Wife Mother Runner nutrition Archives

5 Healthy Heart Habits

March 2, 2021

After I shared my story of my husband’s experience with a heart procedure, I want to raise awareness for healthy heart habits so you can lower your chances of having a heart attack and prevent heart disease.

Men and women are different when it comes to heart disease. I know many of my readers are women and heart disease affects women much differently than it does men. Studies show that the death rate from heart disease is increasing in women who are ages 35-44. That’s very young! Follow these tips I am sharing to improve your chances of a healthier heart and better overall wellness.

1. Family History

The first thing I tend to think of when I hear about someone suffering from a heart attack or heart disease is what they eat every day. I envision someone who is overweight and eats an unhealthy diet. That’s not always the case.

My husband is very fit yet he has heart disease. He has it because of his family history. His mother has had a heart attack and a valve replacement procedure. His dad had open heart surgery for a triple bypass, several stents, and a pacemaker.

As I write this, I am also thinking about my family history. My paternal grandmother died from a heart attack in her mid 60’s. Her first heart attack was when she was just 53 years old! She had multiple heart attacks before the last one took her from us. She couldn’t leave the house to go places anymore because of her heart condition.

Both my grandmother, my father, and my father-in-law also have diabetes. These are risk factors for heart disease. I also keep this in mind for my children’s health. I want them to remain active kids so that it lowers their risk of heart disease later on. If you don’t know your family history, do yourself a favor and find out!

2. Nutrition

Having a clean diet and eating well is good for many reasons besides prevention of heart disease. But avoiding foods with high fats and bad oils is good to help prevent bad cholesterol which will build up plaque in your arteries.

My family has been moving towards a more plant based diet and also reducing the amount of sugar and processed foods we eat. We are making it a priority to have salads and vegetables with our dinner each night as well. I am also working on encouraging the kids to snack on healthier treats like popcorn, berries, yogurt, and nuts.

3. Exercise

Exercising helps reduce the chance of developing high blood pressure. When you work out, you are increasing your levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, which lowers your risk for heart disease by flushing out the LDL (bad) cholesterol out of your system. The more you work out, the stronger your heart and lungs become which train them to work better under stress. This keeps you from getting winded during high-intensity activities.

Exercise isn’t just important to make you look better; it is important to help you feel better. When you exercise you produce endorphins. These are the feel good hormones that put you in a better mood. You also produce dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin from simple acts like going for a walk for 30 minutes. These hormones play a very big role in regulating your mood.

When you exercise you are also exercising your heart which is a muscle. Cardio also known as cardiovascular exercise is when you increase your heart rate. This exercise strengthens your heart and increases your blood flow. In addition to doing cardio, it is also recommended by the American Heart Association, to include weight training at least twice a week.

The overall benefits of exercise also include better sleep, better moods, and better fitness. As always, talk to your doctor before beginning any new workout routines.

4. Don’t Smoke

Smoking has always been dangerous, and linked to heart disease. It says it right on the side of the cigarette packs! This also includes vape pens.

My grandmother and grandfather were heavy smokers. When she had her first heart attack she quit immediately. Back in their day, smoking was something everyone did and they didn’t know the potential damage that was happening to their heart and lungs. But it will put you on the high risk list for heart attack and heart disease much quicker if you do smoke.

5. Know Your Body

Most importantly, go get checked when something doesn’t feel right. My husband was experiencing chest discomfort for quite a while. He knew it didn’t feel right and he needed to get it checked. It was best that he was assertive with his doctor to push for more than a stress test or an EKG. Those always came back fine for him. He needed more conclusive testing done.

They sent him for a cat scan with dye which then showed the blockages which required them to do an angiogram to get a better look at the blockage and measure the pressure of the blood flow past the blockage. That determines whether or not a stent would be a recommended treatment to open the artery up and restore the blood flow.

He has now been cleared by his doctor and can resume all activities again. You can listen to our friend’s recent podcast episode that he and I were guests on to talk about heart health.

If there is anything I shared today, I want you to remember to always get checked if something doesn’t feel right. Only you know what feels different or not quite right. So you need to advocate for yourself.

5 Ways To Stay Healthy When Traveling

March 26, 2019

In the next coming months I have a lot of conferences for social media and blogging. I just returned from Social Media Marketing World in San Diego, California. I lost my voice from trying to have conversations in loud rooms with several people. I am soft-spoken so it did a number on my vocal chords. At first I thought I was getting a cold. But then I realized it could also be allergies. I thought about this and decided to share my top five ways to stay healthy when traveling.

I also had a similar thing happen to me when I was on the Oprah cruise. So here are a few things that I need to travel with to help keep me healthy when traveling. I’m sharing my favorite items below and also providing my affiliate links to each item.

Diffuse Essential Oils

I sleep with a diffuser in my room every night. I diffuse Breathe essential oil from doTERRA. On my last two trips I didn’t have my diffuser with me so I think that made a difference in helping keep my sinuses clear.

From now on, I am going to pack my diffuser with me to help keep me from coming home with a raspy voice and clogged up sinuses.

Use On Guard Softgels

On Guard softgels are another product from doTERRA that I like to use. I also give them to my family at the first signs of a cold or when they complain about a scratchy throat. It is a protective blend of essential oils to help support the immune system and help kill off harmful bacteria and viruses.

On Guard softgels contain the following essential oils:

Wild Orange Peel – protects the body against seasonal threats
Clove Bud – supports a healthy immune system
Black Pepper Seed – supports healthy circulation
Cinnamon Bark/Leaf – promotes healthy immune function
Eucalyptus Leaf – purifying and cleansing properties
Oregano Leaf – helps maintain a healthy immune system
Rosemary Flower/Leaf – may help support the digestive system
Melissa Leaf – may help support healthy immune system

Hydration and Nutrition

I drink a lot of water when I am at home. I make lemon ginger water and add cayenne pepper and turmeric sometimes. When I travel I bring the ingredients with me to make the lemon ginger water. Instead of using a blender, I use lemon juice and powdered ginger. It’s a more refreshing drink than just plain water.

Here’s the recipe for the lemon ginger water:

Fill a blender with water
Squeeze 2-3 lemons
Peel and cut ginger root

Blend the water, lemon and fresh ginger in the blender.
Strain the water into a pitcher
Add cayenen pepper or Turmeric if you want for an additional antiinflammatory benefits and flavor.

Eating well is also very important. It’s easy to just eat whatever is in front of you; but if you are trying to watch your weight or eat clean, you should always make sure you are getting good proteins, vegetables, and fruit in your diet. Conferences usually include buffet meals and you can typically find a salad and some chicken or fish to help make a complete and healthy meal.

I always pack my own oatmeal so that in the morning I can make it in my hotel room with hot water from the coffee maker. I also like to keep some packets in my bag so that at any point in the day I could eat a snack that will hold me over for a while until my next meal.

Use a Neti Pot

When I return from my trips I like to use a Neti Pot to irrigate my sinuses from all the germs I may have been exposed to. A neti pot is a container that you fill with a saltwater solution. You must use bottled water or sterizlied water when making the saltwater solution.

To use the neti pot, you tilt your head sideways over a sink and pour the water into your nostril. The liquid will drain through the other nostril and you will clear out your sinuses of any mucus, allergens, or dust.

Rest

While at conferences as an attendee or working the event, self-care should be number one on your list. For me, getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep while at a conference keeps me alert throughout the day. Of couse, more sleep would be ideal; but conferences usually have events at night and sometimes early morning sessions.

When an event like Mom 2.0 offers classes like yoga, on their itinerary I like to participate in those morning classes. It helps work out the kinks from flying to the location, sleeping in a different bed, and the long days of sitting in sessions.

On the way home from my flights I try to catch up on my sleep and take naps on the plane. This way, when I get home I can be fresh for my family. Becauase I had been away from them for an extended period of time, I don’t like to come home only to have to spend hours away from them taking a nap.

How do you keep yourself healthy when you travel? Do you have favorite things you bring along with you? I’d love to hear what your advice is!

What I Learned From Tara Gidus The runDisney Nutritionist

April 25, 2014

On my Boston Marathon World Run I listened to my favorite Mickey Miles Podcast in the beginning of my run. Tara Gidus was on again giving nutrition advice and answering questions. She was so resourceful the last time she was on prior to Dopey weekend and I learned so much from her. This time I learned even more!

I want to purchase her book “Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies” and maybe one day hire her as a nutritional counselor for me.

What I took out of the latest podcast from her:

Eat within an hour of waking up
Drink your water
Take a supplement like Vitamin D at least 1000 of it.
Calcium is another good supplement to take
Prior to a race have your breakfast such as toast with peanut butter, a bagel, banana, oatmeal. Then while waiting for the race to start, munch on something simple like Frosted Flakes.
Eat small meals throughout the day. They should last you about 3 hours until you feel hungry again. If you don’t feel hungry it means you ate too much.
Frozen diet-type meals (Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers) are a great option for a snack because they are low in calories and have just about everything you need for a small meal.
Have a smoothie with protein each day as a small meal and you will easily take in 20+ grams of protein your muscles need to recover.

A big thing she mentioned that sunk in with me is when you are training for a long run or a marathon, it’s OK if you gain a few pounds prior to that event. That means your body is storing the glycogen you need to fuel you for that race, as long as you are eating more good carbs. So the water and glycogen is being held in your cells. After the race, those pounds should come off when you return to your non carb-loading diet.

Tara is the runDisney Nutritionist and you can read more about her tips for fueling for your runs on the runDisney site. For more tips and details from Tara’s helpful Podcast, download the Mickey Miles Podcast episodes 161 and 162.

Tag: nutrition