Deficient

Sum me up in one word? Well today, it would be deficient. If I'm telling the truth, it could probably apply to the last few months as well.

Workouts? Diet? Energy? Sleep? Appropriate wine consumption? Attitude?



This picture's cute factor is clearly not deficient.

 Deficient.

Today we can add Vitamin D and Vitamin B-12 to my laundry list of deficiencies.

During my last physical, my doctor (a runner) who I love and desperately want to like me, was not totally thrilled with my vegetarian ways. Her first concern was not protein like everyone thinks, but... B-12. Even with a supercharged B-12 Complex I am still hanging on to the lowwww end of normal at 349.

Symptoms of a B-12 Deficiency listed on the Natural Institute of Health, a website where people know stuff:

• Diarrhea or constipation *Nope, thank you baby Jesus.
• Fatigue, lack of energy, or light-headedness when standing up or with exertion *Sure
• Pale Skin *Oh, like I could tell I'm half Irish.
• Problems Concentrating *Okay
• Shortness of breath, mostly during exercise *Yeah, but I'm out of shape so that doesn't count.
• Swollen, red tongue or bleeding gums *Nope

Oh and Vitamin D, let's talk about that and how I have none. 14! The bottom of "normal" is 30. According to my doc, since we are all sun conscious now and indoor creatures, Vitamin D deficiencies have become quite common.

According to WebMD Symptoms of you know, having a 14 could be:

• Bone Pain *Umm nope
• Muscle Weakness *Haven't used them much to find out.

Other sites mentioned fatigue and apparently treating women with vitamin D has positively impacts their moods as well. Funny that I feel far more affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder this year than in years past. I attributed it to getting older and more crotchety but maybe that isn't the whole story.

So, the doctor and I will head back to the drawing board and re-examine my current supplements. I'll report back on the plan and I hope to see my energy creep up a bit... lately I feel like work is all I can muster. The diet has been good, but I'm so dang tired that isn't hasn't translated into increased energy levels.

Lessons learned here:
Get annual labs and what not drawn to make sure everything is GOLDEN. Just do it! (Even if it means you have to spend over an hour of your Saturday morning sandwiched between old people at the lab.)

xo,
falon

One last thing: Don't go reading this blog and thinking my problems must be your problems and start loading on vitamins. You are smarter than that so get some tests and talk with your doctor about supplements. Ya dig?