A forbidden glass

Too stuffed up and fed up to write a proper post today. Have been fighting a wicked cold the last five days- via my son, via-via my nephew ( it's ok J, my love for you is unconditional,so not to worry). So I've decided to post a few pics of my evening. This is the first illness I've had that has royally messed up my blood sugars- hence being fed up. Fasting blood sugars of 10-12 are not normal for me, especially when I have skipped snacks due to lack of appetite (hence being fed up). Thus, this has left me grouchier than hungover Leafs fans today (sorry, too soon?).

These pictures were following a much needed 2 hour nap- my son clocked 3! Hence how I was able to accomplish the pictures posted below and thus once again feel human after almost a week!

Healthy baked ziti for dinner- added spinach and ricotta and not so much fatty cheese-if you look closely I did a mom substitute of marble cheese on top (aka I forgot to buy mozzarella- these things happen when you can't breathe, taste or hear).

My sous chef! Ie. he slept while I made dinner and posed for pictures once all the work was done. Will take this anyday over holding a thirty pound cutie in one arm while trying to stir, mix, schlep food around. Thanks C for the marathon nap.

C smiling with his untouched Ziti. What did he eat for dinner? Yogurt, red pepper and carrots, and about three tablespoons of Parmesan cheese (hope that isn't bad- there are worse things he could eat I suppose) :)

I decided last week that in the spirit of my last 14 weeks of training for Iceland I would abstain from my ( almost) nightly glass of wine- limited to only twice a week. Well lets just say I am enjoying a forbidden glass tonight with my ziti ( because really who doesn't drink wine with pasta? ). This cold has derailed a few things- promise to be back on track in a few days. Really, why do I set these rules for my self?  Something about striving for excellence, yada, yada. 

Here is hoping for clear sinuses tomorrow! 

Ps. Broke $5,000.00 yesterday for donations- thank you to my 2nd cousin ( an Icelander of course!) and my parents' generous neighbour- my total today is $5,135.00 Not bad for someone that can barely breathe :)

I feel better! (kind of?)

Morning blood sugar: 5.8
Episodes of low blood sugar today: zilch, nada
C's mood today: one 'wig out' this morning (this is technical speak for when your toddler loses his mind for a few minutes, often over something mysterious that parents have no clue about. This often involves crying and screaming "NO!" when they are offered something comforting like a glass of water or a pair of pants), and then quite good actually. Managed to get a few errands done with little drama- a successful day so far. Extra points for cuddling me in Walmart while we shopped-he fell asleep in the car on the way there (at 10:15am)-guessing he woke up too early and needed a power nap. Long story short, he was uber cuddly in the store so I made use of my amazing Ergo carrier and enjoyed the snugle! www.ergobaby.com
Donations this week: 1 from an amazing client of mine-she has been through so much but has the best, most positive attitude. And she is generous-my kinda woman! :)
Eating clean menu: I am not a huge advocate for packaged food. I try to shop the perimeter of the grocery store, fresh food as much as possible, yada, yada. I was watching Dr. Oz last week and the 'expert' that was on that day mentioned "only eat foods that you can sit down at a table to eat". I don't disagree with him, but have to say that is a good principle on paper but in reality that just doesn't fly! Especially when you are a mom. Let's face it, you need snacks sometimes, ok, all the time. I find it really challenging to find snacks that you can carry that won't stain your purse or are not loaded with sugar. 
I made a fantastic discovery this past weekend at the grocery store-The Simply Bar www.thesimplybar.com It is actually a bar that tastes good, not too sweet, but feels like a treat, and I can pronounce all the ingredients! I read the package today in the car while Charlie was sleeping (aka.mini Mom holiday) and was so happy to see they are made in Canada. They pack only 10-12 carbs per serving so great for blood sugar too. Holla! Could these get any better? :)
Workout today: 40 minutes of Jillian Michaels Kickboxing (www.jillianmichaels.com)with my fit and fabulous hubby (love you!). He works late Tuesdays but thankfully doesn't start until 10am-working out together is some serious QT people!

Snuggle buddies

   I can't believe it has been a more than a month since my last post-life has a way of getting away from you when you are busy running around, doing what seems like a million things in one week.

Last week my Achilles tendons started to ache a little. 'Uh oh' I thought. This was following a run on the trail by our house. I live in a beautiful place-the downside is that nothing is flat here! This trail is uphill basically all the way out and downhill all the way back. Not so good for my aching muscles-I guess my left calf has had enough.

This aching also made me reconsider my training plan. Living in a small city they only have so many running clinics to offer. The Vancouver Marathon was this past Sunday and 90% of my running group completed it-our clinic was geared around it. What an anticlimax to finish a training program and then not actually complete the race-now I am suppose to start another program all over again.

So my answer is to take this week off entirely of running, do some cross training, rest my aching muscles, and start fresh next week. Being the crazy physio that I am I have been treating my calves myself-yes this includes acupuncture, yes that involves needling myself. I feel better today too. Less aching into the tendon, more tension in the muscle belly which is a good sign. Because I feel better I can't get this song out of my head-of course it is from a children's program called Doc McStuffins. Since I can't get it out of my head, I thought I would post this video to get it into your head so that I am not alone. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BqBW0MvshK4

I'm going to close today's post on an extremely sad note. A former classmate of mine from University lost her young son this week. Unbelievably he became tangled in cords from a blind and succumbed to his injuries a few nights ago. This is such devastating news that to tell her that "I am sorry for your loss" feels more than a little inadequate under the circumstances. We have primarily kept in touch over the last few years via Facebook, as so many of us do these days.

A is a physiotherapist in Fort Mac; I have hugely enjoyed recent FB posts on her vegan lifestyle (she adopted this lifestyle as a result of digestive issues and found the vegan diet to be extremely helpful), a more holistic approach to medicine including the use of acupuncture and its benefits (I use acupuncture regularly in my practice and love getting treatments-hey, even needle myself sometimes), and of course photos and videos of her two gorgeous kids. You can tell this woman has a passion for life and a true passion for her kids. She brightened my morning a few months ago with this skit from SNL encouraging a vegan lifestyle from none other than Justin Timberlake. If you haven't seen it-take a peak. If you have seen it-watch it again, Justin Timberlake is hilarious and amazingly talented.
 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy35qv_justin-timberlake-bring-it-on-down-2-veganville-veganshake-snl-3-9-13_music

I am a huge believer that laughter and music have therapeutic effects, this video involves both. Sending love and support to A this week and of course to her family- I truly am sorry and can't stop thinking of you.