Sort-of-Corrections (Sort of Stolen From Seth Meyers)

I like Seth Meyers. But I love his weekly Corrections video.

In it, he responds to viewers who notice mistakes during that week’s shows. It’s loose and awkward but also very funny. (So are his Surprise Inspection videos where he tells jokes that didn’t make the show and calls out the writers!) Corrections has been nominated for an Emmy award several times, but never won.

In that spirit, I present my own version of corrections. These aren’t necessarily pure mistakes but clarifications. Let’s call them sort-of-corrections.

I Am Not a Doctor

I’m pretty sure no one thinks I’m qualified to give medical advice. But just in case, I regularly mention that I’m not a doctor during the Gracefully and Frankly podcast. When we discuss anything to do with health, that’s how I distance myself from any advice or information. No one should take my advice on anything, anyway! But especially regarding health and fitness, it’s important to do your own research, too.

Recently, we talked about weighted vests. They seem to be everywhere, especially on women approaching or through menopause. The idea is simple. You wear a vest that you can add weight to, to offer more resistance for walking or working out. Many fitness experts think it’s great. Some have pointed to a study that showed using a weighted vest adds muscle and retains bone mass.

Well, wasn’t I surprised to hear Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple on CBC radio discussing weighted vests. She’s not against them but as a highly educated expert on exercise and nutrition, she gave better context. That study that claimed the vests built muscle mass and retained bone mass? It looked at NINE people and compared them to others who didn’t exercise at all! That’s pretty lame research as far as science goes.

The bottom line is, if using a weighted vest gets you up and moving, great. It will offer resistance and might be good for you. (Proceed carefully and slowly if you try it!) But nothing, according to the real doctor, beats lifting weights for building muscle and retaining bone as we age.

Bigger Fish to Air Fry

I talked about my air fryer on the G & F podcast and a couple of listeners bought one. I hope they love their Wonder Oven as much as I love mine. The company, Our Place, isn’t a sponsor and I didn’t get anything in return. I just really love their stuff. In fact, I went on to buy a few more things and they’re great quality. They don’t use chemicals and their pans makes me feel like a chef!

Here’s the problem. I said they were a Canadian company because my payment went to Vancouver and that’s where they shipped from. I recently discovered I was wrong. They are American. (I’m sorry!) They have a distributor in Vancouver.

I’m trying as hard as anyone to buy Canadian. I see this situation as a little more complex than just Canada vs. US. The Canadian distributor makes their money from sales of an American product. My purchases have still supported Canadians, so I don’t feel horrible. But I don’t feel great that I made that mistake.

It’s like the Bick’s pickle situation that we discussed in episode 140. Bick’s is American but they buy cucumbers, lids, and jars from Canada. If we buy fewer jars of Bick’s, it will hurt Canadian farmers and manufacturers. These deals were made back when the US was our friend so we can’t blame the Canadians for it. They’re stuck between a rock and a hard place since times have changed.

Ultimately, it’s up to each of us to decide how to proceed. It’s darn difficult to consume exclusively Canadian stuff. And with grocery prices so high, I certainly don’t blame anyone for buying US products when they’re cheaper.

The Error of My Ways

There was a time when making a mistake would have been devastating to me. That was back when I thought perfection was not only attainable, but necessary. HA! What a fool I was. I do try my best to be error free but it’s never going to be 100%. And I hope that I’m forgiven, while I forgive myself for the occasional muck-up. Oh, and in case I wasn’t clear, I’m not a doctor!