Category Archives: Health

Thoughts I have while Sick

There are certainly always times where our rational self argues with our irrational self, but this occurs the most often with me when I’m sick. Since it’s such a rarity, I consider it a major inconvenience. Having to take time out of your day to see a doctor who is usually rude, not to mention the exposure to other sick people, makes a trip to an office a harrowing journey. Here’s my typical thought process for being ill:

(The moment something feels off)

Rational me: Probably nothing

(Symptoms persist, textbook for X condition, X being strep, flu, cold, etc)

Rational me: I should probably check on this.

(Google symptoms)

Rational me: Yep – looks like I might have X. I wonder if I should go to the doctor?

(Enter, Irrational me)

Irrational me: It might go away. You might not even be sick. You’re being a hypochondriac and overreacting. Just give it another day. You don’t even feel that bad!

(Wait a day, symptoms persist, sometimes getting worse)

Rational me: I need to go to the doctor. This is silly – I could be a day closer to feeling better if I just went yesterday.

(Check the wait times at nearby Minute Clinics, where you can sign up to reserve your spot in line, 3 of which are within 20 minutes of my house)

Irrational me: 118-minute wait time! No way! Ain’t nobody got time for that (choosing to ignore the save your place in line function). Again, I don’t even feel that bad. Won’t this go away on its own?

Consult Dr. Google again – “Will X go away on its own?”

Read various articles, all of which say “not likely”

Rational me: Ok, that’s it. I can’t just flush this out of my system by doubling my water intake. It’s actually something that responds to antibiotics. It’s not a virus, and all of these people are saying even if they did get better on their own, they wouldn’t recommend that to anyone just because it can get worse without treatment.

Irrational me: I should probably read a few more articles and a Reddit message board first. Americans are over-medicated anyway! Doctors prescribe antibiotics for everything these days! I really don’t want to kill all of the good bacteria in my stomach for nothing.

Read another article and a Reddit message board for more of the same – some anecdotal evidence of it clearing on its own, most people recommending a doctor visit.

Rational me: Americans are over-medicated. Doctors do prescribe antibiotics for things that don’t need them. But if I have X, and I think I do, antibiotics can treat it, and I don’t have to feel this way anymore.

Go to Minute Clinic.

Test positive for X.

Get prescription for antibiotics.

 

The happy ending to this story is that I feel better tomorrow! Crossing my fingers.

Also – check out the “Nurses to the rescue!” episode of the Freakonomics podcast. It talks about things like Minute Clinics staffed by Nurse Practitioners, like the one I saw today. And for the record, My NP was delightful – better than almost any doctor I’ve seen.

 

 

 

Which Came First: Being a Morning Person or Being a Light Sleeper?

I’m a morning person. It doesn’t mean I’m chipper and want to have a full conversation with you the moment I get out of bed, but it does mean that I get up when my alarm goes off. You have more control over your day when you get started early. I start my morning with a run because that’s the surest way I can guarantee fitting it into my day. I suppose night owls can make a similar argument – you just stay up as late as it takes to get everything done for the day – but I find it less stressful to start early. Making my run the first priority of my day means that I don’t have to plan my meals or meetings around a running break, and there’s no danger of an unexpected project or emergency to pop up when I want to go run. Those don’t tend to happen at 6am Eastern. 😉

I’ve also always been a light sleeper. For years I used my watch as an alarm because the soft beeping was enough to wake me up. I also still have a clock radio, and the slight noise it makes right before it goes off usually wakes me up before the radio does. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve hit the snooze button. An extra 9 minutes has never been enough for me to fall asleep again, and I seriously don’t understand the concept of setting 4-5 alarms starting an hour before you actually need to get up. That is my definition of sleep torture.

College roommates and marriage increased my tolerance for noise and ability to sleep through it. I’m still a morning person, and Josh and I manage his love for multiple alarms by me always getting up earlier than him.

12 is the Best Number for Workouts

As I warmed up for my 12×300 track workout this morning, a thought popped into my head I’ve had many times: 12 is the best number of reps for a workout.

Almost every rep is a new, generally recognizable fraction. Rep 3 (1/4), 4 (1/3), 6 (1/2), 8 (2/3), and 9 (3/4) all bring a new milestone. You really shouldn’t need a milestone for your first or second rep, and once you hit the 10th rep, you only have “one more ‘til one more.” Then you finish the 11th and let the elation of the “last one” carry you to the end of 12.

Working out with a team in college meant workouts full of comradery. There’s something about suffering together that forms solid bonds of sweaty friendship. The phrase “one more ‘til one more” came from that group of girls, and we used to sing (between gasping breaths) Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” once we reached the halfway point.

Now that my workouts are solo, I use fractions and other internal motivations. But sometimes, all you can focus on is the interval you are currently running. There’s a great passage in Once a Runner where Cassidy is running a terribly difficult workout (I don’t want to spoil it for you) and talks about focusing on one rep at a time – to slay it and then it’s brother after, over and over. There are times when it’s rough early – when you’re struggling much earlier than expected – and you have so far to go. If I can only focus on the rep at hand, I use rhymes.

One is for fun.
Two is for you.
Three is for free.
Four is a lore.
Five I’m alive.
Six is for kicks.
Seven I’m in heaven.
Eight is great.
Nine is mine.
Ten is (almost) the end.

Sometimes – everything goes well, and the rhymes are just for fun. Those are the best days.

Oh – and one more reason 12 is the best number? This guy wears it.

Tips for Getting More Vegetables in Your Diet

Disclaimer: I am not a scientist or registered dietician. I am armed with little more than the common sense knowledge that you should include vegetables in your diet.

 

I grew up eating relatively healthy. My mom made us balanced meals for dinner, you had to eat your fruit before you could have your cookie, and we could drink one soda per weekend – usually splitting the can between Saturday and Sunday. Despite the introduction to many vegetables, I struggled to like them. I was distressed when my mom told me that corn and potatoes (my two favorites) were technically starches. Here are some ways I’ve learned to include more vegetables in my meals.

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Bribe yourself. I love mac and cheese – not even the homemade stuff. I’m talking about the orange powder packet kind of mac and cheese. Now that I work from home, I face the temptation to make it for lunch on a regular basis. This is obviously not the healthiest option, so now whenever I want mac and cheese, it comes with strings attached, and those strings are broccoli. Broccoli, like most cruciferous vegetables, is not my favorite, but mixed with mac and cheese? It’s not so bad, then.

Learn new techniques. Did you know you’re supposed to massage kale? The first few times I made a kale salad, I didn’t massage it, and I thought kale being popular was a conspiracy theory. I couldn’t believe this was the superfood so many people were fawning over. Then I learned if you sprinkle some salt on kale and massage it, it actually tastes like food rather than roughage.

Mask them with stronger flavors. I got the cookbook Run Fast, Eat Slow for Christmas, and my friend Keri raved about the “Can’t Beet Me Smoothie.” Beets have an incredibly strong flavor, and I knew from smelling them that I probably wouldn’t like this smoothie. I choked down the first few batches, and then I adjusted the recipe. I added a higher ratio of blueberries and almond butter. Those increases plus the fresh ginger overpowered the beets, and now I get all of the benefits of beets without holding my nose while drinking my breakfast.

Add them in unexpected places. Another great recipe from Run Fast, Eat Slow is for the Superhero Muffins. In addition to normal ingredients like eggs and oats, these muffins have shredded carrots and zucchini as well. The shredding is a bit labor intensive, but these muffins freeze well, so it’s worth it to make a batch and defrost them as needed.

Thankfully there are vegetables that I like, so I don’t have to employ a trick or bribe every day. And if any of these stop working, the internet is full of recipes!