She felt that my issue was not my diet. I also talked to to her about my gum habit. I knew she would understand. It is not a pretty story. I love to chew gum. Usually after lunch, I pop a piece of gum in my mouth and get on with my chores. I might be outside for hours gardening and chomping on my gum. It feels like it is a way to get rid of tension. According to Jess, “The gum is an immediate distraction and deceptive tension reliever which actually causes more tension.” Who knew?

Gum chewing can also screw up your digestive system. Chewing sends a signal to your brain that you are eating food. Your body starts to produce enzymes to digest the food. After a period of time, you begin to overtax your digestive organs and they stop producing the amount of enzymes that you need. I am not going to get into artificial sweeteners in gum because at least I was chewing Pur Gum with Xylitol instead of aspartame.

It is so important to focus on being strong, healthy and OutdoorFit. I haven’t had a piece of gum since our call. I have been using Fennel essential oil instead, I’ve gone back to Wim Hoff breathing, meditation and a 30 second cold shower. I feel so much better. I feel like I just shared a deep dark secret with you.

Vicky Perry and I were live in our 2 Grandmas and A Microphone Facebook group. We talked about stress, agitation and coming in second in a spelling bee. Vicky loves words and has always enjoyed spelling.

We tried going Live on Instagram, which didn’t work as well. We will figure it out for next week. Please head over to the pages to like and follow.

Love,

Mary

“We will know what action is ours to do.”

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This election season, I took it upon myself to research the candidates and to know what is going on. I have talked to people whom I know don’t agree with me. I would like to better understand why they think the way they do. They have been difficult conversations, and very triggering for all involved. I certainly know we are not going to change each other’s mind. The whole experience has left me feeling stressed and agitated. Sunday afternoon, I decided I needed a break. I went outside in the sunshine and moved 8 of my At Last rose bushes.

Is gardening therapeutic for you? It is for me. I felt so much better. There is nothing like getting down and dirty. This is the time of year when I look at what has worked in the gardens and what I want to change for next year. I am always very inspired and motivated in the spring. I have visions of gardening, and taking care of my family with organic homegrown vegetables. I see myself in August, sweating while I am canning the tomatoes and pickling the cucumbers. Last spring, I planted cucumbers, zucchinis and tomatoes by my Lime Light hydrangeas. Bonus round, I had butternut squash that grew out of the compost that I had used to fertilize the soil. I love when God plants my vegetables for me. The butternut squash did well and I had a few cucumbers, but little else. I need to leave most of the food growing to the farmers. Next year, I will stick to my small vegetable bed. I will plant lettuce, herbs and maybe a tomato plant.

I harvested the vegetables and I decided to plant roses in the back corner. I hope they will thrive and flourish in a safe place. The were in my front yard and the deer were enjoying them as an appetizer. I am tired of spraying deer repellent. I hope they will be beautiful and have enough sun in the back yard. I will keep you posted. I have decided as you are my witness to make my gardens more permanent and not redo everything in the spring.

I am so grateful the OutdoorFit workouts enable me to pick up a shovel and plant pretty roses in my garden.

Love,

Mary

 “From a contemplative stance we will know what action is ours to do, which words we are called to say, and how our spirituality must be fully embodied in our political choices.” Richard Rohr

Pay attention, your body has something to say.

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Vicky Perry and I got together for 2 Grandmas and a Microphone #4. I have enjoyed our weekly conversations and I hope they have been helpful to you. This week Vicky shares how she was diagnosed in her 30’s with an ovarian cyst which was the size of an orange. Her Doctor wanted to schedule her for surgery. She told her doctor, “no way”. She went on a spiritual journey to heal herself. Push play to hear the whole story.

Body, Mind And Spirit.

Doctor’s are important. I listen to what they have to say, but I don’t always do what they tell me to do. A few years ago, I hurt my SI Joint. I was in so much pain and I was scared. I built a business around being strong and healthy. Was this the beginning of not being able to do what I enjoy? I went to see my Chiropractor who asked “how old are you now?” He brought out my X-rays to show me how screwed up my low back was. I will spare you the details. He told me I needed to stop sprinting, doing burpees, and mountain climbers. He told me to start swimming. I had gone that route before and it was not fun for me. So, I found another chiropractor who is certified in Foundation Training. He taught me how to get my life back and he believed it was possible. I am so grateful. Of course, I share these exercises with my OutdoorFit ladies. I end every workout with Foundation Training.

OutdoorFit women are Fit and Fabulous… Aging Optional! Click here if you would like to join us. We are outside and I am also livestreaming the workouts. You can join in from anywhere!

I would love to hear from you. Do you have a similar story to tell?

Love,

Mary

2 Grandmas and a Microphone # 3

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I almost quit. I felt agitated all week, like I had a few too many cups of coffee. I don’t like all the conflict and hard feelings between my friends, and with the political scene as a whole. The presidential debate Tuesday evening was the icing on the cake. It would be so much easier to forget all of this. Why did I think I needed to be so aware? I was thinking this would be the last Grandmas video to wrap it up and say goodbye. After a phone conversation with my fellow Grandmother Vicky Perry, I decided we need to carry on. Creating Grandmas videos has been very helpful to me. I am researching about how I feel about the issues and then expressing myself.

My intention with OutdoorFit is for women to feel empowered through health and fitness. I know when you are strong, healthy and fit you are able to show up in your life in a more powerful way. I hope these videos inspire you to think about the issues and express how you feel.

Vicky Perry and I got together for 2 Grandmas and a Microphone #3. We talked about the importance of having conversations with people you agree with and also disagree with. It is important to set the intention to listen and not to try to convert them or change their mind. I am not a tactful person. This is not easy for me.

Vicky and I had a great discussion. We covered fracking, abortion and the importance of doing your own research. Stop and think about how you feel about things and then speak your own truth.

I think it is time for all of us to slow down, and show respect for one another. This is the perfect season to bake an apple pie and God Bless America.

How was your week? What has been coming up for you? I would love to hear from you.

Love,

Mary

2 Grandmas and A Microphone #2 The Environment.

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It all started this week when I watched a you tube video of Rich Roll and Erin Brockovich. As you know, Erin is the queen of clean drinking water. As a trainer and a health coach I tell my OutdoorFit ladies to drink lots of water. My goal is a gallon of water a day. I would like to think I am drinking good quality water. I have a filter under the sink and we also use water filter pitchers. After watching the video, I decided to check the quality of our drinking water through our water company’s website. Who knew their were so many chemicals in H2O? It was very overwhelming. I am looking into a water filter system for our house. I think it is very sad and disturbing that you can’t rely on the quality of your tap water.  We are fortunate that we can afford to buy water filters for cleaner water. What happens to the people who aren’t as fortunate?

I was at a small dinner party a few weeks ago. I asked for a glass of water. The host offered me bottled water. I said I am sorry but I try my best not to use single use plastic. “She said have you read your water bill? You don’t want to drink the tap water.” Single use plastic is a whole other conversation, isn’t it?

This brings me to 2 Grandmas and A Microphone #2 The Environment.  Time for more research, especially with the presidential election coming up. My main concern is the environment and climate change. Vicky Perry and I decided it was time to go deeper. In the past, I would never speak up about these issues. I am a 9 on the Enneagram which is the peacemaker. I don’t want to deal with conflict, but this is too important to stay quiet.

 

Here are links if you want to go deeper in the conversation.

The climate engagement advisor board webinar .

Kiss the Ground is streaming on Netflix.

Vicky’s source for where the candidates stand on climate change.

What is your biggest concern this election? I would love to hear from you!

Love,

Mary

 

“We can disagree without being disagreeable.”

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

 

2 Grandmas and a Microphone.

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It is strange to write the title 2 Grandmas and a Microphone, and know that I am talking about myself. When I think about OutdoorFit, women over 50 are my target market. Most of the women in my group are in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s! It is all quite incredible. Not all of them are Grandmas but they are in the age range. My job is to inspire these women to be fit and healthy. I know being strong, healthy and fit energizes  your life.

Last week, I had coffee with Vicky Perry who is a very wise Grandmother. We had such an interesting conversation, that Vicky encouraged me to write about it. I opened up about my feelings about voting, the presidential election, and why I couldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton in the last election. I learned a lot about myself from writing the post. I ended the post writing about the power of the Grandmother, which is something I hadn’t thought much about before.

I received so many wonderful emails and comments about the post that I wanted to continue. I decided to ask Vicky to do a video with me to take our conversation even deeper. Vicky brought up the importance of taking the time to know your own values and to think about which candidate best represents those values.

I could have just as easily titled the video The Wisdom of The Grandmothers.

“My Mother told me to be a lady. And for her that meant  be your own person, be independent.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg

A powerful cup of coffee with a friend.

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Today, I had coffee with a friend. We sat on a bench overlooking a marina on the Shrewsbury River. I noticed there was a small boat with a Trump, “Make America Great” Flag. This started an interesting conversation about having a voice and voting.

I decided to open up to my friend. I knew she would still be my friend at the end of the story. It is not an easy one to tell. Here goes. President Trump has changed my life. I have never paid much attention to politics. To tell you the truth, most of the time I would ask my very smart husband who he was voting for. I would ask how are you answering the questions on the ballot. He would reply something like,Yes, Yes and No for the third one. I trusted Dan’s judgment. He is very detail oriented. I would usually vote the same way because I knew he had done his homework.

Dan and I didn’t agree on the Presidential election 4 years ago. There was a part of me that just couldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton. My friend asked me “why I couldn’t vote for her and I could vote for Trump”. That was a hard question to answer. I realized that I look to men for leadership more so than women, I am embarrassed to admit.  I was appalled when Hillary said you could put half of Trump supporters into the basket of deplorables. However, when Trump imitated a person with cerebral palsy and called people stupid I let that slide. Why? Do I expect more empathy and compassion from a woman? Probably so.

I have changed quite a bit in the past four years. I no longer ask my husband how he is voting. Dan was never comfortable with the situation. I guess he put up with it because he loves me.  I am no longer a Republican. I am now registered as an Independent. I don’t want to be affiliated with either party. I am paying attention. I care about this country. I care about climate change and renewable sustainable resources. I care about the quality of our food sources. I care about medical freedom and being able to choose what is best for my body.  I want a President with integrity who prioritizes all of those issues as well.

Knowledge can come from unexpected sources.  I am grateful that I have started to pay attention and I learn from my mistakes. It is important.

I will be open to voting for a woman. The best idea might just be to elect Grandmothers to run the world! A Grandmother is wise and knows how to speak her mind. She can be tough and would think long and hard before sending her grandson and granddaughter off to war. What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Love,

Mary

“A vote is never an intelligent vote when it is cast without knowledge. Just doing what someone else tells you to do without any effort to find out what the facts are for yourself is being a poor citizen.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Homemade Mayonnaise.

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I have been working on making homemade mayonnaise without much success. Honestly, I almost gave up. I am so glad that I didn’t.  Last week, I mentioned my mayo problem at OutdoorFit. Andrea said she found a great easy recipe on The Movement Menu, that comes out  every time.

I was out of mayonnaise this morning. I wanted to make a cucumber basil avocado salad for lunch. I tried The Movement Menu’s recipe. It is a winner!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup organic avocado oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 lemon juiced, or I used 1 tsp apple cider vinegar.

Instructions

  • In a glass jar or a 1 cup glass Pyrex cup, (the container matters. It should be narrow so the blender fits snugly) pour in the avocado oil. Add the egg to the oil and let the ingredients settle for 1 minute. I then added the rest of the ingredients to the cup.
  • Take an immersion blender and let it touch the bottom of the container, piercing the egg yolk completely.
  • Turn the immersion blender on and leave it on the bottom for about 20-30 seconds, until the whole bottom has turned white in color.
  • VERY SLOWLY lift it up to continue emulsifying. This process should take anywhere between 30 seconds to 1 minute. Continue blending until the mixture has thickened to your desired amount.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

 

cucumber basil

Cucumber Basil Avocado salad with homemade mayonnaise.

Get out the Rolling Pin! Alice’s Flatbread.

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I have been cooking from Alice Waters’, My Pantry. Normally, I am thrilled if I can find 3 recipes in a cookbook that I enjoy. I’ve already found 3 in Alice Waters’ book, and there are so many more I want to try. They are great and easy to make. Last week, it was Oat Pancakes. This week it is all about flatbread! I don’t eat much bread. On the weekends, I might enjoy it as a treat. I love making my own because there are no plastic bags involved and of course it is delicious!

Sunday, we had pulled organic chicken and flatbread for dinner.

Here is Alice’s recipe.  

Alice encourages you to try different flours. I used organic white. It is really important to buy organic flour. (You don’t want your flour sprayed with glyphosate.) Spend a few more dollars, support the organic farmers and yourself!

2 cups flour

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup warm water

3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together. Stir in the water and the oil. Knead briefly to form a soft moist dough. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Do you have a rolling pin? It is time to get it out!  Divide the dough into 16 balls. On a lightly floured surface roll each ball into a 3 x 6  inch oval. My flatbread didn’t roll into perfect 3 x 6″ ovals. It is okay.

Alice uses a cast iron pan and medium heat to make her flat bread. I used my griddle and it worked fine. Cook 2 minutes, flip and cook 2 more minutes. Wrap flatbread in a kitchen towel to let the bread moisten with the steam.

I put my leftovers into a glass pyrex dish.  They were all gone the next day.

Enjoy!

Mary

“Homemade Ingredients That Make Simple Meals Your Own.”

I love Alice’s Oat Pancakes!

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I love when I make something new and the first bite makes me stop and say; “Oh my God this is so delicious!” This does not happen to me enough. Last Sunday morning, I made Alice Waters’ Oat Pancakes. I stewed fresh organic blueberries along with a few strawberries to go on top. Of course, first I smeared the pancakes with grass fed butter. It was SO Delicious!

Here is the recipe which is in Alice’s book My Pantry. 

Oat Pancakes (makes 8-3″ pancakes)

1 cup rolled oats. (I have been substituting buckwheat flour instead of oats. So good.)

3/4 cup milk or almond milk

1 large egg

3 tablespoons ghee, coconut oil or butter (or a combination), melted

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

Put the oats in a blender and blend 20 to 30 seconds until it is a fine powder. You will have 3/4 cups of oat flour.

Beat the milk and egg together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted oils. (I used a combination of butter and coconut oil.) Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes to thicken. ( I didn’t do that and they came out fine. Who can wait that long for pancakes?)

Heat the griddle over medium high heat. Grease lightly with oil or butter and spoon on the batter about 1/4 cup. Cook the pancakes.

I use only organic ingredients. I buy my eggs from a local farmer. I don’t eat many grains, but these were worth it, and a better substitute than white flour. Alice Waters’ oat pancakes were the perfect Sunday breakfast.

“Homemade Ingredients that Make Simple Meals Your Own.”