Category General

When You Can’t Catch Up

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Every day I have the best intentions. I have my schedule mapped out and tear into it like a beast. But all too frequently, one or more hiccups in the timeline mess up my perfect plans to get a plethora of things done. That being said, I move like a dynamo and get more done than the average person does, mainly because I don’t lead a normal life, and am extremely ambitious. But just when I think I am about to catch up in one area of my life, I get dumped on in another area. I suppose it’s just how life goes, but sometimes it is so maddening to see my to-do list for the day unravel despite all my efforts. It certainly doesn’t appeal to my sense of order and control.

RunningLate

I know many of you who are reading this can relate. Opportunities are blessed things, but when you can barely come up for air and you can’t attend to the most basic things like buying groceries, doing laundry, or catching enough sleep, you are teetering way off balance and need to pay attention. By no means am I suggesting that you abandon your responsibilities in favor of wanton playtime, but no one should be that busy all the time. The body and mind cannot endure such constant stress and will rebel eventually, usually through physical illness, depression or anxiety.

I have been travelling through my days at a frenetic pace lately, and can tell the stress has exerted a toll on me. So last Saturday, after I had completed my workouts and run a few errands, I just said, “SCREW IT”, and headed over to a local movie theater by myself to see “Grand Budapest Hotel”, despite the fact that I had work waiting for me at home. I happily turned off my phone and nestled into the fantasy world of the film for close to two hours. I felt no guilt whatsoever, and was completely refreshed by my little getaway.

Another thing I have just begun doing lately is sifting through all the contacts and opportunities before me, setting boundaries, and learning to say NO when appropriate. This has been huge for me, since I usually do everything in my power to please and take care of people. Though I am pretty good about putting the oxygen mask on my own face, I will often opt to make someone else more comfortable at my own expense. I have noticed that if my movement and freedom are compromised, I become extremely frustrated, yet I also understand that I often bring that upon myself. The most compelling thing about this situation is that it is one that I see over and over again with other people. It’s almost like a cosmic movement, a tendency towards losing control, taking on more than what is reasonable, and draining the body and spirit of resources instead of replenishing and supporting those resources.

My take-home message is to:

1. take a break every now and then to recharge your batteries
2. learn to say no when appropriate
3. honor yourself

The sooner you learn to achieve balance, the happier and more productive you will be.

If I Scratch Your Back, Will You Scratch Mine?

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The internet has made it incredibly easy for people and businesses to reach out to each other and cross-promote. But it also makes it easier for opportunistic people to use another person’s social media platform to boost exposure for their businesses. Though some people have been polite enough to write direct messages to me, asking if I would be willing to promote their businesses or causes, I find it rather off-putting when I don’t know the people at all. It is presumptuous to contact a personality or celebrity, throw in a compliment, then launch into, “Hey, please promote my business by sharing this link. Thanks!” with no offer of co-promotion. When was the last time you felt compelled to promote a business you knew nothing about, owned by someone who was a stranger to you, who had the balls to write to you and try to persuade you to post links all over YOUR timeline, with zero benefit for you?

Let me be very clear in stating that my social media platforms are MY platforms. If I choose to promote a business, it is because I know and respect the people who run it, and I know about their products and services. All those elements must be in place. I refuse to promote a business I know nothing about. It is not my responsibility as a fitness personality to offer free advertising for businesses that want to increase their exposure. If you notice my posts on social media, I promote businesses I have had experience with and usually have worked with, so I can vouch for the quality of what they provide or sell. I will never serve as a talking head for something I do not fully believe in.
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Another thing I NEVER do is private message people asking them to promote my services. Yet I get such messages from complete strangers telling me how great their company is and how I should be nice and offer free advertising by sharing a link on my page. I would only consider such a thing if I am familiar with the company or I know and like the person who runs the company. If the person sweetens the pot by offering to cross-promote or bring me on as a compensated spokesperson, that’s even better. It’s not that I think I am all that, but please don’t expect me to be amenable to having people ride my coattails unless there is some sort of benefit. It goes both ways!

Use It Or Lose It: How I Forgot Foreign Languages

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foreign languagesI was a pretty ambitious kid and consequently managed to take Spanish, French, Latin, and Japanese during my school years. For those of you who are curious about how much exposure I had in school to each of these languages, they are as follows:

MANY years of Spanish (plus cultural exposure)
Two years of Latin
One year of French
One year of Japanese (plus cultural exposure due to my Japanese heritage)

I am so glad I took Latin in high school because it proved to be extremely helpful during medical school, but my decision to take French was primarily a way of filling up my senior class schedule. French was so easy for me that I got the the only A+ in the class. As for Spanish, I was so culturally and scholastically immersed that I approached fluency at a couple of different points. Finally, with Japanese, I wanted to have a more solid understanding of the language of my ancestors and wanted to honor my heritage.

As the years passed I found few opportunities to speak French, so I am now quite bad at it. I can read and understand about 25% of it but beyond that I am lost. I also went through a very similar experience with Japanese.

Spanish is an entirely different story because I keep finding myself in situations in which I could use my Spanish speaking and reading skills. Nevertheless, because I don’t speak it regularly, I am getting pretty rusty in my ability to converse in Spanish. Though I had learned and used medical Spanish out of pure necessity, I now rarely encounter Spanish speaking patients, so that skill is diminishing as well. What is perhaps most frustrating is when I am struggling too find the words in Spanish to say something I was so easily able to convey 10 years ago.

Like any skill, comprehension of a foreign language requires regular usage so that it is not lost. Looks like a trip to Costa Rica or Venezuela may be in order!

Craving Protein

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eating meatEver since I can remember, I have been a protein craver. As a child, I looked forward to consuming beef, lamb, chicken, tuna, eggs and turkey. While other children were begging for sweets, I would happily gnaw on a lamb shoulder bone at dinner, never thinking that dessert was something I was supposed to want after I had filled my belly with meat. I regarded chocolate as something other kids liked, but never went nuts trying to get to it. The sweet treats I preferred were always fruity and sugary, like fruit gems and Sweet Tarts, yet I never really craved those items either.

It’s funny to me how people just assume that women are carb cravers. Not this woman! As an adult, my protein cravings are stronger than ever. When I say that protein food sources are the foundation of my daily diet, I mean it. Given the choice between pasta, sweets or meat, I will pretty much always go for the meat. A common scenario is for me to suddenly crave chicken breast or egg whites while I am doing work on my computer at night. This can hit me like a ton of bricks in as little as 30 minutes after I have eaten my last meal. My body also responds very well to a high protein intake so I make sure to eat a considerable amount for my size (currently between 150 to 200 grams per day).

Even before I began competing, I was never the type of person who would go on a donut run or make huge bowls of pasta. However, the one carbohydrate source which was a staple in my diet was glutinous white rice, but it was always accompanied by a solid protein source. The primary reasons why I kept this in my diet were 1. my Japanese heritage almost required an adherence to daily consumption of white rice, and 2. it stretched my food budget. Once I began competing, sticky white rice was banished from my kitchen. I literally did a sweep through every cupboard in my kitchen and threw out every single white and processed food I owned, then never looked back.

I have seen patients, clients and friends who had previously craved carbs who, when bumping up their protein intake and cutting out sugars and processed foods, suddenly began to appreciate and crave protein. Without getting into the physiology behind such a dramatic shift, suffice it to say that protein rich diets can indeed do a body good.

No Time To Cook? Use A Slow Cooker!

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crock-potThere is a funny story about how I acquired my first slow cooker, and one which resulted in some resistance to using it for a number of years. I was living with a boyfriend who thought it would be a brilliant idea to give me a Crock Pot for Christmas that year. I am sure many of you know what a faux pas that was! I was so pissed that I refused to even unpack the item for several months, then finally relented and used it. I actually loved the convenience it afforded me, especially since I was expected to cook dinner for my man on a nightly basis. I made stews, soups, chicken, jambalaya, and didn’t have to make much of an effort to create these wonderful home-cooked meals.

Thankfully my resistance to using a slow cooker has passed! Whenever I have no time to broil or grill chicken or beef, I use my slow cooker and am always rewarded with moist, perfectly cooked meat with minimal effort. It’s a snap to throw meat into the slow cooker, add liquid, chopped veggies and seasonings, then allow the cooker to do its thing from 4 to 10 hours while I go about my day. I still prefer the awesome char that comes from broiling or grilling, but with my crazy schedule, it is often impossible to find the time to employ those cooking methods, necessitating the use of the slow cooker.

One thing I have noticed is that whenever I cook chicken breast in the slow cooker, it tends to taste the same no matter what seasonings I use. At some point I may try a brine or marinade and put the mixture in the fridge overnight to infuse the meat with flavor, then cook it with the slow cooker the following day. Once I figure out a good prep mixture, I will share the recipe on my blogsite.

There is a favorite recipe which I have for beef (particularly beef shortribs) which is absolutely delicious and incredibly simple. Cover the entire surface of the beef shortribs or roast with medium grind black pepper and rub into meat, then place into slow cooker. Chop green onions to make 1/4 cup and one shallot then set aside. Mix 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/3 cup water and 1 clove crushed garlic in a bowl, then add the green onions and shallots. Pour mixture over beef, place lid on cooker and cook for 8 to 10 hours.

You can even cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker with little effort. Simply season the bird, place in the slow cooker, add chopped vegetables, water, olive oil, garlic cloves, lemon juice and set the cooker on high heat for 4 to 6 hours. If you’re really pressed for time, you can set a rice cooker to cook brown rice so that both dishes are completely ready for you when you get home.

If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can purchase one for as little as $30 (get at least a 3 quart size). I have the 6 quart cooker which allows me to cook whole roasts and whole chickens without an issue. These gems also last a good, long time. The one that my old boyfriend gave me lasted twenty years before I had to replace it with a new model. Slow cookers will simplify your life in the kitchen!

Leucine In Older Athletes

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leucineA couple of months ago I was speaking with Ian Lauer who had just wrapped up the January 23rd edition of Physique Star Radio (Link can be found here: http://www.rxmuscle.com/physique-star-radio/physique-star-radio-2/10058-physique-star-radio-01-23-14-ian-and-dean-welcome-ifbb-pro-jason-postono-the-show-plus-jerry-brainum-is-back.html), and noted his excitement over the effects of leucine in maintaining muscle mass in older athletes. Jerry Brainum had highlighted the importance of leucine in protein synthesis pathways and had also mentioned the challenges of the older athlete in maintaining muscle mass due to early depletion of leucine stores.

In response to this information, and also since I am getting closer to 50, I decided to experiment a bit with bumping up my leucine intake. I went from 2 grams of leucine up to 8 grams per day, and have kept this up for about six weeks. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, but it seems that I am more solid and defined since bumping up my leucine intake. I haven’t changed my training intensity very much either. I am seriously considering boosting my leucine intake more as well, perhaps by another 2 to 4 grams to see if that makes a difference.

If you are considering adding leucine to your regimen, be sure to time it so that you ingest it when you take in a protein-rich meal. This will optimize protein synthesis in muscle tissue and enhance the anabolic effect. At this point I will enthusiastically support the use of leucine supplementation to preserve muscle mass in people over 40 who are involved in regular resistance training.

In conclusion, I am definitely a fan of leucine and will keep it in my regimen.

Don’t Box Me In: Labels

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Label jars not peopleLabels drive me nuts. Truly they do. I am one of those individuals who consistently does not clearly fit into a category, a fact which challenges the sense of order which some people rely on. I know that I am not a “typical” anything, so I get pretty bent out of shape when someone expresses confusion because I cannot be fit into a nicely labeled box. I find myself wanting to ask, “What is a typical (doctor, 40-something, Californian, woman, etc.) to you, anyway?”

I have never traveled the beaten path, ever. This has defined my existence from conception, which came about in a somewhat unorthodox fashion. I can’t even check one box for ethnicity on surveys due to my Asian and Caucasian backgrounds. I looked different from EVERYONE in my grade school class. I was the only 16 year old in my class at high school graduation. I experienced college in a different way, then zigzagged through all the interests I wanted to explore, applying to medical school at the age of 30. By that time, I had modeled, acted, done graphic design and fashion design, worked retail, worked office jobs, worked as a personal assistant for a celebrity, became a beauty pageant queen, worked as a fitness trainer, and worked as an optometric technician.

Even as a IFBB Bodybuilding Pro, my division (Bikini) is considered a bit controversial due to the fact that this division is constantly being redefined. I am, at the age of 47, much older than most IFBB Bikini Pros. I am one of a select few physician-Pros in the industry. I LIKE standing out in a crowd, whether it is my physical appearance, my educational background, or my life experiences which set me apart from the crowd.
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I am also intrigued by others who in similar fashion boldly contradict labels and stereotypes as they navigate through life. It is human nature to express individuality, to be recognized and set apart from the crowd. Hopefully that is something I will continue to do, since I enjoy it so much. Instead of having my footsteps muddied by those of so many others along a beaten path, I will always forge my own course.