happiness chemicals

I don't have much to say except I'm sick right now. I got caught up grading my CHEM 101L, but I'm still far behind on CHEM 422L. I have 3.5 weeks until my sister arrives, so I'm praying I feel better soon to get back on the ball and rock out the rest of the grades.

I saw this cute graphic on #chemtwitter, and it made me think of my run club.

• Serotonin
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2010/10/selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors.html
• Dopamine
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2016/09/a-bargain-is-not-always-bargain.html
• Endorphin (endogenous morphine)
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2017/01/opioids.html
• Oxytocin
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-best-drugs.html

Fit4Mom encourages all these things: sun exposure, exercise, meditation, self-care, celebrating small-wins, eating well-balanced meals, giving compliements, volunteering and giving back and laughing out loud. No wonder it's so addictive. 

In an updated graphic from this blog post I can see that run club has brought my weight down a bit, but hopefully it will keep trending that way.

• Mashup Mom Meal Plans (Nov 2020 - Jul 2021) + Body Well
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2020/12/mashup-mom-to-rescue.html
• Commit to be Fit (HIIT) + MyFitnessPal (macros) + Eat to be Fit
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2019/04/fertility-part-8.html
• The Obesity Paradox
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-obesity-paradox.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-does-200-calories-look-like.html
• The opposite of happiness chemicals: Cortisol
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2014/03/cortisol.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2011/01/carbs-calcium-cortisol-oh-my.html
• Vitamin D
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2019/03/fertility-part-3.html
• Vitamin E
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2011/05/bathing-beauty.html

Coaching Run Club has got me thinking about diet and what meal plans have been effective for us in the past. Also, one of my students analyzed the vitamins I've been taking and it was weird to see it broken down into its constituents and made me re-think whether I need to be taking that or not.

• Women's Hormones
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2019/03/fertility-part-5.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2013/09/impatient-scientist.html
• Trouble sleeping?
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2018/01/insomnia-part-ii.html

It would be interesting to write about relaxin. I feel like there must be so few studies of lactating women who engage in extended breastfeeding and what effects there may be on hormone levels, and how that impacts weight gain or loss. It would be interesting to write about zyrtec and benadryl. One thing I noticed this past week is that going for a run the Sunday after taking benadryl on Saturday night as a sleep aid, I had an easier time breathing. It's possible that I have some seasonal allergies that are really aggrevated right now after all this rain, we're definitely having LOTS of spring flowers.

I don't even know what the point of this post was. 1) I feel sick. 2) I have no sick days. 3) I can't tell if my symptoms are from PMS or if I have a cold. 4) this cold medicine only works for 2 hours but my lab is 3 hours long. The theme of RunClub this week is nutrition so I've been rethinking my past successes and what made them successful. 

I just love this picture. Circa July 2011.