Spinning some magic

I love my spin bike.  This is not a secret.  It hangs out in my living room (except at Christmas time, when it moves out to the studio to make way for the Christmas tree—there are a few things that have higher priority than workouts!).  I realize that not everyone puts the same value on their exercise equipment or has the willingness to declare it an interior decorating choice, but here’s why I do:

The spin bike is a magic depression-clearing machine.

I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist or therapist.  I have no clinical expertise at all.  I do have a long history with depression.  The spin bike is no substitute for professional help or medication when appropriate, but, much as I would not be alive without the aforementioned professional help and medication, I would not be here except for the spin bike.

Cardio exercise has been scientifically proven to lift mood.  Most of us can attest to the way we feel better after our workouts (maybe a little more sore or tired, but overall better, right?).  Additionally, when we depressive-types manage to take action of any kind, we get a sense of efficacy that we may be lacking.  If our bodies feel better, work better, and maybe even look better, we get bonus points.

Some people may find the same benefit from other forms of cardio:  swimming, hiking, running, dancing, skating all work, too.  Even those of us who don’t struggle with depression can benefit from cardio’s mood-boosting power.

Go play.

Monday Workout: Compound It!

I love compound exercises because in my laziness, I want to get as much work done as fast as possible!  Compound exercises use lots of joints, so they burn lots of calories, boost metabolism, and increase workout efficiency.  Sure, they make us all more tired, but that is all right.  Three rounds.

suitcase swings	30
bench press	20
lunges or side lunges	10
step ups	30
squat to curl	20
lateral raise	10
clean and press	30
flies	20
roll out abs	10

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

To finish out the week of meals, I’m going to talk about dinner.  I am a meal-planner.  The advantages of meal-planning, from my perspective, include not having to go to the grocery store as often, saving time, avoiding food waste, and not having to figure out dinner while hungry, which often leads to bad choices.

Most weeks, I roast a chicken.  It takes a little longer than some meals, but then I have the glories of leftovers.  The carcass goes into the stock pot with water, herbs, carrots, celery, and onion to make broth.  That broth and some of the meat can become chicken soup with rice or noodles, or, even better, tortilla soup.  Some of the meat can go in sandwiches or salad or pot pie or pasta.  It’s efficient, tasty, and reasonably healthy.

Here is how I do it:

1 whole chicken

About 2 tablespoons salt

About 2 tablespoons Penzey’s Mural of Flavor (or other dried herbs of choice)

Early in the day or the night before, rinse the chicken and remove giblets (save them for the stock pot!).  Mix the salt and herbs in a small bowl and rub them all over the chicken in a roasting pan.  Put the chicken, uncovered, in the fridge until time to cook.

Preheat oven to 450.  Roast the chicken for 30 minutes.  Turn the heat down to 350 and roast the chicken for about an hour more, until meat thermometer registers 165.  If you have time, let it rest a bit before carving, but nothing bad will happen if you carve immediately.

To make broth:

1 chicken carcass

Chicken giblets

3-4 carrots, roughly chopped

3-4 celery ribs with leaves, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

Herbs:  rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, parsley, etc.

Remove most of meat from chicken carcass and save for other uses.  Put carcass in large stock pot with remaining ingredients.  Cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least an hour (longer is better; I tend to start the process before doing the dinner dishes and let it simmer until bedtime.).  Strain the broth, discarding solids, and refrigerate.