Mainstream Medicine

I've been thinking a lot about my health lately, especially now that I will be approaching 40 soon. A couple of memes passed through my Facebook wall. The one that stood out the most was "Stupid Cancer". It made me think for a while considering the message was quite beleaguering.

The only time I became aware of cancer was when a young boy was announced dead from handling dog shampoo over the TV broadcast news in 1993. Several months later, one of my friends from church was diagnosed with cervical cancer at 14.

My grandfather died from lung cancer. I found out on the last day of his life that he had been a heavy smoker. He made me promise him that I would never light a cigarette. Sure, as young as I was, I broke that promise. After a puff and a whiff, I couldn't figure out what it was that made it "addictive". The curious person that I was, I did my research. I am apparently one of the few people, who can't get addicted to nicotine. Lucky draw for my genetics, I guess. As an aside, I still haven't lit a cigarette since that discovery. I saw no point to it. The other ways of getting nicotine is not a better alternative either. I stopped chewing gum since Junior High. That was about the time when my parents became seriously health conscious people.

Another family member, passed away from Lymphoma. She was my grandfather's sister-in-law. Her family suspected that she might have been affected by the fertilizers she was using for her garden. Not long after her passing, her daughter (my grandfather's niece) passed away from breast cancer. I never got a chance to know them up close and personal, but it still saddens me of their passing.

Is cancer truly the epidemic at this day and age? Could it be possible it is the way people live their lives? May be the medical field has become more of an entrepreneur rather than a charity of doctors? Either way, someone's raking in the cash with cancer still prevalent and incurable.

The more I learn about the causes of cancer, the obvious the answer becomes. If I believe that my genetic make-up consists of mutant genes, which may affect my breasts or ovaries, it would come directly from my mother's side of the family. The possibility of me for getting other types of cancer, would be the way I take care of myself. Considering that I could have a slim chance of seeing that day, I will be the one who would be "stupid" for not taking precautionary measures. So, my conclusion to that meme is: Cancer is not stupid; People are.

I will leave that note for a better message:

A Letter to Dove

Dear Dove,

If you created this comparison poster, please note that models are real women too. They're different from other women because they're younger and their bodies are still developing. How many models older than 30 do you see on the Victoria's Secret picture? It is a failed and futile comparison by far because the women you depict in your photo are not constantly badgered by their employers to meet a certain weight requirement. If this is how you want to depict your campaign, you have lost the values and positive outcome of what you've started. If we are about educating ourselves and our daughters about believing in ourselves and our inner beauty, we should live by example. Not insult or disparage other women, who were construed by the media, about how fake they look. I was that skinny too. It's not really nice of you to compare a mature body to a growing body.

An old trivia

I was shopping for soup one day. I can't recall when, but it was a previous time at a certain situation. Searching through the shelf for a delectable soup to purchase, I noticed a recipe on one of the Campbell's Soup label: Broccoli Cheese Casserole. I thought to myself, "What? No, it can't be!"

In 2001, I had entered a recipe contest sponsored by Campbell, 'The 20-minute recipe challenge'. I explained in my entry that it was traditionally a home cooked meal invented by my mother. She would buy 4 cans of Campbell's Cream of Broccoli, 1 bottle of Kraft cheese sauce, 2 cans of tuna, a loaf of bread and 1 block of Parmesan cheese at the grocery store. When you're a child, your concept of time is different from an adult. I had to omit the tuna from the recipe. It did take more than 20 minutes to cook the dish. I changed it to Campbell's Broccoli Cheese soup, Progresso Bread Crumbs and Kraft Shredded Parmesan Cheese. I wrote on the recipe to add milk for a creamy texture. After all it was said and done, I hoped for the best and luck to win.

Obviously, I didn't. However, it did occur to me that not everybody does - at least I tried. On the other hand, seeing that recipe on that label was a consolation. Granted, it wasn't written exactly the way I had done when I submitted it, but the basic idea is still prevalent. How long that recipe has been on that label is beyond me. I don't drink soup on a regular basis. I really don't have the luxury to conjure up a brew with rich ingredients.

Yes, I did look into whether or not recipes could be copyrighted. I don't think you can; unless you have the money to do so. It was a home cooked meal. Either way, someone benefited. I didn't grow up hungry. Some company got their marketing rapport. I'm sure everyone has their own recipe up their sleeves they want to share.

It's not just the recipe - it's how it's cooked that makes the impression.

When dining out becomes too much

My family and I dined out the past two days. The food at Grand Asia is really good. However, the portions they serve was too much for me. I had to feel sorry for the elderly man who was served right after me. He was told he needed to choose 3 dishes for his lunch combo; even after he told the server that he only wanted one dish.

Of course, I took it home and ate it the next day. One thing about take home food, they don't taste the same as they were before. I guess it all depends on what reheats well in the microwave oven. We went to Red Lobster to dine for dinner. I ordered the half serving of their Shrimp Linguini. I could barely finish it.

This was how much was left over of the half serving. It makes me wonder what the full serving might look like.

I could have been full from the salad or maybe from drinking Coke while eating. Either way, I had to take it home. Regardless of the calories, I ate enough. I used to feel tortured having to finish the meal on my plate; especially when we came to America. I don't have to be told or nagged anymore once I started living my life on my own.

I've always been health conscious person. Observing my parents' bad habits were enough to traumatize me and made me want to really take good care of myself. My mother started wearing partial dentures at her early 20's. My father's gum had turned black from not brushing his teeth after every meal. I always made sure I didn't indulge too much on candy. I always made sure I brush my teeth thoroughly when I get up in the morning and before I went to bed.

I stopped chewing bubble gum after my classmate's incident with his braces splitting his lip from doing so. Even after my braces were taken off, I couldn't eat more than one chocolate to satisfy my binge. It would start tasting like metal. My husband suggested that it may be from my metal fillings. It may be so, but I informed him it couldn't possibly be the case. I had them before the braces, and I never had that after-taste then.

Even now when I look in the mirror, there's nothing about me I have to complain about. Yes, I could use more exercise. In more ways than one, I need to get up and have a routine. On that note, there are reasons why I choose not to have a routine. Anyway, I know the Life Choice Program works well for me because I can control my eating habits. I don't have to worry about setting a mundane ritual every single day. I noticed that watching what I eat really helps. What I mean by that is, I pay attention to how much I'm eating. It is actually a bad habit to eat while being distracted. For example, eating while watching TV. Most shows would have me eat a whole 9 oz package of chips at one sitting. It took a while to break that habit.

I'm actually glad that soda cans now come in 1 serving size (7.5 fl oz). It's good to indulge once in a while. There's really no point in going cold turkey, feeling miserable, and in the end making another "promise" to do better next time. A gradual change of habit takes time, effort and patience. I can do that. Some people I know, do not have that kind of time.

 I'm happy to say I am losing a bit of weight. I'm actually doing something right. Of course, it's not for someone's benefit, but my own. I know what works for me. Someday, I know when I return to the doctor's office, I'll get a pat on the back for doing a good job in keeping myself healthy. That, makes me happy.

My Diabetic fate

I would say my ancestor was the sugar plum fairy, but that would be far from the truth of it. I am no where near becoming one, but if I develop the same habits my father had, I would be suffering from it as soon as I left the military.

When my father learned he had Type 1 Diabetes, cutting down on sugar could not stop him. My mother developed Type 2 Diabetes years after my father's diagnosis. She had been trying to stop him by sharing his sugary binges. As far as carbohydrates go, I eat a lot of bread, pasta and rice. Therein lies my fate to diabetes.

During that time, my mother switched to brown rice and whole wheat bread. She also used Wheat germ for breading the meats and fish. She also tried substituting butter with margarine, which she later found out had more trans fat than advertised. They had to watch their caloric intake due to their high cholesterol and high-blood pressure on top of being diabetic. That's when we started using I can't believe it's not butter! brand. As for the sugar, she tried Sweet'n Low and EQual sweetener until her assignment about substitute sugar put a damper on it. Brown sugar became the best choice until the FDA put a damper on it too. She decided to stick to honey. So, honey it was.

She then tried other substitutes for eggs considering it was declared high content of fat and cholesterol; FDA dissing out the high protein content of the yolk. For a while she had me separate the white from the yolk when baking a cake. Then add the yolk later when the batter starts to form. As a dutiful child, I didn't argue. I knew the egg was still the egg, regardless. Why she even bother listening to the FDA, is beyond me.

I was utterly perturbed that the produce aisle at the grocery stores are selling Omega-3 eggs. Being the child I was back then, the truth from it just couldn't be possible. Omega-3 is only found in Salmon among other food resources. Back then, my mother had us take Fish Oil from a gel-like pill. Why would anyone put Fish Oil in an egg? 

Copyright of ian-miller.org. Go check it out ;)

Yes, an image of a chicken-fish did cross my mind. Although not exactly like that, still - utterly disturbing. I still use vegetable oil to this day when I fry my dishes. The trick is to have the pan and the oil properly heated at the right temperature. No, flash frying does not help. Flash frying as I observed, is meant for chips - whether it be corn, rice, pork skin or potato. Otherwise, you'd be sinking your teeth into uncooked food. One incident, I lament to experience with distatse. It happened at Tir Na Nog's restaurant. The batter was fried alright, but the fish wasn't. I hacked and spitted. Not only was the fish raw, it wasn't even fresh. Offering me another one to compensate a bad serve was not the best customer resolution either.

I discovered that the meat itself simmers out its own natural oil and juices. This happened when I had ran out of vegetable oil one day. I must have not been paying attention the last 20 years of my culinary arts since I am my own sous chef too. I have always seared the meat before I prepare the rest of the ingredients. Not because I choose to. I just don't have the counter space. I cut the meat, put it in the pan and wash my hand. Put on my gloves, clean the counter, take off the gloves, put on a new cutting board, cut the vegetables, put it in the pan and wash my hand.

Since that incident, I rarely put oil on the pan. I just heat up the pan, let the meat "sweat" and put in the rest of the ingredients.

The food pyramid during my childhood

The food pyramid now

Depending on what I'm in a mood for, here's how I work my meal plan for the day. The question always default to this: "What do I want to eat today?"

Breakfast:
1 cup of cereal in a 14 Fl.oz bowl with 4 Fl.oz pasteurized whole milk
1 cup rice with over-medium egg and/or bacon, sausage, Hormel's roast beef
Smucker's Peanut Butter Sandwich on whole wheat bread
1 1/2 cup of herbal tea (Jasmine, Camomile, Black or Green)

Lunch/Dinner:
1/2 cup to 1 cup of rice with 1/4 cup serving of meat and 1/2 cup serving of vegetable
1 cup of pasta with six 1 serving size meatballs accompanied with Pomegranate juice to counteract with the cheese


Snacks:
Planters NUT-rition Heart Healthy Mix, Digestive Health Mix or Energy Mix
Sun Chips Garden Salsa or Lays Tomato and Basil Chips

Eating out is entirely a different subject. I usually take home the rest. I eat the same portion I do at home, which is 1 cup if not, less. I drink Sweet Tea or Coke with my meals while dining out. I do not trust the water they use. At least, I know for a fact their tea is brewed in hot water. Anything at that temperature kills the germs.

I used to drink plenty of water and milk. I haven't done so in a while. I should start doing so again. Needless to say, after reading the Food Lovers Fat loss System book, I know I'm doing something right. Only on my time - not theirs.

I'm still going to stick to my doctor's recommendation and what Dr. Ornish advised in his book. I will only stick to what is natural. Tomatoes being the fruit they are and cow's milk as Louis Pasteur had it. If it gets me some curves, so be it. At least I have them, considering I'm a woman. I am already eating healthy, why do I need to stress myself even more with a "system" I know does not suit me based on my eating habits?

I realize my metabolic rate is not as fast as it used to be. It's a natural thing. I'm accepting the fact that I'm aging. I am aware that I do need to watch what I'm eating. I have been since my high cholesterol diagnosis. There's no harm in small indulgences with ice cream or chocolate. Whatever makes you feel good and happy, is a healthy treat.

The more stress and guilty you feel about what you're eating, so does your body. Listening to your body's hurts and pains can direct you to a better solution to a healthier lifestyle. I've never been happier. My skin thanks me for it. I haven't had a dehydrated skin attack since the diet change.

If I do continue following this trend, I'm definitely diabetic free. I wouldn't know that until my doctor runs another blood test. Until then, I'm sticking to what makes sense.

A Brewing Storm

Tracking my calories is not something I usually do. One would think someone in the family should have done so, since my parents were diagnosed with high-blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes in their early 30’s. My mother loved her chocolates, while my father enjoyed having gourmet meals. Between the two of them, nothing was compromised.

By the time I had my own family, I rarely added any salt or sugar to the food considering the packaged ingredients already have them. Unlike the food sold in the U.K. and Asia, America’s market produces are high on salt and sugar. The American people wonder why they are obese, especially their children, who are also suffering adult-like symptoms of heart disease, diabetes and high-blood pressure.

The one thing my parents taught me that I still hold dear to my heart is to be grateful for what I have. I never gave indulgence another thought. If I can’t afford it, I don’t buy it. 

Here’s one thing I learned from school: Rice becomes sugar once the body processes it into energy. I’ve always made sure I balance my meal with the right amount of meat and vegetables. When I came to America with my family in 1999, all the serving sizes were enough to feed us. I remember my father’s exasperation when we dined at Fuddrucker’s. My father was not big on take out meals, but after seeing how much food was left over, he had no other choice but to take it home and eat it the next day. He never ordered a large meal from them again. We do our best not to waste food.

I thought I was doing great until I was diagnosed with high-cholesterol at 27. My primary care provider asked how my eating habits were like. I would drink cold water from the Pūr water filter faucet system whenever I feel hot. There are occasional binges of Coke and Sweet Tea (I am in the Southern-East part of America) whenever I dine out for lunch or dinner. I would drink tea from time to time, especially in the morning and high noon. I even demonstrated to her using my palm to display how much rice I ate for lunch and dinner. I told her I would either have beef or chicken with vegetables to go along with it too. In addition to that, I showed her how much pasta I ate too. Considering I work early in the morning, I rarely had time to take breakfast.

After telling her my situation at home and at work, she concluded that I do my best to eat as much as 1 cup each meal. She also told me to bring breakfast with me to work; whether it is a cup of yogurt, a fruit or a morning instant meal. 

Yes, I am aware that breakfast is important. I remember growing up to having omelet, chocolate malt (Milo), and bacon every morning before I went to school. Sometimes it was oats, bacon, malt (Horlicks) and a soft boiled egg. Other times, it was French toast, hot dogs, spam, rice, eggs and tea. That may sound a lot, but the portions where I grew up are much smaller than it is compared to the portions here in America.

Everything here in America is “Now, Now, Now” and “Bigger is better”. Managing my time was not something I do on a regular basis. You’d think someone who was trained in the military would have kept up. I can get by in a fast-pace environment, but not enough to stay in it for very long. That doesn’t mean I always miss a deadline. It was one of the reasons why I joined the military in the first place. I’ve learned that they may want things done quickly, but they want it done right. That was what I was good at. Doing things right.

After I left the military, it was difficult to get used to not waking up early and start the day with a 20-minute exercise. I did not have the luxury to visit the gym until I started working at Cisco. Even then, my lifestyle of skipping breakfast, skipping lunch or dinner after a snack or going to bed hungry was still just as bad. The stress at home and at work took a toll on my health too. There really aren’t any dietary plans for people who work during the graveyard shift or the early morning shift for that matter.

Since my divorce, I had to rewind my life to living single and taking good care of my health. Until my best friend's marriage proposal 2 years later, everything changed. I started cooking and eating healthy again. 3 years of changing my environment, my situation and my habits had paid off. My cholesterol level returned to normal. It hasn’t gone up since then. I had been cooking leaner meats. I’m still surprised how much fat still drains from them. I rarely use oil now to cook. The only time I use it is when I’m frying up meatballs, breaded chicken or tempura shrimp. I’ve gradually added pork again to my diet. I’m trying to get fish in my meals too, but they seem to always be frozen or home-grown. Fresh fish is hard to come by. Even if I go to a fresh market, the prices are so high. I can’t fish here in North Carolina. There is some law about dumped waste in sewers ending up in the lakes and rivers, including man-made bodies of water. I’m not going to get into that. I’m done and over dealing with that shenanigan. I learned from very young that people are just going to do what they’re going to do regardless – no consideration for the environment or others for that matter.

Even good and fresh vegetables are hard to come by too. The label “organic” is senseless. What was it before? Can’t you just call tomatoes the way they are? I don’t have the luxury at the moment to have my own garden. Starting my life again from scratch at 30 is not as easy as it was after 4 years of college. Without the right resources, not only does your lifestyle suffer, your health does too.

When I started working during the second shift, everything ran smoothly from there. I would take a decent breakfast, take a snack, eat lunch, take another snack and then, have dinner. Then I came across a book written by Dr. Dean Ornish; ‘Eat More, Weigh Less, Harper Collins Publishers, 1993.’ I read through the whole book and found there were still bad habits I needed to change. I needed to cut down on the rice and the eggs. Having the same thing for breakfast every consecutive morning isn’t healthy as well. I needed variety. I am picky about my milk, which needs to be pasteurized and stay whole; and I like my drinking water to be at pH7.

I felt good right after reading that book. I know what I needed to change. I began the Life Choice Program on April 4, 2011. My weight has stayed the same since then. I walk regularly now – walking to the bus stop to drop my daughter off to school and later walk to the bus stop to head off to work. I have noticed good changes too. My face no longer suffers from pimples and blackheads. My skin is a lot hydrated than it used to be. 

Now unemployed, the summer has come, my depression has loomed over my head. To make matters worse, my mother sends me this package of books and media about Food Lovers FatLoss System. This motivational speaker from Aetna, who also happens to have the same name as a football player, guarantees you to lose weight in 21 days and detoxify your body thin in 6 days. A self-acclaimed entrepreneur who began this "system" to the Black American community; or so I read.

According to Dr. Ornish, losing weight too fast isn’t good for your body. As a matter of fact, it does more harm than good. I can’t tell you the results of my weight since I started Dr. Ornish’s health program. It's painfully obvious, I just started. His method is not for me to lose weight immediately. His focus is to change the way I eat my meals, which I have. It's only been 14 months. His research indicated that the women who chose to lose weight from their obese size at a dangerously fast rate, are most likely to suffer from a coronary disease or failure. I'd like to point out three things:

One, I'm not obese. Two, my BMI is normal. Three, I was out of shape. The term "was" is mum. I haven't exercised regularly since the military and Cisco. All that energy has been stored like Winnie the Pooh. I do not want to suffer from a coronary disease either. Walking is all I do now. It's going to be a while.

As much as I love my mother, her views about me are not anyone could choose to admire. She never thought me once as a beautiful person. When I was growing up, she would pick on me for being like Ichabod Crane, having the teeth of Bugs Bunny, a giraffe for a neck and a face of a witch. Now, she calls me a walrus. I don’t understand how this name-calling is going to make me feel any better.

I don’t love food like a food lover. I eat to live. I frown every time food is wasted. It can’t be helped. I don’t want to be sick from eating too much. I don’t intend my daughter to pick up any bad habits, which I have already broken. Apparently, discussing this health issue with my husband upsets him.

I never intended anyone to be upset with me. I just want my life to make sense. I already have enough on my hands. I don’t need any more problems added to my already complicated life.

Just let me be.