PREFACE
Hello friends! It feels so good to be back on the blog. I have had lot’s of life changes since my last post. For starters, I no longer live in a dorm! I know, I’m a fraud. I MUST change the name of the entire blog immediately for authenticity’s sake…no way the name is too good and that tag line is too catchy.
Just because I no longer live in a dorm doesn’t mean I will now be making intricate meals. I’m very much still a full time student with a part time job and little to no free time! With that being said, although I have more storage space and my fridge isn’t so mini anymore, I will continue with my usual content. IF anything, I would love to make a whole post on meal prepping a week’s worth of healthy options for those grab and go days. Let me know in the comments if you would be interested in that!
Okay, back to regularly scheduled programming.
Today I wanted to talk about something that in my opinion is so so so important when talking about our health: listening to our bodies. You can be extremely educated about proper nutrition and exercise and still forget to just listen to what your body is telling you it needs. I definitely fall into the category. Specifically when it comes to exercise.
There have been multiple occasions when I would get my daily dose of exercise no matter the circumstance. If I had a lot of homework, or if I was super sore, even if I felt sick (big no no no especially right now), I would still make it to the gym and exhaust myself further.
The worst thing I was doing was when I would try and workout my core, specifically my abs, right after eating! It made me feel horrible during and after but I just HAD to hit the gym that second. I continued to do this for several weeks and just pushed through the pain. One day, when I was doing my workout I started to feel a burning in my chest and throat. I ignored it, but a lump in my throat stayed with me for the next few hours, and when I went to eat again, swallowing was very difficult, and even a little painful with the sense of a lump in my throat.
Once I told my mom what was going on, she explained that it sounded like acid re-flux, which she also struggled with. Acid reflux, for those who may not know, is when stomach acid travels upward into the esophagus and irritates that inner lining. The acid is too harsh for the esophagus and can cause burning and scarring. My mother eventually got to the point where chocking on food was so common, that she had to go to the doctor to have her esophagus stretched.
The thought of having something like acid reflux at 21 years old was very frightening, but also eye opening. It made me realize that we only get one body, so we have to take care of it. It will be with us the rest of our lives and we will have to deal with what we put it through. We HAVE to listen to what our body tells us it needs, and no matter how stubborn or determined we are, we have to comply.
I am stubborn, but I have learned that our body’s are smart, and they will tell you what is up if you are just willing to listen. For anyone else struggling with this, please feel free to leave some advice in the comments below. I know I will be doing more research on this from a nutrition side of things, while also picking up my copy of “Intuitive Eating” for a refresh.
Thank you so much for checking out the blog! Come back soon to find out how to make the most of your mini fridge!
Dorm Room Dietetics 