Facing Up

I think sometimes we lie to ourselves. Sometimes it is about different things. For different people it might be different things. For me it is my food. I walk around saying, I don't know why I don't see the results that I want. I do see results by the way, but not the complete results that I want. Well, it is a lie - I know exactly why. I know each bad choice as I make it, and I choose to convince myself at the time that it doesn't matter or I will do the right thing "next time". The bottom line is that it DOES NOT MATTER if I sit there and plan the healthiest breakfasts and dinners, if my lunch is absolute crap, and if there are bad snacks that are filler in between. Your thinking throughout the day is what creates the person you are. Are you in a rut? You might look like it then! Is that how you want to feel? Is that what you want the world to see of you? The question is, if I am walking around sucking it in all of the time, am I truly allowing myself to live, act and be the person I truly am? I think I am that person that skips over the bad parts.

I will tell you what I mean by that. Have you ever done a workout, maybe a video, or a class and purposely skipped the part that is way too hard? For example, the situps! Or the pushups, or the lunges. I name those because those were some of the ones that I hated, so I would skip those parts, figuring well I had done a 45 minute workout, no big deal if I skipped the 5 minutes that I hated the most. That was a long time ago when I did that. But the point is clear. It is okay to skip the pushups, but you should always at least try to do a couple if you can. If you hate that part, chances are it is the part you need the most.

I woke up this morning at 4:30a.m. All the common sense stuff that I have known all along and not followed and ignored was clear. The bloating, the lack of total and complete results. The hard workout. The gall bladder. I think I began to confuse myself. I could handle working out. The food took too much time to sort out and think about. I thought to myself, if I work out enough, then I won't have to worry about what I eat. Not true. Obviously not true. I can run 8-11 miles at a time, and still feel bloated? Yeah, that means I can't eat whatever I want. In a way it is truly like mourning a lost loved piece of your life. I mean it is comforting, and it tastes good and it is a luxury. But that is how I should treat it, as a luxury, not an every day part of my life. The truth is, I have a collection of health books, cook books all analyzing the body and digestive system and how to be at your best health. When I woke up this morning I spent some time reflecting on what I want for myself. I dug out 4-5 of my reference books and began reading over some of the pertinent sections. It was clear that some of the parts that I skipped over the course of time (the parts that were not my favorite) were common ground in all of these books. The dairy and breads need to be cut way down, big time. Obviously the snacks and processed foods should be eliminated from a regular schedule. When I reviewed the sample menu plans from some of the things I have been doing it was outstanding - I have been counter productive to the results I want.

The key is to be able to tweak it to each person's needs. For example, a lot of these books are not assuming that I am training for a half marathon. So being able to take the knowledge that I have about my workout schedule as well as the key points I have learned about health in general, training for events, and working out in general and apply it to my personal life, is essential for success. And to never stop tweaking, never stop striving, even if something doesn't work. This week I am going to try to take more responsibility for my choices. With a friend coming into town, I will allow myself to have a few drinks, maybe a snack here or there, but when I am alone, there is no excuse or room for error.

On the flip side, the dextor ann arbor half marathon is in one week. In one week from tomorrow, I will be completing the 13 mile run that I have been preparing for for 3 1/2 months. In some ways I think I have trained better for this one than I have on any of the previous ones, at the same time, I dropped the ball a couple of times this month with a couple of the runs. Also, if my eating had been in check this month I think I would have had a better chance for better results and finish time. But it is not helpful to dwell on the regrets, the important thing is to look forward with anticipation. I h ave one big run left this weekend, 11 miles. That will be my last long run before the race next week. I will probably do it this afternoon. Then next week will be a relaxed schedule leading up to the big day. I think at most I have a 2 mile run and a 5 mile run. Probably do a bit of yoga or something in between. I am excited. It is crucial to eat well. Critical!! I can do it.

Everyday Success

Finding the answers to small problems = dedication and progress. I have currently made it one month and 2 days without coffee of any kind. Yes, I do believe I deserve a medal. And now, I think of it and it sounds wonderful, but I know I don't need it. The answers to small problems is when I would wake up and couldn't think of anything besides the cup of coffee. Then I forced myself to choose from other options. What are my options, and which one is it going to be today? So now I have made a routine of making a pot of hot water and bringing my thermos of green tea to work with me and happily sip it throughout the day - it is a treat for me now, and no longer a sacrifice. No time to pack breakfast is no longer an issue. In my drawer at work I keep a jar of peanut butter, a supply of rice cakes and a bag of dried mixed fruit. When I leave in the morning I grab a yogurt and when I get to work I have my yogurt, a small handful of dried fruit and a rice cake with about a teaspoon of peanut butter spread on it and I am completely satisfied. Then I move on to my green tea. My whole day wasn't perfect - they bought us pizza for lunch so of course I ate it! But the morning was in my control and I made wise decisions and felt great.

My training is coming along terrific so far. This weekend will complete my fourth week of my running schedule complete. I am very happy with myself up to this point. The only downfall is that it has been almost entirely on a treadmill, which is not ideal at all, but definitely doable. I went to stony creek on sunday and wow could I tell I hadn't been running outside - severe shin splints for the first two miles and then in the last mile or so my pelvic and upper thigh muscles were all out of whack. So I was supposed to do 8 that day but I only did 7 miles...but I was okay with it since my body was telling me I had worked as hard as I needed to that day. That is the only day so far where I have fallen short of what I was supposed to do. Tomorrow I have to do 8 miles and it will unfortunately be on the treadmill after bree goes to bed so I will just have to get through it.

Really the key now is to try to cut back more on the high fat foods. With the gallstone issue, this is something I should be much better about so I will just slowly build more routines similar to my morning options and I will get it together soon I believe.

the latest a-ha

So I had been mulling it over in my head just weeks ago. The bloating feeling. Some weeks it is worse than others. And maybe that is just normal, many women complain of it. But it got me to thinking...hormones. How would one even know if their hormones are out of whack? And surely it has a big impact on how your body does its job.

I picked up a book by C.W. Randolph, M.D. which talks about just that - over dominating estrogen levels which cause belly fat in women over age 30 (and men over age 40). A lot of the symptoms just don't apply to me but I am reading on because a lot of it falls right in line with the other stuff I have read about my body type and health in general, concentrate on certain fruits and vegetables, calcium, fiber, healthy oils, etc.

And then the fact that I quit coffee made sense and I was proud of that move when I read on. The book states, "Studies have shown that drinking two cups of coffee a day can increase estrogen levels." In a study involving hundreds of men and women, women who had more than one cup of coffee a day had significantly higher estrogen levels! This definitely applies to all caffeinated beverages, so the pop drinkers are also at risk, thankfully I am really not.

I have also set aside a food journal for myself. Seeing that I tend to do the whole, "oh just one of these, or a little of that" constantly I need to be making myself write it down and then maybe I won't be so quick to make excuses for all of those little treats. It is time consuming but I suppose like anything once you have a routine it is not such a big deal.

Onward to slimmer and better things!

New Energy

Well I have passed the two week mark of no coffee. I have chosen alternatives like tea and water in the interim. It is better definitely but not perfect. I am at a point now where I know I can do without it, but it is still a painful journey. I am glad that I am doing it though. I think it is important to find my energy a different way, it is so amazing to me just how dependent I was on coffee. Scary really. This will be good for me to go through a training season without it. Then on race day I can have a half cup and it will be perfect!

Everyone else around me at work has crumbled in what they gave up, mostly pop, beer and choclate. Fascinating. I always thought I had a poor ability to discipline with restraining myself but they all caved very quickly, maybe I am stronger than I thought! Well, time to get ready for work. One more day til the weekend, yippee!!

The Roles People Play

So it is true what they say - surround yourself with people of your own mindset. Surround yourself with people you consider smarter and more inspirational. Don't be threatened by it - be inspired by it. I have found that when you are around people that put you in awe for one reason or another, you realize that they are just regular people who have a different take or perspective in life than most...and they become successful because of it. One of my best buds from Colorado won top chef this week. He WON top chef. To even get on that show is amazing. He won. I know how he thinks and it isn't surprising that he has accomplished so much in his life. From winning me at chess every time, to his degree in physics engineering to top chef. His perspective is focused and simple. He was a good friend, you can go on a bike ride with him or out for a beer and he has no ego in the way. So far and few between are the people like hosea.

I am becoming better friends with perfect girl at work. We laugh hysterically at times and just get along well. I've let go of the fact that she will probably take my title of the girl in the office that runs. I can run along side her (or perhaps way behind her) and that is okay too. Speaking of which, I am a little stuffed up still but I am done with it mentally. I have really cut back the past few weeks, considering sleep and rest is most important and trying not to feel guilty about it. But now I am ready to rock. I am so out of shape right now it is daunting. But not enough to rattle me. I started my light weights on thursday night after a very long day at work. Last night I was on the treadmill for 3 miles and then did a video work out for about 40 minutes. I slept really good. I am taking some brown algae to help with my metabolism, just another natural remedy my friend has so kindly sent my way! I also talked with her about my fear of continuing my cleanse. I am so afraid of getting sick again. She said that is nonsense. This time maybe start the first four days with half dosage and move up when I feel comfortable. Focus on eating right, getting enough fiber and water and quit being a baby. Fine! Okay! So I might continue that this week.

I am down to just a little bit over 3 months before the race in ann arbor. Its go time for sure. I still have plenty of time to get where I need to be but I really need to cut the nonsense with the sweets at work. Sitting next to perfect girl at work should help with that. Oh...so here I am - I am on day 4 without coffee. Days 2 and 3 at work were rough. I haven't cut out caffeine altogether so I can still have tea and choclate or whatever but let me tell you, it doesn't ease the pain all that much! And I am not a soda drinker so I don't go that route - that would be so much worse than coffee. I am excited to be coffee free for a while. I am ready to boost my natural energy for a while. I do love coffee, but I think I loved it too much. A good break will do me good and force me to switch up my habits for a while. Today I took bree to the play area at the mall since it was freezing and on an average day I would have been tempted to get an expensive beverage at fivebucks...er, I mean starbucks... but since I stopped drinking coffee, and nothing else sounded appealing, I just stuck with my water. Over time, those decisions will help me.

Well, bree is successfully in napping position and out cold. I must get on that treadmill and make use of this time. To all a good day and healthy choices.

Words From Peter

Had to add this so that I can refer to it later, from Dr. D'adamo's newsletter:

Ever get the feeling that the so-called light at the end of the tunnel is in fact an oncoming train? I certainly do. Fall always seems to be such a demanding time for me; lectures and public appearances seem to multiply; patient contact at The D’Adamo Clinic always picks up after the summer doldrums, and there are the ever-present demands of family and parenthood. Add to that the pleasures and pressures of an oncoming holiday season, closed windows and forced hot air heating, sniffles and uncovered coughing mouths and you’ve got yourself a perfect storm for colds, flu and exhaustion. Add to that the stresses and strains of a failing economy, job layoffs and evaporating retirement accounts and you now know why I suggested that NAP make fatigue and stress the main theme of this month's newsletter. Studies show that end-of-year holiday time ranks very high on the stress scale—exceeded only by the death of a spouse. Many people feel depressed at this time of year, perhaps due to loneliness, lack of sunlight, or as a reaction to the inherent superficiality of many of the public displays and celebrations. However, at their core, these holidays contain very helpful messages. Thanksgiving celebrates the bounty of the Earth and reassures us of the immense regenerative capacity of Nature. Christmas and Hanukkah are festivals of joy and rededication to a new purity of intent. New Year's is a time of new beginnings. The other day I was reading an article on Spam (the pork version; not the email one) and how Hormel, the manufacturer, cannot keep up with consumer demand for it as a ‘hardship food’. Although a bit disturbed by the notion that a food such as this should be considered a ‘value’ when other healthier foods are available and are even better bargains, I did happen to notice that in a separate table of ‘things which were up or down due to the economy,’ nutritional supplement sales were actually way up. My father has often said that ‘Stress is best handled by a healthy body.’ and I guess that a lot of folks feel the same way. However, which supplements? Here are a few that I’ve used over the years to help patients restore from the ill effects of stress, fatigue depression: Acetyl-l-carnitine (NAP ‘Pro-Mitokon A) When I see patients in the Clinic who are chronically fatigued I often recommend the amino acid l-carnitine, especially in the acetylated form (acetyl-l-carnitine). Carnitine serves many important roles in the body, but it’s best know for helping to increase the activity of the mitochondria in our cells. Mitochondria are sort of like the battery of the cell. Under normal circumstances fatty acids are sent to the mitochondria where they are converted to energy. Without acetyl-l-carnitine these fatty acids cannot easily enter into mitochondria. The acetyl group is what makes the whole shebang work. It promotes the generation of energy from amino acids, fats, and carbohydrates, and explains why the acetyl form is so important to the success of this supplement. In essence, if the cell was a wristwatch, taking acetylated-l-carnitine is the equivalent of taking it to the jeweler and having him pop off the back and slip in a new battery. We also use it in the Clinic for muscle fatigue, and to help improve memory and concentration. Patients usually notice a rapid increase in mental energy, followed by a gradual improvement in physical energy as well. l-theanine (NAP ‘Tranquility Base’) Theanine is an amino acid commonly found in green tea (Camellia sinensis) that has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress and produce feelings of relaxation. Interestingly, when combined with caffeine it helps to improve cognition and mood. Theanine also has beneficial effects on the immune system as well. Blood sample analysis found that the production of anti-bacterial proteins was up to five times higher in the tea-drinkers. One of the actions of theanine is to increase the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) an important neurotransmitter, so I usually maximize the effect by also supplementing with a bit of GABA as well. Blood Type and Stress (NAP ‘Cortiguard’ and ‘Catechol’) There are significant differences between the blood types regarding how they handle stress. Type O individuals tend to over-accumulate adrenaline at the expense of adequate levels of dopamine. Types A, AB and B folks tend to have trouble adjusting their levels of cortisol properly in response to stress (Type As are the worst at this!) We’ve long used two specific NAP supplements as ‘blood type specific stress busters’ in the D’Adamo Clinic: NAP’s Catechol for type Os and Cortiguard for the As, Bs and ABs. Catechol has a nice blend of amino acids and herbs which helps to flush excess adrenaline out of the body, which in combination with the high protein, low wheat type O diet, can do wonders for their moods. Cortiguard helps those other types to better control their metabolism (and prevent excess weight gain during stress) by using herbs and nutritional co-factors to help blunt the effects of excess cortisol when taken in concert with the diet for your blood type. These are just a few suggestions that can help you navigate through these challenging times. Be optimistic. Keep up on the news, but don’t overdo it. Stay connected with friends and family. Express yourself. These societal upheavals are scary, but they are just the birth pangs of a new future; a world of new possibilities, new technologies. Recommit yourself to the principles of personalized dieting and optimized nutrition. Be ready for it. Enjoy, and see you next issue! - Peter Peter D’Adamo

Funny Guy

I read this guy's column and it was so funny. He and his wife did a marathon and it helped to lighten my day....http://www.charleston.net/news/2009/feb/19/slow_steady_wins_th_place72245/

that was the link if you are so inclined.

Today I realized I have been binge eating for 3 days. Not sure where I fell off track but once I had spiraled down so far it was really hard to regroup and get back on track. Just had a talk with my friend who knows way too much about health and it sort of smacked me back into reality. Sometimes in life we have bad habits - duh. Well anyway, especially in times of great stress we fall back on those and this I have done. When it seems too overwhelming, admittedly I can be seen hiding for an extra 10 minutes on the couch with a bagel and cream cheese before I decide what to do. By the way, she emphasized just how nasty bagels and cream cheese really are and now I have a complex that I am going to decompose and die! Well, I knew they were that bad already but I guess I had chosen to forget for a while.

So I need to make a list of my comfort foods that I know are bad and then I need to make a list of the foods I believe I should be eating that make me feel good. Then with that clarity and clear idea list in front of me I go forward as well as having some emergency code red methods to fall back on when I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed which do not include a private rendevous with reese peanut butter cups. That will be my homework at the moment and I am now debating something that I have been thinking about for such a great deal of time now. Do I need to give up coffee for a bit? Man. That is tough. I love coffee. but maybe I need a break. The thing is, it isn't good to drink that caffeine when you are doing a cleanse , which I will be starting back up on in the next few days. Also, coffee tends to make me do bad things. Not every day. But let's face it - bagel and cream cheese goes GREAT with coffee. Lots go well with coffee - breads of every kind, chocolate, everything bad. So maybe I should take a break from coffee and get my self straightened out. But won't my job be at stake? Won't my sanity be at risk?? I am not stopping caffeine though. I am not really a pop or soda fan, so that won't be an issue, but if there is a tea with caffeine, I am allowing tea. Ugh. Not sure. It won't be forever. It will be good for me. I should do it. I'll keep posted on this project.