A couple of weeks back I got an email with a deal to purchase a pair of Zensah compression socks at 50% off.  The deal was through a Groupon-like website called Schwaggle by Active.com.  The compression socks retail for $49.99, so for $25, this was a great deal.

I have been wearing the Zensah compression leg sleeves for a couple of years and have been going back & forth on trying the socks out for a while.  My feet are very persnickety when it comes to footwear of all sorts ever since I first suffered from plantar fasciitis in May 2010.  I can only tolerate certain socks and wearing any shoes other than my running shoes is hard, though I did finally find a pair of shoes to wear while running errands that work for me (I’ll share those at a later date).

Once I decided to go for it, I couldn’t decide which color to buy.  I loved the hot pink & the argyle, but I ended up settling on the hot pink.

Sassy, right? 

Normally I run at the gym at 5 AM, but couldn’t help but put on my new socks & hit the road Wednesday after I got these in the mail.  Who needs rest days, right?  I am thrilled with these socks!  They give just enough support without being too tight.  My feet are comfortable and even receive a bit of support in the arches, which I can definitely use having high arches. 

I have run 2 shorter runs and a 6 mile hilly run since getting these and can’t say enough good things about them.  Last week when I ran hills, my plantar fasciitis was starting to bother me part of the way through my run (only 4.5 miles that day); I didn’t have any issues this week at all.  The trail was full of gravel and uneven surfaces, which is normally a sure way to irritate my feet.  I have had these socks on all day today (during & after my run) and may never take them off. 

Check out how the socks are labeled to make sure you wear them on the right feet:

I do have 2 small complaints about these socks.

1 – Seams by the toes.  While they haven’t been overly bothersome, I can see how they may be if they aren’t positioned just right.

2 – They seem to be pilling a bit on the tops of my toes.  While this may be from usage and rubbing inside of my shoe, for the amount of money these cost, I sure hope they hold up seeing as I have only worn them 3 times.

More from Zensah:

The Zensah Athletic Compression Socks are the most innovative athletic compression socks within the athletic market. Each pair of athletic compression socks is made in Italy using seamless technology to prevent any irritation. The athletic compression socks were designed by a professional athletic trainer and feature ProGrade Compression Technology – the optimal amount of compression for athletes.

The athletic compression socks use graduated compression to increase oxygen blood flow to energize your legs prior to any athletic activity, enhance athletic performance during an athletic activity, and aid in recovery after any athletic activity. The Zensah Athletic Compression Sock will enable you to perform athletic activities at a whole new level.

The Zensah Athletic Compression Socks are the only athletic compression socks to incorporate arch support as part of the athletic compression socks – allowing your legs to last longer during athletic activities. Each pair of athletic compression socks are made with propriety Zensah fabric, which is both anti-microbial and thermo-regulating. The athletic compression socks keep your legs cool in hot weather and comfortable in cold weather.

Be sure to try the number one athletic compression socks today by Zensah!

Have you tried the Zensah compression socks?  Have you tried any other products from Zensah?  The socks can be purchased online from Zensah or from Amazon.com (on sale right now for $44.99).

Eleven years ago on this day, I married the man of my dreams.  While we have had some tough times, we are happier now than ever and I look forward to many more years together. 

Happy Anniversary baby!! 

After suffering from an eating disorder in my past, I welcomed the gluten-free diet.  Not only did I hope that it would make me feel better, but that it would help me take the focus off of calories & put it on the ingredients of what I was eating.  Recovery from an eating disorder is ongoing.  It doesn’t stop when you have gained your weight back and are no longer underweight – it goes much deeper.  I was not aware of this the first time I struggled with anorexia, but as an adult, I am now fully aware of this.  My goals for myself (my body & mind) now are to be healthy & active so that I can be around for my family as long as possible.  Being healthy isn’t just about what you put in your body, it is what you do with your body.  Eating healthy foods is definitely better than eating junk, but exercise plays just as important of a role.  I do what I can to be the healthiest person I can be, both inside & out –body and mind.  It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside if you are miserable on the inside.  There are many components to this.

Eating healthy gluten-free foods is a huge part. A lot of gluten-free replacement foods (foods that take the place of our long lost gluten-filled counterparts) are higher in fat & calories than the gluten version.  Following the gluten-free diet doesn’t have to be about finding a replacement for every food that you once enjoyed and can no longer have; it is a chance to take your lemons and make lemonade.  Discover all of the wonderful naturally gluten-free foods out there.  There are hundreds of whole, unprocessed foods that do not contain gluten and are much healthier for you than a gluten-free cupcake or muffin.  Not that there isn’t a place for treats – there is.  If you follow my blog, you know that I love chocolate, wine, jellybeans & most food in dessert form.  It is all about balance. 

Exercise.  When I was growing up I didn’t realize that exercise was an important part of being healthy.  My dad was a runner, but I didn’t think about the reasons why he ran.  Exercise, in all forms, helps keep our bones & muscles strong.  I used to think that exercise was only to help people lose weight.  I didn’t realize that it was so much more than that.  In addition to helping tone our muscles & keep our bones strong, exercise is good for the heart & mind and helps to combat certain diseases & conditions.  I was a gymnast as a child, but once I hit 14, I quit and didn’t have any regular exercise plan for many years.  I began exercising & going to the gym on a regular basis in May 2008 and have been going religiously ever since.  I didn’t start running at that point, it was only when I became bored with the elliptical that I decided to give running a try.  Once I started running, I couldn’t stop.  It was my newfound love.  After discovering how much I liked to run, it was all I wanted to do.  I didn’t want to lift weights or cross train, nope…I just wanted to run.  I quickly found out that doesn’t work quite as well as I had hoped.  Some people are natural runners.  This person is not.  After running for a period of time, I developed some chronic issues, with the most troublesome being IT band syndrome.  Turns out that my hips & glutes were weak & that was putting extra stress on my IT band.  After many PT sessions, I learned how to strengthen my weak areas and learned how important it is for me to cross train.  Cross training for me includes strength training, yoga, swimming and spinning.  I cut back my running to only 4 days/week and fill in the other days with other activities.  Following this regimen works for me.  Not only does it help keep my body healthy, but my mind, too.  This brings me to my next component….taking time for you.

We are all busy.  We are parents, spouses, employees, bosses, coaches, etc.  It would be helpful if there were more hours in the day to fit it all in, but since there aren’t, you need to get creative.  In order to get my “me time”, I get up at 4:30 AM and hit the gym at 5 AM.  I take yoga on the weekend or evening when Aaron is home with the kids.  This works for me.  You need to find what works for you.  Make “YOU” a priority.  The most important part here is scheduling time for you, just like you would schedule any other appointment.  If you plan to get up early to exercise, set all of the stuff you need out the night before to avoid wasting time in the morning (and giving yourself a chance to skip).  If you aren’t a morning person, schedule your workouts for a time that works best for you.  Commit to change and stick with it.  They (whoever “they” are) say it takes 3 weeks to change a habit.  Give yourself a month.  I found that once I implemented my early morning workouts and stuck with them, I felt like I was missing something when I skipped them.  That early morning workout has become one of the most important parts of my day – it is my therapy, my chance to think & recharge without interruption.  That alone gives me a jump start on the day. 

While the above things work for me, they may not work for everyone.  Some of the most important things are getting started & following through.  If something isn’t working for you, be it diet, exercise, relationships – do something about it.  Be proactive and take control of your life.  Being healthy is not just one of these components, it is a combination of them. 

***This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days.

Have you ever tried a kiwifruit?  Do you know the health benefits of the kiwifruit?  Hang tight, you will! Aside from being naturally gluten-free, the kiwifruit has a lot to offer.

(source)

Kiwi are in season November – May = now.  This works out perfectly for me because I have been short on fruit to put in my morning fruit bowl.  I have been spoiled with all of the summer fruits – melon (though I was avoiding that pesky salmonella-contaminated cantaloupe), berries, peaches, plums & cherries.  I have really felt like something was lacking from my bowl.  I have been including plenty of Honeycrisp apples and pears, but wanted to add something else.  I picked up some kiwi the other day and the one I had today was delicious!  I forgot how much I really like them! 

The kiwifruit is actually a Chinese gooseberry.  The most common variety has a brown, fuzzy-like skin, though there is a gold variety, too.  I peel my kiwifruit before eating, but I know of some that don’t.  I just can’t get past that texture.  Here is some more info about the kiwifruit:

What is kiwifruit?

Many people mistakenly believe kiwifruit is simply a hybrid of other fresh fruits — perhaps a combination of strawberries and melons, or bananas and mangoes. Nope, kiwifruit is actually and entirely unique fruit, born in China and cultivated today in the USA, New Zealand, Europe, Chile and dozens of others countries. There are over forty known varieties of kiwifruit, although the most widely grown and marketed around the world is the Hayward.

Can someone be allergic to kiwifruit?

There are rare cases of kiwifruit causing an allergic reaction, but there’s no reason to believe that a person’s allergic reaction to kiwifruit is any different from their allergic reaction to any other food product.

Could such an allergic reaction be caused by chemicals used on California Kiwifruit? Not likely; in fact, it’s extremely unlikely. California has the world’s tightest restrictions on the use of agricultural chemicals, and the state’s kiwifruit farmers operate in strict accordance with all regulations. Plus, most of California’s kiwifruit is, for all intents and purposes, organically grown, with no chemicals sprayed directly on the fruit under normal growing conditions.

Can you eat the skin of a kiwifruit?

Absolutely! The kiwifruit skin is completely edible and makes this nutrient-dense fruit even more nutritious! A recent study shows that eating the skin triples the fiber intake compared to merely eating the flesh. And by not peeling the skin, you preserve much of the vitamin C content as well.

People all over the world have been eating the skin for centuries with no complaints. And many find that leaving the skin on their sliced kiwifruit makes it much easier for snacking, as the skin holds each slice together.

Just like any fresh fruit or vegetable, we suggest that you wash the skin before eating since it is unknown who or what touched it before you did. So enjoy your kiwifruit, skin and all!

Hope everyone had a good Halloween last night!  We did here.  My BFF and I walked around the neighborhood with Hannah and Emma (BFF’s daughter).  Hannah was dressed as a Zebra; Emma was Ariel. Love the wig!  

e had a freak hail storm hit about 4:30 PM yesterday.  I thought for sure that the night would be ruined, but as fast as it started, it stopped and the sun came out.  In the midst of the action:

The haul:

Lots of gluten-free goodies in there for mom to help dispose of while the kids are in school.  I have to tell you guys that Hannah did the sweetest thing while we were out last night.  She walked up to a house that was giving away full size candy.  Hannah grabbed a bag of Sour Skittles and the woman warned her they were sour.  She replied “I know, I am getting these for my mom because she loves them.”  How sweet is that?  The woman gave them to her and then let her choose something else for herself.  Love my little girl! 

Jon is past the age for Trick or Treat, so he went with some friends to YoungLife and they went to Chipotle afterwards.  He was happy that they were running a special on burritos and managed to get 3 burrito bowls for $6 or $7.  He currently has lunch & dinner for the day.  LOL!  I am glad that Chipotle has gluten-free options so that he is able to go with his friends and not feel left out. 

Thanks to all who entered the Pamela’s Giveaway!  Click here to find out if you won!!

Kim