From Fitness Wisdom to War-Time Inspiration
Friday Musings: Recommendations and Resources
Hello, fellow compassionistas! Here is this week’s note where I share a couple things I’m loving right now — books, movies, food, music, podcasts.
Improving Brain and Body
BODY: As I mentioned in a previous Friday Musings, I’m all in when it comes to resistance training, but reading Stacy Sims’ book, Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond, has clarified and simplified a number of things regarding fitness and nutrition during peri-menopause and post-menopause. She’s kind of brilliant, and I can’t recommend her work highly enough. Watch / listen to every podcast interview with her, and read this book. A few takeaways:
The creatine I’ve been taking is exactly the right thing.
The protein increase I’ve implemented is also the right thing. (In addition to protein from whole food sources, my Complement Protein Powder helps me boost even more. I love the chocolate and vanilla, but they also have plain unsweetened, no sugars or artificial anything.)
Now I understand the whys and wherefores of eating protein before and after both resistance and HIIT training.
The tabatas I love doing on my bike are exactly the kind of sprint interval training (SIT—a form of HIIT) that Stacy recommends. While I still enjoy long walks, hikes, and rides, these short, intense bursts followed by longer recovery periods are key for supporting the hormonal shifts that come with perimenopause and beyond.
I have so much more to share (and will be doing so here and on my podcast), but I just wanted to get this on your radar asap!
*If you do take my Complement recommendations, don’t forget to use the code JOYFULVEGAN for 15% off everytime you order. But do use this special link.
BRAIN: Actually, the brain is part of the body, so I don’t mean to draw too sharp a distinction—and the neuroplasticity benefits that come with the resistance and SIT workouts I mentioned above also support brain health. But...I digress. Another book I read this week is The Etymologicon A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language. You know me and my love of language! Even though my Animalogy Podcast lasted only one year, I’ve never stopped exploring animalogies—or dreaming of turning them into a book someday.* So, I’m always keen on reading books on etymology and finding animal-related gems. I don’t know how I missed this one, but it is an absolute delight! Highly recommend.
*Keep an eye out for a second Substack over here called … Animalogy, all about animal-related words and expressions!
Hacksaw Ridge
David and I watch a lot of war movies. I’ve always been interested in how people behave under incredibly difficult circumstances—how they bond, how they’re tested, how they respond. This week we watched Hacksaw Ridge, one of those stories where, if it weren’t true, you’d never believe it. While the first hour felt a bit formulaic, the rest of the film more than made up for it—it’s so moving, so inspiring, so unbelievable. We followed it with the documentary The Conscientious Objector, which tells the real story behind the film and was absolutely delightful. I highly recommend watching both.
Michiko’s Surgery Collar
After Michiko had a lump removed (all fat—nothing to worry about), we were sent home with a hard cone that we couldn’t stand. Instead, I got this soft pillow collar, which has been amazing. Not only does she look like a little flower, this particular collar works perfectly: she’s not able to lick at her sutures (and the site is healing beautifully) but she can also eat without making a mess. Win-win if you ever need a “cone” post-surgery. Plus, how it’s possible she’s even cuter. I don’t know. 😀😍🥰
RIP Rex
Our dear friends Tim and Ellen had to say goodbye to their beloved Rex this week, a pup they adopted from Oakland Animal Services over 15 years ago and who touched so many lives, including mine. He was the most wonderful little being—the only dog we allowed in our home—who loved life, the world, and all other creatures, including our cats, Charlie, in particular. We will miss him so much and we’re sending love and light to our friends for their loss.
Podcasts This Week
I can’t get enough of my history podcasts—and this week was no exception. Here’s a roundup of all the episodes I listened to. Yeah, I listen to a lot. :)
The Seven Years War (Dan Snow’s History Hit)
The Rise and Fall of Sparta (Dan Snow’s History Hit)
Hannibal’s March on Rome (The Ancients)
The Apocryphal Gospels (The Ancients)
The Venetian Empire (In Our Time)
Hormones (In Our Time)
Little Women (In Our Time)
The Irish War of Independence Part 4: Showdown in London (The Rest is History)
The Irish War of Independence Part 3: Bloody Sunday (The Rest is History)
The Irish War of Independence Part 2: The Violence Begins (The Rest is History)
The Irish War of Independence Part 1: Rise of the IRA (The Rest is History)
The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (The Rest is History)
The Irish Civil War: The Assassination of Sir Henry Wilson (The Rest is History)
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Why are hard cones the default with so many veterinarians? We've always used soft cones or soft pillow collars with our pets. You mentioned two good reasons to use them; here's a third: those hard cones will hit walls, tables, and chairs when the pet moves around, and since there is no give to these hard shells, they cause a jarring halt to their movements while the collar digs into their neck and shoulders. Pet owners feel their pet's misery.