The scoliosis 30 day exercise and stretching challenge

[hikerchick]

I'm still here I promise! ugh! I have been having some awesome workouts lately, lots of lifting, a couple of spinning classes thrown in, a couple of good hikes with my kids. And no yoga. I do have 2 little kids who keep me very busy, but that is no excuse! I could easily cut down on my computer time to make time for yoga. That is the one thing I have wanted to do everyday but haven't managed to fit in. I will keep trying though.

Love that bike path! We have a fun one here in Portland that is 20 miles one way that I did a lot of riding on this summer.

[foofer]

Hey Christian, in keeping with the mind-body connection topic... how about this...




http://improbable.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html

And spliced in between your winners was this one:

PHYSICS PRIZE: Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams, and Patricia Priest of the University of Otago, New Zealand, for demonstrating that, on icy footpaths in wintertime, people slip and fall less often if they wear socks on the outside of their shoes.
REFERENCE: "Preventing Winter Falls: A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Novel Intervention," Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams, and Patricia Priest, New Zealand Medical Journal. vol. 122, no, 1298, July 3, 2009, pp. 31-8.


Coincidentally, I spent considerable time today discussing with a co-worker the best way to walk on dark, icy paths in the evening. I'll be wearing cleats, a headlamp, possibly ski poles, and now to really frost the cake, socks over my boots.

Christian: Funny that you mentioned the internet. I've been thinking that I need to put a cap on time spent on my computer, and I really have noticed that hyperlink phenomena, waltzing down the primrose cyberpath and then not remembering the original article. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Jenee': Thanks, I needed that. None of my kids have scoliosis and for that I feel like I won the lottery. I guess we have to watch the grandkids...My one grandchild is technically a stepgrandbaby, so no worries there. My own parents tell me that their doctors say they have mild scoliosis, although I can't really see it. Apparently my great-grandmother had very severe curves.

Can't seem to upload a picture tonight. Am I going to have to describe it?

[foofer]

Reporting in:

Came home from work sick today...fever, chills...and still an appetite. I'm a Feed a cold, feed a fever type, I guess. This was the hardest time for sweet cravings that I have had so far. I wanted ginger ale and toast with cinnamon sugar. I do not crave vegetables when feeling unwell.

Still holding tough.

Can't upload pictures again. The world is spared.

[foofer]

Sign in the Chocolate Store window

HA!!

Something I have always wondered: When you are sick (cold, achey fluey deal), do you exercise? What do you like to eat, if you have an appetite?

No fever in the morning, called into work to see status of work day- could I possible take a whole day off without the world falling apart? Answer: No.
I still walked, and it felt wonderful. Not wanting to break the 30 day thing, I still had no sugar, alcohol, or coffee, and I wanted all of it. I ate some comfort food- chili, cornbread (homemade, no sweetening), I had salad for lunch and in my delirium, put green chili salsa on it instead of salad dressing. Got most of it off, had it anyway. Try it in your salad dressing- it's good.

Thought about yoga.

[foofer]

The Lone Ranger.

Was completely better today- have never had this happen this fast before.

[Twisted Lifter]

I wanted to let you know I have not abandon the project!
I have just been travelling for work and very busy otherwise.
Still hitting the gym, though.
Right now I am talking myself into going for my 5 k run. Very foggy here.
Hope the rest of you are on track.

[foofer]

I'm looking forward to this coming week- feel like I've gotten through some entry challenges. But I've lost a little weight, my clothes are looser, and more importantly, my energy level has really taken an upswing. There's such a vicious cycle when you don't feel well. You hurt or feel achey so you get a little tired. Then you look for something, some sugar or caffeine to get you going, a little fix. That makes you feel worse in the long run, so you're tired, achey, exhausted and a little blue.. You stop exercising cause you're too beat, and the cycle subtley perpetuates itself. I can feel my usual pain right now, but it's not laden with fogginess or melancholy. I took some ibuprofen this morning, for the first time in a few days, and then forgot about it again. I can't wait til morning because I'm going to hike with a girlfriend and it will be a snowy, muddy mess. I'll take pictures.

Twisted Lifter, did you go for your run? Hikerchick, did you do some yoga? I'm thinking we need a Wed challenge- we all promise a planned something on Wed morning. ???? let me know...

Now I'm going to try to upload a photo one more time (it's already failed twice on this post) and it logically will not work again, and then I'm going to sleep. Manana.

Victory.

[foofer]

One of the best things I've tried is white tea, particularly Silver Needle White Tea. It's expensive, but so was coffee, and it's really healthful- even more so than green tea. I make a teapot full of it in the morning. It still gets you going, but a quieter "buzz" than coffee. I drink the whole thing.

http://coffeetea.about.com/od/typesoftea/a/whitetea.htm

This past weekend, we had to go to two dinners, including desserts. The first one was no problem, but the second one had an insistent hostess who made everything including several pies. She dished them up to everyone and set them in front of us. I managed to say I would eat some of my husband's - she watched, and I HAD to have some bites or she was going to hit me. I am grateful for her persistence as it was kind of worth it and easy enough to blame entirely on her. One thing I have noticed is that if I eat something one day, like pumpkin pie after dinner, the very next day I will crave the same thing at the same time, like a gong sounding. Habits form quickly and subside slowly.

[jrnyc]

hi Lorz
i sent you a private message...

jess

[foofer]

Thankful for...

.......My job in a nice store....new xmas decorations, and a whole lot of snow today...

I got sleepy today from- not enough sleep ...burning the candle at both ends.
So I made a chia seed drink. Recommendation: Read the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall...about the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico, a funny easy-read and great for anyone who likes to run or hike. The Tarahumara are a hidden race of mostly ultra-athletes who enjoy running barefoot for hundreds of miles...

The chia seed is readily available now largely due to this book. Chia is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, and is also used as an endurance drink. You mix the seed 1 part to 9 parts water, add lemon or lime juice, some honey (left it out for me), and let it sit for 1/2 hour or more....it looks like swamp water but tastes fine....good for you and gives an energy boost.

[titaniumed]

Kava

Amy

Since we are on the subject of “seeds”from Mexico... lol, I figured I would mention Kava, it’s a root.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava

They have been making tea from Kava root for ever in places like Fiji....

It tastes like dirty gym socks, but sure does mellow you out. In Hawaii, you can get a DWI on this stuff.......They have Kava bars out there.

On 15 February 2006, the Fiji Times and Fiji Live reported that researchers at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and the Laboratoire de Biologie Moleculaire du Cancer in Luxembourg had discovered that kava may treat ovarian cancer and leukemia. Kava compounds inhibited the activation of a nuclear factor that led to the growth of cancer cells. The Aberdeen University researchers published in the journal The South Pacific Journal of Natural Science that kava methanol extracts had been shown to kill leukemia and ovarian cancer cells in test tubes.[27] The kava compounds were shown to target only cancerous cells; no healthy cells were harmed. This may help explain why kava consumption is correlated with decreased incidence of cancer.[28]

Interesting...

Ed

[mamamax]

Chi & Kava

Ed - Thanks for that info. Do you find that the Kava tea is helpful for treating muscle pain? Was doing a google search and a lot of info came up on that.

Found an organic Kava Farm as well - http://www.konakavafarm.com/kava-tea.html

If their claims are accurate, no need for you to drink dirty gym sock brews. Have written to ask if they are certified organic, if so, I may try this. Interesting that it is compared with and said to work as well if not better than prescription muscle relaxers and/or valium, leaving mental clarity in tact when not taken in excess. Also looking for the precautions, have only found this so far:

Kava is not recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding women. If you are suffering from Parkinson’s disease, depression or using other substances or medications that act on the central nervous system, such as alcohol, antidepressants, barbiturates or benzodiazepines, consult with a competent health practitioner before using kava as it may interact with these drug medications.*

http://www.treelite.com/articles/art...icum%29-5.html

Could this be the answer to my cranky spinal muscle syndrome? Maybe - so, thanks for posting :-)

Amy - I'm glad to find someone who actually takes Chi. I bought a book and have some seeds in my pantry. I know, a lot of good they do me there. You've inspired me to prepare some this weekend. The reason I bought them was for the hydration factor, and so far, the only way I have used them is sprinkled on my breakfast cereal. Do you feel benefit from them? bty - love your pictures!

[foofer]

Thankful for...

Beautiful Blue

And Ed, I'm thankful for you, Ed- especially since you just rescued me from replying to myself four days in a row....I was beginning to feel eccentric- talking to myself, making concoctions in the kitchen- You just upped my cool quotient.

The kava sounds alluring. I'll put it on my Xmas list, right under night vision goggles. I always thought valerian tea tastes like dirty gym socks. Maybe they are in the same family. What other roots and seeds should I know about? This section should be renamed the Alternative Drug section.

MMx: Yes, I think chia seeds work well, but the last time I had some, before this morning, I was still drinking coffee, so hard to separate what does what. I think coffee is really quite the wonder drug. It takes stopping it to realize it's strength, and I don't think chia seeds produce nearly the awakening effect. Still, I'm on a South-of-the-border roll here...let me know if your kava company claims to be certified organic.

Nice to have friends come calling again.....

[foofer]

Thankful for...

....Moonlight, so I can see the path home. Also felt thankful for the sun rising this morning...Every day, no exceptions- whether we see it or not.

I've been reading Dingo's comments about calorie restriction (the anti-inflammatory diet thread) and thinking about that quite a bit. Many people I know get by this way, and they do well. My manager is French, eats a small piece of bread with cheese and an orange every single day. Nothing more all day for 10 or 11 hours. Super high energy and she's 65 yrs old, can outrun any of us. Never goes to the doctor. She says they always just find things wrong with you. I'm not advocating this, but it makes me think. I'm wondering if how well I feel and how much more energy I have is partly due to LESS eating even more than the good quality I've been eating. However, I do think that I would not be able to cut back calorically unless the quality was excellent- it just seems to follow naturally that good eating perpetuates less eating, while bad choices perpetuate more.

[Twisted Lifter]

Still here. Still supporting the project. Just ridiculously busy at work.
Getting my exercise in. I did make my run last Saturday. Found $5 while doing so.
Promise better posts in the near future.
I wanted everyone to know I am still cheering your efforts.
Love the photos. Inspiring.