Permission to Grow an Inch

The human body is amazing!  It’s an exquisite system that we don’t really know how it all works and frequently, we take for granted.

I didn’t really give my body much thought until I got sick.  It just worked and I was grateful for that, but didn’t really go the extra mile to take care of it.  After finishing chemo and radiation for breast cancer, my bone density test results indicated that I had lost about 8% bone density and due to medications, I’m at high risk of losing even more.  My oncologist suggested another medication to help reduce the potential for more bone loss, but the side effects sound horrible, so I decided to try a different route.

For almost a year, I have been more focused on nutrition and exercise.  On the nutrition side, I’ve been adding green smoothies from recipes from Chris Wark and Dr. Brooke Goldner.  Every week my goal is to walk at least 9 miles and a few months ago, I signed up for sessions as OsteoStrong, a company dedicated to skeletal strength conditioning.

More recently, my husband gifted me sessions with Zach, a knowledgeable and enthusiastic personal trainer.

My next bone density test is at end of this month and I can’t wait to see what the results are.  In the meantime, my blood work shows that I no longer need to take calcium or vitamin D.  I just found out that the strength of my grip in my hands increased about 20 points (I have a bit of neuropathy from chemo) and I grew an inch!  At 55, I grew when the world keeps telling me that I am supposed to be shrinking.

In this episode, I reflect on the importance of taking care of our body, the amazing system that allows us to have the experience of being alive!

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Takeaways:

• It’s up to us to take great care of our body.  When we take care of it, it responds and supports us in having the adventures of a lifetime.
• Nutrition and hydration are building blocks to health and there are fun and delicious ways of fueling our body.  Check out ChrisBeatCancer.com and Goodbyelupus.com as examples.
• Strengthening bones and muscles takes effort, but it is so rewarding!  Check out OsteoStrong for tips on strengthening your bones and Zach the owner/founder of Complete Health and Wellness for additional insights.
• Sleep is another key ingredient, check out Why We Sleep by Mathew Walker for more insights on the importance of sleep.

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