C'est L'Halloween!

Today is HALLOWEEN, and I am super excited to be putting on my costume and celebrating it with my friends.


BUT there's only one thing I hate about today is....

CANDY!!!

I always eat too much of it. It's always there just sitting, looking at you, staring, saying "EAT ME, I AM DELICIOUS!"....so then I do.

Have you ever wondered how much candy we consume on Halloween? Click here to find out.

So, if you want to help people like me out, and stop handing out candy and making me eat them, I have suggested some good, healthier alternatives (the kids may not like it, but their parents sure will!)

• apples
• toothbrushes
• flavoured dental floss
• dried fruit
• colouring books
• crayons
• erasers
• stickers

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

TRICK OR TREAT!

Whole Grain or Whole Wheat?

There is a lot of confusion between whole grain and whole wheat. Let me start by saying, whole GRAIN is better for you.

Be careful when shopping for whole grain and whole wheat products. Look at the ingredients and look to see if it says whole wheat flour or whole grain flour.

Whole wheat flour is basically like white bread. There is no nutritional value in whole wheat, because of the process they use to produce it.

Also be aware of pumpernickel bread. You may think it is good for you, BUT it is just the same as white bread. They use molasses to darken the dough, so don't be fooled by its colour!

Turbo Jam Update

Yesterday was my first day doing Turbo Jam, and can I just say...

I AM IN PAIN!!!!!!

.

I feel as though I have worked out every inch of my body. I have a feeling that this program is going to work! (well hopefully!) I am following the recommended diet as well as doing the videos everyday. It's a great and fun way to eliminate stress and feel good about yourself. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

My Own Wrap

Here is a recipe for my new favourite creation.

I love mixing different flavours and foods together, and now I have come up with one I love. It's a quick, easy to make snack and it tastes amazing. My roommate was very skeptical about my creation, but when I made it for her, she feel in love, and asked me to make her more.

Remember these are just the products that I used because I had them on hand. You do not have to use the specific product I used in the recipe. I have included their name's because I was able to figure out the calorie value of the wrap. It is not guaranteed that the wrap you make will be the same amount of calories like mine. You can either have a higher or lower calorie wrap, depending on the condiments you decide to put in it, or take out of it.

My Wrap Creation:
250 calories

1 Dempster's whole grain wrap
1 tbsp of grated Cracker Barrel marble cheese
2 tbsp of Summer Fresh Taziki
1 tbsp of Diana Gourmet Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce
2 tbsp of Great Value pre-cut olives
1 mini cucumber

Remember you can make it your own. You can add ANYTHING else you like. I put hot peppers in my roommates wrap because she loves them. You can add lettuce, tomato, pickles, any condiments you enjoy/like. I used these because they were the only thing I had on hand at the time.

Caloric Value:
Calories = Kcal

Dempster's Whole Grain Wrap = 100 kcal per 1 wrap
Diana Sauce (Gourmet Honey Garlic) = 30 kcal per 1 tbsp
Great Value Pre-cut Olives = 15 kcal per 2 tbsp
Summer Fresh Gluten Free Taziki = 45 kcal per 2 tbsp
Cracker Barrel Marble Cheese = 60 kcal per 1 tbsp

* To eliminate some of the calories, try to use a lower fat cheese. The cheese I used was high in fat, cholesterol and sodium. Be aware of the nutritional values when purchasing products.*

Picture coming soon.

Who Would Have Guessed?

Well, I haven’t really touched on this yet, but as part of a healthy diet, is a healthy lifestyle. Working out is a great way to stay in shape, and also a good way to stay in good health.

I will soon be posting some great workout tips, to get your body into shape, but first, if you’re already working out, here’s a great after-workout drink...

REDBULL!

No, I’m just kidding! It’s chocolate milk!
Yup, that’s right...no kidding around.

Chocolate milk is a great post workout drink. Scientists say that chocolate milk contains carbs that replenish glycogen stores and protein to repair uscles after exercise. It also helps with fluid rehydration, and contains electrolytes (which are put into sports drinks). Electrolytes such as potassium and sodium are lost in sweat. So drink up 15-30 minutes after a workout, and you’ll be good as new!

Oh, and p.s. don’t forget to wipe your mouth after enjoying a class of chocolate milk, you don’t want to be walking around with milkstache!

Click here for more information.

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Turbo Jam

Alright, so this past summer I bought Turbo Jam. I was asking around and I didn’t know if I should buy it or not. I gave in after speaking to a few people who used it.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do it this summer, but I am going to start it now.

I am going to be starting it on Monday. It says I can lose 10 inches in 10 days. I will track my progress and will let you know how it goes. I hope it works. Wish me luck!

Sleeping Foods

Ever wanted to eat the magic apple from Snow White, just to get a bit of rest?
Not falling asleep within 15 minutes of going to bed? Need some help sleeping?

Well get on up and head on over to the kitchen, for some foods that will put you right to sleep.

• Bananas – They act as a muscle relaxant.


• Warm milk – you had it as a child, why not now? Warm milk has some tryptophan, which is an amino acid that has a sedative like effect


• Potatoes – they clear away any acids that can interfere with sleeping


• Chamomile tea – has mild sedating effects


• Almonds – have a dose of muscle relaxing magnesium and as well as tryptophan


• Cherries - have a handful of these an hour before going to bed and you are set. Cherries have high levels of melatonin, a chemical that controls the body’s internal clock to regulate sleep.

Click here for more foods that will help you sleep. Happy Snoozing!

zZzzZZZZzzzZZzzz

OUTFOXED: SHUT UP!

Once again, I am going to stray away from health and nutrition. This post is school related.

In 2004, a documentary was made showcasing Fox Network’s true colours. The documentary is called Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, and the main star is Fox Network’s owner Rupert Murdoch. In my opinion, Fox’s approach to delivering news is pathetic. They use fear to get inside their viewers minds, and as a journalism student, I was taught that that was wrong, and there are other ways of getting the message across. We don’t want to scare people, we want to INFORM them. Fox used its power to elect the former President Bush in 2000, by shedding positive light on his campaign and drilling Bush’s name in their views heads. Fox News is very conservative. Hence the reason they supported the Bush party. I believe that Fox is a very biased station. They are usually one sided and they try to cover up anything bad about themselves and the people and subjects they support. Watching this documentary was upsetting. The bias was so evident, and seeing bias in news (as a future journalist-hopefully) is disgusting. News is not supposed to be one sided. It is supposed to just state the facts, no sugar coating, no spinning, just the hard hitting facts. Studying journalism, we learn how to write for news, how to report the news properly, and how to eliminate bias. Seeing reporters on Fox speak the way they do, seems like they were just pulled out of a conservative convention and tossed in the news studio. It seems like Fox has no ethics, which is another thing that if you study journalism, you are taught. It is disappointing and disturbing seeing people like Fox reporters. Is this what the future of journalism has become?

Fibre...For When You Gotta Go

We all don’t want to talk about it, but it is important. Fibre…It helps us go. We all need fibre in our diets, but most of us don’t get enough of it.

There are two types of fibre: water soluble and water insoluble

What’s the difference and what do they do?

Fibre is good for those trying to maintain or lose weight. It is also said that those who eat fibre have a decreased chance of getting colon cancer.

How much fibre should I be having daily?

How can I add extra fibre into my diet?

Add psyllium seeds to your diet. These can be found in All Bran Buds (which are a great addition to yogurt, cereal, fruit, salads, etc) or you can try a powder like Metamucil. Also eat the recommended foods in the chart above. Be sure to slowly add fibre into your diet (increase 2-5 grams a day, until you've reached the recommended amount). Too much fibre can cause diarrhea, gas, bloating, and intense pain.

So stalk up on your fibre, and see and feel the benefits for yourself!

Malocchio

UPDATE:
If you were wondering what happened with my x-rays…keep wondering. I still haven’t received my results but when I do, I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

SIDE NOTE:
This post isn’t going to be about eating or exercise or health. No, it’s going to be about something called malocchio. Now many do not know what this is, but if you’re Italian or Mediterranean decent, you will most likely know what it is. Malocchio translated is called the “Evil Eye.”

Why am I talking about this?

Well here’s why.

This whole year, I felt like everything was going wrong. I was a rough year for me, and every month something new would always happen. Something bad. It all started in January and since then I have been cursed with misfortune. At first, I thought that 2009 just wasn’t my year. I never really believed in malocchio because I was always the one that said stop being so superstitious to everyone. But something just wasn’t right. Around August, I just felt like nothing was going my way and I was just not feeling like myself. I felt like a weight on my shoulders that just wouldn’t come off. So, just this past weekend I called my Aunt and asked her to one of my older Uncle’s who knows if you have malocchio.

Wait! BACKUP!…What is malocchio?

Malocchio is an ancient belief. People believe that some people are witches, and they put spells on you. Now, they don’t actually have to say some fancy chant and make a potion, but they DO have to do something else. Usually malocchio is placed upon you when someone is envious or jealous of you. For example, someone can say “Oh you have gorgeous hair” with an envious undertone to it, and with that and their envious eye, they curse you to misfortune. (Most people don’t know that they have the “power” to curse another, but others do, and they use it for bad.) After receiving malocchio, some people complain of headaches, others hair loss, sickness, fevers, and just plain bad luck. There are ways to prevent it and reverse it click here to find out how.

So back to my story:

My Aunt called my Uncle, and he confirmed that I had malocchio. I knew it! Everything wasn’t going right and I just felt off. He said other things as well to my Aunt, like I was very sick (which I was with the pneumonia) and a couple of other things that were dead on. He took off the curse, and an hour later I felt much better. My cough had disappeared and the pain in my ribs had subsided.

It’s about time to wrap it up!

I don’t like to believe in superstitions, but I guess everyone has their own. Whether it’s walking under a ladder, or stepping on a crack, or opening an umbrella indoors, superstitions range, and from culture to culture differ. In my family, malocchio is just one superstition that is most likely going to be passed on, like it was to us.

WHAT THE BLEEP?

Ok, so in my last post I didn't want to drag on forever.
So I've decided to tell you a little story that happened.

In my last post I said don't try to diagnose yourself when you're sick, and that I tried and failed. Well here's why...

My roommate had a little cough. So she started taking cough syrup and within 2 days it was gone. But then I had developed a little cough. So I went to the pharmacy thinking "oh it's just what my roommate had, it'll go away too!"

Pharmacy:
... patiently waiting in line...waiting...waiting... FINALLY it was my turn to talk to the pharmacist (YAY!) I told him my problem:

Me: My roommate had a cough and now I have one. I feel like my cough worsens when I'm in my house. We have a cat and I'm allergic, so I think it just might be allergies. What's the best cough syrup?
Pharmacist: Take cough syrup and an allergy medicine at night and you'll be fine.

Alright so I did. But then a week went by and I still had a cough and it was getting worse! So I decided it was time to see my family doctor.

Doctor's office:
Doctor: Inhale...Exhale..Inhale...Exhale.. DEEP BREATH IN and OUT...

...

Doctor: You have bronchitis.
Me: WHAT?
Doctor: You have bronchitis.
Me: Perfect. Thanks.
Doctor: Here are some antibiotics, cough syrup and sleeping pills. You'll be fine within 3 days.

A week later and a half later...
My antibiotics don't seem to be working. Now I start developing a pain just below my chest. What is going on with me? So I go to the school clinic.

School Clinic:
Me: I have bronchitis and I'm on all these pills and medications. And NOW I have a pain below my chest.
Doctor: Hop on up and I'll check you out....DEEP BREATH IN and OUT ... DEEPER BREATH IN and OUT ...
5 minutes later of doing this....
Doctor: Your liver is tender to touch. You don't have bronchitis my dear. You have pneumonia.
Me: A WHAT? (my mom's going to kill me!...and she did)
Doctor: I've already seen another 5 cases today.

So today, I went for x-rays to confirm this. I'm awaiting my results.

Now do you understand why I said not to diagnose yourself!?! Go to the doctor right away, especially with the flu and H1N1 going around. Oh and apparently pneumonia's and bronchitis are going around campus too! So be careful and always sanitize or wash your hands!

Bye Bye Flu

PREVENTING THE FLU...

It's not rocket science, but some people just don't get it.

Preventing the flu is pretty simple...here's how:
__________________________________________________


Step 1:

Wash your hands frequently and properly.
I always follow the steps in the image below, but personally I like to add one more step.Don't throw away the paper right away. I like to open the door with it, then throw it out asap. Many people don't wash their hands after using the washroom, so no matter how hard you scrub or how long you scrub for, the germs will come back and haunt you, as soon as you touch the door handle.



Step 2:

Cough and sneeze into your sleeve, instead of your hand. By coughing or sneezing into your hand, you are spreading your germs around on whatever you touch. Although your parents taught you sharing is caring...germ sharing isn't caring. So please don't share your germs.

Step 3:

Take vitamin C. Make sure you're eating a healthy, balanced diet with lots of vitamins and minerals. Drink green tea. Also, eat hot soups to make you feel better if you're feeling sick.

Step 4:

Rest! Stay home if you're feeling sick. You will feel better if you just rest. Stay inside -- read a book, watch TV, creep Facebook, watch some Youtube clips -- just like Frankie says ... RELAX.

Step 5:

Go to the doctor. If you're feeling sick, DO NOT try to self-diagnose yourself! Trust me, I just tried and I FAILED.

Visit http://www.fightflu.ca/ for more details on the H1N1 Flu Virus.

Credits:

Picture - http://swinefluremedies.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/wash-hands.gif

H1N1

This morning I received an email from my university regarding H1N1.
The email (in short) said that, if we have any flu symptoms we have to report ourselves online. The email said we do not need a medical note to confirm this.

HERE'S MY PROBLEM:

So many people can report a fake flu. I can go online right now, and say that I have the symptoms, and I cannot finish any of my assignments or write any of my upcoming tests. I feel that many people are going to be using this as their "get out of school for free" card.


At the beginning of the year, some of my classes spoke to us about the possible H1N1 pandemic that is supposed to hit in October. My professors discussed possible alternatives for assignments and exams. One of my professors said that the university will be shut down and everything will be put online.

So how can we prevent this (or something similar to this) from happening?

...

Well first we need to prevent the flu.