Awesome run today!

An amazing thing happened yesterday. I ran/walked 2.5 miles! My previous run/walk had only been 1.75 miles 4 days prior and I worked three nights in a row before the run.


I was going to run my usual cycles at the YMCA of 2 laps running and 1 walking. Last time I had done 9 cycles plus an extra walking lap to total 28 laps. So, I have been trying to increase by one cycle of 3 laps each time I run. Unfortunately I had a pretty intense bout of depression and didn't run on Wednesday like I had planned so I was behind. So this time I felt it would be good to increase to 11 rounds to make up for it. After the 11th round I really felt like I could just keep going so I thought about trying to keep going until I just couldn't do anymore. But I realized that might not be a very good idea since I had to work a night shift again that night. So I decided that 13 rounds with an extra running lap would make an even 40 laps and 2.5 miles.


I am so happy and proud of myself! I have a lot of issues with flat feet, weak ankles and shin splints every time I run. I was afraid I wasn't increasing my distance enough and wouldn't be able to make the distance for the 5K next weekend but now I don't think it will be any problem. And this time was no different. My ankles and shins were killing me in the beginning and I thought it was going to be difficult to finish. But as  I ran my muscles started to loosen up and halfway through I actually felt better and was running faster.


I do have to say though that I jog really slowly in general. But I don't really care as long as I am being active and pushing myself to progress. I realize too that I have always been more of an endurance athlete. When I swam competitively throughout grade school my events were the 100 yard butterfly, the 200 IM and the 500 freestyle. When I swam I was never very fast, but sometimes it just seemed like I could keep going and going for a long time at the same pace. I could go the distance. So it makes sense that I may not be a fast runner, but I keep a good pace and maybe I will be able to go farther. Someday I'd like to try to run the Iron Horse half marathon in October. Maybe I should make that my goal this year.

Gut Feelings

Throughout my life I have had struggles with depression. I have a tendency to be really hard on myself. Then when I experience loss or rejection it can be devastating. I have at times been on antidepressant medication but find that usually I don't need that level of treatment. I have seen counselors a few times, like in college, but also find that I only need a few sessions to get back on track. Or sometimes, it seems not to be helpful. Not that I believe therapy isn't effective, but I also have a Master's degree in psychology and so I know too much about the process already. For me, I know that the best treatment is about exercise, eating healthy and getting plenty of rest. The same basic things I have been focusing on for this health blog.
I was reading a magazine the other day with some tips about depression and it reminded me of some lesser known ways to combat depression. One was the relationship between gut health to depression. I know all too well how a diet that is high in processed carbohydrates can tank my mood to all time lows. Not to mention, the effect it has on my energy and my ability to concentrate. Familiar with the phrase "sugar coma?" When you eat a high carb meal you just want to sleep. And although that my sound ok on Thanksgiving, it is not a  good practice on a daily basis.   Read more about food-induced inflammation and how it effects your brain here: http://kellybroganmd.com/depression-starts-in-your-gut/. One thing I learned form the article is that the herb turmeric works as a better antidepressant than Prozac!
Incorporating fiber into your diet and taking a probiotic daily can improve your mood. In fact, a 2015 study in Brain, Behavior and Immunity indicated that those who took a probiotic for 4 weeks showed reduced sad moods and even decreased in rumination and aggression!  I am a HUGE ruminator. I obsess about the past, beat myself up over and over again for my mistakes. And I know there are therapeutic exercises I can lead myself through, but what if I just had a better diet and didn't have to battle the thoughts? I have already started to exercise more regularly, running 2-3 times per week and doing yoga on the other days. But I realized I need to step it up with my fiber. Not to mention that I hate having constipation!
For over 10 years I have had a membership with a company that sells health products and natural household cleaners. I have taken fiber supplements and probiotics off and on but didn't realize how much they can do to combat depression. So I decided to take them every day again. And within just these couple of days I do feel better. The probiotic I take is called Florify, and has seven different bacterial flora including the 5 most highly recommended probiotics according to Theresa Borchard at Everyday Health.
The fiber supplement I take is called Fiberwise and it has twice the fiber of Metamucil or the equivalent of  cups of broccoli! We love broccoli at our house, but not that much! It also includes it's own blend of herbs, antioxidants and probiotics to help aid digestion. I have found Fiberwise to be better tasting that other supplements as well.

Night shift problems

I am a nurse and I work night shift. I work for 12.5 hours plus most times.  I may only work 3 days a week but most of the time I work more than 3 days in a row. It is physical, sometimes back-breaking work a lot of the time and I do have back problems. My feet are usually sore and swollen after 3 days in a row and it really takes about 2 days just to recover. But one of the things that effects my health the most about it is working the night shift. It is very difficult to recover after night shift and then adjust to being a day person. Research has shown night shift alone to have detrimental effects on health; shortening life span, and increasing the risk for heart problems and cancer (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/06/rotating-shift-work-health_n_6417644.html).

Some people think it must be difficult to stay up late at night. I never used to think I could do it but it's not that bad once you get used to it. On my first night of the week, if I've acclimated to a daytime schedule I make myself try to take a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. Even if I don't actually sleep, I lie down to rest and sometimes play rain sounds. I don't drink a lot of coffee but I try to drink water to keep myself awake. The hours between 3am and 5am are usually the hardest for me so I try to get up a walk when I start to feel sleepy and sometimes I even take a 15 catnap on our units quiet room.
Getting enough sleep is a struggle which you probably know if you've ever tried to get a full night's sleep in broad daylight. I wear a mask over my eyes to try to block out the light. I do have blackout curtains but I still haven't hung them yet. And sometimes it's hard to cut out all the daytime noises. People ring my doorbell or try to call or text me. I have to remember to put my phone on "do not disturb" but then I always worry about something happening that's an emergency and people won't be able to reach me. Sometimes I will take a Benadryl or melatonin to make sure I can get to sleep, but I try not to rely on medicine.

Because I get used to being up all night I become like a vampire. Direct sunlight right after I wake up at about 3 or 4pm is blindingly painful to look at. Then when my work days are over I have to try to completely re-program myself to being up during the day and sleeping at night. It is actually recommended that you don't switch completely back-and-forth from night s to days but have an adjusted schedule. I will actually stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning even on my days off. Sometimes I can use that time to get things done like house chores, paying bills or meal prep. But I've learned I can't do activities that might wake my kids like vacuuming.
The reality of it is never ideal though. I am a single mom with kids who come directly home after school so even though I'd like to sleep a couple more hours I have to get up. And 3pm is more like 5am to me. My kids gets home and I'm in a daze trying to help with homework. Then we run around to their activities and have dinner etc... When it's finally time to lay down and sleep I am wide awake. So then I stay up for a while and it is suddenly 2 or 3am. Oops! I gotta get up in 3 hours to get them off to school. Sigh.

Getting enough sleep is not the only problem from night shift. I also have problems eating right. Sleep deprivation makes you crave sugar and fat. Plus my body has difficulty adjusting to the new eating schedule too. First of all, besides the fact that we only get one meal break on a 12.5  shift, but nursing is such a busy job many times we don't get much time to eat at all. The first night I am usually not that hungry but as the week progresses I want to eat constantly while I'm awake. 

But for not this is the best schedule for my lifestyle. I am always available for my kids when they get home from school and they are still too young to stay at home alone. Also the pay is better and right now I couldn't afford the pay cut to move to day shift. So for now I will stay here and try to figure out better ways to compe with the constant adjustments my body has to make. I've found ways to adapt to this lifestyle and hopefully you've learned some of my tips. I also found a great list of tips at the following website: http://www.genesishealth.com/care-treatment/neuroscience/sleep/patient-resources/shift_workers/.

Enjoy!

Today's workout

Running again at the YMCA. I ran 2 laps, walked 1 lap for 7 cycles. A total of over 1.25 miles with 2 laps for each a warm up and cool down.

My 5k run is in a little more than 2 weeks but I have difficulty increasing my running time. I can tell it's getting somewhat easier but I still struggle with sore shins, ankles and calves and it just feels hard still to run for two laps. I don't know how people run continuously. I have a hard time running for more than 2-2 1/2 minutes at a time.

Yoga for health

Yesterday I started yoga. I enjoy doing yoga for many reasons but hadn't been consistent for a while. Occasionally I get back pain, and I find that yoga helps a lot. It also helps me feel that I am standing taller and that I look slimmer. And I also enjoy the feeling of calm it gives me.
Here are a number of other reasons to enjoy yoga:

1. It lowers your blood pressure
2. Helps regulate blood sugar
3. Decreases anxiety
4. Helps with weight loss
5. Helps you sleep better
6. Decreases pain
7. Increases flexibility, strength and balance
8. Increase mental ability to focus

Some experts will say that you need to do 30 min to an hour each day to get the full benefits from yoga. That is probably just because the research was done on that time frame. I say any amount you can squeeze in will help improve your life. I only did about 25 minutes. Again, consistency is key. My arch nemesis! But I will keep going forward.

Gauging my progress

I can definitely tell I am getting healthier. I just feel better. Lots of times we measure our success by numbers. I honestly can't tell you if I've lost weight. I forgot to get my weight when I first started. I stepped on the scale after about a week from when I started and I weight 228 pounds. Ugh, that's more than I weighed during my pregnancies and the most I have ever weighed. Depressing. So I really haven't been on the scale.
So how do I know it's working? Well, for one thing I don't believe weight should be the main focus. People are more successful in achieving their health goals and maintaining them if the focus is on something more meaningful. I want to have more energy. I want to be able to walk (or run) up the stairs without getting so winded. I want to feel more comfortable in my clothes. So far, I do. I can tell my clothes fit a little better and I can see a little in my face that I am getting fitter. Running is getting a little easier. And most importantly I think my mood is better.
Maybe I will weigh myself again down the road but for now I am satisfied.

Just keep running

I have actually been running a couple times since I last posted. I increased to running 7 cycles of run 1 min, walk 1 min. Yesterday, when I went to the YMCA to run around the track I realized I dind't have my Apple Watch or my iPhone. So instead of running by time I had to figure out a different way. I decided to run 2 laps and then walk 1. I completed a total of 21 laps which are each 1/16th of a mile. So I completed a total of 1.31 miles.
I have started "making" my kids runs with me. Since we are all doing a 5K in March I think they should train too. We go to the YMCA 2-3 times a week for my daughter's swim practice so we run together then. My daughter resisted at first because she was afraid she would be too tired but now she asks to go early so she can run. It's good for her and I think it is helping her become a better swimmer. I am very happy that my desire to become healthier has become a family thing.
My boyfriend even came with us on Sunday. We have both gained weight since we started dating. We love food! LOL. Anyway, he has some health problems that I know would be improved by losing weight. High blood pressure and acid reflux. He's doing to 5k with us too so I am very proud of him for making the first step.