It is interesting that I wanted to study medicine, but due to lack of proper orientation I desisted of my idea and got a totally different degree. I tried to go back to my original idea of Med School several years ago, but found it is much more difficult once you have kids. I still think that someday I will be a doctor. I’m not ready to put my dream away.

Before I go on, I just want to clarify a few things. I will loosely use the term “traditional medicine” to refer to the standard Western approach of treating symptoms with drugs, and “alternative medicine” to refer to non-conventional approach to the root cause of the symptoms. I will put out my disclaimer that I’m not a professional and my terminology will probably be incorrect anyways, so if there are any professionals out there, please forgive me and correct me if I misuse the jargon.

Traditional medicine is part of our family’s daily ritual. Two of my three children (the boys) have been diagnosed with a congenital disorder called Mitochondrial Myopathy. Both of my sons are on a regular routine that includes vitamins/supplements (mostly synthetic) and drugs to treat the symptoms – muscle weakness and respiratory issues, among others - to their condition. Not following the routine can lead us to a series of consequences that are not fun to deal with.

The boys take a cocktail of medicines at least three times a day. For one of my sons the list currently consists of at least 7 different kinds of medications. It has been up to 10 on ocassions. We have now done this for 12 years.

When my children get sick, common affections as colds, viruses, etc, I usually recur to traditional medicine (cough syrups, antibiotics, etc) without thinking twice about it.

However, lately I have been wondering about alternative medicine. I have began doing my own research on the topic as I am the most skeptical person there could be, especially when related to my children’s welfare. I am NOT looking for “miracle herbs” or “magic solve-it-all pills.” I will say that anything that sounds to me “too good to be true” is probably a lie and trying to convince me of the contrary would be an impossible task.

What I am searching for is alternative health care that most resembles the natural course of action of the body in fighting diseases and remaining well. I have learned so far that alternative medicine is much more than just natural herbs. Alternative health care is a whole system that includes herbal medicines, diet, homeopathy, accupuncture, chiropractic care, etc, among many others. What I like the most about the alternative approach is that instead of merely treating a symptom, and in most cases, not even knowing why it happened in the first place, it focuses on maintaining your health before it reaches the point of ailment.

As a mom, I just wonder if there could be “something” else out there that I could be doing for my children that I’m not already doing and would be for their benefit.  What if there is a natural or alternative approach out there that would make their body systems communicate better?

I also think of the long-term effect of drugs and invasive treatment in my children’s bodies, and even my own. Oh, I don’t know, I just wonder if that cough syrup is doing more harm than good. I don’t have any facts, I just wonder. I’m still too much of a novice is this department.

Last year I started visiting the chiropractor for the first time for back pains due to stress. This is probably where all my wondering began. My doctor always makes mentions of “little” things that make my mind spin. For instance, for a common cold he recommends cutting out all sugars and exercising to aid the body in naturally fighting the disease. What I like about him is that he doesn’t impose any thoughts or practices, he just throws them out there and makes you want to find out more.

Well, I can testify that my pains are almost 100% gone. Usually they flare-up when I’m in intense stress, but even then they are much more milder than before. What have I changed? Perhaps my diet, my fitness habits and my way of handling stress. Have I had a need for any drugs? NO, thank God.

I have to say, I am not ready to give up traditional medicine. I BELIEVE that traditional medicine is necessary. I WILL continue recurring to traditional medicine to treat my children’s symptoms, so please don’t jump at me just yet.

I am also starting to believe that alternative medicine works. In my opinion, an ideal situation would be to complement both systems in a customized way for each individual. That’s my goal to identify what works for my family, especially my boys.

As I said at the beginning, I am just in the initial stages of my research and I am looking for experts in the matter who can guide me in my research (vs not simply telling me what to do). If I find that this works for us, I will be a beacon of alternative medicine myself.

Please share your thoughts!!!

I DO NOT LIKE WINTER. Period. I am from the Caribbean and 100˚ of warmth and coziness cannot not deter me from remaining active. I can deal with that. I am used to that.

But anything below 50˚ does not cut it for me. My motivation is instantly gone. Motivation not only to remain active, but also for simple things like leaving my house. Outside of my short trips to church, I’m avoiding everything else. That means I’m not even finding time to share with my friends.

Friends? As in people you enjoy doing things with, for example remaining active? Yes, I have to confess I have abandoned my fitness friends. And I am now paying the price.

The good news is that not all is lost. Your true friends are always there when you need them. That’s why tools like Fit Friends become so crucial. With Fit Friends I find great ideas on how to keep on track with good habits.

I have gotten in touch with some of my friends already. I will soon begin training for 5K races around the city this year. My friend will train with me so I know it will be really exciting. I now only have to get back to my healthy eating habits. Maybe my friends can help me with that also.

I know this isn’t my normal motivational, encouraging, keep-going-forward blog that I typically write. I apologize in advanced if that is what you were looking for. I’m just here this time to testify that falling behind is real and normal. I’m really hoping that the comeback will be even better. Any feedback and advice is always welcome.

This year for me has been one of many challenges. I have seen my baby boy grow into a toddler and amaze us every day with his learning process. With that comes a number of involved activities that sometimes leave me breathless.

I have also had to deal with news in my family that has put my faith to test. Dealing with bad news is never easy, especially when it involves your loved ones. 

I have also faced a new challenge that somehow involves every area of my life and daily routine. One of my resolutions in 2010 was to adopt a healthier lifestyle not only for me but for my family. After having a slow start I finally took the bull by its horns in the Spring.

I have gradually made some changes in my eating habits and fitness routine that are moving us into the right track health-wise. hanges are not easy to deal with and are at times painful. It takes a lot for you to believe change is good for you. It is even harder to “sell” your idea to others.

I have struggled with the idea of eating healthier. I struggle with the idea of paying a little bit more for healthier eating choices. I struggle when I have to get away from the “not-so-good” things I enjoyed in the past.

To me it has been a rocky road; sometimes it’s smooth and easy to walk. Other times the gravel gets between my toes. And on occasions I’ve had to climb a big rock in front of me.

However, when I see my children making good choices for themselves or when I hear my husband commenting that “we are eating healthier,” it brings a sense of accomplishment.

In retrospect I see that I have come a long way. I still have a whole lot more in front of me. But I feel pretty proud of what we have accomplished together as a family. I learned that if I want something to be successful for my family, it needs to start with me believing that it will be so and living it out. 

How was your year? If one of your resolutions of 2010 was to adopt a healthier lifestyle but for some reason failed, cheer up. A New Year is coming up and you can start over again. If you succeeded or are making progress, Congratulations! You have come very far!

If you want to pursue this goal for the first time, I recommend setting one or two attainable goals (e.g. drink more water or walk 15 minutes every other day). Once you have reached those successfully, add more until you have your routine established.

Best Wishes and Merry Christmas!

I am a summer chic and when fall makes its first appearance I immediately feel the symptoms of cabin fever. I let the weather dictate the level of motivation I enjoyed through the last part of September. Add to the mix an enormous amount of responsibilities and a lack of plan and you got it: A recipe for failure.

I guess I’m not perfect and, after all, I’m vulnerable to inconsistencies and lack of motivation. But I have discovered that if I don’t motivate myself enough to do anything, no one else will do it for me. So what motivates me? I have been thinking about this lately and want to share the three things that will help me get it through the dreaded winter months.

1. Look back at accomplishments. For health reasons, I decided to work toward a healthier weight. I have done a combination of eating habit modifications and exercise that have helped me reach 50% of my goal. Yay, me!! I started it in August. Some of the things I have implemented in my daily diet are: more veggies, healthier carbs (mostly from fruit), elimination of soft drinks (including diet drinks), very restrictive consumption of carbs after 5 pm, decrease in fats, increase of fiber intake, and 8 glasses of water daily. I have also been running/walking 3-4 miles every other day. When I think of how much of my goal I have advanced, I can’t help to get motivated to continue doing what I’ve been doing until it becomes a habit. I honestly think twice now when I’m about to consume food that is not so good for me, and the best is, I don’t feel deprived. I actually feel very responsible.
2. Be competitive. Yes, I mean that. Although I am not a declared competitor, I do secretly, and sometimes not so secretly, enjoy when someone puts me up for a challenge. It gives me a rush of energy that makes me go further on whatever I’m doing. I am happy to announce that I am finally seeing my husband getting motivated to work out and is doing well. He won’t work out with me, but that’s ok, because I know he’s doing it. What this means for me is that now I’m not going to be the only one trying to reach goals, and I will be eager to know who’s closer. LOL. I know that sounds crazy, but, hey, it works for me.
3. Plan ahead. IIf you don’t plan, you can only plan to fail. So, I will start planning my meals to make sure I always have a balanced diet for my family even on the snowy days. That will help me when selecting my groceries and choosing the right snacks for those couch-potato days in front of the fireplace. Now that it won’t be as easy to work out outside, so I will also dig out my exercise videos and DVDs. I will write down my goal and stick it in a place that will remind me why I’m doing what I’m doing. Finally, I’m going to find the advice of those of can lead me in the right path.

This is how I motivate myself during the change of seasons. How do you get motivated?

Apparently I’m not the only one who has made this discovery recently. In the last 10 years the U.S. government revised its official nutrition guidelines and now recommends Americans eat more avocados.

What is the craze with avocados? Well, although avocados are seemingly high in fat, at least higher than many whole foods, most of these fats are valuable and have a benefit in the blood serum lowering cholesterol levels. About 75% of an avocado’s calories come from fat, but these are monounsaturated fats, which are the “good” fats that researchers contribute to lowering high cholesterol in the blood.

Researchers have also discovered that avocados are rich in beta-sitosterol, a natural substance also shown to significantly lower blood cholesterol levels. In the long run avocados might actually reduce the risks of developing cancer and heart diseases.

 Well, while some might argue that avocados are still high in calories, look at this comparison to other spreads and dips and you might get some perspective.

Of course, and as you know, what the USDA ultimately recommends is moderation and a balanced diet. A ½ medium avocado accounts as 1 of 4 fruit servings (recommended for most).

You can find avocados at any grocery store, but if you want to get really fresh ones, I recommend any Mexican grocery store. You might find several varieties but my favorite ones are HASS (I recommend this one for guacamole) which tends to have a nuttier creamy flavor. These have dark rough crocodile-like skin.

Another of my favorite is the one that has smooth, glossy green skin. This avocado is sweeter in taste and I recommend it for salads or snacking (yummy with ranch dressing).

Another plus I personally find in avocados is that adding them to my dishes – whether breakfast, lunch or dinner - gives me a sense of fullness, perhaps because of the fat or the protein (2g) content.

If you need some ideas on how to eat them here are some suggestions:

• As a complement to white rice and beans
• Add to your favorite soup (cut up uncooked, add at the end)
• Slice and dip in low-fat ranch dressing
• South-western scrambled eggs with avocado
• On hamburger or favorite sandwich
• In salads
• Tacos or burritos
• Do not cook avocados as they will get bitter

Now, this is not any extensive research I have done on the subject, neither am I a professional, so please take this information as a grain of salt and use what you can use. Always consult your doctor if you have concerns or questions. I’m just here sharing out of my passion for this food.

In my first blog back in April, I encouraged you to make a positive addition to your life rather than taking away the negative because eventually the positive will take over the negative. Why not add more avocados to your life? For more information on avocados visit www.avocado.org. 

If you want to try some of my personal avocado recipes, they are posted in the FitCity recipe archive here and here.

Children, especially when reaching the dreaded – I mean dear – teenage years, can be very difficult to understand. I struggle constantly with not understanding why my children are not interested in working out with me or why they don’t look forward to that “family” time. (I’m also still trying to convince my husband). I get frustrated and no matter what I do to entice them it just doesn’t fly with them.

I recently discovered the one thing that might answer many of my questions: Workout Mates. I have found that when I go on my walks with my friends, they will only enjoy going and actually truly working out if my friend’s kids of similar age are also there.

When it’s time for our daily walk (we started a walking club in July) the first thing my daughter does is text her BFF to see if she will be there. If she is, I see my daughter immediately gets her workout shorts and shirt, tennis shoes and exercise gear. There’s a particular glow in her face that happens with nothing else. Something similar happens when my son knows that any of his guy friends are coming.

Well, when I think about it, it only makes perfect sense. I enjoy working out with my friends, and find that my work out session is much more efficient when I do it along with friends. They are there to motivate and encourage me when I want to quit. Why would it be any different for my children? They need a special kind of support that we parents, for some weird reason, are not able to provide. Well, I guess that’s the human process of relating to and networking with each other.

As for my kids, I don’t argue with them anymore. When I want to push them a little farther, I just try to make sure that their BFFs are there and keep everyone happy. Works almost 100% of the time.

“I this…” and “I that… .” I was honestly starting to feel hopeless. My Hispanic circle of friends was in the same rut. The ending to most of our conversations spun around this theme. We probably went through the Spanish dictionary selecting words to describe our situation. Ay, ay, ay. Que triste.

And remember how I blogged a couple of months ago about loving your body the way it is? Well, don’t get me wrong. I still love my body, but I don’t love how it feels day in and day out. I tried encouraging my friends with this message, but you know when you’re not 100% convinced on what you believe, it is really difficult to convince others as well.

And then there was the food. Hispanic food is DELICIOUS, but we don’t always cook it the healthiest way. Refried beans (grain and fiber could be good for you) cooked, more like simmered, in fat (not good). Chicken breast tacos (lean mean cut on low-fat tortillas?) deep-fried (um, ok, you get the point). None of that was helping us. And let’s not talk about the poor-health legacy for our children!

When I had enough I said, “¡YA BASTA!” “ENOUGH!”

On July 5^th I took matters in my own hands and started a walking/running/Zumba club. Seven of us (some family, some friends) started cheerfully walking 2 miles twice a week with a Zumba work-out one day each week. We are now on our third week. To give us a little bit more of encouragement we are using a Bible verse in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 as our inspiration: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”

Our group is now up to 15 people and growing. We now walk/jog up to 3 miles. We are located on the Northeast-Side (Lawrence) area in case you want to join us. You can contact me at jenniser@hotmail.com. We meet Mondays/Tuesdays at 6:30 pm and usually go to the Fort Benjamin trails for walking and Thursdays at my church for Zumba work-out. The best part is that even my children (and my friends’ children) are encouraged to do this, including the Zumba session.

How do I feel? Honestly, I feel beat up most of the time just because after having my baby back in September I now notice how out of shape I am. Actually my out-of-shapeness goes farther back than that, but it’s good to have something to blame it on. My knees hurt, my ankles hurt, EVERYTHING hurts. Even bones and muscles I didn’t know I had.

But at the same time, I feel good that I’m doing something good not only for me, but for my family and for my friends. And honestly I feel a little bit better with every day that goes by.

Starting my own walking club has been one of my goals for some time. It was easy to start (no gear or special place or equipment needed) just some self-motivation. My next goal is to train for the Geist 5K Run. Then it will be training for the Indy 500 Mini-Marathon.

I encourage you to set and obtain your goals also. But be realistic and don’t set yourself for failure. Start little and grow one step at a time. Start by setting out a small attainable goal, for example, a 20-minute walk three times a week, or no carbonated drinks for 30 days, no taking the elevator but going up the stairs instead. When you conquer that goal you will have enough self-confidence to challenge you to an even larger goal. Keep working your way up to your ultimate goal and celebrate your efforts with every milestone.

It’s a long road…but with small positive steps you too will get there.

If you’re a golfer, you will find lots to do here, but for us, the typical family with young children, golfing is not at the top of our priority list.

The Island is beautiful. Hilton Head is a small island located at the southeast of South Carolina and north of Savannah, Georgia. Upon our arrival I soon discovered, though, that there weren’t many “things” to do. But I also noticed trails all around the island: highways, main streets and backstreets, everywhere. After some research we learned that the real fun is really exploring the island on a bike. So we proceeded to rent bikes for the whole family.

Our adventure began with renting three bikes for my husband, my daughter and me, and two kiddie carts, one for my older son and one for our 8-month old baby. We headed out our hotel and oh, what magnificent views we encountered along the way. The greenery was just spectacular. We even saw an alligator on the road side. Yes, they’re everywhere! But they’re pretty inoffensive. We rode approximate 20 miles total, 10 each way. The first 10 miles we rode along the highway. The next 10 miles we rode along the ocean. We were breathless. LITERALLY!!

The best part was that we had a great family time, while exercising together. Due to our agendas we don’t always have the opportunity to exercise together. But this time was so special, it allowed us to meet each other a little bit better (I found out my husband’s got great legs after pulling my 70-pound older son for 20 miles!). I hope this time served to build up my health legacy.  I know when my kids are older they will remember and appreciate this time together.

Since it is that time of the year where most people look forward to go on vacation, consider taking some time where all your family members can work together on a physical activity. While it will help in burning some extra calories, it also will help you grow together and get to know each other a little bit better.

If you want to add an extra oomph to your vacation to make it more active, consider Hilton Head Island or somewhere around that area (there are other islands besides HHI) or find some local bike trails for you to explore around.

If you are more serious about this, there are fitness vacation packages with programs like cycling, swimming, horse riding, water skiing, water sports, and beach volleyball for the most adventurous that can easily be found online.

Have a great time!

Last night I was on one of my online boards (for mommies who recently had babies) and was kind of sad reading about all these moms who are embarrassed about their “new” after-delivery body. Most women who have had babies can testify that your body will probably NEVER be the same. Things get out of place (way out of place) and will unlikely go back to be what they used to be.

But why should they?

Our bodies will change regardless of recently having had a baby or age. We can’t stop it and there’s nothing we can do about it. Well, almost nothing. We can learn to accept and respect who we are, understanding that God made us unique. We will never be at peace with ourselves if do not do this. Not only that, but our motivations in life will be crooked. Worst of all, what we believe leads how we act toward ourselves and toward others. Our actions become our health legacy.

Ah hah! Remember the health legacy I talked to you the last time I was around? Yes, I will keep bringing it up because it has become my life motto lately.

I believe that good health begins by learning to love and respect who you are and helping your loved ones to do likewise. Ask yourself something, when was the last time you looked in the mirror and thought of how perfectly your body was made. Mmmm, well, hmmm, ah…

Yes, this is who you are and who you will be for the rest of your life. Your body is not the fake ones you see on TV or magazines (which, by the way, are photoshopped 99% of the time). The comments you make about your body are affecting your little ones and making a lasting impression in them. Your children grow up believing that they have too much of this or too little of that because they’re hearing it from you.

Do you believe the lies that the media is telling you about yourself and therefore making your children believe them as well? Are you conducting a health plan because you hate this and that about yourself or because you understand the lifelong benefits it represents. I’m not saying it’s bad to work areas that you would like to improve, but again, look at your motivations. Remember, you’re a lighthouse to your children and it’s the light you’re shedding what they need to follow.

I have been having conversations with my teenage daughter lately about this theme. Ah, the teenage years… Exciting? Not. It is amazing what our children have to face in their everyday lives, especially at school. She keeps telling me about what many kids are doing at her school and I need to hold my jaw with my hand to keep it in place. It is just sad. But then again, when you look back at their family history, not all but most, you can see a trend of wrong motivations stirring their homes. I am not pretending by any means to be better than anyone because only God knows how many mistakes I make daily. I just want to be aware of my mistakes so that I can make them better.

I want to leave you with this: look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself, “I am wonderfully made. Every part of me is.”

Now, come on, don’t by shy. Do it. I assure you that when you believe it then your children will believe the message you’re sending them. Have conversations with your children, heart-to-heart conversations. Perhaps you will need to admit to them what bothers you about yourself. Have them admit what bothers them about themselves. Then start anew and work together on a plan that will help all grow internally and will help you achieve your health goals.

I am still working in believing this myself, but I’m making good progress.

 ¡HOLA! I’m new here.

My name is Jennise Rodriguez. I have a beautiful family of a husband of 16 years, a tween daughter, a tween son, and a six-month old baby. Yes, you read correctly, a baby. Indianapolis has been our home for the past 10 years. Oh, in case you haven’t noticed my opening word and last name, I am Latina.

I know how important it is to live an active life, but guess what, I don’t always do what I know is right. So, I’m counting on you to keep me accountable. I have a passion for cooking and trying new and different foods, but I wish I had more time to experiment around. I work full time and am a minister’s wife. I also lead a Hispanic Christian women’s organization in Indiana. I do like to public speak, but it’s been a while.

My daughter is a cheerleader, although she’s taking this year off to improve some techniques, and my son is a Power Soccer athlete. Don’t know what Power Soccer is? Is a highly competitive sport for people on power chairs, but I’ll let you do your homework by visiting www.powersoccerusa.net. Someday I’ll talk to you more about that. The baby, well, he’s just, um, a baby. He knows exactly how to keep mama busy.

That’s me in a nutshell. As you can see I’m just another normal very busy mom. I KNOW, first hand, it’s easy to become a slave to my responsibilities and put aside an important aspect of my life, and my loved ones’, which is remaining active. It’s not only important to me, but I also need to remember that everything I do is being monitored by three little ones, and will someday become their Health Legacy. I personally wouldn’t want my children to think of me in the future as “Mom was always busy” or “Mom never had time for us” or “Mom was not fun.”  I am sure they will never think of me as “Mom was a SuperMom”

So, why am I here? First of all to tell you that I understand you. I know you’re busy, and I know it’s not easy to add just one more thing to your plate (I’m getting hungry here). But I think what I would like for both you and I is to gradually change our mind microchip and instead of looking at this as “just another thing” I would like to think of this as my new and improved lifestyle. I will also be sharing my cultural background (you know, habits, food, etc.) so that you can understand me a little bit better (good luck at that one! My husband is still trying to figure me out). With every blog I hope to throw a challenge at us and I would love to hear how you’re going about attaining it.

So, the challenge for the next two weeks will be this. What activity – physical, eating habits, etc. – can you “add” to your daily routine, that will account into your Health Legacy?  (Yes, I’m serious.) 

If you have already started one, good for you, please share with us. If you have not started, please think of something and share it with us. We’ll hold each other accountable.

Nice to meet you and I’ll “see” you soon.