As cliche as it sounds, always remember to love the very thing that houses you because when you take it for granted, you may loose it.
Your body is not invincible. It doesn’t have a restart button. It’s just trying to do the best it can with whatever you decide to throw it’s way.
Dieting, restriction, stress, over exertion and over overconsuming are all threats to your home. It’s like a plague where it starts off affecting a small area and then it seeps into others leaving nothing left in it’s path and just causing one loss after another after another. When you deprive your body of what it needs (or go over it’s capacity), things are compromised and perhaps even sacrificed as it tries to keep fighting and moving forward.
But sometimes the plague is just too strong and the body looses the battle.
Unfortunately, that’s when you realize that the one thing that you should feel the most protective over is gone and that often means that you are too.
…..
Now before someone thinks I’m writing my own death letter, I’m not dying. I have however gotten some not so nice medical results back as of late and am currently in the works with dealing with them.
The first was when I asked my doctor to test me for a gut parasite as a weird thing to check off the list of “what is causing Chelsea’s tummy issues”
As weird as it sounds (where most doctors wouldn’t even consider this as a possibility because we are a first world country) my results not only came back positive, but came back sayingmany…
So basically I was housing a rapidly growing colony in my gut that is possibly stealing my body’s resources. #FunTimes
Currently being treated with meds for the next few days (for a total of 10 days) to try to kill the parasite. Unfortunately it’s also going to kill a lot of good flora which is not so great for someone who already is at a disadvantage from a stomach/gut perspective. Thanks IBS.
So that was one.
Lesson learned here: You know your own body. When something is getting worse when you are doing everything the absolute same plus doing things that are known to help your problem, you need to take matters into your own hands and TELL THE DOCTOR WHAT TO DO.
If I hadn’t had said anything, those buggers would continue to eat away and do their thing (whatever that is) and continue making me miserable.
The second thing that came back was my pituitary gland hormones. To keep things brief and to the point, I basically have no LH or FSH (integral to menstruation) and my prolactin is through the roof. My doctor did not, however, ask for my estrogen or progesterone levels which is annoying but either way I have a problem that needs to be dealt with.
For this, I don’t know what’s is going to happen until I see her next Friday but I did happen to miss the clinic calling (and subsequently emailing me..) with a doctors message.
Why they don’t leave a voicemail is beyond me…
…so it ain’t looking positive.
All and all this was not a post meant for you to feel bad for me.
It was meant for:
1.To be transparent with you all about my journey as I always do.
2.The bigger thing was to show you that your body has a way of showing you it’s hurt and it will bite you in the ass eventually. Although my health is constantly improving, these show me that my body was very much effected by my lack of being a ‘responsible home owner” and now I have to suffer the consequences.
Nevertake your body for granted. Treat it with respect or it will come back with nothing but negative consequences in your future.
….
I realize that this post is quite a bit different than the usual Fitness Fridayinformational blogs, but I wanted to get this point across. An integral part of being an active and healthy individual is taking care of the one thing that allows you to do what you do. We all need to be reminded of this fact every so often and so I suppose I can give you a realistic example as to why you need to be aware that you are more fragile then you would like to admit.
Happy Friday once again. I’m excited for this weekend because I’m going to get all up and crazy with some kitty’s in a place called the Kitty Cafe with Ritatomorrow!
I haven’t been to it yet, but it’s the first cafe in Guelph to do the whole “Kitty” theme where literally there are cats just chillin everywhere in the cafe. The point is to have as many of the cats and kittens adopted and this particular location has had over 45 cats adopted since it opened about a year ago!
Tomorrow though is a special occasion where kittens are coming in the boatloads in the hopes that as many as possible get adopted. Although the point is adoption, you can go and simply visit the kitties so Rita and I are just going to play with them.
😀
Anywho, enough of me showing my crazy animal loving side, the topic for this Friday’s Fitness was inspired by a recent video by Buff Bunny or Heidi Somers on Youtube.
It’s something interesting to address because the other area that girls tend to say they ‘want to loose’ is their thighs.
Oh the envied …
Thigh Gap.
Ladies I can make this short and sweet and say that this is not something you can make happen per say. When I say that I mean that it’s not something you can work away at and all the sudden there is a gap you are happy with.
You see, your body has a plan and if that plan includes wider set hips, well there you have a thigh gap. If your body decides that it’s going to rock the narrow hips, well then you may never be able to have a space between your thighs unless you literally shave away all of your skin, muscle and tissues and leave just the bones…
Eww icky mental picture.
Anyways that is the simple explanation. Most of us don’t have the skeletal structure to have a thigh gap, at least not in a remotely healthy way.
I found an article (not a scientific journal, but I didn’t think that was really necessary for this topic) that gives a very generalized explanation by Jen Sinkler. Definitely give that a read but to briefly summarize…
~There are different pelvic angles and shapes that can create more or less of a gap between the thighs. Even if you are 10% body fat as a female (which is unhealthy btw), if you’re pelvis is narrow set, you probably won’t have a gap between your thighs.
~Body composition also pertains here too. If you are prone to putting on muscle or have a greater tendency to store fat in your lower trunk then you are unlikely to ever naturally obtain a gap.
~Something I didn’t realize is tendon length apparently also makes a difference. If the thickest part of the muscle on the inner thigh (adductors) is higher set, then you are also more unlikely to have a gap.
So you see my friends, there aren’t that many people who can naturally and healthfully have a gap between their thighs.
….
I’m not really sure where this whole ‘thigh gap is attractive’ thing came from….
Can I just say how weird this picture is. What’s with the cookie?
…but I will admit that I also fell for it.
Damn you social media.
I always hated my thighs because I felt that they were to big because they rubbed together. I thought that things like riding the bike and such would make them smaller so I could have the same gap between my thighs that my best friend at the time had. Well you see, she’s a tall and thin female while I am a shorter person with an athletic frame (aka dem quads and no hips).
Well, in the end we see where that took me (that and my ab-session) so that was pointless. Sure I may have gotten my thighs to not touch, but I kinda almost died, so I wouldn’t say that was beneficial to put it lightly.
Now, although I still have issues with my ab-session, I have come to know that my legs are quite strong. Those athletic legs can break down doors and squat great numbers. Those legs look better shaped and muscular than when they were boney and thin.
I have accepted that my body can’t have a healthy, strong looking ‘thigh gap’ and that is okay.Muscle over bones any day.
So yeah, there’s really nothing more I can say here. You cannot fight your bone structure. If your legs touch it’s because that is the way your body intended and if you were to try to fight that, you are simply going to end up malnourished and unhappy ….and perhaps still not with a gap.
So it’s about time that we stop thinking that this attribute, if you want to even all it that as that almost signifies that it’s a good or better thing, is more attractive and something to work for because 1. Every body type is attractive and 2. It’s not really something you can work towards so it would start an endless cycle of effort with no ‘reward.‘
Instead, use those strong, muscular legs to your advantage and rock them in your shortest short-shorts (please not the ass showing ones…just sayin) because healthy bodies are the most attractive and happy bodies.
Hope that was informative and you have a great weekend friends!
I had a request to talk give out some vegan recipes and I finally decided to tackle that one for ya! Oh hey Melissa, this ones for you. 🙂 Now, as you all probably know, I’m a complete carnivore (no offense to all the vegans and vegetarians out there) and due tot that, I don’t really have any full meals that are vegan to share with you. I was going to do one meatless Monday this vacation with a soup, but I didn’t think that was very creative so I thought it would be better to just do some bloglovin and share some amazing recipes from the blog-o-sphere. I will however give some tips and factoids about the nutritional requirements I think are important as you have to be much more mindful that you are giving you body what it needs for any diet that requires restriction.
So how ’bout some lil pointers first eh?
The first thing that comes to mind is protein. It’s the question that makes all vegans (and vegetarians) go crazy because it really isn’t that hard to get all of your protein from non-animal sources, it just takes a lil bit more thought.
I will go off the deep end here and say that if you’re a hard core bodybuilder you may need some protein powder of some kind to meet your needs if your diet is also carb restricted. I firmly believe that high protein is needed to build a decent amount of muscle, many will argue against this notion, but this is what I believe.
There are many sources of protein in nature other than in animal products. Yes, vegetarians will have it easier as they can include dairy, fish and eggs, if they chose, and that should mean they have no problem reaching their requirements for protein BUT vegans, it can be trickier.
With plant based proteins, they are incomplete (with a small handful of exceptions which most people don’t eat, like some forms of algae/kelp I believe), meaning they don’t have all of your amino acids. Due to this, it is crucial that you eat a variety of different foods to ensure you are getting all of your amino acids (ie building blocks of any new tissue, muscle, etc in the body), especially those essential ones that the body cannot make on it’s own. Now, I have now come to believe that you don’t need to do complementary pairing at every meal, but instead, having a day full of variety is enough to get what you need.
Here are some examples of foods for your essential ones. Make sure to include these in your diet daily as you cannot make these lil guys.
Histidine: Rye, bananas, green vegetables, rice
Isoleucin: Soy protein, seaweed
Leucin: Beans, lentils, nuts, rice, oats
Lysine: Beans, nuts, seeds, some grains
Methionine: Beans, nuts, seeds, grains,
Phenylalanine: Soy products, nuts and seeds
Threonine: Lentils, black beans and sesame seeds
Tryptophan: Spirulina, unsweetened chocolate, seeds, some grains (like quinoa), and dates
Valine: Beans and legumes
The only other issue of getting enough protein with this lifestyle is whether or not your body responds well to the protein sources you have left. Personally, not only would I never be able to give up meat without feeling like I’m giving up the best foods (again, sorry to those who are not meat eaters, I’m just being honest), but my body just wouldn’t work eating vegetarian proteins. I can only eat beans and lentils once in a blue moon because they upset my stomach (way to gassy), I refuse to eat soy and well….there’s nothing really substantial left. Check out the video (click on the image) I posted below for my take on this issue.
So now that we got the big one out of the way, some other vitamins and minerals of concern, especially with vegans include:
B12: This guy is very hard to find naturally in non-animal products so you’re kinda stuck going with supplements or fortified foods. One natural source I do know of is nutritional yeast (which more use a cheesy tasting substitute). Guys, you need this one for sure as it can wreck havoc on your system from damaging your nerves, causing anemia or leading to heart problems. Take this one seriously or you will find yourself in a convulsive fit.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Without fish, this one can be tough because plant based sources are tricky to use by the body. For example, while flax is a source of omega fatty acids, specifically ALA, the body has to convert that ALA to EPA and DHA and it’s not very efficient at this process. As a result, you are kind of stuck getting a small fraction of what you see on the nutrition label. Best to find a supplement offering a high amount of DHA and EPA. The source is often algae.
Calcium: Although in smaller amounts, this one can be found in a number of plant based foods. Some of those include, dark leafy greens, beans, legumes, nuts, and many green vegetables. The issue once again comes down to the ability to absorb the calcium as there is a pesky thing called oxalate that is found in quite high amounts in those foods and that blocks absorption. Often, supplements are still required to get enough after accounting for lack of absorption.
Vitamin D: Once again, supplementation or fortified foods are your friends here as Vitamin D is a toughie in non-animal foods. Mushrooms are one of the only natural sources I can find.
Iron: Similar issue in a way to calcium. Iron comes in two forms, heme and non heme. Heme, which is in animal products, is much more bioavailable to our body’s to use, while plant based non-heme iron is harder for the body to use and thus you end up with much less in the end. Plant based foods such as grains, beans and lentils are great sources of iron BUT ensure to eat them with vitamin C to help with absorption.
Here is a great website to check out for more info! Click here.
Okay, wow this is getting long and we haven’t even gotten to the recipes yet. Okay, one final comment before I get to the food.
One major trend I see all too often with vegans and vegetarians is the fact that they eat way too many carbohydrates (as they may turn to fast or processed foods) because they don’t eat enough protein and therefore just don’t know what to eat. In the end, because carbohydrates really don’t satisfy you when consumed solo, you find yourself constantly hungry and munching and that can lead to weight gain. Just because meat is taken out of the equation (which is often the center focus of our meals these days) doesn’t mean that all you have left are carbohydrate heavy dishes.
On the other hand, I also see many very undernourished vegans because they are eating too many low calorie plant based foods and not enough fats and proteins. Although you may be getting lots and lots of vitamins and minerals from those veggies, your body needs fats and protein to sustain you, and, without them, it will start to break down quickly.
So, the key is balance. Be mindful that you get enough protein at every meal and don’t go overboard with excessive amounts of carbohydrates (as many protein sources are also quite high in carbohydrates), take supplements as needed and listen to your body. If you’re constantly getting sick, feeling tired or just not right, either you are missing something vital in your diet or it’s time to take a hard look at whether this lifestyle and determine if it’s something your body can handle.
Alrighty, now onto the fun stuff!
Zee foods.
I have hunted down a good number of recipes that I hope you enjoy. I tried to include a variety of styles, types of meals, ease of cooking and tastes for you all.
Oh She Glows. Protein, check. Healthy carbphydrate sources, check. Greens…I would add some kale perhaps or another dark leafy green. Also, the fat free dressing is not something I’m a fan off. Add some fat with olive oil or add avocado to your salad so it sticks around a lil bit longer.
The Everyday Veggie. High protein but a lil on the carby side for my liking as it’s rice inside a tortilla. I would wrap it all up in a collard green wrap.
Chatelaine. I love the fact that they didn’t put it on a bun! They used portabello mushrooms as their buns which are natural sources of both protein and vitamin D.
Eating Bird Food. You didn’t think you would get away without getting something that looks like oatmeal did you? I would however add some more protein to this dish by either adding some protein powder (vegan of course, peanut flour would be ideal) or hemp seeds.
My New Roots. For the request for a vegan cheesecake, here is a beauty! Do not be afraid of the fats in this one as they are coming from healthy sources including nuts and coconut oil PLUS this is a treat. It’s much better to be eating those fats then the hydrogenated ones found in a commercial cheesecake no?
See, being vegetarian or vegan is not hard, it just takes a lil bit of base knowledge about your bodily needs, some more thought perhaps in the beginning and dropping the stigma that you will be eating leaves for the rest of your life.
Experiment and have some fun!
I hope this post helped some of you out.
It’s officially Christmas Eve tomorrow and I can’t wait!
So I had this recent idea that I wanted to make up a post that I could constantly follow up and add to. I really want this ‘series‘ so to speak to include my own personal opinions, tips, recipe sharing, blog lovin, questions, and and whatever else would be associated with the theme of each additional post in the series. So what overarching theme could I choose that would allow for me to incorporate so many things into it….?
Well you see, I’m on my own journey right now…As you know I am doing my first ever lean bulk due to being a lil under the weight I should be at and I already know that it will be quite a challenge for me both mentally and physically. BUT with those things set aside, overall, what I am looking to do is to bring my body up to it’s optimal health. Why? Because it’s worth it! Honestly, and with the risk of sounding egotistical, I truly believe that I (and everyone else) should be utterly infatuated with the body that I (you) live in. I should love it so much that I treat it with respect and give it what it needs to do all of the wonderful things that it does for me daily.
Makes sense right? Sounds easy enough right? Well, unfortunately a large majority of people cannot realistically say they do this, even myself. I’m not embarrassed to admit that my body has been put through some hardships. Even something that seems so small like not giving it enough rest is a stress on my poor body…one that I’m guilty of on the daily.
What other ‘small things’ might we do that are disrespectful of our bodies?
Namecalling/body bashing. It may sound silly but this leads to other destructive things that places stress on the body, not to mention no one should be hating on the thing that allows for you to live and breathe!
Lack of sleep. This is your body’s time to repair and recharge after a full days worth of stressors! Your body doesn’t sleep but it needs you to in order to allow for healing and rebuilding.
Relying on bandaid solutions for problems. What bandaids am I talking about? Coffee for stimulation. Silence for keeping the peace. Naps for sleep deprivation. Fast Food for convenience.
Comparison. Kinda feeds back to #1
Not taking the time to unwind. Feeds back to #2. How are you supposed to sleep when you are wired up still?
Being unable to say no. Taking on too much leads to unnecessary stress even if they are all things you like to do! Crazy as it sounds, sometimes you have to prioritize the events that are top on your list and leave the others for another time.
Not making time for ME. It’s important to have time to yourself once and while to do the things YOU love to do or just to reflect and recharge.
Being sedentary for too long. The body is not made to sit still for 1/2 of your day!
There are soo many other things that could be seen a small issues that I haven’t listed here simply because the list would be endless. The pointthat I’m trying to make here is that we all do things that are not always the greatest for our bodies. Some of these things are conscious and avoidable, while others may not be so easy to catch.
So, because our bodies will always have to deal with some stressors, maybe we should turn our attention to things that we CAN do to give them a lil help…a boost if you want to call it that. Something that shows that you love and respect your body.
So there it is. Bam! The overarching theme I was lookin for 😀
What things could you do (would you do/ are curently doing) for your body to show that you care?
These could be things you do now OR perhaps it would be something that could be a goal to work towards OR maybe you wish to address a ‘small issue’ that you commonly see with some advice and tips on how to make a positive change. It’s all up to you. Be creative. Be thoughtful. Be helpful. And most of all, don’t be afraid to be HONEST. These posts are not about judging, but rather, they are about addressing those ‘small lil things’ that may be stressing our bodies and trying to make a change while also helping others to do that same.
After all…
Sharing is Caring. And everyone can use a lil extra body lovin!
To end this first post, I will say that I’m a small blog and I’m not foreseeing this ‘series’ becoming this huge hit like Miss Jen’sWIAW partay but I would really L.O.V.E to see others share their thoughts, suggestions, tips and advice on how they show body love. Don’t be shy 😀
How do you show your body love?
What’s one thing you do that isn’t so nice for your body?
Lil Miss Fitness Freak 