Fit Villains: Selfish, Shameless, Sassy, Fitness.

Being sick SUCKS. It just does.

I’m sorry if you’re sick right now, will be sick this year, or have been sick in the past. It blows. (if you’ve never been sick, you’re an alien. I’m sorry you had to find out this way).

This time of year, my inbox is filled with people asking me if they CAN workout while sick and what they should do. Many are incredibly concerned they’ll “blow” all their progress by taking days off training. They feel guilty. While many people are content with a day off on the couch with Kleenex & (insert name of hunky movie star here), some people just can’t escape the guilt of missing their workout. Stressing over it, even.

I totally get it. I hate missing my workouts because my body’s not working the way it should. My mood is regulated by exercise, and I love, love, LOVE to move. It was and IS difficult for me to find a mind balance for those times when I couldn’t/shouldn’t workout. But there are a few things that help me do what I need to do to get better and start kicking ass again asap.

Most Common “I’m Sick” Fitness Worries…

1. “I’m so stressed out about missing my workouts. Should I just power through? It’s KILLING me!”

Breathe. Relax. Be sick. Don’t stress. Stress doesn’t help. Along with missing sleep, being stressed out can exacerbate illness, not make it better. Give yourself permission to take a few days off because it’s better for your body. Stay restfully busy. Distract yourself.

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We already know that bullying at a young age can lead to self-esteem issues, anxiety, depression and even self-harm. But a new study has just confirmed that on top of the psychological problems associated with being bullied, physiological and health related disadvantages are also a cause for concern. 

A Swedish study followed almost 900 students in the country from age 16 until they were 43. They found overall that those who had a harder time socially in school—being bullied, left out, or even choosing to be isolated—had the highest risk of suffering from poor health by the time they were in their early 40s.

Girls who’d been bullied, regardless of socioeconomic status, and other factors, were more likely to develop… 

• heart disease
• diabetes 
• obesity 
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol

Kinda scary! While researchers are still looking for a direct link/cause, stress and anxiety MAY play a role. (Yet more evidence that stress can literally kill someone). 

You might think it would require severe bullying or trauma to have that kind of long-lasting impact on someone, but, in fact, it did not. They found that it wasn’t only the kids who were mercilessly bullied or victimized that suffered the health effects in middle age. Even those who experienced social isolation to a lesser degree saw health effects later, although the stronger their suffering as a teen, generally the worse their health was as an adult.

The study also showed that the health risks were slightly higher in girls than in boys, though it’s unclear why. It was safe to say that regardless of gender, bullying seemed to have long lasting mental AND physical effects on children and adults. 

Read more.

I’m SICK. Ugh. I hate admitting being sick almost as much as I hate BEING sick.

On the bright side, I made myself a new favorite tea concoction, and wanted to share it with you! Made this earlier today, and I’m in love.

Sweet Apple Ginger Green Tea

• 3-4 small slices of fresh ginger
• 1/2 an apple, sliced
• Loose organic green tea (or a tea bag)
• Honey - optional
• Boiling water & a steeper

I sliced everything up, and steeped it for about 10 minutes. It’s delicious, warm, feels nice on the way down and hopefully (fingers crossed) will murder this BEAST of a cold.

Ginger is known for it’s anti-inflammatory properties, and it promotes general health & wellness. Green tea is loaded with anti-oxidants and honey is just as effective at treating sore throats as your favorite cough medicine.

If you don’t like apple, most other fruit will work (pineapple, pear, citrus). Give it a try if you’re sick of being sick like I am!

xo

Oh Neti, NO!

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has issued a warning about the popular cold-killing device after it was linked to not one, but two deadly infections.

Neti pots are popular tools to help fight cold symptoms like congestion from a cold or allergies. While there’s still some controversy around their effectiveness, they’ve been growing in popularity in recent years. Users swear by them. (I can’t get over my fear of pouring water into my nose… I know, there’s a trick, but still).

In this case, both patients were infected with Naegleria fowleri a.k.a. brain-eating amoeba after using the pots. The parasite enters the body through the nose and can cause headache, fever, nausea and a stiff neck before the infected person becomes confused, loses their balance, has seizures and suffers hallucinations. And if left untreated, the infection can cause death within one to 12 days.

Since the most likely Neti pot users are already sick, they are at a particular disadvantage health wise. Perfect storm.

Neti-pot enthusiasts, don’t fret. It’s not the Neti pots themselves, but rather the use of tap water. While tap water is safe to drink (and the parasite is also fairly safe to ingest), if taken up the nose it can be dangerous. Our bellies kill a lot of bacteria naturally that the nose simply cannot.

Doctors advise using boiled or sterilized water for your Neti-pot use: NOT straight from the tap. Unwashed Neti pots can also become a breeding ground for bacteria: they should be washed and sterilized after each use.

Be Neti safe! Read more.