"The Rich Life" and "Bodeci" do Napa!

I am so very bad at being sick!  I had to cancel my birthday "hang-out" with Adrienne last Wednesday because I felt so slow.  I almost bagged out on her again today, but got an email from her this morning saying, "Yipee!...I have no time constraints.  Give me a ring when you are ready to go..."  That is all I needed!  My head cleared up and I was ready to go at 1:30.  We were on our way to Napa!

On the winding drive over the Cavedale grade, we discussed everything from what I should do with my hair to husbands and writing our blog.  "Should I change the name of my blog?"  I asked, "Everyone has such cool names for theirs."

"No way!"  said Adrienne, "'Bodeci' is my new word!  It means..."  (We'll get into this later.)

Adrienne taking a picture of me. You can see the other side on her blog

  (Gosh, she is so gorgeous! But, I love her anyway.)

She took me to one of her favorite restaurants, the Rutherford Grill, in, of course, Rutherford.  But,  we are supposed to be on a budget!  (And she's my teacher!)   She said, "I'm not cheap, just selective.  Pu...lease!  Can anyone live like a freaking miser all of the time?"  HELL NO!  We both agreed.  "What I want people to know is that I am choosy on how I spend my money."

While sipping fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and Kettle One vodka cocktails, we dined al fresco.  We shared grilled artichokes, a seared yellowtail sandwich, 'very wild rice' salad and heirloom tomatoes with fleur de sel.  Awesome!!  Our waiter, Tad was a great guy.  Don't you just love it when you feel welcome at a fantastic restaurant?



With our tummies satisfied (we don't do 'full') it was time for a bit of shopping.

We had fun at Dean & Deluca's looking at the price tags.  Ouch!
I still haven't been tutored in the art of Hermes scarf tying.
What should I do with my hair?  Cut it really short again?  It is so much easier for my profession.

What is 'bodeci'?

 Bodeci is the beautifully woven basket I bought at the farmer's market I use to harvest my vegetables with.

Bodeci is the faux patent leather shopping/ picnic bag I purchased at Dean & Deluca's.  I will use it as a my everyday bag and more!  (There are compartments for two bottles of wine and a cell phone.  Very handy!)

Bodeci is eating mostly healthy vegetables and fruits.  (This is my 'salad sandwich with fresh strawberries.  All from my garden.)


And the occasional treat....

We didn't eat these, but we did share a gelato!

Bodeci is knowing when to say, "let's go play hookie!"

I love my girlfriend, Adrienne.  We are kindred spirits!  Thank you for such a fabulous day!  (Any thoughts on what I should do with my hair?)

Now, find your 'bodeci' today!  You want to hear more?  Go to the rich life on a budget.

E stands for: Exercise. To have Energy!

If you aren’t too keen on it, I really want to challenge you to change your mind (Yes, we’re talking about exercise!). I certainly wasn’t an “A” student in P.E., and I know how tedious conventional exercise can be for some of us. However, it should be enjoyable and/or purposeful, so whatever floats your boat is OK! The only rule is that you need to do something 6 days a week for one hour a day. Now don’t freak out, you can work up to that slowly. In no time you will be looking forward to your workouts as you will come to view them as time spent with the most important person in your life….you!  And for some it is the time spent with others, friends old and new and family.

The key to enjoying exercise is finding out what kind of movement you enjoy doing. Ultimately it should be balanced and beneficial to your whole being.  And, it should burn more calories than your usual day to day activities as well as work your cardiovascular system for better endurance. 

I personally abhor "cardio" equipment but love to walk (really fast), bound up stairs, hike beautiful hills and mountains and dance with abandon both on the "floor" and off! And, I am fortunate to teach my BODECI method workout several times per week. I'm not dissing treadmills  and I know plenty of people who really dig jogging on a treadmill or zipping along on the elliptical trainer; it affords them personal time to catch up on reading  a book, catching the news, or to simply "zone out". Your choice is personal.

Fitness isn’t just cardiovascular exercise, however; it’s also maintaining muscular strength and endurance.  The average person loses about a pound of muscle per year after the age of 25, which will not only weaken the body but slow down the metabolism. Simply put: Aging!  Your body ages many ways, but, not rebuilding it is a slow death.  I want to be alive at an old age to see my great grand kids, too, but I don't want them carrying me to the event.

Helen, my Bodeci body of the month, has lost a total of 26.5 lbs. on the scale.  But, she has gained an amazing 17 lbs. of muscle!!  Her total fat loss is 43 lbs.!  

Resistance training is for building strong muscle. Strong and healthy muscles act as a machine for our structure as they fuel movement and function. For every pound of muscle gained, one can burn 50 to 100 calories more per day. One may notice they are getting leaner, but may not even see a drop on the scale because they may have gained five pounds of muscle and lost five pounds of fat.  Now, at the same weight, a person could burn two hundred fifty to five hundred extra calories per day!!  That can add up.  Once muscle muscle is developed, one can lose half a pound to 1 pound of fat and not have to give up a whole lot!  But, let me be very clear here, working out is not a complete means for weight loss especially when one has been working out for a while and they only need to lose five to ten pounds. 

Exercise, whether structured or playtime, is one of the most positive things you can do for yourself.  A shaman I studied ‘myself’ with years ago said it is hard to have an unhealthy mind in a fit body.  Exercise gives us confidence and a wonderful sense of wellbeing.  On those days you’d rather sleep in or run home for a glass of wine right after work, you are missing out on more energy and more relaxation. Yes, exercise does both. I call it relaxed energy and it is the best feeling one can have.  The ability to comfortably move through your day with a lack of stress can make you more productive and happier. So never think you don’t have enough time in a day to exercise, you won’t have much energy to get the job done if you don’t.