The human body's GI tract is a home to 70% of our immune system. It is rich in neurotransmitters, hormones, chemical messengers, enzymes, microbes and bacteria. All of these are located in the wall of our gut. It's pretty amazing how the gut affects so much of our immune system. Thus when something goes wrong in the gut, that's when all hell breaks lose.
Elimination
Since the gut is the gate to our immune system, the food we consume are very important. And many times, the food we consume are what makes us ill. Though there are blood tests that are available today to find out what is wrong with our system, it is still extremely limited.
Many people eliminate gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, yeast, nightshade plants, nuts and citrus as these are the common triggers for allergy symptoms.
Why Eliminate
The elimination diet is a process where one removes food(s) which is/are suspected of causing an allergy symptom(s) or food intolerances. This should be done under a supervision of an experienced medical doctor or dietitian.
How To Eliminate
1. Stop eating foods which are suspected of causing the allergy symptom(s).
2. Keep a very basic and simple diet.
* At the same time, make sure that your diet is providing the nutrients that you need.
3. Keep a very detailed diary of all foods that are consumed. Some even keep a diary of the things they use, inhale or touch. Also note down your ability to sleep, your mood, digestion, energy levels and bowel habits. See if there are improvements.
4. Slowly add back one food at a time. (Do this VERY gradually in small amounts.)
* As you slowly reintroduce different types of food back into your system, make sure you record your symptoms.
5. Sometimes some doctors/dietitians tell their patients to eliminate again the food that they react to during the period of reintroduction. This is to confirm that if the allergy symptoms clear up for good.
How Long to Eliminate
23 days.
Why?
Because the antibodies which our immune system produces to react to the food we eat takes about 23 days to stop reacting to the food we've eaten. So if we eliminate one food for a short while and then we take it again too soon, it is reacting from the 'leftovers' in the system. So be patient.
My Elimination Diet
I think I can say that I have been living on an elimination diet for 5 years plus now. My elimination diet was forced upon me as I almost died from an anaphylactic attack from god-knows-what. No blood tests could give me an answer. Up till today the medical world is still unable to 'label' my medical condition. It's still 'Idiopathic Anaphylaxis'. It's still '...something wrong with my immune system.'
5 years ago after returning from the non-stop ER trips and with a system loaded with steroids, I was reacting to everything and anything. I basically ate only free range chicken, rice, lettuce iceberg veggie, sea-salt and sunflower oil day in and day out for never-ending months. Slowly I added new foods. It was a very risky experimentation. But it was something I had to do. I needed the nutrition to build back up my immune system. Today, 5 years later, I can eat so much more food than I could back then. But it took me 5 years to be where I am today. And I know which foods are my triggers. Unfortunately, food wasn't the only problem for me. Daily toiletries and smells played a big part in causing my reactions. Thus my elimination also included the things I use daily such as shampoo, creams, lotions, toothpaste, etc.
So if you think you'd need to go through an elimination diet, do it under a supervision of a doctor who knows what he is doing and is qualified to handle an emergency if it happens.
Friday, 13 June 2014
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Tips For the Salicylate Sensitive
1. Remove the aloe-vera strips on shaving blades.
2. Peel all outer leaves of leafy vegetables.
3. Peel all skin from fruits.
4. Keep salicylate levels in body to a minimum.
5. Have fresh and unprocessed food everyday!
2. Peel all outer leaves of leafy vegetables.
3. Peel all skin from fruits.
4. Keep salicylate levels in body to a minimum.
5. Have fresh and unprocessed food everyday!
Monday, 9 June 2014
D is For Desensitization
Desensitization is a process which causes someone to be less sensitive to the stimuli. In the medical world, desensitization is a process which makes a person to be less reactive to what they are sensitive to.
1. Oral Immunotherapy
Oral immunotherapy is where a person's tolerance towards a type of food which the person is allergic to is build up by ingesting a small amount and gradually increasing in larger doses.
An example would be oral immunotherapy for peanut allergies. Children with peanut allergy would be given small amounts of peanut protein in low doses which were lower than the amount they would react to. And this is to be ingested everyday. Gradually the amount would be increased until it reaches a point where the children are able to tolerate peanuts without allergy reactions.
This is a very dangerous process as children with peanut allergies could go into anaphylaxis. Thus, it must be done under medical supervision and in an environment which has the equipment (and doctors who are trained) to save lives in the event an anaphylaxis occurs.
Patients who had positive outcomes from the peanut desensitization could tolerate peanuts in larger doses. That being said, much research is needed in this area.
Click on LINK to read more.
2. Allergen Immunotherapy
Allergen immunotherapy 'switches off' the allergy switch in the body. That means the body becomes immune to the allergens. The body thus is able to tolerate the allergens with fewer or no symptoms.
Allergen immunotherapy requires many years of treatment. It can take up to 3 to 5 years of commitment. One is not spared from side effects during the period of therapy.
Allergen immunotherapy is good for anaphylactic reactions to stinging insects. Published data shows that it reduces the risk from 60% to 10%! This immunotherapy is also used to treat allergic rhinitis (hay fever) due to pollen or dust mite allergy.
Even when the treatment is ongoing, allergy medications are still used.
a. Sublingual Immunotherapy
This is done by putting drops or tablets of allergen extracts under the tongue to be swallowed. The allergen is absorbed through the stomach lining to enable the body to become tolerant of the allergen.
b. Epicutaneous Immunotherapy
This is done by injecting the food allergen under the skin.
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There were a few women who wrote to me saying that they went through salicylate desensitization. And they got their life back as a result. They could take foods, use products which had salicylates. They have to take aspirin for the rest of their lives. They also have to take a stomach medication as aspirin is bad for the stomach. And aspirin is a blood thinner. Which means they bleed more easily when there are cuts. I did ask Dr. Yadav about the possibility of me going through this. He said it would be pointless for me as I am also chemically sensitive and there are just way too many chemicals in this world. There is no desensitization for chemicals.
1. Oral Immunotherapy
Oral immunotherapy is where a person's tolerance towards a type of food which the person is allergic to is build up by ingesting a small amount and gradually increasing in larger doses.
An example would be oral immunotherapy for peanut allergies. Children with peanut allergy would be given small amounts of peanut protein in low doses which were lower than the amount they would react to. And this is to be ingested everyday. Gradually the amount would be increased until it reaches a point where the children are able to tolerate peanuts without allergy reactions.
This is a very dangerous process as children with peanut allergies could go into anaphylaxis. Thus, it must be done under medical supervision and in an environment which has the equipment (and doctors who are trained) to save lives in the event an anaphylaxis occurs.
Patients who had positive outcomes from the peanut desensitization could tolerate peanuts in larger doses. That being said, much research is needed in this area.
Click on LINK to read more.
2. Allergen Immunotherapy
Allergen immunotherapy 'switches off' the allergy switch in the body. That means the body becomes immune to the allergens. The body thus is able to tolerate the allergens with fewer or no symptoms.
Allergen immunotherapy requires many years of treatment. It can take up to 3 to 5 years of commitment. One is not spared from side effects during the period of therapy.
Allergen immunotherapy is good for anaphylactic reactions to stinging insects. Published data shows that it reduces the risk from 60% to 10%! This immunotherapy is also used to treat allergic rhinitis (hay fever) due to pollen or dust mite allergy.
Even when the treatment is ongoing, allergy medications are still used.
a. Sublingual Immunotherapy
This is done by putting drops or tablets of allergen extracts under the tongue to be swallowed. The allergen is absorbed through the stomach lining to enable the body to become tolerant of the allergen.
b. Epicutaneous Immunotherapy
This is done by injecting the food allergen under the skin.
--------------------------------------------------
There were a few women who wrote to me saying that they went through salicylate desensitization. And they got their life back as a result. They could take foods, use products which had salicylates. They have to take aspirin for the rest of their lives. They also have to take a stomach medication as aspirin is bad for the stomach. And aspirin is a blood thinner. Which means they bleed more easily when there are cuts. I did ask Dr. Yadav about the possibility of me going through this. He said it would be pointless for me as I am also chemically sensitive and there are just way too many chemicals in this world. There is no desensitization for chemicals.
Baked Garlic Pork Balls
Ingredients:
1. 500gm of minced pork (seasoned with sea-salt)
2. 2 garlic clove (minced into very fine texture)
3. 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
4. 1/4 cup of rice flour
5. 1 egg (beaten)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. Mix all ingredients above until everything is well blended.
2. Preheat oven to 210C.
3. Shape the pork into golf-balls-sizes.
4. Line a tray with baking paper.
5. Place the balls on the tray and bake for about 1/2 hour or until golden brown. Make sure the pork balls are throughly cooked. You can test by inserting a toothpick into the ball. If the meat doesn't stick to the toothpick, it should be fine.
6. Serve with noodles or rice.
Bon appétit!
1. 500gm of minced pork (seasoned with sea-salt)
2. 2 garlic clove (minced into very fine texture)
3. 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
4. 1/4 cup of rice flour
5. 1 egg (beaten)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. Mix all ingredients above until everything is well blended.
2. Preheat oven to 210C.
3. Shape the pork into golf-balls-sizes.
4. Line a tray with baking paper.
5. Place the balls on the tray and bake for about 1/2 hour or until golden brown. Make sure the pork balls are throughly cooked. You can test by inserting a toothpick into the ball. If the meat doesn't stick to the toothpick, it should be fine.
6. Serve with noodles or rice.
Bon appétit!
Natural Beauty Measures That Don't Cost A Bomb
... (And which don't kill you either! I hope...)
1. Charcoal For Eyeliner
Apparently this works very well. Activated charcoal is used for the eyeliner. Just google and you'll see tons of people swearing by this simple home-made product. Some women use spirulina for green colour and cocoa for brown. Interesting....
2. Brown Sugar Exfoliation
Brown sugar contains glycol acid which helps fight bacteria. Glycolic acid is an alpha-hydroxyl aid which is an important acid in keeping the skin healthy. From what I've read, many people who use brown sugar as their exfoliant add some oil to it. Some use olive oil. Others coconut oil. Experiment with caution to see which suits your skin.
3. Baking Soda For Extra White Teeth
Adding a bit of baking soda to your toothpaste will apparently give you white teeth. No harm in trying.
4. Dry Shampoo
My alter ego's name is Miss Clean Freak and I cannot even skip one day of not-washing-my-hair. I live in a tropical country which is hot, humid and dusty. Imagine not washing one's hair everyday!!!!!! But some people believe in not getting their hair washed everyday. They believe that it strips the scalp of the oil. Well, commercial dry shampoo is filled with lots of chemicals. Here is a homemade version: Cornmeal, cornstarch, oatmeal and baking soda. Sprinkle mixture on scalp and rub it in so that oil from scalp will be absorbed. Comb/style as normal. If you try this, let me know how this goes.
5. Algae For Eyeshadow
Another interesting homemade concoction to combat the chemicals.
6. Potatoes For Dark Circles
Applying fresh potato slices over the eyes for 15 minutes can help reduce the red, tired and dark eye area.
7. Large Sunglasses
This ensures your eye area is protected from the UV rays.
8. Pillowcase Change For Acne
For those who have acne, a pillowcase change every night might help in having a re-infection. If you can't do this, covering the pillow with a facial towel is as good. Change the towel every night.
9. Oil As Cleanser & As Make-Up/Sunblock Remover
I use coconut oil to remove the sunblock from my face. I used to use baby oil but I can't seem to find one without perfume. The one which I could use went through a marketing change and now has added fragrance/perfume which made me sick the moment I opened the bottle. Coconut oil works very well for me.
10. Conditioner Away
Instead of using shaving cream, lather your legs with conditioner and shave away. It softens the hair and leaves the legs soft and silky.
If you have any other tips, do feel free to share.
1. Charcoal For Eyeliner
Apparently this works very well. Activated charcoal is used for the eyeliner. Just google and you'll see tons of people swearing by this simple home-made product. Some women use spirulina for green colour and cocoa for brown. Interesting....
2. Brown Sugar Exfoliation
Brown sugar contains glycol acid which helps fight bacteria. Glycolic acid is an alpha-hydroxyl aid which is an important acid in keeping the skin healthy. From what I've read, many people who use brown sugar as their exfoliant add some oil to it. Some use olive oil. Others coconut oil. Experiment with caution to see which suits your skin.
3. Baking Soda For Extra White Teeth
Adding a bit of baking soda to your toothpaste will apparently give you white teeth. No harm in trying.
4. Dry Shampoo
My alter ego's name is Miss Clean Freak and I cannot even skip one day of not-washing-my-hair. I live in a tropical country which is hot, humid and dusty. Imagine not washing one's hair everyday!!!!!! But some people believe in not getting their hair washed everyday. They believe that it strips the scalp of the oil. Well, commercial dry shampoo is filled with lots of chemicals. Here is a homemade version: Cornmeal, cornstarch, oatmeal and baking soda. Sprinkle mixture on scalp and rub it in so that oil from scalp will be absorbed. Comb/style as normal. If you try this, let me know how this goes.
5. Algae For Eyeshadow
Another interesting homemade concoction to combat the chemicals.
6. Potatoes For Dark Circles
Applying fresh potato slices over the eyes for 15 minutes can help reduce the red, tired and dark eye area.
7. Large Sunglasses
This ensures your eye area is protected from the UV rays.
8. Pillowcase Change For Acne
For those who have acne, a pillowcase change every night might help in having a re-infection. If you can't do this, covering the pillow with a facial towel is as good. Change the towel every night.
9. Oil As Cleanser & As Make-Up/Sunblock Remover
I use coconut oil to remove the sunblock from my face. I used to use baby oil but I can't seem to find one without perfume. The one which I could use went through a marketing change and now has added fragrance/perfume which made me sick the moment I opened the bottle. Coconut oil works very well for me.
10. Conditioner Away
Instead of using shaving cream, lather your legs with conditioner and shave away. It softens the hair and leaves the legs soft and silky.
If you have any other tips, do feel free to share.
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Salmon Fried Rice
Ingredients:
1. 1 large slice of salmon (baked and then deboned and shredded to fine pieces)
For recipe, please click on LINK
2. 4 cups of cooked sushi rice
3. 1/2 bulb of garlic (sliced into thin pieces)
4. Sunflower oil
5. Sea-salt
-------------------------------------------------------
1. Heat up a wok.
2. Drizzle a small amount of sunflower oil.
3. Once the oil is heated up, add the sliced garlic.
4. When the garlic is slightly browned, add the salmon and rice.
5. Mix everything thoroughly and add sea-salt to taste. Stir fry for another five minutes.
6. Once it is done, scoop up onto serving dish and serve while hot.
Bon appétit!
1. 1 large slice of salmon (baked and then deboned and shredded to fine pieces)
For recipe, please click on LINK
2. 4 cups of cooked sushi rice
3. 1/2 bulb of garlic (sliced into thin pieces)
4. Sunflower oil
5. Sea-salt
-------------------------------------------------------
1. Heat up a wok.
2. Drizzle a small amount of sunflower oil.
3. Once the oil is heated up, add the sliced garlic.
4. When the garlic is slightly browned, add the salmon and rice.
5. Mix everything thoroughly and add sea-salt to taste. Stir fry for another five minutes.
6. Once it is done, scoop up onto serving dish and serve while hot.
Bon appétit!
Friday, 30 May 2014
Container Garden - A Thriving Update
It looks like the garden has an iron will to live and to thrive even though the weather has been crappy and I've not been able to give it the love and attention it needs.
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| Yummy fresh cucumber from the garden! |
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| Chillies! |
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| Capsicums! |
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| Mint! |
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Cashew Multigrain Titbit
Ingredients:
1. 250gm raw cashew nuts (chopped to fine pieces OR blended roughly)
2. 1 cup of millet
3. 1 cup of quinoa
4. 2 cups of oats
5. 1 cup of puffed canawa
6. 2 large eggs
7. 1/2 cup of sunflower oil
8. Soft brown sugar (how much you use is up to you) (I used 1/4 cup)
---------------------------------------------------------------
1. Mix all ingredients above in a large bowl.
2. Once everything is combined well, scoop up mixture into mini cupcake liners and place them on a baking tray.
3. Preheat oven at 180C.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Allow to cool. You can store in airtight containers which can be kept in the fridge for about a month.
Bon appétit!
1. 250gm raw cashew nuts (chopped to fine pieces OR blended roughly)
2. 1 cup of millet
3. 1 cup of quinoa
4. 2 cups of oats
5. 1 cup of puffed canawa
6. 2 large eggs
7. 1/2 cup of sunflower oil
8. Soft brown sugar (how much you use is up to you) (I used 1/4 cup)
---------------------------------------------------------------
1. Mix all ingredients above in a large bowl.
2. Once everything is combined well, scoop up mixture into mini cupcake liners and place them on a baking tray.
3. Preheat oven at 180C.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Allow to cool. You can store in airtight containers which can be kept in the fridge for about a month.
Bon appétit!
Monday, 26 May 2014
Chicken Stew with Chives
Ingredients:
1. 4 drumsticks/thighs (cut into half) (seasoned with sea-salt)
2. 2 stalks of chives (cut into 3 cm in length)
3. 7 medium sized potatoes (skin peeled and cut into wedges shapes)
4. Sea-salt
5. Sunflower oil
6. 1 cup of chicken broth
----------------------------------------------------------
1. Pour some sunflower oil into a large pot. Heat it up and add the potato wedges in when oil is hot.
2. Cover the pot with lid and allow potatoes to cook until soften.
3. Add the chicken, sea-salt and chicken broth.
4. Bring the stew to a boil and then allow to simmer on low heat for 1 hour with lid closed.
5. Add the chives and simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Serve with piping hot rice.
Bon appétit!
1. 4 drumsticks/thighs (cut into half) (seasoned with sea-salt)
2. 2 stalks of chives (cut into 3 cm in length)
3. 7 medium sized potatoes (skin peeled and cut into wedges shapes)
4. Sea-salt
5. Sunflower oil
6. 1 cup of chicken broth
----------------------------------------------------------
1. Pour some sunflower oil into a large pot. Heat it up and add the potato wedges in when oil is hot.
2. Cover the pot with lid and allow potatoes to cook until soften.
3. Add the chicken, sea-salt and chicken broth.
4. Bring the stew to a boil and then allow to simmer on low heat for 1 hour with lid closed.
5. Add the chives and simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Serve with piping hot rice.
Bon appétit!
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Wednesday, 21 May 2014
The Demon Named Influenza A
Last year it was Nightmare On Influenza B Street. This year it's his brother the Demon Influenza A. If you thought that you've seen it all, been through it all and know it all after an experience with Influenza B, you're sadly mistaken.
1. Your Brain is Just One Big Blob of Goo
Nothing makes sense. You see A and B are supposed to go together, but somehow you can't even put them together. Your brain is jammed. Its simplicity just bamboozles you. No matter how hard you try, you can't even tell which is your left hand. Your brain is just in the Cloud up there.
2. Six-Packs, Eight-Packs, Quadruple Packs
You'll have all those packs above in no time with all the pulling and stretching that your body has to accommodate for those hours and hours of never-ending-marathon-coughs. You'll instantly turn into Mr or Miss Body-Building-Machine unlike some Mr-I'll-Be-Back who took years and yet could never come back somehow... Eeeeeewwwww... I'd rather choose Wolverine over Arnie any day. *sigh* Wolverine....... *drools* *SLAPS SELF!* Forgive my foggy state of mind. It's the virus that's turned my brain into this blob of goo drooling over some silly nonexistent mutant.
3. Casper the Ghost
You know how Casper tries to makes friends with everybody but ends up scaring everybody out of their wits? That's how you will feel. Even the reflection of your own hand will cause you to jump 10-feet out of your skin. I was constantly being frightened by any sound and everything that moved. I would have been a good candidate for a ghost movie. I would just jump and scream even if they moved the camera.
4. A.L.I.E.N
Yup. You read that right. Alien. The one that drips acid saliva and has the never-ending-fond-habit of bursting out from human's rib cages or abdomens. That's how you'd feel when you're coughing and coughing and coughing endlessly. You'd think that the violent, never-ending spasmodic coughs will cause your insides to finally explode out giving birth to a tiny 'cough-alien-baby'.
5. Your Bed is Out to Kill You!
I can't emphasize this point enough. It's sole purpose during this time of unfortunate illness is not to comfort you or give you some relief from the sore, aching body.
You see the virus can be akin to the Mafias. They are both the same. Sadists in the fullest sense. First they beat you up. Then they pull out a tooth here and there. And then they use pliers to pull your fingernails out. And then they 'try' to drown you for 5 minutes while they continue to beat the shit out of you. And then they slowly electrocute you to death. And when you're about to die, they resuscitate you and throw you in your cell to only continue the torture the next day.
So you think the cell is a welcomed relief. But NOOOOOOOOO! You can feel every contour, every crack, every shape and everything. You try to position yourself into a more comfortable position to try to get some relief when suddenly it feels like a sinkhole has appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the cell and it is sucking you in! And then it's GONE! Out of nowhere the cell is suddenly filled with thorns. It is hurting, tearing your skin apart, causing you more pain. When you try to get that bit of rest that you so desperately need it will come back in full force to make sure you don't get that. You then twist, you turn, you curl up, you sleep like a scarecrow, you do whatever it takes to get a teeny-weeny bit of relief. The cell will NEVER give you that. It has formed a pact together with the Mafia (a.k.a Influenza A) and the devil to make you wish you had died before they resuscitated you for tomorrow's round 2.
The cell is YOUR BED.
1. Your Brain is Just One Big Blob of Goo
Nothing makes sense. You see A and B are supposed to go together, but somehow you can't even put them together. Your brain is jammed. Its simplicity just bamboozles you. No matter how hard you try, you can't even tell which is your left hand. Your brain is just in the Cloud up there.
2. Six-Packs, Eight-Packs, Quadruple Packs
You'll have all those packs above in no time with all the pulling and stretching that your body has to accommodate for those hours and hours of never-ending-marathon-coughs. You'll instantly turn into Mr or Miss Body-Building-Machine unlike some Mr-I'll-Be-Back who took years and yet could never come back somehow... Eeeeeewwwww... I'd rather choose Wolverine over Arnie any day. *sigh* Wolverine....... *drools* *SLAPS SELF!* Forgive my foggy state of mind. It's the virus that's turned my brain into this blob of goo drooling over some silly nonexistent mutant.
3. Casper the Ghost
You know how Casper tries to makes friends with everybody but ends up scaring everybody out of their wits? That's how you will feel. Even the reflection of your own hand will cause you to jump 10-feet out of your skin. I was constantly being frightened by any sound and everything that moved. I would have been a good candidate for a ghost movie. I would just jump and scream even if they moved the camera.
4. A.L.I.E.N
Yup. You read that right. Alien. The one that drips acid saliva and has the never-ending-fond-habit of bursting out from human's rib cages or abdomens. That's how you'd feel when you're coughing and coughing and coughing endlessly. You'd think that the violent, never-ending spasmodic coughs will cause your insides to finally explode out giving birth to a tiny 'cough-alien-baby'.
5. Your Bed is Out to Kill You!
I can't emphasize this point enough. It's sole purpose during this time of unfortunate illness is not to comfort you or give you some relief from the sore, aching body.
You see the virus can be akin to the Mafias. They are both the same. Sadists in the fullest sense. First they beat you up. Then they pull out a tooth here and there. And then they use pliers to pull your fingernails out. And then they 'try' to drown you for 5 minutes while they continue to beat the shit out of you. And then they slowly electrocute you to death. And when you're about to die, they resuscitate you and throw you in your cell to only continue the torture the next day.
So you think the cell is a welcomed relief. But NOOOOOOOOO! You can feel every contour, every crack, every shape and everything. You try to position yourself into a more comfortable position to try to get some relief when suddenly it feels like a sinkhole has appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the cell and it is sucking you in! And then it's GONE! Out of nowhere the cell is suddenly filled with thorns. It is hurting, tearing your skin apart, causing you more pain. When you try to get that bit of rest that you so desperately need it will come back in full force to make sure you don't get that. You then twist, you turn, you curl up, you sleep like a scarecrow, you do whatever it takes to get a teeny-weeny bit of relief. The cell will NEVER give you that. It has formed a pact together with the Mafia (a.k.a Influenza A) and the devil to make you wish you had died before they resuscitated you for tomorrow's round 2.
The cell is YOUR BED.
Simple BeeHoon Soup (ABC Chicken Soup)
Ever since I've been down with this Influenza A virus, I haven't been able to stomach rice. I will throw up. I've been having spaghetti or beehoon with chicken soup. My son has been asking for noodles. And my husband too. Somehow this virus has changed our system.
ABC Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
1. 1 whole range-free chicken (cut into quarters - without skin and all fats removed)
2. 3 medium sized old potatoes (skin peeled and cut into 4 parts)
3. 2 medium sized carrots (peeled and cut into chunks)
4. 1 celery stick (peeled and cut into about the same size as carrots)
5. 1/4 cup of barley
6. Sea-salt (depending on pot size and individual taste)
7. Filtered water (amount depending on pot size)
-------------------------------------------------------------
1. In a large pot, add all the ingredients above. Make sure everything is submerged.
2. Boil for 2 hours
3. *You can add eggs into the soup by using the 'drop egg' method. Or you can just break an egg(s) directly into the soup without breaking the yolk while the soup is being boiled during the 2nd hour.
-------------------------------------------------------------
While the soup is being cooked, you can prepare the beehoon by soaking it in a container of water. Once it has softened, drain the water away and set aside.
In a bowl, add some of the beehoon and scoop some boiling soup onto the beehoon until it is submerged in the soup.
Bon appétit!
ABC Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
1. 1 whole range-free chicken (cut into quarters - without skin and all fats removed)
2. 3 medium sized old potatoes (skin peeled and cut into 4 parts)
3. 2 medium sized carrots (peeled and cut into chunks)
4. 1 celery stick (peeled and cut into about the same size as carrots)
5. 1/4 cup of barley
6. Sea-salt (depending on pot size and individual taste)
7. Filtered water (amount depending on pot size)
-------------------------------------------------------------
1. In a large pot, add all the ingredients above. Make sure everything is submerged.
2. Boil for 2 hours
3. *You can add eggs into the soup by using the 'drop egg' method. Or you can just break an egg(s) directly into the soup without breaking the yolk while the soup is being boiled during the 2nd hour.
-------------------------------------------------------------
While the soup is being cooked, you can prepare the beehoon by soaking it in a container of water. Once it has softened, drain the water away and set aside.
In a bowl, add some of the beehoon and scoop some boiling soup onto the beehoon until it is submerged in the soup.
Bon appétit!
Influenza A Positive
By afternoon hubby came down with a temperature. And I started one again in the afternoon which was 99.6 that soon spiked to 102.3.
Shivering, severely nauseated and blacking out I knew I needed to get to the ER again. And I knew that I had some sort of an influenza.
I almost collapsed upon reaching the hospital and they immediately dripped me and gave me the anti-vomit medication and stomach medication through IV.
They took some blood for tests and swabbed me again. And this time it's Influenza A positive. The other day was a false negative as it was only the first day.
I'm home and the fever is low-grade again. Still fighting this. Such an exhausting time it is.
It's 1.40am and I am currently trying not to cough out my lungs.
A classmate of Joel's AND his parents are down with high fever and cough too and flat on their backs too. I don't think they've gone for any test yet.
Monday, 19 May 2014
Spreading Like Wild Fire
My brother has caught the virus from Joel and I. And hubby has started coughing.....
Dear God.....
Dear God.....
ER
I was burning at 104F and it wasn't going down. I was dizzy and on the verge of passing out. Hubby brought me to the ER and they placed me on a drip and sponged me. Some blood tests were done and it is a viral infection. I have some bacterial infection too. The doctor said I must be too weak and am a magnet for viruses and bad bacteria. It's not dengue or Influenza.
They had to IV an anti-vomit medication as I was on the verge of throwing up. That medication gave me palpitations but I could eat something that night.
The fever broke somewhere early in the morning but has currently returned though it's low grade.
Coughing seems to be preoccupying most of my time. Joel too is coughing and hacking like a barking seal.
It seems there is an outbreak of HFMD at our area and Joel's school just sent a mail stating that there is a kid with this virus.
Thank you for your positive thoughts and prayers.
They had to IV an anti-vomit medication as I was on the verge of throwing up. That medication gave me palpitations but I could eat something that night.
The fever broke somewhere early in the morning but has currently returned though it's low grade.
Coughing seems to be preoccupying most of my time. Joel too is coughing and hacking like a barking seal.
It seems there is an outbreak of HFMD at our area and Joel's school just sent a mail stating that there is a kid with this virus.
Thank you for your positive thoughts and prayers.
Sunday, 18 May 2014
Down With a Virus
I caught Joel's bug and am currently burning at 101F. I've not even eaten and am feeling like a pile of shit. The last time I had fever was last April. Not bad for someone who doesn't take supplements and has a restrictive diet.
Sleep is disruptive but the bed is currently my best friend.
This virulent virus has been going around in Joel's school for awhile now. Joel was burning at 102 almost the whole day yesterday and he threw up. We had to insert an anti-vomit supporsitory to help him to keep his meds down.
Do keep us in your thoughts and send us lots of healing energy over.
Thank you!
Sleep is disruptive but the bed is currently my best friend.
This virulent virus has been going around in Joel's school for awhile now. Joel was burning at 102 almost the whole day yesterday and he threw up. We had to insert an anti-vomit supporsitory to help him to keep his meds down.
Do keep us in your thoughts and send us lots of healing energy over.
Thank you!
Friday, 16 May 2014
The Crack
Before they could even begin, it appeared. Like an insidious disease. It crept in like a thief in the night. It came so unexpectedly that no one saw it. No one had thought that it would happen.
But it did.
At first it was as fine as a hairline. In fact everyone who saw it brushed it aside thinking it was a strand of hair that had gone astray.
But it wasn't.
And everyone thought it didn't matter much.
As it widened, the humans found a way to overcome it. At first they could skip over it, hop over it. As it grew wider the younger humans took it to be their new skateboarding hangout.
Soon it grew as wide as a chasm. It wasn't a problem. The humans constructed a bridge over it. First it was a wooden bridge. And then a new concrete bridge was built. And in the end it was replaced with a titanium bridge.
Of course there were some who fell into the chasm. But they rationalized that it was their bad luck that had caused their death.
It never occurred to the humans that they needed to fix the crack. It took too much effort. Too much work. Too much thinking. Building something over it was much quicker and easier. If it grew wider, build a longer bridge. Build a more magnificent bridge so that the chasm wouldn't be noticed. The brightness and luminosity of the bridge's brilliance would divert the attention from the chasm.
And then it happened.
It gave way. The chasm turned into a never-ending-abyss. And it continued to expand and it ate up its surroundings. Its appetite could not be quelled the moment it tasted land. Its thirst could not be quenched. It was ravenous for more. It lusted and hungered for more and more and more.
And it couldn't be stopped.
And it all began with a hairline crack...
Sunday, 11 May 2014
Stir-Fry Garlic Minced Pork
Ingredients:
1. 500gm of minced organic pork (seasoned with sea-salt)
2. 1 garlic clove (outer layer removed) (leave in bulb form)
3. Sea-salt
4. Sunflower oil
------------------------------------------------
1. Heat up a work.
2. Pour some sunflower oil into the heated wok.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic bulbs.
4. Stir fry until garlic is slightly browned.
5. Add the minced pork and cook until it is well done.
6. Break up the minced pork into tiny pieces.
7. Add sea-salt if you find it isn't tasty enough.
8. Scoop onto serving dish.
9. Serve with hot rice.
Bon appétit!
1. 500gm of minced organic pork (seasoned with sea-salt)
2. 1 garlic clove (outer layer removed) (leave in bulb form)
3. Sea-salt
4. Sunflower oil
------------------------------------------------
1. Heat up a work.
2. Pour some sunflower oil into the heated wok.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic bulbs.
4. Stir fry until garlic is slightly browned.
5. Add the minced pork and cook until it is well done.
6. Break up the minced pork into tiny pieces.
7. Add sea-salt if you find it isn't tasty enough.
8. Scoop onto serving dish.
9. Serve with hot rice.
Bon appétit!
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Water Rationing Over... Is It Really Over?
Though the water level at the dam is only 40%, rationing was called off. They've been pumping water from ex-mining pools into the dam. There has been concerns on how safe the water is as some experts say that mining pools have high levels of metal (such as arsenic and lead) and laden with bacteria.
Though we have been having thunderstorms everyday to the point of flash floods, apparently it hasn't rained much at the catchment areas or the dam. This either means the catchment area is completely bald and devoid of trees or we're being taken for a ride. The dry and hazy season will be here VERY soon and I am worried to how we are going to go through 5 to 6 month of minimal rain with no water in the dam.
As of now, I can taste and smell a very strong chemical smell in the water. A neighbour said that the water smells 'very earthy'. I say it smells like chemical!
Here's a link in 2012 to an article which states that water from mining pool is not suitable for drinking:
Mining pool water not safe for drinking.
But today in 2014, we are being told that it is safe!
Can I have back my safe drinking water??!
Though we have been having thunderstorms everyday to the point of flash floods, apparently it hasn't rained much at the catchment areas or the dam. This either means the catchment area is completely bald and devoid of trees or we're being taken for a ride. The dry and hazy season will be here VERY soon and I am worried to how we are going to go through 5 to 6 month of minimal rain with no water in the dam.
As of now, I can taste and smell a very strong chemical smell in the water. A neighbour said that the water smells 'very earthy'. I say it smells like chemical!
Here's a link in 2012 to an article which states that water from mining pool is not suitable for drinking:
Mining pool water not safe for drinking.
But today in 2014, we are being told that it is safe!
Can I have back my safe drinking water??!
Wednesday, 30 April 2014
The GERD Diet & Lifestyle (Part 2)
Bad Foods For Reflux
1. Deep Fried Food
2. Fatty Food (Trans Fats & High Fats Food)
High fat foods, particularly those that contain trans fats, can cause reflux because of the large amounts of acid required to digest them. Foods with a high fat content have been linked to a decrease in LES pressure and a delay in stomach emptying which can also lead to acid reflux.
Trans fats have been connected to esophageal disease, and since GERD can also contribute to complications with the esophagus, it is best to eliminate them from the GERD diet.
3. Tomatoes
This is on my salicylate and GERD list of foods to avoid! *SOB SOB!!!!!!*
4. Spicy Food
5. Butter
What?!! Why butter??? WHY?????? *Sob sob sob!!!*
6. Mint
7. Oily Food
And that includes baked chicken skin. I learned that the hard way!
8. Alcohol.
Alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach. I have not had alcohol since I had the anaphylactic shock which almost killed me.
9. Chocolate
Both peppermint and chocolate contain chemicals that can stimulate the release of stomach acids while also relaxing the smooth muscle sphincter between the stomach and esophagus, often resulting in acid reflux and heartburn.
10. Onions & Garlic
11. Very hot food and liquid
It can intensify the symptoms of acid reflux.
12. Your Own Trigger Foods.
Given the complex nature of GERD one man's meat is another man's poison. Thus, certain foods can trigger severe reactions in some but just irritates another person's stomach. Make a list of these foods and avoid them in the future.
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