Healthy Living Updates

I am done being a guinea pig! I am referring to a year-long investigational drug study I have been on and FINALLY finished it last week. I did another year-long study before that so I have been on pills for 2 years and I am so happy to say that I am off of them! What drug you ask? Well nothing too fun, just birth control. If you have read our infertility story here, you will note that I don't need them! But I figured I may as well get paid to not get pregnant :)

Before these drug studies I had only ever taken BC for 1 month in my life and that was in preparation for IVF. I haven't had any weird side effects but I could notice the subtle changes from the extra hormones and I will be happy to get back to normal. More power to the girls who want to take them, but they are not for me!

My last visit for the study included a physical and a full set of labs to make sure nothing had changed from the beginning of the study. Being the inquisitive nurse that I am, of course I requested a copy of the labs and was quite pleased to see the results! I figured this was as good a time as any for an update on my goal of healthier living...

All of the labs were within normal limits (or WNL in nurse-speak) but the ones that deserve an honorable mention are:

• Fasting glucose--88
• LDL cholesterol--83
• HDL cholesterol--55
• Total cholesterol--159 (I believe a previous reading was in the 170s)
• Triglycerides--101

 From a nutritional point of view your cholesterols, blood sugar, and triglycerides are direct indicators of how your diet and lifestyle have been. If you eat junk food, burgers, frozen dinners and soda while sitting on the couch then your numbers will be thru the roof and you will end up with plaque building up in your arteries just waiting to give you a heart attack. Not cool! As you get older your vessels age and these numbers are even more important to keep under control for your overall health.

This year I have made a conscience effort to eat healthier including more fresh fruits/vegetables, less meat, more water and less starches. I have also worked hard at being more physically active--not just going to the gym but doing yard work, going for walks, etc. I am working hard at getting Nick to join me in this lifestyle change and he is *slowly* getting better.

I have also maintained a 5lb weight loss for several months now and am only 5lbs away from my ideal weight! No crash dieting for me--slow and steady is the healthy way to do it! Now keep in mind that I am Italian, so I LOVE to eat. And by eat, I mean I love PASTA and CHEESE. I could never give these things up so I sacrifice other luxuries so that I can truly enjoy the foods that I love. When you cut yourself off completely from something that only makes you want it even more.

In other news, we are only one month away from vacations on the shores of Pensacola Beach, Florida! Our family of three is going on a roadtrip there to enjoy a beachfront condo for 5 days. We can't wait!

I gave my little boy a much needed haircut today, and I convinced daddy to let me give him a mohawk! I didn't buzz the sides too short, but it is enough for a decent mohawk that can be gelled up pretty snazzy! It seems with each haircut Brad is more cooperative (bribery included).

I am continuing my experimentation of nail polish designs with the latest being orange fading into pink tips. It is hard to see in the picture unfortunately but looks bright and beautiful in real life!

 I think that is all for this post, thanks for reading!