Mary Jessen: Wellness Makes Cents

What does “hit the wall” mean?

In endurance sports or long term hard exercise, “hitting the wall” or the “bonk” is a condition of overwhelming fatigue and loss of energy. I was working hard cleaning in the yard. I was lifting, tugging, throwing, and moving items. The temps were actually nice. But I did not realize the amount of energy I was using. I’m not a big breakfast eater.

What is glycogen?

“Glycogen is a form of glucose, a main source of energy that your body stores primarily in your liver and muscles. Your body needs carbohydrates from the food you eat to form glucose and then glycogen.”1 Choose good carbs to store; you know what kind. Oats, Rye, Steel cut oats, beans and whole grain rice, whole wheat breads, apples, berries, potatoes, sweet potatoes.

Why is dark chocolate healthy?

Chocolate is widely consumed by all generations. It is rich in fat, proteins, carbohydrates, polyphenols and other bioactive compounds [1]. According to hsph.harvard.edu, dark chocolate contains high amounts of flavanols. Flavanols, which are plant chemicals derived from the cocoa beans, have been linked to protecting the heart from cardiovascular diseases.

How do these Chemicals get into the water supply?

When you are cleaning, you grab what is familiar for the job and fill your pail.

What happens to that bucket of cleaning solution, that you needed gloves on to work with?

Some chemicals cannot be filtered out by your city’s water treatment plant. They end up back in your water supply. This in turn will affect the wildlife and farm animals that drink it. Agriculture will also absorb those chemicals as they are now in the soil.