Did any of you watch this week’s Oprah episode on the documentary Food Inc.? Here’s the Oprah clip:
The Food Inc. Trailer:
“Everything we’ve done in modern agriculture is to grow it Faster, Fatter, Bigger, Cheaper”.
“If you can grow a chicken in 49 days, why would you want one you gotta grow in 3 months?”
It really makes me rethink what I put in my mouth, especially hormone-infused beef and chicken. Have you ever wondered why Americans grow up to be bigger and taller than children from most other countries? As an Asian-American, I’ve always been well aware of the huge difference in structure and size between Asians raised in America vs Asians from our motherlands. It’s all those growth hormones we get from our food!
Did you know that our cows are being fed:
- Gelatin (rendered from the hooves of cattle and other species)
- Fats, oils, grease, and tallow (again, from cattle and other species)
- Poultry and poultry by products (um, cows were meant to be vegetarian creatures – think grass)
- Rendered pork and horse protein
I guess one upside is that they’re no longer fed cattle brain and spinal tissue (yaaay) – that was banned by the FDA in 2007. If our beef is eating this stuff, and we’re eating the beef that is eating this stuff… then, indirectly, it’s kind of like we’re eating this stuff.
Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time on the ADA (American Dietetic Association) website researching what it takes to become a Registered Dietitian (RD). That is where my true passion lies – helping myself as well as others make healthier decisions for their lives. Sometimes I wish I had the guts to pursue this career path earlier… like oh, say, maybe when I was an undergrad. For those who knew they wanted to become an RD early on, all they had to do was graduate with a B.S. in Nutrition, complete a CADE-accredited supervised program, and pass the RD national exam. I feel like I lost precious, wasted time by avoiding those darn science classes earlier on.
It’s funny how life throws curveballs at you, I feel like I am at that same crossroads time and again – that confusing yet necessary place that we all submit to at the many, various points in our life. We all know that place. That place where we’re left wondering (again), what next?
I’m at my life’s crossroad again. Currently unemployed (due to the economy), yet halfway through an MBA. Do I continue the job search and focus on what I’ve been doing the last 4 years of my life? (Project Management). The MBA will help me regardless if I get that second Master’s in Nutrition. Or despite all that, should I pursue a career in Dietetics – requiring another 3-4 years devoted to a rigorous, science-heavy curriculum. Can my husband’s lone income sustain the both of us while I go and pursue my heart’s desire? Will the outcome outweigh the costs? Decisions Decisions. They’re neverending…
If you’re interested in reading more about Health and Wellness on the web, check out this list of Top 100 Health Blogs. I’m pleased to see that Dr. Weil is the first one listed because I’ve read some of his published works and am a big fan of his – he’s into alternative, holistic health so if you think that stuff is too voodoo-ey then he may not be for you. He also collaborated with Origins beauty products to make natural, organic creams that are good for your skin as well as the environment.
I have yet to try the line related to Dr. Weil, but I do use a few of Origins’ other products, and am a big fan! My good friend (who also does amazing wedding makeup/hair) introduced them to me (check out her blog at JACBeauty). I use A Perfect World day cream, and Night-a-Mins night cream. Both are moisturizing without being heavy. The citrusy, fresh smells are a great bonus too! They have a ton of products for all skin types so check out the website and see if any of them are a good fit. Let me know if Origins works for you~
Chip companies out there are coming out with some creative ways to make old fashioned chips lighter and healthier. One method is airpopping the chips rather than deep frying them the traditional way. I’d like to introduce you to two of my new, recent addictions that are made by using this new air popping method.
Pita Puffs with Sea Salt (from Trader Joe’s) and…
PopChips- BBQ Flavor (found at most grocery stores)
30 Pita Puffs contains a mere 120 calories with 2.5 grams of fat. 19 PopChips are also 120 calories with 4 grams of fat.
All the goodness of chips, none of the bad!
I wanted to share with you this healthy banana nut bread recipe I made the other day. The result was a moist, delicious bread chock full of good for you fiber! It tastes even better the next day!
Makes 1 – 9×5 inch loaf Servings: 12
Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup honey
4 large egg whites (room temperature eggs are best)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups mashed bananas
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
3/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease one 9×5 inch loaf pan with baking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat honey and applesauce together. Add egg whites, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla, and beat at medium speed. Slowly stir in the flour mixture.
In small bowl, mix together baking soda and hot water. Then pour it into the batter mix. Blend in chopped nuts.
Spread batter into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan.
Bake in oven for 55-60 minutes.
Let cool for at least 20 minutes. Only slice the bread when it reaches room temperature.
Just some tips about baking I learned along the way: Apple sauce is a good substitute for oil in most baking recipes to help reduce the fat content. The honey is a more natural and lower glycemic sweetener. The eggs are strengtheners and help to bind the ingredients together. The baking soda is used to help bread rise – that’s why most baking recipes calls for a little dash of this. Don’t be afraid of nuts – though they’re calorically dense, they are filled with good for you Omega3 fatty acids, which promote beautiful skin, hair, and nails.
Yesterday I made a trip to one of my favorite specialists – the OB/GYN! Hip-hip-hooray! *Silence. Birds Chirping*
Does anyone here really look forward to the one doctor who tells you to spread ‘em? Certainly not me. Straddled up in that unwelcoming chair. Asked to strip naked with nothing more than a paper sheet on. Prodding fingers in places they don’t belong. Doesn’t sound fun to me.
I may be biased, but I always seek out female doctors when I need to go in for my annual exam. I have always wondered why male doctors would want to be in this profession in the first place (it just feels a bit creepy to me) and as professional as they might be, I still wouldn’t feel comfortable having a male doctor giving me my annual breast exam.
To be honest, I don’t mind the OB/GYN. Those words would never have come out of my mouth 10 years ago! A sign of age? Perhaps. I’m just a lot more comfortable with my body now. The actual time it took to get checked lasted no more than 15 minutes. I told my doc that I’d rather go to her than my dentist any day! She laughed, agreed, and said they are pretty up there with the dentist though.
I’m no dentist fan because it usually takes forever – even for a procedural cleaning. If they find cavities or whatnot you’ll have to come back shortly after for them to drill and prod some more. The taste of latex and plastic mixed with a bit of teeth shard + drool in my mouth is no fun at all. More often than not, I leave with swollen face and knocked up gums – yea, that’s attractive.
Here’s a fun little poll I made – Dentist or OB/GYN?
Many of you have probably seen/heard about the devastation that hit Haiti on Tuesday. The 7.0 earthquake crushed thousands of buildings and left many more dead. The death toll is still unknown, with numbers rising by the minute. I’ve been reading a lot of news articles and reader responses since the tragedy. Here’s a comment (from the NYtimes) that really shocked me: “The US government better pay for my heart operation ($29,751) before they send a single dime to Haiti!!” – have people no heart?
This may just be my opinion, but people are still people regardless of race or nationality or what country they’re from – the focus shouldn’t be “us” versus “them” at a time such as this. When tragedy strikes, isn’t banding together to provide relief the only human thing to do?
You can help by donating to these organizations providing emergency relief:
As you know, I’ve been getting bad rashes every single day since I stopped taking Zyrtec 6 days ago. What are the chances that the day I have my Allergists’ appointment is the day no rashes appear? Life sure likes to play some funny games. Luckily I had some photos on hand to bring to the Allergist. Turns out they were unnecessary because the Allergist immediately knew what my problem was and diagnosed me with a common skin condition known as Dermatographia.
Dermatographia occurs when the body’s “mast cells” become sensitive to physical stimulation such as scratching. The histamines in the body start to spread, causing hives all over the body. So any sort of etching into the skin can create these rashes. This is definitely true for me, because hives randomly occur when I carry heavy grocery bags hung on my arms, or if my dog accidentally scratches my leg with her paw. So the more I itch, the more my rashes spread…
The doc asked if I wanted the good news first or the bad news. Of course I said the bad news! Let’s get the somber stuff out of the way please.
The bad news is that he doesn’t know why I have Dermatographia and he doesn’t know when they’ll go away. The good news is it doesn’t have anything to do with a specific allergy – so it isn’t brought on by food or environment.
I’m a strong believer in a mind-body connection when it comes to diseases and allergies. Even though the doc says my skin rashes have nothing to do with what I’m eating, I still believe that somewhere along the way a trigger of some sort must’ve brought this on. I guess I’ll never know…
His recommendation: that I take Zyrtec regularly for another 1-3 months, which I probably won’t do. He said it’s not bad to take anti-histamines for a long period of time (which I totally don’t believe! do you know what that will do to my liver?).
The power of the internet gives us so much freedom – knowledge is at our fingertips… don’t just trust the authorities with your health! Even the professionals don’t know everything. Research research research.
My belief is that my rashes were worse the last several days (after I stopped taking Zyrtec) because I’m going through withdrawal. I’ve experienced withdrawal before from other drugs and usually when you try to wean yourself off something, the symptoms get worse before they get better. Perhaps I’m in the clear now. I’m feeling a lot better today – no rashes in sight.
Oh and about the Master Cleanse – I know I said I’d do it this week, but I can’t get myself to go through with it! The skeptic in me is preventing me from trying it. I’m not sure I believe in the effectiveness of Master Cleanse and don’t want to go through 10 days of torture to find out. The thought of not being able to sit down with my hubby and enjoy a meal together?? No thanks.
I’ve been doing quite a bit of Googling the pros and cons of detoxing and the types of detox diets out there because 1. I wonder if they really help keep us healthy 2. If I’d be going through an extreme form of dieting for no good reason besides just losing my weight in water and muscle.
I liked what edetoxify.com had to say about the subject:
A detox diet is a diet or using herbs and other methods to remove the chemicals and toxins from the body in order to obtain optimal health. Usually a diet which consists of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, is encouraged and at the same time, cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, yeast and sugars.
Basically a detox diet is a short-term diet that
Cleanse your body to boost your energy level
Reduce the amount of toxins ingested into our body like (eating organic foods)
Contains high fiber food and water that can speed up the process of eliminating the toxins through bowel movements and urination.
Improved your metabolism rate and digestion such that the nutrients entering your body would be absorbed at an optimal level.
Do we know how much toxins are in your body?
The truth is no one is able to tell you how much toxins are in your body unless you go for a body checkup. Even if there is a study or research on our human body and prove that there are toxins in our body, everyone’s body may differ from one to another. The closest study ever done was the human toxome project which proves that there exists toxins like chemical, metals and pesticides in the bodies of the majority of the participants.
Other than chemical toxins, dietary toxins can also be very harmful to your body.
It occurs when we are not eliminating our wastes on a regular basis which can cause many health problems. In the short term, we may get ill and sick easily. In the long term, it may develop into cancer and diseases. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg believed that 90% of the diseases are caused by the improper functioning of the colon.
In traditional chinese medicine, when they treat a patient, one of the questions that the doctors ask is when is the last time the patient has eliminated its waste and whether the patient has constipation and diarrhea. The chinese believes that one of the main causes of illnesses and diseases lies in our elimination system. If our body’s sewage system is clogged, even if we consume the best nutritious or healthiest food, it would not benefit our body. The liver could not function well anymore which would also lead to our kidney suffering. As you can see, the colon indirectly affects many organs in our body. Take a look at the video below on colon cancer..
Why do our body’s sewage system get clogged?
When large quantity of junk or harmful food enter into our body, the stomach gets the signal and tells the brain that more work needs to be done to digest the food. This signals the colon to produce mucus which fills up the colons.
Once these food enter the colon, the mucus protect the colon from any damage into it be disintegrating it slowly. Nothing much damaging to your body if it only happens once in a while.
But can you imagine what happens when you filled your body with junk or harmful food daily?
When this occurs, the mucus will be secreted over the layer before and it will accumulate to about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. And it can be as hard as a piece of rubber. When people goes for a cleansing diet, they noticed the tons of waste being eliminated, some can be over 20 feet long. You will be shocked that these wastes can be stuck in your body for so long.
Once these wastes or toxins are eliminated or removed from your body, your colon would return to it’s natural state again.
Why Do People Start a Detox Diet?
Besides the benefits above you will receive from having a detox diet, people usually go on a detox diet because they realized they are overload with tons of chemical that can lead to illness and conditions like liver malfunction, kidney problems, hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies etc. Usually the most common symptoms that you should detox are usual fatigue, poor skin, and low tolerance to pain.
Overall, by going on a detox diet, many have comments on improved energy, clearer and fairer skin, a regular bowel movement, improved metabolism and digestion, increased concentration. Generally, it spells wellness and a better well-being.
Who Should Not Start a Detox Diet?
Words of caution – pregnant women are cautioned not to try a detox diet as they need the necessary nutrients to nourish the baby. Only when advice by a doctor, people with anemia, eating disorders, heart disease, low immunity, low blood pressure, ulcers, cancer, the underweight or those suffering from alcohol or drug dependency should try on a detox diet.
In any circumstances, all detox diet programs should be consulted by a doctor or a nutritionist before one tries it out.
The website also lists in detail the different types of detox diets out there. Of course this is just one side of a double-sided coin. Opponents of detox diets argue that there isn’t any true science or proof behind detox diets and that the body is perfectly capable of detoxing itself without the help of such extreme measures. But then again, back in the 70s high carb/low fat diets were popular too. Then came the Atkins diet. Then people said to eat lots of soy. Then too much soy was deemed harmful. Then dairy was bad, now dairy is said to help speed up weight loss. Science? Science seems to change its mind as quickly as I change outfits.
Some people have voiced concern over my decision to detox, but the important deciding factor here for me is that it is short term. It doesn’t hurt to try and then at least I can say I tried and failed and won’t do it again.. To me, its almost a better alternative than the needless steroids and antibiotics doctors keep trying to prescribe me. I think they’re out to get my liver. Haha, kidding!
This is my life without Zyrtec. I’ve been blogging about my rashes for some time now so I didn’t think it was fair that I kept talking about something you had no real visual about. This particular rash is on my neck, but the rashes come and go as they please on all parts of my body – my arms, my legs, my bootay, and even in between my toes. It’s no fun. No fun at all.
Lovely isn’t she? I named her fiona. Haha, I promise I don’t normally have wrinkly chicken skin for a neck. Now that I’m married I finally have health insurance and am seeing an allergist first thing Monday morning. Definitely do not want drugs. Definitely do not want prednisone. If they give me that stuff, it’s going straight into the toilet.
awesome. i had to quit after ending up in urgent care during bikram hah. .-= Lisa-Anne´s last...