Vitamins, Minerals, and Beta Carotene!

I used to think I was allergic to vitamins. I know that sounds absurd, but hear me out.  For some reason whenever I tried multivitamins they made me itch and I would get breakouts. Not just ordinary breakouts but the cystic kind. I tried different OTC brands and even "organic" brands but something was amiss. Vitamins made me paranoid so I just stopped taking them. I thought to my self that I can get my vitamins through the food I eat anyway. That is true, but that may not always be the case. We definitely need a boost of vitamins especially with all the stress that is going on around us. This is where proper research and diligence comes in.

It turns out that I really am allergic to multivitamins. Not the vitamins itself but the ingredients of the pills. Most pills have corn, rice, wheat, dyes, and other ingredients that people may tend to neglect but are actually allergenic. I am so lucky that my nutritionist helps me out and recommends products to use. I have really learned to read labels not only with food but with supplements cause you never know what they stuff in there until you read labels and ask. 

The Blue Bonnet brand makes vitamins that are milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nut, peanut, wheat, soy, corn, yeast, gluten, barley, rice, sodium and sugar free! (phew!) I was almost hesitant to try it out due to past experiences but I'm glad I did. There are probably more brands out there that cater to people with allergies. I will try to see if I can find some and review them. But for now, I think i'm good with this brand. 

The only thing that I don't like about the product is that it is a little pricey, and they don't make multivitamins and minerals that don't have rice. So I have to get INDIVIDUAL vitamins and minerals to take. (It's a lot of pills, son.) >_<

So, moral of the story, eat your vegetables! Hehe ;) 

LEAP Phase 1 Day 1-7 Part 1

On the first phase, they started me off with a few food selections to go by. The first phase lasted for seven days. You can get really creative and cook your food however you like but you can't have any other ingredient that is not on the list. I am not a chef so I do apologize if the pictures aren't too appetizing. ;p

This was what I had to begin with.


Chicken:

This was my main source of protein for that week.


Nutrition facts about chicken:
Chicken meat contains about 150 calories per 100 grams.
Chicken is low in carbohydrate, low in fat with a moderate protein content.
Chicken contains all the B Vitamins, especially B3, but only trace amounts of B12.




Tuna:

The chicken of the sea. I like tuna but didn't really use a lot of it cause it is too expensive for my budget. But I like seared tuna with some vegetables as seen on the picture. 


Fun facts about tuna:
A diet rich in fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, like canned tuna, can curb or prevent cognitive decline, dementia, depression, neuropsychiatric disorders, asthma and inflammatory disorders.




Cassava:

Cassava or yucca or kamoteng kahoy (in tagalog), makes a really healthy snack. I like making cassava fries or chips and adding sea salt. The starch is made into tapioca flour, which I use to replace cornstarch with. 
Nutrition facts:

Cassava is Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium

High in Vitamin C and Manganese

Quinoa:

Pronounced as keen-wa, it is a high protein seed that is used as a grain. The plant was cultivated by the Inca Indians, and used in religious ceremonies for centuries in South America.
This was my rice replacement. I grew up eating rice, and at first it was really hard but I got used to not eating rice after a while. Quinoa has to be soaked in water at least 15 minutes because it has this bitter taste if you don't. 
Quinoa has many nutrients, and is recognized widely as a good source of complete protein as well as magnesium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, dietary fiber, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese. 


Beet:

We got the beet! Yeah, yeah, corny I know haha. I've never tried beets before I went on this program, but roasted beets aren't half bad. 

Nutrition facts:

Beets are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron.While the sweet beet root has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of choline, folic acid, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars. This renders it highly effective in treating many ailments caused by our toxic environment and surrounding.

Using all parts of the kill, the stem and leaves can also be mixed with stir fry dishes and soups.






Broccoli:



Broccoli is probably one of my favorite veggies. They are very easy to cook. You can just steam or boil them for a few minutes and voila, you have something to munch on. 

It is loaded with antioxidants and protective phytochemicals. Broccoli can prevent some types of cancer. It also contains generous amounts of folic acid, which may prevent some birth defects and be beneficial in warding off heart disease, strokes and some cancers. Broccoli also contains some of the highest levels of vitamins A and C of any food.

Avocado:

Ahh, avocados. Love 'em. I was so glad I was not reacting to avocados since I was already sensitive to mangoes, peaches and pears. They are just so good, even without adding sugar or milk. 
Fun fact:
Avocados have over 20 vitamins and minerals and therefore considered to be one of the world’s most healthiest foods. An avocado has 60% more potassium than a banana on a  per ounce basis.  Avocados also have the most protein of any fruit.


Cabbage:

I didn't have any cabbage pictures available, sorry about that :D
I'm not really that much into cabbages but I like mixing them in soups and stir fries as well. I also made chicken cabbage wraps a few days ago. I should really take pictures. 




Next is part two of phase 1      ^___^


sources:
chicken
tuna
quinoa
cassava
beets
broccoli
avocado
cabbage patch logo

Mediator Release Test

I am way way way behind in blogging about this, i'm already on the third phase of the program, but it is better late than never, right? Remember when I was talking about food sensitivities and how they can affect our skin? Well, sometimes your gut feelings aren't always up to par with what you are sensitive to. Even if I was very careful with what  I ate, I was still breaking out. It was about time I got some help. I was searching on the internet about something-- can't really remember what, but I stumbled upon a nutritionist that does Mediator Release Testing here in Austin. What is it you ask? Well, this test determines food sensitivities, not food allergies. The good thing about this is that food sensitivities don't appear as quickly as food allergies, and they come in different forms such as fatigue, headaches, constipation, and many other symptoms that we don't really think of as having to do with food sensitivity. Which is why we don't suspect these certain foods that are actually harming us. x_X

The test is a little pricey, $350, but my nutritionist was nice enough to show me a link where Hershey's (yes, the chocolate makers) partnered with dieticians to help people become more aware of their health. They sponsored upto 250 dollars for a first time visit to a nutritionist or dietician, which saved me a lot of money, since my insurance doesn't cover this testing. 

Here is a link if you want to know more about Hershey's and good nutrition: Hershey's

As I have said, I did the testing a few months ago and was not able to document it, but here is a crappy  representation of what I did. 

1. Get kit. Make sure to keep the box in a cool area. 

2. Get your blood drawn. You need to fill up 4 vials so drink up! The blood draw has to be after 1 pm, and you should have eaten before having your blood drawn. 

3. Send blood. The kit contains a fedex bag so all you have to do is seal up the blood, fill up the papers, label the box and send it to a fedex store that accepts blood or blood products. 

The test took about two weeks and my nutritionist  emailed me and I set up an appointment with her to find out what the results were. Bom bom bommm...

Review: CieAura Pure Energy

For the past few months I have been experiencing some fatigue. I don't know if I'm just really lazy or what, but I tend to get really really tired.  I do know that my job can get pretty stressful at times, but even if I sleep for more than 10 hours, I still don't have the usual pep and energy to do things. My fiance's aunt, who is a holistic care nurse recommended these cie aura chips.

The cover looks like this

the chips look like this

When I first opened it, I was surprised because they were a bunch of shiny stickers. I thought to myself, how can shiny stickers give me extra energy? It was just too weird to be true. But then again, holistic medicine can get pretty weird sometimes. It says on the package that this chip is the product of 3000 years of research, which again, is we-heerd to me, but as much as I have doubts, I do like to keep my mind open for possibilities. The instructions say to place the stickers on either your upper chest, inner thigh, or wrist. I put mine on my upper chest. It felt weird at first, but after sometime you forget that it's there until you see it and say "oh yeah, I have a sticker on my chest." 

After a few days of using it, I noticed that did have more energy, but I don't know, it could be a psychological thing, or it could be the sticker. I'm not really convinced yet. The instructions say that I'm supposed to keep the sticker for 5 days to maintain "balance" but dang it, it just doesn't want to stay, especially when I'm in the shower. They should make stuff that stick if they want me to wear it for 5 days. I will be using it more to see if it really is effective. It says it doesn't have any side effects, so stick me with energy! 

Prickly Pear Cactus For Lunch

Whenever we go to the grocery store, I always pass by this small area where they sell cactus. It wasn't a house plant, but a chopped up ready to cook kind of cactus. Where I come from, we don't eat cactus so I am curious as to what it tastes like. A few days ago, I convinced my sister  to buy one to experiment on. 

I was searching the net on how to cook cactus, but most of the recipes are like omelets. I didn't really feel like eating omelet cactus. Maybe next time :) I also found a good good news about this prickly pear cactus! It actually has anti inflammatory properties! It has been shown to be good in combating chronic inflammation such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (my mom has RA, but she refuses to try eating cactus). It also helps people with diabetes as it helps lower blood sugar. Acne is another condition that also deals with chronic inflammation, and is also affected by blood sugar problems in the body. And who knows, this plant can actually help acne.    

I just decided to stick with a simple meal. Simmered and spiced veggies with some ground turkey. 

I'm not a very good photographer, hehe, hopefully it looks appetizing enough to eat :) 

I know, the cactus is a little brown, I kind of forgot about the cactus until my sister brought it up. I think the cactus just got oxidized... It's not rotting yet! (I hope) If I get sick, then we all know why haha :) 

As for the taste, it wasn't bad. It was kind of like eating okra, where it gets all sticky and sap-like in your mouth so it feels kind of gross, but it was not bad at all. I bet it would taste better if I got to cook it earlier.  >:)

Ready For Dental Extraction?

Waah! -_- So I just got home from the dentist for a consultation on tooth extraction. I need them to be taken out so I can start with my invisalign. I have a lot of crowding on my lower front teeth and because of the crowding, my upper front teeth are slanted. Hopefully by next week I can schedule the procedure and be done with it. I am pretty calm when it comes to surgery and stuff like that, but I am somewhat anxious with  four tooth extractions. Four!

They asked me if I wanted to be asleep during the whole surgery but they would have to use IV drugs. I just opted with the milder sedation. I guess taking halcion before having the surgery is enough for me. I won't panic, I think... Hmm... Nah, I can take it! Just as long as I don't feel anything. Bring on the local anesthetics! >:) 

I have been reading about extraction complications and I hope everything goes well. Some  of these complications are: 

Bleeding

Infection

Dry socket. A dry socket is a condition in which the blood clot that forms in the extraction site becomes detached from the walls of the socket, or dissolves away leaving the bare bone exposed to saliva and the foods you eat.  The bone becomes inflamed due to bacteria and contaminants in the saliva, and this inflammation is  persistent and painful. 

Broken Jaws

Sinus perforation 

Osteonecrosis of the jawbone is a disease resulting from the temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to the bone.  Without a blood supply, the bone dies. 

Hoo boy. Now that made me a little more anxious ahaha. But, I just have to look on the bright side and think of it as the first step to having better looking teeth :D

sources:

complications of dental extraction     

Hole-ey Guacamole!

I love avocados. They are just divine. And so healthy too! Aside from having Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and Folate, avocados have lutein, which are good for the eyes!

We had a couple of them lying around so I decided snack on them. I usually don't like eating avocados by itself cause I find it weird tasting. So I sweeten it up! A great way to make it into a sweet snack is to:

1. Mash avocados until it looks like paste, greenish gloopy paste :D
2. Add about a teaspoon (or more if desired) of sugar or sugar substitute like truvia or splenda
3. Add milk or rice/almond/soy milk
4. Mix it all together and you get this gooey glop of goodness :) This simple snack takes less than 5 minutes. It looks weird, but it tastes oh so good :)

Gaah! My Eyes!

You see (ha-ha very funny), this drawing really happened. Not that cars suddenly started looking like that or anything. You get my point. But four months ago, my eyes started to get blurry, and my driving was more dangerous than ever. Thankfully, we were unharmed and no tickets have been mailed since. I still get paranoid whenever the mail arrives though. 

When I moved from California to Texas, I thought getting my driver's license over here was easy as pie, but I was wrong. Everything was good except for the vision part. I was so embarrassed because I spent five minutes trying to read one line. The lady working there was going "Tsk tsk, when was your last eye exam?" And I replied, well, my eyes were fine when I got my license in California. And she says, "Na-ah, you have to get your eyes checked then come back here." She was the type of lady you don't want to mess with. And so, I had no choice. I had to get my eyes checked.

It took me a month to have them checked out since I had to wait for my insurance to kick in. And it is good that I waited. Health care costs can get crazy without insurance. I saved around 200 dollars for the check up and glasses with insurance!

I never really had a thorough eye check up before, and it's amazing how many doodads and thingamabobs are there to help diagnose your vision. These were some of the equipments they used when they were examining my eyes.

And so they checked my eyes out, made me read some letters from the eye chart, flashed some lights in my eyes, and put eye drops that made my pupils dilate for 3 hours (It was no fun being sensitive to light and having blurry vision). The doctor was really nice. She told me I had myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism. My eyes weren't that bad, but I did need glasses. My prescription glasses should be available sometime soon. 

Moral of the story, take care of your eyes. My job requires me using a computer, plus I often use my laptop for watching shows and doing all sorts of things. Some things I've learned from this experience:

1. Give eyes some rest. Stare at something far, and if available, stare at the trees. They say green has a calming effect to the eyes. 

2. Do not rub eyes hard. It's a bad habit that I am trying hard to break.

3. Eat more veggies! Vitamin A for the eyes.

4. Drink more water to help rehydrate the eyes. 

5. Adequate lighting when reading a book or watching TV. I used to read in the dark and I am starting to regret it.  

6. Lastly, get adequate sleep. 

Canker Sours

Does anyone remember The Kanker Sisters from Ed, Edd and Eddy? They were annoying like heck, but their love hate relationship with Ed, Edd and Eddy can be pretty funny. As annoying as these girls are, the real life canker sores also get me worked up when I have them running amuck in my mouth. 

Ever since I was young I've always had a canker sore here and there. I've looked up the causes of mouth sores, and there are actually  a lot of them. Probably for me is having a lot of stress, having not so straight teeth (will be getting braces soon) which makes me bite my lips, inner cheeks or tongue a lot of times,  and probably hormonal changes. There are a many more causes that don't really pertain to me such as chewing tobacco, eating spicy food, having braces, etc. And also, toothpastes containing SLS have been researched to cause canker sores too!

They say gargling with warm water and salt helps. It does to a degree, but it doesn't really heal it faster. I've even tried slathering salt on it, which was insane, because it hurts like heck and it didn't really do much. Orajel just helps keep the pain to a minimum but does not  heal it. There are more products out there that claim to help heal mouth sores fast, but I have yet to try one that actually works.

Recently, I had a huge canker sore, it was so big that it hurt whenever I started opening my mouth to talk or eat. It was that bad. A coworker of mine helped me and gave me some advicce. She saved my mouth! She told me she had the same problem when she was younger. She advised me to take L-lysine. It was  an over the counter supplement so I did not need a prescription. It cost me less than 10 dollars. I tried it and on the second day, my sore was not completely gone but I was able to talk clearer, and had no pain when I ate. On  the fifth day, it was so tiny I don't even really remember it being there.

What is L Lysine? L Lysine is an amino acid that helps with our bodies' connective tissues, It helps build protein and helos in the production of hormones, enzymes, and antibodies. Lysine can also be found in soy, quinoa, eggs, cheese, milk, apples, apricots, papayas, carrots, celery, cucumber, etc. You can find out more about L Lysine through the links below.   

sources:

picture
wikianswers.com
causes
importance of lysine

Chemichalology Thingamajiggy 101: SLS

I've always noticed after brushing my teeth, my lips get dry faster, and I get thirstier. Normally I would just satisfy my thirst and drink water. Little did I know that there was a reason behind that. Yes kiddos, it was SLS. Not LSS, but SLS. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
What is that??? Well, sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS is a chemical additive found in a lot of ordinary things we use everyday. It is in our shampoos, cleansers, toothpaste etc. This SLS makes a delightful lather that we enjoy to help clean things by removing oil and residues. 
And speaking of cleansers, whenever we clean our faces, you know that tight feeling you get after? I actually thought that was a good thing. Since my skin is pretty oily, well, the solution to that is keep it dry, right? Well, not exactly.


Let us put it this way. Pretend that this boy was our skin, and that the sebum are his clothes. His clothes keep him protected from germs and also prevent from overdrying the skin. The SLS is so good at stripping oils that it takes more than it should, so we feel dry. Naked.



The boy (skin) will try to compensate by adding more clothes (sebum) to feel less naked. And so more sebum, more clogging, more crap. I mean more zits. 

Talk about harsh. What makes it sadder is that SLS is cheap, so a lot of companies use it in their cleansing products without thinking about the consequences to their consumers.


SLS has been found to cause dermatitis and skin irritation to some people. There have also  been debates about this chemical causing cancer. I don't really have a say in that, it could be true, or it could be false, but I just try to avoid products that have SLS as much as possible. 

The next time we try to put something in our body, we have to be careful because we might be doing more harm than good.




sources:
wikipedia