Finally, finally, finally…I’m now a proud owner of a Green Star Juicer! Yey!

I have surfed the net for the best juicer to invest on and found out that the best kind is the “grind and press” machine because they do not heat up. Apparently, when you get a centrifugal juicer, it generates heat and kills all the nutrients in your fruits and vegetables — so all your juicing efforts are useless. The most recommended brand by raw food enthusiasts and cancer patients is the Norwalk, the only juicer that is used by the Gerson Institute. I didn’t get to buy this juicer because it goes for a whooping $2000! So, I just bought the next best thing, again, as per raw food enthusiasts and cancer patients — the Green Star Juicer…and I love it!

I never thought that I’d get to drink raw celery, spinach, wheat grass, and broccoli…and not puke. But with my Green Star, I can mix these veggies with strawberries, kiwis, apples, carrots, and other fruits…and the mixture actually tastes great! Not yucky at all. Promise. :)

So maybe you’re wondering why I’m juicing? Well, it’s the yummiest and simplest way to get all the nutrients we need. Most days, I am guilty of not being able to follow the recommended serving of veggies and fruits that we need daily. A veggie lasagna is definitely more tempting than a bowl of fresh veggie salad, but the former is cooked and has less veggies in it; thus, less nutrients. Now that I am juicing, I can finish one tall glass of veggies and fruits without effort…it’s really delicious!

For those who live in Paris, I got mine from the health shop Pousse Pousse in the 9th arrondissement. It’s Green Star’s authorized distributor in France. The owner of that health shop, Madam Lawrence Aboucaya, is very kind and accommodating. I am actually excited to go back to her shop and sample her healthy cuisine. Oh, she sells fresh wheat grass, too! :)

Happy healthy living, everyone!

Posted: April 23rd, 2009 under Health.
Comments: 12

Thanks to endometriosis, I was able to sample the much acclaimed St. Luke’s Hospital experience and expense. :)

I had to go under the knife last Jan 23, with Dr. Elsie B. Pascua at the helm of my surgery. Dr. Pascua is an infertility expert who was highly-recommended to do my pelvic laparoscopy. She meticulously and methodically cauterized and blasted away the endometrial cyst in my left ovary and some other parts of my reproductive system. Ugh.

Just when I thought that I’m free to go back to my old laid-back life, Dr. Pascua said that she’s no longer going to negotiate with Mike and I on when to have a baby…we have to have it NOW! What terrible timing, really. Just when we are about to leave the country and all the comforts I’ve known since I was little, I  have to emancipate at the same time?! Good luck to me! But, babies are adorable…so I’m open to the challenge!

You might be wondering what’s endometriosis and why I have to race against time to have a baby. Hmnnn…let me see how I can put this to simple terms:

Endomet is a medical condition wherein tiny particles that are similar to what you have inside the womb, found their way outside the womb. Pretty abnormal, isn’t it? And just like the tissue inside the womb which is shed out in the form of menstruation every month if a woman doesn’t get pregnant, these stray particles also try to shed out their blood…only, the blood has nowhere to go! Apparently, they cannot find their way out of the body….my body, in this case. Because of this, the particles get really inflamed and cause a lot of pain and cramping. In my case, I am lucky to have unbelievable levels of pain tolerance. All I can feel is a dull pain on my left pelvis, no excruciating pain whatsoever. This is the reason why my OB and I were both surprised that I have stage 2 endometriosis. God is really good. :)

Ok, now for the baby part, they say that endomet makes a woman infertile for some unknown reason that experts have to research further. But studies show that after having a surgery, the chances of getting pregnant within the next 6 – 12 months increases by 60%. I guess my OB wants me to ride on this really great statistics, and I trust her. So there…I will busy myself on this whole baby-making task ahead of me this February. Hehehe! If all else fails, we go for in-vitro fertilization. Ah, I love science and technology!

Now, here is the most important part of this blog post. Doctors usually say that endomet is incurable. You’re just going to have them over and over again…until pelvic laparoscopy is just like a trip to the mall for you. In fact, a lot of stage 4 endomet patients have total hysterectomy. Yikes! I was truly saddened after hearing this seemingly life sentence for endomet patients like me…and we are like 70 million in the whole world as per recent statistics! But I have this nagging feeling that our body has the capacity to heal itself so I raided the Internet and found these awesome websites : Endo-Resolved and Endometriosis Clinic. They confirmed my thoughts that there is really a solution for this terrible disease — the Endo Diet. The diet is pretty tough because you have to give up meat, wheat, dairy, and sugar. Basically, it tells you to eat like a rabbit. Not a good prospect for a chocolate lover like me. :( But then again, I want to keep my ovaries and uterus until the day I die…so yeah, I’ve plunged into this endo diet without second thoughts.

I hope the website I’ve cited above will help you in embracing that little alien in your tummy which makes your life a living hell. It’s not so bad after all. Remember, we all have to die of something somehow. :)

Oh, for those who have infertility issues, Dr. Elsie B. Pascua may be consulted at:

St. Luke’s Medical Center

Suite 1109 North Tower

Cathedral Heights Building Complex

279 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave., Quezon City

Tel Nos. 723 0101 ; 723 0301 local 5109

Clinic Hours: Mon – Sat  10:00am – 12:00pm / 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Posted: January 28th, 2009 under Health.
Comments: 16

I haven’t written for a loooong time! It feels really good to be typing away like this again. :)

Anyways, here is something interesting for the new year…just right to complement my new year’s resolution to eat better and be healthier…hehehe. I thought I’d share this with you because it’s not only informative, but interesting, too.

We have unique genetic make-ups, and so, we have equally unique needs in terms of nutrition. Depending on our blood type, some of us are pre-disposed to certain illnesses such as diabetes, thyroid malfunction, cancer, heart disease, etc. However, we can short circuit the development of these diseases if we know how to eat right so we can provide enough support to the weak areas of our body. So they say, we should have a diet that is appropriate for our genetic make-up or our blood type.

I wish I have known this when I was younger! My blood type is O…and type O people are predisposed to thyroid problems. True enough, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism when I was 14, and while it has been finally controlled when I was 24, the impacts of my thyroid malfunction still affects my general health today. As it is, my hormones are still somewhat out of whack. :)

If you want to blow out 100 candles on your birthday cake, or just plain curious, you may want to read up on Blood Type Diet. A note of caution though…don’t take too long here on earth, your family and friends might think that you never made it to heaven. :)

Posted: January 20th, 2009 under Health.
Comments: 4