Sensei always says that karate is a puzzle with a million pieces; the only way to ensure you learn is to take home one new piece, every night. I’ve always felt that this applies to almost anything in life, but it’s particularly true where it involves karate. To the average layman, karate may look simple and it may be assumed that it’s all kicking and punching. In reality, there are multiple moving parts (pun fully intended) behind learning and developing one’s skills in karate.
I bring this up because I recently read a post online that basically says that you need everything to learn karate. You need kata, you need limited, you need sparring, you need drills, etc… And that’s quite accurate. You need all aspects of the art in order to achieve mastery over it. Depending on how spiritual you find yourself, you may understand that one truly never completely masters karate. There will always be SOMETHING to learn. But I’m referring to karate in its most simple and general terms.
What I mean by this and why I bring it up, is that one can’t choose to “specialize” in karate. I’ve known students and practitioners who were far better at sparring than they were at learning and developing their katas. Unfortunately, they need their katas no less than the one who seems to be poetry in motion while doing them. Learning the foundation of proper form before jumping into sparring is integral to one’s safety and proper self-defence; not least of which is the need to learn the art properly.
I’ve seen students who depend solely on form. They make their way through the lessons without ever making contact with a target or another practitioner. This is also a flawed approach, as karate requires the practitioner to experience the sensation of the impact of their strikes, to develop muscle memory and to learn how to have proper bone alignment so you don’t break every fucking bone in your hand because you decided to throw a punch! Form alone won’t get you there…
That’s why it’s so important to get all the pieces of the very large puzzle that is karate. You need form. You need sparring. Hell, you need cardio and muscle development. Meditation, proper nutrition, proper sleep… I can go all day, the point is, the are many moving parts to ensuring that your martial arts journey not only safe and effective but a good use of your time. You may like the look and feeling of pounding away on the punching bag. You may even be quite fast and good at getting that strike out. But it will serve you quite poorly if you haven’t learned the proper form to get the result you need from that strike. So be sure to collect all your pieces. A puzzle with a missing piece looks terrible, indeed. ☯️
I absolutely love this post! I consider it to be one of the best-written and important posts I’ve ever drafted and when I mention this to some of my readers and/or followers, it usually catches them by surprise. Perhaps they believe that my endearment should be reserved for posts about martial arts or even Diabetes. But the truth is, the contents of this post cover a lot of the bases: nutrition, health and requirements of the body, which all play an integral role in maintaining proper health for Diabetes and ensuring one can train and develop their fitness acumen. So read on, if you haven’t. Scroll on by if you read it last year…
I consider the consumption of vitamins and minerals to be an important part of maintaining one’s health. It’s no surprise that modern nutrition is sorely lacking in most people and with every reposting of this material, I’m reminded of the importance of taking a steady multivitamin on a daily basis; a fact my doctors keep reminding me, as well. With the colder weather hitting our area and everyone’s immune system taking a hit, vitamins and supplementation are very important. So, bearing in mind that I’m not a doctor or nutritionist, here’s what I posted all the way back in June of 2019. Enjoy!
One of the key reasons behind the consumption of food is to obtain carbohydrates for energy. The human body requires energy to carry on normal functions and, well… stay alive! But what else do we get from the food we eat? A proper diet will also include a number of vitamins and minerals that we require to maintain proper health, growth and energy levels within the body. We’ve all heard about getting enough vitamins from a young age. I remember getting my Flintstones vitamin everyday as a kid.
But if you’re like most people, you’re likely wondering what these vitamins are for and what they do. My goal is to cover off the main ones here:
Vitamin A: This is an all-around vitamin that provides a number of functions including but not limited to the proper health of various bodily functions, tissues and helps to fight chronic disease and is known to be good for the eyes.
Vitamin B: This one is a bit complicated, as there is a large grouping of enzymes, vitamins and minerals that fall under the “B” category. In general, B-vitamins are used for energy production, immune function and absorbing iron. Some them include B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B9 (folate) and B12. There are a few more that I can’t recall, but B12 is considered amongst one of the most important of vitamins overall because it helps you turn food into energy.
Vitamin C: At some points, this one has been referred to as the sunshine vitamin. I’m thinking that’s mostly because people’s main source of Vitamin C is from citrus fruits. But this vitamin also helps with iron absorption, immune function and is a natural antioxidant that helps with the elimination of free radicals. Eating citrus fruits are also what sailors used to eat on long voyages to prevent scurvy.
Vitamin D: This vitamin helps with the strengthening of bones and teeth. Our bodies are designed to self-generate this vitamin naturally through exposure to sunlight, but obviously that needs to be done in small doses. Modern life has created an environment where more people spend their time indoors, away from the sun. So supplementation becomes important.
Vitamin E: A pretty straight forward vitamin, this one helps with proper blood circulation and clear skin.
Vitamin K: This vitamin is essential for blood-clotting. In order words, if you’re deficient in this vitamin, small cuts or injuries can cause excessive bleeding that can become dangerous.
Folic Acid: We hear people speak about this one as being necessary during pregnancy. And they would be correct! Folic Acid helps to prevent certain complications during childbirth but is important to everyone for proper cell renewal. This one is also known as Folate, or Vitamin B9 (as listed above).
Calcium: Most people should be familiar with this one. Teeth and bones, people! Teeth and bones! Good calcium levels are required to keep those body parts healthy.
Iron: This helps to build muscle tissue naturally and helps with proper health of the blood. As an interesting sidebar, it’s also what makes your blood red through the reflection of light!
Zinc: Immunity and Fertility. I’m a little unfamiliar with this one and haven’t had the opportunity to research it a great deal.
Chromium: This one is near and dear to my heart. Because it helps to control blood sugar levels. Chromium is what helps all the systems of your body to get the energy they need when they need it. Some traditional medicine practitioners will suggest Chromium supplements for Type 1 Diabetics who may have difficulty in maintaining proper levels.
Magnesium: This one helps your body to absorb all the other vitamins and minerals. It also acts as something of a relaxant to muscle tissue and play a role in proper muscle contraction.
Potassium: This mineral helps with the proper hydration of your body and helps to control blood pressure.
There are many others of course, but I’ve tried to cover off the main vitamins and minerals required for a proper diet. We get most of what we need by eating regularly and including a variety of healthy foods. A lot of people take a daily multi-vitamin, which is fine. But unless you are experiencing symptoms or unexplained illnesses, there shouldn’t be a need to actively try and take added amounts of anything. Your medical practitioner should be able to advise you if further supplementation is required. For example, patients who are recommended to take Folic Acid and Iron during pregnancy.
Obviously, all of this is extremely important; not only for proper health and fitness, which is important to me, but to help with Type 1 Diabetes as well. Taking a daily multivitamin can help to ensure that your body gets everything it needs, in combination with carbohydrates, lean proteins and fibre. My wife Laura originally gave me the idea for the post I wrote in 2019 when she asked about B-vitamins. Every time I re-post this material, I think of her. The credit for this post is all her! ☯️
One of the questions I’ve often been asked, especially when speaking with other prospective martial artists, is which technique I feel is the best in an actual fight situation. This is a loaded question and one that is almost impossible to answer. The reason for that is that most traditional martial arts have enough techniques to make choosing only one seem a bit like trying to identify one’s favourite drop of water in a lake. It’s all water, it all gets you wet… Choosing one makes very little difference. The same can be said of a martial arts technique. Every technique has its use, its place and its function. Each also has its own set of advantages and disadvantages that people don’t necessarily consider when using them, which is a bit of what I’m going to try and touch on within this post.
If you would have asked me twenty years ago, I likely would have said that the roundhouse kick was my favourite technique. It had reach, it had flexibility in its application and could be applied to anywhere along the vertical axis of an opponent’s body. It also had the look of karate; meaning that one could almost channel their inner Van Damme while performing it, without having to completely leave the ground. However, as the years have dragged on and one’s flexibility and reach diminishes with time, delivering an effective roundhouse kick becomes less and less possible. Although a solid roundhouse kick will provide an effective result when applied to the legs, I have a tendency to unfortunately pull more muscles than I strike these days, when using the roundhouse kick. It also doesn’t seem to have as much of a range as it used to, likely as a direct result of that lack of flexibility.
This can be said of most kicks, considering that as one gets older, muscle tissue has less flexibility and requires more time to stretch and warm up before explosive use. But in a real fight situation, there IS no time to warm up and stretch. The idea is meant to be that one should train and develop consistently in order to be able to rely on muscle memory in the event a technique needs to be used. But even consistent training will not keep up with the ravages of time and age. But enough about me being old. The reality is that I’ve never been a fan of kicking as a general rule. That likely sounds odd, coming from a karateka but the reality is that in a real fight, lifting your feet off the ground, even for a brief moment, can mean the difference between getting out of a sticky situation or finding yourself taken to the ground where your opponent may cause unexpected damage and injury. A bleak thought? You fuckin’ right it is! And accurate. We ain’t talking about a knitting circle, here…
My style has always focused on close in, small circle techniques that require your opponent to actually be within your reach. I’ve trained with other styles and I’m certain there’s value in it for them but I really don’t see the value in trying to cross half a room to deliver a punch. In my world, if you’re outside my reach, I’m outside your reach and there’s no reason to strike and/or block. To any practitioner of Uechi Ryu, this would make sense. When I see someone in a lowered leaning stance, stepping almost five feet forward, simply to throw a punch at an opponent who would no doubt see them coming, I cringe for the art! I’m sure there are technical practicalities to it, including flexibility and leg strength and a bunch of others. My point is that I’ve been trained that trying to strike an opponent that’s outside your reach is a waste of energy and potentially opens you up to being struck, yourself, which brings us to punches…
Punches in any variety are by far the techniques that I’ve worked the most with. In any variety or form, a punch is direct, effective, easier to aim and can deliver an impact to anywhere on an opponent’s body. Given the nature of one’s hands, you can deliver a punch with the front of the knuckles, back of the knuckles, ridge knuckles or even some limited jabbing strikes with the fingers, if you’re brave enough. Punching is the safest means to deliver a strike to an opponent who is in reach, while maintaining one’s balance and stability by leaving both feet on the ground. Not exactly the flashiest or movie-worthy of techniques, but certainly the best. Of course, as with all things in life, there is a negative to the positive and punching is no exception. The human hand contains more than two dozen bones…
When you consider all the metacarpals and phalanges in the human hand, punching poses a particular risk; a broken bone will incapacitate the hand and likely render it unusable for the remainder of the fight. It isn’t like in the movies where, after getting their hand broken, the protagonist continues to fight and even use the broken hand. Although this is cinematically fantastic, it isn’t very realistic. If you break your hand, you have a number of obstacles to deal with, if the fight hasn’t concluded. This includes debilitating pain and potentially shock. Fighting while in shock is nearly impossible, as the whole point is that your body is trying to conserve energy and blood flow as a result of an injury. So all those times you’ve seen an action hero punching someone repeatedly in the skull is highly unlikely, as well. Punching requires a certain level of precision that’s necessary to ensure that you don’t strike something hard that will damage your hand or break bones.
So, what’s the verdict on this? What do I believe to be the best technique to use in a real fight? All things being equal and if I’m being realistic, there is none. This is the big reason why it’s generally best suggested to NOT get into any fights to start with. That way, it’s a problem you don’t need to have. However, the reality of life is as such that you may not always have that choice. And if you’re backed into a corner and your only choice is to fight or be injured, only a proper combination of blocking and striking will prove effective and trying to get yourself out of that jam. You’ll likely get injured… Let’s be clear; being in a fight is harmful, whether you are delivering the strikes or are on the receiving end. The nature and severity of those injuries is what you need to consider. So, although you may train to fight, the most successful martial artist is the one who consistently sharpens their skills without ever having to use them. Food for thought… ☯️
One’s health and fitness has many moving pieces and sometimes it can be difficult to navigate the vast plethora of bullshit that you can find online nowadays. I say this with the firm understating that I’m reaching you now through an online medium, but I stand by my statement. Even if you set aside all the misinformation or pseudo-science that can be found online, it’s important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another. What’s more is, doing things wrong may cause more harm than good.
This seems like a good time to remind everyone that I’m not a medical practitioner, dietitian or have many formal training. This post is intended solely as my opinion, based on my own experiences. talk to your own doctor before contemplating anything mentioned here. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let’s talk diets and fitness. For most people, dieting generally means either cutting the amount of food you eat or eliminating certain food groups that one may have read contributes to overall weight gain.
The problem with the former, is many people believe that cutting the amount of food they eat will automatically make them lose weight. Although this can occur in some situations, it can also have the opposite effect. Because the human body is programmed to keep you alive no matter what, eliminating your food intake or starving yourself, will usually result in your body hoarding away what you DO eat as fat, which it will then use to sustain you should there be another long period without food. Depending on your metabolism, one should rather examine HOW one eats as opposed to trying to eliminate HOW MUCH they eat.
Another big problem is depending on the almighty scale. People tend to measure progress on the number staring back at them from a scale, but that can be deceiving, as well. The problem includes the fact that if you’re building mass as a result of exercising more frequently, that scale may not be your friend. The whole “muscle weighs more than fat” concept is total bullshit! A pound of fat or a pound of muscle is still one fucking pound. I will die on THAT hill.
But even if you’re waistline is slowly getting smaller, your muscle mass may be getting bigger, which could be why you aren’t seeing the results you want. It’s important to remember that you need to incorporate ALL factors into your fitness journey, including what comes in, what comes out, your weight, your diet and your exercise routine. Each person is unique and even though your neighbour has lost tons of weight from fasting doesn’t mean that will work (or is safe) for you.
I happen to be dealing with my own weight-loss journey at the moment, where I’m dealing with that very scenario. A certain change that one of my martial arts counterparts has tried showed great success and seems to be working for me, as well. More on that in the near future but the important thing to rememher is if you’re dieting, be sure to control aspects such as portion size, frequency of meals and HOW you consume your food. People don’t seem to recognize the amount of damage one can cause by simply trying NOT to eat in order to lose weight.
For example, there’s a reason you need to consume food. Carbohydrates provide a primary source of energy for the body. You know, energy? That thing you need to stay alive and do ANYTHING??? Completely cutting carbs prevents that. Other aspects, like include proper levels of finer and protein, to help with the proper growth and repair of muscle tissue and the normalization of your elimination systems. This means that if you do something du,b like eat nothing but protein, you’ll stop yourself up like a loaded subway car during peak hours in Tokyo. Not pretty…
The key to it all, is balance. Just like you should be taking regular breaks from fitness to allow the body to heal, you also need to find the means to control your portion sizes and still get all the food groups and nutrients you need in order to stay healthy. Fad diets are usually just that; a fad. The complete elimination of entire food groups should be avoided, unless done on the advice and guidance of a medical professional. And for light’s sake… Don’t STOP eating in order to lose weight. To somewhat quote The Mandalorian, this is NOT the way…
To say that I can occasionally become overzealous with some of my workouts would be a severe understatement. Anyone who has done sparring or drills with me in the past ten years could attest to this. In my home dojo, Sensei always focused on the fact that strength and accuracy, as well as speed, were important for EVERY strike. This means that if you spend a full minute striking a surface like a pad or a punching bag, one should strive to make even the last strike as strong as the first. We all know that once fatigue sets in, this can be a difficult task.
My point, despite the very detailed rant above, is that I always try to strike at full strength while training. I don’t do this against my sparring partners, of course but on pads and punching bags, all bets are off and I make a point of hammering as hard as I humanly can. Although this sounds like a good idea in practice, it can cause some difficulty. For example, going full out will often cause a lack of precision and form, which will affect the overall effectiveness of your technique. But what we’re talking about today, is when one manages to damage their equipment…
The unfortunate, busted stitching on my punching bag…
Last week, during a rather spirited session on the punching bag while listening to my favourite instrumental group, Two Steps From Hell, I somehow managed to deliver a strong enough impact to the bag to bust some of the stitching. I didn’t necessarily realize this until I had completed my workout but I was certainly grateful that the inside wasn’t a bunch of beans or beads that came pouring out once the lining was damaged. As it stands, it appears as though the interior bag is sound and solid, which means I can likely try and find a way to re-stitch the damage or simply do what every other striker does, which is wrap the main body of the bag with duct tape.
That being said, it did bring to mind the importance of ensuring that one’s fitness equipment is sound and undamaged before use. This can be especially important if you’re using some sort of machine or even something that you balance or stand on. In my case, the worst that would have happened is the bag would have collapsed and become unusable. If it’s the welds or mechanism on a weight machine or an exercise machine like a bike or elliptical, one could be in potential danger if one continues to use these items while they’re damaged.
When one decides to hammer out a workout, one will often jump into it without necessarily checking and confirming the safety of their equipment. I’ve certainly been guilty of this a number of times. There hasn’t been an invasion, ever, where I’ve used a public or hotel gym that I’ve double checked the soundness of the machines before I dove in. The damage to my punching bag has certainly made me rethink that approach, as damaged equipment can easily lead to injury.
Much in the same way a driver should do a quick walk around of their vehicle to confirm no flat tires or visible damage to their vehicle, a person should always do a quick check of their equipment prior to working out. This can prevent potential injuries or further damage to the equipment or the surrounding area, should there be damage, of course. Food for thought… ☯️
Maintaining one’s fitness is an ongoing battle, usually with absolutely no end on sight. Usually and for the most part, people develop and maintain a routine for themselves that isn’t always conducive to proper fitness. one of the big realities, and the one people tend to overlook the most, is that rest is just as important and integral to one’s fitness journey as staying consistent and committed. And foregoing appropriate rest can have some nasty effects on your overall health as well as your fitness goals.
When you have Type-1 Diabetes, proper exercise and maintaining one’s fitness becomes an entirely different kind of fight. Without proper, consistent exercise, blood sugars can run amok, your health will decline and your condition will be all the harder to manage. Granted, some of that can happen even if you DON’T have Diabetes, but I do, so I tend to focus on that. The problem is that you can go past consistency and slowly stray into working out TOO much.
Our bodies are designed to respond to physical exertion in a number of different ways. When it comes to building muscle, growth is achieved by exerting the muscle tissue to the point where micro tears occur. Through the healing process and the proper consumption of protein, fibre and water, the muscle tissue grows back at an increased size to compensate for the level of exertion the body noted during the previous workout. This only part of the aches and pains that one might feel after a significant workout.
The issue comes into play when those aches and pains grow severe enough that you lose mobility or use of those particular muscle groups. For example, if you had a wicked leg day and the following morning, you can barely walk, this means that you’ve over-exerted yourself and you should consider taking a period of rest and treating the affected area with heat and/or cold to aid in the healing process. To continue to work out and exercise in those circumstances can lead to injury, which would require longer recovery time and some circumstances, medical intervention.
So, what can or should be done in these types of circumstances? Well, some people rotate the muscle groups that they exercise. This means that if they do leg exercises today, they may do arms and chest tomorrow. That kind of thing. That’s a good practice to have, regardless of the level of exertion that you put yourself through, especially since you should work towards developing the body as a whole and not necessarily focus on only one aspect. But it’s important to bear in mind that resting one particular part of your body isn’t always enough. N o matter you’re level of commitment or your goals, you sometimes need to allow the body as a whole to get some rest.
A strong, consistent fitness habit will help to ensure better health, better weight management and better overall blood sugar control. proper exercise contributes to better blood pressure, better sleep habits and has been shown to improve one’s overall mood. Although having a fixed routine doesn’t always work for every person as each of us is different, there’s always a way to work towards something that works for you. Just remember to drink plenty of fluids, get adequate rest and don’t push your body beyond the warning signs it’s giving you. You’ll recover faster and although you may think that working out none-stop will get you to your goals faster, it’s good to remember that sometimes, slow and easy wins the race. Food for thought… ☯️
Growing up, my household had a bit of a wash, rinse and repeat approach to meals. For the most part and being raised by a French Acadian mother meant that feeding a group of people involved tossing meat, potatoes and veggies into a giant pot and boiling it until it became mush. usually served with dinner rolls and pickled beets, this was also the ONLY meal my grandmother ever served; a testament to a leaner time when wartime families had to feed a dozen people or more at every meal.
As grateful as I am for having had the opportunity for a warm plate on my table growing up, there’s no arguing that it seriously influenced how I choose to consume my meals now, as an adult. Throughout school, I was always burdened with the same ol’ peanut butter sandwich without the benefit of adding jelly, due to the sugar content. It became tedious and boring and i usually dreaded lunch time as something to get through as opposed to a period to sit, enjoy a meal and contemplate the events of the day. Things have changed…
As an adult, I find myself dealing with the same challenge of bringing lunch for myself that doesn’t involve something generic and won’t throw a significant curve ball against my blood sugars. I usually have breakfast AND lunch at work, which allows me to get to work a bit early so that I can get a jumpstart on my day. This morning for example, I had a leftover boiled egg from yesterday’s potato salad. carb-free and filling enough to get me through my morning, it was a good option.
So what about lunch? The big problem I had during my youth is that the classic sandwich poses logistic issues that, from a flavour standpoint, can’t be ignored. If one makes their sandwich first thing in the morning and includes all the constituent parts, t you run the risk of having things sit and meld together in a way that may cause your bread to get soggy or the flavours of certain ingredients to change, once they absorb some of the others. Refrigerating a sandwich over several hours will also tend to alter the flavour and let’s be honest, who really thinks a cold sandwich is tasty?
The alternative is simple; be willing to do some assembly DURING your lunch hour. I’ll use yesterday as an example. I packed a large, flour tortilla into a sandwich bag. provided they’re fresh, they’ll be plenty flexible and will fold nicely. Then, pack some shredded cheese and your preferred sauce in small, reusable containers. Then, I chose my meat, which on this occasion was some very lovely slow cooker chicken that my wife had prepared the day before. Keeping all these ingredients separated prevents the flavours from mixing with one another, come lunchtime. Another thing you prevent is needing to heat the meat portion of your meal with condiments that likely shouldn’t be nuked. Ever try reheating fries that already had ketchup on them? It usually doesn’t go well…
The benefit with allowing yourself some time to assemble your meal at lunch time is you’ll get a better, fresher tasting meal and you have the opportunity to heat up your protein without heating up your wrap or condiments and sauces. This can apply to a number of different meals. Today, for example, I’ve brought a small bowl of homemade chili with a container of cheese. Sprinkle a bit of buffalo sauce in that bad boy after heating it up, mix in the cheese and allow the heat of the chili to melt it just a bit and you’re off to the races.
So, this all rather feels like a first world problem and it begs the question, why am I bringing it up? Well, for a number of reasons. The first being that just because you’re having a meal at work doesn’t meal it should be an enjoyable experience. Fast meals intended to be jammed down your gullet so you don’t starve during your shift shouldn’t be the norm. I say this while fully acknowledging that some folks only have a brief window for meal breaks. I, myself, never had a scheduled meal break while I was a police officer.
That being said, and something I learned a long time ago, is that a rushed, stressed meal period will also affect one’s blood sugars. Although every meal can’t be a pageant, being able to take the time to actually consume your meal without rushing and having a hot alternative in front of you can have a significant impact on one’s blood sugars. Given everything else that’s affected by Type-1 Diabetes, it should be no surprise that event he way you consume your food can have an impact. Just something to consider. Food for thought, pun fully intended…☯️
I chose this title carefully, as practitioners of traditional arts that use a white gi might take offence to such a statement. But it can apply to many things. White sneakers are also useless. Dusty weights serve no one. Take your pick, they’re basically all the same and have the same meaning. It basically refers to the purchase and/or use of equipment of any sort that usually just ends up sitting there and is neglected or rarely used. My biggest pet peeve is when someone buys a decent pair of training shoes and worries about using them for fear of the white parts becoming stained or coloured. To do so is to prevent the intended use of that equipment. This is especially true for a gi.
I have a karate gi from years ago that I purchased when I achieved my brown belt. I remember the odd comments I got from other students, asking why I would pay so much for a uniform when I had not yet achieved my black belt. Up until that point, my dojo usually purchased thin, loose-fitting gi from a Canadian company called GeneSport. Based in Montreal, Quebec and having opened in 1969, Sensei purchased everything from there; karate gi, punching bags, sparring gloves… you name it. Their equipment was an inexpensive option for beginners and intermediate students (a standard gi would cost you $40) and they were close enough to our Northern new Brunswick location that getting an order took only days. Unfortunately, they closed permanently in 2017.
My point is, my dedication and commitment to my training was as such that I felt I needed something thicker, stronger and of better quality. I ordered myself a Tokaido, which is a high-quality gi made of thick, sanforized cotton. I used that uniform for years. Over the course of those years, I sweat heavily into it, causing its pristine whiteness to slowly gain a light, yellowish hue. Further, several missed techniques resulted in bleeding noses or bleeding fingers and toes. For those who are not aware, blood does not come out of white cotton easily, especially if it’s left to sit there for the remainder of the class and well into getting home. Really seals in the colour. I still have that gi and occasionally use it. The crotch is worn out and the stitching has frayed. But those decades-old bloodstains certainly make for conversation starters when seen.
the same can be said of any and all fitness equipment, not only martial arts uniforms. I know so many people who purchased weight sets, exercise machines or equipment, only to have it sit for months, unused. The dust that gathers on them speaks volumes to their neglect of use and also speaks to the owner’s lack of commitment and dedication to what they’ve intended to accomplish. I feel the urge to get out on my bike as soon as the snow has left the ground, usually. I have weights and a variety of equipment that I have at home and usually LOVE incorporating them into my workout routines. Our recent renovations have forced most of my equipment into an unusable corner but once I can clear up some floor space, I can guarantee it’s all coming back out.
Staying on track can be difficult and tedious. Between keeping one’s motivation going and finding time (and having one’s children getting in the way), keeping the dust off one’s equipment can be difficult. It’s important not have goals but one should not bite off more than one can chew. There’s no point in paying thousands of dollars for an elliptical machine, for example, if you’re just going to use it to hang your sweatshirts on. And if you do take the opportunity to get some equipment or clothing, don’t be afraid to get it dirty. Use it, stain it, tear it, restitch it… All of this tells a story of one’s fitness journey. And that story should be yours to show and share. ☯️
One of the hardest aspects of good blood sugar management is carb counting. I was introduced to carb counting in 2015 when i began pump therapy. This is a bit ironic since I was diagnosed Type-1 Diabetic in 1982 and have spent most of my adult life bragging about my tight control. I never realized just how much deeper control I could have until I started carb counting. But despite the better control, it’s still one of the hardest aspects of bolusing properly.
The reason for this is quite simple. Either nutritional labels are incorrect, my body reacts differently to certain foods and the carbs aren’t absorbed the same, or after four decades of living with my condition, there’s simply still some shit I don’t know and I’m still learning. This is where the title of today‘spost comes in. Once in a while, something will catch me by surprise and have me realizing that no matter how much I read, learn and come to discover, there’s always something more to gain.
For years, there’s been a solid trend of sweet goods that are labeled as “No Sugar Added.” This has often prompted to have people thinking they can consume an increased amount of these treats, especially those with Type-1 Diabetes. The big problem is that “No Sugar Added” is not the same thing as “Sugar free,” and there can be hidden amounts in the total carbohydrate count that people often ignore, thinking they don’t need to check. This is where due diligence needs to come into play to prevent rising blood sugars.
An example I can provide is my recent discovery of No Sugar Added gummy worms at a local supplier. My first thought was that this would be a good way for me to enjoy some gummy worms without all the excess sugar and need for bolusing. It isn’t until I checked the nutritional label that I realized there may be a problem…
If you look at the total carbohydrates, 7 worms add up to 34 grams of carbs, which is basically on par with regular gummy worms. Although they boast 0 grams of sugar, they do carry 31 grams of sugar alcohol, which is an organic compound that’s normally derived from different sugars. Although lower in calories and apparently better for your teeth, sugar alcohols are a type of carbohydrate and will have a direct effect on one’s blood sugars.
So there you have it! If you decide to try out some of these “No sugar Added” foods, be sure to check the nutritional label and compensate for the carbohydrate count included, since it may not be any less than plain, old sugared goods. I’ve been caught by this before, where I’ve indulged in some candy or chocolate items that were “No Sugar Added“ and couldn’t understand when my levels skyrocketed. It wasn’t until I learned about sugar alcohols that it made sense. The carb counting helped, too. There’s always something more to learn or new ways to improve. Stay healthy, folks! ☯️
We’ve had an interesting change in the weather recently. With temperatures reaching in the low teens and clear skies, it’s been nice to see a lot of the snow piles starting to dwindle down and melt away. This means that warmer times are ahead and I may soon be able to start spending more time outdoors, including riding my bike and playing with the boys in our back yard. However, changes in weather bring about changes in one’s physiology, which isn’t always a good thing. People rarely consider this change in physiology since we’ve become accustomed to living in controlled environment where if it’s cold outside, we turn on the heat and if it’s hot, we turn on the air conditioning.
But outside weather involves a number of different things, including but not limited to air pressure and overall temperature, which can affect different people in different ways, regardless of what artificially controlled environments they may live in. For me, this includes an aching in the majority of my joints as well as the unfortunate inability to sleep properly. I’ve also noted a few micro-cracks in the foundation of my house, where light trickles of water have made their way in. makes me wonder what may be happening behind the walls that are insulated and dry-walled.
Changes in season and weather occur in the same way every year, yet we always act surprised and grateful when it arrives. For example, during the intense heat of summer, many will long for the cool temperatures and lighter skies that accompany winter. But once the freezing temperatures of winter, longer nights and not least of all, shovelling, make their appearance, most people can’t wait for the warmer seasons to come. It’s an endless cycle of always wanting what one doesn’t have, which is on par with humanity and how we tend to operate. For me, I prefer the in-between seasons; spring and autumn, where the temperatures still allow you to be outside and enjoy life without either freezing or dehydrating.
Being inside my home during this transition into a new season is a catch-22. Most of my daily activities take place in my basement, where I have my workout space, my shower and my home office. The problem is that once the sun is up, the temperature is warm enough that the main floor doesn’t require the heat to kick in. This means that all the cold from below ground level still seeps through the basement walls, making the basement colder than it would usually be. The result is hoodies and space heaters while my family is enjoying the temperate comfort of the upstairs. It’s kind of weird.
The main floor suffers the same kind of issue overnight, where it’s still cold enough for the furnace to kick in and belch out heat but warm enough that I feel like I’m hard-boiling my eggs while I’m trying to sleep. It’s unhappy balance but one I can happily live with, on my way to the oncoming spring. Honestly, I don’t know how much of my recent lack of sleep is a result of the recent changes in weather or something else. As you may be aware and as I’ve written about before, failure to get an adequate amount of sleep overnight can lead to a host of issues such as affecting blood sugars, blood pressure and cognitive abilities throughout the day.
I’ve tried a few different things, including dipping into some melatonin. I’ve only tried melatonin a couple of times, since I don’t relish the thought of sleeping so deeply or soundly that I may sleep through one of my children needing me during the night or light forbid, someone breaks into my home. But my last attempt with melatonin yielded no results, with my waking after only about four of five hours in the same fashion as though I hadn’t even taken it. My good ol’ friend, whiskey, hasn’t even helped. Somehow, I always wind up waking, unable to fall back asleep, after only four or five hours of sleep, if I get that much.
A lot of things can affect one’s ability to sleep, including things like stress or having something on one’s mind. Although I’d like to think I know myself well enough to recognize if this may be the case, I honestly don’t. One’s subconscious can fool one quite easily. I recognize that eventually, I may need to consult a health professional. this can be a slippery slope, especially if said professional decides to prescribe something to “help you sleep.” using prescribed sleep aids can lead to permanently needing those aids and preventing you from being able to sleep properly on your own. I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m on enough prescriptions without throwing something to sleep in the mix. ☯️
The Blogging Buddhist 