Everyone who has ever set out to reach a goal, be it fitness related or not, has experienced (at the very least) a setback or two.  How we choose to handle these setbacks defines us and ultimately, decides whether or not we actually meet our goals.

Setbacks, be they an unexpected injury/health concern, financial issue, emotional issue, plateau or otherwise, are frustrating to say the very least.  Especially when they come after we have experienced some success and progression towards our goal.  To then hit the proverbial wall, especially when we have no idea how long we will remain at said wall, can feel not only frustrating but overwhelming and unbearable.

Our personality, attitude and outlook on life has a HUGE influence on how we handle these kinds of situations.  Do we stand tall, chin up, smile in place and face it head on or do we cower in a corner afraid of the unknowns?  Do we seek answers to our questions and try to find solutions to the issues we face or do we stay in bed and throw a pity party for one?  This is where each of our innate personalities come into play.  We all have the choice, we all get to decide how we handle each trial, issue and setback placed in our path.

As you may recall from an earlier post, I talked about the difference between the soft path and the hard path.  I’ve placed an excerpt from my November 1, 2010 post to review below…

Recently, I had the opportunity to take some training sessions with a man who talked briefly about the paths of life.  He said there are only two paths in life, the hard path and the soft path.  Most people take the soft path because it is comfortable.  If you choose to walk the soft path, you can expect a pretty uneventful experience.  You will not come across anything that will make you feel too challenged.  Nothing that will feel too difficult or hard.  Nothing that would require you to get too dirty and nothing that would make you feel too uncomfortable.  However, when you get to the end of the soft path, you’re not much stronger, wiser, braver or more self confident either.

On the other hand, there is the hard path.  There is a reason that the hard path is named what it is!  There’s no sugar coating, no creamy nougat center and there is no candy coating shell.  It’s hard.  It’s steep.  It’s difficult.  It’s rocky, bumpy and muddy all at the same time.  And as if that’s not enough, there are huge obstacles placed in your way that you must get around.  Giving up is not an option on the hard path.  It is a path that requires motivation, dedication, hard work, sweat, sacrifice and perseverance to follow, but if you follow where this path leads you, the rewards are amazing!  At the end of the hard path lies a you that is self confident, strong, healthy, wise and happy, and that is just the beginning.

As we walk through life, we must choose one path or the other, that much is inevitable.  What kind of you do you want to see in the mirror each day?  The you that will be the end result of the soft path, or the you that will be carved and chiseled out by hard path?  I urge each of you to pick your path wisely, there is a lot at stake.  Time will march on regardless of which path you choose to walk and the decisions you make from that point on.   Whether or not I had begun my journey back in 2006, I would still be here in 2010, albeit a different person altogether.  I can tell you from my heart and my own experiences, that what you do today matters more than you could ever dream of in terms of the life you’ll live in each and every one of your tomorrows.  The person that I am today, is a direct result of choices I made then.  Apply your strengths to overcoming your weaknesses and you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

…keeping this in mind, are you going to allow a setback, no matter it’s size, intensity or length it must be endured to stop you from being the you that you’re meant to be?

Most of us will go out of our way to help someone else in any way, shape or form.  If someone else’s betterment is at risk, we are much less likely to give up and quit for fear of letting them down.  But for some reason we have no problem what so ever letting ourselves down…why is that?  Why would we allow a temporary situation to become permanent, especially when it is an undesirable situation that we set out to change in the first place?  When put that way, it doesn’t make much sense, does it?

A close friend of mine posted on facebook the other day that she was having a hard time getting to the gym that day for her workout.  As her friend, and her trainer, I know what her fitness goals are; she wants to compete as a fitness model (up on stage in a bikini mind you).  I offered her some friendly advice/motivation.  I’d like to share it with all of you as well:

“We all need motivation every now and then. Life has a way of getting to us sometimes, that’s normal. The important thing is that, when you notice this happening, you stand up (literally if necessary) and take the bull by the horns (totally figuratively on this one…lol). You know what your goals are, but only you can decide how important REACHING those goals is to YOU. When you’re having an off moment where you’re having a hard time getting to the gym…just think of your goals…BUT…think of them in a different light. Don’t think of them as if you still have to achieve them, think of how you’re going to feel when you’re standing on stage…crowd cheering…what thoughts are you going to have at THAT moment? I can tell you right now, at that moment, if I asked you the question, “Was all that gym time worth it?”, your answer would be “HELL YES!!”, wouldn’t it?!! You know I’m right.  Somewhere in our not so distant futures, we all have an improved version of ourselves standing there…just waiting on the current version of ourselves to get busy and uncover them. So get your ass to the gym girl…don’t keep her waiting!”

So, on your journey to improve your life and reach your goals, will you allow the speed bumps along the way to keep you from your finish line?

Have you heard the terms “zen state” or “zen time”?  It is often used in conjunction with yoga, which is what most people associate it with.  However, it is not a form of physical exercise.  The word ‘zen’ originates from a school of Chinese religion dating back to the 12th century but has been further expanded by the Japanese in more recent times.  Zen focuses on self enlightenment through meditation, but in our western world, it has become a word meaning a state of relaxation, inner peace and reflection in addition to meditation.  It is usually used in reference to time away from the rat race lifestyle we all lead, a much needed break from work, co-workers, kids and the pressures of everyday life to.  Zen is a place, which can be physical or virtual, that allows you to be totally calm and become re-energized.

I’ve stood on my soap box before when it comes to this topic, so it shouldn’t be any surprise to those of you who visit often when I say that fitness isn’t always about the strength, conditioning and wellness of the body itself.  Fitness is about the total wellness of our body in addition to our mind and soul.  If the mind and soul are out of balance, the body will soon follow (usually manifested as some form of illness, injury or even a lack of energy/motivation/dedication, etc.).  Through the last year and a half, as I have dealt with some substantially intense personal situations, I have experienced this more than once…just take my word for it.

Finding time for zen is *so* important!!  I know what you’re thinking, your days are already hopelessly full of appointments and meetings, not to mention the to-do list that you haven’t even had a chance to get to by the day’s end.  You’re probably already dismissing the idea of fitting one more thing into your already busy schedule by asking the age old question, “How am I supposed to find time for this too?”.  But before you dismiss it, allow me to give you a reason (or several) to fit it in.  The reality, my friends, is this:

If you don’t fit it in you will find yourself, as my mother used to say, at the end of your rope…your very frazzled and fraying rope.  You’ll be moody, depressed, irritable with your family, co-workers and friends, lacking energy and motivation and in a general state of unhappiness.  The bottom line is that we all need time to ourselves, for ourselves, to recharge our batteries, ground and center ourselves, find that inner peace and re-energize.

As I said before, zen is a place.  Where is your zen place?  All you have to do to find it is think of your happy place!  Don’t know what your happy place looks like?  Well, take a moment to go into a room where you can be by yourself and close the door.  Have a seat, close your eyes and let your mind go.  For most people, zen is found in some form of nature.  As you sit there with your eyes closed, take note of the images your mind creates.  Is there a waterfall nearby?  Or are you in a garden spot?  At the beach?  On a mountain trail?  Is there soft rain falling or bright sunshine streaming down?

I find my zen in the sound of water.  It could be a rippling lake, the babbling of a brook, a river talking as it runs by or the sound of lapping ocean waves on a white sand beach (in which case there would be cute cabana boy too – hey, a girl is allowed to dream!).  Regardless of what your zen place looks like or where it is located, find your spot.  Then, when life begins to get stressful, hectic, chaotic, fast paced and over the top, make the time to go there.  You will be amazed at how it positively impacts your overall well being.  Once you return from your zen place, life’s routines become easier and you are, once again, capable of accomplishing great things – all with a smile on your face.  Bonus!  :)

Did you know that there is a connection between your physical health and the way your body responds to the way you think, feel and act, other wise know as your emotional health?  You better believe there is!

People who are emotionally healthy are aware of their thoughts, the emotions caused by their thoughts and the behaviors that their emotions lead to.  It may seem rather simple but in reality, it is rather complex.  How many of us are truly emotionally healthy?  Research shows that much less than half of Americans fit the bill.  In a study conducted in August of this year research shows that on average the percentage of Americans who are emotionally healthy (scoring above 90) ranges from a low of 24% to a high of 36%.

It’s no doubt when you consider that our day to day lives are full of stress and problems that arise often, sometimes seemingly minute to minute.  There are many different things that can, and do, happen in life that can disrupt our emotional health and lead to strong, even very strong feelings of sadness, anger, betrayal, stress or anxiety.  A few examples of these situations are:

•  Dealing with the death of a loved one
• Getting divorced or married
• Having a baby
• Having a child leave or return home
• Dealing with family related issues
• Moving to a new residence
• Suffering a severe illness or injury
• Switching jobs
• Getting a job promotion
• Being laid off/fired from your job
• Experiencing money problems

When we are experiencing strong emotions, stress or anxiety our body tries to tell us that something just isn’t quite right.  For example, high blood pressure or an ulcer could develop after a particularly stressful event, such as the death of a loved one or losing one’s job.  There are a myriad of  physical signs that your emotional health is out of balance, they include:

•  Back pain
• Change in appetite (eating less or more food)
• Chest pain
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Dry mouth
• Extreme fatigue or tiredness
• General aches and pains
• Headaches (can be severe)
• Heart palpitations (feeling like your heart is racing)
• High blood pressure
• Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
• Lightheadedness
• Sexual problems
• Shortness of breath
• Stiff neck
• Sweating
• Upset stomach
• Weight gain or loss

Poor emotional health usually leads to a weakening of the body’s immune system, making it much more likely that you’ll pick up a cold, the flu, an infection or viruses during an emotionally difficult time.  Most people don’t recognize, or simply overlook, the fact that “good” changes can be just as stressful, sometimes even more so than “bad” changes.  It should be noted that any change can, and usually will, trigger emotions that can lead to stress and/or anxiety if not handled properly.

Most people do not take care of their health as well as they should during an emotionally difficult time, which adds to the problem.  It can be difficult to feel motivated to exercise, eat the nutritious foods you should or even take and medications your doctor has prescribed.  Abuse of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs can come into play during these emotionally challenging times as well, none of which are good for your body, but are often used to lean on.  So, how do we improve our emotional health?

First off, it is extremely important to recognize each of your emotions and understand why you are having them.  Sort out the causes of sadness, stress and/or anxiety in your life.  Is it a situation you have any control over?  If so, change it.  If it’s not a situation that you can change, decide what you can do about it?  You may decide that the only thing you do have control over in the entire situation is how you choose to react to it.  If that’s the case, control how you choose to react.

Express your feelings in appropriate ways.  If feelings of stress, sadness or anxiety are causing physical complications for you, keeping these feelings bottled up inside yourself will only make you feel worse.  Know that it’s OK to let your friends/loved ones know when something is bothering you or has you upset.  However, know too that your friends and family may not necessarily be able to help you deal with your feelings appropriately.  At these times, you may need to ask someone outside the situation (i.e., your family doctor, a counselor/psychiatrist or religious adviser) for advice and/or support in order to help you improve your emotional health.

Live a balanced life.  It is important to avoid obsessing about the problems in your life whether they be at work, school or home, that lead you to feel negative feelings.  Now that doesn’t mean you have to fake being happy each time you feel stressed, anxious or upset, in fact that can be detrimental.  It is very important to deal with all of your negative feelings, but it is equally important to focus on all of the positive things in your life too.   All too often, we get wrapped up in the bad things and forget to even recognize, let alone take time to be thankful for, all the positives.  At our house, I made my kids and I a gratitude journal to keep track of all the things that we are grateful for, that make us feel happy and the things that bring us peace.  Listing your blessings is a good way to give your health a boost and improve your overall outlook on life.

Another important step is to find ways of letting go of the things in life that make you feel stressed and overwhelmed.  When my kids get frustrated with a certain situation I take the m up to the lake.  They walk around the close by areas collecting rocks.  After they’ve found the collection that stood out to them for whatever reason, they throw each and every one of them into the lake with as much strength and fury as their little arms can give.  Sometimes they even shout out at the rocks until they hit the water with a big splash.  It’s been interesting to watch each of them as they go through their little ritual.  I’ve found that after doing this they are able to talk about it and get it off of their chests.  With the exception of one of them they are then able to move on in a forward and productive fashion having left their problems, stress, anxiety and emotions on the bottom of the lake.  Likewise, it is equally important to take (or make) time for things that you enjoy doing.  Replacing the negative emotions and feelings with a positive experience is a good way to balance things out.

Develop resilience. People who have resilience are able to cope with stress in a positive and healthy way.  Resilience is a tough one but can be learned and strengthened through different strategies.  Some of these strategies include having a circle of friends/family for social support, keeping a positive view of yourself and your abilities to handle situations as they arise, accepting change for what it is and not dwelling on the negative aspects it brings and keeping things in perspective (not turning the molehill into a mountain).

Actively calm your mind and body.  Relaxation methods, such as yoga and meditation, are helpful ways to bring your emotions into balance.  Meditation is a form of guided thought but can take many forms.  Some people meditate by exercising, stretching or deep breathing patterns.  Personally, when I need to focus on me and reign in my thoughts and emotions I get the best results from a workout…an intense workout…ya know, the kind that leaves me hobbling around like an 80 year old grandma for near a week!  Lol, seriously though, since we are all unique we will each experience our own “best results” from different forms of meditation. 

Take care of yourself.  In order to have good emotional health, it’s important to have good physical health; take care of your body by having a regular routine for healthy meals, getting proper amounts of sleep and exercising (which helps relieve pent-up tension and frustration).  As always, avoid overeating and don’t abuse drugs and/or alcohol; they could end up causing family and/or health problems.  No bueno.  Nope, not at all.

When it comes to weight loss, there are some general rules that most people understand go hand in hand with the process.  Everyone knows if you want to lose weight, you have to eat “better” and most folks realize that exercise is a key component as well.  In today’s post I want to focus more on the nutrition side of weight loss than the exercise portion.  In fact, I want to talk specifically about protein and it’s role in weight loss…especially for women.

When most women hear the term protein associated with working out their minds pulls up images of muscle clad, vein popping bodybuilders and they instantly decide it’s not for them.  Oh reeeaally?   There are a lot of rumors floating around that mislead women into thinking that eating protein and working out will leave you looking like Popeye after downing a can of spinach or, worse yet, Arnorld Shwarzenegger.  I’m here to tell ya that it’s just NOT going to happen.  If only it were that easy!

Getting enough protein in your daily diet is no small task, especially for women.  I have had more female clients who shy away from meat and dairy products than male clients, which I can understand as I myself feel the same way about it; especially red meat.  Additionally, it’s a lot harder to take protein along with you when you are constantly on the go.  In general, protein takes prep work as well as refrigeration, making it harder to fit in during the day, especially on a busy day.  You’re not likely going to find many women pulling a grilled chicken breast out of their purse.

Protein is key in the process of weight loss.  It helps stabilize blood sugar by slowing down the rate that carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and it’s absorption into the bloodstream.  Even high glycemic carbs can be moderated so that your blood sugar doesn’t spike and crash like a roller coaster by pairing them with protein when eaten.  What does this mean?  Well, if you’re not riding the blood sugar roller coaster you won’t experience highs and lows in your energy level and those fun cravings that hit mid afternoon to eat everything in sight including the kitchen sink.  In short, control blood sugar and you’ll control cravings.  Controlling cravings leads to success in your weight loss goals.  Success equals a win-win situation!  See, protein is your friend!

I was talking with a good friend of mine a few weeks ago about overtraining.  What is overtraining you ask?  Overtraining is inflicting more stress and/or trauma (physical or otherwise) on your body without sufficient rest for it recover and repair the damage being done, and continuing to do so.  In short, working out too much and not resting enough.  

You didn’t know there was such a thing as exercising too much did ya?  Well trust me, there is.  I feel it is important for me to point out that overtraining doesn’t happen overnight, in one or two workouts or even in a week or two, so for someone to say that they are going to avoid regular, consistent exercise just to avoid becoming overtrained is just someone’s way of looking for a way out of exercising…and I’ll have none of that! 

Regular exercise is good for you (if you’ve gotten anything out of reading my blog I hope it is that much).  But while regular exercise is good for you, you need to remember that part of what exercise does is break down your body.  The rest and recovery you take after the exercise is where the improvements are actually made and where you become stronger and healthier.  Ah-ha!  (Light bulb moment huh?)

While exercise is definitely the most common form of physical stress placed on a person who is overtrained, there are other stresses to take into account that can easily put you at risk of becoming overtrained.  They include stress from family situations, relationship issues, money issues, commitments at work or anything else that causes you to worry (especially if you worry excessively).  All three types of stress (physical, mental and emotional) contribute to your body’s overall health.

So how do you know if you are overtrained?  Well, there aren’t any test that everyone agrees on yet that prove overtraining beyond a shadow of a doubt.  However, the list of physical as well as psychological symptoms should be able to help you narrow it down.  Some of you will read through the list and not feel like any of the symptoms describe you, if so that’s awesome!  Others will read through the lists and notice that anywhere from a few to several (or even most) of the symptoms feel like an accurate description, if so I would recommend backing off of the exercise and take some time off for your body to recover.  However, if you find yourself nodding your head and thinking to yourself, “Oh my goodness, I’ve never even met Laura.  How did she describe me in every detail on her website?”  Stay out of the gym…you’re overtrained big time and your body needs time to repair all the damage you’ve done.  Harsh reality to take huh?  Tell me about it.  Now let me be honest.

I spout fitness knowledge day in and day out.  I am asked for advice from people on what to do to achieve their desired fitness results constantly.  I help them fine tune nutrition and adjust their exercise routines all the time…but very rarely do I take a look at my own workout routine.  So after having this conversation I started telling you about with Lizzy, I really started looking at my own workout schedule…at how much was I working out, what the intensity was, how much rest was I giving my body to recover?  None of the answers were very good.  When I sat down with a calculator and added it all up, I was working out even more than I thought I was. Red flag number 1 was the quantity of workouts in a given time period. 

Those of you who have worked out withme before know my motto (adopted from a dear friend who I love to death) “Go Big or Go Home!”..which simply put means; if I’m working out…I’m working out.  There is no half way for me, it’s all or nothing.  My mother taught me a long time ago that anything worth doing is worth doing right.  I apply that to everything I do, including my workouts.  Red flag number 2 was (way) too much intensity in a given time period.

When it came time to answer the third question, I found myself making a face as I read it.  I already knew the answer to this one, in fact everyone knew the answer to thins one.  No way in hell was I getting enough rest to allow my body to recover from what I was putting it through.  Red flag number 3 was not only a lack of sleep (or any rest really) but also a lack of doing anything other than working out.

So, I sat there at my desk knowing exactly where I was at, knowing what I had told Lizzy and knowing I now had to apply it to myself.  Talk about a crappy day….. I brought up google and searched symptoms of overtraining.  Kinda ironic since I already knew the signs and symptoms of being overtrained, huh? 

As I sat there waiting for it to pop up, I asked myself why I was searching it.  I even told myself I knew exactly what was wrong…but still I sat there waiting for what Google had to show me.  I quickly came to the decision that I just needed to see it in black and white so I wouldn’t second guess myself and my self diagnosis of being overtrained.  Sure enough, google delivered 92,500 results in about .12 seconds and there they were, right in front of my face.  Article after article, list after list reaffirmed what I already knew.   

Okay, I’ve shared the list that blew me away the most with you below.  Go ahead, read through and see how you rank in the overtrained category.  You may be closer to being overtrained than you think.  As I read through the list…I was amazed…almost every single one applied to me (I think there was only one that didn’t).  In fact, I’ve put my sassy little thoughts and comments as I read through the list in parenthesis next to each symptom…feel free to read through them or ignore them completely.  The choice is yours!   

Physical Signs & Symptoms of Overtraining

Psychological Signs & Symptoms of Overtraining

• Fatigued, tired, drained, lack of energy (YES!!)
• Reduced ability to concentrate (After reading this one, I breathed a sigh of relief and thought to myself; See? I knew it!  I’m not ADHD!)
• Apathy or no motivation (Well that explains why I really didn’t care one darn bit if the ~insert naughty word here~ Christmas Tree got put up…or taken down for that matter.)
• Irritability (No comment. But to be safe, put a check mark by it.)
• Anxiety (I plead the 5th!  But again, safety first so check mark it.)
• Depression (So my life doesn’t suck?  Sweet!!)
• Headaches (Ahhhhhhh!  Okay, that’s good to know.  I was starting to think there wasn’t enough Excedrin on the planet to tackle these headaches from hell I’ve been having.)
• Insomnia (Seriously?  That is so NOT my problem!)
• Inability to relax (That’s why my shoulders have been in my ears for the last two years…)
• Twitchy, fidgety or jittery (See!  I’m really not ADHD…more proof!)

So how did you do?  I hope you did better than me, that’s for sure!  If you came out of reading the list unscathed, good job and keep up the good work!  You are giving your body a good amount of exercise and sufficient time for it to recover, and it will reward you with the benefits of doing so. 

If you had to check mark a third or more of the symptoms, you’re headed to an ugly place.  Take a break from your regular exercise and give your body a chance to recover and repair itself.  When you start back into your workouts, cut back on your frequency or intensity and make sure you allow yourself enough time in between GRADUAL increases in either factor (but never both at the same time).   

If you came out anywhere close to where I did, you need to stop exercising immediately and take at least a week off from the gym and from working out period.  Like me, you’ve pushed it way too far and that can only be undone with time off.  Try not to think about exercise, there’s no point in feeling guilty about not working out for a few days.  (On the other hand, I know all to well that is much easier said, than done.)  While you’re resting, try to get as much sleep and time spent relaxing as possible.  Go to bed as early as manageable and make sure to catch a nap whenever you can.  Make sure to increase your calories a bit and focus on highly nutritious foods (I also took extra vitamins and minerals).

When you do start working out again, you can’t just head straight back into what you just got yourself out of.  You have to ease yourself back into it gradually.   Most of the research I found stated that it’s okay to start off with the same intensity OR length of time OR frequency of the exercise you were doing before you took a break and that you should maintain that level for a week or two before gradually increasing any one of those factors.

Sometimes, whether you are overtrained or not, it’s a good idea to have a rest.  It gives your mind and your body a chance to fully recover from any problems, injuries or damage that may be building up without you even knowing or feeling it. It also revives you, gives you renewed motivation and dedication to help you to look forward to not only your exercise, but your whole life again. Don’t underestimate the benefits of good rest, they are phenomenal.  A very smart man once told me, “Laura, optimum results are acheived with a combination of the right amount of work and the right amount of rest.” and ya know what?  He was right. 

Sleep is essential to your overall health.  Take it from a gal who doesn’t catch near enough z’s each night, a lack of sleep leaves you feeling drowsy when it is least convenient (like when stopped at a red light next to a police officer who is watching you with a funny look on his face because your eyelids just WON’T stay open).  Not enough beauty rest also leaves you susceptible to every little bug or virus that comes along (like pink eye…three times in one month.  I owe my cute kiddos a great big thanks for that much fun in such a short time frame), it hinders your body’s repair and recovery from your daily activities (meaning that pesky shoulder injury is back and just won’t heal), and leaves you grouchy when the kids want to go outside and have a snowball fight that you know will only last a whopping 5 minutes and then they will all want to come back inside (dragging snow onto the carpet and piling up all their wet coats, gloves, scarves, boots and most likely their pants too) and then they will demand homemade hot cocoa with cinnamon and marshmallows and a warm bath too…  Hmmm, not that I would know firsthand or have any personal experience when it comes to this particular topic…

In a much more clinical study than my own life can provide, data has been shown that a lack of sleep actually changes the way the body handles glucose leading to a form of insulin resistance (a.k.a. pre-diabetes).  Not enough time spent getting shut eye also has a negative effect on appetite, altering the body’s regulation, leading to overeating and/or food choices that will eventually lead to obesity. 

So if a lack of sleep leads to all the afore mentioned nastiness, what are the positive benefits of getting enough sleep? 

• mental function
• alertness
• memory consolidation
• mood regulation
• overall physical health  

Did you know that the amount of sleep your body requires depends upon your age, gender and current stage of development?  Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.  In fact, fewer than six hours or more than nine hours each night in adults has been associated with poor cardiometabolic health.  Not good.  Just to give you an idea, here’s a list of the recommended daily hours of sleep people need at the different stages of their lives:

• Infants (younger than 11 months): 14 to 15 hours of sleep
• Toddlers: 12 to 14 hours of sleep
• Preschoolers: 11 to 13 hours of sleep
• Children: 10 to 11 hours of sleep
• Adults: 7 to 8 hours of sleep 
• Teens: 8 to 9 hours of sleep
• Older adults: 7 to 9 hours of sleep

Women and Sleep

While it is true that most men and women need about the same amount of sleep nightly, women tend to sleep more.  Most women experience a much lighter sleep that is easily disrupted (because you never know when the 3 year old is going to walk into your bedroom in the middle of the night and whisper the words, “Mommy, I don’t feel good.”  and then proceed to throw up on you).  Other than the 3 year old, there are some other problems that affect women’s sleep patterns.  They include depression, major life events (such as divorce, death of a loved one, rape and other types of abuse), pregnancy, hormonal changes related to menopause, sleep disorders (i.e., sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome just to name a few), and medical problems like arthritis and back pain. 

Men and Sleep

On the other hand, the issues that cause men to lose sleep include job-related stress, life issues (regarding marriage/divorce, children, employment, money - or the lack thereof), health problems like epilepsy and heart disease, sleep disorders, substance abuse, and also depression.  Men also tend to take sleep for granted and stay up longer than they should.

Chances are nearly 100% that you, or someone you know, has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  Depending on how close you are this person, you may or may not know exactly what that means.  In today’s post, I am going to go over some of the basics for you.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

It is the most commonly diagnosed type of diabetes.  Type 2 usually occurs later in life, meaning the individual wasn’t born with diabetes, although it can be diagnosed at an age anywhere from the teens into much later in life.  There are literally millions of people who have diagnosed with type 2, and unfortunately, even more people who are unaware that they are even at risk, let alone a high risk of developing type 2. 

In previous posts’, I’ve mentioned that when we eat food, our bodies break the sugars and starches in that food down into glucose.  Glucose is the form of energy, or fuel, that the cells in our body use.  After turning the sugars and starches into glucose, it then released into our bloodstream.  Sounds like a good way to distribute it to the cells throughout our bodies right?  Sure is!  This is where insulin comes in.  Insulin’s job is to take the glucose out of our bloodstream and put it into the cells, where it needs to be to be use as fuel. 

In a person who is type 2, either their body doesn’t make enough insulin or it “ignores” the insulin.  Without enough insulin, the glucose builds up in the bloodstream and causes all kinds of problems and symptoms.  That’s why you see or hear of diabetics testing their blood sugars.  It lets them know how much glucose is in the bloodstream at the time of testing.  Some of the signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:

• Increased thirst
• Increased hunger
• Dry mouth
• Frequent urination
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Headaches
• Loss of consciousness

One of the most common symptoms is fatigue.  Makes sense, right?  If you’re shaking your head from side to side with a confused look on your face, let me recap for you.  Glucose is the energy needed to fuel the cells and keep everything moving along.  If it is unable to get into the cells because of a lack of insulin, the cells run out of energy at one point or another and are not efficient.  As with any well oiled machine, when one thing stops working as it should, it effects everything on down the line, and our bodies are no different. 

Somewhere down the line from one tired cell, is another cell that is trying to now do the work of two cells.  It runs out of energy even quicker than it would have just doing it’s own job, and soon there are two cells not working properly.  A third cell on down the line tries to pick up the slack for the other two and continue to do it’s own job, and quickly runs out of energy.  And so on, and so on, and so on.  Very quickly, there is a large portion of cells not working properly due to lack of energy. 

Our bodies burn less calories and require less energy when they are resting…it makes sense that a person who’s cells need energy would begin to feel tired and fatigued and need to rest, therefore requiring less energy, right?  A-ha!  It’s like a light bulb just went on, huh?

Now you know a real basic description of what a type 2 diagnosis really means as far as what is happening, or not happening, inside the body.  A person who is diagnosed with type 2 will usually receive a list of guidelines from their doctor that include such things as eating a healthy diet, exercising and limiting carbohydrate intake.  Oftentimes, the person is referred to a diabetes awareness class which covers some of the basics of living with type 2 in addition to going over some nutritional information that the person can find helpful in managing the type 2.  The same things that help a person already diagnosed with type 2 to be able to manage and live with it, are the same things that can you prevent the diagnosis in the first place.  Eat the right foods in the right amounts and exercise on a daily, or near daily, basis.  Which reminds me of something my son said the other day.

He came home from school the other day all excited to share something he had learned with me.  He started telling me about heart attacks, strokes and (to quote him) ”other stuff that’s bad for your heart cause there is this gross yellow stuff that gets stuck in the tubes that go to your heart”.  Then he says to me, “But Mom!  It’s so cool because my teachers says that if you eat healthy food and exercise your heart won’t get the gross yellow stuff in its tubes and you don’t have to worry about your heart hurting.”  (I’ll have to remind him he said that after his first break up…which better be YEARS down the road!)  He continued to go on about some of the other things he had learned that day and then got really quiet, I could tell he was thinking.  I said to him, “Hey dude, whatchya thinking about?”  My cute little boy (who would die of embarrassment if he knew I had just called him cute on the internet for the whole world to see) turned to me and said, “Is it just me or does eating right and exercising keep coming up as a way to prevent a whole bunch of yucky stuff from ever happening to our bodies?  Hmm, maybe there’s something to it after all.”  I laughed right out loud!   You know, I think he’s right!

I’m starting a new series of posts called food spotlights. Each post in the series will give you the nutritional low down on a particular food, why it is good for you, or not good for you and ideas on how to incorporate it into your diet or how to phase it out altogether.  For today’s post, the first in the series, I chose oats.

Why Oats are good for you:

There have been countless studies done on oats and their heart protective powers.  One of the many reasons oats rank so high with doctors around the world is that the soluble fiber in oats actually bind to the “bad” cholesterol and remove it from your body, which prevents it from clogging your arteries. 

Another bonus to the fiber contained in oats is that they also help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. When you eat, your body has to take the food you have eaten and change it into glucose, which is the form of sugar our bodies use for energy.  The glucose is then either used immediately for energy or stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen for a later date.  If it used immediately for energy, it is released into your bloodstream.  The fiber in oats, slow down this release which ensures that your blood sugar levels don’t spike and crash, but stays more level and constant.

Yet another plus to eating your oatmeal in the morning is that oats contain selenium, which is a plant lignan.  Plant lignans in general have been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers such as bowel, prostate and those forms of cancer that are hormone related. 

How to Include Oats in Your Diet:

Oats can be eaten in a variety of ways.  The two most common are oatmeal and granola.  Another way to include them in your diet is to purchase oat flour to bake with instead of white flour.  You can also add whole rolled oats to pancakes, waffles, muffins, cookies and breads.  My favorite way to eat them is cooked as oatmeal.  I measure out 1 cup of oatmeal and put it in a bowl with 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder and 1 Tbs.of peanut butter, stir it all together and enjoy it that way.  I’d love to hear your favorite ways of including oats in your family’s diet.  Feel free to leave a comment sharing your ideas and recipes with us!

On Monday, in Part 1, we went through some of the signs and symptoms, in addition to the effects of dehydration.  Today, we are talking about some of the factors that can have an affect on your hydration level, the guidelines for staying properly hydrated and we will take a look at sports drinks and water to see which is best for re-hydration.  Let’s get started!  

Guidelines for Staying Hydrated

After reading all the nasty symptoms of being dehydrated in part 1, I would guess that you would want to stay hydrated in the first place.  So how do you prevent yourself from getting dehydrated?  The American College of Sports Medicine has recommended that proper hydration for exercise should consist of 2 cups of water 2 to 3 hours before exercise, 1 cup of water for every 15 minutes during exercise (if the event will last longer than 30 minutes) and 2 1/2 to 3 cups of water (for every pound lost during activity) within 4 to 6 hours after exercise.   Have you ever been working out at the gym and watched the big muscle bound dudes weighing themselves before and after every workout?  Want to know why they are doing it?  Weighing in before and after a workout helps you keep track of how much water you lose through sweating.  Subtracting your end number from your beginning number lets you know how much fluid you lost during your workout.  Now, just take that number and times it by 2 1/2 to 3 and Voila!  You know how much fluid to replenish within 4 to 6 hours after your workout so that you avoid dehydration.

Factors that Affect Hydration Level

When exercising, some things to keep in mind that will affect your hydration level are:

• Intensity level of your exercise
• Temperature of your environment
• Humidity of your environment
• Type of clothing you are wearing

The middle two are not usually a factor for those who work out in a  gym or recreational facility that has some form of climate control, such as air conditioning, but if you’re the type who likes to run or bike outdoors, they most definitely are.  In an environment where heat alone is the issue, especially when the temperature rises above 95 degrees, almost all of your body heat is lost through the evaporation of sweat from your skin, which helps you stay cool.  When you add in humidity as  factor, especially as the rate reaches 75%  and above, the evaporation process slows dramatically.  Before you know it, sweating is no longer an efficient way to cool your body which leads to fatigue and therefore, increased work for your heart which makes prolonged exertion very difficult.  Remember how quickly our 130 pound woman reached dehydration in part 1?  Add in hot and/or  humid weather and dehydration is sure to come on even faster.

Sports Drinks vs. Water

There’s a lot of debate on this topic.  The people who make money off of bottled water say water is the best option, yet the people who make money off of sports drinks claim they have the better option.  Billions of dollars in advertising is spent each year trying to entice you and get you to buy one, the other or both. 

Really it boils down to the intensity and duration of your specific exercise or activity.  If your event will not last longer than 60 minutes and total water loss will be less than 5 or 6 pounds, the biggest concern is simply replacing the water lost through sweating to increase your blood volume and allow for efficient cooling of the body, along with some other cellular processes. 

On the other hand, if your activity will last longer than 60 minutes, especially if it will be outside in hot weather, the importance of replacing electrolytes, sodium and carbohydrates increases.  The electrolytes contained in the sports drinks aid in maintaining blood volume, enhance the body’s ability to absorb the water and also stimulates the athlete’s sense of thirst.  Sports drinks also contain glucose that can be of great help to muscles that are depleted of glycogen, which can aid in performance.  Another advantage of sports drinks is the option of flavors that plain water doesn’t have.  Some people find flavor helpful (and others find necessary) to keep hydration levels where they should be. 

And there you have it.  Which one is better?  Depends on what you’re going to be doing and how long you are going to be doing it.  You have all the information so that you can make the choice that is right for you.