Health Book Recommendations

I’ve always been interested in health and medicine since I was in my late teens. I’ve read a lot of books about diet, health and fitness and every day I’m learning more and more. I find it so fascinating. And even more fascinating that after all this time we STILL don’t know everything about the human body. It’s wild.

I think most people are not in tune with their bodies. We wait until it totally shuts down or is screaming at us until we finally go to the doctor. How many people have we heard that waited too long and then it was too late?

I never want to be that person.

And that is why I can spot something the second my body feels off. And I stop and take a listen. Sometimes it tells me to go to sleep, sometimes it tells me I need to move more, or eat less shit. Sometimes it tells me that I need to stress about the small things less (usually by knocking me out with some sort of daycare illness so I can finally lay down).

For some reason we are conditioned to just power through and that is NOT the right approach. I have no idea who started that rumor but we need to cut it out.

Here are some books I’ve read in the last few years that have really helped me. Hopefully they can help you too or at least make you a little more in tuned with your body and mind. These are definitely for people who are just starting out, I’ll leave the more intense books for a later post.

The world is so loud and there are so many things to do all the time, I get it. But no one will care about you if YOU don’t care about you.

Here are some books I’ve really loved:

• The Blue Zones Secrets For Living Longer by Dan Buettner
• Pain Free by Pete Egoscue
• Food: What the heck should I eat? By Mark Hyman
• Go Green Get Lean by Kate Geagan

My first intro in 2009 to carbon footprints and why/how what we eat affects our environment. We are talking about food and environment now more than ever which I’m very happy about, but it’s been a long time coming. And she made it very easy to understand. This book is why I removed sugar from my coffee and never went back. It’s great for someone just starting who needs to clean up their eating and I think it’s very helpful to know WHY you should and how it impacts the environment around you.

Blue Zones are all the rage now but Dan started this work about 15 years ago and now people are taking note. What he’s shared with us is amazing and you can definitely see commonalities between these communities that live so far away from each other. It’s about slowing down, finding community and purpose, and clean eating. And a little wine once in a while.

How many people are living with chronic pain and just think it’s a way of life? It shouldn’t be and I know this because I found this book as I was going to physical therapy and in a lot of pain. It was really fascinating to learn more about the body and how everything is connected. I tried to keep up with some of the protocols from this book but life eventually got in the way and I stopped. My pain did get better during that time so I do feel there is something to it. A great easy to understand intro into your body and how everything is connected.

He looks at every food group and tells us what we’ve gotten wrong, what is good for us, and what not so good. He gives a lot of incite into the food companies and the corruption behind things we’ve held true to for years before going, wait a minute…like that The American Heart Association (AHA) receives much of its funding from food and pharmaceutical industries. They said coconut oil had too much saturated fat but had never done a real study to show that–The study was partly funded by canola oil processors. Then years later we’re like, wait coconut oil is one of the best things for you! This book helps weed through all the overwhelming info out there.

** Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, comment and share. It helps me know I’m not just talking to myself **

Learning Something New On Mommy’s Day Out

I have been dreaming about this day for 2 years. I started researching wellness retreats or resorts around the area for a nice getaway. Ones that I could afford, so not the one Gwyneth Paltrow goes to in the Hamptons, although it does sound lovely. 

I just wanted a place where I could get a massage, some other body treatments, use the sauna, walk in nature, not talk to anyone, think thoughts about my life, and have someone else cook my meals. I wasn’t asking for much. 

The dream would’ve been a 3 day retreat but I would settle on a day pass I guess, mostly because of the look my husband gave me when I said “there is this 3 day retreat..”

I found a place in upstate NY that did a day pass for $500 and that was almost 2 years ago. A few weeks ago I thought, hmm maybe when it’s quiet during spring break I can take one of those days and go up there and put my husband in charge of drop off and pick up for a day. It was a splurge for me and it pained me to spend that kind of money on just one day, but I had some Christmas money left over and some pocket money so I could make it work. And I decided I needed to start practicing what I preached—taking care of yourself.

My body has felt beaten down for months. After shingles and covid it took me a while to recover which led to less days working out so my hip pain came back. My body felt so tight no matter how much I stretched. I desperately needed a massage at least. But more importantly, I needed time to myself and my thoughts.

The days leading up were shaky—a notice about flu in my kids class, me starting to feel sick, my husband being sick, me starting to feel sick again…I tried to manifest happy positive thoughts. ‘Ok body, you will be ok. You can do this. You’re not sick,  you’re fine. We’re going to get alone time, you can do this.’

Finally the day arrived, I set out some things for the family, said my goodbyes at 6am and went on my way. I was booking it for my 1 hour and 40 minute drive–Listening to my podcast, feeling good….and then the tire pressure light went on 40 minutes into the drive.

Of course I didn’t know what the orange screaming exclamation point was at first, but then I started asking my husband to look it up while also trying to drive, and tried look up a YouTube that explained it to me, all while trying not to get crushed by a truck. This random YouTube man finally said ‘tire pressure’. 

Cool, cool. I don’t know what that means and I’m pretty much on a long stretch of road in the wilderness just trying to get to yoga class so not ideal.

Did I cry? Yes I did. Did I laugh maniacally? Yes to that as well. And as I was driving, and crying and laughing I thought, this is why people have complete meltdowns. THIS is how the joker became the Joker.

I yelled out, why are you always fucking testing me, Life?!! Why the fuck can I not have ONE FUCKING DAY TO MYSELF!!! One day without a fucking problem to solve???!!!

Live footage of my breakdown

I was beyond frustrated. What was the universe trying to show me? That I can’t always abide by a schedule? That I had to let go and that means missing yoga? That things will never turn out smoothly so I had to get used to it?

Are those rationalizations or excuses or truths? I still don’t fucking know.

I figured I would put in directions for the nearest gas station and see if someone can help me or at least look at the tires. But I had seen this horror movie before so I was weary. 30 minutes to the next gas station on the route, cool. Got there, looked at the tires didn’t see anything. Saw a couple of guys unloading a truck, contemplated asking them for help but there was no air machine I could see so what were they going to do. I decided to get back in and get to the place 35 minutes away and see if they could help me when I got there.

Then I thought, I’m going to spend my whole time there worrying about my tires and trying to figure it out. Maybe it’s better if I come to terms with missing yoga all together and dealing with this now so I can have a clear head all day. So I looked for a PepBoys on the route (there were none) settling for an AutoZone. Again, I don’t know what I’m doing but I didn’t want to be a typical rural gas station abduction story so I thought that was safest.

I go inside, tell them my problem and see if they can do anything. One guy mentions he has an air thing but it’s not very good. The other guy says he usually has a compressor (I don’t know what that is) but he doesn’t today. Told me the best bet was to go across to the gas station for air. Then I said, ‘here’s another stupid question: how does one put air in the tire?’. He laughed and said sorry about laughing and I said ‘no, no that is the correct response I would’ve taken nothing less.’ 

Once I got the basics I was off to do a loop around (through a drive thru first because I turned the wrong way) and then I went to the station. Looked at the jumbled wires of the machine and then looked around for help. No one. Went inside and said “I need to put air in my tires and it says I need quarters.” He gave me quarters and then I said ‘do you know how to use it’, and he said…no.

I looked out the window at an old man wearing a suit passing by and shaking his fists while looking into the store. It was only 8:30am. I decided, I can do this.

Today folks, is the day I put air in my tires for the first time. By myself. Like a big girl. It was the front left tire btw, that rascal—registered a 26 air knots (this is what you call them right?) instead of the 31 his friends were at.

Getting back in the car I realized the resort is 2 minutes away (well 5, because I went the wrong way) so I was only 30 minutes late. And yes I missed yoga but I realized, that detour WAS part of my alone day. I had to figure something out on my own. It was different and new and scary. But I haven’t had to do that in a long time. Every day is just the same, especially when you’re a parent. Routine, expectations, managing, planning, over and over again. 

It was a nice feeling to use other brain cells. And yes, I had a nice time. And this place was perfect for what I wanted with all its Shining vibes…alone time. I got a massage, read, wrote A LOT, used the sauna, gave up on understanding the steam room, watched a movie, and had 3 meals and juice I didn’t have to make for myself. I’d call that a win.

My view from the treadmill

Desolate. Just how I like it.

These giant geese were the worst. Security warned me about them. Why do they poop so much and why are they so aggressive?

** Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, comment and share. It helps me know I’m not just talking to myself **

My Fitness Journey

I’ve tried everything. 

The Zone diet. Weight Watchers. Noom. Tracking macros. Pilates. Kickboxing. Yoga. Beach Body dance videos. Pole dancing. Juice diet. I’ve danced to Richard Simmons sweatin’ to the oldies. I’ve ab roller-ed (is that a word?). Used weights. I’ve done it all. 

Live footage of me

I’ve always been interested in fitness and diet. And now more than ever, health. It’s so fascinating and so overwhelming the amount of information that is out there. The amount of trends and fads and advice. Do this, no do THIS. No take that! So much noise and that’s probably why so many people ignore it. Because they don’t know where to start. 

I grew up in the 90’s and 2000’s, the waif period and time of baby doll tops and low rise jeans. Then social media started coming out and you saw more celebrities, and then more influencers, and everyone was so skinny and swore on their skinny jeans that they ate everything under the sun and just happened to looked like that. My favorite Instagram posts were really thin ‘influencers’ and models who always posed eating a burger or some huge gross food but never actually put it in their mouth. Always makes me laugh. No girl, you have no idea what that tastes like. Lemme show you how to devour it...

I feel like it was always a fight to be ‘thin’; whatever that means to you. And I think the really funny part is that there are moments in our lives where we don’t think we are thin. And then we look back at those pictures and are like ‘Damn girl! You should’ve been walking around naked you look so good!’

We are our own worst (and loudest) critics.

I know I am. I look back at pics in my 20’s and I can’t believe I thought I was so ‘big’. I have shorts I found and it’s quite inconceivable they once went over my thighs!

Indoor beach party back in 2012. I’m sure I thought I was fat back then. Fucking idiot. I wish I could fit into those shorts.

I am also now back at my weight before I got pregnant (which was 10 lbs. heavier than I would’ve liked to have been at the time). I just lost 10 lbs in 6 months. That happened with focusing on the things I put in my mouth and working with a dietician. Although I am well versed in nutrition and diet, I was so frustrated that the scale wasn’t moving in the Fall. So I reached out to a dietician and it has been a great experience to have someone to look at my history and see what it is that I was missing in my plan.

You can always ask for help and there are resources out there to help you online if you don’t want to talk to someone face to face. I am trying to be better at not having to do everything on my own. We can do things on our own, but I think that at some point it is always better to talk to a real live person. That is why none of the apps ever really worked—at a certain point you will always hit a plateau and have to pivot your plan. Most people just don’t know what that pivot is.

I think a lot of people have issues with their weight which not only factors from our shitty American diet and the way we process food here, but from our mostly sedentary lifestyle as well. And I think a lot of people think it’s hopeless and that it’s just the way their body is supposed to be, but I’ve seen the progress you can make with only a few tweaks.

I didn’t do anything major in the last 6 months except focus on eating more protein, fiber, and measuring out my ice cream and chocolate bars instead of just mindlessly eating the whole thing. I didn’t deprive myself. I think that is the key—slow and steady. And I know the frustration about it going ‘too slow’ or ‘the long term plateau’. This is where asking for help…helps.

Some ideas you can do to jumpstart weight loss:

It starts with small habits. Just replacing or adding one or two things until you do it without thought. Then moving on to the next thing.

• drinking more water and teas
• avoiding places like Starbucks and Dunkin
  • That really got me and I was out of control especially during days at work. Dunkin was the only choice around to get something. And once I started tracking the calories and amount of sugar, I was OUT. That’s a once in a while treat. But if you must go, you can reduce the number of pumps on the syrup and swap regular milk for almond milk which is lower in calories
• if you drink soda, swapping it for sodas that are good for you. I was never a soda person in my adulthood but my new favorite is Olipop for a little something around that 3pm slump
• focus on high protein snacks. I always have at least one stashed in my bag or desk in case I get hangry. Here are some I love:
  • dried edamame beans
  • chomp meat sticks I like the pepperoni turkey and jalapeno turkey
  • IQ protein bars
  • Lupini beans
• If you must eat sweets (who doesn’t) pick high quality and eat the serving size. I can destroy a Haagen-Dazs but I feel better when I eat my serving (sometimes 2) instead of the whole pint. I choose high quality chocolate and I’ve actually found its more filling than the cheaper version and I’m satiated with just the serving size
• Add vegetables when you can. Find 3-5 that you really love and always have them on hand. And don’t force yourself to eat the ones you don’t! I fucking hate cauliflower rice and I forced myself to eat it for over a year. Fucking terrible. You are not real rice!!!
• Eat more fiber! Most people do not even eat close to what they are supposed to (for adults 25-30 grams/day). I eat the same breakfast pretty much every single day (oatmeal) and that is where I get the most fiber—from adding seeds. Try adding them in your oatmeal, smoothies, add to pancake/waffle batter. Trader Joes has most of the list below
  • chia seeds
  • ground flaxseeds
  • hemp seeds
  • pumpkin seeds
  • sunflower seeds
  • Some food with high fiber: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, popcorn, quinoa, sweet potato, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, avocado, spinach

Hopefully some of those things help and if you are also struggling with your weight you are not alone. It’s even harder when you get older so we really need to focus on having good habits.

Micro habits all add up to a bigger goal. Slow and steady DOES win the race…Or eventually get you to fit into your pants better…You get the idea.

** Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, comment and share. It helps me know I’m not just talking to myself **

Motivation, Where Are You?

Anyone else ever feel that lack of motivation?

Like you’re on a roll, you’re in a good flow and then something happens that throws you off your game.

I am currently on the struggle bus.

Mid January I got shingles and Covid in the SAME week so having those two viruses in my body really wipe me out. And I couldn’t breathe properly for weeks and had a constant cough. Even though I was relatively active and healthy, it still got me bad.

So I listened to my body and I didn’t push myself. The problem was that that six week undid all my progress from before those illnesses. I was on a roll, in a good flow and waking up early to do a stretch or workout in the morning. I was working out like three times a week but now it’s so hard to get back to that.

I tried to do a light 20 minute yoga today and my mind just kept wandering and I was antsy. But I pushed myself to finish it because I know that the reason I feel like crap and on edge and very antsy in the pantsy, is because I have not been doing those workouts.

Even taking 15-20 minutes to stretch made a difference. And we forget that having those little routines is what gives us stability and energy. Especially when we lack energy those little workouts—those walks, those stretches, that little sweat session—is what gets us going.

Just like our bodies get used to working out or waking early or eating like crap, it goes the other way too. And my body is currently like, meh I don’t wanna do anything.

So I am currently in my low place trying to motivate myself. And I don’t know if anyone else feels me, but the struggle is real.

** Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, comment and share. It helps me know I’m not just talking to myself **

Work Pains

I’m seeing more and more people complain about pain in my office. We sit in front of the computer all day. Most people order-in all their meals, never take lunch, or go for a walk. 

Everyone is just hobbling around. I call it the Office Shuffle. Everyone is holding onto some sort of body part as they’re walking. It’s like the walking dead in there.

The workplace

Sitting is one of the worst things we can do to our bodies and for our health. mayo clinic sitting faq

The Mayo Clinic says “Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. They include obesity and a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels — that make up metabolic syndrome. Too much sitting overall and prolonged periods of sitting also seem to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.”

Sitting shortens our hip flexors and causes back problems. Let me raise my hand. 

My back hurt before we left for lockdown for the pandemic. It got better while we were working from home but I also did less moving since I wasn’t commuting anymore so I thought that was weird. I was able to go for daily walks though and do a little yoga and stretching during that time (I was also pregnant during that year). And I don’t know if it was because I was pregnant and my bones and organs shifted or the WFH situation, but my back rarely hurt during that time at home. It just didn’t make sense.

Afterwards when I had my baby, Covid was still around and it was winter so we didn’t go out much. And I didn’t really have time to work out trying to work from home with a baby. But my back still didn’t hurt. I also thought, maybe it was heels since it would always flare up after I wore heels and during the height of the pandemic, we weren’t going out so I wasn’t wearing shoes as much.

I spent years trying to figure out the trigger.

Coming back to the office that July made it clear–The desk job was killing me.

Slowly dying.

My lower back hurt again. My muscles were so tight. I felt terrible. 

That next winter my back got worse, I felt like my legs were so tight and couldn’t stretch them out and then by the next May, my calf popped going down the stairs and I ended up in physical therapy. My hip flexors were so tight and I started getting pain in my hip area. It would take me forever to be able to stand when getting out of the bed in the morning. Or in the middle of the night when my baby woke up. It was terrible having to stop and stretch myself out before I could even walk. 

Physical therapy was great for the fact that it was an excuse to be able to workout twice a week and get away from that desk. It would improve then get bad, and after reading some books, and working with PT I figured out it wasn’t a back problem.

It was a work problem. I had to get out of here.

After PT was over, it got better as I was out of the office for various reasons, child was sick, I was sick, summer break days off, or when I could find time to work out consistently.

But if I went 2 weeks at work without doing any extra movement, my hip would hurt so much. I couldn’t concentrate from the pain. 

After complaining and wanting to cry so many times because I knew that my pain was coming from sitting at this damn desk all day every day which made me even more depressed that I was still there and not able to figure out what I want to be when I grew up, I had to stop and reflect.

Ok, I’m not changing jobs tomorrow so lets focus on the things I CAN do:

• I CAN wake up a little earlier and do a 10-20 minute workout
• I CAN set timers on my phone to remind me to get up every 1 ½ hours at work to walk and stretch
• I CAN take the stairs instead of the elevator to get more steps
• I CAN say yes to my toddler when he wants to go for a bike ride and I’m super tired so that I can get some more movement in

And let me tell you. It worked. 

I’ve been consistent with doing some movement when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes I only have 10 minutes, sometimes I have 20. Sometimes I’ll just stretch and sometimes I will do a quick workout. I’m bleary eyed but I know that not having the pain is so much better so I make myself do it.

I’ve been consistent since the end of April 2023 and my hip doesn’t hurt as much. Once I don’t do my workout for 3 or more days, the pain comes back if I’ve been in the office.

Thankfully in November, my job let us work from home 2 days a week and that has contributed to my well being—another perk of working from home!

People don’t realize how bad sitting is for us. And we really need to put our health first and really investigate what the cause is of our pains. And then we need to prioritize what we need to do to make it better.

We always default to the negative or complaining but we have to change our mindsets.

Instead of what we can’t do, figure out what you can. Even if it’s small. It always adds up.

** Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, comment and share. It helps me know I’m not just talking to myself **