What I've learned - ALOT!

So needless to say my short time working with Alexis has been an awesome learning experience! Besides the fact that girl is so passionate about what she does, she really knows what she is doing!

My biggest lesson learned was that it's not just about your diet and it's not just about exercising -- you need both to be a healthier 'you'! I am one who can do a diet for a bit if I need to or get going on the exercise front but I'm not one that usually combines both.

I have lost a little bit of weight just making smarter food choices but in this journey never was able (or made the choice and the commitment) to get the exercise piece in. As a full-time working mother of 2 (with an underlying illness that makes me very fatigured).....I haven't made the commitment to exercise. I always had a work excuse during the day or a Mother/fatigue concern at night. The result is I haven't been able to take care of myself like I should. Talking through this with Alexis has been a big help. She is very supportive but she also is helping me to realize that I WILL feel better and be healthier once I get the exercise piece in. And she's also helped me to realize that I don't have to do an hour at the gym. She put some great workouts together for me at home and even a "competition" to do with my husband at home. I love a good competition.

As the new year approaches I am making the normal "New Years Resolution" that I do every year to GET HEALTHY. This time though I truly feel like with the work I've done with Alexis that I will be able to finally do it. She has given me the tools I need to succeed.

My favorite thing I've learned from her may be about the food and eating more clean and healthy. I am now a fan of Quinoa. I love eating canned chicken from Costco. Greek yogart is awesome. I have always been a salad fan and now I know how to eat healthy salad. I drink more water now too!

All in all I just want to say "thank you Alexis" for being so supportive and patient with me. And I'm so glad you are a dear friend that I will be able to lean on for life. Thank you for giving me the tools I need to become a "healthier me"! And by the way - you ROCK!
xoxoxox Sue

Sue is trucking

Okay so it's been a while. between computer issues and some work travel I haven't had a chance to update you all.

Things are trucking along - all be it very slow. I haven't made the time for the exercise as I need to and keep saying "this week" but it doesn't really happen. In fact the most exercise/gym work I did was on a work trip to Asia. Somehow between work in the office and kids and being home...I just find an excuse not to.

Alexis gave me a great workout schedule and we just got an elliptical machine for our anniversary (thanks "hun") So things should start rolling! I did a physical test with Alexis and boy was it bad. All those sports and being active as a kid, into my 20's sure has left the "body"....I am so out of shape. It makes me sad to think back to the 4 sport athlete growing up or even just the girl that loved to be so active in college and after.

Unfortunately the MS situation gives me a lot of fatigue but I know it would get better if I incorporated the exercise.

I have my physcial this week and am sure the DR is going to tell me once again - gotta get the body in better shape.

I will say I have some new found food fun...Kirkland, chicken in a can is AWESOME. whether it's a lunch salad, dinner or just straight out of the can - I'm loving it. For someone who gags at the sign of tuna out of a can, I sure love this stuff. In fact at work my boss just about passed out when he saw me eating chicken out of a can and thought it was tuna. Protein shakes are great. Also loving Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, salads, veggies and fruit. I'm sad fruit season is going away. Already missing it.

Well - that is it for now....hopefully now that I am up online again I'll be able to post more often.

The holidays are coming so it's going to be even more important to get that exercise in.

Sue

Quinoa! Low Glycemic Load and High Quality Protein...

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Grain and Flour are non - GMO in nature and have not been subjected to irradiation or ethylene oxide (ETO) gas.
Please note that the nutritional information below is for our 100% quinoa grain, flour & flakes. Our pastas are not 100% Quinoa Pasta but a delicious blend of organic corn flour and organic quinoa flour.

Also note that the statements below are given by consumers and not verified by Quinoa Corporation.
Quinoa is 35 on the *Glycemic Index and about 18 on the Glycemic Load.

A good source for people with wheat and gluten related food allergies as well as senior and diabetic diets. *(Taken from the Glycemic Index in the book ‘Eat Yourself Slim’ by Michel Montignac.  This statement is not varified by Quinoa Corporation). 

Quinoa is an Alkaline food and not acidic.  Most people eat too many acid foods which lead to health problems, it is important to eat Alkalizing foods to have a proper balance. Submitted by Marcel Ikelaar of the Netherlands

4 more reasons to enjoy the benefits of quinoa:
1. It’s a VEGETARIAN solution, a balanced-amino-acid source of high quality protein. 
2. It’s a SENIOR solution, a high-iron food that raises the hematocrit, delivers more oxygen to the brain, fights senility. 
3. It’s a DIABETIC solution, a very low-glycemic-index cereal type food.

4. It’s a TASTE SOLUTION, quite delicious. I used it in a purple cabbage & romaine & onion salad, with a stalk of chopped celery & celery leaves, salt & pepper and a pinch of cumin, with ranch dressing. By the way, it MUST be purple cabbage rather than green.

Go to recipes tab for cooking ideas with Quinoa!

Tighten your core just by breathing!

Pilates incorporates a breathing method that I encourage you to try.  This can be practiced alone or in conjunction with exercises.  The exhalation is the key to deep core activation. When you exhale, the transverse, which is your deep abdominal muscle, presses against the diaphragm to expel the air, thus creating a deep abdominal contraction. 

Here's something to consider if you want to get the most bang for your workout time...

THUMBS UP FOR ANAEROBIC WORKOUTS:
Anaerobic workouts are good for the body for multiple reasons... sweat releases toxins, lung capacity increases allowing your heart to pump more oxygenated blood to your muscles, connective tissue and bone density can increase, body fat decreases and lean muscle mass increases.  The body utilizes calories even after you workout to feed the muscles that are being built.

What is anaerobic workouts?
Workouts dependent on moderate to high intensity, high power output, strength, speed, agility.  Activities that cannot be performed for long periods of time, less then an hour!

I recommend 30-45 minutes with varied modes of movements 3-4 times a week.  To keep it interesting create a circuit with limited rest 15-30 sec. between each exercise.  Perform the circuit three to five times.    A circuit is a very easy thing to do outside of a gym.

Let me know if try this and how it feels.
Good luck!
Alexis

Still pushing.....

Alright so we are on about week 4? They all come together now - LOL! Things are going pretty well. I have made some smarter decisions in my food choices. I am gettting more H20 in although I find I crave it at night but not so much during the day. Some of the food choices I have made are:
-Breakfast - actually eating it and not skipping it and eating something that is good for me (i.e. cottage cheese, steel cut oats, eggs etc)
-Lunch - trying to get away from Lean Cuisines. One of my favorite things is going to Pita Pit so Alexis and I talked about how to make my own Pita, but even healthier. Love this idea. Also incorporating more salads, which I love.
-Dinner - I am a huge seafood fan so this has been going pretty well with Talapia, Sole, Salmon etc. Also trying to make sure to get some chicken in too. It's a matter of time that is the struggle on this one.
-Adding hot tea instead of caloric coffee drinks
I am finding snacks to be the most difficult to find stuff I like and satisfies. Fruit doesn't keep me full and some things that are good, give me tummy aches, like some nuts. Alexis had some really great ideas at our touch base this past week so I plan to incorp those.
I was given "Food Inc." to watch. I have heard some "interesting" things about it. I haven't had the chance to watch but plan to get the husband to watch it with me soon. Not sure I'll be able to stomach it =)
Exercise - so far this has been a challenge. As a full-time, working Mom of two busy little boys....I haven't made it to the gym a ton. I did 2x last week. But this week between off-site meetings, market travel and 2 work lunches scheduled, it's not looking good. For me making the food changes is at the heart of it and my biggest componant. But, the exercise piece is so critical as well.
So....my favorite adds to the diet:
-Protein shakes! Love non-fat yogart (greek), berries, a little milk and protein powder!
-Steel cut oats: Alexis recommended cooking ahead of time that worked out real well for me today. I love oatmeal but it's the time to cook the good, steel cut oats I don't have. Just reheating some at work was perfect.
-Muscle Milk Light: Really like these drinks with protein (get 'em at Costco)
Trying some new things this week per my touch base last week with Alexis - we'll see how they go!
That's it for now......Sue

PERSONAL BEST: DISEASE, AGE, GENDER RELATED ISSUES

MY LIFE WITH PULMONARY FIBROSIS

About two years ago, and following two years of dealing with a local doctor, I decided to seek another opinion from a Dr. Cho in an adjacent city. I was then diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. I was devastated to learn that I had a lung capacity of only 80% and that this was the reason that I was winded and had a cough. Dr. Cho prescribed a high level of predisone. My husband and I decided to seek out a "super" specialist in the field and were referred by Dr. Cho to a Dr. Raghu at the University of Washington in Seattle. He accepted me as one of his "regular patients" which means I will be with him as long as my condition continues; which means a very long time as the lungs will not repair themselves!   Dr. Raghu confirmed the level of predizone that Dr. Cho had prescribed and encouraged me to exercise.

I took his exercise suggestion and immediately joined a gym and hooked up with a personal trainer. I was, and am, highly motivated and visit the gym at least five times a week. As of this date the level of my predizone intake has be greatly deminished and it appears that at my next visit I may be taken off the predisone and begin using an inhaler. I truly attribute my current success in dealing with the pulmonary fibrosis to the medication but more importantly to my commitment to an exercise program set up by my personal trainer. I can truly say that I feel very good and actually enjoy my visits to the gym and meeting with my personal trainer as we continue to adapt my "program" to best suit my goals.

At this time we have also became aware of a friend who is currently in critical condition in the local hospital with pulmonary fibrosis which he apparently incurred from a heart medication he had been taking. I have talked with him often and although he had this condition he never sought out a specialist or made any attempt to engage and exercise program.

We leave for Seattle in about six months for another appointment. I currently feel great and realize that I will be dealing with the cards that have been dealt me but I am very encourage with each appointment and truly enjoy the gym and the programs my personal trainer has assigned to me. I know that the combination of the medication and the exercise program I am on has produced for me a much healthier condition than if had I not embraced the program I am pursuing.

LLM, 65 yrs @ 9/15/10