That, coupled with a love for food photography, led me to the launch of that blog.  I promise to post more on JiggaRoo now that things are calming down.  See you in the coming days… there’s been a lot on my mind I’d like to share.  :)

I hope you’re reading this!  The contact form didn’t work properly so all I got was your subject line.  It didn’t capture your name or email, so here I am trying to find you in blogosphere.  Please fill out the contact form again (it works now!) – I’ll do my best to answer whatever inquiry you might have had.  :)

During the “research phase” of deciding whether or not I should enter the field of nutrition, I solicited the advice of several RDs to get their perspective on the matter. This is what one friend had to say:

There is so much to say about the field of dietetics, but I can give you a little glimpse of what it’s like to be an RD. There are pretty much 3 different directions you can pursue: 1) administration, 2) community, 3) clinical.

Administration allows for more career growth, and obviously more money in the long run if you want to advance far in a hospital or school setting. This includes management, budgeting, policy writing, etc etc. At the entry level, administrative dietitians will provide menu planning in a hospital setting, working with vendors, obtaining patient satisfactions, and some management for kitchen staff. This requires almost no patient encounters and interactions.

Community nutrition settings include schools, clinics, and public health clinics.. This may include fighting in the government policy level, program implementation for communities, policy writing, and grant writing. You will be able to affect change in a larger scale if you like. Usually, dietitians who are in outpatient education are included in this category. They work in hospital or clinic and work with patients 1:1 or conduct classes to educate them on disease-specific nutrition-related issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, renal disease, etc etc.

Clinical nutrition settings are usually in hospitals or long-term care facilities. This is the setting I’ve been working for the last 3 years. In the hospital setting, there’s an interdisciplinary component where you are working with doctors, nurses, speech therapist, social workers to care fo a patient. The goal is to optimize the patient’s nutrition status. You see a variety of patients and make recommendations based on anthropometric measures, labs, medical history, and diagnoses. You also a wider variety of things such as, patient education, recommendations for tubefeedings/IV feedings rates, and making sure the patient is eating well.  So far, I’ve been enjoying the clinical side as it is very challenging; there’s always more to learn and interesting cases to see! However, I’m actually in the process of possibly transferring to the clinic side, as the working schedule in the hospital settings require you to work certain weekends and holidays. I think for my personal well-being a more structured schedule is better for me.

I hope this gives you some insight to what RDs do. Please feel free to email me more with any questions!

This was so helpful for me!  I didn’t know that RDs were so prominent in so many different fields.  There are plenty of options out there for those like me who are considering this career path.

This post is gonna be a headache for you.  Bear with me.

Prior to attending the Open House, I was confused about what track I should apply for.  Loma Linda offers two Nutrition tracks – one through their School of Allied Sciences and the other through their School of Public Health.  The School of Allied Sciences gives you a Master’s of Science (M.S.) in Nutrition.  The School of Public Health leads you to a Master’s in Public Health (M.P.H.) with an emphasis in Nutrition & Dietetics.  Both can get me that desired R.D. title.  After the info session, I decided that I want to apply for Loma Linda’s M.P.H. program.

Some things I learned about it…

• Makes me eligible for the Registered Dietitian exam.
• Allows  for concurrent completion of the MPH degree in 2 years + 1 qtr (58 units + 34 corequisites).
• Bachelor’s degree can be non-nutrition related.
• Career options: hospitals, community & public health settings, food & nutrition industry, and sports nutrition & corporate wellness.
• Includes supervised practice opportunities throughout the span of the program.

What I liked about Loma Linda was their desire to be hands on with their students.  They don’t just let you loose to sink or swim once you enter their program.  After a useless liberal arts education at UC Irvine, I knew this was what I wanted.  Loma Linda also does a lot of missions trips around the world to help nations without good medical resources.  Did I also tell you that if I become a student, all my medical and dental expenses will be free of charge??  What a perk.

Now comes the tough part of doing well in my prereqs and actually getting accepted into the program.  My 2nd choice school would be Cal State LA’s M.S. in Nutrition.  Loma Linda and CalStateLA are the only 2 schools in California that offers a CADE-accredited Nutrition program that also includes supervised practice.

Why do I want to stay in-state?  Tuition costs for out of state students are DOUBLE those in-state.  Yikes!!  I don’t have that kind of money to burn.

(courtesy of Tikko Weddings)

My husband said to me once that he hopes he’ll always be in the mode of “falling in love” with me.  He didn’t mean falling in love as some feel good giddy emotion.  He was talking about the state of always learning more and more about the other.  With every new mystery revealed, is that chance to fall in love again and again and again.

Marriage Notes: For me to remember 5, 10, 15… 50 years from now.

1. Show affection often – Cuddling, poking, smooching, rubbing noses… it’s all gravy!  My ex-boss told me once that he required his wife and kids to hug him every single day.  One time he even said to his wife, “Honey, I think we have a hugging problem”.  His wife wasn’t hugging him enough.  Yes, he was serious.  So the myth that men don’t like hugs and cuddles?  False.
2. Be childish – from singing offkey in the car to poking fun at each other’s quirks.  Let out your inner child!  If you can’t do this with your husband, who else can you do it with?  Laughing together over silly things is the best medicine for the soul (and marriage).
3. Remembering we’re a team! My.husband.is.not.the.enemy.  He’s my #1 supporter – he sat with me through a 4 hour Open House at Loma Linda because he wanted to know what I wanted to be a part of.  He keeps telling me I should be a professional photographer/blogger even though I just take photos and write for fun.  He keeps contributing to my “camera money fund” whenever he can to help me save up for camera gear.  Him believing in me makes all the difference.
4. Date night. We set aside one night a week for each other.  In between my night classes and other events that may spring up… it’s important to be intentional with one another.  I don’t care if he chooses to hangout with the boys on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.  But every week I look forward to the night prioritized for me.  Thursday Date Nights!  We know never to plan anything on that night because it’s OUR special night.
5. Respect each other. I would say RESPECT is the underlying, key component to any successful marriage.  How can you love but not respect someone?  The two go hand in hand.  If I did not respect my husband, I wouldn’t want to listen to anything he says, I wouldn’t want to learn from him, I wouldn’t think the BEST of him, I wouldn’t give him the benefit of the doubt, and I definitely wouldn’t take him or his decisions seriously.  Not having respect in a relationship can have serious, long-term implications.’

My marriage relationship is even stronger and better than our dating years.  The love gets deeper and sweeter by the day. My marriage is still in the early stages, so only time will tell.  My hope, though, is that I never stop learning to love him… I hope I will always be in that continual state of “falling in love” by his definition…

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…

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?).

Here are some Zyrtec complaints:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/rx/zyrtec.html
http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=19835&name=zyrtec

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.

Days without Monster: 7
Days without Zyrtec: 7

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.

Days without Monster: 3
Days without Zyrtec: 3

It was just one of them days. I stupidly slept at 2:30am last night and got in only 4 hours of sleep. I was debating about yoga, but had a hunch that getting my lazy butt there would make me feel better in the end. So I went. I was drowsy and had a headache (not the way you want to start a class), so I popped in an Advil to remedy the issue. I do that from time to time, especially when I get headaches. They say that an Aspirin a day is actually good for your health, but there are so many health claims out there… you can never be too sure.

The first half of class was killer. I kept feeling nauseous and dizzy. In every pose I had to convince myself, “just one more minute…” to get me through.  That mind-body connection was tough today, but I DID accomplish something I was never able to do before.  I balanced in Padangustasana (Toe Stand) without my fingertips touching the ground – my hands were in full prayer position while I balanced on one foot – exciting!  Class gets better from there.

We finally get to Suptavajrasana (Fixed Firm Pose) – this is usually when I find a semblance of peace, especially when I’m dying in class. Arching my back and letting my arms hang loose feels incredible. I want to stay here forever.  Do we have to move on?  I stop being a brat, finish the class and skip along my merry way.

Just for Fun – The Benefits of Fixed Firm Pose (Pictured Above):

• Helps conditions of sciatica, gout, varicose veins and rheumatism in the legs
• Slims and tones thighs, firms calf muscles and strengthens the abdomen
• Strengthens and improves flexibility of lower spine, knees and ankle joints
• Lubricates and increases circulation to joints
• Strengthens and lengthens abdominal muscles
• Creates a great stretch into hip joints and diaphragm
• Relieves lower back pain

When I signed up online for today’s yoga class, I was pleasantly surprised to find my favorite teacher, Valerie, teaching again!  She usually doesn’t teach on Mondays.  I’ve been trying to come to class earlier because I’ve found that it starts the class off right – I’m never rushing to get there and it gives me time to adjust to the heat.  Even though I got to class 15 minutes before start time, it was already halfway filled and almost every spot in the back row had been taken (I got the last spot, whew!).

We had 5 Bikram Yoga virgins in class today.  Most of the time, there are no new students, and at most just one or two… so today’s count was quite unusual.  One great thing about Valerie is that when new students come, she kindly asks the more seasoned yogi’s to move towards the front so that the new students can have prime locations in the back, giving them the ability to observe and follow along without too much trouble.  She also makes it a point to remember their names, which I hope makes them feel included and not overwhelmed with attention.  I was pretty impressed at the newbies today, they were definitely handling their own and I didn’t see any of them sitting out.

When new students come, they’re usually not familiar with some of the rules, like no drinking water when people are balancing.  I also wonder if they are caught off guard by the many savasanas between poses – or perhaps that was just me.  I remember my first impression of those things and always wonder if others have the same thoughts.  In my first class, I found the savasanas between poses annoying and hated turning around and laying on my back for a few seconds, only to quickly get back up again to do the next pose.

Some of my other First Impressions:

• Prior to Bikram Yoga, I had only done Vinyasa Yoga flows so my assumption was that Bikram Yoga would be a flow-like series in a hot room.  I didn’t do any research so was completely caught off guard by the Hatha style.
• Didn’t know that every class was the same 26 postures done twice.
• Wondered what the big deal was about drinking water before the first water break, did they want to dehydrate us or something?
• Omigosh my instructor is wearing nothing more than a Speedo!!!

Haha, that was then, and I’d like to think I’ve learned a thing or two since.  As for my poor mat… I think my yoga mat is forever stained with purple welts, but Nancy does make a good point – I now have a purple dotted mat – that’s certainly one way to look at it, LOL!  Good thing my mat is always covered with a towel anyway in Bikram Yoga, so I’m not in too much of a hurry to get a new one.  If there are any mat deals out there though, please send them my way!!  There seems to be so many quality, eco-conscious, sticky mats out there now… it’s going to be tough to choose.