We've Moved!

Peace, Love & Bagels can now be found at http://www.peacelovebagels.com!

Life According to my iPhone

I was going to apologize for not having much to post about lately, but I'm going to pull the "sorry I'm not sorry" card on this one. I've spent all week working, making lacrosse practice plans, trying to learn the names of all the girls on my team, thinking up yoga sequences, and trying to find the time to spend with my wonderful fiance, who has to put up with all of this.

Sarah has done a few of these posts and I didn't realize how much fun they were until I went back into my phone and searched through all the pictures! Here's what's been going on in my life...

Fail. 

I wanted these to be in chronological order, but uploading from my phone didn't go so well. Oh well, can't win 'em all. 

Until next time! xoxooooooooooommmmmmm

My Path To Health

It’s about to get real up in here, people.

If you don’t want to hear TMI from me, you should probably X out of this post now.  I know there are some people who read my blog that don’t care to know about the inner workings of my body, but there may be some people reading this that might have the same problems and need some guidance or direction. This post is for those people.

I stopped taking birth control in May of last year.

No, I’m certainly not trying to get pregnant, but I’ve been pumping hormones into my body since I was about 16. I am tired of it and I want my body to work the way nature intended it to. Without synthetic hormones.

With the help of the pill, I’ve essentially been menopausal since age 16.

I’ve gone off the pill once or twice before and both times, without fail, it takes several months for my body to re-regulate and get my period naturally and regularly again. This time around, it’s been over 8 months.

When I brought up the issue with my doctor last time this happened, he gave me some other type of hormone to kick start my body into the hormone-producing vesicle that it should be. I’m not so keen on that idea right now.

So, I spoke to an Ayurvedic specialist. What he told me was no surprise by any stretch of the imagination, but it did give me some rhyme and reason to what my body is trying to tell me. The beauty of Ayurveda (and most other forms of Eastern medicine) is that it is tailored to the individual. There is no “one size fits all” magic pill to make things in your body happen the way they are supposed to.

So, what is right for me may not be right for you. Just keep that in mind.

James said my overall constitution is Pitta/Vata, but I have a Vata imbalance. [Side note, I'll probably do a post more about this stuff later] Pitta is fire and Vata is air. Vata is aggravated by too much energy, too much stress, too much stimulation, and it’s manifested in a deficiency.  I’d say not getting my period since last June is a deficiency, wouldn’t you?

But it goes deeper than that. There is a hierarchy of body tissue in terms of how the tissues get nutrients; think of it as a series of filters – nutrients get sucked up by the top level of tissues and whatever is left finally gets to the bottom. It just so happens that reproductive tissue is at the bottom of that hierarchy.

This picture is en Espanol, but gives you a really good idea of the tissue hierarchy.

Pitta people tend to burn up nutrients (calories) very quickly because they’re so active.So, since I’m have a strong Pitta (fire) nature, I tend to burn through those nutrients before they have a chance to get to my reproductive tissues. They’re nutrient deficient…specifically, they’re probably iron deficient. Iron is incredibly important when it comes to reproductive functioning.

I haven’t had my blood tested lately, but I’d be willing to bet that I’m slightly anemic.

SO, in Ayurveda, you generally deal with these types of things with diet and exercise changes. For me, that means:

• Eating more eggs.
• Eating more butter.
• Drinking more milk.
• Eating red meat every once in a while.
• Exercising in a more “lunar” way.
• Overall, eat more protein and essential fatty acids – more hearty nutrients that can withstand all my fire and get down to those tissues that are lower in the hierarchy.
• Make time to slow things down...as a general life statement.

It’s not something that’s going to happen overnight, but I am glad I spent the time to learn how to try to get my body back into balance in a natural way. One thing I have to stress again is that this is something that will, hopefully, work for me…but it may not be the answer for you. Each and every one of us is different. The same, but different.

If you’re having similar issues, I would strongly suggest you talk to someone who can tell you what will be helpful for you, as an individual. Shameless plug: James was amazing and he does Skype/FaceTime sessions. Worth it.

Wish me luck on this path to health!

Go Mustangs!!!!

I've made mention to it once or twice, but let it officially be known....I am coaching the Strongsville High School Girl's Lacrosse Team!!

I played lacrosse all four years of college and did a little coaching at Hoover High School when I first moved to Ohio. Now I'm going to be head coach of the girl's team at Strongsville. Very exciting, I know. I can see you jumping with excitement from here.

I've been doing all kinds of coaching training online and plan to take some coaching clinics that are put on my US Lacrosse eventually. One things I've learned is that I need a plan for the season and I need to set goals. Let's start with some goals (because we all know that writing them down and putting them out there will hold us accountable)

1. Average less than 5 goals against per game: this means beefing up our defense big time. We'll need to have a solid settled defense and I want every single player to feel comfortable defending the goal.
2. Average 7+ goals per game: I know lacrosse at the high school level is chock-full of "give the ball to the star player" types of offenses. A corollary to this goal, is having an even distribution of goals scored by all the attackers. 
3. Win 80% of the draws: in the game of lacrosse, there is a golden rule "SHE WHO WINS THE DRAW, WINS THE GAME" and it is true in most games. You have to have the ball to score a goal, right? Makes sense.
4. Zero red/yellow cards all season: if you get carded, it means you are not playing clean lacrosse 99% of the time. I have no tolerance for dirty play. 
5. Make 75% of all free position shots: this will probably be the toughest one, you'd be surprised how many free shots on the goal can get botched. 
6. Average 5 caused turnovers per game: BIG D! All this means is that we have a very strong defense and that we are hungry for the ball. 

Looking at the stats from last year, I think these goals are totally attainable (and SMART!) Sooo...wish me luck!

I am so excited for the season!

GO MUSTANGS!

Tips for Lunch Break Workouts

Run at lunch. Seriously, do it. You'll thank me later.

Or, maybe don't run...

Maybe practice yoga

Or do a body weight circuit

Or a crossfit workout

Or walk around the parking lot

...just get moving!! I find that my lunch break time is best utilized when I'm moving and not sitting in front of my computer.

Yesterday at 11:59 I decided I wanted to run at lunch and it turned out to be a great idea. Exercising at lunch always allows me to get all my jitters out so I can focus through the rest of the afternoon. I can usually get in between 3 and 5 miles comfortably at lunch, without feeling rushed.

I even recorded a video of myself. Just for S's and G's. 

I keep a big bag full of different types of workout clothes in my car for any occasion that I embark on unplanned exercise at lunchtime. I do have a shower at work, but I rarely use it because I don't want to deal with wet hair at work. That, and it takes a while to shower, which takes away from workout time.

Becca's Tips for Exercising on Your Lunch Break:

Plan a short workout that won't leave you exhausted

Find a space that you feel comfortable in and won't be interrupted by coworkers

Keep workout clothes, shoes and deodorant in your car

Be flexible (a.k.a. the weather doesn't always cooperate)

Reward yourself (preferably with Girl Scout Cookies)

Have fun! It should be a no-pressure workout and you should be proud that you got away from your computer to move

and don't forget: bring a change of underwear!