Thursday, July 31, 2008
A busy whizzend
It was a hot sunday and the 3 of us seeked refuge in the air-conditioned bedroom, Arissa is impersonating 'Eeyore' by grunting until she's hoarse. :p
I just realised that all my videos are of Arissa either lounging at home or in bed. Yes, we are lazy parents but that does not mean I coop her up at home on weekends- heh.
Last Sat, *I* (as hubby still on project- argh!!!), as part of the Mummy gang, went to Kak Rani's condo to let loose the overactive kiddos- 5 in all. They swam, they ate, they shat, they dripped syrup water all over Kak Rani's marble floor, they vomitted, they peed (not in any order) and at the end of it, Arissa slept fitfully from 8pm to 10am... *zzzz*
On Sun, we took her to a wedding held at The HortPark, first time there for me! She ran around in the big hall and the garden outside with Nana and Shabanah whilst I enjoyed the Putri Catering delicacies. By 6pm, she's snoozing in the car all the way home *yeay*. Then up again at 8pm for a little walk to the pasar malam nearby.
I am pooped... my weekend seemed to whizz on by. So see, we're not THAT lazy... we just love our bed that much.
:)
Friday, July 25, 2008
Serious stuff
Your priorities change when you arrive at the big 30. Before, I lived a day at a time... maybe a month at a time at most but since having a child, I've become more concerned with the future, our future as a family.
It doesn't help when both sides of my family- maternal and paternal- have cancer cases from colorectal to breast to cervical, mostly aggresive too. My maternal grandfather died from colorectal cancer and I saw how he suffered at the end, bedridden and in pain every day. I shudder to think the defective gene has been passed on to the next generation.
Syifaa, thanks for the cancer article from John Hopkins. I'm adding it here in case I lose the email:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc. are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bra gg's aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice e, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Florescence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiving veness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
1. No plastic containers in micro, use microwavable glass or ceramic.
2. No water bottles in freezer, glass containers are a better option.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave, use towels to cover food instead.
Dad has been taking this power juice, Xango, for sometime now- its a puree of purple fruits like berries etc but the main ingredient is the mangosteen fruit blended with skin and all and apparently chockablock with anti-oxidants.
It doesn't help when both sides of my family- maternal and paternal- have cancer cases from colorectal to breast to cervical, mostly aggresive too. My maternal grandfather died from colorectal cancer and I saw how he suffered at the end, bedridden and in pain every day. I shudder to think the defective gene has been passed on to the next generation.
Syifaa, thanks for the cancer article from John Hopkins. I'm adding it here in case I lose the email:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc. are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bra gg's aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice e, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Florescence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiving veness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
1. No plastic containers in micro, use microwavable glass or ceramic.
2. No water bottles in freezer, glass containers are a better option.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave, use towels to cover food instead.
Dad has been taking this power juice, Xango, for sometime now- its a puree of purple fruits like berries etc but the main ingredient is the mangosteen fruit blended with skin and all and apparently chockablock with anti-oxidants.
I've always been rather hesitant with meds/supplements that lay claim to being 'miraculous' but Xango seems to work for the 2 people I know who've tried it- Dad and the babysitter's husband. On top of that, it tastes like bittery berry juice- not a total put off, Arissa loves her daily sip of it. The difference between this juice and the PeelFresh mangosteen juice is its consistency- the PeelFresh version is OMG-so-watery!
Barely an hour after his brain surgery to remove a 'blood clot of significant size' (as his Doctor diplomatically puts it), Dad was acting normal- cheerful and coherant. His path to recovery is nothing short of 'miraculous', the wound healed in record time and he didn't seem to be much bothered by it. In many ways, it was as if he went to get a tooth extraction. Literally. He was in pain, went to doc, had the teeth/clot removed and everything went back to normal. Everyone was stunned when they saw how a-ok he was in the hospital post-surgery and at home. Amongst others, an aunt exclaimed "Deni biar betul pegi operation, tak macam orang sakit pun!" and my BIL echoled her thoughts the next day with "Has the op been done? He seems fine.."
Our babysitter's husband, Cik Nasir, has just been diagnosed with total kidney failure and is undergoing regular dialysis. Dad told me to bring a bottle of Xango to him with instructions to drink half a miniature cup of it daily because Cik Nasir has a daily water intake limit, as part of his renal diet. When I checked back with him a week later, he said his strength has somehow returned and if need to, thinks he "can even run", a far cry from a man who always looked lethargic. Their next door neighbour, who coincidentally takes Xango as a supplement, has sung high praises about the product.
Granted this Xango juice is sold under the MLM umbrella but neither Dad nor I are part of it. Am merely spreading the word here and we can help order for anyone who wants to try it. Its $60 a bottle that can last you 3 weeks or so. Feel free to email me at rina_harman@yahoo.com.au if anyone's interested or you can order direct at their website.
PS: I read that Mariah Carey was once on a Purple Diet (no, she wasn't eating like Barney), her dietitian recommended she ate food that was purple including brinjals and berries because of their high antoxidant loading. Purple skittles were NOT part of her diet yar! (you could've fooled me).
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
SugaBaby
For a whole year, a CD created at home by a guy called Francis Smith (aka my Bangkok boss- pfft) is a permanent fixture in our car audio system. Its creatively labelled NURSERY RHYMES and includes all the chart-topping stuff like Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and London Bridge (NOT the one by Fergie- hah).
Arissa insists on listening only to this CD whilst she is in the car and for a whole year, we have endured sniggers by the BIL/friends/colleagues and its toughened up our ear wax.
But last week I found an old CD stuck in our glove compartment and was listening to an old favourite track. Its a feel-good-post-breakup number whose lyrics I lapped up during those stupid 12h breakups with the then-boyfriend, now-husband (ey...bound to happen once in awhile if you've been in the same courtship for 9 years) and, wonder of wonders, my daughter absolutely LOVED it- head banging and thumping her hand on her thigh in approval. Its hilarious!
...and Mummy sure as hell miss her Nursery Rhymes CD like a hole in my head.
Arissa insists on listening only to this CD whilst she is in the car and for a whole year, we have endured sniggers by the BIL/friends/colleagues and its toughened up our ear wax.
But last week I found an old CD stuck in our glove compartment and was listening to an old favourite track. Its a feel-good-post-breakup number whose lyrics I lapped up during those stupid 12h breakups with the then-boyfriend, now-husband (ey...bound to happen once in awhile if you've been in the same courtship for 9 years) and, wonder of wonders, my daughter absolutely LOVED it- head banging and thumping her hand on her thigh in approval. Its hilarious!
...and Mummy sure as hell miss her Nursery Rhymes CD like a hole in my head.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Piss (off)
OK...can't say I didn't try.. It came out sounding like "piss.." rather than p-l-e-a-s-e. :S
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Everything but the girl
Before the big thing happened, we had a quiet weekend at home where I pulled down a big box of Arissa's baby clothes, ready to hand them down to a 1-month old bub named Aliya Atiqa.
Finally- we have a baby girl in the family..!! And Mummy is so ready to give those baby clothes away to make room for more toddler clothes that Arissa is growing out of at lightning speed.
The Ikea box is simply bursting at its seams with cute baby dresses,
...colourful rompers,
...little pants and mini skirts, (Sorry Sanah about the army skirt- you should have booked earlier lah! But here’s a picture of it *heh*)
...all manner of accessories like head-bands and delicate shoes,
...all waiting to see the light of day once again.
I had such fun dressing Arissa up, who was the ONLY girl born between 2005 and 2007 amongst relatives/friends. It’s strange how when I was pregnant I had convinced myself that I was carrying a boy. For some unknown reason, I’ve always believed that boy firstborns just seemed more ‘natural’. Maybe because everyone around me seemed to be conceiving boys?!
It took a while to come to terms emotionally when Dr Ang told us that Astronaut (which is what we used to call her when she was a weeny little foetus due to her big head and small body) might be a *girl* actually.
As I divided her clothes into piles of Grade A, Grade B and strictly-for-home stashes for Aliya, I offhandedly asked the hubby who was playing 'masak-masak' with the little one "Dear, when should we plan to have our 2nd one?"
His face showed he was calculating how much it takes to raise a child halfway decently in this day and age (daycare $300, piano lessons $190, taekwondo $100, Kumon $120...), whilst I can only remember how tired I am most of the time with just ONE kid to keep in check.
He finally answered “Let’s wait til she’s 4?”
And I said “At least 4!”
*pffft*
That makes me all of 33 in the next pregnancy... I seriously don’t know if I can physically cope with the demands of a pregnant body at such an age- the lethargy, the morning sickness, the emotional roller-coaster, the list goes on... *sigh* On days like this, I kick myself for getting married so late.
And as Hafidz and I reminisced about Arissa's infanthood (“Remember how cute she looked in this pink dress for her cukur rambut?! / “Hey... she wore this ballerina shoes to Sapna’s wedding!” / “Why did you buy so many headbands...she hated them didn’t she?”), she was more interested in parading around in my high heels.
Like my MIL says “Kalau dah pompan, pompan jugak!”
Finally- we have a baby girl in the family..!! And Mummy is so ready to give those baby clothes away to make room for more toddler clothes that Arissa is growing out of at lightning speed.
The Ikea box is simply bursting at its seams with cute baby dresses,
...colourful rompers,
...little pants and mini skirts, (Sorry Sanah about the army skirt- you should have booked earlier lah! But here’s a picture of it *heh*)
...all manner of accessories like head-bands and delicate shoes,
...all waiting to see the light of day once again.
I had such fun dressing Arissa up, who was the ONLY girl born between 2005 and 2007 amongst relatives/friends. It’s strange how when I was pregnant I had convinced myself that I was carrying a boy. For some unknown reason, I’ve always believed that boy firstborns just seemed more ‘natural’. Maybe because everyone around me seemed to be conceiving boys?!
It took a while to come to terms emotionally when Dr Ang told us that Astronaut (which is what we used to call her when she was a weeny little foetus due to her big head and small body) might be a *girl* actually.
As I divided her clothes into piles of Grade A, Grade B and strictly-for-home stashes for Aliya, I offhandedly asked the hubby who was playing 'masak-masak' with the little one "Dear, when should we plan to have our 2nd one?"
His face showed he was calculating how much it takes to raise a child halfway decently in this day and age (daycare $300, piano lessons $190, taekwondo $100, Kumon $120...), whilst I can only remember how tired I am most of the time with just ONE kid to keep in check.
He finally answered “Let’s wait til she’s 4?”
And I said “At least 4!”
*pffft*
That makes me all of 33 in the next pregnancy... I seriously don’t know if I can physically cope with the demands of a pregnant body at such an age- the lethargy, the morning sickness, the emotional roller-coaster, the list goes on... *sigh* On days like this, I kick myself for getting married so late.
And as Hafidz and I reminisced about Arissa's infanthood (“Remember how cute she looked in this pink dress for her cukur rambut?! / “Hey... she wore this ballerina shoes to Sapna’s wedding!” / “Why did you buy so many headbands...she hated them didn’t she?”), she was more interested in parading around in my high heels.
Like my MIL says “Kalau dah pompan, pompan jugak!”
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