I’m a firmer believer that health equals balance.  But balance is a tricky thing because there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.  It’s hard to define.  Balanced looks different from person to person as they go through life’s ups and downs – even changing on a day-to-day basis!  Sometimes balance means pushing yourself to exercise harder.  Sometimes it means pulling way back. 

 

This week, for me, balance means… well, just getting through the days!  Work has been a bit crazy, and I had some personal stressors, so workouts just fell by the wayside.  I caught myself feeling a bit guilty – I’ve got a Post-It on my fridge that saying “Remember who you’re exercising for!” (i.e. the baby) – but today, I recognize that rest is, in fact, better for both of us.  Today, I’m giving complete permission to chill out, relax, and lay on the couch.  It feels good.  Listening to your body is never is a mistake.

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On that note, I’ve been doing some excellent reading today!

 

For Your Reading Pleasure

 

America’s Drinking Binge

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This piece is about how more non-college student adults are engaging in binge drinking (nearly 1 out of 6 Americans binge drink 4 times a month)… As a reformed binge drinker, I found this article to very interesting, especially how adults who earn more than $75,000 who are more likely to binge drink than those who earn less (with the exception of low-income adult, who also have higher rates).  The study didn’t comment on the causes, but I’m guessing stress.  Mo’ money, mo’ problems?

 

Heart Attacks Uncommon During Marathons

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Really interesting piece.  The study “covered 10 years of running and almost 11 million runners, and found that only 59 people had a cardiac arrest during a race — 51 of them men.”  The reasons were diverse – including genetic conditions, arrhythmias, and dehydration.  But, interesting enough, the greatest predictor of survival was whether a bystander effectively performed CPR.  I got certified last year but this article reminded me to take a refresher course ASAP!

 

Chef Has Diabetes, Some Say ‘I Told You So’

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Paula Dean’s recent diabetes confession sure has produced a media poopstorm, huh?  I don’t have a strong opinion on the subject, mostly because I don’t think we know how she really eats on a day-to-day basis.  But, of course, most of the food she promotes is unhealthy (and genetics play a role), and I do wish she had taken more personal responsibility instead of just hooking up with Big Pharm.  Fellow blogger Katy Widrick wrote a really great response to the issue – What Paula Dean SHOULD Have Said.  What do you think?

 

Advice From Life’s Graying Edge on Finishing With No Regrets

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I loved the advice in the article, as well as this interactive piece on advice from the older generation on life, success, careers, and marriage.  I really want to pick up the book mentioned in the article – it would be a good coffee table book!

 

Wanna weigh in on any of the articles?

{ 44 comments }

 

  • Erin January 20, 2012, 4:12 pm

    I’m sure you’ve already seen this but I just saw an article about a blogger who raised a gender neutral child and just released his gender now that hes 5. Thought it was a bit extreme but showed a lot of the points you talk about on your blog!
    http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/couple-finally-reveals-childs-gender-five-years-birth-180300388.html

    • Gina @ Running to the Kitchen January 20, 2012, 10:28 pm

      Wow, very interesting article. Just read it. Thanks for the link!

      • NJ January 21, 2012, 8:07 am

        I read this and felt awful for that boy. His parents are using him as an experiment in sociology and it’s gross.

        • Rebecca January 21, 2012, 1:50 pm

          That’s what a lot of the comments on the article seemed to say, and that was basically my psychology-major roommate’s response, too.

  • Kim @ Wonderings January 20, 2012, 4:12 pm

    Today was definitely a listen to my body day. I stayed home from work this morning a rested up! Wish I could have had a whole day.

  • Kelly January 20, 2012, 4:16 pm

    Here’s my two cents on the Paula Dean “scandal” – people are ultimately responsible for what they shove in their own mouths. If she’s catching crap, then so should about a billion other people in the food industry. I don’t like her one way or the other, but c’mon. And, recently I read about Anthony Bourdain giving her grief, too. Yes, chain smokin’ Anthony Bourdain. Plus, how many of your grandparents, etc. can say that they still eat fried eggs and bacon for breakfast. I’m not promoting unhealthy eating, but what’s unhealthy for some people isn’t unhealthy for others – it’s all about personal choice. Yes, we know that salt, butter, fat, etc. are bad, but not in moderation and perhaps that’s the true moral of the story. Cigarettes on the other hand…see. There’s just a lot worse out there than getting hopped up on than buttering a biscuit.

  • LeeAnn January 20, 2012, 4:36 pm

    Knowing CPR is so important. I am required to take it every 2 years and have luckily never had to use it. But I think it is great to brush up on-especially the infant CPR!

    • CaitlinHTP January 22, 2012, 9:36 am

      Me too! I didnt pay attention to infant CPR and now I really that I realllly should’ve.

  • Army Amy* January 20, 2012, 4:46 pm

    My running group was recently talking about heart attacks during marathons! It’s nice to know that even though we seem to hear about it a lot, it’s really rare.*

  • Katie @ cooklaughmove January 20, 2012, 4:50 pm

    http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationship/features/27749-you-never-marry-the-right-person

    I really liked this article! I’m married and while I don’t think my husband is the “wrong” person, we do struggle (as all married couples do) to put each other first and balancing “us” with “me”.

    Even if you aren’t religous, I think you’ll like it!!

    • CaitlinHTP January 22, 2012, 9:36 am

      That is a great article.

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats January 20, 2012, 4:50 pm

    yay for rest days! And I think another reason people with more money binge drink is that there are fewer consequences for their actions, they can afford more alcohol and can more easily afford cabs and things. I know it’s true even with children who grow up with more money.

  • Anna January 20, 2012, 4:52 pm

    At first, living in NC, it kind of surprises me that almost all of the southern states are on the lower end of binge drinking; however, looking at the geography of the lowest rates, it’s easy to see a strong correlation between the rates and the geography of the Bible Belt.

    Interesting articles, indeed!

  • Jolene (Homespun Heritage) January 20, 2012, 4:58 pm

    Shaking my head at Paula Dean…she’s too dirty for me anyway….both in word and food. I hope she takes better care of herself as she can reverse this nastiness she’s gotten herself into. We’ll see!

  • Laura January 20, 2012, 5:02 pm

    Re: Paula Deen – It’s just another example of our society wanting to just pop a pill to make problems go away. Ultimately, its her decision how she handles her disease, but I hope that she comes to realize that she is an example for people. Yes, she chose to become an example for people when she signed that contract for the tv show, wrote the books, and appeared in magazines.

    The cynic in me knows its all about $$$$$

  • Elisse January 20, 2012, 5:07 pm

    Thanks for this. I was planning on vegging on the couch all afternoon, but after I read the article on advice from the elderly, it inspired me to get up and go to yoga. I don’t want to take my body for granted. BUT, rest days are great too! All about balance.

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife January 20, 2012, 5:08 pm

    Not gonna lie….I am NOT surprised at all that Paula has diabetes. I am sure whatever she said (have not yet read it) has to do with making more $ to fix it….but you know, I COULD be wrong. hah.

    That last one sounds intriguing!

  • Christie January 20, 2012, 5:12 pm

    Some interesting articles to read with my Saturday morning coffee – thanks! Looking forward to reading that last one, I definitely aim to live my life with no regrets 🙂

  • Jess January 20, 2012, 5:23 pm

    I always appreciate your honest posts about work/stress getting in the way of workouts. I’ve been feeling run down and cruddy all week, and beating myself up over not checking off all of my runs/bikes/swims. No more!

    Re the Paula Deen thing, I remember when the healthy living blogging “controversy” was going on, there was a lot of talk about people being responsible for making their own choices and not reading posts that could be triggering. Seemed like personal responsibility was a recurring theme.

    I feel the same way about Paula D – doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that her recipes aren’t healthy. Would I have liked to have seen a different reaction from her? Yes. Does that let me off the hook in terms of making healthy choices for me? Absolutely not.

    • CaitlinHTP January 22, 2012, 9:37 am

      Good point and I 100% agree!

  • jamie@cueyourlife January 20, 2012, 5:24 pm

    While I don’t generally have an opinion on other people choices, even celebrities…I have to agree with Antony Bourdain’s analogy with Paula Dean: “I’m thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business, so I can profitably sell crutches later.”

    While this is OBVIOUSLY an extreme statement, I have a serious issue with the fact that she’s known about this for years…and continued to profit off of her cooking shows that provide NO healthy choices, and have led (at least in part) to the disease she now has. I would SO like to see her jump on the Forks Over Knives bandwagon and change her life, over the popping a pill bandwagon…but again, where is the monetary profit in representing a plant-based diet?

    Thumbs down to Paula Dean right now.

  • Lissa January 20, 2012, 5:43 pm

    I also noticed that the states with the highest binge drinking percentages were all in the north…where the winters are long and dreary. coincidence?

    • CaitlinHTP January 22, 2012, 9:37 am

      Hahah – I did feel a need to drink more heavily in winter in Pittsburgh.

  • Christine @ BookishlyB January 20, 2012, 5:56 pm

    I’m not really a huge Paula Dean fan, but it does suck that she has diabetes. I don’t feel like she should be responsible for enlightening America, though. Her occupation is a a “chef/tv personality,” it’s not a dietician or health-care advocate. A pound of butter is never healthy, folks.

  • Grace @ What Grace Cooked January 20, 2012, 6:39 pm

    Interesting articles!

    I was particularly interested in the one dealing with heart attacks during marathons, and it’s nice to know that there doesn’t seem to be any cause-and-effect there. However, in a half marathon I ran last year, a man collapsed at the finish line. It was truly distressing, although I was lucky enough not to witness it directly (he finished just after me, I think). There hasn’t been any public follow-up on him, that I know of, aside from a brief blurb in the paper that he was in the hospital. I always hope he is OK, but I understand if the family wanted to keep things private.

    So, it’s nice to know that heart attacks are uncommon, but it’s still VERY scary when it happens!!!

  • Kelly January 20, 2012, 6:39 pm

    I wrote my entire blog post today on the Paula Deen foodie debate.

  • Julie (A Case of the Runs) January 20, 2012, 6:42 pm

    All I have to say is, my favorite coffee table book of all time is All My Friends are Dead.

  • Laura @ She Eats Well January 20, 2012, 7:00 pm

    Great post. I agree, rest is so important. It’s really hard actually to learn to listen to our bodies. But it will result in a healthier body, overall.

    I am uncomfortable with the Paula Deen thing. She’s known for years she has diabetes and chooses to just now go public while also endorsing a drug. It just makes me sad on so many fronts- about nutrition, health, lack of access to “good foods” and lack of access to good nutrition education. You should also read Young, Obese and Getting Weight Loss Surgery- I just posted about it on my blog. They are starting to study weight loss surgeries in adolescents as young as TWELVE!
    http://sheeatswell.blogspot.com/2012/01/food-for-thought-weight-loss-surgery.html

  • Rebecca January 20, 2012, 8:37 pm

    I’m rather disappointed in Minnesota on the drinking front… That’s part of why I’m never going to drink, even after I hit 21 this year–the potential to go way overboard.
    I found out more details on my best friend’s death this past semester. The other driver (who was released from jail a couple of months ago) had downed almost an entire bottle of vodka while running errands, resulting in a blood alcohol level of .25. No wonder she rear-ended my friend–she was out of her head. So I’m staying off the alcohol bandwagon, even in moderation.

    Alaska being high on the percentage end doesn’t surprise me. A lot of the way-rural areas have a lot of alcoholism, or so my parents observed.

  • Liz @ Tip Top Shape January 20, 2012, 11:10 pm

    The Paula Deen thing is sad but it really doesn’t surprise me. Hopefully she takes this seriously and cleans up her diet.

  • Khushboo January 21, 2012, 12:33 am

    I have a lot to say about Paula Deen’s approach to her diabetes and think she could have definitely handled it better..and actually presented herself as a role model for MANY!

  • Lexi @ Cura Personalis Foodie January 21, 2012, 12:51 am

    It’s interesting how that map pinpoints all the colder weather states!

  • fitpeanut January 21, 2012, 3:48 am

    Binge drinking % are scary !!

  • Allison January 21, 2012, 8:35 am

    My 40 year old husband had a massive heart attack during the bike portion of a triathlon last year. The only reason he survived was because there was a nurse behind him that stopped and gave him CPR. Some police officers then arrived with an AED and shocked him back to life. I’m grateful every day for that nurse (who is now our friend!).. that she knew CPR and was willing to stop to help. After they took him to the hosptial, she hopped back on her bike and finished the race!

    • CaitlinHTP January 22, 2012, 9:39 am

      OMG. Allison! That is so scary. I am so glad he was near someone who could help him so effectively (and pretty baller that she finished the race… what a woman!).

  • JenRD January 21, 2012, 8:44 am

    I work as a Certified Diabetes Educator, educating and counseling people with diabetes on a daily basis. I am disappointed with Paula Dean’s attitude about her diagnosis, and her profiting on it by teaming with Big Pharma. As a public figure whose career is based on food, I was hoping she would take a more responsible approach, even if she did not accept some responsibility for her diagnosis. I liked that blog post you shared, and agree with her sentiments.
    There is such little social support for diabetics as it is; the emergency of a strong, successful public figure who decided to refocus her energies on healthier cooking and eating would have been nice.
    Interestingly enough, the drug she is promoting, Victoza, is actually a non-insulin injectable medication, which is often only used as a second or third line of treatment AFTER diet, exercise, and a more traditional diabetes medication (metformin) have failed to improve one’s blood sugars. Many insurance companies won’t even pay for it, and if they do, it can be very expensive–not feasible for the average person with a basic health insurance plan.
    Anyway, I am still hopeful that she will start to take some more responsibility in her public role, and am curious to see how her spokesperson role with Novo Nordisk plays out.

    Jen

    • Jen January 21, 2012, 2:49 pm

      I agree with this. What really bothered me about Deen’s response is that she kept brushing it off when reporters/people kept asking if she was going to change her diet and lifestyle – she said “But I’ve allllways ate in moderation”. I’d like to know though what her definition of ‘moderation’ is – because clearly it isn’t what healthy moderation is. Moderation for her may still be one big comfort meal every day or second day or just one of her bacon-wrapped macaroni and cheeses instead of two…the facts are that she’s not really nutritionally educated, she’s overweight – oh and she also smokes more than a pack of cigarettes a day.

      I just felt such a lack of awareness and – sadly – more ignorance in her response.

    • CaitlinHTP January 22, 2012, 9:39 am

      Interesting facts, Jen, on the drug of her choice!

  • Rebecca @ Naturally Healthy and Gorgeous January 21, 2012, 9:00 am

    I think Paula Dean is missing out on a wonderful chance to fight her diabetes with healthy eating and exercise and, by doing so, encourage others to do the same!

  • Allison January 21, 2012, 9:07 am

    As a recent graduate, a sister to a senior in high school boy, and a middle school teacher, it’s scary to look at the binge drinking statistics… I never personally experienced a problem with drinking but going to parties throughout high school and college I saw some friends who did. It seems as if no matter how much educational and statistical information is made available, people don’t feel the need to change their habits unless they experience an unfortunate horrific event…

    P.S. Sad to hear about PD’s diagnosis- it seems like she doesn’t want to accept it :/

  • jen January 21, 2012, 9:12 am

    Caitlin I love your posts like this! Please do them often 🙂

    • CaitlinHTP January 22, 2012, 9:39 am

      Will try to do them once a week! I love reading stuff on the interwebs 🙂

  • Leoh @ Cupcakes in Paris January 22, 2012, 4:04 am

    Thank you for sharing these links.
    I was very interested by your link about older folks giving life advice. Would love to pick up the book you mentionned too. Like a previous commenter said: I love posts like this, have them more often!

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