Shady characters in the parking lot.
I celebrated my one year blogging anniversary by taking the week off. To avoid withdrawal symptoms, I tried to keep myself busy…
Jo Dee Messina and Tim McGraw
Another day has almost come and gone,
Can’t imagine what else could go wrong.
Sometimes I’d like to hide away somewhere and lock the door.
A single battle lost but not the war.
I decided to start taking iron a few days a week. I have tested low enough to be turned away from donating blood a few times. Since I have been tracking my food intake with the My Fitness Pal app on the phone, I have discovered that my iron intake is low. In my search for energy and balance, I felt that taking some iron may be helpful.
Like vitamin D, from the previous post, you can take too much iron. Please use with caution and discuss iron supplementation with your doctor.
The body uses iron to help build red blood cells. These cells are what carry oxygen through the body.
I have mixed feeling about dietary supplements. Most vitamins and minerals that we need can be taken in natural food form. That seems so much better than popping pills to make up for holes in our diet. Pills do not always absorb into the body and without the enzymes and other nutrients that accompany the target vitamin in whole foods, they may not be as effective. There are a few areas that I just seem unable to ingest the desired amount no matter how many juices and smoothies I mix up.
I thought I would share my list and my justification for needing each. Today is D3 day. Everyone should thoughtfully consider and research any supplement that is added to their regimen.
Do you take supplements?
I take this supplement because I have tested low. Sunshine without sunblock is not a good option for me because I have a skin condition (vitiligo) that takes pigment out of my skin and may increase my risk for sun damage. Another reason is that I have eliminated most fortified foods in my quest to eat more whole foods and avoid dairy.
I have had two tests with results of 15 and 23 ng/mL. The table below is from the National Institutes of Health.
| nmol/L** | ng/mL* | Health status |
|---|---|---|
| <30 | <12 | Associated with vitamin D deficiency, leading to rickets in infants and children and osteomalacia in adults |
| 30–50 | 12–20 | Generally considered inadequate for bone and overall health in healthy individuals |
| ≥50 | ≥20 | Generally considered adequate for bone and overall health in healthy individuals |
| >125 | >50 | Emerging evidence links potential adverse effects to such high levels, particularly >150 nmol/L (>60 ng/mL) |
* Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D are reported in both nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) and nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).
** 1 nmol/L = 0.4 ng/mL
I was driving to a conference this weekend and listening to Growing Bolder on the radio.
The guest being interviewed was Sophia Dembling. She has written a new book entitled, The Introvert’s Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World. It was a very interesting interview and there was one particular topic that really stood out for me.
She stated that extroverts not only crave social interaction but are also energized by it. Introverts may like social interaction but are drained by it. Introverts will need some alone time to recharge.
Maybe this solves the mystery of why I am usually tired. My job, a job I love, involves at least 40 hours a week of social interaction. I fake being an extrovert pretty well, but it is exhausting. So maybe I do not need blood work, a special diet, or more supplements. I just need to figure out how to fake being energized while pretending to be an extrovert.
http://growingbolder.com/media/living/self-help/sophia-dembling-844767.html
A Florida man was shot in the leg this week when his dog kicked a loaded gun that was sitting on the floor of his truck.
Apparently, he thought it was an unloaded 38 and not a loaded 9mm. How did that get there?
Real Woman's Health 