Category: health

A Healthy Heart

Posted on by Tikeetha T

I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago about the massive to do list that I have going on and how I’m just trying to take it in pieces. One of those things was to send information about Munch’s fundraiser to all my family and friends. I am very selective about fundraising and I try to not inundate folks with every single request to buy something. Why? Because I can’t do everything.

However, Munch came home a couple of weeks ago wanting to participate in the Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart Program that is sponsored by the Red Cross. His school is participating and he was so excited to get these zoo animals and wanted me to let him participate. I reviewed the paperwork and explained why I was letting him participate. I told him that we have a history of heart disease in our family.

I explained to him that his grandfather has congestive heart failure and just got a pacemaker put in. I explained that his dad had multiple strokes when he was an infant and they are always checking his heart. I told him that the heart is the most important organ and the one that pumps all of our blood through our body and we must keep it healthy.

I went on to tell him that’s why I want him to continue to exercise with swim classes and soccer. But, there is still work to do. I admittedly don’t serve vegetables with every meal and I’ve got to do better. So, that was the challenge we agreed to do. To eat vegetables with every meal at dinner and to take a walk around the block every evening. Let’s keep the heart muscle working.

Today is National Go Red Day and I wore my red to support this great program. As a woman and knowing that I have a family history of heart disease, I want to keep my heart healthy. According to the Go Red website “Cardiovascular disease in the U.S. kill approximately one woman every 80 seconds. The good news is that 80 percent of cardiac events may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes. Go Red For Women advocates for more research and swifter action for women’s heart health.”

I’m a woman and I’m a mother and I support heart health. I want to be around for Munch for many years to come and I want to give him the tools to keep his heart safe and healthy. So, I’m asking if you’re able to, please consider making a $10.00 donation to Munch’s Campaign. We set the goal at $250.  All donations are tax-deductible.

The link is here:  Hoops for Heart

Ladies – Do You Groom?

Posted on by Tikeetha T

I’m not talking in general, but specifically when you go to the gynecologist. Do you groom your body before a pap smear or gynecologist exam? I mean I can’t be the only woman who thinks it is important when heading to the gynecologist to make sure that my pedicure is fresh and everything else from the top to body is as well.

I only book early morning appointments if I can help it. I also make sure that my legs are shaved, my feet finely shaped and no hammer toes or cracked skin. Yep, I still lotion my body from head to toe. I don’t use spray in between my legs because I don’t want it to mess up any cultures or exam. However, I refuse to let myself look like I just woke up and came out when someone is between my legs.

Especially a medical professional.

I had my exam yesterday with one of the male doctors in the practice and I swear he gets cuter every year. He’s not even 40 yet. This man diagnosed me 9 years ago with preeclampsia and he was only 31. He circumcised my son and has been a vital part of my medical history for the last 9 years since I arrived at the practice.

There is never awkwardness between my gynecologist and I. Great conversation and sincere concern about my health. He’s given me great advice on my weight loss and overall health. He’s also pretty hot.

He told me when he finished looking in between my legs that he liked my red toe nail polish. He noticed. Aww, it was the little things.

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Review: Vicks Easyfill Cool Mist Humidifier

Posted on by Tikeetha T

Hey Good Peoples,

Guess who got a Vicks Easyfill Cool Mist Humidifier? Yep, this girl right here! I was so surprised and excited because my last humidifier had just died and I was dreading having to go to the store to replace it. So, when the good folks at Influenster sent me a FREE one to review I was so geeked.

Now, I’ve been using this for the last week because the weather here has been cold and dry. Brennan is like me when I was younger….he suffers from nose bleeds when the air is too dry. Having an asthmatic child with allergies who also has nose bleeds, we always keep it running.

This humidifier is great because it is an easy fill and you can fill it in the sink or do a jug of water like I do. But, either way it is light weight to carry with water. You don’t have to refill it every night. One fill lasts about 36 hours depending on the setting. I keep it on high so I had to refill after about 26 hours. Not bad, but I have a big space that I want the mist to moisturize the air.

It does just that. It also has a slot for vapo pads if you need a soothing scent when you’re sick. It comes with two, but you could order additional. I think the best part of the entire product is the fact that it has an auto shut off when it is out of water. How amazing is that? I don’t have to worry about my house burning down while I sleep.

Vicks has done it again and just in time for the winter months.

You can buy this awesome humidifier here on Amazon:   https://www.amazon.com/Vicks-EasyFill-Cool-Mist-Humidifier/dp/B01LXPDDCS

I received this product FREE for testing purposes and would highly recommend it.

You can check out Munch loving on his humidifier last month here on Instagram.

6 More Things That Make Me A Happier Person

Posted on by Tikeetha T

Love this list. We are all responsible for our own happiness.

 

When you’re in a not-so-great place, it is not easy to find five things that will cheer you up. But as you grow, you begin to add to that list. You find more and more things that help put you…

Source: 6 More Things That Make Me A Happier Person

Weekend Coffee Share – 8/14/2016

Posted on by Tikeetha T

If you and I were having coffee, I would tell you welcome. Welcome to my busy life. I would share with you how happy I am that you found time to have coffee with me today and would offer you a cold cup of iced coffee. It’s too hot to have anything less than a venti iced coffee or iced latte. This heat is doing a number on my hair. The heat index is supposed to make it feel like 110 degrees today.

If you and I were having coffee, I would ask you how you’ve been. I would want to know all the things you did since we last talked. I would try to encourage your spirit by praying with and for you. I would want to truly know how things have been since we last talked.

If you and I were having coffee, I would tell you that it was my daddy’s birthday last week. I would tell you how I didn’t get a chance to put a card in the mail before his birthday. I would tell you that I’m looking forward to seeing him next month when we go home to Tennessee. Munch is going with me so we are going to take my dad out to dinner. I’m also going to get him a picture frame with some photos of Munch and I.

If you and I were having coffee, I would tell you that we threw my niece a wonderful graduation party yesterday and I’m exhausted. My sister was so hand’s off and repeatedly reminded me that it was me and my mother’s idea to give her a party. She would be right and everything worked out accordingly. I will share pictures later on in the week.

If you and I were having coffee, I would tell you that Munch took his first guitar lesson yesterday and it was awesome. He was super excited and the teacher was very patient with him. I  on the other hand lost it. I was so stressed out. I’ll twll you more about that later. I asked him how he enjoyed it and he said he liked it very much. He wanted to continue lessons.

If you and I were having coffee, I would tell you that I’m struggling to maintain a low blood sugar. I feel so frustrated some times and I’m trying to adjust to everything. I watch what I eat, drink vinegar, eat cinnamon, drink lots of water and I work out. Not as much as I should and I need to get better. I need to workout more at home. On days when I have Munch and it is too hot to go anywhere. Mr. C was really good with this because he said, “We’ll get through this together.” I liked that. He says “we” instead of putting it all on me.

If you and I were having coffee, I would tell you that I have to go. It’s been a crazy busy weekend and I’m trying to rest my mind and body and wish you the same. I will miss you dear friend and I can’t wait until next time.

Peace and blessings dear friend.

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This post is part of the #weekendcoffeeshare at Part-time Monster Blog. Join in the fun!

The Musings of A Diabetic – Part 2

Posted on by Tikeetha T

I called Mr. C. in frustration and shame. How the hell could I get diabetes? I’m 41. There is no family history of it. He calmly stated “It’s going to be fine. You can beat this. You should take the medication and keep working out. We’ll find out what you can and can’t eat.” I sighed. I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.

Life never is.

But, he was optimistic. He was supportive. He was encouraging me. He wasn’t going to let me suffer a defeatist attitude and proclaim the end of my demise. He was going to be there pushing me to the limits to not give up.

I accepted it. I needed it. I needed to know that I wasn’t alone in my desire to LIVE. To live for my Munch. I had too much work to do.

I started increasing my steps. Stretching. Watching what I’m eating. Everything was scrutinized. Reduced my alcohol intake by 95%. I was going to fight this.

I tested my blood, took the pill and continued my workouts. Chicken. I eat a lot of chicken and lean protein. I have water all the time. With every meal. No thank you to wine. No thank you to dessert.

The doctor said that my numbers have to be less than 100. It was at the 121 range. More water. More research.

Then last week I needed a caffeine boost. I wanted a soda. I went to the vending machine. The choices were few. I wanted a soda. I hadn’t had one in months. I needed some caffeine. Ugh! They only had Pepsi products. I’m a die-hard Coca-Cola drinker. So, I settled on a Dr. Pepper. They didn’t have diet but I needed a Dr. Pepper.

I took it back to my office and drank a little less than a third. The need was satisfied. I was feeling satiated by the caffeine. I put the top back on the bottle and continued about my day.

The rest of the day was normal. I went to work out, ate a healthy chicken salad and drank water. Took my shower and went to bed.

The next morning I awoke and took my blood sugar before I left the house. It said 161.

I was devastated. This was the highest it had ever been. I couldn’t understand what did it.

I packed my lunch of chicken breasts and beans, water, strawberries, watermelon and water. I grabbed a couple of Greek yogurts and headed to work. Stressed as heck. Not sure what the hell was going on in my body I started to freak out.

I called Mr. C and he instantly knew something was wrong. I told him my levels and how I didn’t do anything differently so I didn’t know what the issue was. He told me to relax and that we would get this under control.

He reminded me that I didn’t become diabetic overnight so it would take time for me to figure out what I can and can’t eat. He said, “It’s only been a month. We’ll figure it out.” Hmm, I like that. We’ll figure it out.

He calmed me down. I started to feel a little better until I got to work. When I went to put my lunch in the kitchen I saw this sign:

I had an Aha moment! I know knew what sparked my elevated sugar. That damn soda. I had no idea how many grams of sugar were in that Dr. Pepper. It has 64 grams of sugar. Women are supposed to have no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar daily. That damn soda was triple the amount of my supposed daily sugar intake.

Worst part? I didn’t even drink it all. That little taste of soda elevated my blood sugar. After feeling better about what I learned I began to research ways to lower my blood sugar and monitor sugar in every little thing.
Mr. C sent me some great articles including this one about 12 Powerfoods to Beat Diabetes and I went to the grocery store that evening. I purchased some apples, citrus fruits, cinnamon (to sprinkle on everything), steaks, spinach, and apple cider vinegar. I’m trying everything.

I grilled some steaks that evening and packed a lunch of a grilled steak, spinach greens with tomatoes, cucumbers, sprinkled with cinnamon and a little bit of a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. I packed my fruits and bottled water. I was going to live.

I took my blood sugar the next day and it was 142. Higher than normal but it was coming down. I don’t know if it was the 2 tablespoons of vinegar that I digested an hour before I ate or not, but I’m going to keep digesting the vinegar, sprinkling ½ teaspoon of cinnamon on my meals daily and eating leaner and healthier food.

Now, if I could just find a quinoa recipe that I can cook (easy) and doesn’t taste like crap, I’ll be in business.

The Musings of A Diabetic – Part 1

Posted on by Tikeetha T

“I have the sugar”. Those were the words I uttered last month when I found out that I am now in the diabetic range. My A1C was 7. I was officially diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic. I sighed. I was feeling overwhelmed.

I met with my doctor to go over my numbers. He was angry because I hadn’t repeated my labs or seen him since August of last year when the numbers indicated that I was pre-diabetic. He wanted to know why I hadn’t bothered to see him or return his calls. He was acting like I stood him up or something.

I guess in reality I did. I had been so busy and pre-occupied with life that I put my health on the back burner. Yes, I still worked out. Yes, I still kept losing weight and increasing my water intake. But, my life was in a tailspin last year. I couldn’t focus on me. I had to focus on everyone else.

My son got shigella. My daddy got diagnosed with cancer. My son was having emotional issues. I was going through a horrific time with my ex. I got a kidney infection and ended up in the hospital. My car got hit by a U-haul truck while it was parked. I thought I had breast cancer.

There it was.  A lot of the load that I was carrying had weighed me down. My health became minor. I had to work. I had to pay the bills. I had to take care of my son. I had to get a grip on reality. I was having a nervous breakdown and I couldn’t have one because there wasn’t any time to have one. Who would take care of my Munch if I did?

He listened. I said, “I need you to understand the plight and burden of being a mother. A black mother. We carry the weight of the world on our shoulder and we often neglect our health.” He said, “Okay, well now you can’t neglect your health. It’s serious.” I felt defeated as I responded, “I know.”

We spoke about my weight loss. He was happy. He sees the scale going down. We talked about my work out routines. My activity levels. My stress levels. My eating habits. There it was. My eating habits. I mostly ate healthy but I didn’t know that my love of carbs was killing me. Oh, how I love pasta, rice and sauce. I dreamed of pasta and warm breads. They comforted me.

They were slowly killing me. “I don’t want medication. My mom says that I could become dependent on medication and she doesn’t want me to take it. She wants me to reverse it. She’s a chemist you know.” He sat there and slowly responded “Nothing against your mom but you need the medication. I don’t want your pancreas to have to work so hard to get that sugar out of your body. The medication helps to get rid of the sugar. I wouldn’t recommend it unless I thought you needed it.”

“I know” I muttered.

“No one changes their eating habits overnight. It takes time. This medication will start to work while you continue to try and make better choices.”

“I know” I replied with tears streaming down my face.

“Look, since you’re against it I will start off on a low dosage one pill daily, although I would normally recommend two pills a day. I want you to test your blood sugar every other day and I want you to continue to work out and change your food choices. Keep a journal of what you eat so you can see the things that make your sugar levels rise. We will retest in 3 months. We will see what’s going on.”

I agreed.

The nurse came in and showed me how to test my sugar. Simple finger prick. Once every other day.

I could do that.

I left the office feeling defeated.