The cure for everything - eat naturally, from the land

I am not a doctor, educated in medicine. I am not educated formally in any physiological or biological science... I've studied some chemistry and biology at McGill University and I watch, I read, and I learn - so now I'll share what I've learned and you decide if it is worth turning on, in your own life.  The choice and decision is yours alone.








As I pour my mountain tea this morning, I thought I'll spend the next few days sharing with you our experience in Greece.  Gilles and I got to stay with George and Eleni Karimali at their organic winery.  We learned so much from them but the sweetest lessons were learned at the dining table when George would make up a batch of mountain tea for us to try, whilst sharing stories of best eating and healthy living.  The Karimali's welcome people to stay at their lovely winery and give lessons on The Ikarian Way of Life.  The process of making and drinking the mountain tea has a way of opening you up, calming you down, awakening your heart and readying you for the day ahead. Mountain tea is also called by the names sideritis, ironwort or shepherd's tea, and is a very popular plant in Greece, well known for its use as a herbal tea. Mountain tea is known scientifically to be anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. It has been traditionally used to aid digestion, strengthen the immune system and suppress a common cold. Recent research studies indicate that mountain tea is beneficial "for treating symptoms of cognitive impairment in elderly and with regard to Alzheimer’s disease by affecting its most prominent hallmarks".  As both my grandparents suffered dementia, I'm grateful to be drinking this lovely morning tea... but this tea, is just one of many nutritious products we would have normally consumed in our day, but commercial products from grocery stores have now infiltrated our lives in North America, and we've lost all knowledge of what is truly important.  This tea is the tip of the iceberg.

When we arrived in November of 2018, we had no idea what to expect!! The island is raw, beautiful and magnificent.  You must get a rental car, a 4 by 4, to drive the island.  The main roads are paved, but the back roads to get to the most spectacular places, are rocky, narrow and twisting around incredible mountain cliffs!




There are no rules, it can be dangerous, but the experience is life changing.  See this Greek Traveller's blog for his experience.







 The first thing you learn from Ikaria, is that everything that is grown on the land is eaten by the people there.  There are few grocery like stores, everything is home grown, and home made.  The most exciting feature, was that I - who in North America cannot have gluten or dairy - could eat anything in Ikaria.  I did not get the bloating and sores that I get here.  WHY?  The answer does not come from any scientific research I have done... it comes from an obvious awareness.  The food here is manufactured, for profit.  Everything that is done for our produce, is done FAST, CHEAP and in VOLUME so that they can serve the most people, for the cheapest price, and make the most money.  We have done this to ourselves.  We feed this system.  I was shocked to learn this from only observing the reality of the food on Ikaria....

The food there is grown and served, for quality, taste and community love! They didn't want our money - they wanted us to love the nourishment.  We did!!  We loved going up into the mountains into a tiny village called Marathos.  Here was a restaurant called "Slow Food" where they take their time, gathering, preparing, eating, and enjoying the evenings together.  The Communities gather every evening after the work of the day is done, around 9:30 pm to gather together, smoke cigarettes (some didn't, but most did!), and eat.



Herbs played a significant role in every dish we ate.  They used dill, rosemary, oregano, basil and parsley in some combination in every dish.  It is no wonder they live so long.  They eat so well.  In another blog I'll share the way they deny stress in their lives - and this too plays a role in their longevity.  But for today, I'll end this blog by sharing that we can eat well too!!

HOW?? (Hover over for the links to more information)

Start a small herb garden for yourself.  Use these medicinal herbs daily in teas, and in your meal preparations.  Start buying from local farmers who practice organic farming.  Try to eat directly from the land, without the processing of manufacturing plants and factories.  Eat seasonally, fresh foods.

Wheelhouse - what a ride!

I just finished a spin class at the Wheelhouse Cycle on Wellington.  They are awesome!! They make you work!! They make you sweat!! They are inspiring and I'm so grateful for my daughter Elle introducing me to the classes there.... I feel I'm getting healthier, fitter, and enjoying this ride...

It has been more than a year since I've written to this blog.  I'm terrible at keeping you informed... but on the other hand - no one complained when I ghosted them :(

I'm not offended and I hope you aren't either.

I'm back now.  That is all that matters.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?? YOU ASK

I trained... I worked up to being able to run a 1/2 marathon and then I signed up to the ARMY RUN and finished the Commanders Challenge.



What is this you may ask ?  Running a 5km race and then doing a 1/2 marathon race all in the same morning.  Not quite an Ironman but a feat worthy of braggery by anyone who crosses the line.  3706 people ran the 1/2 marathon, it was crazy packed and  challenging course!  I can tell you, along with each of those 3000 individuals... it was a proud day to be back in the game, back running, and to cross that line.

BUT... WHY DIDN'T I DO THE IRONMAN?? WHAT HAPPENED??

I began training in September of 2018 in hopes to complete another Ironman in 2019.  I had signed up for the Whistler Ironman Canada but Gilles and I very soon decided to take a different path.  We were in the Sobey's in Kanata, shopping for our typical veggies and gluten free breads, dairy free cheeses and yummy healthy foods when I found a magazine from National Geographic entitled "The Blue Zones".  hmmmm... I thought... very interesting... very much in line with our healthy living!  I threw it in the shopping cart to bring home for a read.  "Seventeen Dollars???!!!!", Gilles exclaimed in disbelief when it passed through the till... "Seventeen Dollars!!??" - little did he know, at that moment, that the cost of that magazine would take us way beyond $17.00 dollars....

The very first place mentioned was a most fascinating and beautiful island, called Ikaria! in Greece! I had always wanted to see Greece! My son Jake had crafted a vase for me years ago, with Greece or Bust! on the outside.  I had been saving money in it for years... although was never able to afford to actually go....

"Let's do it", he says to me... Wide eyed, staring at him, wondering if he is teasing, he says it again... "Let's go see how they live.  Let's go meet these people that do not die from cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and other inflammatory diseases.  Let's find out ourselves".  WOW!! Here we go.

So I cancelled my plans for Ironman.  The expensive flights to British Columbia, the expensive 4 day minimum stay in Whistler and I put all into the new dream of going to Greece.  I will share more about this incredible place, and the lessons her people taught us - our new family there - in another blog - how even my daughter Hannah got to experience her magic too!! You must check back in with me :) Another day, another blog.  I must share it with you.  It's too wonderful not to.

This blog today is about getting up and moving.  It's about having a dream - even changing your dream - but still focusing on what's important  for you.  Exercise!!



So it is true, my Ironman dream was cancelled... but in Greece I ran up those incredible mountain roads.  I still moved... I taught my body to run again.  Back home I worked out the core muscles. Starting from a WALK/RUN of 1 min on, 1 min off.  15 minutes first day to 20, to 30... until I could run consistently further.

In the summer of 2019, on vacation on our lovely PEI Island, I was up in the morning and ran almost every day.  I followed a Phil Mosley training plan - he has some really great plans to try out and experience from beginner to advanced.  His plan was a mix of SLOW days where he forces you to watch your heart beat, and stay slow... then other days he gets your heart up with intervals and speed training.  It WORKED for me.

By the time September 22 arrived in 2019 - I was as ready as I could be (you can always be more ready for any race... believe me). I did not perform any miracle times but that wasn't the goal.  The goal was to be fit enough to finish and for that, I was very successful.

It can be done.  You can go from couch potato - or injured - or after major surgery - and you get your body back... It takes time, effort, dedication - GO SLOW - listen to your body - but don't give up.  I'm not going to leave you as long anymore... see you tomorrow, with more to inspire you xoxo

Broken Woman to Iron Man - we've made it to 5K

left, right, left right...go through the checklist in your head...

1. Keep Smiling!! (Smiling helps you feel good about your run, and releases pleasure hormones called endorphins, natural painkillers and antidepressant hormones such as serotonin!!! You'll love it!!)

2. Keep Flexible!! (Keep your hands loose, your arms freely swinging, You need flexibility in your muscles, your tendons, ligaments, and joints so you don't get injured!)

3. Chin up! But not too far up!! look straight ahead - have Good Posture!! (The efficiency of your running is completely impacted by your posture - so important to ensure everything is aligned)

I glance at my watch.  I'm not nearly through the checklist and it's time to walk again.  Today is my last 1 min walk, 1 min run. Today I will go for 40 minutes... ooops time to run again!!

Concentrate on that posture - direct quote from the CHI RUNNING website (an excellent book to read - website blog found here) "According to Yoga teachers, along with many other mainstream body movement disciplines, good posture involves having a reasonably straight spine with not too much straightness and not too much bend. The more you slump, the more your body’s muscles need to work to hold you upright. Poor posture not only restricts the circulation of blood to your muscles and organs but also inhibits the oxygen supply to your brain."





4. Keep the Pelvis level ! You want your pelvis level from side to side.  Remember those sit ups and crunches you hated doing ?? Keep doing them and right now, while you are running, engage them.  Hold that pelvis level!

5. Lean forward! Let gravity take you there and simply keep lifting up your feet to propel you forward! If you want to run faster lean forward more.. to slow down, lean back - simple right!! 

Check watch - still a few more seconds but lean back because I'm back up at 160 again and I'm NOT supposed to be pumping blood that hard.

6. Notice your breathing - I'm definitely going too fast, deep, slow breaths. I count.. in 2, 3... out 2, 3 and I slow my pace to align with my breathing... In the beginning you can DEFINITELY expect to be out of breath - it is our muscles not yet equipped to take in enough oxygen to move as fast as you are moving them... watch your heart rate, and slow it down - don't worry - I promise.. in no time we'll be able to up our pace.

Walking is wonderful - I'm loving the little breaks every minute.. makes the time go by so fast.  In fact I'm already half way (20 times completed) and on my way back home.

7. Kick your feet to your bum! Use your heels to kick back instead of your calves to pull up - it'll seem weird at first but trust me - it will save you many calf cramps!! 

8. Squeeze your bum! yes, using your quads (front of your thighs) to pull up your leg and engage your glutes as you are leaning forward will truly improve your posture and form... CHI RUNNING has practices in it that coach you into the correct form. I've loved the advice from this book and definitely notice a difference.

9. Stay Relaxed! So important to continue to check in with yourself... how is your neck? is it tight and full of tension? How are your shoulders? Relaxed, down and loose? How are your arms? Swinging easy beside you? Not crossing in front? How are your foot steps? Should be light and short... not long and causing unnecessary force to your frame... 

10. Be proud - just going outside in running gear is motivation to be proud of.  DID I say to Keep SMILING!!!!????

Today's run was excellent. I didn't feel great, honestly.. but I enjoyed completing it - and I hit 5K.  Results for your interest below.  

I let my heart rate get up a little too high on this one but the good news is how quick it came back down.  Also you'll see my pace a few times got pretty quick (likely was crossing the busy intersection then!! But it's exciting to see some improvement.)

The rest of this week I'll start to reduce the walk times and increase the run times.  30 second walks and 1.5 minute runs.. Come on out with me.  You can do this too... Here we go!!

Broken Woman to Iron Man - tough weeks make you tougher

This week was supposed to be three runs where you walk 1 min and run 1 min, 15 times... I got out twice and found both times difficult to complete.  Whatever knocks you down, just makes you stronger, get back up and go again.  Work, Family, Life, Mental Fatigue... so many reasons to stay down, don't.  Get up again.  One step at a time.

Overall, I'm getting there. Truly.  (inner voice is saying FIND THE POSITIVITY in everything, and success will find you)  I'm now walking with a good stride for the full 30 minutes, I'm running a good pace and feeling comfortable (6 min/km) but my heart rate is still exceedingly high for that 1min.  Upwards of 160 bpm to keep my body moving. So its going to be important to continue to watch and work on getting myself more efficient.

I'm going to keep practicing this as I really do believe the theories that if we train our body to be efficient, we can go on forever... Rich Roll, during a 3 hour Sunday run, wrote the following... "Sunday: 3 hour run.  When I woke up, my legs were so thrashed, I seriously doubted whether I was going to be able to handle this run.  When faced with these thoughts, I just have to turn my brain off and go.  I loaded up my fuel belt and headed out.  My legs were very heavy the first 30 minutes, but they loosened up and I ended up feeling fine.  I built into the run and ended up feeling pretty good, a big surprise and great indication of just how massive my endurance base is right now.  I worked on my climbing and descents, trying to acclimate my legs to the pounding of going downhill, which can bury a runner on a long run when not used to this.  I also had no issues keeping my heart rate squarely in Zone 2 between 130 – 140 bpm, which has become very comfortable — I could run all day in this zone."

This is so inspiring to me.. Rich wrote this after extensive endurance racing and training... if he can get there, ANYONE can.  We humans have an infinite store of ability, we only need believe, and proceed to tap into it.

In order to figure out where you should be training, you need to first find out your maximum heart rate. This is one way to determine it:  "The basic way to calculate your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. For example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum heart rate of 175. This is the maximum number of times your heart should beat per minute during exercise."

So they (google) say... that performing an activity for a long period of time i.e. endurance running, you truly don't want your heart rate higher than 75%. You want to stay in the aerobic zone where energy will be most efficiently distributed in your body. 

This article is a good one with some of the science behind training in this lower heart rate zone.  It goes through a good explanation of what each zone is, how you can tell if your in it, and some of the key benefits and disadvantages of each zone. 

Another website I found has much more extensive details on the Science behind these techniques if you are interested here.

In short... the beginning is hard and it takes time for us to get used to the movements we are performing... don't ever go so hard that you hurt yourself, and if you feel your heart rate pounding, slow down... and don't feel guilty for going slowly.. you are actually burning more fat rather than carbs now - and your body is learning to burn this fuel efficiently!!! Keep on moving forward, that is our only goal. :)

I could not heal without Yoga

Today I woke up in awful pain. My legs were tight, my hamstrings not wanting to move, in about an hour I could barely walk, my back was killing me and it felt as if the sciatic nerve was pinched.  I tried to go shopping for some things we needed for the house and was rubbing my back the entire time.

So ... many would at this point want to take a tylenol or advil and go lie down... but I know better.  I know that with a 15 to 20 minute stretching session, I'd be healed.  CRAZY but all too true. So down goes my yoga mat and I proceed to go through, by memory, the Jermaine Jones Yoga for Conditioning "Muscle Maintenance" routine.  It is easy, painless and no hassle.  Now I'm up sharing this experience and actually feel pretty good.  The muscles are no longer in knots. no longer tight.  I still feel the ache of the workout (on WEDNESDAY do you believe it can do this, this long away from when I worked out!?) but now I will heal correctly. 

See the trailer for this awesome DVD here!

Know that muscle ache and fatigue is completely normal throughout your training, in fact I long for it.  The aching muscles bring on adrenaline and a vast array of healing hormones and amino acids that actually give us pleasure. We love the feel of the healing!!  As long as we aren't injured. Injury comes from improper healing, and improper technique.

I've taken a look and the simplest stretches you could incorporate are in the photo below. Never stetch to the point of pain, only feel the muscle pull somewhat... if you are feeling REAL pain stop and go back slowly... it should never hurt sharply, only a dull pull is what you want to feel. This increases your flexibility and stops the pinching of the nerve that is in your lower back running down both entire legs.  Always seek some assistance from a professional trainer at a local gym if you have any doubts of your form or how far to go!! Find what works for you and add it to a daily regime - whatever you find -  Keep it up!!

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Week 2 dedication to the plan

The single most difficult part of any plan is staying on it. The road is hard. There are many distractions, which will prevent themselves as very important. We must do everything we can to stay on track.

My Plan

So the first week had me doing a walk run of 2 minutes walking and 1 minute running for approx 30 minutes.  I did this three times and found it very hard but the walking made it achievable.  In fact Gilles' plan to do any marathon includes walking every 2kms.  This way he gives his body a short break to recouperate, and also he'll take that time to put some fuel into his system such a s bar or sandwich, gel or gummy.  Whatever he brought along with him for his run.  He loves when I find these new studies as it just reassures him that his plan was a good one, all along. 

Love this quote - if the plan doesn't work, change the plan but never the goal.  This week was not an easy one either to fit in these running timeslots.  I had started back at work which was absolutely exhausting mentally - not in a bad way - but definitely the mind was put right back to work and my body only wanted rest at the end of the day.  To motivate yourself to get to the gym takes REAL WILL POWER.  But trust me, this is no different than getting up in the middle of the night to take care of your child, getting up on time to get to an appointment on a Saturday morning, or even showing up at work in your 20s when you REALLY  don't want to.  We do it.  We don't think about it. Definitely do not listen to your inner voice who will have a dozen good reasons to stop... just get up and do it.

Once you are done, you'll feel pain. \you'll be tired... but you'll feel wonderful.  You'll feel pride in your accomplishment  -- and there is no price for that!!

Good luck on getting started on your fitness journey! Just go!

The first run = Post 2 of broken woman becoming an Iron man

I didn't want to go.
I really didn't.
In fact I had successfully spent the late afternoon napping, as I wasn't feeling well, and only got up when Gilles got home and made me dinner, and had a glass of my new favourite mix of red wine with carbonated water - super tasty, light, and low in carbs.  I was sure I wasn't going to go today and even Gilles gave me the blessing to wait and go tomorrow. So it was okay.  I don't like to work out after having a drink.  But - I had written that I would, and I'm really not comfortable letting anyone down.  I knew you were reading. I knew you were waiting to hear how it went, so I went.  I bought these really comfy shoes online before my surgery and I chose those today to keep my feet happy.

I also wore my Army 5K run shirt to inspire me to move forward... there any many that suffer way more.  Off I went.

It was terrible to start.  I felt heavy and weak... but the first step was to walk. Walk for 2 minutes.. so I did.  I wore my Garmin Watch, and also attached my heart monitor.  I walked until the two minutes was up and then hit the lap button and began a stride that should have looked like running.  I was a great runner in the past, so I do know what to do.. but my hips, quads and shins weren't too happy about this movement... only 1 minute.  I kept going.

Then the minute was up and I was allowed a 2 minute walk - THANK GOD.  Phew! tired already.  I have read so much about fitness I began to remind myself of all the little things I have learned.  I reminded myself to go slow.  It is important when the body is ramping up in fitness to have a heart monitor.  WATCH it. Rich Ross states to stay under 140 BPM and I completely agree.  I think this applies to anyone, however, going and having your threshold determined by an expert is a good idea if you are just starting out.  Know what your heart rate zones are as determined by your age and level of fitness.  A good article to start with is here: How to Calculate your Heart Rate Zones

So I'm watching my Garmin and seeing I'm getting upwards of 145BPM when I was running. SLOW DOWN I told myself.  Which when you are starting feels like you might as well walk because any movement that feels like a run throws your heart rate up.. It is important in this phase to be very disciplined. This way you won't get injured.  I want to do a marathon in 6 months... I can't afford to get injured from ramping up too fast and overdoing it.  If you've never ran before you definitely are at risk. Take your time. Slow down.

Another 1 minute run, and I continue to concentrate on form...lean forward, kick heals towards butt, pelvis forward, arms not swinging outside of body line.  I feel okay but my hips are aching and I'm very heavy, my heart rate edging over 140 every time... so I keep breathing and saying to myself, slow.. easy and slow...  The muscles in our bodies need both oxygen and glycogen to operate.  If we have not moved like this before, your blood system will not be efficient.. this is why the heart beats so fast... it is trying desperately to get these two things through to those moving muscles.  Go slowly, breath deeply, trust the system.   In a few weeks this will be easier, for all of us.  Patience truly is a virtue.

Ten times of this and I'm done.  I did it.  My first outing, a 30 minute very easy walk 2 minute, run(practically a walk because my heart rate kept jumping) 1 minute... it was fun.  I have no regrets starting this.  I walked and jogged down roads in my neighbourhood I don't normally go down.  I waved to neighbours, ran by Lisa's old house (thinking of you!) and ENJOYED it.  So important to appreciate this time to yourself.

Once home I took a shower and made myself my new favourite recovery drink: Rice milk, dates, coconut, turmeric, cinnamon and ginger.  Super yummy and very effective in helping our cells cope with what we just did to them.

\Yes! one baby step towards the dream xoxo