Weight woes

An update since starting on my so called 'diet'

I have been down with flu, sore throat, fever and cough. I am getting better but I am allowing some time for my body to recover. I don't want to overexert myself until I cannot fully recover.

I noticed a few changes on my body. For once, my pants and skirts seemed a bit looser. Hurray! It's not as loose as I want it to be and I didn't see any weight loss when I am weighing myself. I keep reminding myself that as long as I keep up my healthy lifestyle, I will be losing weight slowly and packing up muscles (instead of fat).

Eating porridge diet is wreaking havoc to my appetite. I love porridge made by my mom but I craves for all sorts of crazy stuff. This includes chocolate cake which is conveniently bought by my dad and put inside fridge for everyone to partake in tasting the oh-so-smooth chocolatey cake. I had 3 slices over 3 days which I will probably regret in the next few weeks.

Otherwise, I am eating healthy with lots of vegetables, decrease my carbs intake (instead of one bowl of rice, it's a half bowl of rice) and drinking lots and lots of water to wash out all the toxins (and virus and bacteria) from body. I am trying really hard to exercise every other day (or at least 3 times a week) to keep my blood circulation up and running ( to avoid any blood vessels from clogging up ) which I have been unable to do so because I am sick.

So enough whining and it is time to follow some youtube videos in the hopes to kick my body alive instead of going around sluggishly...

Tata~

natural cosmetics

Television have pretty interesting topics nowadays. I am more into cooking and food-for-thoughts show currently. Today I watched a show from kbs regarding nature dye and diy cosmetics. That got me thinking and researching.

While researching online, I stumbled upon an article regarding DIY beauty brand: Home made cosmetics by Rebecca Armstrong from The Independent. It talks about the dangers that chemicals that we put on our skin. Our generation are all about organic food but have we ever think about organic cosmetics? A tidbit from the article, quoted directly "Last year, research funded by the breast-cancer charity Genesis suggested that there was a possible link between breast cancer and aluminium found in antiperspirants. And research conducted by the biochemist Richard Bence claimed that an individual can absorb up to 4lb 6oz of chemicals through their skin each year. Given that women use on average 12 skincare and makeup products every day – a combination that can clock up as many as 175 different chemicals – it's unsurprising that consumers are becoming concerned about exactly what their toiletries contain."

It is true that beauty products are aplenty out there supported by legions of women or girls or anyone who wants to be pretty. I, myself have bought a lot of beauty products because I am buoyed by their promises of crystal clear smooth skin etc etc. I love eyeliners and will never fail to use them except when I go to work. Maybe I should just buy 'kohl'.

The author have also tested several recipes from The Ultimate Natural Beauty Book by Jo Fairley which is a guide to do-it-yourself beauty products, which features recipes for 100 lotions and potions. 

(I do hope I won't encounter any copyright issues if I recopy the recipes here. I am just reposting here for my own personal use. Disclaimer: It was published in a public article and I have no intention to profit from any of these recipes except to try it out sometime in the future)

Frankly I only find the cucumber anti-blemish mask do-able in my own home. I have no idea regarding half of the ingredients used. My own mom-passed-down-to-daughter recipe is egg white mask for making your skin taut and eliminates blackheads. I could probably use mortar and pestle to mesh up the cucumber before adding to the egg white. 

On one fine day, if I can find a herb or organic or nature store in any megamalls that spring up like mushrooms after rain everywhere in Malaysia, I will give it a try ;)

RECIPES FOR NATURAL LOOKS

* Rich rose moisturiser

The perfect, rich-textured, sumptuously scented night-time moisturiser for thirsty skin. If you like, add 10 drops of frankincense essential oil as well

as the rose. Frankincense is renowned for its anti-ageing powers.

2 large handfuls of fresh, scented rose petals

50ml (2fl oz) sweet almond oil or extra virgin olive oil

5g (1/4oz) beeswax granules or grated beeswax

1 teaspoon wheatgerm oil

15 drops rose essential oil

Pack the rose petals in a wide-necked glass jar and cover with sweet almond oil. Bruise the petals with a spoon in the jar, to start the maceration process, and seal the jar. Position it where it can absorb sunlight daily (a south-facing windowsill is just perfect), to speed up the infusion process. After 3 weeks, strain off the rose-infused oil.

Heat the beeswax in the sweet almond oil in the top of a double-boiler until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before adding the wheatgerm oil and rose essential oil. Cool for a further 1-2 minutes then pour into a sterilised glass jar to set thoroughly. The mixture will harden, but it emulsifies when you touch it.

TIP: Wheatgerm acts as a natural preservative; you don't need to keep this refrigerated. If you can't find wheatgerm oil, you can pierce wheatgerm capsules, available from natural foodstores, and measure into a teaspoon.

* Comfrey acne mask

50g (2oz) fresh comfrey leaves and flowers (if in season) or

25 g (1 oz) dried comfrey

225 m (8fl oz) freshly boiled filtered, mineral or rainwater

1 egg white

50g (2 oz) Fuller's earth

Put the comfrey in a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Cover and allow to cool completely, then strain. In a second bowl, mix the egg white and the Fuller's earth and moisten with 2 tablespoons of the comfrey liquid. Apply the mask all over your face avoiding the eyes and mouth area. Leave for 20-25 minutes. To remove, soak cotton wool pads in the remaining comfrey infusion and sweep over your face until it's clean. Allow the skin to dry naturally.

* Cucumber anti-blemish mask

Cucumber is calming while rosemary is a super-effective antiseptic. You'll find the egg white will tauten on your face.

2.5 cm (1 inch) chunk of cucumber

1 drop rosemary essential oil

1 egg white

Whizz the cucumber in a blender until it becomes completely liquid, then add the drop of rosemary essential oil. Whisk the egg white until stiff, fold in the cucumber mixture and smooth over the face avoiding the eyes and mouth area. Remove after 15 minutes using a clean, damp washcloth.

TIP: If you have a spotty back or shoulders, ask a friend or partner to apply the mixture to your back: it makes a wonderful 'back pack'.

* Rosemary and mint mouthwash

You can use this just like any mouthwash - swig, swish, gargle - but unlike alcohol-based mouthwashes (which can dry out the inside of the mouth and actually unbalance the natural 'flora') this is gentle while still being effective. The glycerine acts as a natural sweetener.

25g (1oz) fresh rosemary or 10g (1/2oz) dried rosemary

25g (1oz) fresh mint or 10g (1/2oz) dried mint

1 litre (13/4 pints) boiling filtered or mineral water

30ml (1fl oz) vegetable glycerine

10-12 drops peppermint essential oil

5-10 drops myrrh essential oil

Make an infusion with the herbs and the water; allow to cool and stir in the glycerine. Add the essential oils and pour into a sterilised bottle. Shake before use and discard any that remains after 2 weeks. (Don't swallow it - though it won't do you any harm if you do.)

TIP: You can also successfully freshen your breath in the following ways: chew a little fresh parsley. (This herbal garnish is rich in chlorophyll, a green plant compound that kills the bacteria that cause bad odour.) Or, chew on a dried clove, some fennel seeds or a juniper berry. Rinse your mouth with water that contains chopped watercress.

* Rosebud lips

This luscious lip-slick gets its purplish-pink colour from alkanet.

75ml (3fl oz) olive oil

1 tablespoon jojoba oil

45g (11/2oz) dried alkanet root, chopped

20g (3/4oz) beeswax

9 drops rose essential oil

Gently heat both oils in the top of a double-boiler for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the alkanet root and steep for around 30 minutes, to extract the colour from the root. Strain the root from the oils through a muslin cloth and compost the root. Return the oils to the double-boiler with the beeswax. Once this has melted, remove from heat and add the rose essential oil, drop by drop. Pour into small, sterilised pots or jars. Allow to cool thoroughly before capping.

* Simple Soapwort shampoo

Use this in the same way as a normal shampoo. However, you'll need to use more of this than you would a detergent shampoo - and don't expect much of a lather; soapwort cleans without lots of froth. Keep the soapwort mixture out of your eyes as some people find it stings, and follow with a conditioner or herbal rinse.

2 tablespoons crushed fresh soapwort root or 1 tablespoon crushed dried soapwort root

2 tablespoons of herbs (elderflower, fennel, horsetail, nettle and rosemary are all herbs hair loves)

5 drops of essential oil (lavender or - if you have a tendency to andruff - sage or rosemary)

1.5 litres (21/2 pints) filtered, mineral or rainwater

Pour the water over the soapwort root and the herbs in a pan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool thoroughly, then strain through a piece of muslin or kitchen paper over a sieve; press down to extract as much as possible of the herbs. Add the essential oils, drop by drop. Transfer to a sterilised glass bottle, shake and store in a cool, dry place out of sunlight.

Use around 200ml (7fl oz) each time you wash your hair; the technique is to wet your hair first, then pour the liquid into the palms of your hands and massage in well, until your hair is lathered lightly. Rinse thoroughly and repeat, if it's more than a few days since you've washed your hair. Follow with a final herbal rinse made as an infusion from the same herbs that you used in the soapwort mixture. This quantity of soapwort shampoo keeps for just over 1 week, in the fridge - or you can freeze it in a plastic container and defrost as required.

* Rosemary foot reviver

The mint and rosemary in this recipe are naturally cooling and invigorating, while the lactic acid in the milk is soothing. If you put pebbles or marbles in the bottom of the bowl, you can roll your toes over them while you soak your feet, which is totally relaxing for body, soul - and soles.

225ml (8fl oz) milk

50g (2oz) fresh mint leaves

6 large sprigs of fresh rosemary

6 drops peppermint essential oil

Put the milk and fresh herbs in a small pan over a low heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and pour into a bowl large enough to bathe your feet in. Top up with warm or cool water, as preferred - or, best of all, some more milk. Add the peppermint essential oil, drop by drop, and swish.

* Lady's mantle hand softener

Keep this soothing hand-softener in the fridge and apply daily - it's wonderful after washing up.

10g (1/2oz) fresh or 5g (1/4oz) dried lady's mantle leaves and flowers

10g (1/2oz) fresh or 5g (1/4oz) dried lemon balm leaves

150ml (1/4 pint) filtered, mineral or rainwater

50ml (2fl oz) lemon juice

30ml (1fl oz) vodka

4 drops sweet orange essential oil

4 tablespoons vegetable glycerine

Chop the lady's mantle and lemon balm and put in a pan with the water. Bring to the boil, simmer for 10 minutes and then allow to cool thoroughly; strain. Take 4 tablespoons of this infusion and pour into a sterilised bottle with a cork or a screw-top; add the other ingredients and seal. Shake well.

TIP: Face masks work wonders on hands, too - cleansing or delivering a moisture surge. Next time you indulge in one of the face masks in this book, slather it over your hands, too - then rest your hands on a towel for 10-15 minutes while it works its magic.

*Aloe vera cleanser

30ml aloe vera gel

50ml olive oil

30ml rosewater

4 drops rose essential oil

2 drops grapefruit seed extract

Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor and decant into a small bottle. Ideally, keep in the fridge. Shake before use, as the ingredients may separate. Massage into your face and remove with either a muslin cloth or water.

* Beetroot and glycerine cheek and lip tint

45g raw beetroot, grated

3 tablespoons vegetable glycerine

Put the beetroot and glycerine a heat-proof ceramic bowl over a pan of boiling water for 15 minutes. Cool, then strain into a sealable container. Shake before use, then apply a dab to your cheeks and lips.

* Lavender deodorant

250ml vodka

50g dried lavender

50g fresh rose petals

10 drops lavender essential oil

10 drops rose essential oil

Pour the vodka over the flowers and petals and add the essential oils, drop by drop. Allow to infuse for 3 weeks, then strain and use in an atomiser in place of your regular deodorant.

If life gives u a lemon, make a lemon water

It's been a hectic weekend for me. Lots of FUN activities happening and somehow I have a niggling feeling that I am going to get sick on Friday. And I did! Am currently resting at home due to a viral infection (flu and sore throat) =(


On Friday, I decided to make some lemon water with a slice of lemon and put it inside my water tumbler.
(Another pointer, it is not advisable to leave lemon slice inside your water as chemicals or pesticides might leak into your water. I read that during my google search and will not do it again)


My water tasted so much better and I have been chugging lots of water down.


However I have another reason for drinking so much water. My throat felt ticklish after eating nasi lemak for breakfast. Regretted not getting up earlier to make breakfast. I shall not blame my clinic's water dispenser for breaking down (poor thing!) that leads me to buy (unhealthy but delicious) nasi lemak.

What is nasi lemak? Translated literally, it means 'fat rice'. HAHAHAHA
Essentially it is cooked in coconut milk(fat) and comes with sambal (onions, chillies and  anchovies cooked with belacan), cucumbers, fried peanuts and anchovies. You can choose to have side dishes such as rendang ayam (chicken rendang), fried chicken, fried egg etc etc. I chose to wash it down with lemon water as informed by google,


The benefits of drinking lemon water:
1. Improves digestion
2. Helps to eliminate waste (no constipation!)
3. Has alkalising properties due to low sugar content and high alkaline mineral content
4. Antiseptic
5. Cleanse kidney and liver
6. Have calcium, magnesium, potassium
7. Boost immune system or helps to fight colds due to high vitamin c content!
8. Clears skin (by clearing toxin from blood). It is said to reduce wrinkles and blemishes (which I am not so sure)
9. It helps relieve respiratory problems (asthma, cough etc etc)
10. Diuretic (by helping you urinate more, more trips to the toilet! burn more calories perhaps? )

I am also amazed to read about various health remedies using lemon:



From http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/lemon%20water.htm
Lemon Remedies Published by Jethro Kloss in Back to Eden
-For sore throat, dilute lemon juice with water and gargle frequently. Dilute one-half lemon juice with one-half water. It is even better to use straight lemon juice.
-A slice of lemon bound over a corn overnight will greatly relieve the pain.
-A slice of lemon bound over a felon [pus formation on a finger joint] will not fail to bring the pus to the surface where it can be easily removed.
-To relieve asthma, take a tablespoon of lemon juice one hour before each meal.
-For liver complaints, the juice of the lemon should be taken in a glass of hot water one hour before breakfast every morning.
-To break up la grippe [flu or influenza], drink a large glass of hot water with the juice of a lemon added, while at the same time have the feet in a deep bucket or other vessel of water with mustard added to it. The water should be deep enough to where it comes nearly up to the knees. Keep adding hot water to the patient's tolerance and until the patient begins to perspire freely (about 20-30 minutes). Be sure there is no draft on the person while this is done. The patient should be near a bed so he can get in it easily and avoid any danger of getting chilled. If convenient, a full hot bathtub would be good in place of the foot-bath. The lemon water should be taken every hour until the patient feels that all the symptoms of the cold are gone.
-A teaspoon of lemon juice in half a glass of water relieves heartburn.
-For rheumatism, one or two ounces of lemon juice diluted in water should be taken three times a day: one hour before meals and at bedtime.
-In cases of hemorrhage, lemon juice diluted in water and taken as cold as possible will stop it.
-Scurvy is treated by giving one to two ounces of lemon juice diluted with water every two to four hours.
-In excessive menstruation the juice of three to four lemons a day will help check it. Best to take the juice of one lemon at a time in a glass of cold water.

I would definitely try the first remedy. Having sore throat currently.


The website also recommends on the best way to choose a lemon.
It is best to choose a lemon with high mineral content and desired sweetness. By comparing two similar size lemons, the heavier one will have higher mineral content and sweeter. Another pointer would be looking at the end of the lemon that has a stem or dimple where the stem used to be located. There would be lines radiating out of the stem like sunbeams forming a star shaped structure called calyx. The greater the number of points on the calyx, the higher the mineral content of the lemon.


I did deviate from my usual no-tea(an apple) and healthy dinner to indulge in some girlish fun time!


We had dinner in Suki-Ya that serves non-stop meat flow (beef, chicken and lamb) in a japanese steamboat concept. They have a healthy bar as well that allow you to take as much vege and noodles as you like. So we were like why not for the price tag of rm46.50? We ate well that night^^


To recap our tea and dinner =)

From left to right above: mochi sweets, japanese mochi in sweet yam and caramel latte flavour

From left to right middle: tofu cheesecake that is smooth and almond mix macaroon

From left to right below: beef and lamb, our japanese steamboat (with lots of vege and mushrooms. both of us decided to forgo the noodles. not like we got any stomach space left) 

yum yum there goes my diet effort! lol

All in all, I think I did lose some weight by eating healthier most of the days of the week ie I eat more vegetable and fruits. It might be hard to shake my love for sweet stuff but at least I am minimizing the damage done to my body. I also resolved NOT to touch any carbonated/sweet drinks this year and hopefully in more years to come.

The reason

I started this blog for a reason.

1. To change my lifestyle

2. To document my life as a pharmacist

As a pharmacist working with a government clinic in Malaysia, I am working in a 8-to-5 job that requires me to either talk a lot to patients or stand a lot to pack medicines. Even though we have pharmacist assistants, we do hands on ourselves too. Sitting all the time dispensing does no good to the body, I feel.

Pharmacy is rapidly evolving world. With so many universities churning out pharmacy graduates, I do hope that Malaysia finally recognized the dispensing right for the pharmacist. I have not dream big but I want to be able to further my study and specialized in a field that can further bolster my self-respect. I might be working in a small clinic but I do have the same pride as pharmacist working in big hospitals.

Being involved in healthcare field influenced my decision to be healthy. If a patient sees that I myself is a healthy person, I might be an inspiration to them to be healthier. Some of the patients do come and ask pharmacist regarding nutrition and diets as government clinics share dietitians. Dietitians are not available all the time. I want to be able to advise them correctly if there are any queries.

Current interest: nutrition and diet
Ambition: To lead a healthy lifestyle with healthy mind.

Denmark Diet

I am interested in the Denmark diet cause I follow Korean shows and one of my favourite celebrity (Nicole from Kara) did Denmark diet.

Brief summary:
This is a diet plan used at the Royal Danish Hospital comprised of a very strict high-protein and low calorie diet that lasts for 13 days. The majority of the diet plan composed of animal protein.

This diet is very strict. It must be done for 13 days and one must be able to have a strong willpower. Even if you eat anything else, you would have to start from day one all over again.

It is expected that exercises are also included while doing this diet.

Having a strict diet that does not contain any carbohydrates, it can help to change sluggish metabolism. Apparently the results will hold for at least 2 years.

People who have undergone this diet lost an average of 7-12kg (15-26lbs). Generally a healthy weight loss is considered about 1kg (2.2lbs) a week.

However this diet can cause dizziness, headache and general malaise. As meals consist of eggs and coffee, it could bring about lower physical function and melancholia.

As a precaution, it is better to see a dietician / nutrionist / diet specialist for analysis and consultation if this diet suits you.

Nicole from Kara (korean girl group) is famous for sticking to the Denmark diet to help her lose weight.

She claimed she lost more than 3kg on this diet.

So I made a list of the Denmark diets I found on the internet. Google is such a useful tool ;)

Phew. That's hard work. But at least I have a clearer idea on how to follow this diet (if I want). I am actually still considering. It is actually relatively similar to Atkins diet. More research to be done on Atkins diet but it have earned such a bad rep that actually deterred me away.

There are a lot of factors in my life that could affect my diet

1. work

2. social

3. accessibility

4. convenience

For general information, I am not obese or overweight. My weight is 61kg (134lbs) but I am 171cm tall. I am a healthy 25 year old working woman. I, however, do feel that my body have become very unhealthy due to lack of exercise and gluttony. Gluttony came from the massive amounts of delicious food available in Malaysia. Everyday seem to be a culinary adventure. It is actually hard to eat healthy and cheap. It's either EXPENSIVE and healthy or cheap and DETRIMENTAL. Detrimental came from mamak food that god-only-knows what they put inside the plate of nasi goreng / mee goreng / roti canai.

I have not a valid reason to embark on drastic diet (maybe when I got married? That would be a valid reason), I am going to stick to my current pace with cutting out soft drinks and eating healthy stuff. Exercising whenever I have a chance to tone up my flabby stomach.

The motivation that keeps me going:

1. to be able to climb Mt Kinabalu without panting

2. to be able to wear a bikini in Bali (August which is a long way off)

I want to be able to look like Miranda Kerr (toned body) even after her pregnancy

I guess the only thing I wanted now is to be able to wear a bikini proudly =) Isn't that every woman wish?

xoxo

Healthy dinner recipe

What is my ideal meal?

add one egg

with some miso stock

Cook it all together, it will be uberdelicious healthy vegetable soup!

Dessert:

a sweet apple to satisfy my sweet buds

Today after half day hard at work, I chose to eat

instead of this

I feel rather proud of myself for not letting temptations get in the way of my new diet. Look at the differences in sugar and carbs!!! Gasp!!!

To treat myself, I order a cuppa tea.

It might not be an ideal style of healthy eating, it is better than none =)

Cheers

It's going to be a good day tomorrow