Went hard today on the work out...and I've got Food Allergies!

Hey Cavill Challengers out there! How is your challenge going?

Going Hard...but Ouch.

This week, I identified with this post from Henry while he was busy training for The Witcher (insert sobs and angry fist at the air here). In it he states:

The calm before the storm... today I went hard. It felt good...and bad of course, but now that I'm done... mostly good." -Henry Cavill

This guy is the epitome of optimism. Seriously though.

This week I completed two sets of yoga with my kiddo, and also did two days of resistance band basic training. Let me tell you... while kid yoga doesn't seem that hard, it's way harder than some adult yoga programs. They do a lot more sitting to standing, and vice versa, during the course of the practice. So, the sitting poses and the standing poses aren't grouped together like a lot of adult ones. This made for some sore knees this week. Thank goodness for KT tape! It rescued my poor knees for my two 30 minute resistance band workouts.

My workouts this week had me thinking about the right resistance weight that I should be choosing. Since I'm doing this on my own, without a trainer, or even someone at a gym to provide suggestions... I turned to the interwebs of course! It was actually difficult to find specific information (probably needed to change my search parameters) on which resistance to start with as a beginner. I did find this tid-bit though

We recommend that beginners should start with a lower strength of resistance band such as 10-15lbs  to get used to the resistance and build strength. But if you are familiar with strength training, you can move into a heavier resistance 30lb+ to intensify your workout. -from LIT.

I also noticed that many places are recommending having multiple weight options.

Luckily, the set I bought a year or so ago has a pretty good range from 15lbs-55lbs. Then you can stack those to create other weights. I've been using my 25lbs and have felt like this is a good place for me at the moment. After my workout on Thursday... I was feeling good and had attacked it hard (as Henry stated above)...but the next day... I was feeling BAD. Legs hurt way more than my arms. So I think I'm going to have to do the legs at a 15 and keep my arms at the 25 for now.

Being 40 and full of delicious carbs for years... my knees have decided they hate me. While my job keeps me pretty active for the most part, it's not to the extent of needing to use superior leg power all the time. Years of sitting at my desk typing....and well nerding out playing WoW or The Witcher games, hasn't been super helpful to the ol' knees.

Healthy Eating with Allergies

Let's get real here, ya'll. "Healthy Eating" is extremely hard when you have food allergies. I had to go dairy free for a while as my daughter can't have dairy. I did fairly okay with that...but that was a choice so I could find good foods for her.

I did a food allergy genetic test and discovered I was allergic or had sensitivities to 40 different foods. Most of these were fruits and vegetables. I have a serious issue with many raw fruits and vegetables. Many healthy eating habits include a lot of fresh/raw fruits and veggies. Sadly, I can't grab an apple or banana and eat it. I'll be sick to my stomach for a full day. Can't grab some raw carrots or celery to munch on because I'll have an itchy mouth...and sometimes itchy eyes. For a while, a lot of people around me thought I was making it up. So, thanks to the genetic test. My sister has similar issues.

Interestingly enough, there are times I can mow down on some avocado, and other times when it literally sets my mouth on fire. The difference? Seasons and what was blooming during the time it was growing. Weird thing is...if I cook the fruit or veggie... I don't have a problem with it anymore. Is this in my head or a real thing?

It's a real thing! It's called OAS (Oral Allergy Syndrome) or PFAs (Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome.) Read up on it HERE.

Let me tell you, living with this for most of my life has completely sucked. I've had to pick and choose the raw foods I can eat regularly. Blueberries, raspberries, jicama, butter lettuce, and baby cucumbers are basically what I can eat raw without reaction. Cooking items is my only option at the moment, while I work with an allergist, to eating 'healthy' foods. This makes for increased meal prep, as I can't just throw a pack of nuts and some carrots into a snack bag and go.

I'm slowly navigating my way around this, but I also know this has been a huge factor in my diet choices over the years. It's why carbs seem so safe to me. I don't have to worry about itchy mouth or a severe stomach ache! So, much to work on in the coming weeks!