Going Rogue…

By ellen on November 16, 2009

… on my detox already :(

I’ll start from the beginning. The morning was a success with some am ab work to “Whittle My Middle” a shot of wheatgrass and the detox breakfast (1c oatmeal, pear, cinnamon), and some tea. The breakfast kept me full for more than 4 hours! It was pretty impressive.

Unfortunately, the day took sort of a nosedive from there. First few classes of the day went well, then the S hit the fan, as they say. It was ugly. I was really good at shaking it off immediately afterward and moving on… or so I thought.

I tend to consider myself pretty good about getting over stress and moving forward. I guess I store it up in the reserves and let it out later – like when I run, for example. I actually started running at one of the most stressful points in my life and found it was a great release.

Today I came home (skipped the workout), and vegged for a bit. I was checking blogs and read this one at Oh She Glows about letting out a good cry. I was thinking that this was exactly what I needed. It’s funny how sometimes things come to you right when you need them. Even as I was reading, I was thinking that I wish I could. I’m not one who cries often. Rarely, even. Sometimes I want to, but can’t bring the tears. This afternoon was one of those times.

Until the husbo came home. I lost it. It felt great. Nothing was solved, nothing will change, but I feel better. I’m not one who is very forthright with her feelings; I never have been. It’s something I recognize and know that I can work on. I felt like this was a big step for me in the right direction. It’s okay to admit you’re not alright, or that you are overwhelmed.

What do you do to release?

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Keepin the pace when the pace picks up (part IV)

By ellen on October 22, 2009

It’s true that when things pick up we can often get a bit run down. I find that when I’m working round the clock, I am extra mindful about what I consume. This, however, can be tricky. It seems that these are the times when we can be most susceptible to grabbing food on the go. Here are a few things that I do to make sure I’m fueling my body with the right foods.

Whole foods, of course, are best for keeping up your energy. Processed junk can give you extreme highs and lows and just generally slow you down. Also, sleep is absolutely necessary. And I’m talking a good, full rest. When I was starting to get sick a few weeks ago (err, was that really only last week?) I thought it was because of all the stress – and lack of sleep I’d had. Here’s that post where I talked about my own personal anti-sick foods and drinks.

Before I begin any work week, I like to make sure I’m stocked up with staples, and at least enough fruits and veggies to get me to Wednesday. Besides the basics, I like to also make sure I have the following:

  • yogurt
  • some sort of flax-ish add-in
  • one red pepper for each day (LOVE them), or carrots for lunches
  • a frozen pizza (back-up dinner plan – like Kashi ones)
  • fresh spinach
  • a few Larabars (great in a pinch)
  • loads of tea

These, along with the usual pantry staples are great to get me through the week. I also usually make most meals ahead of time so I can guarantee I’ll still eat well despite being super-busy.

For maintaining health despite schedule, really the most important thing is planning ahead. If you plan ahead, you won’t really have to rely on fast foods. That said, occasionally we’re in a jam. If I have to head to a deli/bodega for a meal, I’ll typically get a yogurt, some nuts, a granola bar, and a piece of fruit. Most places have all these things – it keeps me from getting deli counter cold-cut sandwiches.

For more information on pantry/fridge must-haves, check out these links:

A few other notable posts about health/stress…

  • NYTimes Well blog posts about the correlation between lack of sleep and the common cold. I tend to link stress and lack of sleep together – it’s a slippery slope.
  • NPR has a post (and podcast!) that suggests that a low-stress lifestyle may be the best way to prevent colds.

Good night! I’m off to bed. Tomorrow check out part 5 of the series which focuses on (the best part) rewarding yourself for a job well done!

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A Little R&R

By ellen on September 29, 2009

I’ve been running around and around today – I’m tired, but the day was really great and went by very quickly. Here’s how I did on the agenda I made this morning:

  1. Workout w/ my friend Jillian DONE!
  2. WORK (Tuesdays are my busiest work day, wish me luck)IMG_0367
  3. CLASS
  4. A little cardio at the gym (Cycling or elliptical, methinks) class was 3 hours long – not the 1hr I planned on… no gymbo today :(
  5. More leftover dinners at home w/ husbo Husbo fixed up the Kashi pizza and salad tonight!
  6. Finalize moving plans Finally! New home on Friday!
  7. Get lunches, etc. ready for Wednesday: All packed up and ready to roll – exactly the same lunch pack as today.

So I’m all set for tomorrow! Work will be a bit less hectic tomorrow, and I’ll stay after to get a few things done.

I got to class and began my late afternoon snack of goldfish, apple, and a small latte I picked up on the way (needed a minor jolt). I settled in and enjoyed being on the student side of the room for a bit. During break, I took a bathroom break and while I was washing my hands I looked in the mirror. My first thought? Yikes, I look awful. I know! Isn’t that terrible? I wasn’t saying it in some hyper-critical way, just like a wow – maybe these last few weeks have taken more of a toll on me than I had thought.

I looked tired. There was no life in my face – uneven skin tone, tired eyes, etc. I’m a pretty firm believer that your appearance is a direct reflection of how you treat yourself, and what you put into your body. I admit, the last few weeks of apartment limbo, lack of cooking, workout, etc. has not been great. Looking in the mirror made me see just how much nourishment I needed.

I’ve been thinking of some new goals for myself for the month of October, and after today’s look in the mirror, I realized that many of them align perfectly with my need to have the outside reflect the inside (and vice versa). I’ll give the low-down on Thursday to kick off October.

In the meantime, I back to drinking 4+ liters of water/day, and making sure, that even though I’m not cooking much, I’m still getting at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies. What do you do to ensure that your appearance/demeanor reflects your nutrition/spirit/values?

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Sleepy Morning

By ellen on September 2, 2009

Hello! I’m usually such a morning person, but I’m a little sleepy this morning. Nevertheless, I’m up and did some exercises: 50 crunches, 15 push-ups, 20 squats, 20 dead-lifts. Right now it’s tea and 1/2 pb&j on whole wheat time, while I lament the fact that I didn’t go to the grocery store yesterday to get produce (we’re almost all out!)

IMG_0281

Last night, the husbo worked late - very late. I like to wait up for him even if “waiting up” means leaving the tv on and falling asleep on the couch until he gets in which is what happened last night. He finally rolled in a little after midnight, and when you work at a 9-5 office job, this is extreme overtime. Anyhow, he was super-hungry when he came in so I heated up some dinner and then we went to bed. 5 hours later I woke him up to head back to work. Wow.

While I don’t ever work those crazy hours, my job can be extremely stressful. Many of us are stretched thin and have a lot of pressures in our lives. How do you take care of yourself when you are really stressed? How do you slow down and find time for yourself?

For me, exercise is key. Running is very cathartic for me. I can really clear my head while running outside and listening to only the pace of my footsteps. I tend to schedule some time to run on a really stressful week, even if only for a few minutes. It really calms my nerves and gives me uninterrupted alone time to work through problems.

I also tend to isolate myself from negativity. Lunch with teachers at work can often be a festival of complaints, and when I’m stressed and worked to the bone, I find a quiet lunch by myself, or with a book, really restorative.

As far as easing the transition back into the work week, I tend to use Sunday to cook a bunch of meals, prepare some lunches, etc. This can save me a lot of time during the week and also ensure that I am still getting very healthy, home-cooked meals despite not having much time. I’ll be posting quite a bit on make-ahead meals in the upcoming weeks.

These are a few things I do to keep stress at bay. So let me know - how do you deal?

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