Sorana Tarmu Art & Design

Cheeses to Try for Healthy Eating

Lactose intolerant? Give parmesan a try. In just 1 (grated) ounce, this low-lactose choice delivers 8 grams of protein, 119 calories, and only 3 carbs, without causing tummy trouble. Plus, it’s high in calcium and phosphorus, nutrients that help build bone.

via www.webmd.com

As much as I love cheese, I have largely given it up due to my inherited tendency toward high cholesterol. But you will always, ALWAYS find parmesan in my fridge.

Ten Proven Ways to Beat the Winter Solstice Blues (and My Secret Weapon)

The days around the winter solstice - the shortest days of the year - can bring about feelings of gloom and lethargy. But with a few mindful practices, you can turn this season into a time of joy and rejuvenation. Here are ten ways to beat the winter solstice blues that made my own seasonal affective disorder a thing of the past.

1. Consider taking a Vitamin D supplement
   With shorter days and less sunlight, it's common to experience a drop in vitamin D levels during winter. Consider taking a vitamin D supplement to support your immune system, brain function, and maintain your energy levels. Always consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement.
2. Expose yourself to natural light every day by taking a walk
   Vitamin D will not bring all the benefits that natural light has to offer. Especially on sunny days, natural light is a powerful mood booster. Even on cloudy days, getting outside for a walk can help regulate your circadian rhythm and improve your overall well-being. Aim for at least 30 minutes of daylight exposure each day to keep the winter blues at bay.
3. Try Yoga
   And speaking of movement: yoga is an excellent way to stay active and centered during the winter months. The combination of physical movement, deep breathing, and mindfulness can help reduce stress and improve your mood. Try incorporating a daily yoga practice into your routine, even if it's just for 15 minutes. You don't need an expensive subscription. A good place to start are the free gentle yoga routines of Yoga with Adriene.
   
4. Eat hearty soups
   There's nothing quite like a warm bowl of soup to comfort you on a cold winter day, especially if it is home-made. Experiment with different recipes and ingredients to find your favorites. Soups are not only nourishing but also a great way to incorporate more vegetables and much needed hydration into your diet.
5. Drink comforting beverages
   And speaking of good nutrition: warm beverages like herbal tea, mulled cider, or hot chocolate can provide comfort and warmth. Take time to savor these drinks, perhaps while wrapped in a cozy blanket or sitting by the fire. It's a simple pleasure that can make a big difference in your mood. Try varying your source of caffeine by rotating between coffee, green tea, yerba mate, and black tea. Lately, I've been experimenting with delightful Mexican atole (corn-based) drinks like champurrado. Also - don't forget to hydrate properly and limit your sugar intake.
6. Get together with family friends regularly
   Social connections are vital for mental health. Make an effort to spend time with friends and loved ones, whether it's through in-person gatherings or virtual meetups. Sharing laughter and stories can significantly lift your spirits.
7. Make time for your hobbies
   Engaging in creative activities like knitting, crocheting, or crafting can be incredibly therapeutic. These hobbies not only keep your hands busy but also allow you to create something beautiful, useful, and tangible. Plus, handmade gifts are always appreciated during the holiday season. Which brings me to
8. Work on a project with a Christmas deadline
   Engaging in a challenging project can provide a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Through this perspective, the dark days of winter will suddenly seem too few! Set a goal to complete a project by Christmas, whether it's a craft (see above), a piece of writing, or a home improvement task. The focus and creativity involved can help distract from the winter blues and help bring even more enjoyment to the winter holidays. My personal project is knitting luxurious cashmere socks as gifts for my loved ones.
9. Watch comedies or catch up on your reading list
   Laughter is a great antidote to the winter blues. Watch your favorite comedies or read a book that makes you smile. Escaping into a good story can provide a much-needed mental break and help you feel more relaxed and happy. When it comes to nonfiction, I prefer the summaries offered by Blinkist. At night, I read fiction. Reading paper books after sundown can improve your sleep by limiting exposure to blue light. 
10. Meditate and journal
    Spending more time indoors gives us more time for introspection. Engaging in a meditation and journaling practice can help you process your thoughts and emotions in a methodical way. Meditation can reduce stress and increase mindfulness, while journaling allows you to reflect on your day and express your feelings. Both practices can contribute to a greater sense of peace and well-being. I personally love Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way method of journaling, which helps with creativity (see points 7 and 8!). For meditation, a most helpful tool has been for me the biofeedback headband from Muse. Lately, they introduced a new measurement: Alpha Peak, which helps track your mental acuity.

As a data scientist with a background in biology, I love tracking all kind of vitals, to check if my lifestyle changes have the desired effects. I have been using and loving an app called Welltory, which tracks various health metrics, including heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, and sleep patterns. This comprehensive approach helps you understand how different aspects of your lifestyle impact your overall health. Since I have been integrating the practices I mentioned above in my daily routines, my HRV has improved considerably. Use this code to get a free trial of Welltory Plus, which will unlock all the health insights it has to offer.

Don't forget: winter time is hygge time! Bust out your wool blankets and furry decor, your fairy lights and soy candles. Let me know in the comments your favorite way of overcoming the winter blues!

 

Lessons Learned While Taking the Adidas Couch-to-5K 16-Week Program

Last year I got in the habit of running 5ks by the Hoboken waterfront. I love running during the mild winters of the New York area. In April of the same year, for some reason, I stopped. I probably deluded myself that I could strengthen my heart in other ways. I was perhaps overtraining, what with the long walks taken to reach Hoboken and return. I was still doing Yoga, yet my fitness index as measured by the paid version of Strava, was nevertheless plummeting.

Then, in December, I got a health scare. I was diagnosed with SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) which for reasons that I will not go into right now, was worsening. My heart rate during sleep had been slowly increasing, which was unacceptable. Having received a clearance to exercise, I looked for a heartrate-driven program to get me back into running. I tried one from Runkeeper. Unfortunately, at the stage I was, having years of training as if wiped out, I couldn't ...keep up with it. So I gave the couch-to-5k from Adidas a try. I liked that it was stretched over 16 weeks. I had the Adidas app installed on my phone ever since I participated in the 5k organized by the brand in New York. I reloaded the app and merrily joined the program. I wanted the change-of-pace notifications in my headphones, so I paid for the $35 cost of the app.

The program entails four runs per week, evenly spaced, except for the last two, during the weekend. It starts with a short cardio evaluation run, which customizes the recommended speeds - sweet! I loved the use of interval training and the variety of paces (walking included) and running styles. It made me aware of my running speed. Turns out I was way too fast for my goals, especially in the beginning of the runs. 9 km per minute was the slow pace assigned in my case, which I found excruciatingly slow. I usually jog at 8 km per minute. Yet, I felt it was doable and necessary. I also learned how to estimate my effort by the way I was breathing. If I could still run without breathing through my mouth, I would not be speeding up too much.

Halfway through the program, encouraged by my progress, I introduced whole-body strength training days during the days I was not running. As easy as the runs were, I still felt that I was "dragging ass". My legs were not nearly as strong as they could be. The strength training helped, after only one week! I felt a notable difference in my running.

Then at the end of week 15, I felt it was all too much. I was wiped out, sleepy, depressed - I was overtraining again. I realized the mistake I was making was not leaving my recovery days untouched. The strength training was 25-minute sessions, yet they were very strenuous. My heart rate was not going up too much, yet by the end I was all sweaty and exhausted. I realized that I could benefit from making the runs my warmup for the strength routine. It was a game-changer.

With all this exercising, Yoga fell by the wayside, and I realized how much I missed it when I remembered I wasn't stretching enough. I am currently slowly reintroducing sun salutations in the morning and Yin Yoga (my favorite) at the end of the day.

Strava is goading me back into my usual routine. My fitness index fell five points during my recovery from overtraining. Who cares? I will be getting them back in no time. Only two more runs and the program will be finished. What is next, you ask? Improving my 5k time. There is an Adidas program for that too...

Finally A Fitness App That Has It All

 

You can't live sustainably without becoming yourself a "sustainable human"... My hack for that is a fitness app that offers it all in terms of workouts and diet.

Like everyone, I used to think I don't need exercise. Nor did I like the idea - the very thought of it bored me out of my wits. Fortunately, my life in my 20s was very much active. A lot of walking, plenty of hiking, biking, and lugging of backpacks. Swimming was my jam; I am still eager to swim as often as I can. Fast forward to my forties: I have become increasingly aware of the importance of exercise. I never thought I would build the discipline to make it a daily habit, yet, here I am, enjoying my half hour of (almost) daily intense exercise, followed by a yoga session. Eating healthy has been also a priority since my early 30s. After three decades of Transylvanian diet (lard and all), I took a ten year purge of meat products (I basically became a "pescatarian"). These days I don't refuse high-quality meats, however, my diet is veggie-centric - something I was never very careful about. I came to adore all veggies, especially when I grow them myself...

I have tried a variety of exercise apps, and these days I found one that I am really excited about, since it offers everything I want: HIIT, functional strength training, Yoga, Pilates, AND healthy recipes recommended in your journey to optimal body composition. They offer a limited-time promotional discount of 70%, so check it out.

Moreover, regular exercise is the best way to maintain not only the fitness of your body but also that of your brain. Much more so than any brain training. So what are you waiting for, get your Fit On!

August's Bounty

It's here! A veggie-centric foodie in August is a kid in a candy store.  For me, it's ratatouille season. There is a Romanian version called by a word meaning "melting pot", but that recipe adds potatoes and meat/mushrooms. I make my ratatouille using Julia Child's method - yes, I saute every type of veggie separately. I use a limited-edition recycled Dutch oven, purchased from MoMa Design Store. Of course, you can use any dutch oven... I recommend trying her recipe at least once, as opposed to stewing everything to mush. You will get a superior dish in both texture and flavor.

Also - cold soup season! I first came across the "Kalte Suppe" concept in a German monthly magazine I was reading in my twenties, very similar in concept to Marie Claire. Since then, I became a fan of what I consider the ideal summer dinner: gazpacho.

These are the first tomatoes from my garden. Their flavor is out-of-this-world. They are an heirloom variety. The bowl

comes from the latest Causebox, along with other earth-friendly goodies.

I have recently started a daily sketching practice inspired by one of my favorite illustrators: Ohn Mar Win. Her Skillshare courses are an absolute delight. She is a very gifted art educator. Use my link for a two months Skillshare free trial. You will find much more than art classes. There are some marketing, career coaching, and personal branding classes very much worth trying. And there are only categories that I have looked for.

I plan to post my sketches on my Tumblr.

I wrote more extensively about how I use August's bounty on my Patreon blog.

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A Productivity App That Will Help You Create and Maintain Healthy Habits

I have been using the enchanting Fabulous app for a while and I love it. It keeps me accountable and it's a joy to use, with science-backed methods of enhancing wellbeing and productivity. I am giving away five free 30-day passes. Just click here to get yours.

My Art Print Shop

Just a quick update: I have just launched my art print shop. Head over to Patreon to grab a 20% plus free shipping coupon, in celebration. It's in a public post. 

New Gardening Projects and my Patreon Account

Emboldened by my love for organic gardening and sustainable living, I started a journal on Patreon, which at some point will include videos. A few blog posts, while publicly available, will appear only there, on a monthly basis. I have been an independent contractor since the beginning of the year, and, long before that, I have been entertaining the idea of forming an inner circle of supporters and friends with whom to share my finds and the results of my experience. Patreon is the ideal platform for this purpose. So head over there and follow me. Consider my public posts a monthly newsletter.

In other news, as suggested by my latest tweet, I am planning a spa herb garden in my backyard, in parallel with some upgrades to the kitchen garden. I relish the process of researching it. In celebration of the launch of my Patreon page, here are the resources that I have been using and I recommend:

• Free: subscribe to your local library. Use their interlibrary exchange service. Make use of their ebook loan app.
• Affordable and with added benefits: subscribe to Scribd - by using this link you will get it free for 60 days. Words cannot describe how much I enjoy my Scribd subscription. And not just for the unexpected free downloads that I collect in my e-book reader. It has amazing perks, such as a free Mubi subscription for you fellow art movie buffs, or a free brain training app subscription, among many other free goodies, such as Curiosity Stream. Do check it out.
• Charitable and affordable: buy used books. I am in the process of reducing my hard-copy book purchases as much as possible, however, whenever I cannot find my books in digital (or their digital price is less convenient) I turn to Better World Books and AbeBooks.

A detailed list of my research sources for the herb garden, along with the entire process of designing and growing it will be fully available on my Patreon account.

Wishing you all a safe and rewarding gardening season.

 

Ecological Design Retreat in East Hampton

I have been taking classes at NYBG for a few years now, mostly Landscape Graphics. which have taken my graphic skills in directions I have never expected. Also, I had the incredible luck and privilege to take a Landscape Design History course with the delightful Marta MacDowell - one of my favorite educators ever. So when I discovered this off-site course offering (a retreat, no less) at Edwina von Gal's own Marsh House, I was over the moon with excitement. Hoping for favorable weather, although very few adversities would prevent me from attending...