Tag: Healthy

Can I Brag?

Posted on by Tikeetha T

Love for me can be summed up in one word…God. God’s love has allowed me to be blessed in so many ways. Too many blessings to count. However, I would like to talk and brag about one of those blessings right now.

My son was conceived after years of struggling to get pregnant. We went through IVF to have Munch. Two cycles. Painful injections. Killer mood swings. I was an emotional wreck. Until I knew I was pregnant.

I would touch my stomach every night wondering what this little boy (I always knew I was having a boy) would be like. Would he look like me? Would he look like his dad? Would he be smart? Would he be funny? Would he be athletic? Would he be artistic? I had no clue. And in all honesty, I just wanted a happy and healthy baby.

I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would love this little boy more than life itself. He became my saving grace. He gave me purpose. My life was now about being the best mother that I could to God’s gift in my life. I would lead by example. I would encourage. I would combine discipline and love and not be too strict.

I had a lot of rules on how I was going to do this parenting thing. Many things went totally out the window when I had him. I just started winging it. But, then I reached out to you…my community for suggestions from self-esteem, to parenting, reading and negative thoughts. You’ve given me suggestions and guidance and made me feel like I have a community.

A community that is invested in my Munch. That is why I wanted to share a proud mommy moment with you…

Munch got 11 A’s, 1 B and 1 C on his report card for second quarter.

Yep! I’m so super excited. I can’t believe it. That C is in Math. It is a high C, but we need to get it back up to a B. He told his grandma “I struggled with fractions a little bit this quarter.” LOL. He did.

I struggled with making sure that his teachers are recording his grades timely. I email constantly about assignments not coming home. I spend time making sure he understands concepts and is writing clearly. I try to balance his intensive French curriculum with fun. French books and English books. Play dates and movies that will get him to think creatively.

I constantly tell him to do your best. That is all your dad and I ever want. We want to know that you are trying your best and we will support you. Heck, I didn’t think he got it, but I guess I’m realizing that it’s working. He’s finally trying his best.

Thanks for letting me brag about my Munch. If you missed yesterday’s post and you have the financial means to do so, please consider supporting Munch for the American Heart Association’s Hoop for Hearts fundraiser that he is doing. A $10.00 donation is tax deductible and you can make it here: Hoops for Heart

 

 

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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

Manic Monday

Posted on by Tikeetha T

Hey Everybody!

I’ve been ill since last week (right after turning 42) and so I don’t have a Motivational Monday Moment to share. I promise I will be back next week with one. I’m still recuperating but I’m back at work today.

Thankfully, Munch was with his dad last week and that allowed me to rest in spite of feeling like death. It’s the little things. However, he is back and in full on I can’t do anything without my mommy mode. Ah, to be 8 and spoiled.

My health is on the mend, I will be going to two more doctor’s appointments this week and one next week and then hopefully all will be well. I’m taking it easy and listening to my body. Getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of water (ugh!).

So, today I will be reblogging some great reads. If you have a great post that you would like me to share, please feel free to post it in the comments. I’m 8-9 days behind on some posts so please bear with me as I go through over 3000 emails for the last week. If you get “likes” out of order, it really is me reading your blog posts.

Until tomorrow loves!

Motivational Monday Moment – 9/26/16

Posted on by Tikeetha T

It’s the last Monday in September in the ninth month. Can you believe that the year is almost over? Whew! It went by too fast. There’s still time though.

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What is there still time to do? Serve. Be of service to someone. My Monday Motivational Moment is to encourage you to serve. Serving others is one of the greatest gifts we can give. Why? Because you are giving of your time.

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Time is valuable.

We all value our time. But, we know that we should be generous in the giving of our time to those that need us.

Mark 10:45 (NRSV)

45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

I know you’re probably saying, “I’m too busy. I got a million things going on right now.” Right? Well, how many of those million things that you’re doing are for others. Serving others in a situation that is more beneficial?

We have to be of service. Serving others makes us not only feel better, but those we serve are greatly rewarded. Time can no longer be a variable. We must find a way to make our moments in life count.

Give of ourselves selflessly. Just like the Bible commands us to do. What if God was selfish with his time? How many of us would benefit? Not many.

But, there are many reasons to volunteer…

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Still not convinced. Guess what I got to do this weekend? I got the amazing opportunity to be of service to others when my church had it’s annual Mission Blitz. It’s our annual day of service. We go out in the community and serve others through various organizations.

Where did I go? Martha’s Table. It was an amazing opportunity to serve others. Me and some of my fellow church members went to DC to help with their food distribution and you know what? We weren’t the only ones.

There were a number of other volunteers there. It was amazing. It was a great reminder of how bless we are to have access to food and quality food at that. I like some of the great programs they put on including a Pop-Up Market at local elementary schools and a couple of community centers. The Pop-Up Markets allow families to select from fresh, seasonal produce and healthy pantry staples at no cost every month.

Isn’t that amazing? There are so many people in this country who have food security issues and no access to fresh food that this organization is changing that. Can you imagine what it’s like to not be able to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables for your family? If you can imagine, can you imagine having an organization provide you access to the fresh fruit and produce at no cost to you?

Many organizations, like Martha’s Table need help all year round and I decided that I wanted to get some of my girlfriends involved. We always gripe about things that are stressing us out and wouldn’t it be amazing to do service for others? That’s one of my goals for the remaining 2016 and going into 2017.

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Serving others.

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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.

Recognizing the Difference

Posted on by Tikeetha T
com·mit·ment
kəˈmitmənt/
noun
1.  the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.”the company’s commitment to quality
2. an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action “business commitments”

I saw this post on one of the many blogs I subscribe too. Not sure where it came from, but I am sure of the feeling it invoked in me…

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Accountability.

Accountability for my actions. For my part in everything that I do. I needed to own it. I needed to examine whether I was being interested or committed.

I recently shared my health journey with you and my desire to live a healthier lifestyle. Well, let me tell you the struggle is real. Some days are harder than others. I don’t do a food journal because I hate writing about what I eat and many times I can’t remember. Someone suggested that I take a photo and log it later.

Good idea. I will remember to do that. I hate working out. I do it because I want to be healthier, but do you know how hard it is trying to find work out videos to do at home with a 7-year-old? Ugh.

I hate it.

I did this video last week:

I’m working on this one for this week:

I’m trying to mix it up. I don’t want my body getting used to it. I’ve been eating healthier, cooking more at home and crunching on cucumbers, carrots and grapes. I feel like I’m a rabbit. Slow and steady. “Try to enjoy it” the voice whispers in my head.

I am not enjoying it! I’m not supposed to right? I’m supposed to keep at it. Keep up the work. More energy out and fewer calories in. Keep pushing forward. Don’t watch the scale. Don’t drink that beautiful glass of Riesling. No don’t touch that beautiful cigar that was rolled to perfection. Don’t worry, your hips will love you later.

It’s a lot of pressure. I’m just existing. I’m not committed. I’m going through the motions. I need to change my attitude. I need to be committed to lead a healthier lifestyle. It starts with me. I’ve got to change my perception and outlook. I’ve got to be better. It starts with me.

Can I be committed?

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Under Construction

Posted on by Tikeetha T

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I recently read this great piece on Huffington Post entitled “My Stretch Marks Don’t Define Me” and I screamed “Yes”. I love the article. Mainly because the author was talking about how she loves and accepts her stretch marks and they don’t define the sum of who she is.

In the beginning, I felt that my body was still under construction. You know trying to lose the baby weight, get sleep, eat right and get back down to my pre-pregnancy size or smaller. Well that didn’t happen and six years later it is still under construction.

I lost weight my entire pregnancy and in the end I gained 15 pounds before they removed munch for medical reasons. I was sick. So, that cute mommy whose baby was eating off her fat cells the entire time she was pregnant was excited that I could actually eat normal again after delivery. However, no one told me that the pregnancy weight would redistribute. I had pockets of fat in other places.

Too weak to exercise and too tired to care about being smaller for the first 4 years of his life had me accepting my bigger figure. But, I wanted to be healthier. Make healthier choices with food. Be alive for him. I have no health issues and I wanted to keep it that way.

I made many life changes this last year and the weight and inches are coming off. My body is still under construction, but I’m not embarrassed by the imperfections. I don’t want surgery to fix the reminder of my struggle to conceive. I accept it and will work at being healthy in my own way. Naturally.

My stretch marks show the path to parenthood running from my stomach to the top of my (umm, let’s say Olivia Pope). They show the price I paid to be a parent. The white weirdly shaped lines show that I fed my son in my womb. They mark the immense pressure my body was under when I was pregnant. They remind me of the painful bursts of pain I experienced when my son sat on my sciatic nerve. They are beautiful and I love them. I accept them.

Many things about my body changed when I had a baby, but I don’t care. The only thing I’ve ever hoped for was bigger breasts and a smaller nose, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Wasn’t in the plans. My breasts grew big enough to nourish my son and then sadly went back down to their original size after nursing was done. But, even that doesn’t matter.

Why? Because I love my body just the way it is. Yep, I’m working out (not to be skinny) to be healthy, but my stretch marks won’t disappear. My breasts won’t grow (without surgery), my stomach will always bulge (unless I do liposuction), my thighs will still have cellulite and my incision will still be seen because of my C-section.

This body is and has been under construction for the last six years and it’s okay. Because you know what? I will still accept that I’m perfect just the way I am.