Do you smell something???

Since both my hobbies and my career are very active, I often find myself sweaty several times a day. Too many times to actually grab a shower--I'd be averaging 6 or 7 showers a day! That's not good for the skin or the environment!

But, I don't want to be all gross and stinky around my clients and friends (although my canine clients don't seem to care). So, I've developed my own, natural body wipes. I can scent them myself--because sometimes you just don't want to smell like a baby's bottom! Plus, I know exactly what's in these (those who have read my previous blogs know I go all natural whenever possible).

I keep these in the car so that I have them whenever I need. They are also great for those outback camping trips that have no plumbing.

I use the gallon-sized freezer storage bags (If I could think of an alternative to plastic that wouldn't leak, I'd use it. I'm open to suggestions if anybody has one). You can fit quite a few paper towels in them.

I put about a 1/2 cup of water in the bag, and a table spoon of white vinegar (enough to kill germs and bacteria, but not enough to make you smell like sauerkraut all day). I add just a drop or two of tea tree oil (not only does it have a strong smell, but you don't want to put it directly on the skin undiluted--unless maybe right on a pimple!). Why tea tree oil? Like the vinegar it kills bacteria (which is what makes us stinky), it's also good to combat allergens, cuts, scrapes, bites, etc. Then I add a few drops of my favorite essential oil for scent. I usually go with lavender because it's also good for the skin and anti-bacterial. Sometimes I add a little eucalyptus because I love the smell and it perks me up a bit. There are some great essential oil blends out there. Be careful with citrus oils. They can make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. And be careful with the minty oils if you'll be cleaning the girlie parts!

Once my bag is ready, I just add high quality paper towels (the cheap ones will fall apart). As many as you want to put in there. Before I use the paper-towel,  I will wring it out so it's not all drippy. If I'm just using it to quickly wipe off my face and neck, I'll put it back in the bag when I'm finished. With the antibacterials in there, it will be fine. If I'm using it on other parts (arm-pits and more personal areas) I will throw it out.

It's nice to be able to freshen up between classes and clients. Or, after a race when there are festivities to attend.

Why I think Splenda (Sucralose) is Evil

Many, many people swear by Splenda. It is their magic sweetener that allows them to lose weight and still eat delicious, sweet treats. And I know many people--especially those following a low-carb diet--do not want to let it go.

So I would like to share my experiences with Splenda. Maybe it will change just one person's mind about using Splenda.

My first encounter with Splenda was several years ago--before Splenda was so popular. I was working at a women's gym in California. I was really poor. A sales rep. had dropped off a huge batch of free samples of sugar-free fruit tea. Since I could barely afford to feed myself, I appreciated anything free. So I was drinking two or three of these teas per day.

After about a week, I developed a red, itchy rash all over my body. I couldn't figure out what it was from (and I couldn't afford health insurance--so I didn't go to the doctor). When I started thinking about what new things had been introduced to my life in the last few weeks, I narrowed it down to the tea. I stopped drinking it immediately. Within about a week the itchy rash was gone.

After that, I avoided anything with Splenda in it.

Then a few years ago I was desperate to drop some weight. Exercise alone wasn't working. After taking a very critical look at my diet, I realized I had a carb problem! I decided to try the low-carb route. But I had an addiction I was having trouble kicking--Starbuck's Iced Mochas. And I was having them several times a week. Going cold turkey on my mochas was going to be tough. So I didn't.

Even though I knew I had issues with Splenda (and I knew that was the sweetener Starbuck's used), my craving for coffee and chocolate was incorrigible. And I had cut soooooo many other things out of my diet trying to be a low-carb and healthy. So I started getting their sugar-free iced mochas.

Guess what? No rash! I thought perhaps my sensitivity to Splenda was a thing of the past! Meanwhile, I was having some digestive issues. It happens to all of us now and then. I just chalked it up to a little stomach bug or maybe my body adjusting to the low-carb diet. But after about two weeks of having regular sugar-free iced mochas, my stomach was a mess. Everything I ate was going right through me. I was having stomach cramps constantly, and quite frankly, I was constantly gassy!

It finally hit me. Maybe it was the darn Splenda again! So I started "Googling" side effects of Splenda. Guess what I found? Numerous reports of people having intestinal issues, rashes, headaches and various other problems after consuming Splenda.

So you would think that this is where my story ends, right? Well, it should. But, Leos are stubborn. And my craving for those damn iced mochas still exists. For awhile, I was just allowing myself one regular (with sugar) mocha a week. But just a little while back, I was once again kind of desperate to shed a few pounds. So I was going to try the low-carb route again. Again, my craving for the iced mocha reared its ugly head. "Come on, J.J. If you have just one sugar-free, iced mocha you'll be fine. Just drink one to get rid of the craving."

Well..............................................................................I did. I know, I know. I'm suppose to be a nutritional/health role model. But we all have our weaknesses! But this time it didn't take a few weeks of Splenda build-up to start reacting. Within about two hours of drinking the mocha, the intestinal cramps started. But this time I had some more severe side effects. I felt a migraine coming on (I am a migraine sufferer, so I didn't attribute this to the mocha right away). And worse yet, I was at the house of one of my canine clients. The pup and I had just returned from a walk. Toward the end of the walk I started sweating profusely and my heart rate was up way too high. As I walked into their air conditioned house, I got very clammy and the room started to spin. I was so dizzy I had to sit down on their floor for a good twenty minutes before the horrible feeling started to subside.

At first I was really worried because I suffered a concussion a few months ago, and I was afraid my symptoms were coming back. But as I once again started to "Google" Splenda and its side effects, other people listed every single reaction I had had.

So, I think I have finally learned my lesson. (Plus, I just cut dairy out of my diet, so iced mochas are totally out now). I will just make my own iced mocha at home--with almond milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, and perhaps a little honey for sweetness.

I've taken so many steps to become a healthy person, I'm not going to let Splenda get the better of me. It is definitely not worth the health risk. I truly believe you are better off just splurging on real sugar occasionally, or sticking with all natural alternatives like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar (much lower glycemic index than cane sugar), date sugar or if you must, Stevia (which I've grown in my garden). You can actually order Stevia as the actual plant ground up to a powder (you'll know because it's kind of green instead of white like sugar).

Stay away from the artificial sweeteners. By using them, you are not doing your health any favors! (Don't take as long as I did to learn this lesson)!

10 “Weird” Things I Do for My Health

10 “Weird” Things I Do for My Health
(Well, many friends and family think they are weird. To me, they are just no-brainers)

1.       Dry Skin Brushing. Before I shower, I brush my skin with a natural bristled brush. It has many benefits to your health. To read about the benefits of dry skin brushing, you can read a previous blog I wrote: http://www.jjkunkle.blogspot.com/2010/12/do-what-to-my-what.html

2.       Oil Pulling. This is a new one I just started. You place about a teaspoon of organic, unrefined coconut oil in your mouth, and for five to twenty minutes you pull the oil through your teeth. Again, tremendous benefits to your health. Read more here: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/oil-pulling/

3.       I take Bio-Identical Hormones. I’m amazed at how many people (including doctors) don’t know about Bio-Identical Hormones. I encourage everyone (male and female) to read about them. They can change your life. I take Progesterone and Testosterone because my levels are very low. The low levels cause fatigue, fuzzy headedness, headaches, insomnia and lack a libido to name just a few symptoms. I’m not menopausal yet, so my Estrogen levels are fine. But as I enter menopause, I will also use Bio-Identical Estrogen. The Progesterone is a naturally compounded oral medication. The Testosterone is a small pellet that’s inserted under the skin every few months (it varies depending on the person). The only downside, it that you can’t exercise for three days after the insertion. So I try to always schedule my appointments on Friday (so I can teach my classes). Here’s an explanation from the doctor I use: http://youagain.net/id50.html.

4.        I use all natural deodorant. There are two big reasons I do this: First, I believe the aluminum in commercial antiperspirants are dangerous, and are absorbed into the skin. Second, sweating is one of the ways our body gets rid of toxins. It’s not natural to block one of the major sweat zones. I want to sweat out those toxins!

5.       The only thing I use on my skin is organic coconut oil (the same coconut oil I cook with and do the oiling pulling with). It goes back to the toxins in #4. Our skin is our biggest organ. It takes in toxins and it gets rid of toxins. I don’t want to absorb a bunch of chemicals into my skin (body) any more than I want to eat chemicals.

6.       I’m trying very hard to cut dairy out of my diet. Despite years of the United Dairy Council telling us “it does a body good,” I do not believe the human body is meant to digest cows’ milk. We are meant to drink our mother’s breast milk for the first year or so of life, after that milk is not a necessary part of our diet. I use unsweetened almond milk for recipes that call for milk, and I’ve switched to a coconut milk creamer. I haven’t managed to cut cheese out yet. I know I should, but I’m just not ready yet. A person can get plenty of calcium from leafy greens—and in fact—from what I’ve read the body absorbs calcium better when it’s not from an animal product. I believe by giving up dairy (and meat), I will have a better shot at avoiding the osteopenia/osteoporosis that runs in my family.

7.       As much as possible I eat whole, unprocessed foods. And I’m trying my best to eliminate processed carbohydrates (sugar, bread, cereal, pasta, white rice, instant/quick oats) out of my diet. Our bodies want whole, natural foods. And the more I cut out the bad stuff, the more my body rejects them when I eat them. I won’t claim to be perfect. Sometime a person just wants a bowl of pasta or a sandwich. But on a daily basis, I do the best I can. If I eat a sandwich I use sprouted, whole grain bread. If I eat pasta, I find the pasta with a lot of fiber.

8.       I’m vegetarian except for the occasional fish dish. I feel eating vegetarian (plus fish) is the right choice for me. I have more energy. My digestion is so much better than it was in my meat-eating days. And I have to say, anyone who has watched Food Inc., and still eats grocery store or fast food chicken, is far braver than I will ever be. If I was ever to go back to eating chicken, it would have to come from a farm I’ve visited, so I can see how the chickens live. And while I don’t preach vegetarianism to my friends (it’s a free world), I do totally believe we could eradicate heart disease (cholesterol problems) in this world, if people switched to a plant based diet. The only foods we eat that contain cholesterol are animal products. If we only dealt with the cholesterol that naturally occurs in our bodies, Lipitor would never be needed.

9.       I question and research any drug that is ever prescribed. If it is not absolutely necessary, I will not take it. I’m sure my doctor’s love me (not). But if there is a natural way of curing something—or a lifestyle changes that will help a health problem—that’s the route I’m going to take. I took harsh prescriptions for migraines for years. Finally, I’m off all of them. I now take 250mg of magnesium a day to prevent them. I still get a mild one each month, but they are nothing like they use to be (I believe hormone balance also plays a role in that). I’ll add to this one that if I hear of something natural with great health benefits, I’ll totally try it. I just started fermenting my own Kombucha because I’ve heard it has great health benefits. I switched out those energy gels runners use with Chia seeds soaked in water. They are a completely natural energy gel.  I’m also going to start “growing” my own kefir (but with either coconut water or almond milk rather than dairy milk) because the probiotics in it are supposed to be outstanding—much greater than the probiotics in yogurt. I also refuse to use anything but organic soil and my own organic compost in my garden. No chemical fertilizers or pesticides for me! I just want the veggies!

10.   Finally, I exercise a lot. My situation is a bit unique—I get paid to exercise—so that helps. I teach an average of ten fitness classes a week. Now granted, I don’t do everything in every class. If I did, I’d wear my body down too much—and wouldn’t have anything left for my own training. So I slack a bit when I teach boot camps and TRX (I do enough to get my own strength training in). But with classes like indoor cycling and kickboxing, I do the whole class with them. I also have my own running and cycling goals, so it’s important that I have enough time in my schedule to dedicate training to those sports. It’s hard work and sometimes I’m just plain tired, but it’s also what makes me feel alive. I love to sign up for races that scare me just a little bit (Tough Mudder, Mountain Century races) because I know I will train hard for them. It’s a huge high for me. I have trouble understanding people who have no passion for exercise or the outdoors. I’m not saying I expect everyone to love running or biking, but certainly there is something active you can have a passion for to keep your body healthy and strong (not skinny—healthy and strong).

And there you have it—ten things I have often been called “weird” for doing.  I could probably keep going, but that should do it for now. How about you? Are you weird?

It Looks Like I'm Here, But I'm Really Over There!

I don't really have a blog post for today. It's a busy day! My brother is getting married, and I'm in the wedding party. But, I am being featured in somebody else's blog. So I thought I would guide you over there. Check out Dietsinreview.com. I go over a workout you can do on travel--even when there's no gym in sight!

Do Couples Who Play Together, Stay Together?

In honor of Valentine's day, I'm re-posting an article I wrote a few years back. I'd love to hear your stories. Do you and your partner "play" together when it comes to fitness/sports? Does it help or hurt your relationship? Would you like to do more activities with your partner?

Do Couples Who Play Together, Stay Together?

Since February is the month of romance and love, is seems appropriate to examine how fitness fits into all of this mushy stuff. How do couples balance exercise and romance? What if one part of the couple is active and

the other is not? What if you’re both really active, but enjoy different activities? If you are single, do you seek out mates that are active and enjoy the same activities you do? Do couples need to play together to stay together?

For me activity level is absolutely an important part of a relationship. I’m a very active person, and what I like to spend my free time doing is hiking, biking, kayaking, running, camping, etc. So ending up with a couch potato would make for a difficult relationship. My career is based on fitness, so finding someone who lives a fitness-focused life was kind of critical. I'm lucky, because at 38 I married a man who was very like-minded. We love to go camping and enjoy many outdoor activities together. Most of our vacations are built around the adventures we can have while on them. Although our run paces are different, we still sign up for many of the same races. And we'll head out on the same run, we just don't run together very often. Sometimes we'll run the opposite way on a loop so we can pass each other--kind of check-in--during our runs. (Okay, okay, I'll admit deep down I have this goal of training, training, training--secretly--until I can beat his pace--and then just pulverizing him in a race...but I digress). Personally, I just can't imagine ending up with someone who doesn't enjoy many of the same activities.


How do other couples fit exercise in with love and romance?

Dawn of Virginia:
My husband and I take yoga

classes together on a regular basis, at least 2 to 3 times a week, and we begin our morning routine with a meditation together. I would say that we're on equal ground when it comes to fitness levels. Since I teach yoga on a daily basis, I have the luxury of getting exercise in daily. My significant other makes time during his lunch hour or after work (while I'm away teaching class!). We place exercise and fitness high on our priority list. Some of our "dates" have included taking yoga classes together. Incorporating fitness activities into our relationship has definitely made the relationship stronger. I would have a hard time staying in a relationship with someone who was not physically active.

Debbie and Steve of Maryland:
Steve and I had gotten out of the habit of exercising due to our busy schedules and severe migraines on my part. We both wanted to get back in shape and find something that we could do together and to support each other. That is when I learned of the Train To End Stroke marathon program.

Steve went to the info session and when he got home he was very excited. I asked him if he signed up and he informed me he had signed us both up. I was shocked and almost speechless and decided to give it a try.

There have been times during the training where one of us had to miss a run due to illness or work and we have encouraged the other to go on the planned day or have made arrangements to go the following day together. We work at being flexible with each other so we can train together as much as possible.

Steve's athleticism has been a positive influence on me, he has taught me how to roller blade, how to ski and gave me his old mountain bike when he got a new one. We have been out on the milder trails with them and look forward to doing more biking on the trails when the weather gets nice again.

I think the fitness activities are a positive impact on our relationship. We agree most of the time and when we don't we can discuss and see the others point... sometimes it may take a bit of convincing! We learn from each other and our performance improves with the encouragement that we give each other.


Laurie of Maryland:
My husband is less active than I am—and sometimes we don’t do a very good job of balancing fitness and our relationship. I don't feel that fitness hurts the relationship, but I do feel that the potential is there to strengthen the relationship. My husband and I have a very independent relationship, and he respects and admires my running adventures. I am currently trying to recruit him to run/walk a half marathon and he is working on it. For us at least, competition also plays a part - he wants to be able to beat me - so if he can't he would rather stay on the couch!

Dan of Maryland:

We don't exercise together but pursue recreation time together. i.e. a long slow bike ride on the bike path is a common evening together. We swim together at least once a week. But gym time is separate. We train differently for different goals. We play softball for the same league on different divisions for different teams.

I am more structured about training. I try to hit the gym before work or during lunch to avoid taking up our time with my activities. A couch potato will never be an option for me again—it’s too contagious.

It strengthens it in someway and weakens it in others. We spend some great quality time together as a result of our active lifestyle. My s.o., however, does not understand the importance that races play in my life. For example, when traveling to a city for a race he doesn't understand the need for avoiding alcohol, sleep, etc.

Deborah of California
Since I value physical fitness as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, physical activity is an important factor in determining my compatibility with prospective dates. Foremost, fitness is an important factor because it indicates the stamina, strength and appearance, which are a part of any woman’s basic attraction to the male gender. Secondly, since exercise encompasses a wide-range of enjoyable pastimes, it is necessary that dates are able to participate in a wide-range of physical activities. Sports such as gun shooting, kayaking, backpacking and paint-balling require a lot of flexibility, cardio and muscular endurance which must be invested in before the event. Although my mate/date does not need to be a “Schwarzenegger” of masculine fitness, a man who is strong enough to be confident of his physical prowess, capable of being competitive and who’s health is mentally and physically boosted by activity is ideal to date. Whether I’m having fun or in a serious relationship, my dates must be physically fit in order for me to appreciate the quality of time we spend together pursuing pastimes or pleasures.

So whether or not you and your spouse “play together,” a healthy body is key to having a healthy mind. Maybe your fitness time is YOUR time and not together time. Experts do say that exercise leads to a much

better sex life. If that's not encouragement to be active, I don't know what is! Regardless, you and your partner will enjoy each others company much longer if you both make time to play at the physical activities you love.

Do what to my what??

Dry skin brushing. I know it sounds weird (and according to my husband, it looks a bit weird too), but it does a body good!

I had never heard of it before either, but then I started reading about it in one of my holistic health classes, and it intrigued me.

The body has four detoxification systems that help keep you healthy: the kidneys, liver, intestines and skin. The ways the kidneys, liver and intestines get rid of toxins are fairly obvious (we won't get into that right now), but how about the skin? Well, we sweat. That's one way our skin gets rid of toxin in our bodies (and for that reason, I encourage people to exercise without deodorant whenever possible. I realize you don't want all the other gym members to go screaming out of the gym, but if you're running by yourself through the woods, let the sweat flow)!

So, what are the benefits of dry brushing? Dry brushing stimulates the skins which improves circulation and cleanses the lymphatic system. It removes dead skin cells, activates oil glands in the skin (relieving dryness) and (this is what sold me) it's suppose to break-up cellulite and improve muscle tone.

So how does one brush their skin? First you need the right brush. You want one with natural bristles. Nylon bristles will damage your skin. I went to the drug store and picked up one of those bath brushes with the long wooden handles. Then, starting with the bottoms of your feet you gently brush your skin. Work your way up with nice, long strokes toward your heart. Where you have cellulite, spend some extra time and brush in circular motions. After you've gone up the legs, torso and back (ladies, skip the breast area--the skin there is too sensitive), go down the arms (including your hands) and back. Skip the face because if its sensitive skin. The whole process takes less than five minutes and really feels kind of nice! The best times to dry skin brush are before a shower (then follow with moisturizer if you'd like. I recommend an all natural oil) or before exercise (so you can sweat out more of those toxins). I've been doing it two or three times a day (keep in mind I'm a fitness instructor and tend to sweat and shower several times a day).

I'm new to this. I just started dry skin brushing a week ago. I will tell you the immediate benefits I've seen. First, my skin hasn't been nearly as dry. In the winter my skin gets so dry that it itches, and I just want to claw at it. Within two days, my skin was not itchy anymore. My skin has also become very soft. In fact, when I went to get my allergy shot the other day, the nurse told me I had the softest skin she had ever felt (like a baby's butt were her exact words).

I would love to tell you that the cellulite on my thighs has magically disappeared in a week, but I'm afraid I can't do that. But I am hopeful there will be some improvement in that area!

So treat yourself to some dry skin brushing. You deserve to pamper yourself a bit. And this is a quick, inexpensive (my brush cost less than $5) way to treat your body right!

Father's Day

For the last fifteen years or so, Father's Day has been filled with mixed emotions for me. I'm thankful and happy that I still have my father in my life (I have many friends who do not), but I'm sad because each year I watch M.S. take away more and more of the Dad I remember from childhood. On Father's Day I can't help but think back to childhood when Dad would take us to the Springfield Reservoir to swim. He always had us for a week in the summer (I'm a product of divorce) and we'd often head for the beach or somewhere different like Cumberland Falls, KY.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system. The body’s own defense system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the central nervous system. The nerve fibers themselves can also be damaged. The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which gives the disease its name. When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are distorted or interrupted, producing the variety of symptoms that can occur. (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/what-is-ms/index.aspx, June 20, 2010).

My father started showing signs of M.S. when I was about eight years old; however, back in the 1970's they didn't have the tools they have today to diagnose it. He was officially diagnosed with Primary-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis when I was in college. Each year I watch the disease rob him of more and more of his independence. Today, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, and with diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability. And each Father's Day and each Christmas I wonder if it will be his last.

So why am I writing about all of this depressive stuff on Father's Day?

I do have a point.

You never know what lies ahead. So embrace life and live it to the fullest! Sometimes my friends think I'm kind of crazy. My husband, Mark, and I enjoy our adventures. In our few years together we've gone rafting, caving, kayaking, skiing, hiking, rappelling, ziplining, and more. This summer we are doing a 100 mile bike ride to benefit M.S.

We have healthy, capable bodies now. And we're going to use them to experience as much life as we can, while we can.

My father always likes to ask us what we've been up to. He knows the answer will be something out of the ordinary. When we sat with him over dinner this evening he asked us what we did over the weekend. We told him that yesterday we took a tree climbing class and today we biked 50 miles. He just shook his head and said, "You two are crazy!" But in his eyes I can see that he yearns for an adventure. And, I really think he enjoys vicariously experiencing them through us.

My Dad's body was taken away from him far too early. At my age, he was already starting to feel the devastating effects of the disease. And so often that seems so unfair. But it has also taught me a life lesson.

Live now. Make your life an adventure. It's the only one you have.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.