My health care reform

Let me hold your hand.  I will walk you to the water.  I will tickle your throat and that will force you to drink the water.  Better yet, let's just make it Kool-Aid.  Besides the Jim Jones Kool-Aid just imagine the big red picture of sugary goodness busting through the wall of your house saying "Hey kids drink up.  I support the local vascular surgeon and endocrinologist as well as all of those companies that make dressing supplies that allow nurses to wrap your nasty ass rotting diabetic foot." Then the Marlboro Man rides up on a camel and stuffs a cigarette on the kids mouth as says "Start puffing son-of-a-bitch,  this will make your stinky ass foot fall off faster." True healthcare reform is in the hand of the Marlboro Man.

Vacation puts the "die" in diet

I told myself that I was going to eat healthy.  Salads and chicken for me.  One week on vacation can't be to bad.  I had eaten healthy for two weeks prior.  I wanted to look healthy as a horse for vacation.  Bikini was fitting better, abs were ripped like a 1920's washboard.  Well now I just feel like old nag that's being turned to pasture.  Better yet, I think they may send my ass staight to the glue factory. You know, that white glue that you smeer all over your paper when you are in kindergarden and then sprinkle glitter all over to spell your name or make a heart.  Anyway, why is eating healthy on vacation so hard.  I had mastered making a shake in the morning, planning out little healthy meals for lunch.  Working out for just one hour a day wasn't to bad.  When you are on vacation you sleep two hours longer, your naps are two hours (hell the fact that I'm taking nap let's me know that I've been defeated).  I can't even muster the "30 minute" walk that I planned for worst case scenario.  Today my diet consisted of 2 sausages   (German delight), 4-5 glasses of wine (I can't remember), two dark ass beers of some sort, and salad.  Just like Richard Simmons described it.  Oh well,  I had fun.  I have the next half of year to get back on track.

Well, there is definitely something to be said about making something memorable. CNN.com recently covered a story on a PSA that was just released featuring, politely put, a well-endowed female. Critics are saying the message is far too titilating, but I say it is perfect. What do you think?

Vitamin D (as in "Dang it is good for you")

The other day at work, I was sitting at the nurses station doing some notes, and my coworker and I got into a conversation about vitamins. Of note, I have only recently begun taking vitamins, and at times (more often than not), I forget to pop one in my mouth before bed. Don't get me wrong, I think vitamins are great, but I have to be very particular about when and how I take my vitamins (secondary to instant nausea if taken without food on my stomach). Therefore, it sometimes seems like an inconvenience. Anyway, my coworker was telling me that she is a big believer in vitamin D supplementation. Apparently, many Americans are deficient in that particular vitamin. So after doing a little research on the topic, I ran across an interesting article about the benefits of vitamin D and some recipes to make it applicable.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/article/0,28747,1918441,00.html?xid=cnn-091509


Three Fruit Yogurt Shake

Makes 5 cups

2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup fresh blueberries, frozen
1 cup fresh peach slices, frozen
1 (8-ounce) can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained and frozen

Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Serve immediately

So raise your creamy, fruity filled goblets and toast to vitamins and all their goodness!

Cancer

Today, I walked down hallway 42 at Shands UF. To people who know the hospital, this is the "cancer unit" or bone marrow transplant unit. unit. And I got to thinking, brewing, steaming.
Cancer is my enemy. I don't have a lot of enemies, but I would say if cancer was a person, I would murder it. And it would be a slow, cruel death, like the ones in a Tarantino film. Three of my four grandparents had cancer. My Grandma Maryanna lost her breasts but finally beat the cancer and (in a cruel and cold way) died from ovarian cancer. My aunt spends her days in excrutiating pain secondary to the cancer that is attacking her bladder. My mom called the other night, and after all the pain she has held her sister's hand through, she just found out she has thyroid cancer. Cancer not only attacks your body, it wages war against the heart and soul and tries to drown families. 
Walking down the cancer unit at Shands, you see the grayness of the disease. Broken smiles, and broken bodies. But every once in a while, a glimmer of hope peeks it's head out. "I am getting out of here tomorrow. And they say I am in the clear." I smile, I hope, I pray that it stays away. I want it to. I need it to. Leave forever.

Be"friending" your doctor

Intersting article on CNN.com http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/03/friending.your.doctor/index.html It got me thinking about "messaging" my doctor. For me, there is a line that shouldn't be crossed. I don't want to see my doctor's beer drinking, late night outs, or high school memories. If we could only improve our communication system, we wouldn't need these social networking sites to get what we should have in the first place. Let me know what you think!

Go FISH!

Let's talk fishing. I have never read "The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing" by Melissa Bank, but I do know that fishing is under appreciated in the female world. All of us have those pictures, where we are around 7 or 8 years old and our dad's (typically wearing a Budweiser trucker cap and dip in his mouth) are holding up your first catfish catch. Then comes makeup and boys. Where does the outdoor passion go? The thrill of the fish hitting your line and the rush of fighting with your prey. I am on a mission to get girly girls to do more fishing. Let's be honest, it isn't the most challenging work out, but you are able to be out in nature (not in front of the TV watching the Food Network). An added bonus is that you can reap the rewards with dinner that night! That is my favorite part! So, get out and go FISH! Here is a fantastic and healthy recipe for your first catch. This is from BeachBody's P90X nutrition recipe book:

Mango-Ginger Sauce

1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Cup mango, peeled and cubed
1/2 Cup tomato, chopped
1-1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 Cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp dry sherry
1-1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp white vinegar

Stir all ingredients together and chill. Serve over grilled or sauteed white fish.

Health and Fitness

As the morning sun peaks its nose through my window, the dogs stretch their legs, my cat jumps on my stomach and my mind immediately starts thinking of the hundred and one things on the agenda today. Has you ever had that feeling? Many times I feel like my mind is a little mosquito, buzzing, swirling, whizzing around trying to find a place to land. With all the chaos surrounding my life, I sometimes dread workouts. How can I find the 30 minutes to drive to the gym, find a place between sweaty Fabios and drive 30 minutes home? I don't. I believe health and fitness is a lifestyle. It isn't pushing yourself to be miserable. It comes from the inside and plays out in every adventure you have and every bite you eat.
Over the next few months, this blog is going to focus on how to incorporate healthy living into a chaotic life. So let's get started!