today's random thoughts

I don't have it in me for full blog posts on any of these subjects, but here is my randomness from the last few days.1. Tropical Traditions approved one of my recipes and placed it on their blog. The prize is a whole lot of coconut oil, so look forward to some serious coconut recipes in the future. Coconut oil is an amazing traditional fat, great for higher heat cooking, unbeatable in baking....and oh well....great for your skin, so with the summer coming, you can use it after you get home from the hot sun and enjoy its effects - it will nourish and moisturize like nothing else.

2. I have been doing a lot more walking since I came to the US. This was supposed to make up for my lack of physical work, since I don't work with clients here yet. Most of what I do during the day is computer based, so I get zero movement unless I get to the gym or walk. It's been a pleasant surprise to see that walking anywhere from an hour to 3 a few times a week has made for a nice activity and I have leaned out despite the fact that I don't stand in a gym for 12 hours a day. Since walking is a very repetitive movement, if you plan to walk a lot, don't forget to stretch your hip flexors, piriformis, ITB/TFL and calves after you are done.

3. Ok, there is more. I have almost stopped sitting in front of the computer, I get 1 hour of sitting and maybe 8 of standing in front of it. It has improved my mood, energy and concentration while typing and reading, it has also entirely prevented me from getting low back pain from sitting and it has allowed me to stay leaner. Standing may burn an extra 50 calories an hour, so if you are desk bound, it's not a small number. My reason for standing was mostly to improve posture and concentration, but it has had nice and unexpected side effects, like the added calorie burn. You can start doing that for an hour a day and see how your own body adjusts. I found that as I got more used to working standing, my body did not like me to sit down, there was more of a natural resistance. Here is an extremely interesting link on Katy Bowman's blog, picturing different resting positions from around the world. Try one today!

4. I found an extremely interesting and effective supplement, called d-mannose, while looking for a natural remedy to alleviate urinary tract infections. You can hear Dr. Mercola talking about it in the video below. My personal experience with d-mannose has been extremely positive. I have tried every potency of cranberry extract in the past, with very little success, as well as some unusual teas and concoctions. I have to say that for how safe d-mannose is, and how affordable, it is definitely a supplement every woman should have in her medicine cabinet. It's safe if you are pregnant or diabetic. If you ever get a urinary tract infection, start taking it immediately, using 1 gram every 2-3 hours with a glass of water. You can reduce the dosage as pain subsides. Bear in mind that it's only effective if you have an overgrowth of e.coli and if the pain remains, you should see your doctor immediately, as your case may require antibiotic treatment.



5. If you have no time to get to the gym, and for some reason feel that you need to work on your glutes right now, here is a great video courtesy of Bret Contreras, aka the Glute Guy.