Do the D!

Vitamin D that is!  The article here talks about how research is pointing towards a link between low vitamin D levels and an increase in gaining weight, especially around the belly in kids and adults.  Make an effort to go outside and take a supplement.

Nutrition after Trauma

This article caught my eye since my body will be undergoing a type of trauma in the next month or so.  I think this could also be applied to life after a marathon or other big race type of event.

Basically the article suggests that a body recovering from trauma needs extra Zinc, protein, calories and A, B, and C vitamins. 

Motivation Monday: Give Thanks

Thought this would be an appropriate post for the season!

Giving thanks or being grateful...whatever you want to call it is NOT a natural human tendency.  Maybe that's a reason we have one day a year to remember thankfulness. I think its something we need to practice every single day of the year for many reasons but here's a few:

1. Giving thanks minimizes depression.
2. Giving thanks maximizes joy.
3. Being thankful creates an outlook of viewing life's events as successful opportunities versus stressful obstacles.

Instead of having the exhausting viewpoint of discontentment or comparison try to look at what you DO have.  You have life, you have the ability to move your body, to live freely and to achieve as much or as little as you put your mind to.  My challenge is to think every single day of at least one thing you are thankful for, don't wait until next year at this time to reflect.

Never One Size Fits All

I came across this study over how essentially every one's body responds differently to strength training and endurance training.  Then I read over this study where they studied how many calories short versus tall people burn while walking.  Both studies proved a hypothesis I've had for quite some time while being in the trenches of the training field.  I've observed both scenarios on numerous occasions and have always felt strongly that while we humans are so alike, we are also ridiculously different.

Some people respond so incredibly well to strength training and/or endurance training but I've also witnessed the opposite.  The human body is remarkable in that I never have it figured out but my guess it goes back to genetics, body type and epigenetics-the complex process of turning on and off of genes through the environment including what you eat and where you live.  All this is just fascinating!  It's also a good reason that I never treat any one person the same.  We all have unique needs and unfortunately most of the time have to go through a period of trial-and-error to figure out what methods would work best for our own personal body.  So if you haven't found it yet keep trying, it's out there!

Great Way to Get It

According to the latest reports, adults and children are not getting enough fruits and veggies per day.  My suggestion, start the day with a smoothie as it's an easy way to get many servings of both.  My 3 1/2 year old loves the taste and will drink one himself or share mine.  Here's what we do:
4 oz OJ
4 oz Water or a variety of Milk-almond, 2%, soy
1/2 C frozen raspberries
1 banana
2 scoops of french vanilla meal replacement shake mix or your favorite whey protein
1/2 C blueberries (fresh or frozen)
handful of fresh spinach leaves

You can take away or add whatever you like, sometimes we make it with strawberries or other mixed berries or you can also add flax seed meal or omega-3 oil from a capsule.  Get creative, it's any easy way to get 4 servings of fruit and 1 or 2 servings of veggies.

Motivation Monday: One Foot in Front of the Other

Things that seem hard are not always that hard. Put one foot in front of the other, and you’ll get to the end. Author Unknown

Do you ever find that some days it's just hard to get moving?  There are days where we just don't care.  I know, I have them too.  I think it's a process to weed out the days of a not caring attitude while slowly taking control.  These winter months of cold, grey and vitamin-D-less days are difficult.  We may find ourselves only wanting to bake cookies, cuddle by the fire wrapped in a warm blanket as the days are so short and darkness surrounds our mornings and evenings. 

My encouragement is putting one foot in front of the other.  Simply taking steps in the direction of health by eating a good breakfast, food journaling and making exercise a priority each week are little things we can do to stay moving in the right direction.  Sure, you may not be doing as much as you were when the months had more warm sunshine but something is better than nothing. 

And you know my philosophy on all things small add up.  Never underestimate the power of small things because ultimately the sum of all the good little things will make us healthier or the sum of all the bad little things will make us unhealthy.  Start small and know that this is a race that you only have to finish, you don't have to win.  After all, the winners are the ones with the steady pace, not the fastest pace.  As the fastest pace never makes it to the finish line because they are too exhausted to finish.

So Close But Yet So Far Away

I was talking with a friend on the phone the other day and she was so uplifting and positive.  She said, "you are so close" but then I followed that up with, "but so far away."  Currently sitting at 32 weeks pregnant, these last 6, 7, 8, or 9 weeks will definitely be the most trying.  Although I must admit for being 8 months pregnant I really feel wonderful all things considered.  The little experiment I'm doing with myself this time around has been a tremendous success and a completely different experience than my pregnancy with Jax almost 4 years ago.  I attribute it all to the focus of staying on a very active exercise plan. 

The 3 benefits of exercising during pregnancy I've noticed this go around:
1. Energy level . I still have a lot of it although I know that may change in the next month. 
2. My emotional state .  I'm not nearly as up and down as I was with Jax.  It's sad but true that during my pregnancy with Jax I was all over the place, crying, angry or very irritable most every day.  I think this time I feel much more like myself.
3. Body aches are minimal. My back does not hurt!  I could barely sit through a movie at this point with Jax in the theater.  The heat pad was my friend (on a low setting) every single day.  Oh my back hurt all the time!  This time around is much much better.

Granted, the pregnancy is (what seems like) far from over so things could change but for now there has been a very noticeable difference.

I realize I'm a positive person but I'm not going to lie and sugar coat it all.  There are definitely some challenges that I've been facing recently....like incredible HUNGER!!!  So the sweet-a-week plan isn't going so hot.  Rather, the sweet-a-day plan has taken affect and is ruling over my life once again.  We'll blame this on hormones.  To be honest, my goal of sweets wasn't really going so well even before this pregnancy.  However, I'm going to push through and give it my best shot.  I'm going to give myself grace but not an excuse to eat sweets all the time.  It will be a grey area for awhile.  I think a good compromise is still recording the sweets I eat and not totally giving up on the goal but letting it take it's course.  That way I still have some direction and am not throwing in the towel completely.

As mentioned before the exercise is going well.  While I'm not running the 12 miles per week that I was when the pregnancy started, I adapted the plan to walking 12 miles.  A mile is a mile is a mile.  It takes more time and believe me I think to myself often that I should just give up and give myself a rest.  Although I'm not going to quit just yet.  I have some weeks left in me.  Walking that mileage each week feels good physically and mentally.  Along with walking I've been able to make it to at least one yoga class per week.  It's not the typical "flow" class I used to attend but it's a calming, relaxing and yet a mentally challenging class that I believe is really helping prepare me for a natural childbirth.  If I can make it through holding these poses why couldn't I make it through a few hours of contractions, right?  We'll see.  And last but certainly not least, the strength training.  When the pregnancy began I was diligent in 2 times per week but lately have increased it to 3-4 days of strength.  Strength training is a feel-good for me. I love strength training because I notice a difference in my body but yet it isn't nearly as heart-pounding as running 6 miles.

I appreciate this forum to write what I'm feeling but I also appreciate it because I can give a current testament of where I'm at and where I'm going.  In a nutshell, the plan is to keep up with the mileage, the strength training and yoga-adding more prenatal yoga in the last month.  It's a trek to the classes but well worth it and something I can handle because it's temporary. 

So for now I'll focus one day at a time...no more as that seems very overwhelming.