Simple Thoughts of Mine

Archive for the ‘foods’ Category

My Tatay (father) just celebrated his 78th birthday last Sunday (March 21, 2010).  We had a small party for immediate family member.  I brought cake and softdrinks, my eldest brother a rice cake, my other brother a beefsteak and my mom with PenPen cooked pancit palabok and shrimp in tamarind base soup which is Tatay’s favorite.  I saw a big smile from Tatay as he sang his birthday song repeatedly with his grandchildren.:D  I felt blissful somehow that he enjoyed his day, despite of his early second childhood due to his diabetes.  He even asked me some questions like what are the reasons for hair loss because he noticed that he is balding. Hahahahaha….

But I am glad that my father is getting better now when before he almost lost his memory.  Can you just imagine that he cannot recollect our names except from my mother.  But with his illness he proved that he really love this woman in his life.  That inspite of his short memory loss, he never forgot her name.  Is that what you call true love? Mmmmmm…. So sweet.

It’s been over a month now that I am on a diet.  Well just trying to trim down some stubborn fats of mine.  Hahahaha…  I already lost 5 lbs. from my body weight and an inch from my measurement.  Not bad huh…  I guess I have to know the best fitness equipment for me to trim down faster, because what I am only doing right now is just refraining from eating rice.  I don’t even do exercise which I know will help a lot.  What can I do, I find it so tiring.   Haayyyy….

Valentine’s Day is over.  Yes I had a date!  I started it attending a mass at 5:00 pm then went to Sta. Lucia East Grandmall with Sean Kirk.  Sean and I spent long time at World of Fun and he really had a good time playing and riding.  Good thing that I can still follow him fast even without taking glucosamine hcl for he is a very active boy. Hehehehe  We had a hearty meal at Reyes Barbecue where foods are yummy.  And of course I also bought our favorite siomai to fill our tummy.  It is nice to know that lot of people are still celebrating Heart’s Day be it with lovers, friends or family.  How did you celebrate yours?  

I went to the market on the last day of December to buy some foods for New Year’s Eve.  You just can’t imagine how crowded the place was.  Inspite of the increased price of meats, fruits, vegetables, fishes, and almost every single commodities when New Year comes, you can’t stop the Filipinos on buying foods and firecrackers for the New Year and it is because of the tradition we inherited from the Chinese.

Every year, one of our problem is gaining weight.  Yes! because holiday season is the time that we eat a lot.  Right?  So it become a problem on the first day of the year.  Guess treadmills will be a blockbuster in the gym.

What we are having for tonight? Mmmm… beef broccoli with oyster sauce, crispy pata, sopas with quail eggs, ham and hotdog sandwich, fruits, buttered shrimp, pork and squid barcecue and some desserts. Yummy… Wanna join us?

Think You’re Drinking Enough Water?

If you’re not, you could end up with excess body fat, poor muscle, digestive complications, muscle soreness — even wter-retention problems.

Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival.  A normal adult is 60 to 70 percent water.  We can go without food for almost two months, but without water only a few days.  Yet most people have no idea how much water they should drink. 
 
In fact, many live in a dehydrated state.

Without water, we’d be poisoned to death by our own waste products. When the kidneys remove uric acid and urea, these must be dissolved in water.  If there isn’t enough water, wastes are not removed as effectively and may build up as kidney stones.  Water also is vital for chemical reactions in digestion and metabolism.
It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood and helps to cool the body through perspiration.  Water also lubricates our joints.

We even need water to breathe:  our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide.  It is possible to lose a pint of liquid each day just exhaling.

So if you don’t drink sufficient water, you can impair every aspect of your physiology.  Dr. Howard Flaks, a geriatric (obesity) specialist in Beverly Hills, Calif, says, “By not drinking enough water, many people incur excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle soreness and water retention.”

Water retention?  If you’re not drinking enough, your body may retain water to compensate.  Paradoxically, fluid retention can sometimes be eliminated by drinking more water, not less.

“Proper water intake is a key to weight loss,” says Dr. Donald Robertson, medical director of the Southwest Geriatric Nutrition Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. 
 
“If people who are trying to lose weight don’t drink enough water, the body can’t metabolize the fat adequately.  Retaining fluid also keeps weight up.”

The minimum for a healthy person is eight to ten eight-ounce glasses a day,” says Dr. Flaks.  “You need more if you exercise a lot or live in a hot climate.  And overweight people should drink in an extra glass for every 25 pounds they exceed their ideal weight.  Consult your own physician for their recommendations.

At the International Sports Medicine Institute, we have a formula for daily water intake: 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight if you’re not active (that’s ten eight-ounce glasses if you weigh 160 pounds), and 2/3 ounce per pound if you’re athletic (13 to 14 glasses a day, at the same weight).

Your intake should be spread throughout the day and evening.  You may wonder:  If I drink this much, won’t I constantly be running to the bathroom? 
 
Yes.  But after a few weeks, your bladder tends to adjust and you urinate less frequently but in larger amounts.

And by consuming those eight to ten glasses of water throughout the day, you could be on your way to a healthier, leaner body.