Getting off the plane on Thursday in Sydney I immediately felt that I had 4 layers on too many. I was welcomed by a wave of heat. Finally.

Then I got to Brisbane. Melissa was waiting for me as I exited the airport in a total torrential down-pour. As I piled into the car with my bike and bags, Mel looked at me, thanked me for bringing the rain as requested and asked, how you feeling?  Up for squad training at the pool. My response was of course but think we can get a coffee? And so I hit the ground running. Five kilometers long-course before I finally found some sleep. 

The next 3 days brought incredible rain – over 600mm of it actually. There was incredible flooding throughout Brisbane and cyclones with winds up to 100km/hr. I was worried about every tree being knocked down in the forest. I had to shake my head that I had come half way across the world and I was still inside on the Computrainer! At least I know it was quality work. On Saturday Mel was determined to get in a longish ride. Off we went at 6 am into the rain. It was not pouring at this point but over the course of 5 hours we had so much rain that my hands pruned up. As we neared the top of a mountain with winds sweeping us almost off the road and rain coming down so hard it felt like pellets hitting me, Mel said that there was only three more kilometers to the lookout. I looked at her thinking are you for real? We couldn't see our hands in front of our face at this point. We made it to the lookout and the views I am sure are stunning. 

Since then the weather has improved and I have found the heat and sun that I knew existed here in Australia. I have been trying to keep up with Mel as she zips up and down the hills of Brisbane on the bike. Riding my beloved Shiv here is not ideal as there is rarely a moment where you don't need to be changing gears. The city amazes me as one minute you are amidst tons of traffic and then the next in a tropical forest that hums with insects and cawing birds. I even saw a kangaroo! 

And so training is going well. I am still trying to find my groove but will get there. Just have to get lost a few times along the way I think.    

In making a new year resolution one most often tries to give something up or add something to be a better or healthier person.  Last year when I was overcoming injury and mental fatigue I learnt why stress is a killer.  So this year my first resolution is to continue aiding my body whenever possible to reduce stress. 

 If there is a take home message from this blog it is:

1.  HYDRATE:  Forget the articles stating that we are over hydrating or don't need to drink until we are thirsty.  That is just dumb.  Preferably drink alkaline, microclustered, antioxidant water. 

2.  REDUCE REFINED SUGARS:  Found in soda's and many processed foods they are empty calories without any nutritional value.  

3.  LOVE THE GREEN:  It is perhaps obvious to say eat fruits and veggies with a vengeance but if emphasis is made make sure that you have something green everyday.  Kale, spinach, broccoli, swiss chard are just about the best super foods out there.   

4) LOVE LOTS, GIVE AND KNOW YOUR FAMILY/FRIENDS:  Community, support, friends are so often  the best source of laughter, love and support. 

Whether stress originates externally from work, family pressures, financial difficulties or training, our bodies react at the molecular level in the same way.  Physiologically the cells within our body undergo oxidative, acidic or hydration stress. 

The Oxymoron of Oxygen:  Life giving and destruction

Oxygen is essential for life.  It is needed to generate energy from our nutrition (fatty acids, glucose and amino acids).  The very creation of cellular energy generates free radicals.   These free radicals while essential to the human body to fight off pathogens (bacteria,viruses, fungi, parasites) that threaten our body also have the potential to have a destructive impact.  Oxidative stress occurs when the body is unable to manage changes of the oxidative state.  The toxic effect in the production of peroxides and free radicals damages components of the cell including proteins (cell membrane), essential lipids and even our DNA.  In humans, oxidative stress is thought to be involved in the development of many diseases or may exacerbate their symptoms. These include cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, heart failure, myocardial infarction, Schizophrenia; Bipolar disorder, fragile X syndrome, Sickle Cell Disease, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Acidic Stress

Acidic Stress occurs when the body is chronically exposed to diets high in sugar, excessive animal protein and dairy, emotional stress, physical stress (e.g., lactate acid build up), or elimination problems such as kidney failure.   Under normal circumstances the body is able to maintain the finely balanced pH equilibrium through the chemical buffering system and the neutralizing ability of alkaline foods.  Problems occur when lifestyle and/or intake of acid-forming products (e.g., smoke, alcohol, sodas) consistently stresses the body to manage and buffer the finely tuned pH.    Bones, the largest buffering pool outside our cells, are forced to give up their alkaline minerals, namely calcium and magnesium, in order to buffer the excess acid and keep metabolic processes going.  Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), osteoporosis, gout, cancers, kidney stones and peridontal disease are some diseases that are a result of or thrive in a chronically acidic fighting body.   

Hydration Stress

Our bodies are 70-75% water.  It helps maintain our body temperature, lubricates our joints, moistens our tissues, protects our vital organs, prevents constipation, helps our kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products, carries nutrients and oxygen to our cells and is the ultimate solvent to increase the accessibility of critical vitamins and nutrients.  When our cells are dehydrated they once again go to work to balance the pH.  They do this by signalling the sympathetic, fight-or-flight nervous system and releasing hormones that aim to retain fluid.  Unfortunately these same hormones contribute to the “stress response”.