My classes in graduate school were overwhelming to say the least but I loved how much I was learning about the human body relating to exercise.
Cardio physiology
Adv Exercise phsyiology
Lab methods
Respiratory physiology
A few of my favorite classes.
Because now I divide my attention between working with athletes and fitness enthusiasts on training and coaching and seeing patients in the hospital, I feel my brain really gets a good understanding of the "healthy" body versus the body that is compromised. It is also overloaded at times which makes for great sleep when I can turn off my brain.
When I am in the hospital, I learn a lot about the human body and I see a lot. I am amazed by what a sick body can do and I feel that makes me appreciate a body that is otherwise healthy and normal. I feel many people disrespect the body or do things to the body because they feel "life" is too stressful and/or busy to take care of the body.
Well, my thinking is that if you don't have time to take care of the body, you have to make for illness. I really love my job as a clinical RD and being able to help people but when I leave the hospital, I have freedom to use my body however I want. I never lose sight of that freedom for no matter what is on my to-do list for the day, my morning is best started with some type of activity. My body is healthy and I want to use it for as long as I can for there may be a time when I can't and that time is not now.
Did you know that the body burns ~38-56 calories per hour while sleeping, 100-145 calories per hour sitting in meetings and the adult brain may demand ~20% of our resting metabolic rate every day?
I feel calorie counting is very over-rated and although it may work for some, I am not a fan of it. We must eat in a way that we are eating for the right reasons. My reasons: Health (#1), fuel (performance), pleasure.
I do not count my calories but instead, see food for nutritional value, to support my exercise routine and I eat food that makes me feel good inside.
On Mon (yesterday), Karel and I started our morning with 30 minutes of core/hip/glute work and stretching and Campy was spoiled with several doggy walks in the early am and pm. As for my main eats during the day to keep my body fueled and happy and my brain functioning properly:
Yummy oatmeal creation with apples, raisins, nuts and seeds and a little Hammer vegan protein powder. Happy tummy and brain for the morning hours of working.
Quinoa, leeks, baby tomatoes, sweet peppers, goat cheese, cashews, tempeh, mango, avocado and mixed greens. Whoa baby... Flavor overload in a bowl full of medicine!
Pasta w/ stewed tomatoes and oregano with roasted veggies cooked in olive oil (squash, mushrooms, sweet peppers)
As an athlete, my body requires days off from training for I train hard and recover harder. I never sabotage a workout or my immune system health by not fueling before, during or after a workout. But as a fitness and health enthusiast, I must move and fuel my body on a daily basis and I must always eat for health. Last week I had Sat off from training due to my talk and after a 4 hour ride + 45 min run on Sunday for Kona training, I looked forward to another day off on Monday to rest my body and mind for another tough week of training. Last week I trained 13 hours (which includes 1.5 hours of hip/core work and a recovery 30 min swim on Monday). As you know, I do not train high volume for the IM but instead, I train smart and even with Kona on the radar in 6.5 weeks, my goal is to arrive to the race healthy and hungry to race for Ironman #7. I'm thankful to my body that I have started and finished every Ironman I have signed up for.
Even more important is if you are using your body for training purposes as an athlete, remember that your body requires a lot more during activity than it does at rest so don't overlook the importance of proper fueling before, during and after workouts.
I feel if our society would spend less energy worrying about food and the "perfect" way to do things and instead, establish realistic, meaningful goals which force us to make good decisions on a daily basis to bring progress, we would all have a more quality filled life. We can not control our future or our genetics but we can certainly reduce our risk for disease. My goal is a balanced life so that I can work hard with my healthy body to reach my performance goals but also stay healthy enough to be productive with my career. And most importantly, I do not want the days to rush by and not appreciate the little things in life.
Like doggy play time while enjoying dessert on the floor while stretching.