September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Image from OVCA

This month is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. Ovarian cancer is cancer in the ovaries. It is one of the most invasive reproductive cancers, and it takes more lives than any other gynecological cancer.

It ranks fifth as the most cancerous death in women. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that in 2013 there will be over 20,000 new cases of ovarian cancer. The risks for this type of cancer are high and it’s usually detected in older age. Which is why it’s important to raise awareness and be conscious of its risks the earliest.

I wrote more about it. Read more.

Moderate, Rather Than Terminate

Image courtesy: wiangya / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In everyday diets, many of those who seek to shed some weight off their bodies, want to find the quickest solution available. For anyone who has dieted, or attempted a weight loss journey, you may already know that this isn't true nor possible. Any revelation of such success is unhealthy, and frowned upon by many health or fitness advocates. Patience, motivation, and commitment are some of the attitudes one would need to adopt to lose weight successfully.

Losing weight overtime won't happen in just a few months. While you must eat all the right foods and move your body enough to burn calories, without a proper mindset it will be impossible. Many people I personally know who have dieted on and off for years, have said motivation is the real backbone for every successful weight loss journey. This is true.

However, there is one misconception that never seems to garner enough discussion. You can indeed lose weight while not necessarily changing what you eat. You may not find the most awesome results in specific areas of your body, but the scale will move. The key to losing weight is simply burning off more than you consume.

Sure the effects will be more ideal when combined with the removal of certain foods, but these foods don't have to be completely barred. Immediately removing foods you enjoy from your diet, can lead you right back to square one and may cause binging.

My solution has always been moderating. Gain control of your weight, by rewriting your favorite recipes. More people should jump on to this instead of forcing themselves to eating food they don't like, for sake of healthy eating. As a meat-eater, I just don't see meat being excluded from my permanent diet no matter how much I cut down on it. Cutting back on meat is the best solution for now; I know if I just abruptly stop eating it, I'll come running back, looking to indulge into a succulent juicy pork rib. A few years ago, I decided instead of forcing myself to eat meals that always asked of some kind of yogurt, or some other ingredient I wasn't fond of, I decided I would still eat the foods I liked. Only I would revamp the recipes.

I still ate chicken Parmesan, only with low-fat mozzarella, a lighter pasta sauce, whole-wheat pasta and no eggs used. I still ate my french toast breakfast, but I used egg whites instead, whole-wheat bread and almond milk. I used cooking spray whenever I could, and I baked, broiled, or stewed all the meats I ate.
 
I never changed the meals I ate. All I did was choose healthier alternatives for some ingredients.
 
Challenge yourself to make your favorite recipes, while reducing any fat, sodium and sugar content. If something calls for whole milk, go for the 1% or skim versions. It calls for cheese? Low-fat cheeses are abundant. If you need hoisin sauce? Substitute it with ketchup.
 
This shouldn't be hard because there's a low-fat, fat-free, low-sodium, sugar-free version of almost everything now.

Hypersomnia: Admitting the Problem (Part 1)

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Hypersomnia. Perhaps this word sounds somewhat familiar. Indeed, it is the opposite of the more popularly known sleeping disorder, insomnia


Getting too much sleep has as many detrimental effects, as does not getting enough sleep. Hypersomnia is a disorder in which sleep or tiredness is excessive. At one point, I thought I had insomnia because I have a habit of sleeping late, and not being able to sleep unless my television is on.


I continued to think this way because my sleeping habits got worse, especially after New Years 2008. That New Years, I went to bed close to 4 am in the morning despite planning to go to bed early. Before that day, I had never slept that late unless I slept a lot earlier in the day. This sleeping habit has remained that way for me since. Sleeping before midnight is a rarity, and at times, I don't go to bed till 6 or 7am.


As my graduation approaches and I begin to start a new life, I have to begin the change.


Attempting to fix my problem, I had to figure out the problem.


I now know why I sleep late. Since I preferred to go to school (as well as taking night & weekend classes) rather working at the same time, I ended up not having much to do when I wasn't in school; besides babysitting, exercising, or hanging with friends.


You've heard of people not getting enough sleep -- well I get too much sleep. This past Sunday, I slept late and woke up late. I didn't do anything other than text several friends throughout the day, and read news. Then, I went to my room, laid down and in an hour I was sleeping (this is the reason I don't stay in my room unless it's time to go to bed).


I babysit my nephew during the week (my primary job). However, he's growing up now. After helping him with his homework, reading a book and giving him something to eat, he's in his room watching TV or playing video games. And my days work is pretty much done. Now that summers coming, I'm planning an earlier wake-up schedule. Part 2 coming soon.

Health Talk: Habitual changes becoming Permanent

Image: Sura Nualpradid

I haven't fully immersed myself into a true healthy lifestyle diet, but I've come to notice that in the past year the new habits I took on, are now becoming permanent. Finally.

A few years ago, you couldn't get me to drink water all day or even drink water after every meal. I would prefer to drink soda, juice or any other type of sugary drink filled with empty carbs. I was not aware of what I was putting in my body.

Fast forward to today, I am fully aware and borderline paranoid of what I allow near my mouth.

In June of 2011, I decided that I needed to drop about 20 pounds for health's sake and then I would venture on into physical strength training, purely for aesthetics. I lost 14 lbs. Not quite, but close. In the process of losing weight and exercising everyday, my gross habits became clear to me.

I started out by logging everything I put in my body. I drunk as much water as I could, I worked out for 60+ minutes a day, and unless I was busy working or viewing something important, I stayed away from the computer and television. I was on my feet all the time.

A shocking discovery was made.

It never occurred to me how out of shape and unhealthy I was. Just simply logging for a week with my regular everyday routine, I saw that I was consuming somewhere between 2200-2700 calories a day, no activities included. My sugar intake was off the charts (quadruple the FDA recommended maximum average), my sodium level screamed 'high-risk', my cholesterol was fair-game but risky, and my fat intake was deplorable.

My first healthy meal on one June day was a cinnamon bagel with fat-free cream cheese, a cup of green grapes, and a tall cup of water. This meal would become my standard, go-to easy breakfast choice.

Although I still have some more pounds to shed, I look forward to seeing more changes.

Considerably when I eat now, I'm drinking water, water, and water. If I must drink juice, I prefer orange juice. I noticed that in my diary, I was not getting enough of my daily potassium requirement. Orange juice is pretty much how I can get at least 30% of my needed potassium, as well as vitamin C. Maybe once in a while I'll choose apple juice, which also contains potassium. However, apple juice interferes with my digestive system and unless it's available to me I'm not going out of my way to drink it. Besides that, I drink water most of the time.

If I go an hour without drinking water, my brain is already asking me: "When are you going to drink water today? Don't let the day go by without drinking at least a cup!"

Whenever I have the option between water and a drink, I find myself debating which choice would be more beneficial to me. How about that? That would've never happened less than a year ago. Now when I have the choice to choose between juice and soda or water, I think of all the unnecessary sugar I don't want in my body. While there are times I cave in, water always wins. I can confidently say, I love water and it no longer tastes nasty to me. Mission complete!

Next step: reducing meat intake.

I definitely see the meaning now, when fitness advocates preach that the power to be healthy, begins with you and your mind.

Fitness Tips to Keep in Mind

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• Hold in your abs all day or for about 30 minutes. You'll slowly strengthen the muscles in your abs, and it's better than letting your belly hang out all day.

• Snack or drink tea before a cardio workout, and eat a well-balanced meal approximately 2 hrs after.

• Eat 40-60 minutes before a workout.

• Green tea increases fat burning.

• To burn fat successfully, you must keep your blood sugar low, and eat foods low in sugar, yet high in fiber.

•  Don't eat 2 hours before bed, to continue burning fat in your sleep.

• To burn belly fat, follow a plan of cardio, total body resistance (weight training) and a healthy meal plan.

• No sugar or carbs 2 hours after a cardio workout. This to maximize fat burning.