On this beautiful Sunday morning, I managed to squeeze in a teen facial for my daughter between my work appointments. This was her first, so pretty exciting for her. I had the opportunity to sit in the peaceful and aesthetically pleasing comforting waiting area in Pyara Salon. Hot tea and tinctures are offered along with glistening iced water that managed to look refreshing even in winter. I had initially thought this would be a great time to sit in my car and get some work done, but the lure of relaxation and natural products for me to sip to help my tired muscles won out.
The teas and tinctures offered are from Naturopathica. Interested in the seemingly clean and simple products, I decided to google the company to learn more about their claims and was duly impressed by founder Barbara’s Close’s words. Her mission is to educate holistically (love her already) and explains skin is a reflection of the inner workings of the body. Yes! I’m reading on. She mentions the unattainable “balance” that we as a society are so hopped up about. Rachel Hollis, another of my favorites to read, dislikes the term “balance” as does Close. These high-powered, motivational women explain that balance is unattainable. What?! That’s all we talk about is balance. The idea of balance promotes the idea that everything can be done and achieved if you find the right balance. I’m with them. Balance is evasive, and maybe we could strive to be fluid and adaptable, but not so much that we are neglectful.
Agreed. Nothing in my world is balanced, but I do recognize that there are distinct areas that need attention. Maybe in a given minute, day or a week, one thing needs more attention than another, and that can change in the next minute, day or week. I can’t imagine getting everything in every day. That would be stressful. I definitely don’t have a balance, but more of a rotation of priorities. If I am working on a deadline for something, there maybe laundry piling up. OK, definitely laundry piling up…There’s no time or space for balance, only priorities that can either work for or against us. Many of us prioritize things that we think are working for us, but they are actually taking us away from the things that may help us find more inner peace and happiness. The take away on our culture is that if you are calm and meditate or sip tea, you can’t be a go-getter, a successful business person, or successful at whatever job or life you are tending. Most of what I see now are folk who are so stressed out they can’t be effective. As evidenced here by Barbara, Rachel, Brenee Brown – another of my favorites, we absolutely can live a healthier more fulfilled life by including emotional and mental wellbeing into the equation without being deemed a hippy or crunchy- which is also fine and I think desirable in the rotation!
Thank you to Christine Perkins at Pyara for providing a local business on a global stage that allows people to arrive and focus on their inner beauty and walk out with an outer beauty fueled from within. These are the types of things of that we need more. This is not an excessive luxury, but a necessary component of wellness hygiene. Rock on, sisters. Rock on.
Snacks seem to confuse and elude us. One of the most popular questions I get is, “What do I eat for snack?” We seem to have these unwritten rules about snacks, and most of them just don’t serve us.
Snacks are small meals, or maybe even the same size portion as your meal. (They can even be a leftover from your meal…more on that later!) There is no specific type of food that denotes a snack – unless you are in the food manufacturing industry. The goal of a snack is to nourish your body with vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients needed for good health throughout the day, to help increase absorption, stabilize blood sugars and decrease the chance of becoming too hungry overeating or making an unnecessary choice at days end.
I will agree that snacks may require some thought for children at school, shuttling from school to sport, anyone on the go, air travel, lack of refrigeration, or anyone accustomed to grabbing something in a package or box to eat in between meals. Sure, there are some times when a self contained snack in a bag is ideal, but that should really be the exception, not the norm, and for THAT, we can have some rules.
HEALTHY, ACCESSIBLE SNACKS include:
Bell Pepper sliced into sticks – red, green and yellow
Sliced Cucumber, or cucumber salad
Piece of fruit like an apple, orange or grapefruit -there are many varietals for experiment!
Sliced apple or pear with nut butter
Chopped apple with cinnamon
Nut and berry “cereal”
Trail mix -pre-measured amount to avoid overeating
Leftover portion from breakfast, lunch or dinner
Sliced hard boiled egg, chicken salad, sweet potato fries (leftover from meals…)
Almond milk smoothie with nut butter, cocoa and more…
If you are a growing teenager, or someone who needs a larger snack, choose two from the above list.
NOT THE GO TO, BUT THE WILL DO:
I recently ran into Trader Joe’s to scope out some packaged snacks. I find that while not always ideal, Trader Joe’s has some better options available.
Coconut Crispy Rolls wafer cookies – A small and tasty tube cookie, the ingredients are simple, and seemingly preserved with sugar and salt. The remaining ingredients are coconut milk, tapioca starch, eggs and sesame seeds. There are some health claims to the ingredients (but don’t consider this a health food – still a cookie) B+ (points deducted for minimal processing)
Trader Joe’s Seaweed Snacks
These are, interestingly enough, a fan favorite at my house, and pack and travel well. The ingredients are sea salt and seaweed. Not knowing much about the source of the seaweed, I’ll go with it’s fine until I read otherwise 🙂 Seaweed snacks get an A.
These are, interestingly enough, a fan favorite at my house, and pack and travel well. The ingredients are sea salt and seaweed. Not knowing much about the source of the seaweed, I’ll go with it’s fine until I read otherwise 🙂 Seaweed snacks get an
TJ’s Seasoned Kale Chips
These tasted ok to me, but the kids thought these lacked flavor. Slightly processed and some sugars lands this snack on the go in the B range.
TJ’s Blueberry Almond Peanut Date & Nut Bites
These mini bites were a big hit for taste and the ingredient list consists of ground nuts, seeds, fruits. Minimally processed, but wholesome ingredients earn this an A.
TJ’s Crispy Crunchy Broccoli Florets
Puffed broccoli, rice bran oil and salt combine to make this snack an interesting choice. The broccoli flavor is absolutely present and very strange in dried form. Once ou are over that, this tastes pretty good. Still reviewing rice bran oil, so until further notice this snacks gets a B+ for minimal processing and the unknown possibilities of rice bran oil.
TJ’s Savory Banana & Nuts Trek Mix
The indgredients are pretty solid here, and do not include any major preservatives. Apple cider vinegar and sea salt likely keep this shelf stable. The taste is fine, but we all decided that creating our own banana and chip mix was more flavorful. This is a reasonable choice that comes in at A-, points off for minimal processing.
Hu Chocolates
Not at Trader Joe’s, but worthy of a mention, the Hu choclates are well sourced, vegan non dairy dark chocolates. I’ve had a few different, and my favorite remains Cashew Butter with Vanilla Bean and Dark Chocolate. I love them not only for their tag line of “IT’S TIME TO GET BACK TO THE WAY HUMAN’S ATE BEFORE INDUSTRY RUINED THE FOOD”, but also their practices. The products are made with organic ingredients wherever possible, fair trade chocolate, and do NOT include refined sugars, dairy, soy lecithin, palm oil, cane sugar, sugar alcohols, vanilla extract or emulsifiers. Wow! But, what does it taste like?? I haven’t eaten them all, but I can vouch for the cashew butter! This is a chocolate and not a healthy snack , but considering the category A- (points deducted as there is no way a dairy free chocolate can measure against say a European handcrafted chocolate!)
Remember that wholesome foods are always the best choices, but in a pinch, you can still make better choices than your average processed snack!
On January 15th, we will unveil our new equipment. We are working towards creating our dream studio, slowly with input from our community. On January 1st, we were on the fence about a piece of equipment, and headed to a local gym to try out the fancy treadmill. We walked three floors of shiny equipment and were in awe. The facility was gorgeous! We saw cardio equipment lined up in front of the window facing a beautiful warm winter day. I get it. If you sign up for the gym because of the amazing facility you are obligated to get your money’s worth. Even worse, if you sign your family up for a membership, everyone has to use the gym. You start making decisions like going to the gym to walk on a treadmill on a beautiful day. The fitness industry encourages people to drive around a parking lot to find the closest parking space, and limit more outdoor time so they can walk on a treadmill inside, or even worse go on an elliptical and watch Law and Order.
While in Paris, I couldn’t help but research the fitness industry. Everyone was smoking and drinking as they walked past small fitness studios with very few people inside.I could barely walk or run the streets of Paris because they were so packed with pedestrians and bikes. I never saw a three story building filled with gym equipment. So why do I think people in France live longer? Well, I am not a scientist and have not done any real analysis but I do think the fitness industry in the U.S is not helping with our stress or helping us get healthier. There is no shortage of research on the French culture and their longevity. “The French Paradox” was coined to describe this cream sauce eating, heavy smoking culture. Well, why I wouldn’t advise taking up smoking, I would like to point out my observations while in Paris. Parisians sit and eat and respect their meal (and themselves). There is no take meal in the car on the way somewhere. Parisians walk to markets and enjoy feeling healthy. There is evident pride in one’s health directly related to their meals and movement. I learned so much by being immersed in this culture. In fact, my first piece of advice for many new members at embody has always been to cancel all gym membership and stop working out so much. The advice works. Our members lose weight and feel better.
When we drove home from the exquisite fitness facility, we passed fewer people walking on the bike path on a perfect day than we saw in that facility. A lot of people set goals in January. Exercise is a wonderful gift to give yourself, but don’t feel like it has to happen with fancy equipment under artificial lighting. If you hire a trainer remind them you are training to live an active lifestyle. Although the facility we toured was beautiful, the bike path on a sunny day is far superior. The high end facility is not as healthy as walking to Trader Joe’s and preparing a meal with real food in your kitchen. We are more committed than ever to providing our members with a program that focuses on stress management and great doctors appointments. We want to aggressively get the message out there.
In addition, embody wants to help. We have created a running group for our members that continues year round! Also, if your friend joins embody during the month of January, you get a free gift from us. You get our favorite embody sweatshirt to wear on the couch after doing something fun outside. Also, we will support that outdoor activity goal. Here are some ideas; 5k, cross country skiing day pass, outdoor skating, or downhill skiing, dog walking, walking to any walkable errand. Let’s celebrate your commitment to embody by using that body to be active. The only rule is that it has to be outside! A gym needs to be place to train for your life and not a place to spend your life.
BTW Are we buying that treadmill? No, we decided that a running group would be a better investment in our members.
I have lived with lupus most of my life, and on the 8th Anniversary of my MS diagnosis, I ran the JFK 50 miler. I wouldn’t have considered running if my coach, business partner, and friend had not tricked me into training. I would not have survived the run without her.
The training was brutal! I had to train my body to do things that weren’t natural for me. Eating sugar again and eating sugar while running was a shock to my system. It was challenging but thanks to great public bathrooms, I survived. Running multiple times in a day and giving up on having good hair was tough, but in the end my legs could run two marathons in 48 hours without any side effects(except bad hair). My training plan was so good that I was over confident at the start line. It only took 6 hours of running the JFK 50 miler for me to begin to question my ability complete 50 miles in one day.
It was a difficult course that brought me through the Appalachian Trail for miles with blood soaked stones and runners with broken bones. Falling was common and a just a little scary for someone with MS. I felt like I should where a t-shirt that said, “You have no idea.” I kept thinking that it was irresponsible for someone with a balance issue to navigate this trail but I survived. I remember another runner saying, “You won’t win the race here but you could lose it.” Her words were in my head for miles and I made up the time on the flats.
The entire run was filled with pain, joy, and lessons.
The course is known for its support and I was not disappointed. Food, gatorade, water, Christmas cookies and even Santa was available. The volunteers and runners were the best part! The veteran runners loved offering advice and when you have endless miles to run any guidance is welcomed. People only wanted to finish and no one seemed to care about their time. I discovered that runners considered their past attempts as opportunities to learn and never failures. These veterans had great advice about slowing down and enjoying the experience and views.
And, then there were times that I was alone for a long periods and lived off the messages and supportive words I received before the run. I had a hard time falling asleep the night before because my phone kept alerting me to the flood of support.
Every once in awhile a medic on bike would ride past me with more words of encouragement like, “You are looking better than most of the people.” I started to get concerned for most of the people and questioned the logic of running this type of race. But, I also wondered how they knew just what to say to keep me going. Being reminded that I wasn’t alone in my pain and suffering gave me some weird type of solace. When things got really bad I thought of my daughter who reminded me to stop if my health was in jeopardy and weighed that against my desire to finish. I kept checking my body for any noticeable signs but felt strong.
Just like life you can prepare as much as you want but in reality it is in the moment that we learn how to run the race. The last 30 miles were tough and most runners would run/walk which lead to this amazing game of leapfrog. You would pass a struggling walker who would pass you in just a few feet. I would spend hours with the same people getting to know them at their most vulnerable moments which lead to a contest of supportive of words. “You are doing awesome.” “You are crushing it.” “Where are you from?” “You are probably a very fast marathon runner.” “Those are really short shorts, you must be freezing, but I am impressed.” “Please go ahead of me and run like the gazelle you are.” For a compliment hoar like me it was truly heavenly. I love giving as much as receiving when it comes to encouragement and this was a love fest for my type of people. Apparently, people who lacked the common sense to not sign up for a 50 miler were my people. I desperately wanted these strangers to cross the finish line.
In the end I finished in a respectable time. I received a medal that will be one of my proudest medals. I called my husband immediately to thank him for the years of support and quickly went to the medical tent. As soon as I listed my medical history I had every medical professional in the facility hovering around my cot. I always have to manage my chronic diseases but Dr. Google didn’t have any research articles of what to expect after running 50 miles with lupus and MS. I agreed to an ambulance ride because my daughters words were in my head.
The paramedics and intake nurse were fascinated with my disease management and had a lot of questions. I was reminded of the magnitude of the feat. A 46 year old women living with lupus and MS finished a 50 mile ultra marathon. I was discharged early because rest was more important than being observed at the hospital.,
The run was a great reminder of how I am surviving two chronic disease. I learned so much from training and running the race that will keep me moving forward as I face new roadblocks….and I will face new ones. Here are the top 10 things I learned:
1. Coffee shops have the best bathrooms.
2. I am only as good as my coach and my ability to listen to her.
3. I will always chose the path with no regrets.
4. Past attempts are not failures if you keep learning from them.
5. I feed off my community and their words.
6. Other peoples success fuels me.
7. I am not cured of chronic disease but I will have some great days.
8. Accepting the limits of diagnosis is challenging but necessary, especially for the people I love.
The evolution of cereal is fascinating. There is an entire aisle in a 10 aisle supermarket dedicated to nothing but cereal. People refer to “my” cereal like my mom watched “her” show. Cereal is personal, and Kellogg, the inventor of the mother cereal, the cornflake, had some interesting ideas about why we all needed to eat cereal.
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg was the Director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan opening in 1866, welcoming guests from all walks of life, including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Amelia Earhart, who may have been looking for a “health tune-up”. The San, as it was called, offered holistic spa treatments from medical doctors to mineral baths. Kellogg, a Seventh Day Adventist, promoted well-being through a multi-faceted approach that involved nutrition, digestion, exercise, cleanliness, bath soaks, surgical interventions, electrotherapeutics, massage therapists, bakers, waiters, mental well being and a host of other practices and guidelines to help people become healthier versions of themselves. Many beliefs of The Seventh Day Adventists became part of his practice including nutrition, spirituality, mental hygiene, community and social interaction and physical movement. One of the inventions of Kellogg was, indeed, the cornflake in 1894, designed to provide maximum nutrients in the blandest form possible for his patients at The San. Kellogg thought the consumption of bland food would decrease masturbation, which he thoroughly frowned upon. Kellogg referred to his lifestyle as biological living, insisting on daily exercise, plenty of fresh air and complete abstinence from sex, alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. I’m not certain how he would have mankind stay in business to consume his cornflakes, but seemingly, enough people only followed some of what he recommended.
Kellogg, a vegetarian, consumed many grains and found himself creating the cornflake which is a pretty famous breakfast food found in most all westernized civilizations. He encouraged everyone to chew each bite of food 40 times. (I’m not sure how to pull that off with cornflakes, but i see where he was going. ) Kellogg had lots of great ideas, and others that were a bit extreme, but I think he had the right philosophy to combine many aspects of health to lessen disease.
Unfortunately, I think his cornflake idea has morphed into what he would have seen as debauchery. Comparing The San with todays environment, we have The San with live music, educational health lectures, enough baths to put the Roman Empire to shame, outdoor trails for walking and meditating, sporting fields, bakers, cooks, and a medical staff and today’s health practices where getting a doctors appointment can be dictated by insurance coverage, foods are highly processed and contain many unnatural preservatives and little nutrients, many of us sit and drive for the better part of our day and get very little exercise or exercise is forced (a gym treadmill versus walking to the store), and misinformation and sound bytes regarding health and fitness. Is the cornflake to blame for all of our healthcare woes? Definitely not, but in my opinion, the cornflake was one of the inventions from Kellogg would could have done without.
2g protein, 24 g carbs per 1 cup serving, and not much else. The vitamins are fortified – added back in, as they were stripped out in the manufacturing process.
The corn of today is definitely not the corn of 1888. I stay clear of corn whenever possible because of the increased potential of genetic modification and Round Up pesticide in the crops, intentionally or unintentionally. Corn, without modifications, contains omega 6 fatty acids, and that makes it an inflammatory food. And, highly processed forms of corn (which are everywhere) break down very rapidly in the gut, spiking blood sugars, wreaking havoc on persons who have diabetes or other blood sugar control issues. Lastly, we should get fiber from vegetable and fruits, not from refined grains.
Most other cereals are in the same boat with the cornflake, offering little nutrition with a lot of simple carbohydrates that spike blood sugars and typically are stored as fat, even the ones that label themselves as healthy. Poor Kellogg, giving him the benefit of the doubt, was beyond well-intentioned, but could not imagine the future offspring of the cornflake. The other products available from Kellogg’s today now include Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes (chocolate or with marshmallows , Frosted Mini Wheats, Raisin Bran, Rice Krispies, Special K, Cereal Bars, Pop Tarts and more. None of these are good for you. None. In fact, quite the opposite. The chart below compares the main Kellogg products and a few other seemingly healthy cereal products. Most cereals, including the ones that tell you they are good for you are not the healthiest choices. Review the carbohydrates, sugars and fiber per serving as well as the ingredient list. If you must still choose cereal, avoid BHT, BTA, TBQH and choose cereals preserved with tocopherol (fancy name for vitamin E) The US allows food manufacturers to use these petroleum based and more harmful preservatives, and interestingly, Europe does not. Food manufactures have different recipes for exports to the EU. This is disgusting policy, in my opinion, and should be added to my list of why we should not eat processed cereals.
Cereal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sugar
Fiber
Kelloggs
Frosted Flakes
1
26
0
10
.5
Froot Loops
2
26
0.5
10
3
Frosted mini Wheats (10 biscuits)
7
62
1
15
8
Raisin Bran
5
47
1
17
7
Rice Krispies
2
29
0
4
0
Special K
7
29
0.5
5
0.5
Cereal Bar – Blueberry
2
24
3
12
3
Pop Tart
2
35
4.5
15
.5
Other Manufacturers
Cheerios – General Mills
3
20
2
2
3
Puffins – Cinn – Barbara’s Bakery
2
26
1
1
5.5
Bob’s Red Mill Muesli
4
23
3
3
4
So, for obvious reason, I am against the cornflake, but taking one or two things from Kellogg, I invented my own cereal. I share most of his beliefs, but bland food treatment is one I definitely don’t wrap my head around – on several levels. This flavorful, nutrient dense cereal provides 11 g protein, 16 g carbs, 27g total fat 16 of which are omega 3’s, and 5 g fiber without any grain and hopefully no harmful ingredients (depending on the source of your berries and other ingredients). The total calories for this meal is 332 and chock full of antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, healthy fats and lots of flavor!
“Mom, you lost your back boobs.” I can still remember hugging the hubby in a tank top when my girls made the announcement at dinner. My back wavered between a B and C-cup for nearly 3 decades of my life. So, how did I get rid of my back fat in my 40’s? I did a million toning classes…just kidding. Did I get cool-sculpting at a Medispa? Nope. Actually, I lost my back fat when I quit the the gym and stopped dieting. That’s right, I lost my back fat by cutting down my fitness classes and eating more food!
Let’s focus on the myths associated with getting rid of body-fat.
Getting toned is a made up phrase. There is no class that will tone your muscles. Burning fat and increasing muscle requires a holistic approach to fitness.
Spot training doesn’t work. One million lat pull downs will not get rid of your C-cup back boobs. 1200 tricep extensions will not get rid of batwing arms. Six millions sit-ups will not get you a 6 pack…but it could get you a trip to the hospital with a possible muscle strain.
You can not burn the fat off your body by cutting calories and adding more cardio. I am convinced that formula was the reason why I gained 40 pounds in my 20’s and basically hovered around that weight until I hit my 40’s and I lost 40 pounds. Overrestricting the amount of calories the body gets and increasing the amount of energy production usually sends the body into survival conservation mode, aka: not burning calories.
Hormonal shifts related to our age are not the reason we put on fat. This can signal our bodies WHERE to put the fat, but we are in control of the calorie surplus. However, years of engrained beliefs, dieting and poor habits can wreak havoc on your hormones and metabolic rate. The fountain of youth is real and comes from a healthy lifestyle.
THree best ways to get rid of back fat
Posture
Grab a bag of sugar (I know it will be hard to find in your kitchen) and sit it on the counter. Now, gently pull up on that bag of sugar and notice the difference. Does that bag look thinner? Bad posture can add the appearance of 15 pounds of fat in a second. Focus on improving core muscles and fix the posture muscles that are going slack with too much computer and phone time. Functional training, yoga and pilates are the best ways to support good posture. This is one of the fastest ways to see immediate results while having the additional benefit of helping with injury prevention.
HIIT Workouts
Tons of cardio will only add stress to your already stressful life. I was teaching a spin class, going for run, and teaching another spin class when my 39 year old photo was taken. I would keep my calories close to 1200 just to be in a calories deficit. I was always taught a 500 calorie deficit meant one pound a week of weight loss. Too many workouts without proper nutrition actually causes weight gain. Use targeted HIIT workouts (25 minute high intensity interval training) to challenge your body and maximize your time and effort.
Eliminate sugar
Don’t track another calorie if you want to lose fat! Our bodies need calories for energy. Limiting those calories can be dangerous to our metabolism. And sure, not all calories are created equal. Our body does not need the amount of sugar that is in average meal or drink. For example, a Chai Latte at Starbucks has 56 grams of sugar. This is too much sugar for anyone in a single day. It’s even scarier that many of us consider that Chai Latte a healthy cup of tea. Tracking and eliminating sugars is only a piece of the puzzle. Be careful when it comes to following grams of sugar on a meal-tracking app. Artificial sweeteners don’t show up on those apps which can be deceiving. Artificial sweeteners need to be managed for many reasons. I lost 5 pounds in one week when I gave up all artificial sweeteners.
Research shows that consuming artificial sweeteners leads to over-consuming calories from other sources. Leading the brain to think it is getting sugar, and then not handing it over creates a sugar seeking brain and an unsatisfied appetite. Adapting your tastebuds to less sweet flavors doesn’t truly take that long, and is healthier in the long run over artificial sweeteners – all artificial sweeteners. Even the ones from plants. Years ago, I would say that artificial sweeteners should only be used in the event someone could not manage blood sugars, in the case of diabetes (which is why these sugars evolved) but research, science and the nutrition environment has changed dramatically over the last 15 years, and I say without hesitation, that no one needs to be consuming an artificial sweetener. Work to get sugar out of your routine, and then once in awhile is fine. Some folks do not manage that reintroduction well and may need years of sugar free life before reintroducing it to be successful, but it is possible.
Anne Rollins MS CSSD RD LDN
Final thoughts
There is no quick fix when it comes to fat loss. Successful long term fat loss requires changing habits. The hardest part of changing habits is getting into the rhythm of success. Find a plan that works and stay accountable.
“My back hurts. I need to take time off from the program.”
“I can’t run because of I have degenerative disc disease.”
“I have to put my membership on hold because I need to get an MRI.”
We built embody for these exact reasons, to help heal, and yet people want to put their membership on hold when they have pain. Should an injury create opportunity to revert to unhealthy habits. If your pain improves with wine and cheese while you watch Netflix, please let us know because we want to meet your doctor. We all want the same prescription.
As active fitness professionals finishing up our forty’s we have a unique perspective on living in pain. Personally we are never injury-free. A trip over an aggressive pine cone can lead to a knee injury which would derail most runners. A muscular imbalance that causes debilitating back pain might send most people to an MRI . How do we continue to train for our first 50 miler? We have the secret to feeling great in your forties and beyond.
You will get hurt.
The first moments, hours and days after an injury are important and what you do in that time can seriously impact the outcome. Keeping a sprained ankle totally immobile will absolutely prevent the sprain from getting worse. However, this will also likely lengthen the recovery period significantly. Ibuprofen, while decreasing the pain, will not allow you to know what a safe range of motion is for your injury. If you can tolerate the pain, avoid the ibuprofen. We are not fans of liberal pharmaceutical use, but take meds when it’s necessary. But before we drive to a pharmacy we usually make an acupressure appointment for some much needed body work .
Pain is part of life.
Knowing the early warning signs of a strained muscle can be the difference between no injury and a MCL tear that sidelines you for weeks, months, or a lifetime. That little twinge when you go downstairs is something. Listen to your body. While the twinge is not likely serious, it is your advance warning signal that something is out of balance.
Understand the diagnosis.
A diagnosis is not a reason to get unhealthy. Most people over 40 have degenerative disc disease. If you start poking around with imaging you will find something. Understanding the source of pain is a reason to design a healing plan. Anything involving the spine is scary, and a disc disease sounds horrifying, but not moving will decondition your muscles, decrease your balance and increase the likelihood of a fall.
Nutrition
What you put into your body can greatly impact your outcome, as well. We have had, and seen many people with, significant injuries and one of the most important points to stress is nutrition. Eliminate inflammatory, increase anti-inflammatory foods. If you think that there is not connection, simply ask anyone who has followed an anti-inflammatory diet when injured. We are not sure why people think they can put a medicine into their bodies to be digested, metabolized and be delivered to an injury site in their bodies, but that foods would be handled differently.
Of course there will be an injury that requires rest, but pain or injuring yourself is not a reason to not get healthy. We have a unique perspective as wellness coaches completing our forties. Be an active participant in your recovery, and we guarantee the recovery goes faster. We are not special because we stayed fit in our forties.
“I hurt my knee. My physical therapist told me take time off from the program.” Statements like this are commonplace, and unfortunately, understandable. No one wants to be responsible for someone making an injury worse which could happen if you overexert an injury, even stretching it too far. So while, stretching and mild movement is great for an injury, there is too much room for misunderstanding and misinterpretation for a medical professional to give that advice. The safe answer is to rest and take ibuprofen. While this answer isn’t wrong, it’s not right.
Check in for guidance with a licensed professional and see if someone can explain what might be some safe movements for you to do instead of keeping the area immobile and stiff. Don’t limit your focus to just the injury because spot healing(intense focusing on managing the pain without focusing on the entire body) will just lead to more injuries. Heal the entire body with fitness, nutrition and restoration.
Sure there are some injuries, that usually involve broken bones, that require stability, but most muscles, ligaments or tendons would appreciate some TLC.
embody includes an intense restorative program for a reason. Take advantage of the embody 30 minute Stretch and Core Class. Enjoy a special Spa Yoga Class. Commit to balance with Tai Chi in the fall. Don’t miss a functional training session. Finally, food is medicine! Nothing heals like a healthy lifestyle.
