This summer is going by in a flash. Here is what’s new in my world…
Big Ride Project News: Next week is the Tour of Utah! The Ride Project will have a booth (#20) August 17th – Tuesday afternoon/evening at the Prologue and will be at booth #32 on August 21st – Saturday in Park City. I encourage you to stop by and see these images up close or just say hello. If you purchase a limited edition print at our booth, you will receive a $50.00 gift certificate to Cafe Trio in Salt Lake City. Cash or check accepted!
Team TLC Rides Again! – My wonderful friend and Sister-in-Law started Team TLC four years ago to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. I had the honor of riding with the team in 2008 on Martha’s Vineyard. This year she is taking the team to the NH Seacoast! Please support her efforts and donate money to this amazing team. They have already raised almost $2500! I love you TEAM TLC!!
Vitamin D – I’ve written about this magical vitamin a few times over the past year. Vitamin D is so important to your overall health, especially if you have MS and/or treat with Tysabri. 12 weeks ago my vitamin D levels came back low. I raised my daily intake from 4000 iu daily to 5500 iu daily, per my neurologist’s recommendation. I was just tested again after three months on the 5500 level and brought my levels up from 29 to 32. I am shooting for 50-80, so I am waiting to hear what the next step is. It will likely be a 1X weekly dose of 50,000 iu. Do you supplement with vitamin D?
JC Virus Antibody – I am participating in Stratify 1, one of the trials assessing risk factors for PML. I recently learned that I tested positive for the JC Virus Antibody. This isn’t good news, but it isn’t bad either. Just over 50% of participants have tested positive as well. According to a letter I received from my neurologist’s office…
“Our current hypothesis based on preliminary data to date, is that patients who have JCV antibodies may be at higher risk of developing PML, compared with patients who are negative. We do not believe that most patients who are JCV antibody positive will develop PML with TYSABRI treatment. The development of PML requires a convergence of multiple factors within an individual, in addition to infection with JCV.
If the current clinical studies confirm that 50% of MS patients are JCV antibody positive and if the false negative rate of the assay remains low, then the risk of PML in TYSABRI-treated patients who are JCV antibody positive may be approximately up to twice the current overall risk of PML with TYSABRI. For example, if the risk of PML in TYSABRI-treated patients is 1 in 1000 then the risk in TYSABRI-treated patients who are JCV antibody positive would be up to 2 in 1000. Again this needs to be evaluated in our on-going clinical studies.”
So, what’s new in your world?
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Objects may be smaller than they appear and that is certainly the case with this image and the actual size of Chia Seeds. They are really the size of a grain of sand. Have you ever heard the saying, green is the new black? Well, Chia Seeds are the new Flaxseeds. If you can get past the “Cha Cha Cha Chia…” infomercial theme song, they really are a great addition to your diet.
While Chia Seeds may be the new Flax Seeds, they are not new. There is evidence that the seeds were first used as food as early as 3500 B.C. The seeds were eaten alone and mixed with other seed crops, drank as a beverage when dissolved in water, ground into flour, included in medicines, and pressed for oil.
I first read about using Chia Seeds for endurance sports in this amazing book Born to Run, that made me want to be a runner, a barefoot runner. It still hasn’t happened, but it’s on my list!
Here are the top 7 reasons to eat Chia Seeds:
1. Chia Seeds are high in Omega 3 – 1 oz of Chia Seeds has 4915mg of Omega 3. Omega 3 fatty acids are loaded with protein which is great for healthy skin, hair, and nails. Chia Seeds are also high in calcium.
2. Chia Seeds are great for vegetarians because unlike Flaxseed, Chia Seeds can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid and don’t require grinding. The oil they contain does not go rancid because of the high level of antioxidants.
3. 1/4 cup of Chia Seeds has 160 calories and a whopping 11 grams of fiber.
4. 30% of the Chia Seed’s oil is Omega 3 oil. 40% of its oil is Omega 6 oil. This provides the nice balance for those who take supplemental Essential Fatty Acids.
5. You do not need to grind the Chia Seeds to digest. It is a relatively easy to digest seed, whereas flax seeds are not.
6. The Chia Seeds are great for athletes because they are highly hydrophilic. Being hydrophilic means it absorbs large amounts of water. Chia Seeds can absorb over 10 times their weight in water making them a great enhancer in hydrating our bodies. They absorb the water we drink holding it in our system longer.
7. Studies show that eating Chia Seed slows down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrate calories into simple sugars. This leads scientists to believe that the Chia Seed may have great benefits for diabetics.
How to use Chia Seeds
Add a scoop to your water bottle before running or working out.
Sprinkle on yogurt, salad, oatmeal or just about anything.
Sunny skies and warming temps are making me think about dropping a few several pounds. I know there are many great benefits to being trim, like:
Looking better in a bathing suit
Gaining more energy
Cycling faster
Lowering Cholesterol
Better overall health
What I didn’t know is that fat loss has a positive effect on the IMMUNE SYSTEM. “Australian scientists have shown for the first time that even modest weight loss reverses many of the damaging changes often seen in the immune cells of obese people, particularly those with Type 2 diabetes.” While this article is focused on diabetes, I think the information is relevant and really exciting for everyone with an auto immune disease, except for the skinny people.
This study shows that you don’t have to lose ALL the weight to have a positive impact on your immune system. “”We have found that a modest weight loss of about 6 kg (13.2 pounds) is enough to bring the pro- inflammatory nature of circulating immune cells back to that found in lean people.”
13.2 pounds is my new weight loss goal. My immune system needs all the help it can get!
With or without MS, we all want to improve our health. Better health prevents future illness and helps you deal with the one(s) you have. Here are 10 ways to improve your health:
1. Be Accountable: Your health and well-being is your responsibility. You can not blame your general health on fast food restaurants, rainy days or a bad mood. Your choices, each and every one, determine how well you feel and how well you are.
2. Healthy Weight: You didn’t gain weight overnight and you aren’t going to lose it overnight. In fact, studies show that losing 1 or 2 pounds a week predicates a better chance of keeping the weight off than a big, crash diet loss. Check out SPARKPEOPLE for healthy ways to lose weight, get in shape and connect with others on the same journey.
3. Exercise: Move everyday. If you are just starting out, try simple stretches in the morning or a relaxing walk around the block. As you build strength and stamina, walk faster or farther, lift weights, ride a bike, or try a class at a local gym or yoga studio. If disease or injury prevent you from walking, find other ways to move. Order a free yoga DVD from mymsyoga.com and chose one of three practices to fit your ability.
4. Reduce Stress: I know! This is the toughest one of all. Life doesn’t stop so we can get our act together, relax and be in a low stress state of mind. Knowing that, we have to carve out time to “stress-less” and find ways to under-react. Many of our stressful situations are caused from how we react to certain events and not the actual events. Stress plays an enormous role in your health from MS relapses to high blood pressure.
5. Vitamin D: I am not a doctor, but I do know that Vitamin D is key. Adequate levels of Vitamin D have now clearly been identified as important in minimizing Multiple Sclerosis relapses and likely MS disease progression. It may also be important in reducing the risk of developing influenza and other viral illnesses. My Neurologist recommends levels between 50 and 80. Check with your Doctor to see what levels are best for you. A simple blood test will let you know where you are.
6. Leafy Greens: Eat more! This is an area that I need to work on. (Watch for a leafy green “challenge” coming up). Leafy Greens, especially the dark ones, provide you with many of the B vitamins, and are, calorie for calorie, perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They provide minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats. (Drop me a line if you want some of the BEST Leafy Green Juice recipes ever!)
7. Less Meat: Do you feel tired after a meaty meal? Consider this: your body typically takes three days to digest meat. The meat often rots before you digest it. Digesting meat requires energy. The more you learn about how meat affects your body and how the majority of animals are treated before becoming “meat”, the less appetizing it becomes. Consider a Meatless Monday. I became a Vegetarian for health reasons, but maintain my meat free lifestyle because I read too much about CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) and factory farms. I cannot ignore the reality of how meat is put on our plates. If you are curious about a Vegetarian or Vegan diet, I highly recommend reading The Kind Diet or other books from my bookstore. If you purchase something from my bookstore, Amazon gives me a small commission for the recommendation.
8. Sleep: I typically go to bed before 10pm and wake up before 6:30 am. I have experimented with waking up earlier, but I haven’t been able to do it consistently. When I don’t get eight hours of sleep, it shows. Sleep needs are individual but usually between 6 and 9 hours is required, not only to function effectively, but for long term health. Not enough sleep is linked with a higher risk of car accidents, increase in body mass index (sleep deprivation causes an increased appetite), increased risk of diabetes and heart problems and a decreased ability to pay attention or remember new information.
9 Connect with others: Healthy relationships can reduce stress and increase better health. If you don’t have a strong social circle, meet people and re-connect with old friends. Remember, when it comes to connecting with others and maintaining relationships, think quality not quantity. Find people with similar interests and attitudes. If a new friend always brings you down and never lifts you up, it might be time to rethink the relationship.
10 Give: Donate your time, talent, or treasure to a cause you believe in. Visit Volunteer Match, enter your city and interest to generate a list of need in your area. There are also options for virtual volunteer opportunities. If you can’t think of anything, join our cycling team for BikeMS or make a donation!
2010 has been off to a slow start for me. January was my “slow and steady” month. I didn’t take on any new projects and didn’t push it when it came to exercise, I did yoga when I felt like it but not much else. I purposely haven’t paid too much attention to my diet lately, or vitamin intake.
February has been one big detour, blip or bump in the road. I didn’t feel well most of the month and ended up missing my 34th Tysabri infusion on February 10th to have Gallbladder Surgery instead. Two weeks of surgery, pain, pain meds and interrupted sleep did not bode will for my attitude or general health. I finally had my Tysabri infusion, two weeks late, on Wednesday, February 24th. Strangely enough, it was my easiest infusion to date. I went back to work on Thursday and was so worn out by Friday night that I was in bed by 8:30!
Thursday, the day after my infusion, I was pretty tired and frustrated that almost two relatively unproductive weeks had gone by. I must admit, I was feeling a little sorry for myself and wasn’t sure I would find the motivation to turn things around anytime soon. Today, I am happy to announce that I am BACK IN THE GAME! I am almost pain free and ready to start feeling great and doing GREAT things. Nothing much has changed since my “woe is me” Thursday, except that I DECIDED TO TURN THINGS AROUND. I understand that we can’t always decide how we feel, or immediately change our current health status but usually, we have the power to feel better, get better and BE BETTER.
Stay tuned for:
Interviews from The Ride Project Team Members
My 10 Favorite Cookbooks
A Spring Kick-Off Exercise plan
Weekly Nutrition Challenges
New Photographs for the Ride Project Collection
Updates on the funds we are raising through our teams for the MS Society.
Info about my Participation in a new Tysabri Trial.
I like to drink green juice. I like the taste but I especially like how it makes me feel. I haven’t juiced in a while because I always crave it more in Spring and Summer. Juice is usually cold and in the Winter, I don’t want anymore cold. Today was an exception. Yesterday, I had my 33rd Tysabri infusion with my usual IV Benedryl to pre-treat. That usually wipes me out the day of my infusion and it often creeps into the next day, leaving me less than energetic for at least the morning.
Usually, I just suffer through it but today I wanted to fight it and see if I couldn’t turn things around earlier than most of my “day afters”. The juice worked! I feel better! I think it is because I thought it would work….and it did. That kind of positive thinking doesn’t work for me every time, but more often that not.
In October 2009, I flew to Boston and took part in a Yoga program with Baron Baptiste. The program was developed and a DVD was produced by Biogen Idec. There are three levels of Yoga on the DVD and it is FREE! I would recommend the DVD to MS patients and anyone who is interested in developing a practice of their own.
, that made me want to be a runner, a barefoot runner. It still hasn’t happened, but it’s on my list!
