in the spirit of the new year...

I've been thinking about my health goals lately, in particular those having to do with fitness. Realizing that I'm now in my mid-thirties (hello, slower metabolism and decreasing bone density) and there's no way I can go back in time, I had to evaluate where I am health-wise. I'm focusing more on how I feel and how my body functions - in particular, my bones.

Hoping I can still cartwheel when I'm old and gray

I try my best to get as much calcium as I can from food, such as dark leafy greens, yogurt, kefir, as well as calcium-fortified almond milk and smoothies throughout the week. In addition to that I take a vitamin D supplement (prescribed by my doctor for my deficiency, determined through a blood test), which also helps the body absorb calcium.

matcha green tea smoothie

Aside from that, exercising for bone health is something I always have to consider. Especially because I have a lot of risk factors for osteoporosis, with genetics playing a large part: my grandmother had osteoporosis, and my mom also discovered her low bone density years ago - as a blessing in disguise - when she fractured her wrist. When she recovered she went on long walks, daily - and was able to strengthen her bones over time.

For that reason, one of the things that always nags me is strength training to keep my bone density up. I have to admit that I really, really, really dislike free weights. I've purchased free hand weights a couple of times in the past that tend to gather dust in some forgotten corner in our home. They're just not for me.

Thankfully, an asana practice offers strength training postures, using your own body weight as resistance. I've always preferred strengthening this way; so when I do my home practice, I try to hold planks a bit longer, or squeeze in a few push-ups within each sun salutation (after high plank and before moving into upward-facing dog). My home practice is usually sun salutations along with its variations and warrior sequences, and I throw in a few balancing poses as well. I don't do any of those fancy yoga poses that you might see on magazine covers. I think those who do advanced inversions and arm balances are just beautiful to watch, and remind me of how amazing the human body is. But over the years I've actually become more cautious about trying inversions especially without an instructor - and I just haven't been able to commit the kind of practice needed to do them. But mostly they just haven't been a focus of my practice, and that is ok. I've also come to prefer more restorative poses and long stretches, though I still practice supported inversions for the benefits. So after all is said and done, the strength training that I get in yoga may be quite minimal.

Last summer, I started taking TRX at the same place where I train for Krav Maga. I love the concept of using your own body weight as resistance, but with the addition of these "suspension trainers" or bands to make things more challenging. I'm starting to feel stronger over time, but I think results are taking longer overall.  As it's a long drive for me to get there (and also I am a real wimp when it comes to winter driving - don't judge), I'm just taking this class once a week. I'm hoping I can go more often once winter ends. 

So that is my long-winded way of telling you about this 30-day plank challenge. I thought it was a perfect way to slowly build strength - it's something I can do anywhere, with no equipment, and it literally only takes a few minutes out of the day. I love planks because it's such a multi-purpose exercise in which you work different parts of the body at once. I like being able to work smart.

(Here's a good tutorial on proper alignment in plank pose. And here's another one.)

Image from Yoga Journal

OR

Image from Yoga Journal

Here's how the challenge goes:

Image from here

In my home yoga practice last night, I thought I'd hold plank as long as I can to get a baseline. I was still a bit sore from my Krav training a couple of days before, but felt strong enough to hold it. I did 70 seconds before I felt like I would lose the alignment in my spine (which I don't want), so I ended it there, then took a child's pose after (aaaahhhhh....) and then stretched in downward facing dog. So I'm going to work at the 70-second level for the next couple of days and then challenge myself to 90 seconds (Day 12).

So, the challenge is to work up to FIVE WHOLE MINUTES. I'm sweating already just thinking of that.

But on second thought - it does seem attainable. I like the idea of breaking down a goal into smaller subgoals. SMART goals, so to speak. I think SMART goals set me up for success better than vague "resolutions".

For accountability's sake, I'll document my progress here every few days. Anyone care to join me?

~

On an unrelated note, I've really been craving this "superfood sunshine smoothie". Doesn't the color just brighten up these drab winter days? As we've been having subzero wind chill temps, I had it without ice. I didn't have goji berries on hand, so I just doubled the orange juice. The ginger provides a nice subtle kick.

bee pollen

I've been exploring some natural supplements recently, one of which is bee pollen. I get mine from our farmer's market, and it's sourced from a local beekeeper.

 Natural News has many informative articles, such as this one (there are other articles too if you search within the Natural News website). It is mind-blowing to me how bee pollen - tiny unassuming-looking little things, are considered superfood. Here's some information from Natural News:

Bee pollen consists of 55% carbohydrates, 35% protein, 3% vitamins and minerals, 2% fatty acids, and 5% other substances. It also contains 14.2% fiber. Bee pollen contains 5 to 7 times the amino acids found in equal weights of beef, milk, eggs or cheese. It is also very high in Vitamin B-complex, which is needed in order to help the body function correctly, and several antioxidants including lycopene, selenium, beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. It also contains lecithin, which has been shown to normalize cholesterol and triglycerides, and it decreases LDL cholesterol, the "bad cholesterol," and increases HDL cholesterol, the "good cholesterol."

That's pretty impressive. In addition, it can help prevent allergies - another great bonus for this time of year. I don't have a history of having respiratory based allergies (knock on wood), but I do tend to get skin allergies in the warmer months. In fact, before I go out for a walk, I apply hydrocortisone cream on my exposed skin - but I realize I probably shouldn't do that on a regular basis. So I've been trying this bee pollen more regularly this past week. I take about a teaspoon and blend it into my fruit smoothies, but you can also add it to your cereal, granola, oatmeal, etc.

 It does have a distinct flavor, but not overpowering, especially since you would only use a small amount - and in a smoothie or mixed into granola it works out just fine.

Do any of you use bee pollen?



More on bee pollen here and here. 
Here is a local supplier of bee pollen.

~ This is not medical advice, just personal experience. ~

it's not just my imagination...

As it turns out, there is a reason for my winter blues and persistent lack of energy. It's not just my imagination. Comforting news after a difficult several days last week.

In the hopes that this also helps someone else, I'm disclosing my health information here. After my blood test last week, I heard from my doctor. Thankfully, most of my results look great - thyroid is normal (thyroid disorder runs in my family, so this is something I get checked out periodically), cholesterol and sugar levels are normal and healthy, which is a relief for this dessert-loving gal. Is this license to have a few more spoonfuls homemade pistachio ice cream? :)

homemade pistachio ice cream, following this recipe... enjoyed with gelato spoons (yes, there is such a thing and yes, they are necessary ;-)) from this friend

However, my test results also indicated that I don't get enough protein, despite the hefty amounts of beans and lentils that we eat on an almost daily basis, plus lots of Greek yogurt, nuts and nut butters.... It also turns out that my vitamin D level is currently at 5.9, and I should be at 31 at the very least. Statistically, my levels are within the lowest 10% that my doctor has seen. Yikes.

(As a side note, I love my doctor for how she started with the positive things first)

The good news is, there is a fix. She recommended a prescription-strength vitamin-D supplement, which is 50,000 IU twice a week. Or, I can find an over-the-counter supplement for 5,000 IU which I will then take twice a day everyday to get 70,000 IU a week. The issue with the prescription-strength one is that it does have gelatin or may have a shellfish-derived ingredient (to which I'm allergic). After doing some research, I did find a vegetarian supplement from a company called Seeking Health. The information on the website (as well as the company's information) looked good, and so I'm going to try this one. I also looked into this one, which was recommended by a friend, and I also have tried Garden of Life supplements before. However, the largest dose Garden of Life has is 2,000 IUs - which makes it a bit impractical for me to pop 5 of these a day. I will keep this one in mind though for maintenance when my levels go up to more desirable levels (which will be based on another blood test 3 months from now).

Information is empowering. I only wish I had known about it sooner - if I had not dismissed what I was feeling, I would have sought a solution sooner as well and perhaps it would not have interfered with my life so much the past few months.

But I can only look ahead now, so I'm looking forward to feeling the sunshine. :)

To anyone reading this: please don't take this as medical advice by any means - please consult with your doctor first as these mega-doses recommended to me are probably not for everyone. My only hope is that anyone feeling the way I have been for these past several months will consider asking their doctor or healthcare provider about vitamin D.

"sunshine on my shoulders...

 ...makes me happy..." (John Denver)

Yesterday I went to see a new doctor who came highly recommended by a friend. I feel fortunate that, besides my yearly physical exam, I don't actually have to see doctors much (knock on wood). But when I do, I would like to see someone who puts me at ease and lets me ask whatever questions I have. This doctor turned out to be really sweet, and she made me feel that she was really devoting that hour to me.

After our conversation, she suspected that I may be vitamin D-deficient, which is actually a common condition for those living far away from the equator. I knew that vitamin D plays into our health and well-being in so many ways - from the health of our bones, muscles, and even our heart, to our affect, mood, and energy. I actually have stopped wearing sunblock or any products containing sunscreen for the past few years, for this very reason (and for the nasty chemicals that are in many sunscreen brands). Neither my job nor my lifestyle requires me to spend all day in the sun - in which case one should wear protective clothing, or be selective about sunscreen products. Here in Cleveland, where bright sunshine is not an everyday occurrence (to put it mildly), healthy sun exposure becomes even more important to me. Since I am naturally tan (genetics + growing up in the tropics), it actually takes larger doses of sun exposure for my body to generate vitamin D than fair-skinned people. Natural News is a great source on information on the topic, such as this article and this one.

It's funny that despite knowing these things, I feel like it only hit me when someone told me that I may be vitamin D-deficient. Of course, it takes a blood test to actually confirm it (which I will do sometime this week). But it may explain the things I'm feeling, rather than trying to convince myself that I'm only imagining it.

I believe that if we listen to our bodies, our bodies will tell us what we need. No wonder every time the sun has come out this winter, I jump at the chance to be outside to get some sun. Thankfully we've been having a mild winter (and I mean 40 degree weather in January and February - almost unheard of in my neck of the woods - which makes me a happy girl). So every chance I get I've been going outside, even to walk and do my errands. Unfortunately, I was told that only exposing the face, which is the only exposure I get in the winter, is not enough. Neither is sitting in a car or indoors by a window - because the glass blocks The UV rays. I would actually need to expose myself directly to the sun when the sun is at its peak while wearing shorts and a sleeveless top, for about 20 minutes (maybe more because of my tan skin). I get this easily in the summer months, but not for most of the year.

would love to be sun-kissed on a beach right now... (Source)

 

I wish we could have lots of sunshine for the most natural vitamin D, but I may have to resort to supplements to get my recommended 2,000 IUs. Vitamin D from food alone is not enough, as I learned from this article - plus many of these sources are not vegetarian. I've been trying to find supplements that are vegetarian (no gelatin) in case the blood test does confirm that I do need it.

Have you had your vitamin D levels checked? What are your thoughts on this? Are you as affected by the winter blues as I am?