21 December 2011

cardio



"Cardio" is not just a term for weight-loss.....
For me - it is retraining my heart.

Before I started blogging, my heart rate was like 30 to 40 
Beats Per Minute...and not from being healthy. 
I had some kind of condition. Zombie-ism, perhaps.
I wonder if I had gone to the doctor, what they would have said!
My blood pressure was like 90/50 on a good day.
Even now, it's like 110/60...
With all the Monster, coffee, guarana and sudafed I could take
to raise it up. I was missing every 3rd beat or so....
I felt dizzy and sick and faint all the time.

Even climbing the stairs was hard for me.
I bought a bouncer (mini-trampoline) and at first, 
I could only SIT down on it to bounce.
The first full year of blogging - I only 
had 10 beats before a missed one.
Well, as I am getting healthier, so is my heart!
My labs are great. My diet is great.
And I am doing ok at the gym.
Slow and steady, eh?

But still, I feel a little puny.
The other day, I felt some PVC's.
And a little a-fib.
And I am still a little anemic!
Not only is oxygen carried by red blood cells,
But so is glucose! Like the H A1C.
Which can't accurately measure what is not there.
I'm so anemic I was even rejected from donating blood.


I've been taking a more scientific approach
to food... not just for weight loss.
And not just for taste or for fun.




Thanks to Paleo Track, (link)
I did the numbers on my vitamin supplement.
I took 5 minutes and input the numbers myself.
And there is no iron in it. NONE!
 I was in shock. (Alive brand)
Even with all the eggs and meat I eat,
I was still getting only 3 mg or less - of iron a day.
This (above) is 9 ounces of beef and 6 eggs. 
I - even I - do not eat that every day.
All that still is about 6 mg of iron.
So much for getting it all through diet!
The US RDA for a woman over 50 is 8 mg. (link)
And forget about spinach. From Wiki: (link)
"However, spinach contains iron absorption-inhibiting substances, 
including high levels of oxalate, which can bind to the iron to form ferrous oxalate 
and render much of the iron in spinach unusable by the body."
I was the Nurse who knew everything.
I was certain I was getting enough nutrients.
Maybe lack of Micro-Nutrients help us crave food.
That's not a good thing for healthy weight-loss.


SO..... back to the learning board!
And back to tracking everything.

14 comments:

  1. I learn so much from you. Keep at it, Anne.

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  2. You never cease to teach me new things! Thank you as always for just being you.

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  3. I'll admit all the science is a little daunting to me. I feel like I've spent too much time doing all the wrong things but I keep plugging along. Thanks for all the information.

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  4. Anne - a motto of mine - always learning.... there is always more to learn! At least you are doing that vs. some that think they know it all! ;-)

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  5. I resigned my position as the Nurse who knew it all!
    And now I am right back at Square One!
    And finally ok with that.
    ;D yay!

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  6. As usual, very informative! I've been hearing here and there about micro-nutrients, and wondered how it fit. Wow... this was an eye-opener. I need to be more consistent with taking my vitamins and minerals, and eating more nutrient-rich stuff.

    As one who is just now getting my blood pressure DOWN, I was shocked by your numbers. I'm glad you are finding answers, and hope you continue to get better n better!

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  7. Wow, who knew!?!? Glad you figured things out and have a plan. high Five for doing the work to understand what's going on in your body. It makes all the difference in the world.

    I'm sending big Christmas hugs your way Anne and hoping you enjoy the holidays. It's been a pleasure getting to know you better with each year of blogging and I'm happy we're friends. Be well and Merry Christmas. xoxox jj

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  8. SO INTERESTING!
    and you? have a happy happy holiday.

    xo

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  9. It's hard to eat enough of the kinds of food you need to get the iron we need. Iron supplements help.

    I get nixed from donating blood constantly because of anemia! Pffft!

    Maybe we should just gnaw on the weights instead of lifting them.

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  10. I eat primarily beef, eggs and tallow. No carbs. I cook with a cast iron frying pan. I am not deficient in anything nutrients.

    Maybe you should try more rare red meat, less carbs and cook your meat in cast iron cookware.

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  11. I cook every thing in cast iron..
    I eat less than 10 carbs a day...
    Sometimes 15 max... not net, either
    I have been low carb for over 2 years.
    VERY low carb for many months now.
    I plot every bite I take.
    I eat up to a half a pound of very rare beef a day.
    And 6 raw eggs every day. I make my own tallow.
    I eat lots of Salmon. I even have been known to eat raw beef liver.
    It just does not get any more hard core than that,
    for me at least!

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  12. I have a similar heart thing...been to the cardio doc, but she said it was just my heart, so they monitor it each year with the ekg.

    Love me some cardio, and I miss my mini tramp. Reminds me of when Rhonda had one, her pugs played on it and my daughter learned to walk on it! Well with its help...

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  13. PS- Anon, I have eaten that way for years, but you hit a point where you realize cast iron is not enough. Some people need more vitamins. My body hogs them and produces kidney stones along with minerals. Keep the cast iron hot though! :)

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