Thankful Thursday: PS Mapp & Mckenna's Coffee

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I’m thankful for motivation. This weekend and the first half of the week I’ve been in a get ‘er done mood. It was a bit of a “if you give a mouse a cookie” situation happening, but I got so much rearranging, organization, and to dos checked off the to do list.

I’m thankful for heart rate monitors. It is so fun to see what your heart is doing when you really push yourself…but probably just because I’m a nerd.

I’m thankful for our foster classes (PS Mapp) instructors. They are great teachers, good people, and knowledgeable. We couldn’t ask for much more!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for Mckenna's "coffee". Mckenna sees me drinking coffee almost all day long. So lately, she's been asking if she can have coffee. I've been telling her that only daddies and mommies can have coffee, and that has usually squelched the ask. Yesterday, she asked for coffee in about the sweetest way possible, "because I want to snuggle you and drink coffee like Daddy". I had to figure out a solution. So, I put hot water in an espresso mug, put a drop of Nestle chocolate syrup and a splash of milk. It looks almost exactly like my coffee and it's hot, so she's all about it! I think she had 3 cups yesterday :)

I'm thankful for bunk beds. We recently set up a bunk bed in Mckenna's room and it is possibly one of the cutest things of all time. We have some exciting things planned for it, but for now, it's an unpainted bunk bed from IKEA. Mckenna loves it and has "slept like a big girl" since using it!

I'm thankful for snuggles. Yesterday, when Mckenna got up for her nap, I went into her room and asked her if she wanted to snuggle. She said yes so I climbed into her bunk bed and she wrapped her arms around my neck and fell back asleep. Besides her dragon breath blowing in my face, it was wonderful :)

What are you thankful for today?

10 Minute Cardio Workout

Today at the gym, we did something that I've never done before, that I hope to do again, but will hate as much as I hated it the first time!

It's simple, yet a butt kicker.

The key to this workout is that you have to push yourself. If it's a casual stroll in the park, you won't get nearly as much cardio and lung benefit as you would if you give it your all.

We had 10 minutes to complete the following on a treadmill:

Run .5 miles at a 1% incline
Get off the treadmill and do 10 jump-squats

Run .25 miles at a 3% incline
Get off the treadmill and do 10 jump-squats

Run .25 miles at a 6% incline
Get off the treadmill and do 10 jump-squats

Run .25 miles at a 9% incline
Get off the treadmill and do 10 jump-squats

My 10 minutes ran out right after I completed the .25 miles at 6%. I actually like the fact that I did not complete the task today as that gives me a goal and motivation for next time.

If you try it, let me know how it goes!!

5 Clean Foods I Couldn't Live Without

For the most part, I try to eat clean. There are some deviations here and there, but when I'm trying to put myself in the best position to succeed with either my health, muscle building, fat loss or performance, I've found that eating as clean as possible really helps. With that said, I love to eat!  I'm pretty disciplined by nature, but overeating and eating stuff that may be good for weight gain but not for the rest of my body systems in general, has been something engrained in me since birth. (The idea of calories at all costs is another blog for another day!) Many of the things that I like to eat are far from clean (think candy, birthday cake, sugary cereals, taquitos from Costco, pizza pockets, and the list could go on and on) and the only way to keep myself on the up and up with a "clean lifestyle" is to find clean foods that satiate me in the same ways as stuff on the not-to-eat list.

1. Eggs

5 fun facts about eggs (www.incredibleegg.org):

• The incredible edible egg™ has a high nutrient density because it provides a wide range of nutrients in proportion to its calorie count (about 70 calories per Large egg). Nutrient-dense foods help you get the nutrients you need without excess calories.
• A Large-sized egg supplies 12.6% of the Daily Reference Value (DRV) for protein. A little over half of the egg’s protein is in the white and the rest is in the yolk. The egg’s protein is the highest quality protein of any food. One egg of any size equals one ounce of lean meat, poultry, fish or seafood in the food groups.
• Egg protein is both high in quality and low in cost. It’s easy to compare the price of eggs to the price of other protein foods. A dozen Large eggs weigh 1 1/2 pounds, so the price per pound of Large eggs is two-thirds of the price per dozen. For example, if Large eggs cost 90¢ per dozen, they cost 60¢ per pound. At $1.20 per dozen, Large eggs are only 80¢ per pound.
• To tell if an egg is raw or hard-boiled, spin it. Because the liquids have set into a solid, a hard-boiled egg will easily spin. The moving liquids in a raw egg will cause it to wobble. 
• Each of the roughly 280 million laying birds in the U.S. produces from 250 to 300 eggs a year. In total, the U.S. produces about 75 billion eggs a year, about 10% of the world supply.

How much I eat: 

At a minimum, I eat 2 eggs over-easy or over-medium with 1 cup of egg whites to start off every day. Then, it's not uncommon for me to eat 2 hard-boiled eggs for a snack at some point during the day and I often have a 1-cup egg white omelet or scramble for dinner. Thank goodness that Costco sells all of the above in bulk!

Why I like them:

I love how versatile eggs are! You can prepare them a variety of ways and they seem to be a great base for so many different meals. I also like the fact that they are mostly made up of a slow-release protein that fuels muscle repair throughout the day or night.  

2. Roasted Vegetables

Fun facts about vegetables:

• Asparagus - Everyone makes "asparagus pee," but not everyone can smell it. (http://modernfarmer.com)
• Cauliflower - Cauliflower contains a wealth of anti-inflammatory nutrients to help keep inflammation in check, including indole-3-carbinol or I3C, an anti-inflammatory compound that may operate at the genetic level to help prevent the inflammatory responses at its foundational level. (http://www.whfoods.com)
• Bell Peppers - Traditional Chinise Medicine (TCM) uses bell peppers as a natural treatment for certain medical conditions relating to digestive issues and blood circulation such as indigestion, loss of appetite, swelling frostbite(Injury or destruction of skin and underlying tissue) and stagnation. (http://durablehealth.net)
• Broccoli - Broccoli is high in fiber. Not only in soluble fiber but insoluble as well. Since your body needs both types, it's great to know that broccoli is can fulfill both your needs. (http://www.mindbodygreen.com)
• Corn - An ear or cob of corn is actually part of the flower and an individual kernel is a seed.

How much I eat:

I highlighted the five vegetables (well, bell peppers are actually fruits) above because those are what I eat most often. In fact, they are listed in probably the quantity in which I consume them. It's common for me to have at least 10 stalks of asparagus and 1 cup of cauliflower with both lunch and dinner. Lately, I've been adding a cup of bell peppers to lunch and dinner as well. I used to eat more broccoli, but I've been on a cauliflower kick lately and I buy a 8-pack of corn every two weeks or so.

Why I like them:

I like that I can load up on vegetables to feel full, but not over do it on calories. I also like the texture of most roasted vegetables and love experimenting with different hebs, marinades, etc to roast them with.

3. Cholula

Fun facts about Cholula (www.cholula.com):

• It is named after "Cholula", the oldest inhabited city in Central America. It is a 2,500 year old city in Mexico and famous for its 365 churches. The term Cholula is derived from the pre-Hispanic word "Chollollan" meaning "the place of retreat".
• Cholula delivers a palatable 1,000 Scoville units 
• Cholula Hot Sauce is made in Chapala, which is a one hour drive from the city of Guadalajara, a five hour drive from Mexico City, a four hour flight from Los Angeles, 1,000 miles from Dallas, TX and a long way from New York City.
• Cholula has been in existence for at least three generations; it has been commercially available in the United States for over 20 years.

How much I eat:

I am very generous with my Cholula because I like "heat" and it is zero calories. I add it to my eggs most mornings, cauliflower or broccoli, chicken or turkey and sometimes, my salads.

Why I like them:

I like spicy food, but not spicy to the point that it's not enjoyable to eat. Cholula for me is the perfect balance of heat and flavor. It makes bland things better and flavorful things even more flavorful.

4. Frozen Fruit

Fun facts about (frozen) fruit (http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/20-incredible-facts-about-eating-fruits-and-vegetables-that-you-probably-didnt-know.html):

• Pineapples can destroy your taste buds.
• Apples can give you more energy than coffee.
• Grapefruits are a horrible idea if you take certain medications (list here).
• Bananas are technically herbs.
• Studies by the FDA have confirmed that any decrease in nutrition from freezing fruits is negligible at best.

How much I eat:

How much eat depends on whether it's a high carb day or a low carb day. I've been doing more and more low carb days lately, so my fruit intake has been less. With that said, when I do eat fruit, I do it right! For dessert on my high carb days I make "ice cream" out of only frozen fruit in my Vitamix. I have a concoction, made of frozen pineapple, mango and cherries, that tastes a lot like my favorite ice cream, Rainbow Sherbet!! I also drizzle (or pour) some honey on it to bring out the sweetness.

Why I like it:

I have a sweet tooth and this not only helps with that, but it does wonders for my post-dinner before bed snacking habit. I use a small spoon to eat it so I can enjoy for as long as possible, and I'm positive that eating it on some nights has kept me away from snacking on dry sugary cereal (another favorite of mine!).

5. Honey

Fun facts about honey (http://honeything.com http://honey.glorybee.com):

• Honey stored in air tight containers never spoils. Sealed honey vats found in King Tut's tomb still contained edible honey, despite over 2,000 years beneath the sands. 
• Two tablespoons of honey would fuel a honey bee flying once around the world.
• German peasants were required to give their feudal lords a payment of honey and beeswax
• Honey is the ONLY food source produced by an insect that humans eat
• Honey is much more than just a simple sugar. Rich in minerals and nutrients, honey also has some antibiotic properties that may aid in the healing process.

How much I eat:

As mentioned above, I often (and by often I mean always) put honey all over my frozen fruit ice cream. This could be anywhere from 2 tablespoons to a 1/4 cup! I get raw honey from my mom (who works at a farm) or the purest form of honey at stores. I probably shouldn't eat as much as I do, but it keeps my away from refined sugars.

Why I like it:

I love how the honey gets hardened by the frozen fruit ice cream and as mentioned above, I love its sweetness!! I could actually eat spoonfuls of just honey and I have been known to stick a spoon full of peanut butter into a raw honey jar and eat it as a snack.
Honorable mention

Any kind of dehydrated meat!! Such a great source of protein that is easy to grab and go!

I know, I know, to come clean eating enthusiasts out there this list may not fall under 100% clean eating, but I decided that if I was going to eat healthy, it would have to be a lifestyle and not a fad. I show myself grace daily by choosing to eat healthy food that is satisfying, but not necessarily "by-the-book clean". I also show myself grace on special occasions like camping (s'mores!) and occasionally, birthdays or other events (cake!).

NOTE: I realize that for some who read this blog, every calorie counts. If you'd like ideas on some high calorie, "clean eating" foods or recipes, please let me know!

Playroom Swap

We are those people who have a "living room" that doesn't get lived in. It was a furniture and dust collector. It looked nice as you walked by, but our dog is the only one who used it! So we decided it was time to put the room to use...even though it means guests potentially walk by a pigsty as they enter our home. We have talked about moving the playroom from the bedroom where it currently is to the living room for months...in fact, every IVF cycle we would be sure we would get pregnant and need that bedroom for a nursery. Well, 1.5 years later, and we decided that baby or no baby, we were using the room. I should mention, that we are in the process of getting our foster care license, so we will need that room at some point semi-soon-ish, but not today.

Well yesterday I got the itch. I decided to just go for it and started moving furniture out of the room while Ronnie did his morning treatments. Mckenna carried the decorative items (you haven't lived til you watch a 2.5 year old carry a glass vase...it's like a game of russian roulette...and I'm certain really safe! Ha!) And I moved the furniture. I figure I workout for a reason, I was determined to do it by myself. Thankfully, the couch was staying in there, or it would have been a feat I couldn't conquer.

We went to Ikea and got a couple of shelves and baskets after church. And the I spent Mckenna's nap hurriedly moving toys, books, etc from the old playroom to the new. I used the switch as an opportunity to reorganize the bins and pitch the broken toys. I knew I better pitch during nap to keep from being argued with over every discard...and I was right on, Mckenna did dig a "needed" toy out of the trash.

After a long day of moving, we have made the switch, and Mckenna is in heaven.

...and that is probably the last time we will see the floor ;-)

I am thrilled it's finally done. I am not so thrilled that the rest of our house now looks like a furniture store because I just moved out the living room, but have yet to absorb the stuff elsewhere...eh, that's for another time!

Thankful Thursday: "Our Disease" & Pocket

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I’m thankful for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. What a delightful way to raise funds for a cause. I know some people love it and some people hate it, but I say, if you’re raising funds and awareness through something fun, you’re doing something right. I also know there’s been talk of starting one (in some form) within the CF community, but I think us rare disease communities need to stick together. It’s their time to shine!! I’m thankful for the generosity and fun-spirit being shown through the campaign and the millions raised!

I’m thankful that “our disease” is CF. Go with me on this one for a minute. We often see our challenges as huge. CF is a gnarly disease. There is a lot of headaches and heartbreaks that it causes. But when I read about ALS and watch videos of people with ALS my heart breaks, and I can’t help but feel blessed that our family’s disease is just CF. It really puts our daily struggles in perspective! 

I’m thankful for a kind and loving daughter. Tuesday when we picked Mckenna up from school we got the report that she wasn’t a good listener while there. We did all the typical parent things: talked to her about her behavior, coached her up before school today, I even created a good listening sticker chart for some good old positive reinforcement. Well when we went to pick her up today, I stopped at the front desk (where the timeout chair is located) and asked if Mckenna had visited today. I found out she had not, but that the receptionist actually secretly loves when she does because she’s “a doll” and “so sweet". On the way out the door, we happened to see the school’s owner and director and chatted a minute. She proceeded to tell us how loving and friendly Mckenna is to everyone…not a bad reputation for being a month in. As a mom, my heart broke to hear she was naughty earlier in the week by not listening (and even requesting timeout…that little control monger)…something the teacher had mentioned another time or two in the past. Of course my mommy-side kicks in. I worry about how she will do in school. I picture what it would be like if she was the dreaded kid in a class. I understand that that’s all a little premature, but I’m a mom, so I worry! Ha! But man am I thankful for the feedback we received today. If Mckenna is strong-willed and not a great listener from time to time, but is ultimately known for being loving, kind and friendly to everyone, I will feel pretty good about the human she’s become :)

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for beef jerky. I've been focused on eating more protein lately and you can pack quite a bit of protein without an absurd amount of calories with dried meat. I like that I can pick at it and also let it set in my mouth to really taste the flavor. Actually, when I eat it, it kind of looks like I'm chewing tobacco because I often store it in my lower lip!   

I'm thankful for YouTube. Mckenna has something called "Wee Worship" at her school that she absolutely loves. They direct the school through interactive worship songs and most of the kid seem to really enjoy it. She enjoys it so much, that she requests to sing the same songs at home and do all of the hand motions. Mommy and Daddy do not know the lyrics, music or the hand movements. YouTube has us covered!! Mckenna has enjoyed "practicing" her singing voice in the comfort of her own home lately.

I'm thankful for Pocket. I'm not a big book reader, but I do like reading articles. I often come across articles that look very interesting, but don't have the time to read them when I see them. Pocket allows me to push a button that saves the article to one central place and even lets me access it without internet or phone service available! I generally hammer through as many articles as I can when I'm trying to wind down for bed. Pocket makes it easy.

What are you thankful for today?

Gym-spiration

I rarely write blogs and think about the fact that people I see in everyday life may read them. I write and send it out to cyberspace, and then, a friend of mine mentions something about the blog, and I think, "oh shoot, people I actually have to talk to face to face read some of my inner-most thoughts and idiotic statements." This is one of those blogs I actually thought about before-hand, and thought, shoot, if these people read it, they may be creeped out...but I think it's an important one, so I'll write it anyways. If you read this Heather and Therace, I'm sorry. I'm a creeper. A major, major creeper.

It's hard for even the most driven and motivated people to stay driven and motivated in the gym all the time. Especially in mommy-world! You're up in the night with kiddos. Your "alarm clocks" don't have a snooze button. Your little buddy(ies) rarely let you pee alone, let alone rest on the couch if you're feeling sleepy. Non-parents have it just as bad. Work is crazy. Relationships are crazy. Social lives are crazy. Shoot, for most of us, if not all of us, we would like another few hours in our days. Exhaustion creeps in...and if you're anything like me, it really creeps into my workouts.

I usually can pull myself into the gym knowing that I will have more energy after the workout. But many days I am not motivated (nor do I have the energy) to push myself quite as hard as I should to get the most out of my hour at the gym.

Enter: My gym-spiration.

There are a couple women in my life that are beasts...and I mean this in the best of ways. They are the kind of women who walk down the street and you think to yourself, "Are they a professional athlete? At the very least a fitness model?!" They aren't just thin. They are the women who look like they just left a hard workout and are headed home to juice something and eat a piece of raw steak with a side of kale. You know the type...ripped, but not too ripped. Skinny, but not too skinny. They look like they work hard. And like they could probably kick the butt of any man at the gym, on their worst day...asleep.

The first of which was Mckenna's swim teacher. The other is a trainer at our gym. Both of which I have befriended and adore because they are even more beautiful on the inside than their well-toned gams. They are both (even though they don't know it...until they read this incredibly creepy post about them in the internet) my inspiration. They are fit, healthy, and work really, really hard to be that way. When I workout with them, I push myself harder because a) I don't want to look like a punk and b) I want to be more like them.

These are the people I like to surround myself with on a lazy day at the gym.

I can't tell you the difference having a motivational workout buddy can make. Of course, Ronnie is motivating in his own right, and we have a blast in the gym. But I can look like Lazy McLazyson around him and not be embarrassed. It literally has transformed my workouts to do workouts with, or take a class from, women who are truly inspiring!!

If you have been feeling a bit lax in your workouts or unmotivated, this would be my one piece of advice. Well, ok, I have a second key piece to go along with it...if you find that person, just befriend them, but don't exactly mention why initially...I think it may sound super creepy...especially for a dude. Although, on second thought, who doesn't like a little stroke to the old ego from time to time? Precede with caution there ;-) But seriously, find someone. You'll be glad you did.

Be a Model Today!

Reading Mandi's blog yesterday got me thinking about the different things that I'm loving about Mckenna right now. I could of course go on and on and devote an entire blog, not just a single post, to this, but I thought I'd try a unique breakdown to highlight what I'm digging. I'll give you a big macro thing I love about her, a micro thing and something that probably gets overlooked and I may take for granted, but I absolutely love.

Big picture:
I'm often asked about one big thing I love about parenting and my answer has been the same for over a year or so now. I absolutely love to watch Mckenna's personality and character develop. Each day that passes, not only do I see her as my daughter, but I see her more and more as a unique and individually gifted and talented little human. Her likes and dislikes. Her quirks and mannerisms. Her little problem solving brain. The more I see, the more I like. I feel so blessed to be given the opportunity to play a role in her little life. To think that I'm able to have some influence on the person she will become is not only an honor, but it is of course humbling.

She cheeses so hard.

It can quickly become an exercise on self-improvement.

Why should she say "please" and "thank you" all the time but Daddy does not? Do I need to develop better manners? If I run out of patience waiting in a check out line, should I be all that surprised when she starts acting like a crazy woman in the store? If I'm not willing to try new things, or work hard to figure out a solution to my problem, how is she going to learn how important that is in life?

I feel a huge sense of responsibility to show Mckenna what a good person looks like, and with that in the back of my mind, it has no doubt made me a better person.

Small Picture:

I love her jokes. Don't get me wrong, her jokes aren't funny, but she laughs and so do I. And, she doesn't just blabber on trying to make me laugh, she really thinks about two things she can put together that don't fit, or a scenario that seems outrageous, and delivers it in a joke format to make me laugh. I've always thought it was important to put a smile on people's faces through humor, and a great personality trait, so I'm thankful that she's taken a liking to it. Take my word for it, I didn't land her Mommy because I'm good looking.

Something I probably overlook:
I love how kind-hearted Mckenna is. She has a genuine care for others and always seems distressed when others are in pain or crying. She's quick to say "I'm sorry" and is always interested in how she can make others feel better. Mandi is the same way and does a great job of modeling a caring heart. It's also definitely something I need to work on. I'm not mean-spirited by any means, but I don't have a "it's my job to make sure everyone is okay and happy" mentality. As a child, I think it's important to lean towards that end of the spectrum as opposed to the "it's all about me" syndrome. I'm very fortunate to have a partner that is strong where I am weak. I can only pray that I model good character traits as well as my wife does!

Weekend Camping Recap

This weekend we went camping about 3 hours north of our house with my parents, brother, Ronnie and Mckenna. Ronnie, Mckenna, my parents and I all went up to the same spot (actually exactly the same camping spot) about a month ago, and we were all excited to go back.

My sweet parents selflessly went up on Thursday and got the whole campsite set up. They don't mess around! They get the tents set up, "kitchen" area set, fire going, you name it. We then met them up there on Friday afternoon.

Mckenna absolutely loves it. She enjoys walking around barefoot, cooking her dinner on the fire, riding in "the bumpy car" (a RZR), going potty on a log, playing games, eating s'mores, and looking for animals. It is so fun watching her explore a different setting. She's such an adventurous kid, and I love watching it in nature. I also love seeing all the new things she gets to learn in a different environment. She is a little hit or miss regarding sleeping, the first night being a bit rough, but the following night(s) she sleeps like a champ. In fact, the second night we were there, she slept til 6:45...something our little morning bird doesn't ever do at home! She thinks it's pretty cool to sleep in a tent and "live like animals!"

Ronnie and I love it too. My parents make it WAY too easy on us, by being the ones to cook AND clean up (yeah I know, it doesn't seem fair for them! It's not! But they insist). We eat like kings because, like I said, my parents don't mess around. This weekend we had BBQ ribs, corn, rice, steak, grilled veggies, and shrimp. It was DELISH! We spent days driving around in the RZR (an ATV) exploring the area, relaxing at the campsite, and eating massive amounts of trail mix. We spent evenings around the fire enjoying time together and noshing on s'mores!

All in all camping as a family is quickly becoming a favorite vacation of ours!!!

Thankful Thursday: Bible Study & Open Houses

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I’m thankful for my bible study. I started a bible study last night (well, it started two weeks ago, but I joined a bit late), and I am so thankful I did. I seem like a social person, and in my younger years, I used to be. But walking into a room of strangers is actually cause for anxiety for me. So I actually really wanted to bail and just not go (especially since I was starting late anyways), but I knew God had put it on my heart to go, so I put on my big pants and went. It was such a joy, and I can tell God has me there for a purpose.

I’m thankful for nuts….any kind really, almonds, cashews, peanuts. I’ve been eating nuts daily. I can’t get enough. They make for the perfect snack.

I’m thankful for Diet Dr. Pepper. In fact, I’m drinking one as I write this. Every afternoon I have a soda and a serving of nuts, and man is it deliciously awesome!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for a daughter who loves to check out open houses. I could spend all day everyday looking at different homes around town. The last few weekends, I've convinced the family to join me on these little open house adventures. And then this past weekend, just Mckenna and I did a crazy open house blitz or 4 houses in 90 minutes! She loves checking out each room, and is always hopeful that there will be a playroom or kids room that she can check out. It's so cute!

I'm thankful for our house. Looking at different open houses solidifies one thing for me - I love our house. We're not seriously looking to move but if the opportunity presented itself, we'd be willing. It's going to take the perfect house however because we both really love our home and it is very functional for our family. We've also made improvements and cosmetic changes over the years that just fit us and our style.

I'm thankful for shrimp. I but fully cooked tail off frozen shrimp from Costco that I absolutely love. I let it defrost, you can do bit by bit or the entire bag, and then add it too existing meals or make the shrimp the focus. I like to make "shrimp soups" with a variety of broths and/or ingredients. The best thing about shrimp for me though, a guy who keeps close tabs on his macronutrients, is that shrimp is 100% protein. If I need more protein for the day, no problem, I'll add 6 ounces of shrimp to the menu!!

What are you thankful for today?

Lifting with Cardio Bursts

Ronnie and I switch up our workouts frequently. We do it, in part, to keep our bodies guessing, but mainly because when you do something 5-6 times a week for 5-12 hours a week, it can quickly get BORING. Switching things up is our way of keeping ourselves interested.

This go 'round we are doing 3 days a week of our class (the one we write about a lot that is essentially HIIT training using kettle bells, TRX, barbells, bodyweight exercises, and risers). The other 3 days we lift. Ronnie started using an app, Strong Lifts 5x5, for lifting. He's gotten ripped...and yes, please read the "proud wife smile" in that description...he's lookin' fine, if I do say so myself.

Anyways, I also use the app, but to get the kind of exercise I enjoy, lifting alone doesn't do it. I like feeling winded when I workout. I like feeling my heart beating out of my chest. I like that feeling after a workout when I know I couldn't have pushed myself any harder. For me, lifting just doesn't do that. Lifting, my heart rate stays around 40-60% of my max heart rate, and I like to see it more in the 70-95% of my max heart rate. In order to get my heart rate up like I like, I mix cardio into the lifting routine. Usually, I do a set, do 1-3 minutes of cardio, do a set, do 1-3 min of cardio, etc. This is a good way to spike my heart rate into the 70-95% of my max heart rate, it drops a bit through the next set, and then I spike it again.

Here are my cardio bursts of choice:

- Burpees (usually 10 if doing it with another exercise during the same 1-3 minute burst or 30 if alone)
- Sprints (usually 1-2 minutes at a 10-11 on the treadmill)
- Box jumps (usually 10 if doing with another exercise during the same 1-3 minute burst or 30-50 if alone)
- Toe taps...tapping my toes on the top of a riser (usually 20 if doing with another exercise during the same 1-3 minute burst or 50 if alone)
- Step ups onto a riser (usually 10 a leg if doing with another exercise during the same 1-3 minute burst or 20 a leg if alone). For this one sometimes I also hold a 10lb plate and when I step up, I do a press with it.
- Squat jumps (usually 15 if doing it with another exercise during the same 1-3 minute burst or 30 if alone)

We wear heart rate monitors at the gym, and I find that my calorie burn is exceptionally different if I just lift verses if I lift with cardio bursts mixed in. Just lifting, I burn, say, 80 calories (or so depending on the day). If I lift with cardio bursts mixed in for the same amount of time, I burn, say 250 calories. That's a major difference. So make sure if you're not looking to lose weight, that you account for extra calories you will burn. If you are looking to lose weight...enjoy the extra burn :)

Things That Make My Lungs Feel Worse: Strong Scents

Last week, I posted about things that make my lungs feel awesome. Actually, it started out as a blog of me talking about various things, but I ended up writing about exercise for so long that I just made it a blog focusing on one thing: Exercise. If you missed that blog, you can check it out here (you should check it out just for the memes I included). In the months to follow, I plan on writing blogs about other things that make for #awesomelungs, and if you'd like to be involved in that, please let me know!

Anyway, on to the topic at hand. Now, I've already pointed out the number one thing that I believe make my lungs feel awesome, so what about the number one thing that make them feel worse, or not so awesome? The most obvious answer is a lack of exercise or treatments, but I wanted to get a little more micro-focused (is that even a word??) with this blog and talk about one thing that others may not think about that could make their lungs, or the lungs of their child, feel worse.

That my friend, is a strong scent of pretty much any kind. (Maybe I should rephrase, a strong chemical scent of any kind, roast beef is okay) Now, notice I threw the word strong in there. This doesn't necessarily mean that just a little whiff of something fragrant in the air is okay for my lungs, but I can tell you unequivocally that the stronger the scent, the worse my lungs feel. What do I mean by worse? Usually tight. There are some scents, or scent dispersers, namely burning incense, that make my lungs feel like a deflated balloon that cannot take in air.

I do realize that the smoke burning from the incense stick could, and most likely is, contributing to the tight lungs, but I assure you that whatever is being burned into the air to create the smell is not helping.

Same goes for strong wall plug-ins, perfume, cologne and please listen if you fall into this category cigarette smoke on clothing.

**Steps on soap box**

I know, I get it, you smoke outside only. You have been addicted to nicotine since you were 14 and even though you now have a child with a terminal disease that primarily impacts the lungs, you still continue to smoke.

I won't address the fact that IMO it is an entirely selfish decision to continue to smoke when having a child, period. I won't even talk about how disrespectful it is to your child or the community they are a part of. Lastly, you're an adult, so you know the negative way that cigarettes impact your health, so no need to go there.

What I am going to address is this: If there is smoke anywhere present - car, house, clothing, mouth, skin, air, patio, etc - it can, and most likely is, harmful to your child. Please stop. I know it's hard, but so is watching you smoke. Your child may not feel disrespected now, but I promise, they will. They may not think your smoking is impacting their health negatively, but I promise, it is. Just stop. Please.

**Okay, give me a second to step off of the soap box...Alright, back on solid ground.**

Back to the rest of the scents and scent related crimes. Here is another one, if you are a respiratory therapist, please don't come into my room smelling like a bottle of perfume or cologne. I have to sit there and breathe it in for an hour. It doesn't feel nice. I'm glad you smell pretty, but your here to help make my lungs clear, not smell nice for the new doctor who just started working your floor.

I know, candles make you feel relaxed, but do you need to burn 41 of them around the house? I have a pretty strong candle detector and my lungs start tightening up around candle number five.

I like chlorine in my pool water, but pool water mixed in with my chlorine? Tights lungs here I come!

Okay, I can see this blog starting to become a diatribe of every scent I've ever encountered and what I think about it so I will stop. I'll just leave it at this, if you have to question whether or not the scent is too strong, then the scent is probably too strong. If you don't need it, don't use it.

And lastly, please stop smoking.

If you want to get involved in the conversation, leave a comment here about what make your lungs feel worse or tweet me @RunSickboyRun! I'd love to link to any blog you write about what can make your lungs feel worse, either now or over the years. Send me a link to your blog so I can share it!!

Loving to Learn

In the last month or so, Mckenna has been really curious about numbers and letters. She has known how to count and sing her ABCs for a long time, but recently she's been talking about the numbers and letters in practical ways. Her latest obsession is showing the number of something on her fingers...you know, she's two (holds up two fingers); she wants to read three books (holds up three fingers...or tries to). We like to give her simple math questions: "if you have one book and we say you can have one more book, how many books do you have?" "TWO!" (she's right about 50% of the time if you keep it to adding one and two to another number.) She also asks about letters a lot. She will ask what something starts with or what letter something is (as she points to it). In the mix of all this number and letter curiosity, she learned to spell her name.

However, she spells it: M-C-K-E-M-M-A...and it's super adorable...but I'm pretty sure she may go to her grave swearing it is not M-C-K-E-N-N-A and definitely is M-C-K-E-M-M-A. Here are two of our 1.6 trillion conversations regarding how her name is spelled. It is hilariously frustrating for all people involved, and we pretty much have to agree to disagree.




I love this age!! There's so much to learn, and so much excitement around learning.

Can One Email Save Two Lives??

It has come to my attention that two girls in the cystic fibrosis community are in desperate need of our help. In this case, “help" can come in the form of an email from YOU and others in the CF community.

Here's what I know:
A couple of years ago Arkansas State Medicaid denied coverage of Kalydeco for four girls in need of the medication. Through the hard work and dedication of Beth Sufian (lawyer with CF herself) and her law partner, two of the girls were able to receive Kalydeco recently. Unfortunately, that still leaves two of the girls in Arkansas who are in desperate need of the medication. Their health is in decline, and time is limited. Action needs to be taken now!

The doctors of both girls have petitioned Vertex pharmaceuticals for a compassionate use of Kalydeco. The response to these pleas has been disappointing. Vertex’s response to the pleas was that they would meet with Arkansas State Medicaid. A meeting is good, but the medication would be better. A meeting will not stop the rapid decline in the health of these two girls. 

Vertex has the ability, under the law, to provide the girls with Kalydeco as early as tomorrow! The FDA allows for on-label compassionate use of any approved drug of which both of these girls qualify.

One can only imagine what these girls and their families must be thinking. The same family who participated in fundraising efforts that provided the money to accelerate the research for this drug, is now being denied access to it. Does that sound at all fair to you?

What YOU can do:
You can copy and paste the following text into the body of an email and to send it Charles Johnson, VP of Global Medical Affairs at Vertex. His email address is charles_johnson@vrtx.com. Let him know that this is unacceptable. Feel free to use any or all of the email provided or write your own. Please copy ronniesharpe@cox.net and info@cff.org to any email sent. 

***

Mr. Johnson - 

It saddens me to hear that Vertex is refusing to provide Kalydeco to the two girls in Arkansas; despite having the ability to provide it under compassionate use. As a community we have worked very faithfully for many years to raise funds for this very drug; for you. I understand you can’t help everyone who is denied coverage, but it would be nice to see you try. The CF community stands up and helps one another. We work tirelessly to raise these funds with the expectation they will be used to improve the health and lives of those living with cystic fibrosis. My hope is that you will serve this community like we serve each other. Thank you in advance for doing what is always right, not what is always profitable.

Sincerely, 

Your Name

***

Are you tapped into social media? You can also help on Facebook and Twitter!

Facebook:

Vertex’s 2014 second quarter financial results stated Vertex had $1.22 Billion dollars in cash.  The only drug Vertex sells is #Kalydeco. Yet they refuse to provide the drug to two girls in Arkansas who have been denied access through Medicaid, even though they can, according to law. http://ow.ly/A5NCi

#Fighttheinjustice #supplydontdeny

Two girls in Arkansas whose health is declining are being denied coverage by Medicaid for #Kalydeco, a drug which could help them drastically. Legally, #Vertex can provide compassionate use of #Kalydeco while their legal case continues. Yet they are doing nothing to help. Help these girls. http://ow.ly/A5NCi

#Fighttheinjustice #supplydontdeny

It’s important for a company to do the right thing. #Vertex is not in the case of two girls denied coverage for #Kalydeco by Medicaid. Show your support for fellow Cysters and their families. http://ow.ly/A5NCi

#Fighttheinjustice #supplydontdeny

Doing what’s right is always more important than doing what’s profitable. http://ow.ly/A5NCi #Fighttheinjustice #supplydontdeny

Twitter:

@vertexpharma Doing what’s right is always more important than doing what’s profitable. http://ow.ly/A5NCi #Fighttheinjustice #supplydontdeny #Kalydeco

@vertexpharma How can a company with $1.22 billion dollars in cash not provide the compassionate use of #Kalydeco? #cysticfibrosis http://ow.ly/A5NCi

@vertexpharma The Arkansas cysters need #Kalydeco now, not a meeting! http://ow.ly/A5NCi #supplydontdeny #cysticfibrosis

I can't thank you enough for doing this and taking time out of your busy day to help these girls.

You can read more about the girl's case here: http://online.wsj.com/articles/costly-drug-vertex-is-denied-and-medicaid-patients-sue-1405564205

Thankful Thursday: 5 Star Chef & Tantrums

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I’m thankful for eggs and sweet potatoes. I found a recipes online to “eggs and sweet potato hash” that I modified a bit. We’ve had it for breakfast two days in a row, and I’m pretty sure there is no yummier breakfast. Seriously, It’s like heaven in your mouth.

I’m thankful for hard workouts. One trainer in particular runs a harder class than the rest of the trainers. I love being in her class. She knows what she’s doing, pushes you, and makes it fun. There’s nothing like a hard workout to make you feel accomplished for the day.

I’m thankful for tantrums. Ok, not really. Mckenna has been quite the pill the last few days, enough to make me feel crazy. But I am thankful for what tantrums symbolize. They symbolize a little girl that is growing up and has her own thoughts, feelings and opinions…I don’t like how she shows those thoughts, feelings and opinions at times, but I am thankful that she is becoming her own little person….now just to make her express those without being a monster :)

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for a wife that has been on quite the tear in the kitchen. Mandi has been on fire lately creating delicious breakfast, lunches and dinners for Mckenna and I. She makes some of the most well balanced and delicious meals on the planet. When I'm trying to eat more healthy, it's nice to have the support of a 5 star chef in the kitchen ;)

I'm thankful for family time. This past weekend my mom and brother came up from Tucson to hang out with Mandi, Mckenna and me. They also came up to watch Mckenna while Mandi and I attended my mother-in-laws birthday dinner. We're so seriously blessed by the amount of time we get to spend with our families. We realize that not everyone is able to do that.

I'm thankful for Apple TV. We use Apple TV to watch shows and to entertain Mckenna quite often. Sometimes, I even forget how much is packed into that little tiny black (or is it white??) box. I think I can speak for Mandi when I say that our favorite part of the day is after we put Mckenna down for the night and are able to hang out on the couch and watch a show together.

What are you thankful for today?

What We Ate Wednesday: Egg and Sweet Potato Hash

This week was a good one for new recipes. We are trying out "carb cycling" because I'm trying to learn it to help a friend who wants to lose weight, learn it...and well, Ronnie's always a good sport. So  this week we got extra creative with recipes, and it paid off.

Here was out favorite recipe for the week (and maybe my favorite breakfast of all time):

Egg and Sweet Potato Hash

This is a recipe I saw all over on Pinterest, and I just pulled from several recipes and made up my own:

1 Sweet potatoes
2 eggs
1/3 c. of Santa Fe Medley (frozen black beans, peppers, onions in corn from Bashas)
1/2 tsp of Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1 inch cubes. Place cut potatoes onto a baking sheet sprayed with Pam and put into the oven for 30 minutes (or until soft) - turning them occasionally. Cook the bag of Santa Fe Medley mix for 5-6 minutes in the microwave. Fry the eggs over easy (so the yokes are still runny) while everything else is cooking. Plate the potatoes and Santa Fe Medley mix first, sprinkle some of the Mrs. Dash Seasoning, and top with the 2 fried eggs.

Total Calories: 305
Grams of fat: 10; protein: 19; carbs: 31

And presto chango, you have breakfast. Everything, but the eggs, can be made the day before and/or you can use leftovers. It is totally delicious. Ronnie, Mckenna and I all devoured it. We loved it enough to have it the next day. I woke up looking forward to the tastiness!

Easy adds for extra calories would be cheese, olive oil on the potatoes before cooking them, and avocado. Ronnie ate his with 3 eggs, and Mckenna ate hers with 1 egg. Lots of easy add ons!

Things That Make My Lungs Feel Awesome: Exercise

PSA: Video games will not make your lungs feel awesome.

As an "old man" with CF, I've figured out over the years what things I can do to make my lungs feel awesome and what things I can do, or not do, to make them feel eh, not so much. I realize that, as with everything with CF, some of these things will work for others while some may not. Here's what I do know, nothing changes unless something changes. So, if you see something in the coming weeks that you may want to try, give it a shot. A real shot. A real honest shot. I used to try and take shortcuts with my lungs when I was younger and it took me many years, and lots of pain, to realize that there are no shortcuts when it comes to health. Being at our best health-wise comes down to two things - good decisions and hard work.

So with that, here is probably the #1 thing that I have found make my lungs feel awesome...

Exercise.

You probably saw me going there. We've all heard it and we probably hear it quite a bit. But what exercise exactly? Well, the short answer is to do any exercise that you'll commit to and do consistently. For me, that has been High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). According to the ever so wise Wikipedia, HIIT is "a form of cardiovascular exercise. Usual HIIT sessions may vary from 4–30 minutes. These short, intense workouts provide improved athletic capacity and condition, improved glucose metabolism, and improved fat burning." Did you catch that? Improved athletic capacity (ie better shape, ie in general, better lungs) and improved glucose metabolism. For those of us in the CF community, that's a win-win. Now, some of you read "improved fat burning" and thought, "My doc says I cannot lose any weight!!" and therefore dismissed HIIT as an option for you. Can HIIT promote weight loss? Yup. Does it have to? Nope. If putting on weight is a struggle for you, you can safely do HIIT but you must increase your calories. You must eat before your workout, to give your body the energy to carry you through the workout (and not burn your fat in the process) and you must eat after your workout (to aid in the recovery process and not allow your body to use its fat stores). It absolutely can be done. And, if you want an even better shot at maintaining, or even gaining weight after including some HIIT into your routine, may I suggest that you add a weight lifting routine to your schedule as well.  Again, you must eat right to take full advantage of your hard work, but it can be done! 

And back to the lungs, HIIT (or other cardio exercise) is like doing an albutertol treatment at the gym. I was actually in a study that showed this was the case. Exercise opened up the airways, and kept them open for an extended period of time. Plus, doesn't it just come back to the old tried and true phrase "if you don't use it, you lose it"? If you don't use your lung (function), you'll lose your lung function. I like to think of my lungs as a muscle I'm working out just as I would workout my chest, biceps or legs. Instead of lifting weights to work out my lungs, I'm taking deep breaths. I'm coughing. I'm pulling for air (in a good way of course!).

The hardest thing about exercise is getting starting. Most people I talk to (CF or not) don't exercise for two main reasons: time and knowledge.

This just made me laugh.

I don't think I've ever met a person who thinks they have a lot of time to spare. It's in our human nature to always feel busy...even if we're not. The bottom line is we all make time for things that are important to us. I have not been writing in this blog consistently for much of 2014. Reason? I have felt like I've had no time to devote to writing. I've felt pulled in a million different directions and didn't think I had any time to spend on RSBR. The truth, I have been busy, but I've been devoting my time to things that I either felt were more important, have the potential to have a greater impact on the CF community or things that I enjoy more. So I've had plenty of time, it's just been focused on other things. (Note: One of those is exercise which I devote about 2 hours a day to). To make time for exercise, it must be important to you. You need to find some kind of external or internal motivation for doing it and doing it consistently. If I gave you 1 million dollars to exercise daily, would you do it? Of course! You'd make the time no matter what! Unfortunately, I can't pay you to exercise (I wish I could), but I would argue that better health is worth a lot more than 1 million dollars (to me anyhow!!).

Ask Unknown Cystic if he thinks it was worth making the sacrifice to exercise every day. He works A LOT and didn't think he'd have anytime to fit exercise into his life. What did he do? He got creative! I believe they call that "if there's a will there's a way". He decided that if he was going to be working, then he'd be walking too. Check out the results he's had after walking on a treadmill during his working hours for the past year: One Year of Using a Treadmill Desk. The proof is in the pudding.

I understand that many of us can't afford a treadmill in our home, but don't let that be your reason for dismissing his story. The point isn't that we all must walk while we're working, the point is that we all must just do something. Commit. To. ANYTHING. Active.

Forgive me if I'm making it sound too easy, but in reality, it can be. It's just a matter of making it a priority and doing it. Don't have 1 hour a day, how about 10 minutes? Is 10 minutes an optimal amount of time for exercise? Nope. Is it more optimal than 0 minutes? Absolutely!

How can you get started? I'm glad you asked. Pick a time today that you're going to do something active and commit to doing it. Reading this really late at night? Pick a time tomorrow. How much time? At least 10 minutes and no more than 45 minutes. What's active? Anything that makes it harder for you to breathe as a result of exerting effort. That could be from sitting up and down on your couch multiple times to running 5 miles. Whatever it is, if you did nothing so far today that could be considered active, you'll already be two-steps of today, tomorrow (or later today!). 

This is all about improving yourself. Not being better than anyone else, just a better version of yourself. You can do it, just take the first step...of many, many steps.

Need help? Just ask. You can leave a comment here or find me on CysticLife.

If you want to get involved in the conversation, use #awesomelungs on Twitter and tweet @ me yo!! I'd love to link to any blog you write about what you do to make your lungs feel awesome. Send me a link to your blog so I can share it!!

I won't guarantee that it will be fun, but it will be worth it!!