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A Happy Healthy Hiatus

On August 15, 2012, in General Health, Misc / Tips, Natural Health, by Michelle
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I has been an awfully long time since I have posted to this blog – 8 months to be exact. I just didn’t have time! In completing my master’s degree, and working on my culminating project, all my writing energies were in action elsewhere.

HappyHealthyHer.comYou can see the fruits of my labors in the resulting website:

www.HappyHealthyHer.com

Given my time away, I have been able to reflect on just how great a hiatus can be:

Education is Empowering

My experience with completing a master’s degree in Integrative Health & Healing was amazing! It made me realize that although I had been reading voraciously on health, and writing as well, I wasn’t completely immersed in the process. I didn’t have colleagues or instructors to share my passions with, and to learn from. I had been going it alone, which kept me informed, but it hadn’t made me empowered. I can honestly say that being immersed in the educational experience has provided me with the comprehensive experiential knowledge and understanding that I just could not get on my own. I think all adults should have the opportunity to fuel their creative spark in such a way.

Introspection is Essential

In education you must do a great deal of soul searching. You have to think about what is really important to you, and bend your beliefs as new information is uncovered. It can be tiring, yet amazingly uplifting at the same time. During my degree, daily journaling was encouraged and I found that putting my innermost thoughts on paper was a window into my soul. I was able to uncover who I really was at heart, and what I really wanted out of life. That is some pretty profound stuff! We all think we know what we want, but I can tell you, I was never as sure about what I stood for as I am now after two years of journaling. If you haven’t ever tried it, I urge you to give it a shot.

Reading is “Fun”damental

I remember that somewhat cheesy line from grade school. Back then I really didn’t like to read because books were often forced upon me, and then I was told what they meant, or how I was supposed to interpret them. Ridiculous! All written material is subject to the reader’s perception. Now that I understand that, and feel free to read under my own terms, I love reading. I feel so inspired by a good book, and also grateful to its author. Discovering works that move me has also enriched my writing tremendously and made me more sure than ever that I was meant to be a writer. My recent favorite works include: Kitchen Table Wisdom (Rachel Naomi Remen), The Genie In Your Genes (Dawson Church), The Art of Effortless Living (Ingrid Bacci), The War of Art (Steven Pressfield), and Writing Down the Bones (Natalie Goldberg). Even if you don’t opt to go back to school, you can always expand your mind with a good book.

So, although I have been on break from this blog, you can see that I have kept myself busy. If you took a hiatus what would you do?

 

An Exercise in Accountability

On December 31, 2011, in General Health, Weight Loss, by Michelle
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I started writing this post at the beginning of 2011, but somehow never got around to completing it, which is a shame because it addresses something that I think is absolutely essential for good health – ACCOUNTABILITY! A bit ironic, right? I’m about to preach about accountability, and I can’t even motivate myself to blog as frequently as I’d like. But, I promise I have good reason. I have been spending much of my time this year studying to complete a master’s degree in Integrative Health and working on my own personal health through daily exercise (of mind and body).  I even have the documentation to prove it (for the exercise that is, the degree won’t be done until August). The proof I speak of is perhaps the most powerful tool in my fitness arsenal – a calendar.

The Only Exercise Tool You’ll Ever Need

My exercise basket complete with trusty calendar

As justification that some of the best things in life are free, my 2011 calendar was sent as a gift with my annual donation to the American Institute for Cancer Research. And, what a gift it was as it has served as a constant reminder of my goal to exercise daily, or at least 5 times per week. When empty spaces started to appear, I knew that I needed to get moving.  At the beginning of the year, I stuck mostly to my favorite yoga and Pilates routines, either following along with Exercise TV on Comcast On Demand, or using my favorite DVDs. After I completed a session, I wrote it down on the calendar. The simple act of documenting my progress was very rewarding and empowering. As the year progressed, and my calendar spaces began to fill, I opted to mix things up, heading outside for hikes, trying strength training, playing Wii Fit, and my latest Wii favorite – Just Dance 2, which has proven to be quite the fun cardio workout! The key is that I never got bored and never really saw the exercise calendar as something I had to fill, but rather embraced it as something I wanted to fill.

My Inexpensive Home Gym

The full home gym complete with exercise basket, Gazelle, exercise ball, and recumbent bike.

Of course I simplify my exercise tools a bit by stressing only the calendar. There are other basics that have proven helpful for my success. But, what I want to stress is the fact that none of these items were expensive, and for the most part the only truly essential requirement was a good pair of running sneakers, although even those aren’t necessary for yoga and Pilates routines which are done in bare feet. Here is a list of the core items that I keep in a small exercise basket in my bedroom:

  • Running Sneakers – a good pair of sneakers is crucial for preventing injury when doing cardio exercises like running, dancing, or aerobics. I have a pair of inexpensive Asics ($30) that I purchased at Kohl’s a few years ago. I only wear these indoors which has kept them clean and minimized their wear-and-tear. Running sneakers seem to have the most support and cushion, although cross trainers are ideal as well.
  • Hand Weights – the pair I use is only 3 pounds, but enough weight to challenge my muscles.
  • Exercise Bands – I love exercise bands because they are so portable. The set I use now was only $2 at Target. They are great for strengthening the back and chest muscles.
  • Mini Exercise Ball - I must admit it, I bought the Bender Ball! It is actually a pretty helpful piece of ab equipment. The exercise DVDs with the ball are easy to learn and do a great job of working the whole abs.
  • Yoga Blog & Strap – The beauty of yoga is truly how little it requires.I rarely use anything more than my own body when I do yoga routines, but it doesn’t hurt to have a block or strap available for new or especially challenging poses.

As you can see by the above photo, I also have a Gazelle. Yes, that is the very one sold by Tony Little! With the Bender Ball and the Gazelle – you can see that I am not immune to infomercials. But, I really do enjoy both pieces of equipment. Although I don’t use the Gazelle as much as I had hoped, it does provide a smooth, quiet cardio workout. Sometimes I will use it while watching TV, or as a means of stretching my leg muscles.

The biggest dust collector in my exercise arsenal is of course the most expensive – my recumbent bike. It was one of my first big purchases when I lived on my own, making it a bit of a sentimental item. Back in those days I hadn’t discovered yoga or Pilates, so simply hopping on the bike and peddling away was a chore, but an effective workout none-the-less. If I had to give up one piece of equipment, that would be it, but my husband uses it occasionally, so for now it stays.

Exercise Should be Fun

I think the biggest challenge to maintaining a steady exercise routine really is a lack of commitment and accountability. If you don’t commit to doing some form of exercise every day, and then hold yourself to it – with a calendar, a planner or even an exercise app – then it is very easy to just let it go all together. That is of course, unless you grow to love your exercise routines. Because when exercise is an enjoyable part of your life, you want to do it. So, for the coming year, I encourage you to give exercise a try – whether it be walking, dancing, swimming, active video games, or one of my favorites – yoga or Pilates – there is bound to be some activity that will fill up your calendar in 2012.

 

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Mastering Meditation

On November 11, 2011, in General Health, by Michelle
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Yin Yang - BalanceO.k. so there’s no real mastering of meditation – I just happen to like alliteration. The truth is that meditation requires regular practice. Some days you can quiet the mind, others you can’t. And, to be honest I don’t think I have ever completely quieted my mind. My mind happens to be a bit chatty.

However, I have gotten much better at accessing a quiet, reflective state, which is a huge breakthrough for me. The past two days in particular have been pretty profound (more alliteration ♥ ) as I have been meditating in honor of the 11/11/11 energy shifts. I was aided by recently completing  Level 1 – Emei Qigong which has helped me tap into my energy field. But, what I think really helped me reach a state of calm and relaxation was listening to healing music and performing a healing meditation – both of which had been shared by my sister Kristi. She has links on her website to the downloadable music and a recording of her reading the meditation. I’m not sure how long she will keep them posted, so get them while they’re hot! Here they are: Meditation Help (EraofPeace.org).

It has taken me over a year to get to this place where I can now sit quietly in peaceful relaxation for more then 5 or 10 minutes at a time. In fact, today I found a document I had composed from a Facebook chat with my nephew Brian that had a date of 10/16/10 on it. At that time he had given me tips as to how to help me find my inner zen. It seemed so easy at the time, but here I am over a year later and I am still a work in progress. His tips are too good not to share, so here they are :

  • The general point is to gradually work towards calming yourself to allow your mind to settle down.When a thought enters your mind, don’t fight it just let it pass.
  • Play peaceful music and then eventually try to block the music out.
  • Some people also focus on creating a circle in their mind’s eye, then putting a box in the circle, then a triangle in the square, and repeating that imagery over and over.
  • Others use a mala (a string of prayer beads) to help them stay focused. You can repeat a mantra while moving the beads to keep track of the number of times you repeat the mantra.
  • Vocal meditation is also helpful. That is where you repeat a mantra (similar to a prayer) while remaining in Lotus position, or a comfortable seated position.  Chanting Ohm Shanti is an easy and calming vocal meditation.

Right around the time of getting all of Brian’s help, I also began completing a master’s degree in Integrative Health & Healing at the Graduate Institute. The program emphasizes the integration of mind, body and spirit, making meditation a regular focus of our studies. As such, I have uncovered my own tips and techniques for calming my mind and realigning my energies through meditation. My favorites include:

  • Meditating to a piece of music that moves my spirit. I absolutely love Heart’s version of Reign O’er Me. I just listen to the music and let my mind go. It is very powerful!
  • Using a short guided meditation. LearningMeditation.com has some great meditations that are free and are only 3-5 minutes. I especially love the Healing Meditation.
  • Simply focusing on deep breathing. I read a great tip from Deepak Chopra that said to breath in to the word “just” and breath out to the word “this”. It’s a great reminder that all we ever really NEED to do is breath. How freeing!
  • Burning sandalwood incense. The scent alone puts me into a relaxed and clear-headed state.
  • Wearing a sodalite necklace or holding a carnelian crystal. Crystals carry a powerful energy and just having them in contact with my body gives me a sense of calm.

Meditation is about the journey, not the destination. So, the most important piece of advice I’ve gotten about the practice came from my instructor Denise Romano who reminds all of her students to think “who cares!” That simple statement reminds us to let go, give up all pretenses and just be. And that is what meditation is all about – no mastery required.

If you are interested in incorporating the power of meditation into an online degree program
check out this masters degree in human services.

 

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Gluten Free is NOT Funny

On October 4, 2011, in General Health, Gluten Free, Misc / Tips, by Michelle
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I haven’t blogged about going gluten free since I actually bit that bullet over 3 years ago. That anniversary is not one I celebrate. It represents a time of mourning, a total loss of the life I once knew. I actually went into the field of nutrition for the same reason that many others do, because I really loved food (note the past tense). Some of my favorite foods were veritable gluten fests – pasta, pizza, chicken parmesan. I always opted for the healthier versions of those foods, and I enjoyed them responsibly, but I truly LOVED them. They were a treat and having them always gave me joy. Not being able to enjoy them is painful and not at all funny.

Friends and family still find it hard to believe that I no longer eat my favorite candy (Twizzlers) or nosh on my beloved Papa Gino’s pizza. And, they find it harder to believe that I’m unable to eat anything they serve. At parties and family gatherings I live with the hunger and the virtual torture of everyone around me “eewwwing” and “ahhhing” over the delicious treats… Mom’s spaghetti and meatballs, my Mother-In-Law’s eggplant parmesan, and every birthday cake at every birthday party (some 10+ a year, but who’s counting?). “Oh you can’t eat this? Really?” “Really” is all I can mutter in response. Most foods contain gluten in some form since gluten is in wheat (the base for flour), oats, barley and rye. I tend to bring my own snacks, so I don’t literally starve, and I keep my sobbing to a minimum as I do my best to avoid the delicious smells wafting around me. I am trying to make light of this, as I often do. But, believe me there is nothing funny about HAVING to avoid gluten.

Imagine never again enjoying the sweet simplicity of a fresh baked roll, or the decadence of chocolate cake. Not being able to just grab a bagel at the office, or having to refuse a friend’s homemade blueberry muffins. Needing to read every label and scrutinize every bite. Does any of that sound funny to you?

Allow me to get a bit more graphic to really drive home this point. If I eat something that contains gluten in any form (i.e. a touch of flour, a bread crumb, a single stray oat) l have diarrhea within 15-30 minutes. Sometimes it’s accompanied by nausea, bloating, and sores at the corner of my mouth. Would it scare you if you knew that something in food could damage your entire digestive tract if you ate just a morsel? That is the fear I live with every time I eat outside of my house. And, the residual damage of having even a little gluten causes me days of fatigue. It is as though my body has been poisoned and it then must take time to recover. Some research shows that the damage from gluten can actually last for months. It’s not funny. It’s a disease (Celiac) and it’s very debilitating. Coming off a weekend trip to Cape Cod where I ate only 2 meals at restaurants, the lack of humor is especially fresh in my mind. At both meals I stressed to the servers that I could not have gluten, and I picked from just a few items on the menu that I knew to be naturally gluten free, yet after each meal I had digestive upsets that sent me running back to the hotel room. I wasn’t laughing.

I wasn’t going to share any of this with the world, because it’s embarrassing and somewhat hard to talk about. But, then I just happened to be watching TV as I did the dishes last night. The show Two Broke Girls came on TV and although I didn’t enjoy the show when I watched it the week before I left it on as background distraction. The show is a comedy featuring two waitresses; one is a snarky, seasoned server, the other, a spoiled, rich girl who has never worked in her life. The spoiled girl says to the snarky waitress, “one of my tables is asking if we have anything that is gluten free. What should I tell them?” The snarky and overtly ignorant waitress responds, “tell them ‘you’re not allergic to gluten, you’re just masking an eating disorder.’” The studio audience roared with laughter. I dropped my dish brush and immediately turned off the TV.

At first I thought turning off the show was the only retaliation I had for such ignorance and cruelty, but then I remembered that education is the best remedy, and thus this post. As you can probably tell after more than three years of trying to live gluten free it is still very, very difficult and I am totally stunned by how hard it is to protect myself not just from gluten, but from the ignorance and lack of compassion of some people. Apparently many believe that avoiding gluten is a fad, a weight loss gimmick, or even some form of eating disorder. This certainly could be true for some people, but those are surely the minority. Given how incredibly difficult it is to avoid gluten, which as I previously alluded to is in virtually all prepared foods, it is odd to me that anyone would believe that avoiding it is for reasons of vanity alone. I’m quite certain that the many individuals with Celiac disease and the many more with gluten intolerance would tell you that if they had a choice they would not go out of their way to make a fuss about avoiding gluten in their meals. It is a medical necessity! Would you laugh at a diabetic if they told you that they couldn’t eat a piece of cake because it could eventually cause them to go blind? Would you carelessly add sugar to their meal? I certainly hope not. The same consideration and understanding needs to be taken for anyone avoiding gluten.

I leave you with some final questions that I think everyone should be asking themselves. Why are some people (especially children) so harmed by gluten? Is it possible that those who are so sensitive to its effects are just harbingers to gluten’s long term dangers? If that is the case, then maybe those of us who are so diligently avoiding gluten will have the last laugh in the end, but I doubt any of us really want that.

To show your support for those trying desperately to avoid gluten for medical reasons, please support Gluten Free food labeling

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Digestion Often Goes Awry

On September 13, 2011, in General Health, Gluten Free, Misc / Tips, by Michelle
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I often read the Ask Dr. Gott column in my local paper. I generally enjoy Dr. Gott’s interesting approach to readers’ questions, as he tends to come at topics from a more lighthearted and unique perspective than most conventional docs. I have particularly enjoyed his stance on promoting more natural approaches to lowering cholesterol (cinnamon, fish oil, etc.) vs. using statins with harmful side effects. However, in spite of his somewhat progressive view on some topics, there are other areas of medicine in which he takes a hard line, conventional approach that really doesn’t make sense. Thyroid disease is one area in particular that he often misunderstands, but I don’t need to really address that since Mary Shomon, thyroid expert and patient has done so already. And, honestly, I’m not looking to bash Dr. Gott in this post. I just want to set the record straight on his explanation of digestion.

Here is the letter that was posted in the paper & Dr. Gott’s response:

DEAR DR. GOTT: I read your column daily but don’t recall seeing my question before. My wife will eat a meal and then shortly after have a running bowel movement. She will declare that something she just ate must have made it happen. I’ve repeatedly explained to her that it’s not possible to eat something and have it pass through a person that fast, that it takes many hours and possibly overnight. She insists she can eat something tainted now and within the hour it makes her run to the bathroom.

Please clarify this for me and especially for my wife. I’ve tried to tell her if she has a runny bowel movement soon after eating, it’s most likely from something she ate earlier or the day before.

DEAR READER: For most healthy adults, it takes 24 to 72 hours following a meal for it to be digested and excreted. It takes up to eight hours for it to pass through the stomach and into the small intestine. It then enters the large intestine for further digestion and absorption of fluids and nutrients. Elimination of undigested food residue begins after 24 hours, but complete elimination may take longer.

The rapid sensation your wife experiences may simply result from the new food stimulating the existing digestive process. I side with you on this one.

And, here is my follow-up:

Dear Dr. Gott,

I regularly read your column and enjoy your answers as you often point to interesting solutions. However, your recent 9/6/11 column on Urgency after Eating really missed the mark with regards to the woman in question’s problem (urgent bowel movements after eating). You note how normal digestion is supposed to take place in 24-72 hours, but the reality is that what is supposed to happen with digestion often doesn’t. It is a very individualized process, particularly if a digestive problem is occurring. I am a dietitian, so I am well-versed in what we believe the body is supposed to do with the food we eat, but there are a myriad of reasons why this process often goes awry.

On a personal level, three years ago I began having urgent bowel movements 15-30 minutes after eating. I found it hard to believe that a food could trigger such a response, but it absolutely did. For me the trigger was (is) gluten, and any food that contains that protein will cause an almost immediate response in my body. Unfortunately, it is quite common for it to happen after eating a meal at a restaurant even after telling the server that I must avoid gluten, as restaurant foods are typically laden with additives.

Rather than “siding” with the woman’s husband as you did, you really should have suggested she investigate a potential gluten intolerance or other food sensitivity. Dairy (particularly lactose intolerance) is a well-known trigger for diarrhea, as are stress, viruses, excess consumption of sugar alcohols, fat, or hypertonic solutions. I hope you will consider these factors in future responses, and more importantly acknowledge that what someone says is happening is far more important than what is supposed to be happening

Best Regards,
Michelle Traub, R.D.

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