Socks that Save

Compressions!! AED! Help! Help! Code Blue! She isn't breathing!

All this from a tiny blood clot that started in your legs and traveled to your lungs. And the first sign you have is passing out from shortness of breathe.

Compression sleeves and socks can help!

They have been around for a long time but have been prescribed mainly to people that have circulatory problems or could be at risk for a deep vein clot or thrombosis.

But....

They are good if you are on your feet all day or sitting all day or running all day. So pretty much anyone. 

United airlines has these ads in their flight magazine

Important to wear tight on legs.

Ironically, medics tell you not to wear tight clothes. They can mess your digestion up or make it hard to breathe.

Your limbs are different. They like a little squeeze all day. 

Your belly and your lungs refuse squeeze except from a loved one for a few seconds.

Limbs only like a slight squeeze. Too much squeeze  like a tourniquet and the limbs will go black and fall off. Keep it light.

See this website for a compression hose gone bad http://www.modernmedicine.com/modern-medicine/news/compression-stockings

Compression socks and sleeves really aren't contraindicated for anyone unless you have open flesh in the area being compressed or a blood blister or severe edema.

They squeeze the most superficial veins making blood return to your heart better. 

Compression on the legs can help prevent blood clots which can quickly lead to death from a clot dislodging from the leg and being sent to the lungs, also known as a pulmonary embolism.

Patients in the hospital are being watched closely for blood clots. You could be at risk and not have any idea.

I'm talking especially to those taking birth control.

These are a smart option for young, healthy girls on birth control. Birth control can increase your chances of blood clots and symptoms can be more discrete than for those with health problems.  

Read the first part of these 2 stories

http://www.stoptheclot.org/news/article315.htm 

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2014/01/nuvaring-lethal-contraceptive-trial

 

Insurance won't justify the cost for the blood tests and scans to check for blood clots until you are showing symptoms that are life threatening. 

Compressions socks are your insurance when you are young and healthy on birth control.

Compression is also a big rave for runners and athletes. We have used the R.I.C.E method to heal injuries for years. Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.

There is now research showing that marathoners showed speedier recovery and possibly faster race times. See this German study for stats. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19057400/

So, sleeves, for the arms, potentially could be very beneficial to arm workout days.

Consider taking insurance into your own hands and find some good compression sleeves.

Jonathan and I personally use the brand CEP for regular days and past runs and really like them.

Find them here http://www.cepcompression.com/progressive-calf-sleeves.html

Sick and Kickin'

My past 2 weeks (read it like the chant of symptoms on a cold commercial)

Yellow junk, fatigue, phone-a-doctor, antibiotics

Feel good 4 days, catch up on workouts, work my shifts, get 2nd in 6th grade for Bball 

Hard time breathing, fatigue, groggy head, headache, chills, night sweats, urgent med visit, 2nd round antibiotics, lots of fluids, lots of sleep

Thank you Corrie Matchell for the Hat- I think you should call it medicinal because it is wonderful to keep your head warm while not having covers suffocate me!

And..... I have enough energy to have an opinion about something again! 

Guess what! 

I found out I have a medical condition that I thought was normal: cold hands.

It's a syndrome called Raynaud's. Jonathan told me you don't pronounce the D. So don't. ;)

It's the reason every 80 year old screams when I help them in the hospital, it's the reason I freeze my husband with my cold toes and why I, as J calls it, "rake leaves" (moving my feet back and forth constantly to warm them in bed).

It's also why my pulse oximeter won't ever show me a reading but yet when I take it to work and try the supposedly broken pulse ox on all my sick patients it shows me their oxygen saturation instantly.

It's why my hands look like this

when cold is around

Supposedly, the syndrome can be linked with autoimmune disorders, but, currently, I have not shown signs, symptoms, or been diagnosed with anything else. I just have Raynaud's. A simple spasm of the blood vessels in my fingers, toes, maybe my nose to cold or stress.

You will know you are stressing me if you see my fingers :) Just kidding.

It happens often when I am just barely cold, inside at comfortable temperatures, like lunch time at work or hanging around at the house.

Interesting fact about me I just learned.



All this sickness lately and this new diagnosis make me think of the verse that has always stuck out to me and inspired me.

When I am weak, I am strong in Him. 
2 Corinthians 12:10b


These yuck times make my immunity stronger. They make me yearn for a health and energy. They give me the opportunity to relate with others and connect relationally. They give me drive to learn better ways and take better care. 
This earth works in the same way God does. 

It's not always our strengths that win our best relationships.



Enough with sickness I say!

Jonathan did take me for a lovely date of new restaurants and coffee shops with good friends this last weekend.

The Lovely little coffee shop in Guthrie

exotic yummy health drinks

vegan butternut squash queso at Tamazul

Deeeelish

And he discovered I have a stethoscope. My sweet little gangster husband...we keep it cold inside, hehe.

Jonathan listening to his heart with the new found gadget.

All I have to say today is rest when you get sick and listen to God. He has something planned for you. Get back up kicking' when He gives you the energy again.

For those No-Reason Emotional Break Down Days

I'm not in the ER anymore...sadly, it was fun!

But I took a job I could see myself doing in the future. An inpatient diabetic educator!

I am orienting to med/surg because I will do a few shifts of that as well as some evidence based practice research!

Yesterday. Fairly easy day. Couldn't complain. Came home and cried and couldn't get myself motivated. 

Why? No idea. The devil I guess.

Jonathan is getting very good at trying to love me, hug me and dote on me when I feel this way, despite him letting me know he would rather hide when I am like this. 

Haha, poor guy.

We finally made it to the kitchen and we started cutting veggies for dinner.

Once I ate, I felt sooooo much better. 

Hunger can do a nasty number on my mood.

Either way sometimes it's not only hunger that makes my moods change and that is when I need a list the most!

A-LIST

This is the list all women need.

The list that reminds you exactly what you love for those times you can't think straight and just want to indulge.

My A-LIST

Long hot shower

Painting my nails

Back massages

Brussel sprouts and sweet potato fries

Chuck- the tv show

Dancing to music

Running

Sleep

Pinterest 

Hot tea

Blog

Crying

Talking to my momma

These are my go to's.

Something I wouldn't mind doing every night but usually doesn't because of time.

These are therapeutic things that have worked in the past. I didn't add any that I need to try like deep breathing because these are my sure fire ways to somehow calm myself back to a norm and think clearly.

This is very handy if you have it visible for those days you come home and need to see it before you march into the kitchen and eat an entire tub of peanut putter chocolate ice cream. 

That is a real life example of a couple years ago when I came home from a night shift and downed 1/2 a gallon of ice cream. 

Oh my goodnessssss yes I did that. Haha I struggle with stress but mainly only show it thru indulging my face and crying. That's why I research and try everyday to find what will work to control Crazy Rachel.

And I'm happy to say I haven't eaten a full tub of ice cream since.

Today. Fairly good day. Come home. No crazy Rachel. Ate the same amount at work. You just never know when the Crazy will hit so be prepared.

Vital investment

I just read the last chapter of Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker.

I had to skip a few to catch up with the study group. Oops. 

It talks of having the freedom to be a slave and the joys of being all things to all people.

Her husband has a small section in which he states, "In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote that if we prepare ourselves for works of service we will become mature, complete, perfected and not lacking in anything. Isn't that what we are looking for?"

YES

RIGHT ON

I fully believe that finding ways to exercise, eat healthy, and relax are great ways of preparing you to serve!

Health makes you stronger, more alert, and in a better mood. It is you investment in your future...to serve others.

I think we can easily go wrong looking for a quick fix. But, looking to care for yourself, so you can have a lifetime of sharing in the joys of others, is going to fulfill you more than the image you make in the mirror from being healthy.

I read tons about the newest diets and the best ways to stay in shape or lose fat.

They all end up with a yo-yo effect until you make a lifestyle of it.

I ran across this article today on losing stomach fat.

http://allwomenstalk.com/12-best-ways-to-lose-stomach-fat

It is perfect.

It suggests, good posture, lots of water, organic whole foods, breathing.

Most importantly it states when you get to where you want to be, don't stop, keep going because that is how you got there.

You need goals as motivators but a selfish goal only fulfills for so long. Have an eternal goal.

I live by this. I have bad days or down days. I was just sick and didn't exercise for 3-4 days. Nearly killed me. I knew that if I let my body use all my energy to heal itself, it would heal faster and I could go full throttle again.

Just keep getting back up.

Tonight I wanted pizza but I have found that gluten seems to really bloat me and cause gas. I couldn't find a good gluten free pizza dough recipe I liked and so I made up a gluten free tortilla recipe and I ended up with crumbles- FAIL. Sadly. I really wanted some pizza.

I went ahead and made the toppings I would have eaten on top of my pizza and that actually came out yummy with my sad bread crumb crust.

It was olive oil, baby portobellos, spinach, and cherry tomatoes with Himalayan salt. Satisfied me :)

Seek to serve others and find joy through their joy!

Health for the 12 hour shift

And I can breathe again....

Started my job
4- 12 hour shifts in the ER, one day off of rejuvenation and intense detox of work and back on for 2-12 hour shifts.....

and now I breathe- one week off

I also got to coach my little girls team to another win! One of my track girls qualified and ran a PR in the 5K! I love getting to celebrate over achievements that are hard earned.



So all my tips, thus far, work well especially if you get to stay home all the time.

Now for figuring out how to stay fit and eating well while trying to stay calm while life throws stress and deadlines at you.

Truthfully I don't have a one-size-fits-all answer.
I don't even have an answer for me. I struggle with this.

I bring the perfect foods to eat, then people bring cupcakes, candy, offer french fries. Then my coworkers start talking about something delicious in the cafeteria and bring back smells that tempt. It's very hard to say no when you work hard and you get a few de-stress minutes to gobble down. I want everything in sight because I don't know if I will get another chance to eat. Then, no matter how much I ate at work, I always want unending food when I get home.

Not to mention the night shifters that practically have to eat to stay awake half the time. Night shift is no easy endeavor, I've been there.


I find it hard to get out of bed before my husband unless I have to go to work before him.

I love going to workout classes and pick-up basketball in the early mornings but sometimes cuddling wins over.

So working a 9am-9pm shift, I have little light to workout currently.

I always get up with Jonathan for breakfast and coffee before work so I decided to do at least 50 jumping jacks every 15 minutes when he left at 7am the other day.

Just so you know, if you have a busy day or are just getting started into exercising this can be a great option.

I wear a fuel band and have a goal of 3000 points a day which I usually don't get just from normal activity during the day. 

If I'm really active I've gotten anywhere from 6-7500 points.

If I don't barely move I get 1500 points. 

At work I get about 2500 points from a 12 hour patient-care shift. 

These points are all based on movement of your wrist and not on muscle tone. It's something best used with cardio exercises where your arms move or just to track how much you move during the day.

It does have a pedometer and a calorie counter.

So this gave me about 1000 extra points just doing 50 jumping jacks every 15 mins for 2 hours. Adds up quick, 8 sets, 400 jumping jacks, while you are still getting ready!

I just uped my calorie burn effortlessly.

Another way to do this, especially good for at home lazy days or study days, is exercise 10-15 minutes every hour. 

In 6 hours you have effortlessly exercised for an HOUR that day.

 Any movement that gets the heart rate up is beneficial to building that muscle, your heart, making it fight heart disease and heart failure a little easier.

This way of working out is actually quite helpful because it clears your mind each hour to set you up for the next.

There is even research that exercising throughout the day is more beneficial. So make it a cinch and spread it out when you just can't get that motivation!

Best exercises for this are jumping jacks, running in place, jump rope, dancing. Music helps!

The tabata style would work fine for this too! 20 seconds hard 10 seconds off then repeat for the rest of the minute, switching between burpees and squat jumps.

This is for your effortless days. It will be very beneficial for some other types of workouts on days you have more time but this will do for those lazy, study days.

So to say the least, all I can do is bring good healthy hearty foods, avoid temptations, and have exercise plans ready for before work and right after to de-stress.

Then detox on days off. Hope this helps!

Loviday

My mother taught us to love holidays. All holidays. None were better than the other. Each was unique. She was always prepared to make us feel special. The difference between her and I is, she liked gifts and candy I like candles, food, music, and ambiance. She is the inspiration of my holiday love though.

Since nurses have fun schedules and I will GET to work Valentine's Day until 2100, I made a romantic dinner tonight.

It took brainstorming through the week, planning for timing, planning for groceries, to making food half of the day.

I made Butternut Squash Tortelloni with Cranberry Walnut Sauce

This recipe is from Giada de Laurentiis' book, "Everday Pasta" with my special twists.

Husband comment: " this is Ludivine quality" 

Click on Ludivine to understand.

The menu

The appetizer:

Liquid salad

1 cup spinach

1 cup almond milk, soy milk, or water

1-2 Tsp local raw honey

Blend it 

Add a touch of mint extract to cleanse the palate.

The drink pairings were perfect with romantic cups.

To make the Tortelloni 

1- butternut squash, 2 lbs, peeled and cut into cubes (yields about 3 cups)

Olive oil (recipe says 4 Tbsp- I use what I want)

1.5 tsp Italian seasoning (recipe called for herbes de Provence)

0.5 tsp salt

0.25 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 large shallots, chopped (yields about 0.5 cup)

2 garlic cloves chopped

1- cup cashew cheese (recipe called for whole-milk Ricotta cheese)

4 biscoff cookies, crushed (recipe called for amaretti cookies but couldn't find those and I <3 biscoff)

0.25 tsp ground nutmeg (recipe calls for freshly ground)
36 small square wonton wrappers

Step 1- The Filling

Preheat oven 375'. Toss butternut squash, enough olive oil to coat, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper together and spread on foil-lined baking sheet. 

Bake 25-30 minutes or until soft and golden brown. 

While this is baking, heat olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic for 3 minutes or until lightly golden.

In a food processor, combine roasted squash, the shallot mixture, and the cashew cheese and pulse a few times. 

Add the crushed biscoff and the nutmeg and pulse until smooth.


Step 2- The Wrap

Lay out 6 wonton squares. Keep the others in the package to keep moist.

Place about half a tablespoon of the squash mixture in the middle of each wonton wrap. The recipe said to use a pasta brush...my kitchen isn't quite that sophisticated so I used a wet paper towel to wet all the edges of the square.

Fold the wrapper into a triangle, making sure the edges are securely closed and there are no air pockets inside.

Dampen the corners of the longest side of the triangle and gently bring them together, pressing lightly to secure.  Place on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.

These cute little guys kind of looked like hearts.

As you repeat these steps until all squash mixture is gone, make sure the work space is dry to prevent sticking.

Once ready and ready to serve, bring a large pot of salt water to a boil. 

Make the sauce while the water is heating. 

Once boiling, add the tortelloni. They will float when ready, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to plates.



Step 3- The Sauce

Cranberry Walnut Sauce

0.75 cup earthbalance vegan butter (recipe calls for unsalted butter)

2 Tbsp fresh sage, coarsly chopped

0.5 cup dried cranberries

0.5 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

0.25 tsp salt

0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

(Recipe calls for 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese- I deleted)

Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. 

Add the sage and cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes.

Turn of the heat and add the cranberries, walnuts, salt and pepper and stir.

Spoon over the ready tortelloni.

And dinner is served. 

Guten Appetit!

Dessert was supposed to be a pear tartlet, but despite following directions to a T, the pears became part of the pan (overcooked). 



Luckily I had a backup vegan chocolate torte in the fridge :)


Everything was lovely. 

It was worth every bit of the work. Delish. One meal a year.





Confession: everything was vegan except the wonton wrappers.



A little egg, a little B-12!

Veganicious

We love the Mule.

If you visit OKC, go to the Mule. You won't be disappointed.

Comfort.

This is my comfort food.

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Vegan Grilled Cheese

Their culinary expertise and diversity make The Mule a great option for a crowd with a mix of diets!

So, we live an hour and a half from this wonderful mouth heaven...therefore my mission is to bring all our favorite OKC foods to our kitchen....provided they are healthy- ish :)

Hence dinner tonight!

Guacamole-

 just an avocado squished and beaten with a fork and minced garlic, salt, pepper

Roasted beets-

 covered, whole, with aluminum foil on a baking sheet for 65 minutes at 400', rubbed with a little olive oil and salt, peeled afterwards and sliced

It was a little messy peeling afterwards

Kind of looked like a bloody war scene

Chipotle aioli.... 

So this I will work on but it had coconut milk, sriracha, chipotle powder, salt, pepper, nutrtitional yeast powder, maple syrup...and it was very runny so I added veganaise to thicken. I will probably use a different recipe next time. But this recipe was delicious with all the other flavors.

Cashew cheese-

Food blender, 1 cup raw cashews that have been soaked 2 hours, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons), salt, one clove garlic.

Transferred to a nut milk bag in a container and left in the fridge at least 6-8 hours.

Mushrooms and onions-

Sautéed in olive oil, soy sauce, and belizean hot sauce (actually from Belize- not necessary and any other hot sauce could be substituted)

Whole wheat sourdough-

Buttered each side with earth balance vegan butter, grilled both sides and stacked with above deliciousness.

The mule actually has sun dried tomatoes and grilled jalapeños on theirs but I forgot to get those ingredients and sometimes there is no leaving home anymore today times (that was tonight).

First try. I only hoped for an okay from my husband. He stated best dinner yet. What?!

It was amazing and nutritious.

Make this romantic grilled cheese for your valentine❤️

Or something else thoughtful :)

Enjoy

Next blogs will be on chia seeds and cardio versus strength training.