Author: Jill McCauslin (Page 14 of 23)

Replenishing Electrolytes

September 12, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

It seems like people are always advising me to work on replenishing electrolytes after I go for a long run or do any physical activity in the heat of summer.

People are also always advising us to stay hydrated but not to drink too much water without replenishing electrolytes.

Lots of advice for sure but what does it mean?

What are Electrolytes?

I knew that electrolytes are minerals in our bodies, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium but that’s about the extent of my knowledge. (I really should have taken more science courses in college.)

Here’s a great definition of electrolytes that I found on Medline Plus, which is a website of health information put out by the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

Electrolytes are minerals in your body that have an electric charge. They are in your blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids. Electrolytes are important because they help

Balance the amount of water in your body
Balance your body’s acid/base (pH) level
Move nutrients into your cells
Move wastes out of your cells
Make sure that your nerves, muscles, the heart, and the brain work the way they should

Sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, and magnesium are all electrolytes. You get them from the foods you eat and the fluids you drink.

Hydration Fluctuations

A number of reasons can explain changing levels of electrolytes. You can have too little water in your body, which is called dehydration. Too much water in your body is called overhydration. Either situation affects your electrolytes. This can happen from taking certain kinds of medicines, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, and illness.

When I exercise intensely or in the heat, I sometimes end up feeling dizzy or faint. Sometimes I just end up feeling sluggish. I find myself thinking, “it feels like I’ve never run before.” I end up replenishing my electrolytes and usually feel much better pretty quickly. Chris talked about different solutions for dealing with heat, including replacing electrolytes.

It’s thought that when we get cramps, particularly in our legs and often at night, it’s our bodies alerting us that we need to work on replenishing electrolytes. Other things can cause this, of course, but it’s worth trying if you’re dealing with this. Cramps can be so painful, they’re impossible to ignore.

Replenishing electrolytes

If you’re struggling with electrolyte problems due to health issues or medication, you should talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

If you’re dealing with this because you’ve been working out, you can use a few different methods for replenishing your electrolytes.

First of all, food is your best source:

Bananas are a great source of potassium.
Dairy products are well known for their levels of calcium.
Green leafy vegetables can replace both magnesium and potassium.
Coconut water is considered to be a good source of electrolytes

Basically, if you eat a well-rounded diet of natural, whole foods, your body will get what it needs.

However, when you’re out running or biking or really pushing yourself in the gym, you may need to supplement with something. Don’t just drink lots of water because you can end up overhydrated which basically dilutes your electrolytes. You need to make sure you get what your body needs.

There are lots of ways to supplement. Probably the best known is drinking a sports drink like GatorAde or PowerAde. There are electrolyte mixes you can add to water and there are tablets you can dissolve in your mouth.

I’ll discuss some of these supplements in future posts so stay tuned!

In the meantime, let me know if you have problems with fluctuating electrolytes and what you do to resolve the problem. Leave a comment below or leave a phone message at 330-970-6662 or send an email to Jill@BecomingElli.com.

Corn on the Cob: Veggie Challenge

September 5, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Corn on the cob is not a unique vegetable nor is it an unusual way of preparing corn. So, technically, it probably doesn’t count as an entry for the Becoming Elli Veggie Challenge.

I’ve been making it frequently over the past few weeks. Yes, I know that most corn is GMO and is high in carbs or sugar. It is usually not on the list of acceptable foods in most weight loss diets. However, it’s August in Ohio and it’s sweet corn season.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of eating sweet corn in the late summer. I can remember my mother stopping at one of the local farm stands to buy corn for our dinner and how we all ate it with great enjoyment. We slathered butter and salt on it and devoured it. My father would eat several ears at a meal. There was a certain ritual about eating corn.

When I visited my relatives on their dairy farm in northwestern Pennsylvania, we would go out into the garden and pick ears of corn for dinner. Then we’d stand by the barn to husk the corn and throw the outer leaves into the heifer pens. Those cows loved the corn leaves.

Since this is the Becoming Elli community, most of you will remember that we didn’t get produce out of season very often when we were children. So, corn came into season and lasted for a month or two and then no more fresh corn for the year.

Now, I can buy corn on the cob almost year-round though I don’t think it’s the same thing. I don’t often buy it out of season. But, in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, corn is in season in August and lots of produce stands pop up and sell it. Also, there are farms that specialize in corn and they sell a lot of it in the summer.

You can cook corn on the cob in any number of ways. You can grill it, throw it in the embers of a camp fire, and microwave it in the leaves. I cooked it a couple times this summer in the Instant Pot but decided that I preferred the old-fashioned way of boiling a big pot of water and throwing the corn in for three to five minutes. My mother instilled in me a horror of overcooked corn so I’m careful not to boil it for too long.

There’s a lot of talk about emotional eating. I know that usually means we eat when we’re angry or sad or happy and that it’s considered to be an unhealthy habit. But for me, corn is emotional eating in that it reminds me of family and summer and happy times. A favorite memory is my familysitting at our picnic table enjoying our corn and Velvet, our Cocker Spaniel, sitting under the table, hoping some food would fall. I both miss those days and am grateful to have had them.

I have a friend who eagerly buys Silver Princess corn whenever she finds it. It reminds her of buying corn while on vacation with her family. You don’t find much of that variation in Ohio so she’s always happy when it shows up in our local farmer’s market. So, I know I’m not the only person who associates sweet corn with family and summer and love.

Do you have regular, everyday foods that evoke that sense of nostalgia for you? I’d love to hear about them. Leave a message here or on the Becoming Elli Facebook page or email me at Jill@becomingelli.com.

Trail Running

August 31, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

I went trail running last week. I live near the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. (For those of you who are not in the US, national parks are parks managed by the federal government.) We also have some great county owned parks in the area so we have lots of trails. Normally, I hike on the trails but occasionally I decide to do a trail run.

Last Sunday was a beautiful, late summer day here in Ohio. The sky was clear blue, not many clouds, and the temperature was mild. Perfect weather for running.

My very rough training plan included a long run for the day and so I decided to head over to the national park to do some trail running. I got in a five mile run, the longest I’ve run this summer, and felt great. My legs felt fine and my breathing was good. You know how you can have a day when everything just feels right? That was my run.

Trail Running

Trail running differs a bit from road running. For one thing, it’s not on a road (sort of obvious, right?) so you don’t have to worry about cars. Instead, you have to worry about roots, rocks, and uneven ground. Because I was in the park on a gorgeous Sunday morning, I also encountered people out hiking and running on the trails. So I paid attention to them as well.

When running trails, plan on being slower than on road runs. I think I easily lose one to two minutes in my pace.

Trails are often narrow. At times the trail was wide enough to run two abreast but often it was too narrow. So single file becomes the norm.

Be sure to watch your feet and the ground while running. It’s easy to trip on a rock or a root. It’s also easy to get smacked in the face by a branch so watch for that as well.

Because the ground is uneven, your muscles will have to work harder to maintain balance. Your body must constantly adapt to keep you upright and moving. It’s a good workout.

Hills can be a challenge. I usually walk up the steep hills and slow my pace when running down hills because I worry about catching my foot on something.

You don’t really need extra gear for trail running. I have a pair of trail shoes that I use at times. I can usually get a way with my regular running shoes because I don’t do that much trail running. If you’re going longer distances, you need to bring your own water and food.

I find little interest in listening to music while trail running. I just enjoy my time in nature and listen to the sounds of the forest.

Do you do trail running? I’d love to hear about it.

Running from Dogs

August 22, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

Why am I running from dogs? I love dogs and miss having one to take for walks. Dogs don’t normally frighten me but when I’m running, I worry about some of the dogs I meet. Last week I went running and encountered a few more dogs than I wanted.

I have not been bitten by a dog while I’m running but one time a large dog knocked me down. I was trail running and stopped while three women and two dogs untangled themselves. While I was watching the one dog, the other lunged at me and knocked me over. Fortunately, a tree broke my fall. Otherwise, I would have been flat on the ground.

I’ve also had dogs lunge at me as I run past them. These weren’t unattended dogs; their owners were right there. One time I suppose I grimaced because the owner said to me, “my dog wouldn’t hurt you.” It’s hard to know that for sure when the dog and I are not acquainted.

Running from dogs

So, last week I encountered several dogs who concerned me. One dog was off leash despite being in a park with signs everywhere advising that the dog must be on leash. The dog was clearly trained but his owner still had to call him twice to get the dog to follow. I slowed way down and moved away from the dog.

Next, I saw a young woman walking a large, strong dog on a long leash. She was paying no attention to the dog and had the leash looped over her wrist while she played with her phone. I worried that the dog could break away from her so gave them a wide berth too.

I also met a couple of dogs on long, retractable leashes. Their owners didn’t retract the leashes as I approached so again I had to cross the street to be out of reach of the dogs, should they decide to run at me.

By the time I finished my four miles, I felt like I had played dodge ‘ems with dogs. I would have felt better if the dog owners had been more attentive. Fortunately, nothing happened and perhaps I’m just excessively cautious. Tripping over a dog, being knocked over by a dog or even being bitten is just going to ruin my day.

How about you? Any dog stories to share? Let me know by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook page, sending an email to Jill@becomingelli.com or calling 330-970-6662.

Acupuncture and Acupressure

August 15, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Acupuncture

I had an acupuncture session this week to deal with pain in my lower back and hip and anxiety. I’m not sure if it helped so I may have to go again to see progress. If nothing else, it’s a great way to relax. I felt my hands and feet tingling after a while, which means, I believe, that the qi is working.

I used acupuncture several years ago and found that it really helped with emotional issues. At the time, I was also trying to lose some weight and the doctor said it was challenging to use acupuncture for weight loss but that it could be done. My sessions definitely helped relieve the emotional issues. It was hard to pinpoint but I realized after a while that I definitely felt better.

If you’ve never tried this before, just know that it doesn’t hurt. The needles are very thin and I rarely feel them at all. Occasionally, I’ll feel a pinch but not often.

Acupressure and Skin

I recently discovered that people are using acupuncture and acupressure to treat their eczema. The National Eczema Association conducted a research program at Northwestern University. The study participants were split into two groups. One applied pressure at a certain pressure point and the other half did not. Both teams continued with their normal medications, cleansers, and care. At the end of the study, those who were practicing acupressure had less swelling and itching. You can check out the article about it, Alternate Routes: Acupuncture, Acupressure and Eczema.

I’ve been dealing with skin issues so I may try pressing the acupressure point they used. The nice thing about this is that it doesn’t harm me even if it doesn’t work. I’ve tried oils and ointments and expensive shampoos so pressing my elbow seems like an easy and inexpensive thing to try.

Cosmetic Acupuncture

While checking out information for this post, I discovered that there’s now cosmetic acupuncture. It’s supposed to help rejuvenate the skin and slow down aging. There’s some great before and after photos that make me want to plunk down my money. I’ll probably research that a bit and hold off on that. It’s certainly less invasive than a face lift!

Cosmetic Acupuncture: What You Should Know About Cosmetic Facial Acupuncture provides a good overview of this.

Acupuncture and acupressure uses the meridians that we discussed in our podcast with Holly Timberlake about tapping. I don’t really know why these things work but people do seem to have success with them. All of the local hospitals by me now offer acupuncture services and many insurance plans cover it.

I guess I need to schedule a second visit to see if I can knock out this pain completely.

Releasing Stress with Tapping - Holly Timberlake Becoming Elli

Releasing Stress with Tapping – Energy Psychologist Holly Timberlake

August 13, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

Episode 39 Releasing Stress with Tapping

In episode 39 of the Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast, Chris and Jill talk with Holly Timberlake, PhD about being healthy mentally as we age. Holly is a Licensed Psychologist who practices as a holistic, alternative psychotherapist. She works with clients on a variety of issues, including overcoming trauma and healing from depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Holly talks about Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and explains how we can release stress with tapping to become calmer and more relaxed. She describes tapping as emotional acupressure.

One of the questions that Holly answered was about specific advice for women over 50. She gave a great, lengthy answer about adopting a youthful attitude toward life. She wrote a blog post, Youthfulness as We Age: Decreasing Stress in preparation to talk about her thoughts on this topic.

Releasing Stress with Tapping
Holly explains how tapping helps to release stress and bring down the effects of trauma, to allow people to move through life in a calmer, more enlivened way. The conversation also included the value of yoga and meditation, the joys of working with her adult daughter, and eating for your metabolic type.

Holly and her daughter conduct retreats which focus on yoga, meditation, community, and EFT. These are one day retreats offered about once a season. They are adding a new weekend retreat, a mother-daughter rejoicing weekend starting in October 2019.

Some of the links mentioned in this podcast:

HollyTimberlake.com
TodaysTapping.com on Facebook
TappingSolution.com for EFT information
Gary Craig for EFT information
Jack Canfield on meditation.
Louise Hay for affirmations and joy in your life.
Deepak Chopra

Some terms:

EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing
MTHFR: methylenetetrahydrofolate
Nightshades: tomatoes, peppers, potato, eggplant

Photo credit: Debra-Lynn Photography

The Wonders of Walking

August 8, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Today, I want to talk about the wonders of walking. It’s an activity that can help our bodies in so many ways. Some of the benefits of walking are:

Improves our heart and lung fitness (cardiovascular and respiratory fitness)
Improves our mood and reduces anxiety and depression
Increases our endurance
Helps with balance

Wonders of Walking

One of the best benefits of walking, though, is the opportunity it gives you to see the world. It doesn’t matter where you walk. You can just see a lot of interesting things.

When I go for a run, I’m usually focused on form and speed and my heart rate. I notice what’s around me but I rarely stop to take a photo. I also can miss things because I’m moving at a faster pace than walking. That’s even though I’m not a fast runner.

Walking lets you notice changes in your neighborhood. For example, I’ve discovered houses for sale while out walking or noticing that someone seems to be struggling to take care of their yard. I have noticed multiple houses having their roofs replaced. Does that mean there was a storm that went through or an effective salesperson?

I love to walk on trails in the parks around me so I can see a great variety of wildlife that way. Turtles, blue herons, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, deer, geese, and a wide range of other birds are all around me. I also find wild flowers and notice the great variety of trees in the area. A variety of birds are chirping and calling to each other.

Recently I walked on a bike and hike trail. It’s paved and well used by the community. I saw kids riding bikes, bicyclists swooping past on their fancy road bikes, couples out walking together, mothers pushing strollers, and teens playing Pokemon Go, and still managed to enjoy myself. Seeing members of your community out enjoying walking too feels great.

This is the mental health aspect of walking, I guess. It’s a great way to reduce anxiety and just feel better about the world. I try to take photos of some of the things I see.

What do you see on your walks? What brings you the wonders of walking?

Kayaking on the Cuyahoga River

August 1, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

I spent last Saturday with my 25-year-old son. We went kayaking on the Cuyahoga River. The river was calm, nothing like what it was a few weeks ago after many heavy rains. Once the kayak and canoe livery where we rented the canoe took us upriver on a bus and dropped us off, we simply made our way downriver to return to our docking area.

The Cuyahoga River is one of those success stories on environmental change. This is the river that caught on fire in Cleveland many years ago. According to the Plain Dealer, in April 2019, the Cuyahoga River was named “River of the Year” to celebrate its effect on the environmental movement.

To celebrate 50 years of environmental resurgence, the Cuyahoga River has been named “River of the Year” by American Rivers.

The Washington D.C.-based conservation organization works to protect wild rivers, restore damage rivers and advocate for clean water.

In fact, the livery company we used was called Burning River Adventures. I guess enough time has gone by that we can use a name like that.

We were far downstream from Cleveland, however. Dams once contained the river but many of them have been removed. Therefore, the has returned to its natural state and it’s now possible to use the river for recreational purposes.

Kayaking on the Cuyahoga River

Our trip was lovely. A beautiful Saturday in July on the water cruising through lots of woodlands. There was not much development along the river where we were so we saw turtles, blue herons, and ducks. Not the most exotic list of wildlife but still enjoyable.

This was not the most strenuous of activities. I didn’t have to work very hard and because we were using a tandem kayak, my son did the steering. It turns out that he is proud of his kayaking skills and that he learned how to kayak at the YMCA camp we sent him to when he was about 12. That investment paid off!

So, physically, this wasn’t challenging but it was enjoyable and I got to spend some quality time with my son. He left town the next day so it was a fantastic way to end his visit.

Chris wrote about kayaking recently and its growth in popularity. It’s not surprising that so many people are taking it up. Plus, kayaks are pretty easy to transport, based on the number of cars I see driving through the area with kayaks on top.

I thought kayaking on the Cuyahoga River was so much fun that I really want to continue with it. Let me know if you also enjoy kayaking or what new activity you’re enjoying.

Adding Vegetables to Breakfast

July 25, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

So now I’m adding vegetables to breakfast? Really? Why?

Recently, I attended a talk by a local doctor and a health coach. They said most of us need to increase the amount of vegetables we’re eating and said we should get nine to ten servings of vegetables per day.

The only way I can see to do that is by adding vegetables to breakfast.

My typical lunch is a big bowl of salad with a lot of different vegetables on it. I usually start with a bowl of greens, preferably a mix of some kind of lettuce and spinach and then I might add some kale or micro greens in there too. Lunch easily gives me three to four servings of vegetables.

Dinner is when I’m most likely to have some meat or fish. I try to fill my plate with an assortment of vegetables, some raw and some cooked. I might have another salad and roast a variety of vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes. So, I can again get three to four servings at this meal.

This leaves me a bit shy of the nine servings of vegetables.

So, I am working on adding vegetables to breakfast. There’s a variety of ways to do that. Sometimes I just reheat leftover roasted vegetables from the night before and maybe top them with a fried egg. This is a delicious meal.

I use my blender at times to make a breakfast smoothie and try to include a few vegetables and fruit in that. Here’s a recipe I posted on my current version of a good smoothie. This smoothie is an easy way to get several servings of fruits and vegetables.

Another easy way to add vegetables is to make scrambled eggs with vegetables. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand, saute them, and scramble them with egg. A great way to start the day.

How do you get all of the servings of vegetables you want to be eating? Is it difficult or a breeze? Let me know how you manage it or what you struggle with.

Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables Recipe for Veggie Challenge

July 24, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Scrambled eggs with vegetables is just about the easiest breakfast imaginable. The only thing easier would be omitting the vegetables and just having scrambled eggs but then that wouldn’t work for the veggie challenge, would it?

I often order a vegetable omelet when I breakfast at a restaurant but I struggle to make omelets as good. This dish is similar but easier. There’s something about starting with day with this dish that just makes me feel like I’m off to a good start.

Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables

Assemble the vegetables that you have on hand and chop them into small pieces. Try to make them as close to the same size as possible. In this photo, I used onion, bell pepper, broccoli, and sugar snap peas.

Break two or three eggs into a bowl and whisk until the yolks and whites are blended.

Melt some butter or oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.

Add the vegetables and saute until tender.

Add the whisked eggs and gently fold the eggs as they cook. When the eggs are done to your liking, transfer to a plate.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Enoy your breakfast of scrambled eggs with vegetables.

Notes

If you eat dairy, cheese is a great addition to this dish. You can use cheddar, swiss, or pepper jack cheese. Again, whatever you have on hand is fine.

Greens would be a good addition to this dish. If you have kale or spinach or some other type of greens, consider adding some to the vegetables. Spinach cooks more quickly than most vegetables so you should add it after the other vegetables have started to become tender.

You can also top this dish with some salsa if you have it. That’s an easy way to add even more vegetables to the dish.