Walking - the benefits of Cold Air

Of course, as I write this, spring is finally arriving in full force - which makes me very happy. I love to see the spring flowers and the budding and blooming trees. But there is still merit in sharing about the benefits of walking, even when it is cold. In fact, one article I read encouraged you to keep the top of your coat open and skip the scarf to ensure that you had enough exposure to cold air when walking.

I had heard long ago that a cold shower is a good thing. I know that it can help in the summer if you rinse in cold water at the end of your shower. I know that the cold water is good for your hair and helps close the strands when rinsed in cold water. I know that it helps me be less itchy in the dry months of winter. At the end of each shower, I turn the faucet back half way and quickly rinse in the cold water.

This year though, was the first time that I had read that walking outside in the cold air and skipping the scarf and leaving your collar loose was a good thing. According to the article, citing NIH, exposing your collar bone to the cold activates fat-burning cells called brown adipose tissue, which sits in pockets around the neck and shoulders and has impressive calorie-burning powers. The cold air doesn't create the brown adipose tissue just activates it, but the good news is that exercise (which walking is) develops the tissue. So, in walking in the winter, you can both develop the brown adipose and activate it for calorie burning power.

I am glad to learn of these addiitonal potential benefits but I have to be honest. I like walking in the cold of winter because I like the fresh, crisp, clean air. I like overcoming the sluggishness that I sometimes feel in the winter when getting in a walk is an invigorating, blood pumping way to eliminate the sluggishness. Of course, if you walk in winter, be wary of the ice. I took a few spills this winter but thankfully all but one was a graceful slide to bent knees - one was an unexpected tail bone bruising fall to my backside.

Of course, this week, I may be able to ditch the jacket for most walks and soon, it will be time for shorts and wishing it weren't so hot on my walk.

My Wife is Missing by D.J. Palmer

A complimentary advanced readers copy was provided to me through a contest hosted by the publisher.

Do you have an author that you simply read every book they write? No need to read the back cover, just pick up a copy as soon as you can? One that you can't wait for the next one to finally be available? That is how I am with D.J. Palmer and was with his father's books too. I'm always amazed when an author can continue to release books, each as good or better than the last. Where do the ideas come from? How do they assemble the story? So many questions.

The newest, soon to be released book by D.J. Palmer is My Wife is Missing. The book is being released on May 10th. Needless to say, when I had a chance to enter for a chance to win an advanced copy of this book, I entered right away and was excited when I learned that I was chosen along with several other entrants to get an advanced copy. You can pre-order a copy now from your favorite retailer (I highly recommend it).

I recieved the book a couple weeks ago and just finished reading it. The book did not disappoint. It was one of those books where each night I had to force myself to put the book down so that I could get some sleep. The book is told from three points of view - the husband, and the wife, before she disappeared and after. The current timeline keeps the story moving but the regularly interspersed 'before she disappeared' sections allow the reader to gain some insights on what had happened and how we got to the current situation. As a reader, this is part of what draws me in to reading more than I should at bedtime. The regular feed of flashbacks helps my theories continue to evolve with time and has me wanting to know some more, so as to help solidify or disprove my theory. As an added plus, there were defintely some unexpected things learned through those flashbacks, as well. I love it when a book keeps me guessing, and even enjoy it when there is a twist at the end that completely surprises me. I can proudly say that I had a suspicion on the right who but no idea on the why, which is why I wasn't fully convinced until I learned it in the story and continued to entertain multiple possibilities almost to the end of the book. And, was rather shocked by the other reveal in the epilogue.

I like the mystery and thriller nature of the book. If you read any of his ealrier work, as Daniel Palmer, this story is a little less on the scary side of thriller but definitely is high on the mystery side of the thriller. He keeps the reader guessing and worrying, as you wonder when the secrets will be revealed and who the characters (and you) can trust. My Wife is Missing was very enjoyable to read and I would highly recommend that you check it out. Then, if you haven't already, be sure to pick up and read the other books by DJ Palmer.

Natalie and Michael were the main characters, along with their two children. In addiiton, there was Detective Kennett, a few of Natalie's coworkers, a nanny and Natalie's friend that helped feed the story through conversation. Overall the character set was reasonably likeable, even as you started to question who was on the good side and who was on the bad side.

Book Details
When a woman disappears with her two children, one husband will do anything to find them--even confront the secrets of his own past--in D. J. Palmer's My Wife Is Missing, a twisty thriller from the author of The New Husband...

A family vacation turns into a nightmare for Michael Hart when he discovers his wife and two children have disappeared from their New York City hotel room. Horrified, he fears they’ve been kidnapped. Michael’s frantic search to find them takes a shocking turn when he discovers that his wife, Natalie, appears to have left quite willingly, taking their children with her. The police want to know why, and so does Michael. But there may be a reason why Natalie ran, something Michael can’t tell the police—the truth about his past.

While untangling his deceptions might be the key to locating Natalie, Michael knows it could also be his undoing. To find his wife, he must now turn to the one person capable of exposing all that he’s been hiding. Natalie thinks she has Michael all figured out and has hatched a plan to escape from him permanently. One detail, though, threatens to derail her efforts: sleep—or more accurately, the lack of it. Since the moment the shocking revelations about her husband came to light, Natalie’s insomnia has worsened to the point that she now suffers from delusions.

Are her fears about Michael valid—or a symptom of her condition? With her children’s lives at risk, the stakes for Natalie could not be higher. On her own, running low on energy and resources, avoiding increasingly close calls with Michael—who is on the hunt and closing in fast—Natalie needs someone to turn to for help. But who can she trust when she can’t even trust herself?

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.