Time to Give Thanks

I still can't believe how quickly Thanksgiving came this year. And I find myself looking to the holiday this year with different thoughts of thanks than I have in prior years. Typically I always looked forward to the tasty turkey, a fluffy serving of stuffing, mashed potatoes and tall glass of vino. And more importantly was always thankful it wasn't me who had to cook and prepare it! But this year while I'm very grateful to be spending the day with my local friends and family, it isn't the meal that has me feeling weepy.

While this was supposed to be the first house-filled Thanksgiving of many, I can't help but be grateful for all the things and people that are a huge part of my life and remind me of how lucky I really am, in spite of loss and sadness.

First and foremost, I can't be more grateful for the love of my husband who not only has shown me his strength as a husband and friend, but also his patience and sacrifice to support our household through this period of transition in our lives. Secondly, I have the most amazing family that I don't think can be topped by any other. Yes, I'm pretty biased. Mom, Dad, Evil Step Mother (just kidding - inside joke between us - she's actually wonderful!), Rich, and Randall: Couldn't ask for more loving and supportive parents - you all have had a tremendous impact on my life - I love you. Third, I am truly blessed to have the local family and friends who not only showed what friendship and love is really about when crisis came head on, but have and will always be a part of Donny and I's life. Stephanie, Andrea, Sylvia, Laura, Victoria, Michelle, Wendy, and several individuals from my husband's unit. As Donny and I move on in this coming year, I will definitely look to the move with hope, excitement and also sadness - I will miss my family here so much. Fourth, I can't forget to give thanks for the love of my red head Pomeranian, Henry. It's amazing how healing that little booger can be - plus he's pretty dang cute! Lastly, I can't forget to give thanks to God for continuing to provide (whether it's easy to see or not) for our household. Through hardship it can be very easy to see only the pain, but I am grateful to be able to recognize how lucky I really am at this point in my life.

From this point going forward, I know that I will always look at Thanksgiving with thoughts of "Thanks". Instead of thoughts of "Can you pass the stuffing?"

                       Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

RICE

We all experience "boo-boo's" in CrossFit and I think that many of us (CrossFitters and others devoted to their fitness & health) have heard of or are familiar with the term "RICE".

R = Rest
I = Ice
C = Compression
E = Elevation

This term is generally used when people are looking for ways of calming or decreasing pain and discomfort from an injury. I did not know about this term until a year ago and prior to that was very confused as to whether to place heat or ice on an injury. When I grew up I was always taught that after a long day of snow skiing, the family was to jump into the hot tub and "soothe" those sore muscles. Boy, were we wrong! Because I was recently asked about this concept, I wanted to address it quickly and hopefully help others if they are in the same boat.

"Cold should be applied three to five times a day for 15 minutes at a time during the first 36-48 hours, by submerging the injured area in cold water, using an ice bag, or applying ice massage to the affected part." (Hoeger & Hoeger, 2012, p. 328) Additionally, ensure you wrap the affected area with a bandage for compression and elevate. If the area starts to show signs that swelling and inflammation have decreased or diminished completely, heat can then be used (typically this is after 36 hours). If all else fails, and the injury appears to be something that you can't improve upon, consult a doctor for medical attention.

Reference:

Hoeger, W. & Hoeger, S. (2012) Principles and labs for fitness and wellness. (11th edition) Belmont, California: Cengage Learning.

Time to Decompress!

Are you overeating and/or falling off the Paleo bandwagon? Experiencing headaches? Losing sleep? Feeling depressed or socially withdrawn? More than normal fatigue during workouts? Anxiety? Stomach upset?

Well.........I ask these questions because I have found myself the last couple months experiencing some of these things. And I have boiled it down to that nagging threat, STRESS! This enemy can come on out of nowhere (not really, but it appears to) and typically occurs due to external factors such as financial issues, work, relationship issues, etc. And even worse, sometimes it just compounds from one external factor to another making it feel impossible to tackle. While stress is a natural condition and one that each of us experiences throughout our lives, I've come to realize how important it is to try to recognize when stressors identify themselves so that I can take responsibility instead of letting those stressors take over control of my life.

Just to be clear stress can lead to very serious health problems including heart attack, high blood pressure and diabetes. So if you feel that your stress is not being managed, you may want to consult the help of a physician. (Mayo Clinic, 2011) Or in my opinion, just adopt a little Pomeranian and all your stress will diminish!


Okay, maybe snuggling with a Pom will only go so far. Many experts recommend adhering to a healthy diet (check. I mean.......well........I guess I'd better get back on the bandwagon), partake in an exercise regimen (check), utilizing relaxation techniques (check, time to snuggle with that Pom) and seek a friend to talk to when need be. I'm not a doctor nor an expert but I can tell you from experience that I have allowed stress to completely take over my life and then when I regain my sanity (Ha!), I look back and realize how much time I wasted mulling over things that I can not change. So as I look back at the challenges that this year has already provided - so graciously (insert sarcasm here) -  sometimes the stress I experienced felt unbearable but I realize stress is necessary as well as those challenges.

"By beginning to identify and understand the sources of your stress, you've taken the first step in learning to better manage it. Manage it, not eliminate it. Stress is a fact of life. And that's OK. You can handle it."(Mayo Clinic, 2011)

Reference:

Mayo Clinic (2011) Stress management. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Retrieved November 16, 2011 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-management/SR00031/NSECTIONGROUP=2.