Tag: writing

Posted on in activity, Fitness, Food, menopause, personal growth, weight-loss

A Belly Full of Visceral Fat

25 years ago when I first discovered Insulin Resistance (IR), it was NOT something doctors talked about.

Matter of fact, the few doctors that did were ousted as crazy (my words).  THANKFULLY for one doctor that shared what it was and how it contributes to so many other “syndromes”, I was able to reverse mine before it was deemed I’d need meds.

Back then…they didn’t pressure you to be on meds until it was pretty bad.  Today…they pressure you to be on meds before even mentioning how to fix it naturally.

I don’t know where my desire for natural healing came from but for as long as I can remember I knew there were ways to heal ourselves.

I think it came from my memories growing up…

Dad ate Little Debbie Snack cakes and hot chocolate pudding over white bread and other sweets and junk like Frosted Flakes with extra sugar poured on top.

I can still feel myself grab that light blue sugar bowl with one end opening for a spoon and the other end opening for a pour.   I can (at this moment right now) feel myself open the pouring end and pour all over those already sweetened flakes until the top was covered!

And while I’m at it..why not a second bowl?  That’s about five (5) servings right there with probably ¼ to ½ cup white sugar on top.

No child needed that. BUT look at all the fortified vitamins and minerals it had.  We were feeding the children better, right?

I remember my mom liking mustard, horseradish, peppers, sauerkraut, and things of that nature.  

I also remember thinking “maybe when I’m older I’ll like mustard”.  I had no clue why it mattered but I thought my mom was cool so I hoped one day I would like mustard too.

I believe 100% I gained my coping skills regarding food from my dad.  

Just a couple weeks ago, my brother called me and while chatting he asked “hey do you remember driving us to school and doing that donut down on Tasker?  I remember, EVERY morning you eating LIttle Debbie Snack cakes on the way”.

Yep, that was my breakfast.  For over 16 years I ate like that.  That was the beginning of today’s heavily laden coping skills with cereals that we now call highly processed junk food.

But I learned that I have control over turning my genes on and off.  It’s called epigenetics.

My situation was not genetic.  It was HABITS handed down in my home.  

If you know my family, you’ll know that these were coping habits.  

I remember a train car had an accident and we were given a ton of boxes of Kellogg’s cereal and that was what we had many days for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I know I’m not the only one who grew up like that.  Some are growing up like that and worse today.

25 years ago when I was about to have my third daughter, the doctor told me then I was ONE point away from being diabetic.  

Can you believe they didn’t offer me meds then nor after the pregnancy?

I can tell you I got on top of that right away and began researching for myself.  

With an abdominal measurement at 38″ NOT pregnant I needed to make a change!

It was a lot of really hard work emotionally and mentally but I did it.

In today’s world they push meds on you with the tiniest raise in your A1c.

You CAN change your health by LIFESTYLE changes.

You can decide which genes are on and which genes are off.  You get to decide if you’re overweight or normal weight.  You get to decide how strong you want to be and how mentally alert you want to be.

You are in charge of you!

Set the example for the children in your life!

They need you.

Posted on in activity, Fitness

Nerve Entrapment and Scar tissue

I had a crying spell yesterday after my consult with a doctor in Chicago. He heard me. I knew he understood me when he described back what he heard and what his assumptions on what my struggles are.

Have you ever went so long feeling UNHEARD that when someone finally did, you just wept?

I love having space for just me. The me when I’m happy, the me when I’m sad, the me when I’m mad.

A place where I can say what I want and be who I want.

This is ME!

For three years now, I’ve struggled losing strength slowly. I’d take three steps forward and be thrown two steps back. Half the time feeling like a crazy person and half the time feeling like I know exactly what I am talking about.

I believe I have nerve entrapment. I believe my FOUR C-section scars (the very same scar each time) has grown through my tendons and ligament and all my inguinal ligament on my right hip and caused pulling on groin muscles, causing nerve entrapment and numbness and weakness and sometimes the kind of weakness that stops you and drops you in your tracks.

The good news is that I have come forward a fair amount. Not as far as I would prefer in three years but I do know I’ve not fallen backwards.

At 55, I don’t feel I have room to play. I MUST build my bones and not being able to strength train regularly worries me.

I have what I thought was a trigger point in my rectus femoris (thigh muscle) and I worked it really hard. At the time it felt very relieved and great! But…then I coudn’t move for days…I still can’t walk without what feels like a nerve pinching. It’s awful! My lower body from the belly button down is so tired and weak feeling.

But in 10 days I go see Dr. Shutlz and he specializes in nerve entrapment and I plan to feel better by the end of January if not sooner!

Don’t ever give up on yourself!

Posted on in Fitness

ME! I did that!

I wanted a fourth child but couldn’t get the relationship right. Got pregnant and divorced altogether. But I was happy to be in a position to keep my kids near me while working and I was able to nurse my fourth child for two years.

I was so happy to provide for him what I couldn’t fully to all of my children. His dad is/was a great dad. He spent time with him from the very beginning and as soon as I was done nursing, my son spent every weekend with his dad.

I was fine with that because I had three girls 10 and under that needed me. My son also spent 3-4 evenings with his dad as well. Came home each night for bedtime and I was happy he had a father who spent a lot of time with him.

BUT…there’s a but here.

I counted and most of the time, FOUR nights a week my son would come home with left over McDonalds, Burger King or KFC. It began to bother me greatly. My son was developing serious nasal breathing issues and I was convinced his diet played a role. He would play video games with his mouth open and head down and I hated it.

I began research and obviously figured out all the toxins that come with fast food. I’m not a fast food HATER (well kind of but not really), I believe our bodies are made to cleanse themselves and detox. EXCEPT, when we OVERLOAD it with toxins so often.

It was a struggle, but as my son got older I began to put in his head that McDonalds wasn’t good to be eating every day and that he should ask his dad to eat different sometimes. This is where KFC came into play.

Ok, it’s different LOL! We kept working on it and meantime, when my son was with me he was not allowed to keep his mouth open. If he wanted to play video games he HAD to keep his mouth closed.

It took time but I WON THAT BATTLE. His stuffy nose began to disappear! Can you believe it? The habits we learn to live with are so important!

Long story short, as my son got closer to middle school / high school sports he spent more time at home and I pushed healthier home made meals on him and constantly shared with him reasons why we eat this and that.

At my studio I have posters and signs about all three macros and nutrients. At one point I kept a sign in the bathroom and he would read it while pooping. I never knew until he came home one day in middle school and said MOM! I was the only one is science class to know the answers about macros!

That’s when I learned he had been reading the sign and soaking up the information and I was ECSTATIC!

At 13 my son became interested in lifting weights. I shared some tips and as he began lifting with the new high school coach he became much more serious.

Today my son is knowledgeable enough about health and fitness I would let him lead my own clients!

I’m proud of him. He’s helped many other kids and teens and I know he’ll do great things!

I DID THAT! I taught him by leading with example! Only he’s much more ripped!

Fit and healthy