Tony Graduates and All About Iron

My son, Tony, recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics.  To say I am a proud mother is an understatement.

When Tony was in high school he was an unhappy, overweight young man.  While in his junior year of high school he made the life changing decision to research nutrition and exercise.  He designed a diet and exercise program and in less than a year he lost 85 pounds.  Here he is 5 years later, lean and fit, and ready to embark on a career that he hopes will inspire and educate others.

Oh, and he's engaged to a beautiful, compassionate and wonderful nurse.  I am blessed and I thank God every day for guiding Tony along this path.

Tony still has a few hurdles to leap - before he can become licensed, he has to complete a Dietetic Internship.  Right now he's applying for several.  The selection process is highly competitive and less than 50% of the applicants get placed each year.  He won't find out anything until April.  In the meantime, he's studying so he can take the DTR exam sometime in the coming weeks. "Dietetic Technicians - Registered" would be another skill he can add to his resume and will hopefully help him find some work in his field while he is completing an internship.  He has a lot on his plate but he's confident and focused.

He is also working with The Visual Veggies Software company.  He has partnered with them to test their DTR Exam preparation software.  He will be using their program to study for his DTR exam and will then write an unbiased review on the software.  I think it's an excellent opportunity for him and I know he will give his fair and honest opinion.

The folks over at Visual Veggies asked him to write a couple of blog posts so they could see his work.  I'm going to share one with you today......

Can Iron Give You More Energy?

One of the most common complaints I hear is that “I have no energy”.  Most people attribute this to long work hours, lack of sleep, and/or extracurricular activities.  The problem, however, may be related mostly to ones diet.  Many dietary deficiencies can cause someone to feel that he/she has “no energy”, but the deficiency I will be talking about today is iron deficiency.

What Is The Role Of Iron In The Body?

The primary role of iron is to help make the protein hemoglobin, which is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to the tissues of the body and removal of carbon dioxide.  Without iron hemoglobin cannot be made and, therefore, the exchange of these two gasses cannot occur.  When oxygen transport becomes inhibited, because dietary iron is lacking, it can cause people to feel fatigued, short of breath, dizzy, have frequent headaches, and have many other symptoms.

I'm sure most people would say that oxygen is important.  Like really important.  So its easy to see why iron is essential for our bodies.  

Sources of Iron

The best sources of iron are meat (beef and lamb), chicken liver, seafood (especially clams and oysters), pumpkin seeds, green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans and lentils, whole grain products, tofu, and dark chocolate (We finally have an excuse to eat chocolate).

I should note that iron from meat, chicken, and seafood is absorbed better than iron from other sources, but that's a topic for another time.

How Much Iron Do I Need?

The amount of iron that each individual needs changes throughout life depending on age, medical conditions, pregnancy, and other factors. The chart below sums up how much iron is needed by most individuals very well.

**Credit for the chart: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/

Considerations

Certain foods and substances do inhibit the absorption of iron when consumed with iron containing foods and supplements.  Calcium, wine, coffee, and tea have all been shown to inhibit the absorption of iron¹.  Not all the iron you consume with these substances will be negated, but enough absorption will be inhibited to make a difference in the long run.  It may be beneficial to plan your iron containing meals around your morning coffee, afternoon tea, and/or evening glass of wine (or two).

A recent study indicated that as many as 10 million Americans are iron deficient and that 5 million of those people have iron deficiency anemia (a very severe form of iron deficiency)².  So if you are experiencing symptoms of iron deficiency it could be worth your time to see your doctor to have your iron status tested.

Do I Need An Iron Supplement?

Most people without iron deficiency anemia will not need an iron supplement to keep their iron status within normal ranges.  This can be done by including a variety of iron containing foods in your diet.  Consuming iron supplements has been indicated to cause a great deal of GI complications so the consumption of an iron supplement should be supervised by a doctor and/or dietitian.

References

1. Hurrell R, Egli I. Iron bioavailability and dietary reference values. Am J ClinNutr 91: 1461S–1467S, 2010.

2. Miller JL. Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Common and Curable Disease. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 2013;3(7):a011866. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a011866.

Engagements and Wedding Dresses

 



Many of you know my son, Tony, because of his blog Tony's Nutrition Tips.  And if you've been reading my blog for awhile then you know about Tony's struggle with weight and how he lost 85 pounds, got healthy and fit, and started dating the girl he had wanted to date since he first met her in 5th grade.  If you've never read Tony's story, go check it out.

 

Anyway, I am so pleased and thrilled to announce that Tony and Alex recently got engaged.  We are so happy for them, and excited to welcome Alex into our family.  She's beautiful and sweet and she's good for Tony.  Having Alex in his life is the best thing that ever happened to him. 

 

 

 

They aren't planning on getting married for about 2 years yet.  Alex needs to finish nursing school next year and Tony has a little over a year and a half left before he finishes his degree in Dietetics. 

 

 

In the meantime, we have plenty of time to start planning a wedding, and almost immediately talk turned to wedding dresses.  I still have my wedding dress.  We got married in 1985 and after the wedding I had my dress cleaned and I placed it in a box and stuffed it in the crawlspace in the attic.  I also boxed up my wedding hat - who else got married in the 80's and wore a hat and not a veil?    The crawlspace is probably not the best place for such a treasure, but that's where it's sat for 28 years. 

 

Just for fun I went upstairs and pulled all the crap out of the crawlspace and dug out the boxes with my dress and hat.  Everything is in surprisingly good shape, very clean, just extremely wrinkled.  I brought it downstairs and told Alex to go try it on.  Aren't they cute?

 

 

 

So just for kicks I decided to try my dress on too - just to see if I could.....

 

And it still fits!  I can even button it.   It's a little snug but not bad for 28 years....

 

Ok, so here is what I'm thinking.  The thing I really loved about my dress was the peek-a-boo lace window panel on the train.  You can see it just to the left of my feet.  I thought maybe I'd somehow cut out the panel and frame it with one of our wedding photos.  Then I wanted to take the rest of the dress and make 2 wedding purses out of the satin and lace.  One purse for Alex and put another one away for Chablis for when her time comes.  Chablis also mentioned that she's like to take a small piece of my dress and save it to pin inside her wedding dress someday.  Or maybe I should make wedding pillows?   I was also toying with the idea of making Tony a handkerchief.  There's a lot of material there and a lot of possibilities and I have no problem with cutting up my dress to make keepsakes.  I don't know.  I'm looking for suggestions.  What do you think?    

Sometimes Being at the Lake Sucks!

Yes, you read that correctly - sometimes being at the lake does suck - like when we're here and the kids aren't.   I know some of you are probably rolling your eyes and thinking to yourself "what is she, crazy?"  A week with no kids.  Nobody to worry about but herself.  No one to cook for but her husband.  No beach towels dripping on the deck, no water bottles scattered across the table, no dirty dishes piled up in the sink......

For the past 20 something years, our kids have gone with us on every trip out of town.  Every single one.  Since they were old enough to splash the minnows in the bucket, they were on the boat with us while we fished.  They sat in deer stands at dawn and dusk.  They rode in canoes in the moonlight.  We saddled them up on horses and took them riding in the woods.  They sat next to us in golf carts and helped steer around the block.  I don't care what we did, we just packed them up and swept them along on this crazy ride we call our lives.

Until now...

Now they are all grown up and they don't need to be tucked into the back seat of the car anymore, with favored stuffed animals in their laps and a TV and VCR strapped precariously to the center console.  I don't have little hands to hold while standing under the starry sky and watching a full moon rise.  No tiny ears to whisper ghost stories to while the thunder booms outside our camper.  No more naked toddlers dashing up the beach.  No more little voices begging to go for a swim, go for a hike, go fishing, roast marshmallows, play flashlight tag or fly a kite.  "Mom, look at me.... Mom, mom, mom......."

Louie and I are at the lake and the kids are not.  They're at home,  finishing up their last week of school.  Yesterday was a picture perfect day.  It was hot and sunny, with huge billowing white clouds floating across the sky and a gentle breeze rippling the water.  I paddled out to the mouth of our bay and sat in the sun, while tears leaked out of my eyes.   No Chablis paddling next to me in her pink kayak, moaning because I'm getting tanner faster than she is.  Tony's computer stuff isn't strewn all over the cocktail table in the front room.  Televisions weren't blasting from 2 different rooms.  I gathered up some firewood, but somehow it's not the same.  Usually Chablis is tagging along next to me, and I'm stacking logs in her arms.  Tony is always trailing us in the gator so we can toss the wood into the back of it.  Later tonight I'll be forced to start the fire by myself.  That's usually Tony's favorite job when we're at the lake.  Making s'mores tonight just won't be as much fun.

A new chapter is starting in my life.  Chablis graduates from college at the end of the month.  Tony just finished his first year of college.  I've spent 22 years raising 2 great kids.  I tried really hard to teach them right from wrong, to trust and believe in God, to fend for themselves.  It's been 22 years of being a mom and training them for the point in their lives where they will leave us, spread their wings, make their own way.  I think we did a good job.  I know I have to let them fly.

But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

I know they have to grow up and do their own thing.  Please don't tell me it's part of life, or that new things are waiting for me around the corner.  I know I'll soon have the freedom to do what I want, when I want.  I know they will still come to the lake when they can.  But for today, well, I just want to cry.

Worked out for the first time in weeks?

Worked out for the first time in weeks?   Little sore?

Anyone who has done demanding physical exercise for the first time in weeks/years knows how painful the day after is. To be honest, a lot of people will stop working out because it hurts so bad. I even know a few people like this.

(google images)

When people exercise they are actually breaking down muscle tissue and during recovery is when the body repairs the muscle and makes it stronger. Unfortunately, if your muscles are not commonly used to such an extent they will ache for a couple days after the workout. However there is actually a secret to stop the pain from re-occurring. Its actually very simple. Do not stop exercising for an extended period of time. When your muscles are put through agony over and over again they will adapt, become stronger, and be used to being broken down.

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For pain after running- If your legs hurt the day after running, do not run the next day. Instead wait until your legs barely feel sore anymore. Then go for another run. Even though your legs will still be slightly sore, they will not hurt as badly as the day after your first run. By doing this your muscles will become accustomed to exercise and they will gradually no longer hurt the day after. This will only take 1-2 weeks in most cases. One important thing to remember is to try to eat a good amount of protein because the amino acids in protein are the building blocks of muscle and will be the thing your body will need to repair the muscle adequately.

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For strength training- This is slightly more complicated. I suggest only training a muscle group once a week giving that muscle 7 full days to repair. I suggest something like this Monday- back/biceps, Tuesday-off day, Wednesday- triceps/chest/shoulder/traps, Thursday-off, Friday-legs, Saturday/Sunday- off. By training like this you would be working each muscle group directly as well as indirectly ( training back directly train biceps indirectly and vise versa and so on and so forth). This will also allow adequate recovery time.

(google images)

If you are looking to lose body fat I also suggest low or high intensity cardio on off days ( whichever ones you wish - it could be all off days or it could be 1 off day). It is also very, very, very important that you eat a meal high in protein and high in complex carbs less than an hour after getting out of the gym otherwise your muscles could break themselves down for energy because so much was used during the workout.  40-50g protein and 50g-70g of carbs. Doing this will also make soreness far less severe. This is only for weight training days or days with high intensity cardio.

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You will also notice that the day after weight lifting you will be extremely sore and it is common to still be sore the next week by the time you are supposed to hit that muscle group again. If this occurs go ahead and do the workout and by the following week you will no longer get sore after lifting.

Protein is very important when it comes to strength training so be sure to eat a lot of it! In my honest opinion weight lifting is the best way to lose body fat because it burns an enormous amount of calories. Also, for every pound of muscle that is on your body you naturally burn 50 more calories a day. This is why body builders who are 200+ pounds can eat literally over 5000 calories a day and stay ripped.

Tip- Try eating 5-7 smaller meals a day instead of 3 big ones. I think you will find that you have more energy throughout the day as well as stay fuller and more satisfied.

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Please, if anyone has any specific questions, email us and I will dedicate an entire post to your question.  I want to write about issues that will relate directly to YOU!  Remember, if you have a question, other people are probably wondering the same thing.  Let's all help each other.

A Life Changing Experience

This is my son, Tony.....

If you had to guess, what do you think he has in common with this kid?

The correct answer is EVERYTHING because they are the same person.  I am going to share a very personal story with you today, one that makes me choke back tears of emotion.  I am doing this with Tony's permission because it was a journey of discovery, perserverance and dedication.  It is Tony's story of TRIUMPH and VICTORY!

This is Tony in March of 2009, on his 16th birthday. 

Tony wasn't always overweight.  When he was born he only weighed 6 and a half pounds.  He was a small and thin kid until 5th grade.  That was not an easy year.  He changed grammar schools, his best friend moved away, and his older brother had cancer.  Tony's response to all the turmoil in his life was to sit on his computer and play Runescape, sit alone in his room and play his playstation and eat a lot.  He drank several cokes per day.  He loved pizza, and nachos and chicken McNuggets.  And cookies.  And chips.  But not fruit or salad - ever.  You get the picture.

As Tony's mom I was frustrated and a nag.  I was constantly after him to stop eating, eat less, eat right, drink water, eat an apple, don't eat after 7 at night, eat a proper breakfast.  Ugh.  I tried everything to help him lose weight.  He tried baseball and basketball, I made him exercise and go bike riding.  But to tell you the truth, Tony was a grazer and every time he walked through the kitchen he was eating.  And the more I bugged him about it, the more he would sneak food into his room and eat in solitude.  It was a vicious and frustrating cycle.  Tony would occasionally try a diet but after a week of starving himself he would step on the scale and see that he hadn't lost a pound for his efforts and it would send him reeling back to the kitchen and back to his bad eating habits. 

This is Tony on his 17th birthday and this is the one picture that totally breaks my heart.  Does this look like a happy kid to you? 

About 2 months later Tony came to me and told me he wanted to go back on a diet.  He said he wanted to do it HIS way with no interference from me and he said he was determined to lose some weight this time.   Frankly, I was at the end of my rope and I was ready for him to try just about anything.  Honestly, he had tried losing weight so many times that I wasn't holding out much hope for this attempt either.  I told him to do what he had to do as long as he didn't starve himself.  Silently I said a prayer to God to PLEASE just let this kid lose some damn weight this time.

Day 1  Middle of May 2010  Weight 215 lbs

When Tony started this diet he was close to wearing XXL shirts and size 40 pants.  He was wearing larger clothes than his father.  At this time he had about 2 weeks left of his Junior year in high school. 

At first his diet consisted of cutting out ALL junk food like candy, cookies, chips, coke and fast food. He mainly ate fruit for breakfast, small lunch of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and dinner was pasta, steak, chicken or pork chops.

At the end of 2 weeks he had lost 11 pounds.  He went to his Junior Prom with a girl "friend" but this was actually the girl he really wanted to date.  Remember this because we'll come back to this later.  This is Tony in his first tux.  Nobody had noticed yet that he had lost any weight.

By the end of June 2010 he was starting to see some small results.  His tee shirts were actually starting to sag on him a little.  I also noticed that he was beginning to get out of the house more and doing things like fishing  and going for long walks.

Fourth of July weekend found him out on a jet ski with a smile on his face and down to size large shirts and 36 pants.

His meals by now were consisting of basically the same as before, no junk food at all, but he was doing a lot more exercise.  Any time he wanted a snack he ate an apple.  He ate a LOT of apples.

I think the real turning point for Tony came when he started his Senior year of high school.  When school started back up at the end of August kids were coming up to him and asking him how much weight he had lost.  One teacher actually asked him if he was sick.  Tony started going to the gym every day after school and working out for an hour to an hour and a half.  By this time he weighed 175 pounds and his old jeans no longer stayed up around his waist.



Around this time I started to notice a huge difference in Tony's outlook and attitude.  He started researching nutritional values of the food he was eating, looking at protein powders and taking vitamins.  He expanded his workout methods to include a punching bag and doing sit ups.   And suddenly he started dating.  Remember that girl I told you about?  The one he took to the prom as a friend?  The 2 of them were starting to spend more time together.

By Christmas Tony had lost 70 pounds and weighed 145 pounds.

Slowly, but surely, Tony was taking control of his life.  And he was smiling a whole lot more.  Kids at school were asking his advice in the gym and telling him how good he looked.  By January 2011 he had lost a total of 80 pounds and weighed 135.  By his 18th birthday in March 2011, he was wearing a size small shirt and size 32 pants.  By then Tony and Alex had been dating 6 months.

Tony's diet consisted of oatmeal, egg whites and natural peanut butter for breakfast.  Lunch is whole grain bread with turkey and fresh spinach OR a peanut butter sandwich, some almonds, veggies like broccoli, celery or a salad.  And dinner is usually chicken, pork chops, steak, tilapia or salmon with whole wheat tortilla's, whole wheat pasta or oatmeal.  This diet new eating habits for life really works for him.

By the beginning of April 2011, Tony had maintained his weight of 135 for over 3 months and had started building up some muscle mass.  Here's Tony in a pair of his old jeans.... No shit - can you believe this kid????

Remember last year when Tony went to his Junior Prom?  He weighed 215.  This year, for his Senior Prom, he weighed 135 pounds and went with the girl he always wanted! 

Now doesn't that smile on his face just sum it all up?

So here he is at his graduation, 80 pounds lighter and so much happier.

He and Alex have been dating for 11 months.  He has maintained his current weight successfully for 7 months.  He has learned how to eat properly and how to incorperate exercise into his life.  He lives by a few basic rules..... Be active every day.  Eat healthy when possible.  Have an occassional cheat meal on a day when you are overly active.  Find a strong motive to keep you on course.  Always believe in yourself.

I can't begin to tell you how proud of him I am.  He did it all himself.  He is happier and healthier than he has ever been.