Health and Fitness, August 2013

[Lynlee]

2 sets of physio done today. 40 - 45min each go round. poof. I tried some different ways of doing forwards and side extentions with a vac tube. sock on the end for padding.

[Harmony]

Lynlee, so far nobody has told me the arrhythmia is causing any concerns...but current doctor wants to retest. I sent all the information they had at former heart specialist office, and I mentioned it at drs. appointment last week, but she didn't address that at all. I will get retested next year I guess.

It seems like this place, once I don't do something they ask (test, med,) they drop the subject and don't cover it again. I'm sure that's got something to do with liability - once I'm not "compliant" about an issue, if they're not treating it they have less liability? We can get printouts of office visit summary and lab results, but some of the things we talked about are not mentioned, and the summary is very short. I had thought one issue we discussed was still being decided, and they were waiting for lab results from another place but dr. knew I wasn't crazy about the med though I hadn't made a difinitive decision about that yet, and report indicates we'd talked and subject is now closed. I don't find this sort of treatment helpful. I'm not always the fastest person to jump into tests and medicines. Wonder what y'all's experience in drs. offices are like these days.

[Ivy]

I walked to and from the car and 20 minutes in Walmart today. DH said once the firewood is in, he'll go on walks with me. On raining days, we can stay home to do the Wii or I can do my DVD's or bike or we can go walking at the mall.

[Harriet]

Called to make a gyn appt and they had had a cancellation and asked if I'd like it. So, that was handled surprisingly fast. Anyway, that gets one of my proactive medical things for the year accomplished. My bp was good for having been in big city traffic, 128 over 72. Weight - well, you know.

I do feel caught between her very party-line type of AMA opinions and the opinions of my hormone doctor, which are more cautious. For instance, I asked about an ultrasound rather than mammogram and she was so non-receptive that I will speak again with my GP about it. I don't feel good about a mammogram with such a compromised thyroid, and I was allowed an ultrasound instead before.

Otherwise, I think her ideas are meant to save me overlapping and money, and her intentions are good. So I'll take what she says under advisement. Basically she feels that now that my thyroid issues are controlled and my symptoms eased, she can treat me as well as hormone dr for any remaining issues, which would generally be female hormone issues. ( She had been so unhelpful a few years ago when my hair was falling out and my acid reflux was intense - later suspected to be symptoms of menopause or thyroid she should have recognized. She's a clear reason I felt I needed the hormone dr in the first place.)

[Ivy]

I walked-talked on our cell phone with my OR sister this evening. It felt good to walk AND talk to her, both!

[Ivy]

It's raining buckets of rain outdoors and it's 96% humidity, too! I walked 30 minutes indoors, while awaiting an insurance lady to phone me back and then did stretching. The nurse told me the CDC wants ALL "Baby Boomers" to be screened for Hep "C". She suggested I call my insurance co. first, to see if they cover it before she puts it on my lab orders to be done in Sept. I told the insurance rep. how it was the most recent suggestion by the CDC that all baby boomers get it. She was going to investigate it and my plan further. So far, I'm only covered for Hep. "A" & "B" screening, but have HAD Hep. "A", so why get screened for that. I hate waiting, but it was a GREAT CHANCE to walk and I have my morning endorphins and feel good, too.

[Nancy]

today's exercise was pulling weeds and a short walk; good news checked hubby's blood sugar and it was a perfect #91 after work.

[Harriet]

In the Mercola newsletter today, a list of the 8 best foods for fitness, which I thought was an interesting concept. The ones that help most with getting some exercise and building strength, stamina, etc.

They are:

avocado, coconut oil, salmon, eggs, chicken, whey, astaxanthin (the pink quality in seafoods, such as salmon, shellfish, krill, but also as a supplement), and Rhodiola (a perennial plant - professional athletes take Rhodiola extract as a supplement)

Only one item is mentioned to AVOID within 2 hours of exercise and that's sugar, because when we're active, our bodies naturally produce human growth hormone HGH, increasing our fitness level. Sugar sabotages our efforts because it suppresses the production of HGH. Since it also causes weight gain, it's no help at all !

[Ivy]

I did:
Stretches
Lunge-walking
Windmills
Walking for 30 minutes
More stretching
Yeah! I'm done, unless I get a "power surge" to do more!

[Harriet]

This morning I had a half-apple, a smoothie of almond/coconut milk, large peach slice, cherries and protein powder.

I exercised for 20 minutes and really got my heart rate up. I chose 10:00 a.m. at random for that and it worked out fine. A lot of the household chores were out of the way by then.

Midday meal was a hodge-podge, though, of some healthy and some not, but I won't beat myself up about it.

I know I'll start a new healthy habits card Sunday.

Harmony, I kinda posted in answer to your question above but I don't know if it really was what you meant. I can think of some issues for both me and HRH that it seems the doctors just forget. For instance, once HRH's B-12 levels were so vitally important to dr that he was put on a schedule of shots at dr's office, and he was told (accurately) that he would have to supplement and be monitored for the rest of his life. Yet lately they neglect to even do the blood work for it and we have to remind. As soon as HE started taking responsibility for the supplementing by buying the sublingual tablets instead of enduring the shots at their office, it was "off their radar". If they weren't giving a treatment for it, they seemed to forget the problem.

Lynlee, are you always doing that much per day, or are you taking some days off?