Weekend Sunshine XLVII
/Hi friends and happy Monday! I actually took some photos this weekend so I'm happy to share a new edition of "Weekend Sunshine"! For the most part, it was pretty low key which is always welcome! Plus, I'm really trying to work on healing my voice because it's been shot since last Spring. You may remember, I mentioned getting a "procedure" last August but, I never really divulged the situation because I really don't want this blog to be a "woe is me" zone. I'm totally fine, but, I have Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and I'm trying to get to the bottom of fixing it once and for all. In August, the "procedure" was an Endoscopy called for by a few of my doctors because my voice had been shot for a few months. If you attended a few of the summer NBGNO events, you may have noticed that I couldn't really project as well as I used to and I sounded pretty awful.
Anyway, I went to an ENT first who told me I was on the verge of getting "nodes". Lol, yes like in Pitch Perfect. The next step was the Endoscopy where they didn't find anything serious. That being said, I was put on a prescription for Prilosec and that was pretty much the end of it. Have you seen the recent news articles on Prilosec and other OTC and prescription antacids? It's not pretty... kidney failure, muscle weakness due to magnesium deficiency, etc. Anyway, the GERD diet is super annoying because it cuts out all things that I love... spicy food, citrus, booze, tomatoes, chocolate... the list goes on and on. It also cuts out fried food which is NBD - cutting out the healthy stuff is what really makes me annoyed but, I've got to finally hunker down and give it a shot. This means, cutting wayyyy back on all of these things. What's weird about GERD is that not everyone has the same triggers. For instance, coffee is a major trigger for many patients... it doesn't bother me much. On the other hand, onions and garlic really increase my symptoms, but, for other folks... no. Wine -- awful symptoms almost immediately. :(
Anywayyy, the reason I'm finally talking about this is because I realized that I am doing myself and other people with this common disease a disservice by not talking about it or sharing recipes that are GERD-friendly. So, that's what I'm going to start doing for a little while. You may have already noticed that I'm using more mangos, coconut, etc in my smoothies. Acidic fruit is a no-no so I need to be careful. My beloved tacos... well, I'm using a mild taco seasoning and that seems to be ok. I'm going to keep working at this and will hopefully have a normal voice again by the Summer. Oh, and one more thing... this is a genetic thing for me. My mom was the person that instilled a healthy lifestyle in me from day 1 and she's had GERD her entire life. It doesn't always happen to people with bad diets. Although common in smokers and people with higher BMIs, my mom and I were just born with this thing so it's tough to work to control it. Ok, that's enough of that! Let's move on to the fun stuff and the "sunniest" moments from the weekend!
I asked Rob to give me a new back workout the other day. Let's just say, I was humbled. I need to make heavier lifting more of a focus. The weekly set of deadlifts, goblet squats, and strength classes are not cutting it. I'm excited, though!
Tuna melts and sweet potato fries for Friday din... simple and delish!
On Saturday morning, Athena and I joined the battle at Equinox's 10th annual Cycle for Survival event! Cycle for Survival is the national movement to beat rare cancers. The funds raised support life-saving research at Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital.
Cycle for Survival was founded by Dave (above) and his wife Jen - a Memorial Sloan Kettering patient. Following Jen's cancer diagnosis, they decided to do something to fight back and that's what sparked this incredible movement that has now grown to multiple cities and has raised over $22.2 million dollars! Truly inspirational.
My Christmas cactus is back in bloom and it's SO pretty!
Michelle and Bri came into town on Saturday night so we headed to Loco for coconut margaritas and Mexican. (not exactly GERD friendly)
A pre-run green smoothie made with green juice from Trader Joe's, cup of frozen mango, 1 scoop of sfh coconut whey protein powder, and water to blend.
And finally, Sunday meal prep that included this egg hash bake from Carrots n' Cake, zoodles, and salads.
Andddd that's about all for now... sorry this post kind of went all over the place. Apparently, I had a lot to talk about! I hope you all have an awesome week and HAPPY LEAP DAY! xo
QUESTIONS:
- Do you have any info worth sharing on GERD?
- Are you interested in a few new recipes that stay away from acidic foods?
- Did you have a fun weekend?
