1. Great nutritional tip I heard this week…
Someone told me that when trying to get her grandchildren to eat healthier foods that they don’t like, like vegetables, she reminds them that their tongue is the only thing that doesn’t like them. She reminds them that their stomach, organs, and every other part of their body LOVES them. How awesome is that? It gets better. On the flip side of that, she tells them that when it comes to junk food, like candy, cake, ice cream, and sweets, their tongue is the only thing that likes those things. That every other part of their body HATES them. Why do I think that’s a great way to get kids to re-think about the foods they eat? Because I am using it now for MYSELF. So simple… yet so powerful! (Thanks, Jacki H.!)
2. Event I participated in this week (with my son)…
Last Saturday, my son, Kyle, and I participated in the TRI CLE Rock Roll Run triathlon. There are three options for distances– Olympic, Sprint, and Super Sprint. We did the Super Sprint, which is the shortest, consisting of roughly a 300-yard swim, 5-mile bike, and a 3K run. We have done this in the past and love it. Actually… we hate the actual swimming, biking, and running part, but we love finishing it. This is a very cool event. The swim is in the harbor by the Great Lakes Science Center and Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame. The bike is along the shoreway along the lake (which they close to traffic), and the run is through Edgewater Park, again along the lake. I love testing and pushing myself, I love doing things outdoors, and I love that I get to do things like that with Kyle. What I DIDN’T love was getting up at 4:40 a.m. after going to bed at 1 a.m. after getting home from the Zac Brown concert the night before, getting beat by my son, and accidentally running a 5K instead of a 3K because I missed the sign telling me where to turn around (Kyle did too, haha!). I would recommend this race to anyone. It is a great event! And competing with a couple of friends made it even more fun (great job, Bill P. and Johnny P!) See a couple pics below and a video. (The video is a portion of the National Anthem being played on electric guitar by Billy Morris before the race started. I’m adding it because the scene is cool, the music sounds great, and most of all… because when I replayed it this morning, my heart raced, and my emotions kicked up as it made me think about the Marines that lost their lives yesterday defending OUR freedom.)
3. Most interesting article I read this week…
I read dozens and dozens of articles every week. As vaccine mandates are being made across the country, I’m worried about such a blanketed approach to administering this type of medical intervention. The one thing (of many) that has had me thinking (and digging) is the people who are “COVID-recovered.” Data in several studies now, including studies from the Cleveland Clinic and Harvard, indicate that there may be little to no benefit from the vaccine for those that have had COVID. Data now shows that “COVID-recovered have longer than expected immunity, robust immunity, and a broad range of immunity” (suggesting protection from variants). I can’t help but wonder why we are not at least testing for antibodies prior to simply mass vaccinating everyone. While merely suggesting this will surely upset many, think about it for a moment. I’m not saying no vaccines… I’m suggesting that we take an extra step or two (which is very simple!) to ensure that we don’t unnecessarily cause risk or harm. Anyway… an op-ed piece in the Bucks County Courier Times, a letter from Dr. Hooman Noorchashm to the Pennsbury school board, summed up my concerns perfectly. This doctor is an immunologist, highly credentialed, and in no way anti-vax. It is CRITICAL we consider the concerns that doctors, scientists, and researchers are presenting. Not to shut down the vaccine program, but to ensure it is done as well, and as safely, as possible. Click here for that article.