Jan 13 - Day 4

Today was a tiring but very rewarding day for me.  After a breakfast of one half af a Monte Carlo sandwich with syrup and fruit, I headed down to the pool for a water  aerobics session, my first real intensive workout.  The Temperature of the salt water was 89 degrees.  They use salt water because it is easier on the skin when you are in for a long time and is easier to control bacteria in the water.  So for 45 minutes we were in constant motion fanning your arms and hands through the water while at the same time moving your legs in every possible direction. I felt very light when I got out and the feeling lasted for some time.To recover a bit,  I went up to the lunch room to work on the rest of my menu for next week which is due tomorrow at noon.

Lunch starts at 11:30 so I ate as soon as the line opened and then headed down to the Nu-step machine.  It is similar to an incumbent bike, but instead of the peddles going around, you push vertically with your feet very much like a stair-master machine.  At the same time you are working your arms back and forth.

I heard about rhe earthquake in Haiti was I was working out.  How terrible.  As you will remember, the Hatian choir who came two years ago and sang at Trinity were from the area hit. I got to know many of the choir boys and their teachers. Sudie says the cathedral is destroyed and classes were in session at the school next door.  I am praying that there were few deaths at the school as a result of the earthquake.

  I only had time for 25 minutes as I has a "Calories and Portions" class where we learned about portion sizes and the calories associated with various foods.  I then met with a nutritionist who went over my menus for next week and approved my choices. She gave me a handout on exchanging high calorie food with more heart healthy choices. I haven't had time to look at it, but she was very interested in my new cooking emphasis when I return home.  I am thinking of possibly looking at some of the recipes in Dragon Feast"  from folks who wouldn't be offended if I tinkered with their recipe.  The new section for the cookbook might be Heart Healthy recipes.  I'm still pondering it, and would love help from anyone who would like to collaborate with me. I went to be coached in the use of the weight machines.  The machines here are top of the line and very easy to work.  The coach eliminated 6 of the machines to protect my arm and knee.  That left about 10 machines I am able to use.  Again, what a wonderful surprise that I have so many choices.  Duke really is capable of dealing with folks like me!

At Supper we had a "guided mealtime. We were first instructed on how to eat a meal properly ... mindful of smells, textures, colors, feel, of the food we were about to eat.  We couldn't talk for 10 minutes as we began eating the meal, putting our forks down between each bite.  Now that was new to me! :-) We then discussed what the experience was like.  I wasn't able to finish my meal.

There was a bingo game tonight and lucky me won an expandable duffel bag and a tee-shirt.  I Skyped Sudie when I got home, talked awhile and then carried the laptop downstairs so Sudie and Paula, my host, could meet face to face. What a wonderful invention that is.