Numbers Game Continued

Friday morning I visited Dr. Rein for a physical and blood panel recheck. She reviewed my blood results from my test taken in early February. She said my cholesterol break down was good. She wasn't worried about my overall cholesterol level number. However my sodium level did cause her to take notice.

My sodium level has been high for a good year now. I'm not the kind of person who adds salt to meals. When I cook I usually add no salt or very little. I explained that I'm always very thirsty, and that I drink water constantly throughout the day. I also told Dr. Rein that only drink water, green tea and fresh juices. I broke up with coffee and most alcohol last year. The doctor wondered a loud if my body is having trouble absorbing the water I'm drinking. She said this could be caused by a hormonal imbalance and a blood panel will give her more insight.

Also, my blood pressure was a bit elevated. She had me take a few deep breaths. Then she measured again. The number had dropped slightly but was still a bit high. She said this could have something to do with the high sodium level.

Needless to say I left the doctor's office famished. When I woke up that morning I had felt wiped out. Going without food first thing didn't help. So, I took my first official sick day since I began my new job last June. I emailed my partner, boss and the producer I'm working with. Not one wrote back with an obligatory, "Feel better." So much for niceties.

I spent part of the day in bed reading a book. The other part traveling to SOHO to get my hair cut and highlighted. I only get my hair done four times a year. But each quarter, I dread it. It's such a time suck. The cut, color and commute take about 4 hours. There are so many other things I could do with four hours than sit in a chair in a basement salon. I'm a slave to this beauty ritual.

Saturday was my bday. I took an Iyengar yoga class in the morning. Then came home to fresh artwork by my son and husband, balloons and UliMana Dark Chocolate Truffles. Woo-hoo! My son tried to eat one. Guess he couldn't handle the chocolate intensity. He ran to the trash and spit most of the candy out. What a waste!

We all went out for a birthday lunch at Le Pain Quotidien where I had the gluten-free vegan quiche. I had tasted this dish a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to return for my own plate. I could have easily eaten three slices of the eggless quiche. I want the recipe.

We continued our eating tour by visiting Chelsea Market next. I was really eager to get a juice from the Lucky Duck Takeaway. When we reached the market I had to go to the bathroom. The line was easily 30 people long. No joke. A fresh juice was out of the question. Instead, I bought my son a 2-pack of Lucky Duck's raw oreos. For myself, the Chocolate Crispies.

My son hated his $6 oreos. I ended up buying him a 49 cent lemon lollipop that made him very happy. Metal note: my son has cheap tastes.

I ate about half my bag of Crispies then spent the rest of the day very congested. Too bad. The Crispies were really tasty. Buckwheat is one of the ingredients in the Crispies as well as the quiche I had earlier in the day. It's also one of my food sensitivities. So, possibly I should avoid this ingredient. What to do with the other half of the bag of Crispies?

At one point in the afternoon, I pulled out my phone where I found many missed calls and voicemails. As I tried to retrieve messages, my phone's screen faded to black. I tried to revive the device but no luck. I walked into a T Mobile store where I was informed that the company no longer makes batteries for my model of Blackberry. WTF?! Happy birthday to me.

From there I returned home defeated to an evening of laundry. I felt really poopy and crabby. Not the festive mood imagined when it's your birthday. My sweet husband ran out to a generic cell phone store and got me a brand new battery. I spent the evening googling high sodium levels. All night I wondered if I have Diabetes Isipidus.

Sunday morning my phone was recharged. And after a Basics Yoga class so was I. So this is what turning a year older feels like.

Iyengar Yoga Class

One of my goals during my ten-day holiday break was to check out a yoga class or two at New York Sports Club, the gym I belong to. So last Thursday night I attended the Iyengar Yoga class. I had no idea what Iyengar is, involves or likes for dinner. 


According to the club's website: 
Iyengar Yoga focuses on the subtleties of each posture. Postures are held much longer so that students can focus on their precise muscular and skeletal alignment.


Other than standing in line at Fairway, I really don't know much about alignment. So, the class description sounded great. 


Upon showing up to class, I explained to the instructor that I suffer from carpal tunnel, making downward dogs really painful for me. The instructor said we wouldn't be doing any down dogs. Instead, the class would focus on the back. 


I've exercised at NYSC for ten years. I usually use the treadmill, stationary bike or jump rope as well as strength train with free weights. I've always been happy with the gym. However, my yoga experience at the club was dirty and cold. It was about 30 degrees outside and 30 inside. At one point I had to touch the back of my hand to my foot. It was like touching a corpse. I was freezing. Secondly, the studio is used by other classes that require people to wear shoes. Unlike yoga studios, which don't allow shoes to be worn, so are able to maintain some level of cleanliness. Basically I was lying on an icky, dirty floor. 


The class spent some time on the bow pose. I probably looked nothing like the picture below. I imagine my bow looked more like a shivering, squashed banana covered in floor dirt. Nevertheless, I found the pose as well as class challenging and different. Two things I was looking for. Also, the class reminded me just how stiff I am. 

The day after taking the class, my legs were incredibly sore. I saw this as a positive. So, my second class, although not exactly what I had in mind, has inspired me to give yoga another chance.