Dragging A$$ lately - THE REAL DEAL!

So let's get real shall we? I just and I mean JUST posted my last blog titled "Dragging A$$ Lately" and as soon as I posted it I felt like... well that seemed CANNED. I don't like Canned. EVERYONE tells you what I just told you to do to stay balanced.

Balance can mean a lot of different things. When I think of being balanced in terms of my life I think "not feeling INSANE."

What makes me feel 'not insane' might be different from what makes YOU feel 'not insane'.

For me: exercise and a plan = sanity! And exercise as I like to do it would likely be defined as INSANE by a large majority of the population. Or so it seems when I talk to people about what I'm doing. I do have to scale back my desired amount of exercise to fit in, well, life sometimes. This is why the whole endurance thing works for me. I like to be WORKED over! I like to run for more than an hour - hell it takes me an hour just to warm up - I like to do multiple workouts in a day.

This gets me in trouble sometimes... I tend to NOT take a break and burn myself out. So there is where I need to discover my BALANCE!

So the truth in HOW I stay balanced through the holidays is to HAVE A PLAN. Not a plan on how to execute parties, or gifts, or decorations... a PLAN for my WORKOUTS!

A training Plan!

The past two years I have trained for a marathon over the winter and I've got to say that they were likely my MOST SANE winters yet. I told myself I was not going to train for a marathon this year because, frankly, I'm a little burnt come spring/summer season when I'm supposed to be training hard for triathlon, but when push came to shove.. I was NOT SANE (aka BALANCED) not running.

An EPIC (to be announced soon) opportunity was pretty much dropped in my lap ... it involves copious amounts of running... and I JUMPED at it. Guess what... I now feel sane. Despite all the BS I've been dealing w/ lately (yea, that non-holiday people dying, back surgeries, tooth aches.. etc etc stuff)

I feel SANE and BALANCED.

Does that make my last, somewhat canned, post total BS!? No... I do those things too, but my workouts are a bit more, um, extreme and mandatory. Did you SEE that word? MANDATORY! Because I am TRAINING for something. I'm not just going to the gym to work off the gingerbread man cookies I gorged on  last night. I'm running, lifting, stretching for a PURPOSE that means something bigger than gingerbread men to me. (Side note: this training thing tends to keep me out of the gingerbread man binge.... but allows for me to endulge in one w/o my pants button flying across the room.)

So here we come back to something I've discussed before. Your WHY! Perhaps you don't TRAIN for EVENTS, but you are a certifiable gym rat. What's your WHY... beyond the gingerbread man. And make a PLAN... to progress to lifting heavier weights (or lifting at all), doing more reps, doing a big girl push up, doing a pull up. Have a GOAL! This is what will get you to the gym and keep you FOCUSED and BALANCED over the holidays! (and during any high stress time in your life)

Okay. I feel better now. Having given you the 'standard' speel and my REAL speel. Find your WHY... Holiday or not and the balance will come.

And while that other stuff is important - for me - the workout is the MOST important in keeping me BALANCED/SANE!

Okay... off to RUN!

Dragging A$$ lately?

Yea I said it... Merry CHRISTmas

It's the holidays... shouldn't we all be enjoying some crazy wonderful merriment!? Raise your hand if you are 100% lovin' it this season! Yes, I can see you. No, I'm not telling you where I put the cameras so stop looking over your shoulder!

I won't get into my craziness this holiday season... because it's getting old and I'm tired of giving it attention. My weird holiday season aside I think we all struggle a bit over the holidays to maintain our sanity.

The holiday foods and parties abound. Even if you aren't a party goer it comes into your life. Work stuff, kids (even my anti sugar butt has been baking up a storm - okay it's a dull breeze - and we are going to do gingerbread houses), the "oh it's the holidays' libations... the stress of

GETTING IT ALL IN!

Again, raise your hand if you have skipped a workout because you are TOO BUSY! Raise your OTHER hand now to indicate that you've loosened the reigns on your food and drinks as well!

Okay.. put your hands down. Let's  move on.

The new year is coming... let's start getting some BALANCE now. Let's not wait. These things work during any time of stress... holidays and otherwise.

Say NO! Maybe you're super cool and are being invited to every party on the block... I KNOW you don't necessarily want to GO TO all of them. Say NO! It's okay. Your kid's school is pulling you in a million different directions to help out with the parties etc that go on at school. And GOD FORBID you have more than one kid in different classes. Double (triple, quadrupal) whammy. SAY NO! It's okay! Work obligations, end of year deadlines... Say NO!

Say YES! Yes to your workout. FIND the time, MAKE the time. DON'T fall off the bandwagon! Recruit a friend to go with you so you KNOW you can't blow it off because s/he will be waiting for you. Get up at day break and GET ER done if that's what it takes. Will you be crabby about getting up early.. perhaps, but YOU'LL be DONE! Maybe you'll even create a new habit.

I kick it old school.

DRINK... your water! This is HUGE. At least I find it to be HUGE! Water flushes those toxins out... you know the sugar and alcohol etc that you are indulging in! Water feeds you cells and lubricates your joints... keeps the ol' brain in tip top shape. Wash out the cob webs and the toxins. I like to carry a 32 oz Nalgene around with me all day. I try to drink FOUR of them. I sweat a lot when I workout. If I'm spinning I finish AN ENTIRE bottle... and don't include it in my FOUR. Drink at least 8 oz of water upon waking! Your body will thank you and YOU will thank ME! Drink it w/ your morning coffee if you must have your coffee. It's okay!

ENJOY! It's the holidays. Eat the fun foods. Have a cookie OR the pie OR the cake. Drink egg nog. Have some candy canes. Chocolate.. OMG love the chocolate. That said.... LIMIT yourself. Don't deny yourself... but LIMIT. Keep it under control!

RELAX! If you have to ... SCHEDULE IT! Whatever it is that you do to relax. Curl up by the fire w/ your honey. Watch a movie. Have a random coffee date with a friend. Don't make it a thing. Just something easy and fun. Read a book.  Take a nice long hot bath. You get the idea.

Are you maintaining some semblance of balance? How are you doing it? What's your key to stress relief. For me it's keeping my workouts and finding some quiet time every day. Sitting here blogging in a quiet house drinking a nice hot cup of coffee ALL BY MYSELF is pretty golden for me!

Happy Holidays, Happy Hannukah and Merry Christmas!

And please check out my follow up post called THE REAL DEAL!

Sugar and my (and probably YOUR) Brain!

So it's not secret that I try to maintain a pretty healthy diet. Mind you this includes indulgences.. my personal weaknesses are chocolate and wine! Normally I keep things in check pretty well (ONE piece - large piece - of chocolate a day is 'in check' right?), but things happen (I would blame it on my 'lady time', but I really hate to do that) and I overindulge.

I am coming off one such (um, three day) overindulgence. For me this mean copious amounts of chocolate. I start off each day really well... and end up each day pretty bad. I try not to beat myself up about it to bad! GASP! I am human, but I do hate it when I get like this.

I don't hate it so much because it means I'm ruined or that I'll gain weight or be off track forever. I hate it because it seriously makes me psychotic! I'm not kidding.

ala Wikipedia:

"Psychosis (from the Greek ψυχή "psyche", for mind/soul, and -ωσις "-osis", for abnormal condition) means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality". People suffering from psychosis are described as psychotic."

I am in no way trying to make light of at true Psychiatric diagnosis of psychosis, but seriously... sugar is a HUGE contributor to my crazies - aka "loss of contact with reality". For example small decisions overwhelm me, the noise of my children just being children makes me go off the deep end, the daily tasks that I have to complete over whelm me, my knees ache, I don't want to do the things I normally love to do.... and I just want MORE CHOCOLATE!!!

No I don't have a problem. REALLY, I can quit anytime I want. In all seriousness I'm not concerned with my occasional overindulgence in sugar... though I wonder why I do it because it really does make me feel like utter crap!

BUT! I do worry about the greater public. Those that I KNOW eat sugar (a lot) every day.... sodas, packaged foods, candy, donuts, blah blah blah blah blah... it goes on and on and on. I feel sad and concerned that a large portion of our population has no idea what it feels like to NOT be on a sugar high. I'm so happy to know the difference. To know how much better it feels to NOT eat a shit ton of sugar all the time ... sugar and it's favorite friend simple carbohydrates (ie.. most packaged foods).

Sugar has been proven to cause imbalances in your brain. Now your brain does take up most of the glucose in your body, but it's really meant to run on those good sugars.. you know fruits, veggies, complex carbs.... not STRAIGHT UP SUGAR (aka garbage). And when your brain is OD'd on sugar things go south ... quick! In addition to your brain going wacky your body becomes inflamed and your immune system is then in overdrive trying to deal w/ said inflammation... and is then compromised because DAMN it's tired!

This is a pretty good article about sugar and it's affects on your mental state and your body.

I could go on and on, but you already know diabetes is killing our nation... so I don't need to lecture you!!!

How much sugar do you eat in a day? Do you drink soda? Check labels of the packaged foods you eat? Have a friend or family member that could use some support in giving up the crack, er, sugar?

Or do you think this is BS and say "PASS ME THE BROWNIES ALA MODE!"

If you are in the brownies ala mode category and think this is bunk I challenge you... give up added sugar (ya know soda, dessert, processed foods) for 30 days... THIRTY.. come on you can do that. Then go absolutely hog wild for a three days and eat all the damn sugar you can cram in your pie hole!!! Then tell me how you feel at the end of those three days! It's worth the experiment!

Stay Injury Free - Part I Movement Prep

I've added a goal to the list for 2011... STAY INJURY FREE.

The irony of this being that I'm limping a bit and my hamstring / glute is throbbing a bit as I type this. I think it was a combo of snow shoveling (I AM SO DONE W THIS WEATHER), spinning hard three days in a row and two epic duathlon workouts. On a scale of 1 to 10 it's maybe a 2 or 3, but it's there... EARLY in the season. So I went to see a chiropractor that also does ART (Active Release Techniques). I've been to  number of chiropractors in my life, but this is the first time one has watched me go through a number of range of motion exercises to look for weaknesses. Granted I first saw him the day after my 14mile run/1hour spin/4 mile run workout. When he told me my glutes seemed weak I told him about this workout and he didn't bat an eye so I'm not sure if my glutes are indeed weak or if they were just fatigued.

Prior to this pain and my visit to the chiropractor I had been poking around at Jessi Stensland's website Movement U and a site she seems to participate in and/or just link to a site called Core Performance regarding strengthening the core, form and preparing for movement techniques (instead of stretching pre run or just jumping right in). There is so much information at both of these sites that I quickly found myself overwhelmed.

I was pretty excited when it all came full circle and the chiropractor demonstrated a couple of moves for me to do a couple of times a day (which reminds me that I haven't done them yet, ugh) and they were THE SAME as some of the moves Jessi talked about. It's all coming together.

So - though they honestly bore me to tears - I know that these exercises are important to keep me doing the ones that DON'T bore me to tears. I've reached out to coach for some strength/range of motion stuff and am also looking things up myself... cause I like to do that. Jessi talks a lot about going through the exercises WHILE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR CORE! Do the exercises, but only to the degree and length that you can maintain proper form.

There is SO MUCH information out there in regards to how to prevent injuries that I decided to do this in a series. Part I will be:

MOVEMENT PREP!

The best resource I have found is the Core Performance site. I did this movement prep for my last two runs and I have to say that I felt it helped a lot. Normally I feel some aches and pains as my body gets warmed up and things really start to jive after about 3 miles. These past two runs I got right to work after having done the movement prep moves at Core Performance. I also felt that doing them kept me thinking about my core and body alignment during the run. They are worth the time!

These moves include:
Marching Glute Bridges
Hip Rotations
Leg overs
Knee Hugs
Reverse Lunges
Knee hug to forward lunges
Drop Lunges
Lateral Squats
Inverted Hamstrings
Heel to Butt

Each of these moves is shown (complete with videos) very well HERE at Core Performance so I won't try to explain them. I would say all told these moves took me about 10 minutes to do in total. If you don't have that kind of time (you really do you just don't think you don't) then I would say pick some to do each time and rotate them for different workouts.

Trigger Point Therapy

I first heard of Trigger Point Therapy on Megan's blog inTraining. Now I've been a user of THE STICK and it was okay, but never really did much for me. I've seen and used that big foam roller thing at the gym, but mostly just on my IT Band. This system takes it to the next level. Not only are the products solid they provide endless amount of information on their WEBSITE and YOUTUBE!

And on top of that I mentioned something about being really sore and wondering if you can overdo the TP Therapy and THEY RESPONDED to my tweet! I was shocked! They reminded me to hydrate properly. Told me that YES you can indeed do too much (uh, Laura, newsflash... all things in MODERATION!) and told me to message them directly if I needed more info. Talk about making me feel special and cared for!

So what's this Trigger Point stuff all about? (Trigger Point people please add anything I missed in the comments below!) It basically brings myofascial release to you at home! Massage, while wonderful, can become quite costly and as endurance athletes (or desk jockeys really) we need a lot of it to keep us moving.

Okay that's nice and I'm all for the frequent massage, but really how's this roller and ball going to get me the nice relaxing state of a massage... uh, well it's not THAT kind of massage. It's the kind of massage that hurts a little (ok a lot), but is functional. You won't be relaxed and you might actually break a sweat and it will make you VERY happy you did it.

Per Wikipedia Myofascial release is a form of soft tissue therapy used to treat somatic dysfunction (the impaired or altered function of bodily structures) and accompanying pain and restriction of motion. This is accomplished by relaxing contracted muscles, increasing circulation, increasing venous and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia.^[1]

By performing the Trigger Point Therapy/Myofascial release you can relieve muscular aches and pains and restore full range of motion!

TP Therapy has a nice CHART on their site showing various trigger points, but I found THIS one that I think is one the coolest sites I've seen in a long time. It's an interactive Trigger Point Map. How cool is that. Have a pain? Find it on the dude and it will show you a close up of that muscle group and show you where you need to perform your TP therapy to relieve the pain... sometimes it's not in the same place as the pain.

I think I may have over done it on the ol' glutes this go round... so I think I'll stick to the shorter sessions daily to continue to release without so much pain. As I am devouring the TP website I just found this:

"When using Trigger Point's Performance tools, three to five minutes of pressure within each muscle group is all that is needed. This method is recommended before and after workouts and races and prior to stretching. Athletes tend to overdo things. That's what gets them into the painful situation in the first place. Moderation is the key."

I love the lower leg release! LOVE! I swear it keeps me out there.

If you have doubts check this out! I did this little test myself the other day and I COULD NOT believe the difference it made in ONE sitting. I have been doing this awhile, but never tested it.



If you haven't used this system you need to get it! I guarantee it will have you feeling better (so long as you subscribe to that whole ALL THINGS IN MODERATION thing!)

Do you roll your legs? Use the stick? Already a devout TP Therapy ball sitter?

Struggling!

Today I struggled through a 14 mile run. I'm supposed to be entering true marathon training. Thank God I'm base building right now and not working on speed yet. I've been sick (as I know I've mentioned). It's been hanging around for weeks. I noticed while looking at my training log that I was mentioning feeling 'something coming on' over a MONTH ago. Seriously! Then the family got sick while I was still fighting the bug. It came to head and I really felt like garbage and now it's lingering. I'll start to feel like maybe I'm getting my groove back and then I feel crappy again. My energy is 'okay'... mentally I'm shot! This is not boding well for my attempt at a BQ. I know I've got some time, but time is going by quickly. I'm almost 2 months away from race day. I'm going to have to start doing tempo work and I'm worried that I'm not going to be able to bring my A game. Shit I feel like the best I've got right now is my C game. I'm running slower now than I've run in years.

I'm trying really hard not to freak out!

Not only am I feeling weak in my training efforts my normal daily tasks/routine has me feeling overwhelmed. I still feel like I'm just peeking out of the rabbit hole... not quite coming out. I feel socially stunted. This is not like me. I'm a social person, but I'm struggling just to reach out to people in ways that I used to do easily.

None of this is causing us to have a joyful holiday. It's all just like regular day... or not even as good as a regular day. These things happen right. I'm so ready for a break. A day where I can sleep in (which I'll probably never do.. I'm not a good sleeper inner) then just laze around and not worry about the state of my house, the growing laundry pile, the xmas stuff that is looming, what to do w/ the kids during the cold rainy days.... blah blah blah... I'm whining. I know I've got it good. I have a roof over my head, we have expendable income to pursue things we enjoy (ie marathons/triathlons), my kids are fairly good... NORMAL 4 year olds, my husband is loving and understanding. I know I should just be happy to have all these things....

Okay I'm really sounding pathetic now. Just wanted all my bloggy friends to know I'm still here. I'm still checking in on you... I'm just feeling lazy and slow and like a hermit. It will all come together again and I'll be 'normal'... RIGHT!

And I want everyone to know it's not all sunshine and roses, speedy runs and great recovery. We all have our slumps. I'm right smack dab in the middle of one... I'll see you on the other side!

PS. I couldn't really handle anymore echinachea or Vit C.. just so you know I'm hitting all the usuals to try to get the funk out! Maybe I should just start drinking heavily. Surely this funk couldn't exist in that environment right? :D

Poking my head out of the rabbit hole!

I feel like I went underground for a while. I haven't really been blogging, tweeting or Facebooking a whole lot. I haven't really been dealing with people in the real world too much either. I've been lurking a bit here and there, but my google reader is all kinds of balled up right now. Lot's of catching up to do.

The short story is that Tom was gone... I hung in there okay through that. We're all pretty used to that deal by now. Then he came back and the anticipation of his return always sets me up for a huge face plant! This time it was worse than other times. Not only was he jet lagged he was SICK. In bed for four days sick sick. While I am not a nurturing or sympathetic person by nature it was especially hard for me to keep keeping on for those 4 days. I was all ready to let my guard down and share the parenting responsibilities. I was already fighting a cold (thanks kids) myself and feeling rather crummy, but Tom was OUT! In bed! Jetlag + flu (he thinks) = completely SHITTY! So the kids and took off and were out of the house for most of those 4 days in efforts to give Tom a chance to rest and to keep the healthy ones healthy. All looked well. Tom started getting out of bed and then WHAM! Both kids got a fever. Happy Thanksgiving everyone... no one had an appetite and we did a lot of sitting around the house. I continued to stay away from this flu... then the kids were up and at em and the holiday was over. Time for Tom to return to work. Wouldn't ya know it... my turn. Thank God I didn't have whatever it was they had, but I was sick.. Not uberfeverish and in bed for four days sick, but weak, sore, coughing, sore throat head floating sick.

I didn't want to do or see anyone... not really an option. Couldn't stay in bed. So I coped the best I could worked through the basic needs of two 4 year olds and we rocked the house some more. I hate to stay in the house all day.... every day... and for weeks on end. Just shoot me! Even if I'm sick. Obviously no workouts are happening during this time... double shoot me!

I started to get bored, lonely and agitated on top of the sick. Man I was a peach of a person to be around let me tell you. Needless to say the holidays aren't so joyful around these parts. The kids are crabby bc they were sick and have now been stuck in the house way too much. I'm crabby for pretty much the exact same reasons. Joy joy joy!

It's strange on one hand I've been lonely and on the other hand people have just plain been irritating me! Didn't really want to deal w/ anyone or anything..... BUT....

I think the veil has finally started to lift. After a sub-par run yesterday I think the cobwebs are getting worked out of my head. I'm still coughing and kinda phlegmy, but my head is getting right. That right there is all I need... for my head to be right. My energy to return and to be able to run (and enjoy it).

I'm psyched to head back to the pool tonight... though I'm trying to keep my expectations for that workout in check. Knowing that taking over a WEEK off swimming is certainly not going to help my technique or endurance. It's about just getting started back at it again.

Marathon training officially started this week... first run done, but not a great confidence booster. Coach assures me that all is well and we have plenty (uh, 11 weeks) of time!! Trust grasshopper, trust! You have nothing if you don't have trust. So coach, I trust you! And I only had to force myself a little bit to say that.

Top 10 reasons why athletes should eat QUINOA!

Have you heard of Quinoa!?

It's an ancient Peruvian Seed with a mild nutty flavor, high protein content and loads and loads of Good stuff like all the essential amino acids and lots of minerals.

Here are the nutrition facts:


And check out THIS link for more info than you could ever handle about any food you could ever consider eating. Awesome site!

Top 10 reasons why YOU - the athlete - should eat this grain!

1. Essential Amino Acids - it contains all the essential amino acids and is high in LYSINE - which is important for tissue growth and repair.
2. Magnesium - it is high in magnesium which relaxes blood vessels and prevents constriction and dilation - bringing that oxygenated blood to all your muscles
3. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - it has lots of of B2 which produces energy with in the cells and has been shown to improve energy metabolism within the brain and muscle cells
4. Manganese and copper - yep lots of this too! These mineral are co-factors for the super oxide dismutase which helps protect cells from damage from free radicals (we make lots of those w/ all this crazy exercise business.)
5. It's Gluten Free!! I know there are a lot of us out here with the gluten problem. And even if you don't have a gluten problem it does tend to cause inflammation in those of us without a gluten problem. So if you can decrease gluten.. a good thing!
6. Rich source of dietary fiber! We all know why that's important so I'll spare you the details. If you don't know why that's important give a shout out and I'll give you the 411.
7. High in Omega 3s - They are necessary for human health but the body can' t make them. Nuff said.
8. High in complex carbs. As athletes - particular the endurance variety - we are always looking for good complex carbs to refuel the lost glycogen. Carbo load anyone? How about some Quinoa instead of gluteny lacking in nutrients PASTA!
9. Low in fat. It contains healthy fats, but not too much. So feel free to add olive oil and/or some almonds to your dishes.
10. It's SUPER easy to prepare and can be used in lots of ways.

So how do you add these little nutty nuggets of nutrition to your diet. Well you can use them as a replacement for rice. You can add them to soups and stews. I like to put them in my salad. You could even toss them in your smoothie (cook them first). There are a pluthera of Quinoa salad recipes on the net. I'll add some that I enjoy at a later date.

I like to make them into a porridge for breakfast or post work out.

I rinse then soak my Quinoa overnight before I cook it. It makes it a bit easier to digest and it comes out nice and fluffy every time.

Basic Quinoa Recipe
Ingredients:

* 1 cup quinoa
* 1 1/2 cups cold water
* Optional: 1/2 tsp salt

Quinoa Cooking Directions:

1. Rinse: Stir the quinoa with your hand, and carefully pour off the rinsing water,
using a fine mesh strainer at the last
2. Drain quinoa well in the strainer, transfer to the cooking pot, add 1 1/2 cups
water & 1/2 tsp salt if desired
3. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer
4. Cook for 15 minutes
5. Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on
6. Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and serve


Quinoa Porridge
You can start with the recipe above or use quinoa that is stored in the fridge.
1. blend 1/2 to 1c of cooked Quinoa with milk of your choice to consistency of your liking. (I use nut milk)
2. Place in pan to warm.
3. Add your 'sides'. I like cinnamon, maple syrup and raisins.
4. Remove from heat throw in bowl and enjoy.

Optional toppings:
another splash of milk/cream
ground flax seeds
Wheat Germ
Chia Seeds
Nut butter

Have you had Qunioa before? How do you like to eat it? Have you tried it for breakfast before?

Rethinking that cup of Joe

Again, Really. Yes, I'm still trying to get my mind in the right spot. Well, I guess my mind is there gotta get my heart to follow. I've already covered my LOVE of coffee so I won't revisit here.

The real irony of this is that I am sitting in a COFFEE SHOP while I write this.

Before I dive into this I want to say that caffeine affects people differently. For example: it's stated by "THEM" (you know the proverbial THEY) that someone that is high strung by nature will likely become anxious with caffeine consumption (and the amount of that consumption is highly personal) while someone who is normally quite calm won't be affected at all. Let me tell you folks this is TRUE! My husband is so SO chill that I sometimes have to check him for a pulse. He could drink a pot of coffee and be totally normal (no anxiety) and sail off to sleep at night with zero problems. I, on the other hand, fall in the high strung category and a pot of coffee would make me a batshit crazy raging witch (there's a rule.. only one swear word per sentence) and keep me up all night. (My own personal highly scientific research.. brought to you for free. You're welcome.)

My point being (yes there is one) is that you need to pay attention to your own personal response. And if you are the type that can enjoy as much coffee as you want and continue to be normal well... :P (that's me sticking my tongue out at you)

Physiologically caffeine stimulates the central nervous system by blocking adenosine which is the neurotransmitter that causes a calming effect. This in turn causes the adrenal glands to release adrenaline - the fight or flight hormone. The heart rate increases, pupils dilate, muscles tighten and glucose is released into the blood stream. Caffeine also increases dopamine which activates the pleasure part of the brain. That explains a lot. I did say I LOVE me some coffee!!!!

The upside of all of this is that this can potentially make you more alert and productive in the short term. Athletically it's been shown to extend endurance when taken prior to moderately strenuous activity. Though it's been more productive in the form of capsules than it has in the form of my beloved coffee.

The downside is that it stimulates the central nervous system and can cause restlessness, headaches and irritability (hmm I definitely suffer this side effect), elevates heart rate and blood pressure and it requires your pancreas to over-work. A later effect can be excessive and chronic tiredness, even on waking in the morning.

Essentially if you drink coffee throughout the day it is constantly wreaking havoc on your hormones and stimulating your central nervous system. NO BUENO!

And man this stuff stays in your body! It's half life is about 6 hours. If you have a nice big 300mg caffeine cup of coffee at 4pm your body breaks it down to 100 mg by 10pm and 50mg by 4am. So you still have some caffeine in your system when you wake up THE NEXT DAY!!!! And this has been the time your body is supposed to be repairing itself not breaking down caffeine and having a chat with your central nervous system to JUST CHILL already!

For reference here are some breakdowns:
Starbucks Grande Coffee (16 oz) 330 (almost 2x the amt in 'other' coffee)
Coffee, Drip 115-175
Starbucks Grande Latte (16 oz) 150
Coffee, Brewed 80-135
Coffee, Espresso (2 ounces) 100
Coffee, Instant 65-100
Tea, iced 47
Tea, brewed, imported (avg.) 60
Tea, brewed, U.S. brands (avg.) 40
Tea, green 15
Hot cocoa 14
Starbucks Grande Decaf Latte (16 oz) 13
Coffee, Decaf, brewed 3-4

"They" say that generally 2 cups a day is 'ok'. Like I said it effects people differently. Caffeine at varying doses, depending on person, can prevent clear thinking, cause nervousness, sweating, tenseness, upset stomach, anxiety and insomnia. Sounds GOOD to me!

So you wanna quit now? Well, coffee (caffeine) is ADDICTIVE. In case you hadn't noticed. 18 - 24 hours post QUIT time you may have a headache, feel fatigued, irritable (hmm just like when you were drinking coffee so that's nothing new), depressed and unable to concentrate. These feelings should peak in about 24 to 48 hours and should decrease over the course of a week. Reduce your intake slowly instead of quitting cold turkey. It's also been reported that high doses of Vitamin C can help with these symptoms. (I do this.)

For those that are dying to know how my battle with the demon is going I would say well. I'm down to 1.5 cups (of half caff) now.. from 3 to 4. And I gotta say I'm feeling better. I've suffered with fatigue in the past and I should know better than to dance with the demon. I am not delusional enough to think I will 100% abstain from coffee because I do love and enjoy it, but I won't make a daily habit of it... not permanently anyway. It's better for my kids, my work outs... My dear sweet husband and anyone else that comes in contact with me really!

So what about you? Are you a full on addict? Does your coffee/caffeine (cause it's in lots of stuff) affect you in any of the ways mentioned above?

Up next Sugar. YES you can go ahead and call me the FUN KILLER.

Bloated...

and SO sick of it! I know I know. Where is the positivity I promised. It's coming. I PROMISE! But in the mean time... I look like I'm 20 weeks pregnant on a good day and by the end of the day it's more like 30! SERIOUSLY! This is so NOT cool!!! I work my ASS off and this is what I get. UGH!

And before you start to give me advice (not that I mind it b/c I don't) I eat a shit ton of fiber and drink buckets of water... and nothing wants to come out the other end. WHY!

I'm sorry. I know this is a lot of info to put out into the ether for the world to see, but I'm just so damn sick of it! It doesn't seem to be diet related b/c I have had this problem for a long time. I was trying to remember the first time it was a really bad problem and the first time that comes to mind it was 2002 I think. I had recently gotten off the pill and I remember standing in the dining room complaining to Tom about it. I only mention the BC thing b/c it helps w/ the time frame and because I suspect this is hormone related. Back then I was basically an eat anything girl... still 'healthy' in my eyes at the time, but wheat (processed / packaged stuff), dairy, meat.. scones (MMM scones.. I miss you) and coffee. And now... well it's the opposite. The only thing from that list that is still on the menu is coffee. :) AND YET ... still have a problem. Can you imagine the amount of fiber that goes in my mouth. FRUITS AND VEGGIES>>>> all day!

Anyway. I'm not sure why I'm sharing this. I guess advice is always welcome. Anyone know if it's okay to drink Smooth Move Tea EVERY FREAKIN day!? Probably not a great idea, but oh how much better I would feel.

I've considered calling the doc, but I know he's just going to want to put a camera where I don't really want a camera. I know this isn't normal.. but what can he do???

Okay... got that off my chest........... I guess I shared it bc I feel it's a huge contributor to my stagnate exercise program..

Yea.. what about that.. I run almost every day too.. and STILL NOTHING! GRR!

Mojo: FOUND

Had a good run today and am working on digging my fingernails deep into my mojo and am hanging on for dear life!!!!

Part of my problem w/ the mojo has been that my digestion is just WRECKED lately. Think horribly bloated ALL THE DAMN time.. I look like I'm about 5 months pregnant by the end of the day.. it's just ridiculous! I've suffered w/ this for a LLLLOOONNNGGG time and it comes and goes in severity. I'm - once again - working to try to eliminate (no pun intended) this problem. It's very frustrating and hard to run w/o discomfort.

Today it wasn't as uncomfortable as other days and I was able to take my mind off of it and onto better things... I think the sun shine helped a lot.

Okay... off to do P90X before I go pick up the kids and rock the yard!

Green Juice

My latest thing - though I'm still a big fan of the green smoothie - is green juice. Send all those vitamins and minerals right into your system w/o all the fiber to bog you down. And if you can't tolerate the taste of the green juice you can use it as the base for your green smoothie... then you don't have to put spinach etc in .. just your fruit and call it good!

My favorite green juice is 4 stalks celery/5 leaves to one head of greens (above are dandelion greens)/one cucumber/4 apples (the more tart the better)

I put some water in the bottom of the blender (preferably the vitamix) and add the celery. Blend those up real well. Add the greens and blend - sometimes you have to use the plunger thing to push the greens down. then add everything else - pre chopped of course.

Then I dump the mush in a nut milk bag and strain it. This makes enough for me to have an entire quart and the kids to each have a pint. They LOVE it. They were asking for it this a.m.



And some photos of the kids picking the last of my tomatoes that didn't get a chance to ripen... which unfortunately was most of them.

The Green Smoothie!

So the green smoothie is getting a lot of attention (yeah) and I am getting a lot of requests for recipes.... so here are a few.

MY favorite!!! (the kids will eat some of mine sometimes)
- Greens (I started w/ a handful of spinach b/c it's mild, but I've been slowly increasing the amount and changing it up w/ kale - the other day I made this w/ about 1/2 head of kale.. eek! Point being start slow - you want to LIKE the smoothie)
- 1 to 2 frozen bananas
- 5 ice cubes
- 1 rounded T of cocao nibs (local health food store - great source of antioxidants and slow energy)
- 1 rounded T raw chocolate powder or cocao or both
- 1 T Bee Pollen (optional - I use this for protein)
- sweetener to taste - I use agave (a squirt), you could use dates or honey as well
- sprinkle of cinnamon
- sprinkle of cayenne
- splash of vanilla
- top off w/ water to desired consistency

Blend. Enjoy in a LARGE glass.

I usually have this post hard work out.. or when I want something sweet and chocolaty.

For the kids:

Base is always -
- large handful greens
- water or almond milk to consistency
- 1 T flax seed meal
- Vit D drops in the winter
- sometimes acidophillis - no rhyme or reason to my consistency w/ this

to this I add
- frozen fruit.. whatever combos sound good - some frozen some fresh
- depending on my mood and what I put in I sometimes add a date or two for sweetness

Some fruit combos:
- banana/mango
- banana/strawberry
- banana/mango/peach
- cherry
- blueberry (don't be stingy put a lot in)
- mixed berry

One day I made one w/ water/romaine/banana/mango (all fresh) and a dash of vanilla and they loved it!

I try to mix it up. If your kids are concerned w/ color (green or brown if you use say bananas and strawberries) then be sure to add the berries or cherries to mask the color. :)

Keep in mind that I have a high speed blender so there are no chunks those suckers are smooth and delicious. If you have a regular blender it might take a long time or may not work at all to get the chunks of greens out. I purchased a VitaMix.. they are EXPENSIVE, but worth every cent. I use mine AT LEAST once a day every day! :) Love it! My sister in law, Karen, has a K-Tec (is that right Karen) and says she is happy with it. So if you are going to take the plunge and add the smoothies to your diet consider buying one of these blenders. If you try it w/ your regular blender and are repulsed by the chunks please know that they are SO much better w/ the high speed blender.

If you try them and the flavor isn't good add more bananas or sweetener then slowly wean yourself off of the sweetness and onto the greenness. :)

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions. I'm excited to have so many people inquiring about this. I can't even begin to tell you how much more energy I have to keep up with work outs and kids! Good luck!

Nuts....

So I've started giving the kids some nut milk here and there - whatever I have in the fridge, right now it's walnut - and I think it's funny the things that run through our heads. I didn't start giving it to them as a replacement for dairy milk I just wanted to see if they liked it and they do so I give it to them probably once a day - or every other day. Then I start thinking - eek is it too much nut product (they get nuts in other things I make)... then I have to check myself and remember that people don't hesitate to give their kids copious amounts of dairy milk (a known allergen along w/ other things) and here I am worrying about some nuts. They show no signs of allergy at all so why should I be worried. They like, they are happy - I am happy.

I was thinking about it for me too.. I eat quite a few nuts in any given day be it snacking on nuts and raisins, having nut milk in a smoothie or nuts in some dish I'm having - it's one of three fat sources for me and I know that fats are good. My point? I don't really know. I guess it's just funny how we have to reprogram ourselves. In the past I wouldn't allow myself to eat peanut butter (back in my disordered fat free days) and it's amazing how strong a hold something like that can have on you. Now I eat only raw nuts and I eat them freely, but every now and then I find myself thinking... 'hmm I shouldn't eat so much of this." ... anyway. I just find it interesting how things stick w/ you... even if they are wrong.

We are looking forward to Grandma Lynda's visit next week. I can't believe that it's November already. I remember when her trip was booked it seemed so far away... this only means that 2008 is RIGHT around the corner. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that!

One small step for man... one HUGE step for mankind.

2007 is proving to be an eye opener for me. I've always considered myself to be relatively healthful and environmentally aware. I'll be the first to admit that I have always been lacking in global thought and social responsibility when it comes to my consumption... I've been blissfully naive to my individual impact every time I purchase something. Well, no more. It's actually quite daunting to always be thinking about what impact you are having down the line when you purchase something, especially something you consume a lot of... like coffee!

I have a rather long list of books that I plan to read this year. Included on that list is the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I stumbled across THIS article written by Pollan in the NY Times and have been propelled again into deep thought. The article addresses our (America's) approach to eating. He talks about where we get our 'advice' on what to eat and how getting our advice from scientists and marketing campaigns instead of our cultural roots has thrown us for a loop. Now instead of concentrating on eating FOOD (read: whole foods not processed foods) we are concentrating on eating nutrients. Forever chasing the 'things' that will make us healthy... ward off cancer and heart disease, make us thin and youthful, chasing the anti-oxidants to create a long healthy life. He suggests that much of this seems to backfire on us. We take out the beta carotene for example w/ the promise of it warding off cancer, and what we don't understand is what that beta carotene is mixed w/ inside the food we may be extracting it from. We are told it will act as an antioxidant in our body and help save us from the big C (cancer) diagnosis, but studies have shown that it doesn't do that and in some cases it may act as a PRO OXIDANT. There are apparently A LOT of carotenes w/i a particular food... not just beta carotene. What scientists don't know is how all of those carotenes work together. I can't do justice to the topic - you will have to read the ARTICLE. There is also an interesting section regarding Omega 3 and 6 oils.. I won't even try to summarize it here as I need to go back and read again to fully understand it myself.

If you find your interest or stamina is waining and you fear you won't get through all 12 pages at least skip ahead and finish off pages 11 and 12. They are kind of 'duh' ideas, but they make A LOT OF SENSE.

I read this article kind of thinking I was glad I didn't go on to get my Masters in Nutrition. I started to feel free from having to WORRY so much about what I was getting in my diet (though I can't fix the lack of nutrients in the soil I CAN eat whole veggies and fruits from my local farmer's market.. as suggested. This helps solve not only my nutrition problem, but the environmental and socially responsible aspect of my 2007 goals. Love the kill THREE birds w/ one stone thing here!).

In my eyes here are the three main things our earth and our conscious needs to focus on to take a broad step in the right direction for our mother earth and our fellow man. These will be my big focus for 2007... aside from my little tots and husband. (oh and the dog too)

1. eating wholesome (read: whole) foods
2. environmental awareness / trash, energy consumption, pesticide use, toxins
3. socially responsible consumerism

It seems that by eating wholesome (whole) foods you help to alleviate problem number two by doing away w/ much of your garbage - cereal boxes, juice cartons, individual wrapping on various products you eat - and you can step it up a notch if you compost the scraps from your WHOLESOME foods. I say why not go for the whole enchilada tackle number three too and find a local market to purchase your produce. Hey, and while you're at it take your own bags - whether they be using your other grocery bags again or bringing a basket or canvas bag to reuse over and over. You CAN make a difference!

By environmental awareness I am referring to anything and everything that has an impact on the environment... locally and globally. It can be an overwhelming thought... EVERYTHING we do and touch has some sort of environmental impact. So you get the organic farmers market veggies and fruits delivered to your door.. what of the fuel used to get that truck from the farm to your door. RELAX... baby steps. Do what you can and be mindful as you go through your day. I already challenged you to think about your garbage... to use a bag at the store, to use a canteen style cup at the coffee shop. Do SOMETHING! Do what you can handle at the moment and after you get used to that change challenge yourself to either take that to the next level or tackle another area. Skip the chemlawn treatment on your grass... go au natural. How important is it really to have pristine grass? Why is this so important to you? Wouldn't you rather save that money for retirement anyway? ha ha Change to environmentally friendly cleaning products like SHAKLEE that not only make products that aren't toxic to our environment, but cut down on the garbage hitting the landfills. Ride your bike or walk when you can. I realize this isn't an option for everyone, but cut corners where you can. It's your planet... and your kid's planet. You owe it to yourself and to them.

The socially responsible consumerism is a hard pill for me to swallow too! It takes a lot of thought and research to be a socially responsible consumer! It's daunting for me lately. I'm not sure why, but this new information (for me - I'm a bit ashamed) is causing me to not want to buy anything.. I'm sure this will pass. I'm trying the baby step approach to this as well. Consume less.. maybe pay more for the things I do purchase, but feel good about it.

That's all for now, but I want to direct you to Karen's blog again.. I just peeked over there real quick and noticed she has started reading another book on my list: The 100 Year Lie. It sounds even more daunting a task to consider the additives and synthetic chemicals that surround us on a daily basis, but we can't walk blindly through life anymore.. we ALL must wake up and smell the toxicity. We are creating a life of illness for ourselves. It's going to require quite a bit of perseverance on our parts to turn things around... the 'machine' (read industry/marketing) isn't going to do it for us.

Horizon's kids milks are SAFE!

See the email response below regarding the packaging of the Horizon milk products aimed at children:

Thank you for your recent e-mail to Horizon Organic. We appreciate your interest in our products.

This revolutionary package is a laminate of three materials: high-quality paperboard, polyethylene and aluminum. Each material plays a critical role in achieving the unique benefits of the aseptic package. Paper (70%) provides stiffness, strength and the efficient brick shape to the package. Polyethylene (24%) on the innermost layer forms the seals that make the package liquid-tight. A protective coating on the exterior keeps the package dry. Aluminum (6%) is the silver material you see on the inside of the aseptic package. This ultra-thin layer of foil forms a barrier against light and oxygen, eliminating the need for refrigeration and preventing spoilage without using preservatives. The aseptic package contains a total of six layers in this order: polyethylene, paper, polyethylene, aluminum foil, polyethylene and polyethylene. For more information about aseptic packaging, please visit www.aseptic.org.

There are no health concerns associated with the aseptic package. The silver material you see on the inside of the aseptic package is an ultra-thin layer of aluminum, which forms a barrier against light and oxygen, eliminating the need for refrigeration and preventing spoilage without using preservatives. Aluminum does not touch the food product. The inside layer of an aseptic package, which touches the product, is polyethylene (plastic), not aluminum. Moreover, there is no leaching of aluminum or aluminum components through the polyethylene layer. The polyethylene used in the aseptic package, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), is an FDA-approved food-contact surface material. It is the only material in the package that comes in contact with the food product, and in addition, industry tests have shown that no polyethylene leaches into the food product. For more information about aseptic packaging, please visit www.aseptic.org.

Thanks again for contacting the Consumer Affairs Department.

Sincerely,
Celeste MuelaConsumer Response Representative
Ref: N551779

Horizon's response:

And here is the response I received from Horizon regarding their milk cartons. (Karen, I emailed back asking specifically about the individually packaged milk products geared toward kids... like the chocolate milk. I will let you know.)

Thank you for your recent e-mail to Horizon Organic.

We appreciate your interest in our products.

Our half-gallon and quart milk cartons are made of recyclable paperboard. The carton has a thin layer of low density, food grade polyethylene laminated to both the inside and outside of the package to prevent leaking.

Thanks again for contacting the Consumer Affairs Department.

Sincerely,Celeste MuelaConsumer Response RepresentativeRef: N549877

Organic Valley milk cartons

Good news... you can shop for your milk w/o worrying about BPA!!! I contacted both Organic Valley and Horizon regarding their milk cartons and what they use as the lining... I am waiting to hear back from Horizon, but here is the response from Organic Valley!! PHEW!

Dear Laura,

Thank you for contacting us at Organic Valley. No, we do not use BPA in the lining of our milk cartons. The plasticused is either #2 or #3 depending on the carton. I hope this provides you with the information that you requested. Do nothesitate to contact me if you require additional assistance.

Sincerely,
Brandy Smith-Vuich
Organic Valley/ Cropp Cooperative
Consumer Relations
1-888-444-6455 ext.437
brandy.smith-vuich@organicvalley.coop

Beware of PC - polycarbonate (#7) - BPA

Polycarbonates main building block is: BPA - bisphenol-A

Think all plastics w/ the recycle code of 7... plastic water bottles.. not going to name names, but the ones we all use. I know they have created or are working on a bottle not made of BPA.. apparently other plastics such as high-density polyethylene (#2), Low-density polyethylene (#4) or polypropylene (#5) which are thought to be safer and not to leach into your food.

I recently ditched all of my water bottles and replaced them w/ a SIGG bottle (http://www.sigg.ch/) ... thanks in part to my good friend Julie.

BUT it doesn't stop there.. I was disturbed to read in this article that BPA is commonly used to line the inside of both cans in canned goods and milk cartons. I would hope that the manufacturers of organic milks would be wise to this risk and not use BPA, but how can I know.. so are we going to have to go back to buying local and in glass jugs... then recycling the jugs.. that's probably the more environmentally friendly way to go anyway.

I won't even attempt to describe what BPA does to you, but you can check out this wikipedia listing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A It's something to do w/ Estrogen receptors and is starting to be linked to the increase in breast cancer.

So replace your water bottles.. you can also check out klean kanteen... and stop eating canned food (fresh or frozen is better anyway) .... and I'm not sure what to do about milk (and any other food items that may be packaged in this stuff) aside from the glass jug thing. I did just read that Whole Foods (aka whole paycheck as Tom likes to call it) has stopped selling items packaged in BPA as of sometime in 2006.

Other plastics to watch out for:
PVC - plyvinyl chloride - #3 - commonly used in kids toys - think teethers.. GREAT! Try wood toys I guess - Haba toys are pvc free: http://www.oompa.com/cgi-bin/category/Baby_Toys
PS - polystyrene - #6 - styrofoam (but we already knew that was bad stuff) apparently the production of that stuff is real bad for the environment (like my technical jargin?)