Really, Doc??

I went to the doctor earlier this week to have my knee poked and prodded due to some knee pain I have been experiencing. The appointment was really quick, which is always a good thing. However, the doc had me lay down to examine my knee. The problem with that was that I had on a dress and I felt like he was getting a clear view of my goodies during the examination...LOL. This is a prime example of why my mother always said "Nikky, make sure you always have on a clean pair of undies." You have to read my previous post to understand the significance. After the exam and a few x-rays the doc concluded that I have runner's knee. I've always prided myself on remaining injury free for years, well so much for that.

Runner's knee isn't the worse injury that a person can be plagued with. My poor husband has illitotibial band syndrome (ITBS), which has nagged him for over a year now. I like to think it's really IBS, you know, irritable bowl syndrome. It's common among runners but not limited to that group. The medical term for runner's knee is patellofemoral pain syndrome. But because we are an informal group of people I will just stick with runner's knee. Runner's knee is pain behind the kneecap. It can occur from overuse of the knee from running, walking, jumping, or biking. There are also other reasons why runner's knee occurs. Typical symptoms are pain behind the knee, pain when you walk, or run or sit for a long time. Sometimes the knee swells and you may feel or hear a snapping, popping, or grinding in the knee.

I think I can pinpoint exactly when the injury began to surface. Back in May I started to get really serious about strength training. After each strength training routine I would perform high intensity interval training (HIIT). This included sprint sets for 20 minutes and finishing out the run to get 3-4 miles in. This meant that I was running on back to back days. Typically I would run every other day. One long run (6 miles) and three short runs (3-4 miles). I believe the running on back to back days with such high intensity caused my injury. Initially the pain was inconsistent. In recent months (July and August), the pain has become constant and has required me to use the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method. This prompted me to seek some medical help.

After looking at the x-rays, the doc stated that I have some unevenness under the left side of the kneecap due to some wear in that same area. He recommended two options. The first was to get an MRI to rule out something more serious than runner's knee. The second was to treat it with an anti-inflammtory medicine and perform some daily exercises to help treat the condition. I am what one would call a frugal person, so I opted for the meds and exercise. For those who are unaware, an MRI, although covered by insurance has a huge out of pocket expense. A few hundred dollars to be exact and I ain't (yes I said ain't) paying that if I don't have to. The doc said to give the second option three weeks to see if there's any improvement. If not, I am to call him and schedule an MRI.

There should always be a lesson learned from an injury. My lesson is that I need to take it easy and listen to my body. I will be diligent in my exercises and take my meds twice a day as prescribed. Oh, and I will continue to use the RICE method. Hopefully, this will heal my condition because if I can't run this going to be one cranky lady. My husband better stay clear!!

Here's an internet article about runner's knee if you want to read more.

Peace!

What's in Your Fit Kit??

My mother used to tell me that I need to be prepared at all times, no matter what the situation. For example, she would say "Nikky, you should always wear clean underwear...just in case. You never know what could happen". Now, it's not as if I walked around in dirty undies but I guess the preparation was just in case I was knocked unconscious and the EMT workers had to strip me naked, they could say "Wow, those are a pristine pair of panties"...who knows. She had some strange moments. This concept of always being prepared should apply to all aspects of our lives. Being healthy is no exception.

Ask yourself, "What's in my fit kit?" or better yet, "Am I adequately prepared to maintain my healthy lifestyle at all times?". You wouldn't go to the store without any money to make a purchase, you wouldn't jump in the deep end of the pool if you didn't know how to swim, and you wouldn't let a doctor perform surgery on you if she didn't have the required knowledge. Therefore, YOU should be armed with the appropriate knowledge and tools necessary to begin living a healthy life or to help you to continue on a path of nutritional bliss. This post will provide you with some tools that you can keep in your fit kit.

Fitness apps are all the rage now. You can download the apps to your phone or MP3 device. Some fitness apps will track your food intake, miles ran or biked, or even walk you through a workout routine. Pretty neat, huh? Here's a breakdown of some apps that have been recommended to me.

My Tracks

This application is for your Android phone. It allows you to track your distance, speed, time, mileage, and even elevation. You can use this app while you run, bike, or hike.

Jeff Calloway's Ultimate 5k

If you are an avid runner then you are probably familiar with Jeff Calloway. His app is great for someone who is training for a race or who simply would like to become a better runner. It has an interval timer for speed or hill drills, a 7-week training program for 5k preparation, and music. An added bonus is that it works on a treadmill or outside. The only downside is that it is only available for Apple devices (ipod, ipad, etc.).

MapMyRide

This website has created a mobile app (iMapMy) that allows you to track the distance, pace, speed, calories burned, elevation, and duration of your workouts. This is another app that works with a variety of workout choices. Running, biking, walking, and hiking are all exercises that you can track. However, some devices such as the Blackberry, are limited to only the running and biking apps. One of the cool things about this app is that you can upload the recorded data from your workout onto the MapMyRide website and keep a log of all your workouts. This is great to monitor your improvement from workout to workout. What's even better is that this app can be downloaded to some of the most popular smartphones. The app is free to download on the Blackberry phone. Apple charges a fee to download the app on the Iphone.

Fit Sync

This app is available for Blackberry, Iphone, and Android users. It provides strength training exercises that you can download and use at your will. After you have completed the routines you can upload your workout to an account on fitsync.com, which allows you to compare your data to previous workouts. It's a great way to monitor progress. The online account is free if you aren't using it in conjunction with your phone, however an annual subscription is required if you want to include the phone app.

Exercise TV

Most cable companies offer the Exercise TV channel. Now, you can access workouts via an app by the same name. The Exercise TV app provides FREE daily workouts, between 10-45 minutes in length. Workouts include but aren't limited to strength training, cardio, abs. bootcamp, and yoga. Android and Iphone users can enjoy the benefits of this app.

Jillian Michaels Fitness Motivation

Most people know Jillian Michaels from her balls to the wall approach on The Biggest Loser. She too has joined the app world attaching her name to several fitness apps. This Fitness Motivation app provides video workouts, allows an individual to track the distance ran, calories burned, and weight lost. The GPS and motion features track your workout in real time, which allows you monitor your workout's intensity. You may need to step it up!!

Jillian Michaels Slimdown Trainer

Because I love Jillian Michaels so much...here's another one. This app gives you daily fitness, diet, and motivational tips, recipes, a variety of exercise routines, along with some heartfelt advice. This app as well as the one above can be downloaded free of charge for most Apple devices.

Calorie/Food Tracking Apps

There are a plethora of calorie/food tracking apps available on many smartphones. I won't even begin to list them. However, the benefit of having an app such as this is that you can be aware of what you are putting in your body and make conscious decisions regarding what you eat. To eat or not to eat, that is the question. It allows you to be an active participant in your healthy lifestyle. Some of the apps allow you to scan, or type in an item's name and you can view all the nutritional information about that product. Do an internet search or simply go to the app store on your phone to view your many choices.

If fitness apps aren't your thing, there are plenty of other options for you. When I really decided to take control of my health and physical fitness I purchased a book titled "Calories are King". I am not a huge fan of calorie counting. A person cannot look at calories in isolation, he/she must consider all other nutritional components in addition to the calories. Do you remember my previous post that mentioned those infamous 100 calorie snacks?? Despite the name of this book I purchased it and it was one of my best buys. It not only listed calories, but fat, carbs, protein, etc. for every food imaginable. The book also includes a restaurant guide for some of the more popular restaurants. This was great because I didn't have to feel overwhelmed when I went out to eat. I even gifted one to my mother, I highly doubt that she has taken it off the shelf to use, but it's the thought that counts, right???

Another great tool to have is a food journal. Now, when I recommend starting a food journal to some people, they rebut with "Who has time to write in that thing after every meal, snack, whatever?". It's actually not as time consuming as a person may think and it's beneficial. My food journal helped me keep track of how many calories I was consuming, make deliberate choices regarding what I put in my body, and it made me think twice about over snacking because I knew I would have to write it in that little white book. I didn't want to cringe at what I read. Check out this article, which outlines some of the benefits of journaling.

If you're struggling with workout ideas, you can keep a little binder with workouts that you have found online or inside magazines. I have a binder full of workouts that I go to when I am absolutely out of ideas. You can mix and match the routines and modify them anyway you see fit. My fave magazine to get ideas from is Muscle and Fitness Hers. There is a male version of this same magazine. Occasionally, I will find decent workouts in Women's Health. Bodyrock.tv is also a great source, challenging, but great material.

Attack your fitness from all angles. If you need that extra push download a personal trainer app, if you need to keep track of your goals or food intake write it down. Whatever your needs are there is probably something out there that you can include in your fit kit. If you refuse to make failure an option by always being prepared you will achieve your health/fitness goals in no time.

Peace!

Smart Snacking

Eating well is paramount when it comes to leading a healthy life. Eating well means feeding your body the proper nutrients in the correct amounts and at the right times. Paying close attention to nutritional labels is a great start. If you need a review of how to read the label, check out my previous post Dissecting Nutrition Labels and Packaging. If you read the labels accurately, choosing a smart snack is easy.

One question that people often ask me is what types of food do I snack on. I enjoy food and I don't like to deprive myself of things that I like. My inner foodie would have it no other way. Therefore, I try to choose or make a healthier alternative to my fave foods. Here are some items that my husband and I like to munch on as well as some ways to choose healthy options.

My ultimate snack is fruit. I love fruit because it gives me the sweet taste without the added sugar. Bananas, berries, grapes, cantaloupe, apples, and oranges are my go to fruits. Many of these fruits have a low Glycemic Index (GI) level. The Glycemic Index ranks carbs based on it's effect on our blood glucose levels. Foods with low GI levels allow glucose to slowly be released into your bloodstream, which promotes healthy energy levels. A low GI level would be 55 or lower. You can find a list of GI levels here.

Many of these fruits also have multiple nutritional purposes. Bananas are a great pre-workout snack and are a great source of potassium. Berries are great antioxidants. Grapes are just friggin' delicious and apples are a fabulous source of fiber. Always remember that moderation is key even when it comes to fruit. So don't go crazy and start slamming down boat loads of fruit.

Another sweet treat for me is the sweet potato. No, I'm not talking about the twiced baked sweet potato, with the brown sugar and cream cheese so stop salivating (hahaha). Although, that is quite delicious. I eat these either steamed or as baked fries. Sweet potatoes are inexpensive and have excellent health benefits. The beta-carotene in the potato is an antioxidant which changes to vitamin A. The vitamin A contributes to healthy skin. Think about that Halle Berry glow. Plus, the beta-carotene eliminates free radicals from the body, thus, helping to reduce wrinkles. Adding a little cinnamon will enhance the flavor of the sweet potato. If you want them french fry style, you can slice them thinly, sprinkle with a little salt (optional), then rub with a little olive oil. You can spread them out on a baking sheet, place in the oven at 350 degrees, and let them cook for about 20 minutes or until they are crisp enough for you. DELICIOUS!!!

Another fam fave is Garden of Eatin' chips. When I want a salty fix I opt for these tortilla chips over Tostitos brand. They are certified organic, many of the options are low in trans fat and saturated fat (bad fats), and there are soooo many options (inner foodie on the prowl). These are tasty with or without salsa!! Explore your options here. Yummm!!

Veggies are always a good snacking option. I am not going to lie and say that I am a veggie snacker because I am not. I think I would rather listen to Elizabeth Hasselbeck talk than eat raw veggies...wait...that might be an over exaggeration. The cold, crunch, bland taste of the veggies just isn't appealing to me. However, I understand the benefits of snacking on them. Veggies are a great source of the nutrients you need like vitamins. Some are also a good source of fiber. Fiber will make you feel full between meals. I primarily eat my veggies with meals. Raw veggies however contain high levels of nutrients because they haven't been cooked out. Celery with peanut butter, carrots, snap peas, cut peppers, broccoli are all great options if this is something that you would like to try. Me, not so much.

Almonds...mmmmm...another favorite. I love almonds because of the taste, texture, and nutritional benefits. They are (at least for me) a good source of fiber, a decent source of protein, and you only need about 28 almonds to make a great snack. You can pair almonds with a fruit or a protein shake. Speaking of which, protein shakes are also a great snack option.

If you like those 100 calorie snack options, my suggestion is to be mindful. The fact that those Oreos and Twinkies come in 100 calorie options doesn't make them any better for you. You still need to pay attention to the nutritional labels. A healthy food is always going to be a healthy food. Packaging it in a smaller quantity doesn't magically change an unhealthy food (i.e. ding dongs) into a healthy option...abracadabra...not really. 100 calorie packs like almonds or whole wheat crackers may be a better choice because you get the portion control with the nutritional benefits.

Some other things I love are peanut butter with a whole weat slice or 1/2 of a whole wheat bagel, boiled eggs, low-fat cheese, Greek yogurt (I will post more about this one later) and popcorn. The calorie amount for your snacks really depends on your dietary and fitness needs. I choose snacks that will keep me full and keep my energy levels balanced. With the intense workouts that I do this is important. Also, I eat my snacks in MODERATION. Even healthy foods in excess can set you back in your goals to lose weight or just improve your overall health.

If you have difficulty with portion control...perhaps because you have hands the size of Big Foot's hands (men) or even after you've given birth you're still eating for two (that was me), try portioning out your food into ziplock bags. Read the product label to figure out how much of that food equals 1 serving and store it in a ziplock bag to prevent overeating. Instead of eating from the bag, get 1 serving and put it in a small bowl or on a small dish. Don't eat at the kitchen counter; it's just too tempting to grab more than you need. It helps to prepare your snacks in advance so that you don't risk making an unhealthy choice or eating too much.

Choosing a healthy snack isn't complicated. Most people know what healthy foods are so make the choice to put down the cookies and pick up an apple. Step outside of the box when it comes to your snacks. If you like to eat something that wouldn't necessarily be considered a snack, like a sandwich for example, cut the portion down and eat it anyway. As long as it's healthy, you're good to go. Who's judging?? Not me! In addition a good review of the nutritional label should set you straight. Here's to healthy snacking...yummm!!!!

PEACE!