90 miles to go, 10% of the way to my 100 miles-in-November goal.
Today was the most beautiful Texas fall day yet. It pains me to be indoors writing papers, and I hated that a ran on the treadmill today. But I choose the treadmill often for a lot of reasons.
Usually, I run very early in the morning. It's not yet light out, even by the time I finish. And I don't want to risk getting hit by a car or running into an unsavory character. I'm not that fast!
I'm very wary of sun exposure after my time in our hospital's dermatology clinic. One poor soul required 10 shave biopsies in a sitting. And due to his previous occupation as a truck driver, the preponderance of the suspicious skin was on his left arm and left side of his face.
We are getting far more sun than we think!
Among other factors, it's our life-time cumulative sun exposure (UVA and UVB) that contributes to our risk for melanoma, the most lethal type of skin cancer. I've lived in Colorado, Miami, Georgia, and all over Texas. I've spent lots of time in the Middle East. These are some sunny places and I've had some sunburns.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
Dehydration causes uterine cramps. Science.
Every so often during my early morning treadmill hillwork, I get muscle cramps when running.
No, not leg or back cramps or even a side stitch.
I experience what feels like menstrual cramps- especially during a real tough workout. I thought maybe at first it was due to my posture, or maybe a case of the Bubblies, but it happened again yesterday on my 3 miles of steep hillwork, where I was holding a pretty quick pace, the day after my PR 10K. I thought maybe my rectus abdominis was sore from some ab work a few days ago, but no- this was exactly like a menstrual cramp, and it lasted a few minutes, but was so bad I had to stop running and drink water until it washed away. The funny thing is, whenever this happens, it's never during that time of the month, it's usually in the week or two preceeding it. I think.
So I did some research into my chief suspect:
DEHYDRATION-INDUCED UTERINE CRAMPS.
Turns out, there are lots of internet voices out there who have dealt with this same situation and unfortunately been sneered at by their primary care provider, with no help!
But I can help with what I've learned. I hope!!
It's all in our brains, to begin with, well...sort of. Here's our pituitary gland: It's less colorful in real life.
The posterior pituitary produces 2 hormones as shown above: ADH (antidiuretic hormone) and oxytocin, and as they are made in the same factory, these chemical structures look very similar to our body.
ADH is produced when we are dehydrated, and acts on our kidneys to help us stay hydrated by decreasing the amount of water we eliminate in urine, hence "anti-diuretic."
Oxytocin acts on the uterine muscle. It's primary purpose it to cause uterine contractions for baby delivery! You may have heard of pitocin, or even used it to induce labor- it's based on the hormone oxytocin.
When we are dehydrated, like during an especially strenuous aerobic workout, our uterine oxytocin receptors see the extra ADH and think it's oxytocin and commence cramping. When we then drink water, our body no longer releases the ADH, and the spillover to our uterus stops. Yay, no more cramping! Save that for when it's actually my period please. Actually, please don't save it at all :)
By this same logic, staying well hydrated during your period can ameliorate those cramps.
This is exactly why pregnant women should stay hydrated, especially when feeling crampy! And with the holidays nigh upon us and August and September the months with the most birthdays, I'm sure some gals out there might use this information in the near future :)
I also wondered why this cramping usually only occurred a week or two before my period, similar to what many of the anonymous gals found on some women's health websites- and this study here found that in nonpregnant women, during the pre-menstrual (the two weeks before your period) phase of the cycle, ADH is four times (!) more potent than oxytocin in causing uterine cramping. What a naughty little chemical this ADH is!
Wow, do I ever feel like drinking more water before heading to my early morning workouts- overnight dehydration certainly plays a role, too. And I'm pretty sure this dehydration situation is why I felt these cramps yesterday.
I hope this helps those who have been turned away and made to feel that their pain was unimportant.
Of course, persistent abdominal pain should always be checked out with your health care provider.
Please tell me I'm not the only one out there with this??
No, not leg or back cramps or even a side stitch.
I experience what feels like menstrual cramps- especially during a real tough workout. I thought maybe at first it was due to my posture, or maybe a case of the Bubblies, but it happened again yesterday on my 3 miles of steep hillwork, where I was holding a pretty quick pace, the day after my PR 10K. I thought maybe my rectus abdominis was sore from some ab work a few days ago, but no- this was exactly like a menstrual cramp, and it lasted a few minutes, but was so bad I had to stop running and drink water until it washed away. The funny thing is, whenever this happens, it's never during that time of the month, it's usually in the week or two preceeding it. I think.
So I did some research into my chief suspect:
DEHYDRATION-INDUCED UTERINE CRAMPS.
Turns out, there are lots of internet voices out there who have dealt with this same situation and unfortunately been sneered at by their primary care provider, with no help!
But I can help with what I've learned. I hope!!
It's all in our brains, to begin with, well...sort of. Here's our pituitary gland: It's less colorful in real life.
 |
| Not a scrotum, but yes, that's a uterus. Grumpy one! |
ADH is produced when we are dehydrated, and acts on our kidneys to help us stay hydrated by decreasing the amount of water we eliminate in urine, hence "anti-diuretic."
Oxytocin acts on the uterine muscle. It's primary purpose it to cause uterine contractions for baby delivery! You may have heard of pitocin, or even used it to induce labor- it's based on the hormone oxytocin.
When we are dehydrated, like during an especially strenuous aerobic workout, our uterine oxytocin receptors see the extra ADH and think it's oxytocin and commence cramping. When we then drink water, our body no longer releases the ADH, and the spillover to our uterus stops. Yay, no more cramping! Save that for when it's actually my period please. Actually, please don't save it at all :)
By this same logic, staying well hydrated during your period can ameliorate those cramps.
This is exactly why pregnant women should stay hydrated, especially when feeling crampy! And with the holidays nigh upon us and August and September the months with the most birthdays, I'm sure some gals out there might use this information in the near future :)
I also wondered why this cramping usually only occurred a week or two before my period, similar to what many of the anonymous gals found on some women's health websites- and this study here found that in nonpregnant women, during the pre-menstrual (the two weeks before your period) phase of the cycle, ADH is four times (!) more potent than oxytocin in causing uterine cramping. What a naughty little chemical this ADH is!
Wow, do I ever feel like drinking more water before heading to my early morning workouts- overnight dehydration certainly plays a role, too. And I'm pretty sure this dehydration situation is why I felt these cramps yesterday.
I hope this helps those who have been turned away and made to feel that their pain was unimportant.
Of course, persistent abdominal pain should always be checked out with your health care provider.
Please tell me I'm not the only one out there with this??
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Losing weight, winning the obesity war: San Antonio.
San Antonio, according to Men's Health, is the 7th fattest city in America.
Texas in general maintains 5 of the top 10 fattest cities:
1. Corpus Christi, TX
2. Charleston, WV
3. El Paso, TX (yikes!!)
4. Dallas, TX
5. Memphis, TN
6. Kansas City, MO
7. San Antonio, TX
8. Baltimore, MD
9. Houston, TX
10. Birmingham, AL
But unlike these other cities, San Antonio has dumped a lot of money into overcoming this stigma and in August, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District announced that the obesity rate in San Antonio dropped from 35.1% to 28.5% over the past 2 years, per the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. The big (little?) deal here is that San Antonio is now below the state obesity rate, which has actually increased over the past 2 years.
I moved away from San Antonio a few years ago, and returning this summer I can absolutely see the difference that this money made in the city's fitness emphasis.
There are salad bars in schools. And at even the most authentic restaurants, I see lighter, lower-fat options highlighted.
This morning, the first cool morning of the season, I ran the Salado Greenway and stumbled on a sign at the Tobin Trailhead indicating "Free fitness classes here!" sponsored by the Mayor's Fitness Council.
The trail system itself has been expanded for miles. It's well-groomed, superbly maintained, and a haven for fitness enthusiasts and wildlife. I plod along with walkers, runners, cyclists (even ellipticyclists!) of all levels and body compositions there.
Along the Riverwalk, I now see bicycles for use- free for 30 minutes, after that a nominal fee- which can be turned in at various locations around town. If you're smart, you could bike all over town for free, relaying from bike turn in to next bike turn in.
The city buses (VIA public transport Bike and Ride) have bike racks on the front. No extra fee to pop your bike on the bus!
All this comes to a total of $15.6M. That's a lot of money in these tricky economic times, but what a savings in terms of easing our future healthcare cost burden. I'll call it a victorious battle in the war on obesity, which is now classified as a disease. And what a triumph for the 70,000 San Antonians who can now call themselves free of obesity.
Though the city of San Antonio fights on, the larger problem remains that the Texas obesity rate itself is just far too high.
What is your city doing about this epidemic?? I'm not sure what El Paso plans. I saw several new trails under construction last I visited, but sadly there isn't the overall metropolitan fitness gestalt that I feel here in San Antonio.
Read more here:
City of San Antonio Obesity Rate Drops Below State Average
Mayor's Fitness Council: a citywide 8-week challenge
Texas in general maintains 5 of the top 10 fattest cities:
1. Corpus Christi, TX
2. Charleston, WV
3. El Paso, TX (yikes!!)
4. Dallas, TX
5. Memphis, TN
6. Kansas City, MO
7. San Antonio, TX
8. Baltimore, MD
9. Houston, TX
10. Birmingham, AL
But unlike these other cities, San Antonio has dumped a lot of money into overcoming this stigma and in August, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District announced that the obesity rate in San Antonio dropped from 35.1% to 28.5% over the past 2 years, per the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. The big (little?) deal here is that San Antonio is now below the state obesity rate, which has actually increased over the past 2 years.
I moved away from San Antonio a few years ago, and returning this summer I can absolutely see the difference that this money made in the city's fitness emphasis.
There are salad bars in schools. And at even the most authentic restaurants, I see lighter, lower-fat options highlighted.
This morning, the first cool morning of the season, I ran the Salado Greenway and stumbled on a sign at the Tobin Trailhead indicating "Free fitness classes here!" sponsored by the Mayor's Fitness Council.
The trail system itself has been expanded for miles. It's well-groomed, superbly maintained, and a haven for fitness enthusiasts and wildlife. I plod along with walkers, runners, cyclists (even ellipticyclists!) of all levels and body compositions there.
Along the Riverwalk, I now see bicycles for use- free for 30 minutes, after that a nominal fee- which can be turned in at various locations around town. If you're smart, you could bike all over town for free, relaying from bike turn in to next bike turn in.
The city buses (VIA public transport Bike and Ride) have bike racks on the front. No extra fee to pop your bike on the bus!
All this comes to a total of $15.6M. That's a lot of money in these tricky economic times, but what a savings in terms of easing our future healthcare cost burden. I'll call it a victorious battle in the war on obesity, which is now classified as a disease. And what a triumph for the 70,000 San Antonians who can now call themselves free of obesity.
Though the city of San Antonio fights on, the larger problem remains that the Texas obesity rate itself is just far too high.
What is your city doing about this epidemic?? I'm not sure what El Paso plans. I saw several new trails under construction last I visited, but sadly there isn't the overall metropolitan fitness gestalt that I feel here in San Antonio.
Read more here:
City of San Antonio Obesity Rate Drops Below State Average
Mayor's Fitness Council: a citywide 8-week challenge
Monday, September 16, 2013
Plantar fasciitis...I haz it
Anyone else out there walk like a zombie first thing in the morning? And I don't mean just because you haven't yet received your coffee infusion. The arch of my right foot aches-angrily-in the morning but it usually gets better after a few hours. I've been getting by with stretching and some insanely poignant and painful massage directly where it hurts, here:
but I might start taking ibuprofen more often. And I was just getting over several months of knee pain, so I feel a cozy familiarity with this, never straying too far from a nagging pain while I run...argh...
The pain is just bad enough to sometimes convince me on rainy and early mornings to hit snooze and not run. It's hard to get up early, harder still when thunderstorms lurk outside, and the morning run is a complete casualty when you add a pesky pain into the mix.
If stretching and ibuprofen and some relative rest don't help, then I might try those dreaded night splints, you know, the ones you see in Sky Mall. And after that, there's always a corticosteroid injection but I will never let it come to that...pointy needle into the arch of my foot, why no thank you.
The plantar fascia itself is kinda cool, and not just because I see a lot of foot and ankle problems so I'm pretty familiar with the anatomy there at the business end of our legs. There is actually more to plantar fasciitis than you'd think, it's not just an inflammation of the bottom of a foot, in fact, lots of studies would hint that it's not really inflammation at all and it might just be little tears in the plantar fascia there along the bottom of our feet. As we get older, or fatter, or increase our level of activity the overuse and overstress causes the tears and hence the pain. Though the PF spans across our feet, every time I've seen someone with PF, and in my own feet, the pain clenches down on the same spot- along the medial surface of the arch, but also close to the heel. I try to massage the area, violently, but that seriously hurts. Some folks roll a tennis ball under their arch while seated in a chair, and damn, that hurts too. Just a warning.
Some smart people think it might not even be a fascia problem at all, but a muscle that's irritated. Hard to say.
Maybe it's just time for new boots?
I wonder if my knee pain caused me to run out of my normal gait pattern and somehow I've brought this nonsense on myself? I seem to collect lower extremity pain in seasons and constellations. If history proves itself, right achilles tendinosis is up next...I'll keep ya posted!
Any tips or remedies for helping me out of this plantar fasciitis/fasciosis mess?
.JPG) |
| Yep, a gross foot, clearly I run and wear boots all day |
The pain is just bad enough to sometimes convince me on rainy and early mornings to hit snooze and not run. It's hard to get up early, harder still when thunderstorms lurk outside, and the morning run is a complete casualty when you add a pesky pain into the mix.
If stretching and ibuprofen and some relative rest don't help, then I might try those dreaded night splints, you know, the ones you see in Sky Mall. And after that, there's always a corticosteroid injection but I will never let it come to that...pointy needle into the arch of my foot, why no thank you.
The plantar fascia itself is kinda cool, and not just because I see a lot of foot and ankle problems so I'm pretty familiar with the anatomy there at the business end of our legs. There is actually more to plantar fasciitis than you'd think, it's not just an inflammation of the bottom of a foot, in fact, lots of studies would hint that it's not really inflammation at all and it might just be little tears in the plantar fascia there along the bottom of our feet. As we get older, or fatter, or increase our level of activity the overuse and overstress causes the tears and hence the pain. Though the PF spans across our feet, every time I've seen someone with PF, and in my own feet, the pain clenches down on the same spot- along the medial surface of the arch, but also close to the heel. I try to massage the area, violently, but that seriously hurts. Some folks roll a tennis ball under their arch while seated in a chair, and damn, that hurts too. Just a warning.
Some smart people think it might not even be a fascia problem at all, but a muscle that's irritated. Hard to say.
Maybe it's just time for new boots?
I wonder if my knee pain caused me to run out of my normal gait pattern and somehow I've brought this nonsense on myself? I seem to collect lower extremity pain in seasons and constellations. If history proves itself, right achilles tendinosis is up next...I'll keep ya posted!
Any tips or remedies for helping me out of this plantar fasciitis/fasciosis mess?
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Bikram Yoga Benefits?
During my foray into Bikram Yoga, I googled "Bikram Yoga health benefits" repeatedly (remember the definition of insanity, anyone?) in a vain attempt to find something specific. I found things like "reduced anxiety" (a tad subjective, I think) and "body detoxification" (so is pooping) and "blood thinning" (scary, quite scary...and nebulous).
These intangibilities bother me no end!
In my yoga stint, I didn't feel particularly thin of blood (or thin at all, really) but I did sleep better. Nothing is as comforting as evidence so I did a literature search and found one salient article by some great neuromuscular scientists, Brian Tracey and Cady Hart, out of Colorado State. I love that these guys admit in their abstract that there really hasn't been much in the way of high-grade yoga research. Hence their study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research!
After 8 weeks of 3x weekly 90 minute Bikram yoga classes (and for anyone just joining us on our yogavestigation, that means hot hot hot hot yoga), the study group of 32 young and healthy but mostly sedentary adults had stronger and more flexible hamstrings, stronger glutes, and increased shoulder flexibility as compared to their non-yogi counterparts. Of course, these are not facts and science, merely "facts" and "science" dusted with the stink of statistical magic.
Feel free to read the study, but be aware of the limitations--we already could surmise that physical activity of any variety is a boon to anyone who is mostly sedentary. This study did not dwell on blood thinning or inner peace, but still demonstrated that Bikram Yoga has a positive impact on flexibility and strength, two key components of physical fitness.
So what is my takeaway? Yoga is fun to do with a friend. It's a nice break. It's nice to relax in a hot room in the evening. But it's not going to increase my VO2 max or transform me into a skinny mini any time soon. So I'd better keep running.
Good thing the Pub Run is for (TOMORROW)...more on that in a bit!
Who wants to argue with me about the benefits of yoga? I liked it, I really did, I promise...but I'm not sure I'm a Bikram devotee...
These intangibilities bother me no end!
In my yoga stint, I didn't feel particularly thin of blood (or thin at all, really) but I did sleep better. Nothing is as comforting as evidence so I did a literature search and found one salient article by some great neuromuscular scientists, Brian Tracey and Cady Hart, out of Colorado State. I love that these guys admit in their abstract that there really hasn't been much in the way of high-grade yoga research. Hence their study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research!
After 8 weeks of 3x weekly 90 minute Bikram yoga classes (and for anyone just joining us on our yogavestigation, that means hot hot hot hot yoga), the study group of 32 young and healthy but mostly sedentary adults had stronger and more flexible hamstrings, stronger glutes, and increased shoulder flexibility as compared to their non-yogi counterparts. Of course, these are not facts and science, merely "facts" and "science" dusted with the stink of statistical magic.
Feel free to read the study, but be aware of the limitations--we already could surmise that physical activity of any variety is a boon to anyone who is mostly sedentary. This study did not dwell on blood thinning or inner peace, but still demonstrated that Bikram Yoga has a positive impact on flexibility and strength, two key components of physical fitness.
So what is my takeaway? Yoga is fun to do with a friend. It's a nice break. It's nice to relax in a hot room in the evening. But it's not going to increase my VO2 max or transform me into a skinny mini any time soon. So I'd better keep running.
Good thing the Pub Run is for (TOMORROW)...more on that in a bit!
Who wants to argue with me about the benefits of yoga? I liked it, I really did, I promise...but I'm not sure I'm a Bikram devotee...
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Bikram yoga...are ya with me?
I picked up a new hobby a few days ago- Bikram yoga! The neat thing about being temporarily assigned away from home is that I get to try out activities that aren't otherwise available. And this hot yoga seemed the perfect thing, now that our 3 weeks in the field had rather acclimated us to the heat!
My friend Jenny and I attend hot yoga classes with The Union Bikram yoga franchise here in San Antonio. We tried the introductory class and liked it so much that we bought passes for 10 more days of classes. And then we convinced more friends to join us!
Here are some benefits I've noticed over the past 3 days already:
I like that these classes, for 90 minutes at a time, enable others to experience my everyday level of sweatiness. I should probably wear floaties or a lifevest to class, but the instructors are so tolerant! And that's what yoga at The Union is all about.
The class consists of a 26 + 2 regimen: 26 postures or "asanas" and 2 breathing exercises, each repeated twice. I love that the instructor follows a Bikram script and speaks for the duration of the class without performing the postures themselves. This allows me to focus on the words and directions as opposed to craning my neck to watch a demonstrated pose. They do circle the students and provide very helpful feedback. I found them to be encouraging without the sycophantism that plagues other types of group exercise.
It's amazing how fast the 90 minutes in the "torture chamber" fly by! I spend the whole time focused on surviving the 105F heat and so the physical challenge of the postures pales in comparison.
I find that I am somewhat sore the day after, less than if I'd been lifting heavily. It's a soreness that's well-dispersed over my body. After just a few classes, though, I have less SI joint pain and I feel my posture has improved in my thoracic spine. Or maybe I just now have an increased body awareness?
I paid for a special offer of $20 for 10 days of consecutive classes. I'm on day 3. I may skip a few sessions over Labor Day weekend but I'll after-action the 10 days for you for sure :)
The classes are about 50/50 male/female. I wear a sports bra and spandex shorts like most of the other female participants. Other gals wear tank tops, yoga pants, etc. The men in class wear spandex or swim-type shorts. I think a few even are there in their boxers, hey, whatever, it's yoga, no room for judgie jerks there and no one's focused on anyone else.
Yes, it's hot in there. But it's safe. It's challenging. It's fun. And you can do it!
I don't know that this is going to improve my running but I do appreciate any activity that mitigates pain and purportedly improves flexibility. Any thoughts on yoga as an adjunct to other forms of exercise?
My friend Jenny and I attend hot yoga classes with The Union Bikram yoga franchise here in San Antonio. We tried the introductory class and liked it so much that we bought passes for 10 more days of classes. And then we convinced more friends to join us!
Here are some benefits I've noticed over the past 3 days already:
- Sleep, that is far more restorative than usual (this is HUGE with me!)
- Less anxiety
- Reduced joint pain
- Improved skin clarity
I like that these classes, for 90 minutes at a time, enable others to experience my everyday level of sweatiness. I should probably wear floaties or a lifevest to class, but the instructors are so tolerant! And that's what yoga at The Union is all about.
The class consists of a 26 + 2 regimen: 26 postures or "asanas" and 2 breathing exercises, each repeated twice. I love that the instructor follows a Bikram script and speaks for the duration of the class without performing the postures themselves. This allows me to focus on the words and directions as opposed to craning my neck to watch a demonstrated pose. They do circle the students and provide very helpful feedback. I found them to be encouraging without the sycophantism that plagues other types of group exercise.
It's amazing how fast the 90 minutes in the "torture chamber" fly by! I spend the whole time focused on surviving the 105F heat and so the physical challenge of the postures pales in comparison.
 |
| healthxwellness.com The Bikram Asanas! |
I find that I am somewhat sore the day after, less than if I'd been lifting heavily. It's a soreness that's well-dispersed over my body. After just a few classes, though, I have less SI joint pain and I feel my posture has improved in my thoracic spine. Or maybe I just now have an increased body awareness?
I paid for a special offer of $20 for 10 days of consecutive classes. I'm on day 3. I may skip a few sessions over Labor Day weekend but I'll after-action the 10 days for you for sure :)
The classes are about 50/50 male/female. I wear a sports bra and spandex shorts like most of the other female participants. Other gals wear tank tops, yoga pants, etc. The men in class wear spandex or swim-type shorts. I think a few even are there in their boxers, hey, whatever, it's yoga, no room for judgie jerks there and no one's focused on anyone else.
Yes, it's hot in there. But it's safe. It's challenging. It's fun. And you can do it!
I don't know that this is going to improve my running but I do appreciate any activity that mitigates pain and purportedly improves flexibility. Any thoughts on yoga as an adjunct to other forms of exercise?
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Fridge fess up...part of the overhaul!
I thought I'd take a big step in our friendship and open up my refrigerator to you, from top to bottom. As you know I am undertaking a training/everything overhaul because of my pace dropping so precipitously. I think I might as well take some advice on my fridgie-fridge and see how I can improve my running by doing better with the foods I eat, too:
Yes, I store a lot of food in the pantry (pasta, soups, grains, cereals, nuts, chocolate etc) but I'd like to know, how does my food stack up? Is this a good start for a healthy running diet? My junk food taste is more savory than sweet (hence all the salsa and chips) but I won't lie to you, those 2 pounds of butter are going to end up in cookies this weekend. I don't think my fridge is that bad but I admit, we do share a lot of produce with the hens and we eat elsewhere for lunch everyday since we are at work. Also I was on a big hotdog kick while studying hence the crazy variety of condiments for two people.
Because we eat at work or out for lunch every day, we don't eat a lot of meat or fish at home, and if we do, I buy just what we are going to cook for that particular meal. With only the two of us, stuff often goes bad before we can use it so it often goes to the hens instead of into my tummy.
Maybe next I'll share the pantry with you but I'm too short to get good pictures without dragging furniture into the kitchen, easier to wait til D is home, eh?
 |
| 3 types of coffee creamer and skim milk on the top shelf, good priorities in this house! |
 |
| Cottage cheese, eggs from our hens, blueberries, choc pudding, greek yogurt |
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| Sugar free Red Bull, Spicy V8, Sprite...could be worse |
 |
| Apples, string cheese, cauliflower, broccoli... |
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| Cilantro, grapes, limes, sandwich thins (love em) |
 |
| Yep, we bought cartons just for our own eggs...people receive them better this way |
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| TWO pounds of butter, nutella, mustard, PB, salsa, key lime juice |
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| Relish, jalapenos, pickled okra, garlic, applesauce, more mustard, more salsa... |
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| Water filter, low sodium soy sauce, raspberry jelly, salad dressing, balsamic vinegar |
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| 2 types of ketchup, BBQ sauce, maple syrup, choc syrup, rice vinegar, more mustard |
Because we eat at work or out for lunch every day, we don't eat a lot of meat or fish at home, and if we do, I buy just what we are going to cook for that particular meal. With only the two of us, stuff often goes bad before we can use it so it often goes to the hens instead of into my tummy.
Maybe next I'll share the pantry with you but I'm too short to get good pictures without dragging furniture into the kitchen, easier to wait til D is home, eh?
Friday, June 28, 2013
Epsom salts, old timey + wonderful, dust 'em off from under the sink
Over the past few years I have become a really poor sleeper. That being said, I don't use any prescription sleep medication, and I'm pretty cautious about over-the-counter sleep aids. My friend Barb (Leah's mom) has moderate to severe arthritis and she suggested an Epsom salt bath to help me recover from races as well as help in the sleep department and so I bought some and tried them and love them and I wish I had started using them ages ago. I just wanted to tell you about them in case your mom hadn't told you! Also, it's summer and overexertion is now in season and this might just be the thing to soothe your aches and pains.
Epsom is a town in England with a preponderance of magnesium salt springs. Epsom salts and bath salts in general are just magnesium sulfate. Medically, magnesium is very useful. At home, you can drink it, bathe in it, or you can make it into a paste and apply to bruises and sores joints or muscles.
A study of people with arthritis demonstrated that a daily 12-minute epsom salt bath greatly improved arthritic pain relief and without prompting, the study participants all commented on significantly improved pain.
Per the Epsom Salt Council, bathing in magnesium sulfate is also a way to absorb magnesium which is good for our bodies (if we are deficient). This stuff has lots of good uses in the garden too. I used to have a garden, and then I got some chickens. These entities are mutually exclusive.
Anyway, Epsom salt also removes "impurities" but my internet research failed to define what those impurities* might be.
For $0.88 at Walmart I bought a carton of Epsom salts which lasted about 3 baths. I didn't measure it as I poured it into the bath so it may last even longer. The package suggests 2 cups of salt for a regular bath tub. Or do it like I do and just dump some salt in the bath until you think it looks good and salty.
To expand my bath repertoire, I next spent $4.88 on this larger bag of scented Epsom salts, also from Walmart. I like this particular scent, it is fresh but not too minty or eucalyptic so it doesn't smell medicinal.
It makes the whole room smell nice, too. See in El Paso, in our small home, we don't have a bathroom door, I think this is "a thing" here because at friends' homes, there are no bathroom doors either, I mean, the toilet and shower area are separate and have a door but no joke, our bedroom has an alcove with 2 sinks, a mirror, and a bathtub (well, and a giant laundry monster) but still, that's strange, right? I digress...anyway I for sure pour too much of this scented salt mixture into the bath each time. It dissolves well and I notice that it effervesces a tad more than the plain salts.
In all honesty I like the store-brand, unscented salts just as much as the scented ones. They both work the same, dissolve well and I am a sleepy bunny shortly after bath time. It's nice to have the scent, but it's nice to save money, too. I choose the salt bath route about once a week, for after longer runs or when I just can't sleep.
I haven't noticed yet if the salted bath is better than a plain bath for pain reduction in achy joints and sore muscles but I am not yet facing severe osteoarthritis, either. For me this foray into salt baths started as a sleep aid. Osmotically it makes sense that a salt bath would draw out fluid from swollen joints etc but I am probably not so in tune with my body that I'd notice.
*By "impurities" I think they euphemistically mean doodoo. Magnesium salts (like magnesium citrate and magnesium sulfate) are laxatives so I suppose if you were feeling a little constipated you could use the plain Epsom salts and mix a magnesium cocktail per the directions on the package. I haven't tried it...pre-op bowel prep is no party, this is about the same. Absolutely do not try this if you have kidney impairment or diabetes or high blood pressure etc. Actually, don't do this at all unless your medical provider suggests it...please...I don't want to lose my job already :) And I am 80% sure the paper carton from Walmart does not have a medical license.
Does anyone else like these simple salts as much as I do? Or do you have your own go-to homeopathic remedies? Or are you from Epsom and can share its history?
Epsom is a town in England with a preponderance of magnesium salt springs. Epsom salts and bath salts in general are just magnesium sulfate. Medically, magnesium is very useful. At home, you can drink it, bathe in it, or you can make it into a paste and apply to bruises and sores joints or muscles.
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| I might just move to Epsom, that's some nice running weather! |
Per the Epsom Salt Council, bathing in magnesium sulfate is also a way to absorb magnesium which is good for our bodies (if we are deficient). This stuff has lots of good uses in the garden too. I used to have a garden, and then I got some chickens. These entities are mutually exclusive.
Anyway, Epsom salt also removes "impurities" but my internet research failed to define what those impurities* might be.
For $0.88 at Walmart I bought a carton of Epsom salts which lasted about 3 baths. I didn't measure it as I poured it into the bath so it may last even longer. The package suggests 2 cups of salt for a regular bath tub. Or do it like I do and just dump some salt in the bath until you think it looks good and salty.
To expand my bath repertoire, I next spent $4.88 on this larger bag of scented Epsom salts, also from Walmart. I like this particular scent, it is fresh but not too minty or eucalyptic so it doesn't smell medicinal.
.JPG) |
| Yes you can store your Epsom salts on a pile of dirty laundry |
In all honesty I like the store-brand, unscented salts just as much as the scented ones. They both work the same, dissolve well and I am a sleepy bunny shortly after bath time. It's nice to have the scent, but it's nice to save money, too. I choose the salt bath route about once a week, for after longer runs or when I just can't sleep.
| Another Epsom fan |
*By "impurities" I think they euphemistically mean doodoo. Magnesium salts (like magnesium citrate and magnesium sulfate) are laxatives so I suppose if you were feeling a little constipated you could use the plain Epsom salts and mix a magnesium cocktail per the directions on the package. I haven't tried it...pre-op bowel prep is no party, this is about the same. Absolutely do not try this if you have kidney impairment or diabetes or high blood pressure etc. Actually, don't do this at all unless your medical provider suggests it...please...I don't want to lose my job already :) And I am 80% sure the paper carton from Walmart does not have a medical license.
Does anyone else like these simple salts as much as I do? Or do you have your own go-to homeopathic remedies? Or are you from Epsom and can share its history?
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| Mommy we took care of that pesky garden for you! |
Monday, June 10, 2013
Barefoot running...lit review
So I did a little more looking into this barefoot running thing. Reading about it in a popular magazine is somehow just not satisfying. To the library, then, to investigate how the scientists study these matters!
The take home message in the study I read (Altman and Davis, above) regardless of the shoes you have? No more heel strike for you...heel strike was linked to elevated pressure in the front of the lower leg (since you have to keep your tibialis anterior contracted to maintain dorsiflexion, I assume), and injury in general occurred 2.5 times more frequently than in people running with midfoot and forefoot strike. We're talking back, hip, knee, ankle and foot pain, derived from the increased transmission of ground forces through your bones and joints when heel striking.
All that being studied, I've decided to stick with my shod ways. I am not particularly a heel-striker. The change I've made, though, is to completely avoid using that treadmill in the gym...
Of course, the researchers admitted that long-term top-tier research studies on this shod vs barefoot subject just don't exist yet. I'm willing to collect some data and do some research:
Gonna need some input from minimalist types, subjectively, what benefits do you derive?
Best foods for runners: Midsummer resolution
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| Kale- don't love it but I should. Thx wiki for the pic. |
A weekend full of Grand China Buffet and El Taco Tote left me feeling bloated and sluggish this morning, so I did what anyone would: drank a bucket of coffee and searched the web for "best foods for runners" and was consequently overwhelmed with the lists I found, and their disparity from what's getting into my belly (no frijoles refritos? wha??):
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| 22/29? Not so bad! |
I'm not doing too poorly on purchasing these recommended foods, but let's be honest, partaking of them is a different story. I have a pretty substantial quinoa collection that I'm not eating too often because it tastes awful. Why does the entire internet think quinoa is so transcendentally nutty and wonderful? Yes it's as salubrious as beets (thanks Calvin and Hobbes) but it tastes like metallic yet flavorless and chewy warm fish eggs to me (no offense to fish eggs, I love you my salty sushi sprinkles).
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| Evidence! Some healthy food was removed from this picture at some point! |
It's no secret, my running has been suffering as it loses out (on purpose) to more pressing things. The part of that I can control is what I eat in order to properly fuel myself (bye bye GCB and the Tote) and I hope to further clean up my food act a bit this summer.
Any thoughts on your favorite nutritious yet delicious foods? Quite clearly I also need quinoa recipe suggestions :)
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Product review: PowerBar Energy Blasts
Off day today for me- no running (well, maybe I'll go for an evening run if time allows, no promises though!) as tomorrow is a big day in my career and I have lots of prep to do for it. Exciting stuff, I'll share after the big day :)
For now, let's talk about sweets! My favorite type of candy has always been on the "chewy" end of the lickies-and-chewies spectrum...those big bins of candy at bulk stores? I love me some cola bottles, cinnamon bears, peachy penguins, green apple frogs...really anything made by The Happy World of Haribo is at the top of my list, so it's no small wonder that I prefer gummy-type exercise sweets over gels. My local grocery store stocks Power Bar Energy Blast Gel-Filled Chews. I usually find them on sale for $1.00 per bag, and in three flavors each with a different level of caffeine:
So what is the big selling point here? How are these better than a handful of jellybeans? PowerBar touts their proprietary C2 Max energy blend...which is just a 2:1 glucose:fructose (fruit sugar, honey, corn syrup) sugar ratio. These monosaccharides are very similar (in fact, glucose + fructose = sucrose, aka table sugar) but the reason they are included in this proportion in these Power Bar Energy Blasts is all based on these guys and their time-trial of cyclists:
Currell and Jeukendrup reminded me that the transporters that take nutrients from your intestine to blood stream come in many different permutations. In a very simplified manner, when there's a lot of glucose to be put into the blood (ie, after a meal), the glucose transporter (SGLT1) can get backed up with glucose traffic. When glucose and fructose are combined, the fructose uses its own separate transporter (GLUT5) which is off limits to glucose, and everyone can get out of the intestinal lining and into the blood more efficiently via the backdoor from the intestinal cells into the bloodstream (GLUT2). This is especially important in exercise as we need energy more quickly and don't want to wait for glucose to file out.
The researchers determined that a ratio of 2:1 glucose:fructose (1.2g to 0.6g) was more effective (an 8% decrease in the amount of time it took the cyclists to complete their cycling time trial as compared to 1.8g of straight glucose (which showed a 10% improvement over the placebo group who just had water without carbohydrate). The scientists also indicated that the ingestion of the glucose:fructose blend staved off the body's need to use liver glycogen stores, allowing for these stores to be accessed later in the time trial.
So this is maybe how PowerBar formulated the 2:1 C2 Max blend. I am glad to see there is real science behind it. Do I personally need a perfect monosaccharide blend? Nah, I am not nearly on that end of the performance curve. In my "research" (sample size: me) I do notice that after having some gels or candies after about an hour into a marathon or century cycling event that I perk up a bit. I also feel more energized after having regular foods, too, like a few graham crackers, or sips of carbohydrate beverage, so I know there's something to it and it's not particular to fancy lab-created food blends- in my case, it's probably a combination of the added glucose/fructose and a placebo effect.
I like a chewy candy while I run. It fights boredom and doesn't gag me like some of the gels which seem more like a dentist's fluoridated sealant paste. It's also easy for me to unwrap a few packages of gummies pre-race and put them in a small sandwich baggie and tuck into my sports bra or shorts pocket which doesn't cause the same level of underboob chafe as the scratchy edges of the gel packs. Plus, it's easy to share a few chewy candies with a stranger, don't get me wrong, I love people and all, but I'm not letting all y'all have a quick suckle on a shared PowerBar Gel as you run past.
I'll continue to buy this type of stuff for my longer runs and races. On the road bike I can pretty much dig into leftover Kung Pao chicken and not suffer tummy trouble.
Does anyone know more about this fructose/glucose nonsense? What's your favorite pick-me-up during a run? I'd love a diagram or at least an interpretive dance of the intestinal luminal cotransporters...
For now, let's talk about sweets! My favorite type of candy has always been on the "chewy" end of the lickies-and-chewies spectrum...those big bins of candy at bulk stores? I love me some cola bottles, cinnamon bears, peachy penguins, green apple frogs...really anything made by The Happy World of Haribo is at the top of my list, so it's no small wonder that I prefer gummy-type exercise sweets over gels. My local grocery store stocks Power Bar Energy Blast Gel-Filled Chews. I usually find them on sale for $1.00 per bag, and in three flavors each with a different level of caffeine:
.JPG) |
| Raspberry is my favorite and even has some vit C |
Currell and Jeukendrup reminded me that the transporters that take nutrients from your intestine to blood stream come in many different permutations. In a very simplified manner, when there's a lot of glucose to be put into the blood (ie, after a meal), the glucose transporter (SGLT1) can get backed up with glucose traffic. When glucose and fructose are combined, the fructose uses its own separate transporter (GLUT5) which is off limits to glucose, and everyone can get out of the intestinal lining and into the blood more efficiently via the backdoor from the intestinal cells into the bloodstream (GLUT2). This is especially important in exercise as we need energy more quickly and don't want to wait for glucose to file out.
The researchers determined that a ratio of 2:1 glucose:fructose (1.2g to 0.6g) was more effective (an 8% decrease in the amount of time it took the cyclists to complete their cycling time trial as compared to 1.8g of straight glucose (which showed a 10% improvement over the placebo group who just had water without carbohydrate). The scientists also indicated that the ingestion of the glucose:fructose blend staved off the body's need to use liver glycogen stores, allowing for these stores to be accessed later in the time trial.
So this is maybe how PowerBar formulated the 2:1 C2 Max blend. I am glad to see there is real science behind it. Do I personally need a perfect monosaccharide blend? Nah, I am not nearly on that end of the performance curve. In my "research" (sample size: me) I do notice that after having some gels or candies after about an hour into a marathon or century cycling event that I perk up a bit. I also feel more energized after having regular foods, too, like a few graham crackers, or sips of carbohydrate beverage, so I know there's something to it and it's not particular to fancy lab-created food blends- in my case, it's probably a combination of the added glucose/fructose and a placebo effect.
I like a chewy candy while I run. It fights boredom and doesn't gag me like some of the gels which seem more like a dentist's fluoridated sealant paste. It's also easy for me to unwrap a few packages of gummies pre-race and put them in a small sandwich baggie and tuck into my sports bra or shorts pocket which doesn't cause the same level of underboob chafe as the scratchy edges of the gel packs. Plus, it's easy to share a few chewy candies with a stranger, don't get me wrong, I love people and all, but I'm not letting all y'all have a quick suckle on a shared PowerBar Gel as you run past.
I'll continue to buy this type of stuff for my longer runs and races. On the road bike I can pretty much dig into leftover Kung Pao chicken and not suffer tummy trouble.
Does anyone know more about this fructose/glucose nonsense? What's your favorite pick-me-up during a run? I'd love a diagram or at least an interpretive dance of the intestinal luminal cotransporters...
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