I found this image on one of my friends’ Facebook feeds. He posts a lot of motivational stuff and this one kind of resonated with me. I don’t know where he got it and can’t source it, but if any of you want to reverse Google search, have at it! Sometimes you gotta just enjoy the words and not worry about the source, right? Although we can agree that, “the medium IS the message,” sometimes you gotta just take in the message itself. A little motivation before the weekend kicks in. Enjoy! ☯️
This is one of those fun posts where I get to explain and clarify that I am not a doctor or trained medical professional and the information contained herein is strictly for entertainment and reference purposes. Although I research things ad nauseam, and try only to quote from reputable and peer-reviewed sources, one can never be too sure. This is why I always say that anything you may be wondering about should always be discussed with your doctor or medial practitioner to ensure you don’t do something or change something that could have a serious impact on your health.
Now that I’ve gotten the pesky disclaimer out of the way, having type-1 Diabetes has meant that I’ve found myself having to consume different medications throughout my life. And a lot of these medications will come labelled with instructions or warning that can be concerning and off-putting. If you’re anything like me, you’ve likely often wondered what some of these labels mean or what happens if you don’t follow the instructions they indicate. This mostly refers to pills, but also apply to some liquid medications and can be prescription or over-the-counter. I’m going to try and address some of the top ones I’ve seen, in this post.
“Take With Food…”
Let’s start with the most basic one, and an instruction that we can find on numerous different types of prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements. I’ve learned the hard way that when a bottle indicates that certain pills should be taken with food, those instructions should be followed without exception. If you find a label that says “take with food,” this is an indication that there may be components of the pill or medication that will cause severe stomach upset, nausea or heartburn if taken on an empty stomach.
I remember one instance where I had started the habit of taking my daily multivitamin first thing in the morning. This makes sense, right? Since one should be having breakfast during the first hours of their day, it would make sense to take a capsule that needs to be taken with food during breakfast. But on a particular morning, I was running late and I popped a multivitamin and chased it with an energy drink and dashed out the door. I was minutes away from my work destination when I started to feel nauseous. It got back to the point where I began sweating and had to pull into the parking lot of a local business and threw up all over the lot.
The combination of an empty stomach and carbonated drink didn’t sit well (pun intended) and I emptied what little contents were in there, multivitamin included. Most sources I’ve found have stated that so long as you don’t take your medication no more than about 30 minutes prior to eating, it should be fine. And eating something that will adequately coat your stomach and trigger the digestive process is best. This helps your body to absorb and metabolize the medication faster and avoids the embarrassment of bystanders watching you retch all over a parking lot.
“Take On An Empty Stomach…”
Here’s the flip side… Some medications will actually REQUIRE that your stomach be empty when you take them. A supplement my doctor recently prescribed has this instruction on it, and I got curious. What, exactly, happens if your stomach isn’t empty when you take this medication. This one is what prompted this post, actually. According to a post on NHS.uk, “As a general rule, medicines that are supposed to be taken on an empty stomach should be taken about an hour before a meal, or 2 hours after a meal.”
So the big question becomes, what happens if you don’t. Although forgetting to take them on an empty stomach on rare occasions shouldn’t do harm, per se, doing it as a habit could mean that your medication won’t work as intended, could be adversely affected by certain foods or other medication or may even CAUSE adverse affects against other medications. Taking on an empty stomach allows your medication to be absorbed into your system before other foods or medications join the party to potentially screw things up.
According to a post by HealthLine.com (one of my favourite sites), “Generally speaking, it takes about 2 to 4 hours for food to move from your stomach to your small intestine.” This can depend on a variety of factors since, as you all know, every human body is different and one’s metabolism may differ from others. So if you’re starving and need to eat prior to taking these medications, you should wait at least a couple of hours to let your digestion take place, first. These days, I grab the medication that requires an empty stomach as soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning. Then, by the time I’m prepped and at work, I can take my other meds and have a light breakfast. It can be a bit convoluted depending on how busy my day is, but one’s health is worth it, right?
“Do Not Take If Pregnant, Have Diabetes, blah, blah, blah…”
This one kind of pisses me off a bit, because I see it on almost ALL over-the-counter medication, whether it’s sinus or cold meds, nasal spray, multivitamins… you name it! The everyday OTC products that people grab on the fly when they may be feeling down or trying to address a specific condition usually spit this warning out at me, every time. And yes, you should ALWAYS read the information label to anything you consume. That’s YOUR body you’re dumping that stuff into. You should know what’s contained within. But I digress…
According to an article posted in the endocrinology section of Healio‘s website, the issue is that a number of inactive ingredients contained in some of these medications can raise blood pressure or blood glucose by virtue of carbohydrates or even alcohol content. The best example is NyQuil, which includes 10% percent alcohol. Taking these medications without considering their content could mean spikes in blood sugar or raises in blood pressure, both of which can be an issue for someone with Diabetes. Depending on the labelling required by the prevailing health authorities in your respective country, you may not even be made aware of these inactive ingredients.
Just because some of these meds can raise blood sugar, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them, According to an article posted by Everyday Health (Wow, I’m heavy on the links today!), some medications that may affect blood sugars can include corticosteroids, beta-blockers, statins (which I take), Niacin, antipsychotic meds, some antibiotics and certain decongestant meds. If you have a cold and grab a generic, store-brand bottle of cold caplets, you may not be considering that the decongestant may cause a spike in your blood sugars.
All of this is to say that one should be mindful and inform themselves when taking something that may fail to work, affect something else you’re taking or affect your overall blood sugars. If in doubt, speak to your doctor before taking anything. I know that the current state of the world makes accessing one’s doctor a near impossibility (especially for something like a medication consult) but a good alternative is talking to your pharmacist. Although doctors are extremely educated and knowledgeable, pharmacists specialize in the ACTUAL pills and meds you take, and can offer insight into possible substitutions, side effects and more.
And let’s not forget the usual outlying problem, where certain medications may not directly affect insulin itself, but can affect how your body processes and uses insulin. This can be critically important for overall blood sugar control. At the end of the day, be sure to read all information available on the meds you take, consult your doctor or medical practitioner and don’t forget to test your blood sugar regularly. Forewarned is forearmed, so if you know something may cause your blood sugars to spike, you can adjust accordingly. ☯️
There’s a prevalent belief that one’s workout area needs to be elaborate, containing a vast array of different equipment and machines. One needs to have access to a bit of everything in order to ensure the best variety of exercises and the best for one’s health & fitness. People will pay through the nose for expensive gym memberships and access to equipment they would either not afford or refuse to pay for, within their home and some of the extra services like saunas or steam rooms and towel service. But that’s all a load of bullshit… And here’s why…
It may be great to have access to a wide variety of equipment. After all, I won’t be a hypocrite and try to convince any of you that i don’t occasionally take advantage of the gym at my office, since it does have the elliptical machine I enjoy using and a variety of free weights I don’t have the space to keep at home. Wake up late and need to get yourself up and going? No time for a visit to the gym? All you need is a small space, even if it’s only about 8 foot by 8 foot. In that space, you can do push-ups, squats, lunges, crunches and a wide variety of dumbbell exercises. All without the availability of gym machines and complicated and expensive equipment.
If you practice martial arts, you should be able to perform all the exercises mentioned in the previous paragraph as well as practice all of your punches, kicks and blocks from a stationary post. Doing one’s forms shouldn’t require any more space than a small, open area and doing them with a bit of oomph will have you sheathed in sweat before you know it. All of this can be done without big, expensive gym memberships or vast arrays of equipment.
Let’s not forget some of the old faithfuls, like going for a run or cycling. Even going out for a brisk walk can be a good alternative, especially if you’re on a break day or trying to nurse an injured limb back to health. Anything will always be something more than nothing, right? So, the answer to the title’s question should be that you need very little in order to focus on your fitness and make a change. There’s should be no excuse behind why you don’t exercise regularly.
So don’t wait! Whether you want to lose weight, get fit, build muscle, improve blood circulation… whatever! If you have a friend who knows martial arts, train with them! If you have a bicycle, get out and peddle! If you have a small area of open space, do some exercises at home! Jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, burpees… You can’t go wrong. If you wait until you have the money for a gym membership, your chance at good fitness may be passing you by. Food for thought…☯️
Today’s post won’t be about anything I generally write about. But sometimes you need to simply write about something you enjoy. And this post is no exception. I love neck ties. It’s a weird thing to enjoy, but I do. Years ago when I lived in the Ottawa area, I had the benefit of a couple of shops that sold nothing BUT ties. They carried every colour of the rainbow and I somehow managed to build a small collection of them, even if my array of dress shirts and venues in which to wear them were pretty limited.
In fact, for the most part a neck tie is generally worn for three functions: a wedding, a funeral or a job interview. Depending on how these events play out, any number of those three can be combined. When I got old enough that I was out in the world, I joined a police force and suddenly, any and all formal functions involved an issued dress uniform. It seemed as though my collection of neck ties was destined to sit and collect dust. Until last April, when I started a new career that involved the wearing of a suit on a daily basis. At last, my ties would have their moment in the sun.
Although most origins can depend on whose history book you’re reading, most sources seem to agree that the neck tie finds its origins in France, sometime in the 17th century. The reigning monarch of the time hired Croatian soldiers who used a strip of cloth tied around their necks in order to tie up the top of their uniform jackets. This is why the French term for neck tie, “la cravatte,” originates from the term “la Croate,” which means Croat.
Since King Louis XIV of France admired and liked the ties so much, they became a status symbol of wealth and nobility, and continue to represent neatness and order. Although they originally served a functional purpose, they’re mostly decorative and formal in modern times. People wear them as a symbol of formal dress for work, sometimes as symbols of membership in certain circles and as a symbol of financial wellbeing.
Although mostly used for formality, there’s really no bad reason to wear a tie. Even going out to coffee with friends can involve throwing on a comfortable button-down shirt and slipping on a stylish tie. But I definitely enjoy wearing them and I couldn’t be happier that I get to do so on a daily basis for work. yes, it may be a quirky thing to enjoy, but now you all know something about me you likely didn’t before. And just for fun, here’s a drawing of me as a Simpsons character with a tie. Enjoy! ☯️
“But Shawn, why would someone want to do something poorly?” I’ll get to that, maybe read the post first…. Now that I’m done being a cheeky bastard, let’s get to it. What does my title mean? Well, one should always strive to do things to the best of their abilities. This makes sense and it’s what most people try to do. But since we’re all human and we tend to fail at things, it stands to reason that absolute perfection is beyond any of us.
I recently read a thread written by someone who quoted one of their college professors saying the very thing written in my title. One of my favourite personal sayings is that anything is always something more than nothing. This applies to fitness, health, nutrition and life in general. But this person summed it up in a simple way that I think hits the nail on the head.
“But brushing your teeth for 30 seconds is better than not brushing them at all when that 2 minutes seems exhausting. Doing ten minutes of yoga is better than 10 minutes of sitting when 30 minutes of cardio sounds impossible. Changing my clothes is good when a whole shower is impossible. Standing on the porch for a few minutes is worth it after being in the house for three straight days because I don’t have the energy to go anywhere. Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. Because doing it poorly is better than not doing it.”
Now, I don’t know who this person is, and of course their thread users a combination of words instead of an actual name and I have no way to reach out to them, but que sera…. the message is sound. Having a shitty day and can’t kick in an hour of cardio? Go for a walk in the fresh air for twenty minutes instead. There’s always an alternative to things and most times, they can provide benefit to you and your well-being even if it’s less than what you usually do.
Anything is always something more than nothing. If you only have five minutes to do something you’d usually contribute an hour to, do it anyway. you’ll be better for it. And you may find that you’ll increase your time-management skills, as well. Food for thought…. ☯️
Sometime at the beginning of the summer, I wrote about trying an app called “The Conqueror Challenges.” The premise behind the use of this app is pretty simple. Once you have it installed and create an account, you can sign up for virtual marathons. These marathons (at least, that I’ve seen) have been as short as 26 kilometres all the way up to several thousand kilometres. You pay a nominal fee and you are able to choose a time limit (weekly amounts) to complete your challenge.
It’s a fun and interesting way to contribute to one’s overall fitness. The organization that runs the app plants a tree for every 20% of the challenge you complete. You get post cards and updates as you progress. For example, I completed the Mt. Everest virtual marathon, which involved travelling 64.2 kilometres. I gave myself a 3-week timeframe, but I was done within the first week. 64.2 kilometres racks up pretty fast on a bicycle.
At the end of your challenge, they ship you an actual medal depicting the challenge you were on. They’re pretty sweet, made of metal and usually have some special aspect to it specific to the challenge. For example, my “Marathon to Athens” medal has a slot with a Greek coin inside it. A reproduction, of course. But neat, nonetheless.
The app syncs automatically with my Runkeeper app and will include any distance-related workout, such as running, walking or cycling. The St. Francis Way medal you see in the photo above was 502.8 kilometres. One of the best ways that this app keeps you motivated is that you pay money but lose the medal if you don’t complete the challenge in time. Nothing lights a fire under your ass like knowing you’ll actually lose money you’ve paid, if you get lazy and skip a few days of working out. Plus, you get to learn a great deal about all the different countries that are featured in these challenges.
I’m having a blast with these and they’re definitely conversation starters for those who see them. If you’re looking for a way to keep yourself on track, I highly recommend this. As long as you keep your goals realistic. I gave myself an 8-week timeframe for the 502.8-kilometre challenge. It would have been ridiculous to try and have it done in 2! But as long as you keep it realistic and consistent, you’re good to go.
Doing things in a virtual environment is the way of the new world. Why should marathons be any different. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to increase my fitness and new ways to exercise. This one has been loads of fun and it doesn’t hurt that I get a bit of bling to brag about, after the fact. ☯️
I want to live. Makes sense, right? Most people do. Most people have the opportunity. Not many people fight for that privilege. And I know what you’re thinking…. Why should someone have to fight for the privilege of living? Well, I don’t mean fighting for the privilege of staying alive because of oppression, war or famine. I mean fighting for the privilege to live against something that came to be, completely out of one’s control. If none of you have guessed that I’m talking about Diabetes at this point, let me clarify: I’m talking about Diabetes.
One of the best things about living in modern times, is that Diabetes is no longer an automatic death sentence. If you were diagnosed with Diabetes prior to the creation and distribution of insulin, that was pretty much it. I’ve written posts about how long a Type-1 can survive without insulin, even if they completely eliminate carbohydrates and continue to exercise. So I won’t get into that part, since that’s not what this post is about. Needless to say, insulin isn’t JUST about lowering blood sugar levels.
People have often asked me why I push so hard when I exercise, or why I do so much. I’ve had folks commenting on the fact that by the time I’ve completed a workout, I look like a wet cat who got stuck in the rain. Sometimes, it’s can be belittling or condescending; as though they’re suggesting that I shouldn’t be a sweaty mess in a public place where other folks can see. It’s almost akin to those who make fun of an overweight person in the gym for trying to get in shape. Granted, not EXACTLY the same, but the concept is the similar.
I learned from a very young age that Diabetes would show me no quarter. If I let up my guard, even for a day or two, it would find a way to swoop in and make my life difficult. Maybe this difficulty would come in the form of high or low blood sugars, which typically fuck with my entire day. Or maybe it would simply make me more susceptible to illness and make my day-to-day interactions all the more dangerous. Or perhaps it’ll take something simple like stubbing one’s toe and turn it into an automatic, infected toenail. Just because it can. Diabetes shows no mercy because it has no emotion.
Fitness is an important part of ANYONE’s lifestyle. It’s no secret that someone who doesn’t exercise regularly will face a host of health problems too numerous to list here. But staying fit and active is an important part of life and all the more so for someone with Diabetes. Again, from a young age I recognized this, especially in light of my doctors telling me I’d die due to Diabetes complications before I reached my teens (I’m now well into my forties, in case you were wondering).
I guess where I’m going with this is that there are a number of different reasons to work out and go to the gym. Some people want to get fit, some want to get muscular and some want to lose weight. hell, some people go to the gym simply to be social and see certain key people they may associate with. And that’s fine. At the end of the day, whatever your reasons for training consistently will never be bad. Anything will always be something more than nothing. My point is you’ll be able to easily discern who’s training to get fit and who’s training to save their lives.
That’s what I do. I train in order to save my life. I train because if I don’t, Diabetes complications will reach me all the sooner and take away something that I need in order to live. That’s why I’ll spend an entire hour on a cardio machine at a high level and end up soaked and breathing hard. That’s why I rarely take break days or rest days. Diabetes never takes a rest, so why should I? I push myself because I’m trying to stay ahead of a condition that will ultimately end my life, despite all the therapies, despite all the available resources and despite all my efforts.
And that’s the ultimate punchline of my existence. This is a race against time and a race against a condition that I will inevitably succumb to, despite my best efforts. But like trying to outrun an oncoming tornado, I have to try. I need to give it my all because I refuse to let it take me down. I have too much to live for. I owe it to myself and to those who matter in my life. I’m fighting against complications. I’m fighting against organ failure. I’m fighting against death. Besides, I’m well aware that there are those who push and train harder than me, anyway. But my efforts are mine and mine alone.
So, the next time you see me breathing hard at the gym, it doesn’t mean I’m “out of shape” or new to working out. When you see me walking away from a machine looking drenched like an alley cat left out in the rain, it isn’t because I couldn’t handle the exercise I was doing or I was doing too much. It’s because I’m fighting for my life. And if you don’t come out of that fight bloody and covered in sweat, you’re not really fighting. And you will lose. Ask yourself why YOU do it. No matter what your reason, you should never judge someone’s efforts or appearance when trying to better themselves. Whether it’s someone trying to get slimmer or fitter or someone who is simply trying to prolong his life long enough to see his children into adulthood. Food for thought… ☯️
I spend a lot of time online and with my nose buried in books, looking up the various knowledge and materials that I use in my posts. But I often overlook some pretty important and key dates that SHOULD hold a special place in my martial arts journey, One of those dates was yesterday. While doing some research for a post, I brought up Google’s home page and noticed Google’s banner was adorned with some martial arts imagery of a dojo, practitioners in white gis, and an image of Master Jigoro Kano in the centre.
It was a clever rendition and looked nice, but considering Google frequently changes their home page banner, I thought nothing further of it. That’s a shame, because yesterday’s post really should have focused on Master Kano’s 161st birthday, which is why Google had it up. It also dawned on me, a touch too late, that this is usually WHY Google will put something up; to recognize a special day. But I digress…
For those of you who don’t operate within martial arts circles, Master Kano was the founder of Judo. Even non-practitioners are usually familiar with that term. His efforts and teachings can be recognized and remembered as being the first Japanese martial arts to use the coloured belt system employed by most Japanese and Okinawan arts, as well as many others. He was a teacher by trade, which I have no doubt would help with teaching the martial arts, and contributed to Judo being taught in public schools.
Master Kano had originally studied Jujutsu while studying in university, long before it would make it’s way across the globe and everyone would only recognize “Brazilian Jujitsiu,” which is a combination of the two aforementioned arts. He eventually began to surpass his teachers and developed his own system, naming it Judo, which means “plainly” and “the way.” Master Kano also established the Kodokan, which is his Judo institute in Japan. I had the honour of visiting this facility in 2001. It was inspiring.
Although I consider myself a karate practitioner, Sensei also holds a black belt in Judo and incorporated a lot of Master kano’s teachings into our system. Through the decades, many of the holds, pressure points and throws taught in Judo were also taught to us. That’s why our school is called the New England Academy of Karate & Judo.
A happy, belated birthday to the late Master Kano. He may no longer be with us, but his legacy has obviously endured long after his passing and will continue on. In fact, judo was the first Japanese martial art to be included in the Olympics. It makes one wonder if he ever thought, all those decades ago, just how far his teachings would reach…☯️
This is one of those instances where I’m keeping the post short in the interest of simply sharing a little motivation. I found this little paragraph online somewhere and as per usual, I can’t seem to recall where I did. I’m sure one could find it, if one chose to Google and search a bit but I’m more interested in the thought behind it than the source. Here it is…
“You Can Rise Up From Anything.
You Can Completely Recreate Yourself.
Nothing Is Permanent.
You’re Not Stuck. You Have Choices.
You Can Think New Thoughts.
You Can Learn Something New.
You Can Create New Habits.
All That Matters Is That You Decide Today
And You Never Look Back.”
I like this. It’s simple and concise, straight to the point. It’s shown as “anonymous,” so I honestly don’t know the source, but I think it speaks to the fact that it’s important to remember that life rarely cares about one’s plan. Despite that fact, one can fight and get through just about anything, so long as you give it the effort it deserves. When faced with suffering and adversity, people often give up, throw in the towel and curl into a little ball and cry. Some may even choose to lose themselves in some rather unfortunate indulgences. But these are usually only a temporary escape and never a solution.
We all have it within us to reinvent ourselves. This is not to say that you shouldn’t stick to your guns if you’re happy with who and where you are. But if you’re NOT happy, then you owe it to yourself and to those you love to fight through and make a change. It may be rough waters to navigate, but once you clear it and see the shore, it’ll be a better life. A happier life. Food for thought… ☯️
Kids are amazing and they have no shortage of clever quips and imaginative ideas. Sometimes the amount of stuff my oldest son comes up with kinda scares me, especially when he starts talking about some of the “advanced” weaponry he builds with his legos and various other toys. If he ever gets a mountain fortress and a swivelling chair while petting a white cat, we may have a world domination problem on our hands. But getting them interested in the things you do can be the biggest challenge. For me, it’s been getting my children interested in martial arts.
My oldest son Nathan had some moments of interest where he would emulate some of the movements and techniques I would practice during a given workout. It was cute, considering he used to do this prior to being a toddler. I have a great video clip where he comes out of his room and sees me training, and immediately drops into a horse-stance and does a kiai. I used to show that video to EVERYONE, as I absolutely loved the precision and ferocity he did it with.
This happened without my efforts to try and encourage him to do it. It gave me a slim hope that he would show some interest and perhaps prowess in karate and I would be able to start teaching him from a young age. I’ve seen the results of “forcing” children into karate, firsthand. The results are never positive. For this reason, I’ve always been an advocate of allowing children to make their own choice when it comes to sports and extracurriculars. That being said, Nathan has never shown an interest in learning beyond the occasional bout of floor grappling or “wrestling.”
When my second son, Alexander was born, he began to show some active interest almost immediately. As soon as he was able to walk without falling over, he would follow me around and do what I do. At only 2-year’s old, he currently practices punches, kicks and even lifts little 3-pound weights when I do resistance workouts. Although letting a small child use weights isn’t ideal, 3 pounds isn’t significant and it’s hilarious watching him do arm curls, trying to imitate me. Watching him on the punching bag is even better.
Beyond both of these scenarios of ultimate cuteness and adorability, one of the biggest issues is finding the time to do a proper workout when you have two small, rambunctious children clambering all over your legs. A good example was a few nights ago, when I was trying to do a short, weight workout in the living room. I’ve bring doing this push-up challenge called “Bring Sally Up,” lately (it’s been going well, BTW. Thanks for asking…) which requires the use of YouTube, since that’s where the video is. I prepped myself with a pair of shorts and a dry-fit hoodie with the hood up, which allows me to retain more heat and get a better sweat on.
The push-up challenge is about three and a half minutes long and at about the first minute mark, I raise my head just a touch to see a tiny, red-headed grin peeking into my hood. Hilarious, but obstructive. Then, as I was working through a set of dumbbell exercises, he was trying to emulate them with his 3-pounders. It would have been adorable if not for the fact that he was crowding my space and I had to keep moving or altering my sets in order to keep from cold-clocking him with a dumbbell.
I got the workout done, but it goes a long way towards showing how exercising with children involved can be complicated. The important thing is not only teaching children proper fitness safety as it pertains to proper stretching, not overdoing it and the dangers of the equipment you use, but trying to get it done for yourself in a safe, controlled manner. Kids don’t always get the potential dangers of exercise, especially with equipment. There’ll always be an excuse NOT to exercise but your children shouldn’t be one of them. ☯️
The Blogging Buddhist 