Speed Bump

Do you juice? We do now. My wedding anniversary present from Ryan this year was a juicer - and I love it! Our inspiration came from the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead . If you haven't seen it, put it on your Netflix list for this weekend. It is eye-opening and inspiring - and it will make you want to juice! I will write a full post on 'the juice' next week when my life (hopefully) slows down a bit. I will tell you all about my 3 day juice reboot - it left me feeling amazingly healthy and nothing short of fantastic. May is Exercise is Medicine month and as I wrote about last week, we're kicking off the month with our conference and author event with Dr.Jordan Metzl. (If you missed that post, read about it here .) One more crazy story related to Jordan and his book. Around the time I was planning our Exercise is Medicine conference, we had my parents over for dinner and I had The Exercise Cure  still sitting out on the kitchen counter. My Dad noticed the book and s...

When it comes to exercise, my personal and professional worlds collide - in a good way. I write  about exercise on this blog often and I study exercise in my research. I co-organize a regional Exercise is Medicine conference at my institution (our third conference is coming up next week!) and this year I became the faculty advisor for an Exercise is Medicine interdisciplinary student group. These students are future doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and researchers - and they want to practice their particular health care specialty with a focus on exercise as prevention and treatment for their patients. I love that these students share my passion for this idea and this is truly one of the most rewarding and enjoyable aspects of my job. At home, I try to practice what I preach. I enjoy exercise and wish I could fit more of it into my day. I think better, eat better, live better when I exercise.   In my 20s , I often logged over 50 miles of running...

I've talked about Exercise is Medicine on Speedbump in the past  here  (and a series of exercise posts can be found here ). It is something I am increasingly passionate about, both personally and professionally. I've always been an exerciser - whether through sports, running or yoga. I like to exercise. Exercise makes me feel good about myself. My body feels 'right' when I'm exercising regularly. I don't relate well to those that don't like to exercise, that hate to exercise. I know those people exist and I try to remember that when sending out messages about exercise.  But I don't get it.  My problem is not that I don't want to exercise, it is that I find it harder and harder to find the time.  And I think that is the case for most people. Even those that hate to exercise know they should do it, and time is also a hindrance for them (a double whammy - to hate something and not have the time for it - no wonder so many people don't e...

Please watch this video . And think. Then move.

Do you remember when I raved about my new Fitbit at the beginning of the summer? (Check out the post here ). Are you wondering if my love has faded? Wondering if this toy is gathering dust on a shelf, neglected and ignored like most fitness gadgets? Well, wonder and worry no more. My fitbit is still enjoying a special place in my daily routine and attire. If I leave the house without it, I feel at a complete loss for the day. I wear it every day, strive to hit my 10,000 steps every day (most days I get there), and I love it. Some family members recently received Fitbit gifts...the message of moving more, walking as much as possible every day is so important to me. I want everyone I love to get with the program. I'm working on putting together a Fitbit-inspired program with a group at work, too. More steps = better, happier, healthier lives! We recently added another Fitbit gadget to our home collection. The wi-fi smart scale from Fitbit, called Aria. Our ratty ...

The Olympics have begun! Do they inspire you to get up and move, hit the gym, maybe even run a marathon? I think this article hits on many of our Olympic fantasies - I know I love to relive my rowing days every four years when the Olympics roll around. I wish I could stay home all day and watch beach volleyball, water polo, swimming and diving. I can't get enough of the facts, stats, and personal stories that make the games so unique. You can test your Olympics IQ with this  quiz about the health of Olympic athletes. While watching the Olympics definitely inspires me, I am still desperately trying to keep up my running in this summer heat, through the chaos of our move, and with a very busy work schedule. I decided it might help if I wrote down some reasons why I like to run. Here they are. ____________________________________________ I run to feel most like myself. There was a time when I didn't like to run, and when I ran to stay in shape...

**You can improve your health one step at a time. Start here, start now. ** My best workout of the week involved the whole family and a really small soccer ball. 

**You can improve your health one step at a time. Start here, start now.** Did you stay active this weekend? Move a little more? Hopefully you got in your daily exercise and also stayed active enough around the house to reach 10,000 steps per day - finally you get credit for mowing the lawn and cleaning the floors! Add 'em up! We're planning to purchase a couple pedometers and start tracking our daily steps. If you feel up to a little healthy competition, get yourself a pedometer and we can have some fun. I've rounded up a few health articles to start off the week: Finding the sweet spot  for exercise. In some cases, less is more. Here's an update on barefoot running  for those that might be interested. I am still not used to my Merrell's , but starting to like them more. Ever wonder how many daily steps kids need to stay healthy? I found this article on sugar very interesting. While we certainly consume way too much sugar, making it th...

Happy May Day! It is the first day of May and, whatever that means to you, I hope it is a great one. As a child, I remember celebrating with May Day baskets at school. And when I lived in Italy, we celebrated European labor day by striking and not going to work (hey, when in Rome...). Now, I have a new tradition to celebrate this first day of May - exercise! The American Academy of Sports Medicine, the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, has declared May Exercise is Medicine TM month . Exercise is Medicine TM is a global initiative designed to make "levels of physical activity" a standard vital sign to be assessed in every patient visit with a physician. It is based on the idea that exercise is a powerful tool in the prevention of chronic disease and should be prescribed by physicians as both preventative medicine and a first line of treatment. Exercise is medicine. Think about it. Exercise has proven health benefits for...

Here is a post to help you enjoy an extra glass of wine this Thanksgiving. Salute! I love red wine. And I really love the idea that red wine might actually be good for me. Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably heard mention of the potential health benefits of red wine. Those health benefits are thought to be due to a compound found concentrated in grape skin called resveratrol. Despite all the hype and promise - the ability to protect against obesity and diabetes, to improve an individual's exercise capacity, and even to extend lifespan - the benefits of resveratrol have only been demonstrated in rats and mice. Until now. The first human study demonstrating positive health benefits of resveratrol was just published in the journal Cell Metabolism . This study, performed by a group from the Netherlands, appears promising. Eleven obese, but otherwise healthy, men were recruited to take either a placebo or resveratrol ...

I remember the day I brought home my Bob jogging stroller like it was yesterday. Bright shiny and new, cheerful in orange, ready to hit the pavement. The Bob is the stroller of choice for runners and I felt like I had joined an exclusive club - sort of like how people that drive Minis all wave at each other on the road (they really do, there is even a set wave you exchange by just lifting your palm up while still holding the top of the steering wheel). We got the Bob towards the end of my maternity leave when I really needed to get out of the house. I was itching to get back in shape and the Bob was my ticket there. It was spring time and the parks and running trails were calling me.

These days everyone is running a marathon. From the unofficial kickoff of the fall marathon season in Chicago in early October, to the ING New York City Marathon this coming weekend, almost a quarter of a million people will complete the 26.2 mile distance. With so many people conquering this once formidable distance, why should the youngest runner to finish yet, a 39 week baby in utero – draw so much attention? If you haven’t already heard, Amber Miller, aka “The Marathon Mom”, ran the Bank of America Chicago Marathon at 38 weeks 5 days pregnant and then delivered her baby girl just hours following the race. This mom and, by all accounts, her very healthy baby have generated a lot of attention, and not all positive. Despite abundant evidence that exercise during pregnancy is not harmful for mother or baby, Amber Miller was openly criticized and attacked for putting her unborn child at risk by running a marathon. A veteran of eight marathons, three of them while pregnant, Amber’s ...

Anyone that has ever dieted (who hasn't?) knows it is hard, incredibly hard. And at times it can feel like an exercise in futility. And if you have followed all the diet advice to the letter (take in fewer calories than you consume, eat small meals throughout the day, avoid carbs and sugar, exercise daily, don't eat after 7pm, etc. etc.) only to end up frustrated and right back where you started, you are not alone. The fact is, most diets do work. You can lose the weight if you restrict your diet and increase your calorie burn. The problem is keeping it off long term and this is where most diets fail. Unfortunately, scientists are still trying to understand how the body responds to an energy imbalance over time and the knowledge is far from complete. A new study to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine and profiled in the NYTimes ,  demonstrates how the body's own hormones work against permanent weight loss. Leptin, a hormone that is directly prop...

My parents were runners. They took us to road races when we were kids. I distinctly remember standing along the side of the road, waiting excitedly to see my Mom or Dad run past. They took turns, as Ryan and I do now, with one running and the other being responsible for the kids and cheering at the finish. Ryan's Fan Club

We did the Mother's Day 5k this year. My Mom, sister, sister-in-law and niece. It was a beautiful morning and a fun way to celebrate the day. My first race since having Izzy, it felt pretty bad, but also good to be back out there.

We have a bicycle for two! No, not for Ryan and me ( that would never work!) For Charlie and me. It's been in the works for awhile - actually, the bike seat was a Father's Day present from Charlie to Ryan which very mysteriously disappeared. Not all of it, just some of the major parts. No one knows what happened to the mysterious pieces and no one is taking the blame. So after several weeks of looking for said missing bike seat pieces, we did the only thing we could do, buy an entire new bike seat with all the necessary parts. Charlie got one seat for the price of two. While in between bike seats #1 and #2, we got Charlie accustomed to his new bike helmet. (Sidebar: why does every kid item at Target have to have a cartoon/movie/ tv theme? For the moment, Thomas the Train is lost on Charlie). Charlie especially likes his helmet if Mom wears hers, too.

When Charlie was really little, we put his car seat in the jogging stroller and he faced backwards, looking towards us while we ran. I always enjoyed seeing his smiles or watching him fall asleep. Now that he's bigger, Charlie faces forward in the stroller and this is all I see when we're running... I like watching him kick his legs and put his feet up like he's lounging. Plus, now he talks to me while we run. And if I sing a song he recognizes, I get applause!

We started the day with the Parkville Turkey Trot, as is tradition in our family. Last year (see photo below) Charlie ran the race with Paige when she was 30 weeks preggo. This year Charlie just watched, despite this picture of him with the overall winner's trophy. Charlie and Dad relaxed in the afternoon, watched some football, drank some beer. Charlie loved everything at the Thanksgiving table. He ate til we thought he was going to pop! Charlie and Annie are just about the same size. He pats Annie very gently and loves to follow her around. There were some shananigans later in the evening that involved a bird flying into the house. Ryan and Julie came to our rescue. Although their strategy was unique (??) they did get the bird outside safely.

Charlie participated in his first race a couple weeks ago. It was a Poker run through Brookside with an 80s dress theme (which Ryan neglected to tell me or I would have worn my leg warmers and head band!) As we waited for the race to start, I worried about the rain beginning to fall.