Healthy Ways for Coping with Cancer

In honor of Breast Cancer awareness month I have extended an invite to Liz Davies, a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness, to write an article for Room For Improvement. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April.

Liz Writes:

Healthy Ways for Coping with Cancer

Facing a cancer diagnosis can be the most difficult challenge a person may ever face in his or her life. This person may question how he or she will cope with treatments and the daily mental task of remaining optimistic through this battle for recovery. In fact, doctors recommend a number of healthy ways for coping with cancer. Patients are urged to remain active and to build a strong support network of friends and family members as they progress through their cancer treatments.

Getting daily exercise proves vital in a person's fight against cancer. Scientific studies have shown that people who exercise while undergoing cancer treatments have greater survival chances than patients who do not exercise. This goes for all types of cancers including pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and even rare forms like peritoneal

mesothelioma. Physical exercise encourages the body to heal itself and to fight the disease within it. It keeps a person's heart, lungs, and other vital organs healthy. It also helps the person's blood move better throughout the body. This improved circulation helps cancer medicines travel better to the areas affected by the cancer.

Many cancer patients do not have it in them to join a gym or take on a rigorous workout schedule. This is
understandable; however, it does not have to prevent them from exercising in small amounts at home. In fact, a person's home provides an ideal environment to exercise and get some physical activity. If a patient has stairs in the home, he or she can work out by climbing up two or three stairs, and then back down. This action can be repeated several times throughout the day to provide the patient with a good cardiovascular exercise. People can also walk around their living room or up and down a corridor to get exercise. Lifting objects like canned vegetablesor books provides weight lifting that can be beneficial to the person's muscles and tendons. Improvising in this manner helps people discover ways to remain fit and healthy, even if they are not able to leave their home.

While leaving one's home can be difficult during cancer treatments, it is vital that the person tries to go out into the community. Going to church, the library, or other local events helps cancer patients remember that they are part of their community and that their presence matters to others around them. This reminder helps them maintain their confidence and will to fight this disease. Support groups are also a great way for cancer patients to interact with people going through the same things.

Visiting with family members and friends also helps patients in their battle. Venting fears, frustrations, and
concerns to these individuals allows patients to vocalize their thoughts. Doctors note that penting up these
emotions only further complicates a patient's determination to fight cancer. Talking with others also provides
patients with ideas of how to remain healthy and recover from cancer.

Health Tweet of the Day!

HealthCorps HealthCorps

Tip o' the day: Eat veggies w/ more potassium: sweet potatoes, white beans, tomato products, beet greens, & soybeans

My Twitter Posts - #HealthiestDietFoods

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - Avocado is more than just a healthy diet food, it’s a super food!

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - Raw or cooked, spinach is a great food for dieting. It improves the muscles in your heart and your body!

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - Blueberries... super fruit is definitely a healthy diet food

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - By working garlic into your diet – and to nearly any meal – you’ll reap plenty of benefits.

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - Oatmeal is a delicious, nutritious addition to your daily diet.

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - Although beans have some less than desirable side effects, they’re still great for dieting!

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - Crab, believe it or not, is a great food to eat when you’re dieting.

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - Lentils are an essential part of any diet as well. They have isoflavones and fiber.

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - Fish is the word and salmon is probably your best choice. It has lots of vitamin D and omega-3s.

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - Eggs, They’ve got lots of antioxidants, they’re rich in choline, and they’re delicious!

MiryPz Mirielys

#HealthiestDietFoods - Apricots are not only a healthy diet food, they’re absolutely delicious!

Inspiration!

Don't give up, nothing in life is easy and if it is it probably isn't worth it. Remember Diet and Fitness should be about a lifestyle change :)

Lets do this girls...and guys!

MIA

I know. I know, I am terrible!
I have been missing for a while, but don't get the wrong idea, I have been going to the gym religiously and doing the workouts aswell as weight training.

I have been working on a few web design projects that have taken a bit of my time.

www.mirielys.com
www.crashingintofashion.com
and few other client projects yes I have clients now wooo!

But I will not abandon you guys. I have actually been doing research on other fun ways to exercise and get fit just for you!

Since I am going away on a mini vacation this weekend I will be working out from the hotel, bleh. But I will probably try to make a video with my workout so maybe you guys can try what I do. I can actually create my own workouts, So this should be fun.

You can always find me on twitter: MiryPz
or
You can like my FanPage: http://www.facebook.com/MirielysP

:)

Workout for 6/14... Hard Bods need Hard Workouts!

Yesterday The workout we did had us sweating so much, we loved it! From now on we are also doing an extra 20 minutes of Cardio on the elliptical machine. We are on a mission and that mission will be accomplished. Now i am off to lunch! Our workout today will be very challenging... a little 411 on me (Miry) I hate High Knees, but it must be done.

Workout for 6/13...Stress Stress Go Away!

Hello, today I have a confession to make...STRESS... I need to de-stress because stress has some major consequences... for starters to some it makes them eat more, for other it causes skin problems such as acne, and those are just minor ones it can lead to all kinds of diseases. So no more stress today! Workout time will take care of it...

Workout for 6/10 - Lets blast some fat!

I've been so busy today and a bit stressed out that now I am going to go to the gym to rid me of some of this irritation. So now...for the workout.

Workout for 6/8/2011 - Rock N' No Rolls

Alright, so finally I get to workout and sweat! We are going to do a workout that we did back in the beginning of April... We really liked it and It incorporates abs and legs. You don't understand how happy it makes me to finally be able to workout today and wash my hair! Don't get me wrong the treatment is well worth it, but I hate not washing my hair for more than two days at least.

Enough of that though, its important now more than ever to stay on track and focused, Not only is it Summer, but there has been a few impediments in the past few weeks that was making our workout schedule erratic, from school schedules, to more work hours, to vacations, to hair treatments. So now its back to focusing and to help we have our Handy Dandy Notebooks ;P

Lately I have been having more wine, red wine... I did a little research because I have always heard that its good to have red wine in moderation because of its benefits so I dug a little deeper:

7 Straight Benefits of Red Wine:

Reduced risk of death from nearly all causes: European researchers suggest that moderate daily intake of red wine (22-32 g of alcohol) has a protective effect on all-cause mortality. According to studies from France, UK, Finland and Denmark, moderate consumption of wine is more beneficial than that of beer or spirits.

Heart disease: One of the well-known and most studied benefits of red wine is its heart protective effect. Moderate consumption of red wine on a regular basis may be a preventative against coronary heart disease. Scientists believe the red wine reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing production of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and boosting high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

Blood clots: Red wine produces anticlotting, or antithrombotic, action. Light to moderate consumers of wine have lower levels of protein fibrinogen which promotes blood clot formation.

Atherosclerosis: Red wine may prevent the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis (hardening or "furring" of the arteries). Atherosclerosis starts when blood vessels begin to lose their ability to relax. Both the alcohol and polyphenols in the red wine appear to favorably maintain healthy blood vessels by promoting the formation of nitric oxide (NO), the key chemical relaxing factor that plays an important role in the regulation of vascular tone.

Hypertension: Excessive alcohol consumption is generally considered a risk factor for hypertension. However, there is some evidence of favorable effects of red wine on blood pressure. Two glasses of red wine (250 ml), taken together with the meal, lower post-meal blood pressure in hypertensive persons.

Kidney stones: Red wine intake reduces the risk of kidney stone formation.

Alzheimer's disease: Moderate wine drinking correlates with a lower risk for Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found that resveratrol, a red wine polyphenol, produces neuroprotective effects.

There you have it Benefits from MODERATELY drinking red wine.

Toodooloo!

Notebook Ideas & Sweat

So here is the deal, Mabelle and I have new Composition Notebooks for the sole purpose of writing down all of our fitness and nutrition ventures. Tracking your progress is a great way to see where you've been and to keep your focus in heading in the right direction. We started the first page with all of our measurements and weight, plus a picture of us now, followed by A paragraph of what our goals are. Every page after that will be made up of everyday Starting with our food intake Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner, followed by any supplements that we take during the day, directly under that will be the Mood, This is where we write what our mood is like during the day and why. On the back of the page will be our workouts, what we worked out, and a small goal for the next day. We will do this until the pages run out and then we need another, We are also decorating them to show personalization and individuality, with inspiring quotes and people.

I am also having a bit of a delema, I can't workout for 4 days so since saturday I havent been able to workout because I can't sweat or get my hair wet, I did a treatment and this is the consequences. But my hair does look super pretty! So I am dying over here to workout but I have to wait 1 more day.... But I found this cool butt toning pilates workout that I can do without really sweating. I will try this today! :)

Pilates Workout Top 3 Butt Toning Moves

A great Benefit of eating Healthy

According to dermatologists most of the food myths (like chocolate and French Fries) are just that -- myths. However, eating the right types of food and healthy choices can actually help out the skin to prevent acne breakouts!


Even though there isn't a direct connection between chicken fingers and zits, eating healthier overall will help your skin. So keep that in mind the next time you're debating between a salad and a burger.

Potassium, Why we need it and Where to get it!

It is important to have a healthy, well-balanced diet of potassium rich foods. Potassium is necessary for the body to maintain the balance of pH levels in our body fluids. It is also involved in regulating our blood pressure, bone mass, nervous system, muscle function, and heart, kidney, and adrenal functions.

Potassium deficiency can result in hypokalemia. Symptoms include increase in blood pressure, heart irregularities, hypertension, muscular weakness, muscle cramps and constipation.

Where can you find Potassium?

Apricots, dried

Avocados, raw

Bananas, raw

Beets, cooked

Brussel sprouts, cooked

Cantaloupe

Dates, dry

Figs, dry

Kiwi fruit, raw

Lima beans

Melons, honeydew

Milk, fat free or skim

Nectarines

Orange juice

Oranges

Pears (fresh)

Peanuts dry roasted, unsalted

Potatoes, baked,

Prune juice

Prunes, dried

Raisins

Spinach, cooked

Tomato products, canned sauce

Winter squash

Yogurt plain, skim milk

SO NOW YOU KNOW!!! :)

Workout for 6/2... Weights aint so bad!

Today we are doing bit of weight training! Here are the exercises for upper body arms and abs.

1. Bicep Curl
2. Hammer Curls
3. Concentration Curl
4. Laying Bicep Curl
5. Dips
6. Kick Back
7. Overhead Extension
8. Tri Lift & Tap
9. Shoulder Press
10. Front and lateral Raise

I'm using a 10 to 12 dumbell.

Abs
1. Stability Crunch
2. Reverse Crunch
3. Bent Knee Raises
4. Full Teaser
5. Bicycles
6. Ball Twist
7. Plank Knee Crunch
8. Plank Cross Knee Crunch
9. Pendulum
10. Starcruch

Enjoy!

Lunch a la Salad

Healthy healthy veggies!!!

Success in a Black Dress

Looking good huh? Hard work akways pays off! Remember that ladies, workout posting today in a bit.

Quote for motivation.

Where the mind goes the body will follow.

What our week has looked like + New Challenges!

Yay! I have been doing really well so far in my diet challenge, I have had more fruits and veggies during my day, I had a salad for dinner last night and I had 42oz of water. its better but not good enough. I didn't post a workout yesterday because we went to the gym and just did ab exercises and jump roping. We concentrated on our abs and keeping out heart rate up with jump roping. We made a variation of an exercises. Ill explain...


The regular Starburst crunch is when you lay on a mat feet extended then you bring up your legs you open them and crunch towards the middle then close them and bring up your torso doing a reverse crunch and then you bring your legs back down. This is where the variation comes in, instead of bringing your legs back down to starting position, roll out onto your feet without using your hands (use your legs to get up into standing position), then bring your right leg up while crunching your upper body to the side (you should feel this in your oblique) then do the same for the other side... do this 6 times then repeat from Starburst until you get tired. 
The reason we haven't been doing our usual workouts this week is because, Mabelle has an injury on her arm which is getting better but we don't want to risk her getting more hurt. I am relaxing certain muscles that I have been working on more and focusing on the ones I don't work out enough. So This week will continue like that until we are both ready to hit up the craziness again. I can't stress enough to listen to your body! 


P.S. Check out my new exercise challenge!

Shortcuts...

“Too often the shortcut, the line of least resistance, is responsible for evanescent and unsatisfactory success.”

Why shortcuts don't work:

What's the fastest way to lose weight?...

Ask that question and you'll probably get a variety of answers, depending on who you ask. I probably wouldn't even answer that question since I am more interested in safe, permanent weight loss. Ask your friend or co-worker... they might say you should skip a few meals and start exercising your tail off. Someone else might say to starve yourself or go on a liquid diet, maybe take some diet pills. (bla blah blah) Whatever the answer, most would probably fall under the category of shortcuts or a method of weight loss that isn't sustainable long-term.

But what happens when you follow a shortcut? You lose weight, go off the diet or start eating again and end up gaining even more weight....Hahahaha and this is when I laugh uncontrollably and say I told you so!!

In my experience, there are two roads to weight loss: There's the shortcut road which involves things like pills, diets, not consuming nutricious food... and then there's the long road, which usually involves lifestyle changes such as more exercise and less crappy eating.... And guess what happens...

YOU KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF AND YOU FEEL SO MUCH BETTER!!!

So, what do you have to look forward to with this approach? Most likely, fast weight loss and a temporary feeling of accomplishment. Know what else you have to look forward to? Gaining it back.

That's all I have to say and I am inspired to say it by ridiculousness I see and hear everywhere. Thank you!

Motivation!

4/20 Cardio and Core Exercise Challenge

So today is the midweek break day, I am not completely taking a break though I am still doing cardio with jump rope skips and doing some light core workouts in between. Trust me when I say its a lot less than what we usually do.

This is the workout: 

Jump Rope Scissors - 75 reps
Leg Lifts on Mat - 25 reps


I am going to do those exercises back to back and repeat them 10 times. 

And that's it... rest and relaxation for the rest of the day. 

We're drowning in high fructose corn syrup.

When you think the foods you eat are safe, that you are eating the right thing. Guess again. High-fructose corn syrup is the most common added sweetener in processed foods and beverages.


Beverages containing high fructose corn syrup have high levels of reactive carbonyls which are linked with cell and tissue damage that leads to diabetes. Surprise Surprise...Fast food most often contains high fructose corn syrup.


For more information: Princeton University Research

AVOID AVOID AVOID!

Read food labels. This is the easiest and most sure-fire way to know if there is high fructose corn syrup in your food. High fructose corn syrup can be found even in products which aren't sweet, such as sliced bread and processed meats like
Avoid canned or bottled beverages. Soft drinks, sports drinks, lemonade, iced tea, and almost every sweet drink you can think of contains high fructose corn syrup.sausage and ham.
Buy fresh produce and learn to cook it. The real problem is too much refined and processed food, not any one particular ingredient.

I Thought I told You that We Don't Stop!

Yesterdays workout was amazingly intense. Our calves were hurting so bad from the jump roping that we came up with different cardio exercises for the second time we did the entire workout again. That workout did torture us and kicked our asses.

Random Googled Back Pic..LOL

On this lovely but rainy Saturday we are heading over to the gym to do some lower back weight training exercises and oblique exercises. Its important to have strong lower back muscles because it  dramatically improves your posture. This means you'll look and feel healthier, slimmer and more confident. A combination of weak lower back muscles and abdominals could result in poor back support which in the long run can cause some major back pain. So thats where I help you out.


Some of our exercises will include light to moderate weight. Were still doing cardio with jump rope skips in between sets.


Today we are going to do these exercises in 3 sets of 15-20 reps:

• The Barbell Good Morning
• Dead Lifts
• The Lower Back Extension
• The Bent Knee Bridge
• Side Twist With Dumb Bells
• Upside Down Pendulum 
• Standing Oblique Crunch
• Cross Legged Oblique Crunches

Thats a total of eight exercises, If your not sure how to do them. You can leave a comment or email me and I will tell you or you can Google the name of the exercise and I'm sure with the millions of information out in the internet you will be sure to find it. So Go Go and Stay Motivated!!!!

- MIRY

There is a good reason why I love Black Beans

Black Beans are a wonderful source of dietary fiber which has been shown to naturally help lower cholesterol. In addition, the high fiber content in Black Beans helps keep blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making them a wise choice for people with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When Black Beans are prepared with whole grains such as barley or wild rice, the Black Beans provide a virtually fat-free, high quality source of protein. But that's not all.  Recent research also shows that Black Beans are rich in antioxidants as well. Antioxidants destroy free radicals, and when eaten regularly, have been shown to offer protection against heart disease, cancer and aging.




And I may be a little weird but I love Beans with Bananas! 




Banana's contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.


Yummy Yummy Yummy :)

Today 4/13, We rest our Bodies.

Yesterday those one leg burpees were killer!


We did have a very good workout yesterday and it seems that we are willing to push for our goals. Yesterdays workout was timed, Mabelle and I finished it in 19 Minutes and 57 Seconds, wooohooo for us almost 3 more seconds and it would have been 20 flat!


Today, however, we are taking a mid week break to give our bodies a chance to rest our muscles. 


Lately during my workouts I have noticed my breathing and breathing is a very important part of excersice though I forget that at times, Ive gotten better at breathing and noticing the way I breathe during my workouts. All in all it is vital that we get our breathing perfect to get the best results and see the changes in our bodies. 


If you want more information as to why breathing is important during exercise read this article that I stumbled upon: Exercise, Lactic Acid and the Importance of Breathing For Fast Weight Loss

Laters 

I want to go SHOPPING!

As you may notice this blog post is in all my blogs, why is the question you may be asking, and the answer is quite simple... I need to go shopping very badly in all areas of my life. I definitely need new workout shoes since mine are in terrible condition, I also need new workout clothes. I also have to go shopping for spring and summer apparel and accessories especially Bikinis ;P Not to mention that I ran out of my mineral Foundation, I don't usually use makeup during the week so I am surprised at how quickly it went, but that's OK I was planning on changing brands anyway. In conclusion I definitely need to find time to go shopping. Hopefully sometime this weekend I will.

Til Laters,
Miry

Motivational Quote

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.  ~Plato

Those Three Girls..Hehe

Mabelle, Caro and I during our workout!!

 

Showing off them Muscles!

Saturday @ The Gym!

Equipment!

Nice Legs!!!!

Mabelle and I

My gym Experience!

Tday was a sucessful day, I posted the workout I did on the last post but I made a variation to it. So this is how mine went:

20 rounds Broken up into 5 Parts with 100 Jump Rope skips in between.

First 4
Timer: 4 rounds 50 Seconds Work 10 Seconds Rest
-Forward/Backward Lunge & Ball Lift
-Core Split (If you dont have the dip station do it on the floor)
-Dynamo Push Up (Good Luck! These are Killer!)
-Sleeping Crab

100 Jusmp rope skips
**(Do all of that 5 times)**

End the whole Thing with jump ropes:
6 rounds Jump Rope 20 seconds work 10 seconds rest

:)

Here Are Pics

Quick Break Pic

Equipment

After Workout Kick Ass Mood (my face shows how hard I worked!)

Well There you go!

I wear many hats.

Awesome Ab Exercises

I thought Id make a post of cool ab exercises that everyone can try at the gym or at home. 

Abdominal Hold

The Side Crunch

Opposite Arm and Leg Raise

Squat Thrust with Twist

 

FYI - I love fitness magazine :)

Ballet Twist

The Single-Leg Stretch

The Cobra

Medicine Ball
(Lying Leg Raise, Triceps Extension/Squat A, Medicine Ball Swing, Medicine Ball Tap)

Good Luck with your Fitness!

A tasty treat for us who refuse to drink Whole Milk

Almond milk is also one of the healthier, tastier options among such alternatives. In the past times, people supposed that the body had difficulty to metabolize whole almonds, so they made almond milk to help the body for the better absorption of the almond’s nutrients. As the name suggests, this milk is derived from the milk of almonds and has a light, fresh taste somewhat similar to that of cow’s milk.

Almond milk is a healthy and nutritious alternative to cow’s milk which has proven to be extremely beneficial for those who lactose intolerant. It is an extract of protein rich almonds and loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is a great for those who have lactose intolerance and those who are on a strictly vegan diet. Also, it has a pleasant almost neutral taste which makes it perfect for milkshakes. Commercially, almond milk is available in a variety of flavors like chocolate, vanilla and plain.

 :)

Regular Exercise Benefits

Think that exercise is not for you, think again exercise isn't just for looks (even though its what most of us do it for) Take a look below at all the health benefits that comes with regular exercise. 

Workout Of The Day: Lunge and Press

Go ahead try it out!