a BIG weekend!

YOU GUYS.  Today is my last day working at HCMC!  It feels so weird.  I keep thinking about how it's the last time parking in my ramp, getting coffee from the lobby coffee shop, sitting in rounds, ever interacting with most of these patients...weird.  I'll miss a few of my co-workers, definitely the doctors, and a couple patients.  I've been here for 3 years, and in the world of mental health, we have a lot of "frequent flyer" patients, so I know several of them really well at this point.  But I am so happy that I am moving on.  I am ready to dedicate my work to eating disorders and teaching yoga....so ready.

Speaking of which, I taught my first yoga class at my new studio yesterday!  But let's back up to Friday for a proper weekend recap, alright?

Friday evening consisted of one thing and one thing only- carbo loading.  It really is the best part of racing.  I made a big batch of spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread to enjoy for the pre-race dinner.  We laid low that evening and continued watching Harry Potter.  I think I was in bed around 9:30.

Saturday was the Minnesota Half Marathon!  I am planning on doing a full recap of that later in the week, so stay tuned.  I hope the race photos are posted soon, because I didn't take any until after the race!  I finished the race, not as fast as I had hoped, but I feel pretty good about it.  I may have pushed myself a bit harder if I didn't have to run 14 miles later this week.

As soon as the race finished, we stayed in St. Paul and headed to my friend Katie's house for her birthday celebration!  She decided to host a brunch and bloody Mary bar for her birthday- what a fun idea!!  It was great to see some of my good friends after running, but I felt terrible about showing up so sweaty and gross!

I tried to rest and took an epsom salt bath that afternoon to work out some of the soreness.  Mark and I headed out to Lake Minnetonka to get a burger at Lord Fletcher's for dinner.  There was a pretty good band playing and the weather was perfect to be on the lake.  I love going out to Lord Fletcher's and it will always be a special place for us since we had our rehearsal dinner there the night before our wedding!

Sunday morning was another early one for me, because I taught the 9:00 donation class at the Yoga Sanctuary!  I had 4 students in this class- 2 regular students, the studio owner, and a fellow teacher from the studio.  It was a little intimidating at first to be teaching 2 more experienced teachers, but the whole group was so friendly and welcoming.  They gave me great feedback at the end of class too, which made me feel great! The owner also asked me to sub for a class later this week, so I must have done alright :)  I got the best massage ever right afterward, which was so lovely!

Whew!  Well, I am tired just writing all of that.  Is it Friday yet?!

Half Marathon Preview

Eeeek, only one day until the Minnesota Half Marathon!  The race starts at 7:45 Saturday morning and I hope to be done right around 10!  I get so nervous before races, and I am feeling especially nervous since this is my first distance race since having hip surgery last spring.  This is also the first one I am running without Mark.  Well, he was technically in the same race as me for my 2nd one, but we didn't stay together.  Because he placed 17th...overall.  And I placed 1990th...out of 2429 people.  Right.

But anywho, here we are running the Minneapolis Half Marathon in 2010.  Mark was nice enough to stick with me through the whole race for this one, which meant a lot considering that it was my first one.  It probably had something to do with the fact that he proposed later that day too.

And here we are after the Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon in 2011.  He looks pretty awesome for running 13.1 miles in 1:24, doesn't he?  Also, it was snowing the morning of the race.  In May. Also, we got married 6 days later :)

(You can read my recap of this race from my old blog here.)

The Minnesota Half Marathon is a new race for me.  It also has a 5k event and a roller blade half marathon, which I think is actually really weird.  The course is out-and-back along the Mississippi River in St. Paul.  If you are in the around the area, come cheer me on!!

Tomorrow I'll go to the expo after work to get my packet.  Then it's eating pasta and trying to sleep for the rest of the night...EEK I am SO nervous!  For some reason, I feel really under-prepared for this.  Maybe it's because I just signed up a week ago, but I've also been so focused on the full marathon this fall, so I haven't put any speed work in to my training for a race of this distance.  I guess we'll see what happens :)

Wish me luck!

Health & Fitness Friday: Half Marathons and Bikini Problems

I can't even tell you how happy I am that today is FRIDAY!  If you read my post on Wednesday, you know that means that after today, I only have 6 more days working at this hospital!  Yaahooo!!

Also, THANK YOU to everyone for their input on my yoga business....the ovewhelming choice was for One Light Yoga, which make my decision pretty easy :)  Now I just have to get the ball rolling with making an LLC and a website...anyone know of a good web designer??

Alright, lets talk fitness. 

I did my 11 mile run last weekend which went better than expected.  I was more than ready to be done by the time it ended, but I felt pretty good that I did it.  This is how my weekly workouts have looked:

Saturday- 11 miles

Sunday- Rest

Monday- Yoga

Tuesday- 2 miles

Wednesday- 3 miles

Thursday- Rest

Friday- I plan on 3 miles tonight

Saturday- The plan 8 miles

Sunday-  The plan is to go for a walk & Yoga

I'm only doing 8 miles this weekend because I registered for the Minnesota Half Marathon, which is next Saturday. I like to have an easier week before a race, so 8 miles should be sufficient. I'm already nervous though...ugh.

Other than that, not much is new on the health and fitness front.  I finally found a bathing suit that I found acceptable a few weeks ago, but I have only worn it once, and not with any other people.  Still working on my confidence level on that one.  I know I talk a lot about body image and support other people in accepting their bodies...but it continues to be a struggle to accept my own appearance sometime.  Why does that have to be so hard? 

Anyway, I hope everyone has a happy and healthy weekend :)

Torchlight 5k recap!

Happy Friday everyone!!  It's finally the weekend again and I couldn't be happier about that!  I am leaving work a little early today, so this is going to be short and sweet so I can get everything done!

I ran the Torchlight 5k in Minneapolis on Wednesday with these lovely ladies:

Kate (in the middle) also brought her husband to run this year.  My sister and her friend were there too, so we all met up at the start and then found each other after the race for the after-party.

It has been super hot here all week.  Before the race, my car said it was 95!  I think the official temperature was 93, but whatever it was, it was HOT! And really humid too!!  This is always a fun race to run though and I am glad that we went for it!  The Torchlight 5k is part of the Minneapolis Aquatennial celebration that happens every summer,  it takes place down the same streets at the Torchlight Parade, which starts right after the race.  It is sort of a logistical nightmare, but we had a good game plan and it all work out flawlessly! 

I am proud that I actually ran the whole way in this heat!  It would have been really easy to walk, but running with my running buddies and in a crowd always makes me push myself a little harder.  We started out at a pretty normal pace and were able to maintain that throughout the first 3 miles.  Once we were on the Stone Arch Bridge, we sped it up a little bit.  This race is always deceptive because you think the finish line is at the end of the bridge, but its actually quite a bit further down and around a corner.  It gets me everytime!

I finished right next to my friend Katie, and we both pretty much collapsed on the ground for a few minutes afterward.  Then we went in search of popsicles.  After the rest of our crew finished, we went in search of the good stuff...the free beer.

My time ended up being 29:05, which I thought was pretttty good for the heat!  I am actually quite inpressed that we did it in under 30 minutes!  Thanks for running with me, ladies!!

And as always, link up your weekly fitness report with Jen for Health and Fitness Friday!!

Reminder!

Hey everyone!  I just want to remind you to come to the MN Blogger yoga class that I am teaching this coming Sunday at 10am!  All of the info can be found here. 

Remember to bring water and a yoga mat!  If you don't have a yoga mat, let me know...I have a few extras.

I'll bring some tasty treats for after class...if you're lucky I'll even bake something myself! Probably muffins or something.

Don't worry if you have no experience.  There will be a lot of this:

And none of this:

See you on Sunday!!

Wednesday Gratitude: Running Buddies

I am running the Torchlight 5k tonight in Minneapolis and it is shaping up to be quite the hot and humid evening here!  Last time I ran this race, it had to be postponed to a later date due to the heat- lets hope that doesn't happen again!

Since it's Wednesday, and Steph started this awesome little Wednesday Gratitude initiative, I thought I had better tell you about my running buddies!  I've been running local 5k races with my friends Katie and Kate (yeah, thats not confusing at all) for the last several years.  This is our 3rd Torchlight run together! (I missed it last year because of my hip surgery.)  We've run many other races together though the years though...here is a little trip down memory lane...

Torchlight 5k, 2009

Time to Fly 5k, 2009

Securian Frozen 5k, 2010

Torchlight 5k, 2011 (read the recap here.)

These two make doing races so much fun!  We don't get together and run unless it is for an event, but I am always reminded of how much it helps to have friends to run with! I pretty much always run alone, so it is really nice to have some conversation along the way!  Of course, the Twin Cities running circuit is pretty great too, so many fun races and events to try! Check back on Friday for a recap of the race!

Health and Fitness Friday!

Time for the weekly fit report!  I love writing this, mostly because it means that its FRIDAY, but mostly I love the ladies in Jen's linkup.  If you need some extra motivation, head on over there and I promise you will get some!

Last weekend I had a 10 mile run, which was longer than any run I have done since the Chicago Marathon.  I got up to 9 miles last time before my hip started to give me problems, but so far so good for now!  I haven't had any hip pain in the last week at all.  

I have an 11 miler planned for tomorrow and I am already looking forward to it being over.  That might sound like I don't enjoy training, but don't get me wrong, I do love running- its just that the long run is so dang hard for me.  I always start worrying about it days in advance, and I usually do ok during the run, but I just love the feeling I get afterwards.  Minus the aching legs, sore back, and fatigue that sets in.

Other than running, I have been doing some yoga at home at at a new studio that I found.  I am trying to get myself into at least 1 class at a bunch of different studios before I beg ask them to hire me.  

In other health related news, I got my first chemical peel earlier this week.  I have been seeing the same lady for facials for about 6 months now and she is so amazing.  I have hyper-pigmentation spots on my face that have bothered me for years, and we are finally now starting to make a difference!  I wish I would have taken a "before" picture, but stay tuned for my "after" results in a few weeks- we are doing a cycle of 3 peels.

Hope everyone has a fun, safe, and healthy weekend!

Best Eating Disorder Blogs

I recently came across this article on Healthline.com about eating disorder blogs and I wanted to share.  I'm not really sure about some of the blogs on this list, they don't seem to be getting quite at the topic, and a few aren't actually blogs, just websites with resources- but I do really like a few of them.  The first one, Does Every Woman Have An Eating Disorder?, gets at the point that I have come more and more to believe.  I also recommend checking out this one and this one.

If you are worried about your relationship with food, weight, and body image, take this short test here.  

I see the influences of "eating-disorder-thinking" all over the place, especially now that I've been working at a treatment center for the past year.  One of my very least favorites was the Special-K campaign, "What Will You Gain When You Lose?" I can think of lots of things you will lose and very few that you will gain if you starve yourself, binge, purge, obsess...etc.  Thankfully, they seem to have a new campaign, Nourish, and while it still advertises the low calorie count, at least they are advocating eating RIGHT, not LESS.

I still can't wrap my head around calling a TV show "Extreme Weight Loss" even though I know the people on the show need to lose weight.  Couldn't they at least focus on health instead of on the number on the scale though?  I'm not sure what I'd rename it...any ideas?

I'm not immune at all to negative body image, fat talk, worrying about calories, size, numbers...etc.  I just think its important to realize when these thoughts start taking over your life.  I am well aware of the times it has gotten out of hand for me, and I work hard everyday to replace my thoughts and behaviors with ones that support health.  If you need help, there are plenty of options out there and I'd love to point you in the right direction.

Health & Fitness Friday: Yoga Graduation!

I am so excited to post today for Health & Fitness Friday because later this afternoon, I am graduating from yoga teacher training!!  It has been such a great experience and journey!  Not only have a learned so much about yoga and teaching, but I have also met some amazing friends that I know will be in my life for a long time to come!  I'm not sure exactly what our graduation will be like, so check back later to hear about it.

I am hoping to start teaching somewhere in the fall.  I will start looking for and visiting different studios around town this summer as I send out applications :)

This has been a wonderful but huge commitment for me for the past 9 months.  After spending each Friday in weekly yoga study meetings, 34 tech sessions, a 4-week intensive series, 5 workshops, one visiting instructor weekend, 1 karma yoga community project, and a 15 hr personal mentorship, I am finally earning my title as RYT or registered yoga teacher!

I am so excited to see my yoga friends today for our class and then head out for a happy hour in celebration of our graduation!

Namaste!

Health and Fitness Friday: PT update & weekday workouts

I had my first PT session last Friday afternoon at Tria, where I had my surgery & PT last year.  My PT did a bunch of tests to evaluate my muscle strength, range of motion, and source of the pain.  She was unable to determine if it was coming from inside the hip joint (which would probably mean that the labral tear wasn't completely repaired) or if it is from outside the joint (meaning tendonitis or bursitis.) I really hope its tendonitis! 

She gave me several exercises and stretches to work on for the next month, when she will evaluate again and make some recommendations.  She told me to keep running low mileage weeks while I do my PT, otherwise we wouldn't know if the pain was getting better from the PT or from rest.  Neither of us see rest as a long term solution since I rested my hip for almost a year and the pain came right back, plus I don't plan on changing my active lifestyle anytime soon.   I see her again today and am anxious to see if I've improved at all or if she gives me any more recommendations.  Last week though, she did tell me that she thought I might be a good candidate for cortisone injections, which I've always wanted to avoid, but now I'm warming to the idea. 

In light of my hip pain, I am pretty proud that I have still had a fairly active week, especially given that I am working 9 days straight!  Here is the rundown since last week in addition to PT exercises each day:

Friday: 6 miles

Saturday: Walked my dog 2 miles

Sunday: Pure Barre, ran 2 miles

Monday: 75 min yoga class, Walked my dog 2 miles

Tuesday: Pure Barre

Wednesday:  Ran 3.5 miles

Thursday: Rest

Not too shabby.  I've been doing fairly well with eating this week too- lots of fresh fruit and good salads.  We grilled some kabobs on Wednesday that were delicious!  I brought gazpacho for lunch today and I am already looking forward to it!  Mark and I are grilling with some friends tonight and I made a rhubarb crisp for dessert- it has fruit in it, so it's healthy, right!!? Nevermind the ice cream we're having on the side!  You gotta enjoy summer while you can around here :)

I Am The Bionic Woman.

For real, I am.  I have my very own remote control...don't believe me? Here it is:

And I carry it around with my in a sparkly pink coin purse.

The truth is, this is a hard post for me to write.  It's about something most people are embarassed about, but it's become such a huge part of my life that I feel like I am living a double life when people don't know about it.  I explained the background of my GI issues here, so read that if you haven't yet. I carry the diagnoses of IBS-C and colonic inertia. You can read about those in the links because I really don't want to explain either of thos things.  I have no idea how I ended up with either of these things.  I first notied a problem when I was on a trip to Guatemala and everyone I was with got a parasite- so did I, but my symptoms were different/opposite than everyone else. That year I also had jaw surgery and was on a liquid diet, which when combined with pain killers really took a toll on me. 

I explained in the post linked above that I tried to modify my diet, increase my already active lifestyle, tried over the counter and prescription meds, and many holistic & herbal treatment routes as well.  I had lots of labs drawn, lots of very uncomfortable testing, and several rounds of biofeedback therapy.  Nothing worked AT ALL.

Last summer I went for my annual OB/Gyn and she referred me to a urologist because she had worked with a similar patient who had a sacral nerve neurostimulator implanted that helped her.  She said that most people with bowel problems also have bladder problems even if they don't know it- and she was right.  I was feeling "bloated" all the time because I also had pretty severe bladder retention.  I'm actually lucky about that, because my implant isn't FDA approved for either of my GI diagnoses, but it is for all urinary condtions- so I qualified to get the surgery.

Last fall I had 3 surgeries to implant this bad boy.  It took 3 because they do a "test phase" first, which I had to do 2 of, before they put the permanent device in.  During both test phases, I had multiple wires sticking out of from under my skin (gross!)that were connected an external device, which was kind of like a really huge pager that I had to attach to my waistband.  The whole process lasted about 3.5 months.

Now I have a pretty sweet scar on my lower back/upper butt, and I have a rock-hard spot where the device is that you can easily feel if you touch it.  I control the settings with my remote control, so I can turn it up or down, or switch which lead is working (I have 4.)  So weird right?  I still have to take daily medications, but this device has made me feel a lot better!

I bet you didn't know that you had a bionic friend...well, now you do!!

Fitness Friday!

It's that time again, Health and Fitness Friday! I wasn't able to get in for PT until next week, so I am just sort of buying my time until then.  I have been able to run a couple times, walk the dog, and go to 2 yoga classes this week.  I also did a ton of gardening, which is a workout in itself!

I'm going to a barre class next week with a friend, but I decided that I had to check it out first to make sure I didn't make a total idiot of myself.  My legs are definitely sore, wow!  I will write up a full review of the class later, but I will say that I am intrigued.  I'm committing to going for at least the next month to see what happens, after that, we'll see...

The real reason for this Fitness Friday post is to share this article with you.  It's sort of tongue-in-cheek, but its a good reminder that this whole "perfect bikini body" thing is a load of crap.  There is no such thing as perfection, thank God!

I've been bummed out lately because several of the patients I work with are really struggling with their eating disorders.  I've had quite a few re-admitted over the last few weeks and it is pretty hard to watch sometimes.  Sometimes though, I think I need these reminders just as much as they do so I will share a few words of wisdom today...

Happy Friday everyone!

Health & Fitness Friday!

Again, I haven't been able to do too much on the fitness front.  I was able to see my hip surgeon on Tuesday, where I got some good and bad news.  After a few x-rays and a movement analysis, he believes that I have iliopsoas tendinitis.  The 2 most common causes of this are acute injury and overuse, and I probably have both of those.  It's hard to imagine that I've been overusing my hip because I feel like I have barely run at all lately and I never returned to running the way I did before the initial surgery.  The acute injury however, could have been the surgery itself.  The surgeon did have to cut into my joint capsule and do some work inside the actual hip joint, so it makes sense that scar tissue/lingering weakness/and inflammation could be the cause.  I know it doesn't sound like good news, but it is good that the pain isn't still coming from inside the hip joint, which would indicate either another tear or that the repair failed.

The bad news is that I have to go to physical therapy for a month and possibly receive steroid injections to resolve this.  I am really frustrated because I was supposed to start marathon training this month, but obviously I won't be doing that.  My doctor said I could still run until I see the PT (I couldn't get in until week after next) but that I would have to decrease my mileage, avoid hills, and forget about trying to run faster.  After I see my PT, he will make more recommendations for me.

SO anyway, this week I have gone out for short little jogs and walks with the dog.  I started a new core workout at home and after doing it twice, my abs are killing me!! That is a good hurt though, right??

Healthy eating has been so-so.  I've been eating a 1/2 avocado for lunch with EVOO and salt/pepper and ohhh my word it is SO good!!  Plus I feel good about it because its full of healthy things!!  Of course, I don't eat just that- usually I have string cheese and crackers/or toast with it too.  I've been enjoying tons of fruit smoothies in the morning too, my favorite this week is banana, strawberries, blueberries, and OJ- soooo good! I love that eating healthy is so easy in the summertime, all I ever seen to crave is fresh fruit and veggies.  Ok, and Ice cream.  And Froyo- speaking of which, I had a lovely little Froyo date with Kelly this week.  It was SO much fun chatting and enjoying our delicious treats.  I did put fruit on mine, so that means it's good for you, obviously.  And summer shandy...those things are good for mental health though, right?!

How cute is this picture of us at Cherry Berry??

10 Non-Running Goals

If you read my post from last week, you know that I haven't been doing too much running.  I couldn't get in to see my hip surgeon until next Tuesday, so I am trying to take it a little easier until then.  I am still going out for a few miles here and there, but taking a lot more rest days in between.  Instead of focusing on the last week and my almost non-existent workouts, I am going to share with you some health and fitness goals I have for myself this summer.  Obviously, I have running goals.  Since I won't really know if these are possible until I have my hip checked out, I am just writing my non-running goals.

1. Go for more walks.  Each weekend I have in town, I'd like to take my dog for a walk around one of the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota.  Walking is a great way to get in some exercise without putting a lot of stress on your joints.  Plus, it is a good way to remind yourself that sometimes exercise doesn't have to be about sweating and burning calories, it can just be for some fresh air and stress relief!

2. Play 6+ rounds of golf.  This number will definitely go up if I am not running.  I love golf, but since it is SO time consuming, I think 2x per month is realistic.  I'm getting one of those in tonight!

3. Plan at least 1 long bike trip.  I have been so bad about using my road bike the last couple of summers, so this year we NEED to get out for a trip.  I am thinking maybe a ride on the Cannon Valley Trail.

4. Stick with a resistance training program. This is going to be hard without a gym membership, but I am determined!

5. Go to at least 1 outdoor yoga class per month.  There are several of these offered around the Twin Cities, but a lot of them are SUPER early in the morning.  Again though, it's something that will increase if I am not running.

6.  Grow something edible in my garden.  The only edible things we have right now are chives and mint, but I would really like it if I could grow at least one vegetable in the backyard!

7. Wear my bikini at least one time in public.  This seems like a strange goal, but I haven't felt confident enough about my body to wear a bikini in public since our honeymoon.  I avoid bikini-wearing-events like the plague, but this summer I'd really like to get over that.

8.  Perfect my gazpacho recipe.  I LOVE gazpacho in the summer time, it is SO refreshing and healthy!  Mark doesn't really like it though, so this summer I am determined to come up with a recipe that he can enjoy too!

9. Wear more sunscreen.  I really don't tan well, but I burn extremely well! I always wear sunscreen if I am laying out in the backyard, but I am terrible about putting on sunscreen when I am just out and about.  This summer, that has to change!

10.  Stay positive and injury free.  The most important thing really is protecting your body so that you can continue to be active throughout your life.  I know my hip might be putting a damper on things, but I would much rather be able to enjoy a range of activities later on than focus solely on running in my 20s.

Wow, that seems like a lot of goals for not even including running!  I hope I can follow through with these!  As always, linking up with Jen for Health and Fitness Friday!

Fitness Friday & Bon Voyage!

If you've been reading my health & fitness friday posts, you know I've been training for a half marathon and possibly a full marathon.  I haven't signed up for a half yet.  I know, I know.  I am having a hard time choosing one.  There is a half going on near Minneapolis every weekend in June, but I have weddings the first 2 weekends, and I work the the other 2 weekends.  One of the weddings is in town though, so I might still sign up for the race that day.  It really depends on how I feel when I get home from Europe.  I'm sure our trip won't completely undo my training- but I know I won't have time for any real training while we are gone.  If I don't feel ready in June, I will probably sign up for the Red, White, and Boom on July 4th.  However, in light of the Boston Marathon tragedy and the amazing runners who were there, as well as the running community that has pulled together this week, I was inspired to do something crazy this week:

Yep, I am officially registered for the Twin Cities Marathon! I love love love this race!  It was my first marathon, and that day was truly the best day of my life other than my wedding day.  Nothing can beat the energy of the crowd, the scenic route, and the amazing finish line at the state capitol.  As soon as I finished this race in 2010, I knew I wanted to run it again someday.  I can't say I am feeling 100% confident.  I have had major doubts if I would be able to ever do it again after my hip surgery, I am going to try though!  

Well, I will be heading to Europe tomorrow morning!  I have packed some running gear- but I am really not going to stress too much about training, it is a vacation after all.  Happy trails, everyone!

Yin Yoga Teacher Training

Today for Health & Fitness Friday, I want to talk about the training I was at last weekend to become certified as a Yin yoga teacher.  I spent 15 hours last weekend with 40 yoga teachers in the Twin Cities learning all about this therapeutic style of yoga.  Yin yoga is different from other types of yoga because it shuts down your muscles and removes them from the equation.  Yin focuses on stressing your joints and making space within them.  The purpose of this is to alleviate unwanted tension in the fascia, connective tissues, ligaments, and even bones.  Yin yoga is done on the floor and uses multiple props like bolsters, blocks, blankets, and the wall.  To learn more about Yin Yoga, visit YinYoga.com which was created by Bernie Clark, expert Yin teacher who wrote one of our books for the weekend.

The teacher who put on this training is really amazing.  She is one of my favorite teachers at Yoga Center of Minneapolis and has extensive training in Yin Yoga and yoga therapy.  Visit her website, Om with Michelle, to learn more about her and check out her class schedule if you are in the area.

We started our weekend on Friday evening with a little introduction and a nice long Yin practice.  Saturday morning we discussed Taoist philosophy, which is essential to understanding the meaning of yin and how it exists with yang.  We also talked about the fascial lines and meridians in the body that Yin asanas target.  After that, we spent all Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday learning about the Yin poses.  We broke each of them down and practiced teaching them to each other.  We ended our weekend with another class led by our fabulous instructor.

At the end of the weekend, I was awarded with my certificate!  I am getting so close to finishing my 230 hr teacher training, which will allow me to register with Yoga Alliance.  Once I have that in place, I will be looking for a studio to teach at and I am hoping to be able to teach some Yin classes, as well as  the faster-paced Vinyasa that I like.

Email me if you have any questions about Yin Yoga or if you want to learn some of the poses to do on your own!

Occupational Therapy Month!

April is Occupational Therapy month, so today I want to talk a little bit about my job.  I know that a lot of people out there don't know what OT is, and I am always complaining that we get lumped together with physical therapists without getting any of our own credit!

Here is a good definition of OT from Mayo Clinic: 

Occupational therapists work with individuals who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling. Occupational therapists assist individuals to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills.

The word "occupation" comes from our belief that we all have "occupational roles" that contribute to who we are (i.e. mother, son, spouse, employee). The goal of an occupational therapist is not only to help clients improve basic motor functions, cognitive and emotional abilities to return to these roles, but also to compensate for loss of function. Their goal is to help clients have independent, productive and satisfying lives.

How does OT differ from PT? According to OTplan: 
Occupational Therapists (OTs) get patients back to doing everyday tasks. Occupational therapy focuses more on evaluating and improving a persons functional abilities.

Physical Therapists (PTs) assist patients with movement. Physical therapy focuses more on evaluating and diagnosing movement dysfunctions as well as treating a persons injury itself.

This is a hilarious (in my opinion) video that quite accurately describes OT and PT roles in a rehab setting.  You probably don't think it's funny if you aren't an OT, but if you happen to be an OT or a COTA (certified occupational therapy assistant), watch it!

OT is consistently ranked among the top careers every year:

7th best healthcare job in 2013  according to US News & World Report

7th best Master's degree for job in 2013 according to Forbes.

One of the top jobs for job security according to CNN.

Occupational Therapists can work in a ton of different settings, so it is sometimes confusing to explain to the general population.  OTs are working in hospitals, rehab centers, schools, pediatric therapy centers, skilled nursing facilities & transitional care units, specialized treatment facilities and home care, to name a few.  We can work with people of all ages from newborn to geriatric.  We evaluate and treat any physical, cognitive, emotional, behavior, sensory, social, developmental, or environmental limitations that interfere with a person's ability to function in any of their given roles.  If you read my blog, you know I work in a mental/behavioral health setting.  I work with the general mental health population at a large hospital, and with a very specialized population at an eating disorder treatment center.  If you want to know more about what I do, feel free to ask- I love talking about it!

Suja Juice Cleanse Review + Health and Fitness Friday!

I made it through the juice cleanse!  I really loved it and am sort of eating my words (or drinking them?)  because I was totally skeptical of it!  I supplemented my Suja juice with a couple from Blue Print Cleanse yesterday because Whole Foods didn't have enough Suja for me.

I really did not care for the red juice.  That is the one of the Suja that I didn't like much either, I guess red juice just isn't my thing.  The Lime ginger lemon agave was super tasty though!

This one was really really fabulously delicious!  I could drink this all summer long!

Ok, so I know you are all dying to know how I felt doing this and what changes I've noticed!  Here you go:

PROS:

- I felt great, nota HUGE burst of energy or anything, but I felt like me energy was coming from a natural source, not at all like a caffeine high.

- I actually think my skin looks better, more glory.

- I don't think my stomach has ever been to un-bloated.  Due to my GI stuff, I'm pretty much bloated 24/7.  

- This did seem to help my digestion too, probably because it was all liquid, but I think it gave my body a much needed break from the amount of work it usually has to do to digest stuff (which is a big problem for me/people with my diagnosis.)

- I lost 4 pounds.  Again, I didn't do this for weight loss.  I don't think it was 4 real pounds of fat, probably mostly water weight and getting rid of excess waste/toxins in my body.

- Mostly I was just surprised that I really didn't crave anything, I never once thought about that box of wheat thins and bag of jellybeans in the pantry.  That is totally uncharacteristic of me and definitely a reason to do this again!

CONS:

- I had a bad headache on day 2.

- I was freezing the whole time....but then again I'm in Minnesota and theres still ice/snow on the ground.

- Working out was pretty tough.  I ran once, used the elliptical once, and walked my dog twice.  I had energy for the day, but maybe not enough for a good workout too.

I really hope to do this a few times per year.  Does anyone out there have thoughts about buying a juicer?  Or about the cost of a juicer + produce vs. bottled juices?  Is it realistic to find the time to make your own juice for a 3 day cleanse?  I am a newbie to this, so any advice is very appreciated!

Now, lets talk about fitness.  As I just mentioned, my workouts haven't been great.  I usually do my long run on Friday morning, since I don't work Fridays right now.  I doubt I have enough energy in me for my scheduled 9 milers this morning, so I am shooting for 5.  Hopefully I'll get the 9 miles in on Sunday.

This weekend is going to be PACKED full of yoga.  Seriously, I have 17 hours of scheduled yoga between now and Sunday night.  The reason is because I am getting certified as a Yin Yoga instructor this weekend, so we have an intensive 3 day course.  This is on top of my normal teacher training this afternoon and a 3.5 hour mentorship tomorrow morning.  I don't have to be there until 1 on Sunday though, so I am hoping to get my long run in then- but I am not going to beat myself up about it if I don't make it...I might just need to rest.  

As always, linking up with Jen for Health and Fitness Friday!

Suja Juice Cleanse: Day 3

Yesterday went well, and I am on track to finish this juice cleanse tonight!  I was again very surprised that I didn't get hungry yesterday.  I had a little bit of hunger in the afternoon, but after having my afternoon snack juice, I wasn't even hungry for dinner!  I had some friend over to teach them a yoga class, and I was positive I would be starving by the time they left, but I wasn't.  Not that it stopped me from drinking all of my juice though, especially that Vanilla Cloud- holy yum.  My favorites remain the same, Vanilla Cloud and Fuel.

The only side effect I felt yesterday was a headache. And I was freezing all day.  Both of those are normal for me though, so who knows if it was related.  I can't say that I am experiencing this crazy burst of energy that other people talk about, but I do feel good.

I still agree with thought from yesterday that the flavor varies from bottle to bottle.  I did notice slight differences in a few of them.

When I went to buy these at Whole Foods, they didn't have enough of a few of the juices to last me for 3 days.  However, they also carry the Blue Print Cleanse line of juices, so I bought a few of those to have in place of the Suja juices I couldn't get.  Today I will be dipping into those and I am excited to see the difference!

Come back tomorrow for a full review!

Suja Juice Cleanse: Day 2

So far so good on the juice cleanse! I made it through day 1 just fine and I was really surprised that I wasn't too hungry.  I started to get a little hungry in the afternoon, but that all went away after I had my "afternoon snack" juice.  The only difficult part of the day was when my husband heated up leftovers for dinner and I could smell the food, but he was kind enough to not eat it in front of me. I pretty much have only good things to say about the flavors:

Glow (breakfast):  Made from apple, cucumber, celery, mint, kale, spinach, and collards.  I LOVED this!  There are several green juices, and this might be my favorite!  I really loved the mint in it, so refreshing!  Mint is the only herb in there, but to me it was like an herb party in my mouth!

Fuel (mid-morning snack): Made from carrot, orange, apple, pineapple, lemon, and turmeric.  This was seriously SO GOOD!!  This was hands down my favorite juice, other than the "dessert" drink.  The flavor was amazing, it was like spring in a bottle!  I got the orange flavor the most, but I've heard people that the carrot flavor is the strongest.  I am wondering if the flavor changes a little bottle to bottle.

Purify (lunch):  Made from carrot, apple, celery, cucumber, beet, and lemon.  This wasn't bad, but it was my least favorite.  I thought the beet flavor was a little too strong, and I like beets.  I did not find this to be very sweet, which was actually a good thing because I'd get tired of drinking sweet stuff all day, so it was a nice break.

Fiji (afternoon snack):  Made from fuji apple, cucumber, celery, kale, spinach, collards, and lemon-ginger.  Another yummy one! I loved the ginger in this and actually wish it had been a little stronger!  This tasted a lot like Glow, but I could still tell the difference.

Green Supreme (dinner): Made from apple, kale, and lemon.  I liked it, to me it tasted like a granny smith apple.  However, my mom had one of these and hated it.  She said all she could taste was kale.  Another reason I am wondering if the flavor doesn't change from bottle to bottle.  I guess I will find out today!

Vanilla Cloud (dessert):  Made from coconut, almond, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.  YOU GUYS.  This was sooooo good!  I wanted it to last forever!  The flavor is amazing, to me it tasted mostly of almond and cinnamon.  It was just the right level of sweetness and SO satisfying!  I plan on buying these in the future for when I want dessert- which is every night.  I could definitely have one of these every night!!

I am excited to see how today goes!  I really haven't had any bad side effects yet, but I can't say I feel a whole lot different either.  The only thing going on is a headache, but I get headaches all the time so I can't say for sure if its connected to the juice cleanse.  Come back tomorrow to see how day 2 went!

And I am carrying this over from yesterday: On another note, I need your help!!  I will be on vacation April 20-30 and am looking for volunteers to guest post about their favorite vacations!!  Comment on this if you want to write a guest post for me!