Here are five sites, people, books or articles that have inspired me this week
I have been trying to get back in the habit of regular blogging to help keep my name out there and promote what I am working on.
I always tell my content writing clients that regular posting and updates are necessary for good SEO and visibility. This is me taking my own advice.
Because ‘Follow Friday’ has become a Twitter hashtag mess, I am doing my own thing here.
About the ‘over the hill’ part
I turned 50 last month. So, yeah. Mid-life crisis renewal incoming. Here’s where I’m at so far in my journey to reinvent myself in my fifth decade. They say it’s never too late.
- Modified Keto + Intermittent Fasting (16/8) – Basically like the Galveston Diet without the expensive coaching. I’ve been overweight since my second child was born almost 11 years ago. I also have autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease). In addition to making me feel bad, being overweight has limited my activity and reduced my quality of life. At different times, I’ve done Paleo, Whole30 and NSNG and IF before.
I feel better eating a low carb diet and I feel better when I don’t snack at night. I know it’s not magic. Move more, eat less. But I need some structure and some help at this point. I also know that I need to pay more attention to inflammation and that some foods just do not agree with me, now that I am older.
I do follow Mary Claire Haver on Instagram. I like that she is an OB/GYN and focused on the needs of perimenopausal and menopausal women (hello!). So, I am getting back on this pony. I will probably post regular updates for accountability. - iTrackBites – Related to #1. I switched to this app from my digital Weight Watchers subscription because WW is just not keto- or paleo-friendly. Also, at $30 for an annual subscription (versus $20 per month for WW) this is way cheaper. I can track my ‘bites’ (like points) and my macros at the same time. I’m starting off on the Sugar Smart plan, but will probably transition to Carb Conscioius or Keeping Keto.
- Life Reimagined: The Science, Art and Opportunity of Midlife by Barbara Bradley Hagerty – Added this book to my shelf after reading this Voices column in the New York Times about taking up swimming in midlife, something I also hope to do.
- TwoSleevers – Food blogger and cookbook author Urvashi Pitre first gained fame as the ‘Butter Chicken Lady’ on Facebook. TwoSleevers is her blog and Instagram devoted to keto-friendly recipes for the Instant Pot and air fryer. She has also openly discussed her health issues, including weight loss (she and her husband underwent the gastric sleeve procedure – hence the name of the site) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). I have followed Urvashi for a long time for the delicious food. Now I am paying closer attention for health reasons.
- CleanTok – Yes, I am serious. I joined TikTok to keep tabs on my 13-year-old, but ended up falling down a multi-hour rabbit hole watching people clean their toilets on the internet. Yesterday, I may or may not have spent $80 at WalMart on the 30-second recommendation of professional housecleaners I don’t know. I can’t dance and I don’t care who is in the mafia. But I would sell my soul to get my grout clean again.
So, that’s me! What are five things you discovered this week? Share or link in the comments. Til next Friday …
Cathi Harris 