reconnecting

I’m not sure how it happened, but I lost touch with my food.

I didn’t put two and two together until I was giving myself a stern talking to about why my food cravings intensified and my will-power crashed proportionately. It would have been easy to slip into that mode where I beat myself up and make excuses, but the reality is, I just lost my way for a bit. And I was trying to put my finger on how, where and why that happened.

I love food. I love reading about it, eating it, cooking it, taking illicit iPhone photos of it, twittering about it, sharing it and writing about it.  I truly – in the most basic sense of the word - honor food.  Which is why it's so perplexing when I recognized some iffy eating behaviors that had taken over my life.  So what happened?  Well, generally speaking, life happened.  But along with the usual and expected effects of a too-busy, too-frenzied, too-blessedly-full life, I completely lost touch with food.

When I'm disconnected in the food department my fridge is empty and my visits to the co-op are further apart.  My kitchen stays clean, sure.  But it's a little sad and lifeless too.

When I'm connected I spend more time thinking about food.  I devour my Bon Apetit and Cooking Light magazines (ahem, amongst several others in the cooking vein).  I'm watching more of my favorite Food Network shows.  I'm picking up fresh veggies and experimenting with new grains.  The kitchen is humming.  People are dropping in after last-minute invites to nosh.  It's fantastic and it feeds my soul.

What happens, I think, is that the further I slide away from these engaged habits and connected practices, the less mindful I become about what moves from my fork to my mouth.  Even the effort of cooking (a practice which I really do enjoy) becomes less enticing.  Then I revert - as so many people do - to eating more packaged and what I call "quick fix" foods.  I'm pretty well-wired now to keep these foods organic and unprocessed as much as possible.  But when I'm on my 6th day of living on cereal and almond milk and nothing green has passed my lips, well then.  Houston, we have a problem.

So I've chosen to go back and dabble more.  Play mad scientist.  Try some new things that I normally wouldn't attempt.  I've turned May into "mostly vegan May" and am cooking out of my two new-ish cookbooks:  The Conscious Cook and The Kind Diet.  I made a somewhat scary (read: $140) trip to the co-op and have visited the St. Paul Farmer's Market.  I'm digging out the past few months of my cooking magazines and revisiting them, looking for inspiration.  And most importantly, I've invited a few people round for dinner, cocktails, brunch.  An excuse to cook and maybe even wow people a bit always inspires me to attempt new things.  And I can't wait to see how the month plays out. 

Also, stay tuned for vegan, vegetarian and unabashed meat recipes as I experiment through out the month.  And please, share your knowledge.  If you have some other great ideas for inspiration, recipes, mindful food habits, anything...please comment. 

Happy nibbling!

Back at the beginning

I'm on another adventure...this time, dealing with my health and well-being. Not unlike many other women (and men, for that matter) I have hit a point in my life where I am starting to feel the cumulative effects of many years of eating well, sitting at a desk, traveling for business, not being active enough, and trying desperately to find some sort of equilibrium in my life.

Yep, that sounds just like life, right? And add to it, in the five years past I have earned a check mark for almost everyone of those “top stressors” in life: divorce, job loss/change, moving (three times), death of a parent and – not inconsequentially – working with a couple of the least well-balanced people imaginable. Stress: been there, done that, starred in the made-for-TV movie.

As a result, I’ve seen my weight go up rather dramatically. Ok, maybe it’s not dramatic to you, but an additional 20+ lbs – though I can wear it pretty well – puts me comfortably over the edge into “not so healthy land.” Further, as I’ve started to peel away the layers of what’s really doing damage here, I have also seen some of the baseline wellness checks coming back less than perfect. And did I mention that my pants don’t fit?!?

A little more than two years ago, suffering mightily with some new fangled allergies that I hadn’t experienced before, I decided enough was enough. (And by that I mean enough Minute Clinic visits for sinus infections and definitely ENOUGH ANTIBIOTICS – I’m allergic to most of the big ones and really want to keep my usage to dire conditions.) I decided to call on a naturopath.

My initial consultation was pretty unique. I am very much an alternative medicine/holistic approach sort of girl, so the idea of this kind of assessment, diagnosis and treatment appealed to me. After hearing all of my complaints (weight gain, stuffy allergy head, poor digestion, etc) and doing some rather unconventional assessments, the first thing she did was place me on a very serious detox plan. Suspecting food allergies, we set about eliminating anything and everything that was potentially allergenic and went from there. Result: definitely wheat, maybe dairy. My naturopath also suggested to me that a periodic detox (1-2 times per year) could help keep my system functioning better.

Results were great. I was already engaged in Weight Watchers and throughout the summer lost just over 20 lbs. I felt much better. And then life took hold yet again – a serious relationship ended, a crazy job began and then during the winter, my dad passed away quickly from an aggressive form of cancer. Before you knew it, the tenuous hold I had on my own health and wellness started slipping. Five pounds became 10. I struggled through some pretty serious blues. Nothing much felt good. Ten became 20 again. All in all, 2008 was really not good for me at all. I made a painful job change the end of the year and vowed to start 2009 in a better place.

And I did. But I still hadn’t put my hands around what EXACTLY needed to happen to bring me back around to healthy and well again. The weight was killing me. After I got myself back to my fighting weight the year before, I got rid of everything that was more than a size up. I just KNEW I would never go back there again. Yet, there is precisely where I found myself.

There has been one positive and changing force that has been woven throughout all of this, and that is my passion for food and being a bit greener. Together, those pieces of me have set me on a path toward awareness and excitement for the efforts around local and organic food, and about limiting the toxins in my life. As you may know, this is not about perfection. This is about a journey and I’m happy to say that I’m well into mine. Which has helped spring me forward…

…to a new space and time. I went back to the books and studied hard. I read Jillian Michaels’ new Master Your Metabolism. I re-read Dr. Weil’s 8 Weeks to Optimum Health and Natural Health, Natural Medicine. I revisited Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food. Then I went to my doctor and had a few tests run to see just where I was at. Today? Total cholesterol is a little high, but good cholesterol is great (maybe to do with all that sushi?!); triglycerides are slightly elevated; alarmingly, blood sugar is also a little higher than it should be. And I’m still kicking around a virus that has been hanging with me since late last year. So I sat back, checked all my references and put myself back on track. Combining the learnings from these books about dealing with hormone levels (insulin and cortisol, anyone?), anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory diets with my already developed knowledge for the benefits of certain kinds of foods, along with my naturopath's suggestions, I’m off like a shot.

Here’s what’s happening:

• First, another detox. I’m spending about 3 weeks this time (as long as my supplemental powder holds out) cleaning out the stuff that’s bad. YET, I’m not being insane about it either. I am not chasing a food allergy this time, I’m just trying to give my liver and a couple of other vital organs a break. Key for me is the food choices, and limiting my wine. And those are: no caffeine, no sugar, no wheat, no dairy, no meat other than fish. I’m keeping eggs this time and paying attention to the glycemic load of my fruits, veggies and rice.
• Daily exercise. We bought bikes a few weeks ago and have been enjoying trying to get out and about in our town. I’m also walking a day or two a week with friends, and as much as I can in the course of my day (it’s fab living downtown and being able to walk everywhere). And last weekend we even spent 2 hours paddling down the St. Croix in a canoe. I realized that – for me – it’s all about keeping it fresh and fun. I neeeeeed to be outside in this glorious late summer weather we’re having (it’s crazy) and I need to stay engaged and not get frustrated. We’ve signed up to do a little golf tournament next month. I’m just trying for 30-60 minutes of something or another each day.
  
• Supplements. This is where many people think I have gone ‘round the twist. But amping up my vitamins and supplements are important to my detox and also to the idea that I’m trying to kick my metabolism and immune system in the ass. I haven’t run on a healthy immune system since high school and therefore pick up and carry around every bug known to mankind. I need my immune system to rebound, shake off this virus and support me going forward. So yes, I choke down nearly 30 pills a day – everything from the standard multivitamin, fish oil, additional D, C, calcium to Astralagus and Lysine and a few other oddities. I’m also trying to take bitters again before meals…this one is less convenient but it sure is good for your digestion!
• Portioning. This is actually easy now. It’s just a decision. Eat half, add a salad.
• Cooking. I haven’t been spending quality time in my own kitchen for some time. Dating a chef means – unsurprisingly – that he doesn’t necessarily want to cook at home. He wants to go out! See what’s new! Try something different! All of which is very, very good but the by-product is that it has disconnected me from my kitchen. I’m back now.
• Shopping as local as possible. Most of you know that I’ve been helping Lee over at www.SimpleGoodandTasty.com and using that as a big fat excuse to avail myself of many more local delights than I was before. I’ve always been a HUGE farmer’s market fan and visit mine weekly. But I’ve also joined a co-op this year and taken a crack at a CSA for half the season. So I’m experimenting and feeling more inspired in my food choices.

I’m just one week in so far. I’ve lost 3 lbs. And I know my system is running – ahem – cleaner already. I’m almost through my caffeine/sugar withdrawal headaches, but feeling a little under the weather again. I know the allergens aren’t helping matters (must deal with those next), but I’m feeling like the tides are shifting.I’m in the groove now and I’m getting lots of support from those around me (much appreciated). Now we’ll just keep on in a forwardly direction to being a healthier, happier me.

Here's to wellness!

launching some stuff

I have been working on a model for a self-coaching circle as a way to experiment a little bit with my personal branding and coaching ideas. I figure, get a few friendly guinea pigs in a room together, start talking about how we all got "here" and see if that might be a reasonable method for getting us all in the mindset for self-improvement. A little inspiration, a few good ideas, some shared stories. All good right?

Except what I'm hearing from so many of my friends of all ages is the struggle with weight loss. It's not like the world needs another diet or online chat room or weight watchers meeting. Those all are fine and good, and many of them are truly helpful. What's missing is a venue for real connection and a big fat dose of the loving kindness we are all forgetting to give ourselves to get through this process.

So many of us launch into weight loss in a fit of self-hatred. Sick of the way you feel, sick of the way you look. Sick of feeling guilty for sitting on the couch and watching "Biggest Loser" with a glass of wine and 1/2lb of cheese (oh wait...is that just me?). Sick of everything, really. And unless you're a mindshifting magician, that's not a very positive place to start what is undoubtedly a tough journey forward.

You bang yourself about the head and make up irrelevant goals. "I'm going to lose 20 pounds by the reunion", "I'm going to fit into this dress by the wedding," and so forth. But these kinds of goals really don't speak to us. They are false ideals and fake milestones that just feed off the fear. They don't dig deep and address what really motivates us to take on such a challenge. And one size does NOT fit all here either - what truly inspires one person to take positive action, may not even register with another.

And in truth, one of the big reasons we haven't addressed our weight issues is because we haven't quite been willing to face it. We avoid the scale, switch up to the next elasticized waistband, and stop looking quite so closely in the mirror. We're in pain here, people. We are NOT ready to push all of that aside and just turn into that rose-colored-glasses-wearing woman we've heard so much about. And what a shame too. Because this is not the moment in our lives when we want to be encumbered by our more creative avoidance tactics. Like trying to figure out what is going to motivate us "this time." It's really supposed to be the ignition switch for us to shine.

This is the time when you need to feel as if you've been launched into the sky by the most brilliant power. You have wings! You have strength and stamina for the flight! You have places to land and nourish yourself, replenish yourself! You have outright approval for a martini! But how on earth do we keep ourselves aloft when the flight is so long and hard?

So that's why I thought it might be interesting to see if we could use the weight loss/health & wellness adventure as a topic for our first self-coaching circle. Self-coaching because what you learn here is meant to be used as tools for helping you along your journey. Circle because we recognize the need for the camaraderie, kindness and enthusiasm that we find so hard to provide to ourselves. I'll keep you posted.

(And while we're in the business of launching things, I'd like to introduce you all to my new logo. See? Up there on the right? Cute, huh? Many thanks to Kara Nielsen Design for creating yet another beautiful logo. Website is next...wild rides R US!)

sunny d

I got a newsletter in my inbox today from Oprah and Dr. Oz wondering if I'm getting enough Vitamin D. So kind of them to inquire.

Dr. Oz (one of my all-time health idols along with Dr. Weil) and his YOU book compadre have developed some content on Oprah.com and one segment explains how somewhere between 40-85% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient. And it doesn't take much to make you deficient! If you, like me, are religious about sunscreen for instance, you are leaving much of the sun-generated D on the table. Such a conundrum! Check out this article for more information on how much we need and how to get more.

With that in mind, I'm headed out to soak up a little lower-risk, early day, northern latitude sunny sunshine. I've already added Vitamin D to my supplements, and I eat lots of delicious fatty fish. And, although a major inconvenience, I'll be taking apéro on my deck as much as possible.

in the zone

I suspect we're about to be faced with a phenomenon. I've been enjoying my library copy of The Blue Zone for a week or so now, and wondering: why have I only learned about this recently?! The hardcover version of the book was published in January of 2008, and despite the fact that I have an interest in this type of living/learning/eating genre and that the author Dan Buettner lives here in my very own Twin Cities, there wasn't a lot of splash for this book locally. To be fair, maybe I missed it. I spent the better part of the months between traveling, working exessively, being absent. So, there are a number of things that I've missed, without doubt, not the least of which was my very own life. This book is wonderful though. It just makes so much sense to your emotional, intellectual, food-loving, life-living sides. It's a holistic approach to understanding why life and longevity are quite positive in certain areas of the world...and what we mere mortals can learn from these studies.

To cement his ubiquitousness, Buettner appeared today with Dr. Oz on Oprah. And oohhhh, the Oprah effect! (PS, the softcover version of the book is coming out in just under 2 weeks)

Buettner and his team identified 4 places in the world that have more centenarians than any other. And it sounds as if they're getting ready to announce a 5th Blue Zone. Interesting, indeed. His book is lush with scientific facts and personal stories telling why and how life is just that good in these places. They looked first at the stats - where the most people live to be 100. Then they sent in a bunch of smart people who could analyze the conditions in the area, the behaviors of the people, the lifestyle. And so now tons of information supports the nine lessons that we can incorporate into our own if we want to live longer, healthier, more enriching lives. Here's a quick synopsis from the book, but I have to tell you, reading the book is much more informative and helpful than just a quick run down...I've simply paraphrased.

• Lesson 1: Move Naturally - the idea here is that you can just make physical motion part of your day. No earth-shattering suggestions here but if you have fun, eschew modern conveniences (cars, elevators, blenders?), be social in your motion, plant a garden, do a little yoga, you add some beneficial movement into your normal routine.
• Lesson 2: Hara Hachi Bu - as I've been getting more and more interested in Japanese cuisine and have already bought into the social aspects of French and Italian eating, this makes so much sense to me. In theory, the idea is to stop eating when you're 80% full. As you have undoubtedly experienced the PAINFUL fullness after a big meal, you can relate to this concept. Realizing that your brain and your stomach need time to confer, the longer dining rituals - eating more slowly, with mindfulness and respect for the food, and being present with others at the table - lend themselves well to this idea of stopping before Tums become a necessity. In addition, serve yourself away from the table, use smaller plates, buy realistic packages (although this may seem counter to some of the greener initiatives), weigh yourself regularly (read: not obsessively), and for the love of Pete, SIT DOWN!
• Lesson 3: Plant Slant - this is easy. As Michael Pollan advised: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Eating 4-6 servings of fruit and veg each day is a no brainer theoretically, but less simple to enact. It's a real decision to make each and every day - eat 2 servings per meal, use meat as a side/accent, love legumes.
• Lesson 4: Grapes of Life - a daily drink provides benefit, but the key here is consistency and moderation, says Buettner. A daily glass or two of wine, sake or whatever helps to keep heart disease - the biggest killer of men and women in America - low. But too much puts one at higher risk for other diseases. So have one or two a day, not 14 on Saturday night. Sigh. Days of yore coming back to haunt... But the bigger issue with the daily cocktail isn't just the alcohol itself, but the ritual of sharing that "happy hour" (or apéro) with friends and family.
• Lesson 5: Purpose Now - "why I wake up in the morning" is a key and crucial element of contendedness, healthfulness and happiness in those studied. The first recommendation is to craft a personal mission statement, and as you know how I'm such a proponent of understanding your own personal branding, this concept speaks to me loudly. Next is to find a partner you can share your purpose with, whether this comes in the form of a spouse, family member or friend. And finally, keep learning...because this keeps you sharp!
• Lesson 6: Downshift - this is as much to do with being social as it is about being alone. Finding your personal happy place where there is little congestion of tv, emails, and other blah blah clutter. As Buettner says, "Most electronic entertainment just feeds mind chatter and works counter to the notion of slowing down." Well said. He also underlines reducing stresses that you can control like being on time. And making room - phyiscally and otherwise - for meditation.
• Lesson 7: Belong - faith, community, tradition, ritual. Not much explanation needed there, I feel.
• Lesson 8: Loved Ones First - coming from a divorced girl with no kids and a small immediate family, it may sound weird. But I understand the notion of putting family first, maybe because it hasn't always been a strong suit of mine. But this lesson also talks about living in smaller, more connected homes and respecting our ancestors, which I absolutely love. My favorite part of this lesson, and one that I have fought hard to create in my own life, is that of creating rituals. In my family, we didn't always fuss about with holidays or celebrations. If Thanksgiving happened on another day, so be it. As an adult, I've practically arm wrestled my mom into pulling people together for Easter (we're not really Catholic), Thanksgiving (despite the fact that a turkey is a hell of a lot of work) and all manner of other events, mostly because I just love bringing everyone to a single place, enjoying each others' company and indulging in our food and wine habits together. Thankfully my boyfriend also shares this intention and we've tried to establish a regular "sashimi and sake night" ritual that we can always go back to. Lovely.
• Lesson 9: Right Tribe - this is simple. Surround yourself with the people who know, understand and exhibit your own personal values. Be positive, attract likewise. And be diligent about allowing time with this "inner circle" of people.

Simple. Straightforward. Sensible. Get the book and read it. Better yet, live it!

restart

Ok it's official: the bathroom floor is complete, round deux. And I think this one's gonna take! After being sans bathroom for the day yesterday, I returned to find a lovely new floor - with the seam between the two bath rooms in the right place - and breathed a major sigh of relief. This bathroom project has really set me back in terms of cleaning, house organization projects and my emotional stability. I am just so glad to have this almost wrapped up.

I also headed back to yoga this week. And while I'm very, very sore today I realized upon waking that my neck is no longer knotted to within an inch of its (my?) life. I've been miserable in the neck department for weeks now and threatening to return to the chiro while simultaneously hoping that the administration's economic stimulus package would provide me less-overpriced access to him. And not wanting to spend money frivously (you know, like on my health) I've been waiting.

But yoga. Oh man. My instructor ROCKS and, as usual, I found that spending a lot of time in shoulder stand really helped my neck and upper shoulders get themselves realigned again. This position is actually really easy to get into and, if you can hang out there for awhile, does wonders. According to YogaJournal.com (where I nabbed this great photo), this pose is also good to help relieve stress and mild depression, along with stimulating abdominal organs and improving digestion. No wonder I feel better! But most importantly, my head actually rotates on my neck properly again. Whew.

going blue

In combined fit of guilt for watching Biggest Loser while drinking wine, and wanting a good solid kick start to getting my health and wellness back on track, last night I committed to a girlfriend to avoid meat and all but nonfat dairy for a month. Starting today. No sense drawing out the anticipation, as god knows where that kind of craziness can lead. She and I are both locked in.

For me, this means I'll be testing the edges of a mostly-vegetarian diet that I've been wondering about for awhile. As I've mentioned before, the more I learn about the care, feeding and upbringing of the animals that make up our diets, the less I've been interested in eating them. I'm not going - ahem - whole hog here, though. I don't see myself ever giving up milk, cheese, eggs, etc. But to aid the progress on my scale and to address my friend's recent bloodwork results, we thought that eliminating most of the animal fat would be good. She's keeping chicken and turkey; I'm not. I'm keeping eggs. We're both keeping fish. Regardless of how you mix and match, this should push us toward lean, healthy proteins, less cholesterol, and good fats.

Twice last week, I found myself intrigued by a book called The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest which talks about the common elements in the diet and lifestyle choices of folks who live well and long in certain areas of the world. And there are common elements, whether in Okinawa, Costa Rica, California or Sardinia, ideals such as physical activity, grain-laden vegetable-based diets, rich social lives and low stress. Huh. Makes a hell of a lot of sense, no. I've done a lot of studying about anti-oxident rich and anti-inflammatory diets (as in, way of eating, not weight loss regimen) and they're awfully similar in nature. But I really like the way the book addresses your outlook and the tribe of people you hang out with as part of the assessment. It does matter how you are wired and how you handle stress. It matters who you surround yourself with. Feels right to me.

I wondered how well I was doing. I haven't had my cholesterol checked in awhile and I know my yo-yo weight over the past 2.5 years won't have helped. So I went to the Blue Zone website and checked out their Vitality Compass. I had to sign up for a free account with them to proceed, naturally. But it took 3 seconds and only required my name, zip code, a user name, password and my email address. Pretty straightforward. Then I took the quick little quiz about my habits around eating, exercise, drinking and social interaction, height/weight, etc and it churned out my age, life expectancy, disease-free live expectancy, and how my habits have affected my biological age. Oh, and the fact that I could add another 8.5 years to my life if I changed a few things. Here we go:

• Biological age - 35.4 years (real age: 37.4)
• Life expectancy - 86 years
• Disease-free life expectancy - 75.2 years
• My habits have added 3.8 years to my life expectancy
• I could add another 8.5

Then the system churned out a little report. My key issues are around my Outlook area: I've been worried, tense and anxious lately and I felt better about my health a year ago. No big shocker there. 20 lbs lost and then regained will do that to a girl. In my Eat area, I don't eat a lot of whole grains and I enjoy my wine too much. I have a wheat allergy which takes out all but my most favorite bread products and the rice I eat is primarily white. Hmm, need to work on that. The wine is a no brainer. In my Move area, I get a pretty decent amount of short-spurt movement (20 mins), but not a lot of sustained movement (60 mins). Easy to fix with some springtime walks. I probably sleep too much with my 8-10 hours a day, but I think this is related to my stress/outlook issues and will likely right itself when I start getting more movement into my day. In my Belong area, I don't have a regular outlet for spirituality and I'm not satisfied with my work today.

All of these make sense to me and yes, I realize it's simply an online tool that doesn't take into consideration my family health history, the crappy economy, etc but it's a pretty decent down & dirty litmus test. And apparently they're now testing a Vitality Coach program: for $9.99 they'll start with your initial results, ask you to pick 3 things you'd like to work on in the next 60 days, and then send you notes each day. Based on your responses to the questions in these notes, they'll adjust the plan as needed. I'm totally intrigued! For now, I'm searhing the library for the book so I can check it out. Can't wait to read this and feel good about my meat-reduced ways this month!

itchy scratchy

Full disclosure: I have very tempermental skin. And right now, it's had enough of winter, thank you very much. Another disclosure: I am a complete bath fanatic. And these two counterparts of my physical happiness do not always get along like kindred spirits. In fact, conspiring against me happens to be their favorite activity.

This starts every year around November and doesn't let up until I can open the windows in my home on a fairly regular basis. This building was constructed like a vault and is possibly hermetically sealed against any and all moisture getting inside. The good news is that it's very efficient, and the bad news? Well, you can do the math.

Humidifiers help. As does drinking about a freaking gallon of water a day. But I've also found a magical recipe to making bath time a happy event versus one which I want to peel my skin off afterwards.

First, the tools of the trade:

• SIGG water bottle - this has become my new favorite thing in the past year. I originally bought it to use at my former office but now lug it all over my house. The designs are absolutely beautiful and make me feel like a very stylish eco-citizen indeed.
• Arm & Hammer baking soda - what doesn't this stuff do? Besides taking that funky smell out of laundry that I've left a day too long in the washer, making my favorite cookies go poof, and inexplicably, giving me something to gently scrub my face with (mix equal parts with Cetaphil cleanser)...baking soda also makes an awesome bath. Add about 2-3 cups. Don't be shy.
• Epsom salts - doesn't matter what kind but Walgreens seems to make a nice private label one that is quite economically sensible. Again, a couple of cups.
• Japanese bath salts - I'm not sure how to tell you how or where to buy this other than to say that I found a grip of different kinds at the Japanese market outside of Chicago. The colors are insane and the scents an assortment of florals, earthy scents and just simple minerals. I've found that when I mix the baking soda, Epsom salts and bath salts together I get the perfect blend of pretty soft color and scent and massive skin softening power.
• Something lovely on my iPod. Today it's Lisa Shaw: Cherry. Swanky and lovely.
• Oh and sometimes I add a cocktail. Or a glass of wine. Or a cup of tea. I still can't understand why Jacuzzi didn't make a ledge big enough on my tub to hold one of these within proper arm's reach, but oh well.
• And don't forget a very serious application of lotion when you get out. I've recently been into both Eucerin's Calming Itch Relief formula and Kiehl's Superbly Restorative Body Lotion (plus, sheesh, what a nice website they have).

Because I'll be damned if I'm staying out of the tub.