Overcoming Your Superhero Complex

Jun
09

0 Posted by Melissa Ramos Categorized as Sides & Snacks

I am a Superhero (please see above, a photo of me for reference).

I’ll admit, my flying techniques are a bit off and I’d rather not wear my cape out (it doesn’t match half my outfits) but I can do a million and two things (most people can only do one million and one). However, this morning things changed. So much so, that it made me rethink my entire Superhero existence…

Despite a late night of trying to get work done, I decided to still get out there and run this morning (I’m a Superhero, remember?). Slipping on my pants and lacing up my shoes, I skipped down my steps and took to the road. It was not even five minutes into it that I realized…my pants are falling. Wondering if I had lost weight, I tugged at my pants and kept at it. Minutes later…they were falling again. Beeping horns and a couple of hey babys later, I stopped frustrated and decided to head home. Stomping to the washroom like an irritated little child, I took one look at myself and realized…my pants are on backwards. Allow me to present to you the demise of my Superhero status.

Superheroes don’t take on a beautiful collection of curling iron burns on their face and neck, nor do they leave their lunch on the streetcar or…put their pants on backwards. When you do, you begin to come to the revelation that you’re so busy you’ve forgotten to take care of the most crucial thing…yourself.

Holy Batman…er…Batgirl…

Which begs the question, is it possible to overcome the Superhero complex and really take care of ourselves before it’s too late?

Typically I’m always the last one to see that I’m burning out, but lately I’ve been trying to do something about it. So with that said, I decided to write some life and food tips that just might help:

1) Do it

While being stressed does have a hand to play in low libido, it certainly can help relieve stress. There have been multiple studies to show that sex has an upper hand to play in good mood, lowering blood pressure, decreasing cortisol levels (our stress hormone) and providing us with a good night’s sleep.

2) Water

Seems so simple, but ya, the clear stuff works (and I’m not talking about vodka, gin or saki). Studies have shown that being dehydrated is a form of stress on our bodies. Wouldn’t it make sense to stay hydrated when over 70% of our bodies are made up of the stuff?

3) Sleep

Going to bed by 11pm is key. Our adrenal glands will attempt to get their second wind at 11 pm, and cortisol levels return to normal between 6-8am. So it’s important to try to sleep during these times. If you have problems, refer to point #1 listed above.

4) Learn How To Say No

Okay, this is a hard one. But truthfully, I’m learning how to do it and even prioritize my life a little better so I can have a good understanding what tasks are in front of me. There’s an art to saying no and to be honest, doing so and not feeling guilty is important. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes a little empowering.

5) Real Food
Real, whole, unprocessed foods are live foods that provide us with the nutrients our bodies are craving for when we’re stressed. That’s a concept that the dead, packaged stuff can’t live up to. So here are my top food picks:

OATS

The one adaptogen grain, oats have the power to improve our resistance to stress and support the system. They are amazing breakfast when heated during the cold winter months, but can also be amazing during the hot months by simply soaking them overnight with water along with nuts and dried fruit.

VITAMIN C: PAPAYA, BROCCOLI, GOGI BERRIES, CITRUS FRUIT

High sources of vitamin C will help us better adapt to stress and increase our immune system. If you feel that you’re coming down with something or need an extra boost, whole food sources of vitamin C capsules like Camu or Acerola are always better alternatives to the synthetic sources (i.e. ascorbic acid) available in health food stores.

GREENS, MICRO-ALGAE & MAGNESIUM

In addition to purifying the blood, greens will help to cool and calm the liver which when out of balance will carry the emotion of anger and frustration. And according to Chinese Medicine, the spring is the liver’s most active time, so nourishing it is key. Not to mention, all greens are a great source of magnesium – the mineral which helps us to relax. Spirulina is a mirco-algae and like greens contain chlorophyll (the blood of the plant) but are concentrated sources of it. So I thought I’d attach one of my favourite snack recipes. It’s a great pick me up during the day and keeps me going…

SEXY SUPERHERO SPIRULINA BALLS
2 tbsp spirulina powder

1 1/2 cups oat flour (simply grind oats in a chopper)

1 tbsp cinammon powder

1 cup almond butter

1/2 cup honey

1 tbsp flax or chia seeds

Set aside extra coconut for rolling balls in.

In one bowl mix up the spirulina, oat flour, cinammon & chia seeds.

In separate bowl mix almond butter and honey. Then stir the two together and mix until well blended. Add more flour if too wet and a little more nut butter if it’s too dry and crumbling a part. The mixture should be relatively dry but sticky enough so that you’re able to roll the balls in the extra coconut you’ve put aside.

Roll dough into balls and put them on a cookie sheet in the fridge (or freezer if you want to store them for longer).

Spirulina is one of the most primitive forms of plant life. Some of it’s nutritional benefits include suppressing fatty accumulation in the liver, enhancing the immune system, treating obesity and aiding digestion by providing beneficial bacteria for the intestines. Which is important since more than 70% of our immune system is in our gut. Bad immune system = stress. That simple.

So pack these little bad boys in the fridge and when you’re ready to eat them, pack them up and go. Great when you need to refuel and give your body a little food love to get you through. Much better than a chocolate bar – although you could roll them in cocoa powder if you wanted to get your chocolate fix.

In the meantime, I’m working on taking better care of myself. I’m trying to realize that I’m only human and can take on so much but that’s okay. I don’t have to try to be a Superhero, although the thought of it is kind of fun. I mean really, flying?? As for the cape, maybe I could make creative use of it after all (refer to point #1 above).

And I’m off…

0 Comments

chica_160
19/06/2009 • 2:04 pm

I am making these tonight!! Thanks for the recipe….from a fellow superhoro

Reply
Ramón Pérez
15/07/2009 • 6:50 pm

i'm finally getting the hang of saying "no"… it's very difficult. now i have to implement the rest of this great list! though the toughest one will be getting to bed before 11… i haven't done that in over 15 yrs…

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