The Conical Glass: A Cry For Self-Help: 1. Buy a plant

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

A Cry For Self-Help: 1. Buy a plant

There's a current TV ad campaign that talks about "aha moments." You may also have heard Oprah use the phrase. An "aha moment" has been defined as "a moment of clarity that enlightens and actually changes you."

I had an "aha moment" when I read an article my mom had clipped out of USA Today for me. It was an interview with a physician at the Mayo Clinic named James A. Levine. Dr. Levine says that many deskbound American workers suffer from "sitting disease" -- i.e., too much time on our butts, which isn't how we are meant to live. Too much sitting leads to a lack of "non-exercise activity thermogenesis," a.k.a. "NEAT." "Did you ever stop to think whether your body was equipped to sit for thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, or maybe more hours a day? Did you ever consider what happens to your heart, muscles, and metabolism... when you sit virtually immobile for more than 80 percent of your waking hours?" he writes in his book, Move a Little, Lose a Lot.

NEAT is not deliberate exercise, it's the movements of everyday life, such as climbing stairs or folding laundry. Dr. Levine claims not enough NEAT is to blame for America's obesity epidemic, and he has a raft of studies to prove it. You may have heard of one of Dr. Levine's inventions, the treadmill desk, which has been featured on several news shows and lets you walk (slowly) while you work. Sounds crazy, perhaps, but office chair giant Steelcase is mass-producing it -- though at a price point of around $5,000, not many people can afford to buy one. (There are lots of plans for DIY treadmill desks online.)

"Overweight? Depressed? You Have Sitting Disease" is the title of Chapter 1 of Dr. Levine's book, which is filled with anecdotes about people who have changed their lives for the better by following his program. I must admit that I feel chubby, cranky and low-energy much of the time. So I have decided to spend the next eight weeks living by the book, as it were. Lest you think it just boils down to "eat less, move more," you'd be wrong -- it is, in fact, an incredibly specific plan, with instructions for every single day. For instance, Day 1, which, for me, was Monday, March 16, required me to purchase a plant ("less than 6 inches tall") for my desk. "Your plant should serve as a constant reminder that you are a living organism that needs sunlight and fresh air and movement... researchers found that volunteers who kept flowers and plants in their workspace were more productive than those who worked in a plant-free workplace." So I stopped by a local nursery and picked up a small pothos, mainly because I do not have a green thumb and those plants are virtually unkillable. I have a 12-year-old pothos in my kitchen, and even when I've ignored it for weeks, it has stayed fresh and green. I suppose I could have taken a cutting from my existing pothos, but the new one was only $2, and the book did say to buy a plant.

Week One also calls for taking three 20-minute walks every day. I am used to taking one longish walk every day, and then spending the rest of the day at my desk. Now I have to space out my walks. Yesterday (Day 2) was a challenge, since I had an appointment in the afternoon and book club in the evening. I only had time to take two walks during the day, and was afraid that I'd already messed up. Then I stopped at Whole Foods on the way home from book club and spent 20 minutes walking around the store (and picking up some healthy food, too). Mission accomplished!

I have read self-help books before, but this is the first time I've actually followed one. I vow to do everything the doc says, no matter how wacky it seems. (I'm already nervous about this coming Sunday, Day 7, which calls for me to arise early and photograph the sunrise: "[T]he power of the sunrise... symbolizes a new beginning." Getting up at 7:20 AM on a weekend is so not my thing.)

So stay tuned as I try to create a healthier, happier me through the pages of a book. I'll report back from time to time on my progress. Maybe I'll even post my sunrise photo.

posted by 125records @ 9:27 PM

6 Comments:

At 10:51 PM, 2fs said…

Re the getting up early: First, you can always go to bed again afterwards (unless the instructions say you're not supposed to...). Second, if I were doing that I'd get up earlier (isn't 7:20 a bit late for the sunrise?) to get a sense of a time of day you normally do not experience. Once in a while I'll do that - it's just kinda cool how different (and, on a weekend, quiet) things are.
At 11:13 PM, 125records said…

I checked a web site that lets you find out when the sun rises in your area, and it said 7:20 AM on the 22nd. It would have been 6:20 if not for daylight savings time, of course.
At 3:49 PM, neal said…

I had to go to Santa Fe for an 8:30 am meeting last week. That's a 1 hour drive, so I found myself up at about 6 am, cranky and unhappy at first, but happy for the sunrise and the different morning light and energy.
At 11:05 AM, Janet Rudolph said…

So is the SF International Chocolate Salon contrary to the book? March 21, 100-6. You'd be doing a lot of walking. It's a great way to celebrate the solstice. http://www.sfchocolatesalon.com/
At 5:05 PM, 125records said…

I wouldn't follow any sort of lifestyle plan that did not allow for chocolate! Not sure if I'll get around to going all the way to Fort Mason tomorrow -- that's a long haul for me -- but it sounds great.
At 6:31 PM, Janet A said…

So did you make sunrise? It was so foggy this morning did you see anything.