I've been sick with a chest infection for almost 3 weeks now. I finally went to the Doctor yesterday and he basically said "rest, NO exercise and lots of sleep". Duh!
In the lead up to getting sick I rarely went a night without waking up multiple times. I wasn't sleeping much more than 3 hours most nights. I was exhausted and very grumpy! Since being sick I've been sleeping day and night. Maybe my body is trying to catch up. The only problem was that I would wake myself up with my coughing, often very painful coughing. The kind where I could not take a breath between. Ugh!
As I haven't done a workout in so long I am feeling really crap. I can't wait to get back into it but how do I do that without overdoing it? I've never been someone who can take it easy when working out, probably why I often injure myself.
I suppose the only thing I can do is start off with some yoga, stretching and so forth until I feel stronger. God knows how long that will take. :(
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Sugar: Is It Really The Enemy?
In a word, YES. Sugar is the enemy. Sugar is the enemy to my health and also to yours!
The reason for this? Sugar increases our blood sugar levels rapidly. This causes the hormone Insulin to be released which then lowers the blood sugar again. The rise and fall of our blood sugar levels cause us to experience mood swings, cravings and is also responsible for our energy levels.
Excessive sugar can ruin your health in a number of ways:
Sugar suppresses your immune system, it contributes to obesity, it can cause headaches and migraines, it can also cause high blood pressure in obese people, and the list goes on!
To make things even more complicated, sugar is not always listed as "Sugar" on food labels. It seems that people these days require a Chemistry Degree to decipher the wording on food labels. Sugar can be listed as any of the following:
Sucrose, Glucose, Fructose, Dextrose, Mannitol, Xylitol, Corn Sweeteners, Corn Syrup, Cane Sugar, Beet Sugar, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Rice Syrup, Molasses, Date Sugar, HFCS, Malt, Maple Syrup and more........
I have learnt that is any of these are listed in the first 3 ingredients of a product, that I should avoid it!
Sugar is a Carbohydrate and carbohydrates are necessary for our bodies to function. But there are better choices of carbohydrates out there. For example, choose complex carbs such as Oats, Sweet Potato, Brown Rice rather than simple carbs like Honey, Sugar and Dried Fruit.
Some carbohydrates raise our blood sugar faster (high Glycemic Index, also known as GI) than others (low Glycemic Index), so choose low GI (ie sweet potato) over high GI carbohydrates (white potato) where possible.
I can understand why society these days is plagued with obesity problems. There are so many fast food options out there. Plus, many of these fast food places claim to have "healthier options". This I don't believe, most of these so called healthier options may have taken out the excess fat but have replaced this with loads of added sugar, whether it be in the dressings or the processed meat!
Sugar is like a drug, people can't say no. When they do try to wean themselves off the sugar they suffer withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, moodiness and irritability. So, of course what is the first thing they do? They reach for a can of Coke or bar of Chocolate!
Trust me, I've been there. I am still there. But I am trying to cut down on my sugar intake. I don't drink soft drinks/sodas (unless it's a mixer with alcohol, another thing I am trying to cut down on) I love chocolate but try to keep it to a minimum. So it's a daily struggle for me too!
The reason for this? Sugar increases our blood sugar levels rapidly. This causes the hormone Insulin to be released which then lowers the blood sugar again. The rise and fall of our blood sugar levels cause us to experience mood swings, cravings and is also responsible for our energy levels.
Excessive sugar can ruin your health in a number of ways:
Sugar suppresses your immune system, it contributes to obesity, it can cause headaches and migraines, it can also cause high blood pressure in obese people, and the list goes on!
To make things even more complicated, sugar is not always listed as "Sugar" on food labels. It seems that people these days require a Chemistry Degree to decipher the wording on food labels. Sugar can be listed as any of the following:
Sucrose, Glucose, Fructose, Dextrose, Mannitol, Xylitol, Corn Sweeteners, Corn Syrup, Cane Sugar, Beet Sugar, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Rice Syrup, Molasses, Date Sugar, HFCS, Malt, Maple Syrup and more........
I have learnt that is any of these are listed in the first 3 ingredients of a product, that I should avoid it!
Sugar is a Carbohydrate and carbohydrates are necessary for our bodies to function. But there are better choices of carbohydrates out there. For example, choose complex carbs such as Oats, Sweet Potato, Brown Rice rather than simple carbs like Honey, Sugar and Dried Fruit.
Some carbohydrates raise our blood sugar faster (high Glycemic Index, also known as GI) than others (low Glycemic Index), so choose low GI (ie sweet potato) over high GI carbohydrates (white potato) where possible.
I can understand why society these days is plagued with obesity problems. There are so many fast food options out there. Plus, many of these fast food places claim to have "healthier options". This I don't believe, most of these so called healthier options may have taken out the excess fat but have replaced this with loads of added sugar, whether it be in the dressings or the processed meat!
Sugar is like a drug, people can't say no. When they do try to wean themselves off the sugar they suffer withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, moodiness and irritability. So, of course what is the first thing they do? They reach for a can of Coke or bar of Chocolate!
Trust me, I've been there. I am still there. But I am trying to cut down on my sugar intake. I don't drink soft drinks/sodas (unless it's a mixer with alcohol, another thing I am trying to cut down on) I love chocolate but try to keep it to a minimum. So it's a daily struggle for me too!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
How Do You Help Someone who Doesn't Want To Be Helped?
I have a wonderful girlfirend who I love to bits. Sadly, I rarely see her these days as she lives in my home town and I now live in the city.
She has been a very, very close friend for many years, since High School. (that's about 27 years!)
She is someone I love and respect, but she is not the same person I was drawn to as the new kid in school. I'll call her "Smiley". Smiley was the girl everyone loved. She was the person that you couldn't help but to be drawn to, like a moth to the flame! She ALWAYS had a smile on her face, she knew EVERYONE! And everyone loved her! And I'm sure they still do, I know I do. But sadly she isn't the same person.
I only see Smiley a couple of times a year. She is so busy with her business, 3 kids, her marriage, and, sadly her personal issues...... Smiley needs my help and I simply am not able to help her! Damn though, I have tried.
Smiley has been suffering for many years from weight gain, depression and illness. She works too hard, looks after a large family and, I'm sure she feels like she gets no thanks from her family...... she totally deserves a lot of hugs and thanks for her hard work.
Sadly though, Smiley has no time to herself. She is often depressed and unable to drag herself out of the huge hole she has dug for herself by being so accessable to everyone and not looking out for number one!
I have tried to help, I've even tried the "tough love" scenario. She hasn't returned my last email, so clearly that didn't work the way I wanted.
We both have a mutual friend who is very successful in the Health and Fitness Industry. Our friend has offered to help her out but sadly, Smiley isn't interested. She claims she has "no time" etc.
I don't believe that there can be "no time" to take care of number one. You only have one body and one life. Treat it as such!
To add to this, Smiley has been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Surely that would be enough to make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle? My brother was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and since I was made aware I have been a lot more conscious of my health.
I've recently had my Blood Sugar checked (it was borderline, even though I had been very careful for many weeks before the test) My colesterol was not considered worth testing as the last test was excellent!
Being accountable for our own health is entirely up to yourself, NOT someone else. No one can fix your health issues if you're not committed to helping yourself!
She has been a very, very close friend for many years, since High School. (that's about 27 years!)
She is someone I love and respect, but she is not the same person I was drawn to as the new kid in school. I'll call her "Smiley". Smiley was the girl everyone loved. She was the person that you couldn't help but to be drawn to, like a moth to the flame! She ALWAYS had a smile on her face, she knew EVERYONE! And everyone loved her! And I'm sure they still do, I know I do. But sadly she isn't the same person.
I only see Smiley a couple of times a year. She is so busy with her business, 3 kids, her marriage, and, sadly her personal issues...... Smiley needs my help and I simply am not able to help her! Damn though, I have tried.
Smiley has been suffering for many years from weight gain, depression and illness. She works too hard, looks after a large family and, I'm sure she feels like she gets no thanks from her family...... she totally deserves a lot of hugs and thanks for her hard work.
Sadly though, Smiley has no time to herself. She is often depressed and unable to drag herself out of the huge hole she has dug for herself by being so accessable to everyone and not looking out for number one!
I have tried to help, I've even tried the "tough love" scenario. She hasn't returned my last email, so clearly that didn't work the way I wanted.
We both have a mutual friend who is very successful in the Health and Fitness Industry. Our friend has offered to help her out but sadly, Smiley isn't interested. She claims she has "no time" etc.
I don't believe that there can be "no time" to take care of number one. You only have one body and one life. Treat it as such!
To add to this, Smiley has been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Surely that would be enough to make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle? My brother was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and since I was made aware I have been a lot more conscious of my health.
I've recently had my Blood Sugar checked (it was borderline, even though I had been very careful for many weeks before the test) My colesterol was not considered worth testing as the last test was excellent!
Being accountable for our own health is entirely up to yourself, NOT someone else. No one can fix your health issues if you're not committed to helping yourself!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)