Sweet Spotlight on... Readers!

Photo: Huddle

As my 52WoC task for this week, I am turning the spotlight on you, my dear readers, namely those of you who've taken the time to take part in discussions, offer opinions, or just drop a line to say 'hi'. And I'm very happy to say that some of you commentors have become friends.

I think this is a great thing to do, in and of itself. Without our readers, where would our blogs be, right?! So, I'll be doing this Readers Spotlight thing periodically. If you comment, one day, you too will be featured!

For this post, I've selected 5 commentors who I thank for their support and participation by featuring them here and sending them some link love. Check 'em out!...

albert bannatyne/g.e. stove - A shady character I've known for years through Roomie... a good friend we just don't see often enough... very happy he reads my blog.

Arturo - A CRONisto, Ashtanga yogi, and architect... one of the most supportive and caring friends I met through the CR Society... hope to meet him in person one day.

Mrs.Mogul - A "thirty-bleh-bleh" wife and mum who used to work in the Biz... she's my pop-culture-crack dealer... her blog's on my daily must-read list.

myrtle - A gen-Xer, hula dancer, computer geek, natural health fan, wife, mum and sushi addict... sounds like me, eh?!... she's my non-filipino twin and my friend forever.

Zandria - A 20-something thoughtful and health-conscious lady... she's a savvy single through whom I vicariously live when my married-with-kids life gets a little nutty.

Thanks to you all for being a part of my bloggy life... and I look forward to hearing more from you!

Kim Possible Theme

Okay, I'm not ashamed to admit it: Kim Possible is probably my 3rd favourite animated show... after Futurama and The Simpsons, of course. My 5yo son watches it on the Family Channel, which I'm okay with because the channel doesn't have commercials, and the shows it airs are rather amusing.

And now the theme is going through my head on an infinite loop, which I don't mind because it's a cool, catchy tune...
I'll let you know if I still feel the same 3 days from now. I may just be screaming "Make it stop! Make it stop!" and trying to gouge my eyes out. :)

Check it out...



So, what do you think? Cool, eh?! :)

Want the soundtrack? Check it here...

Kim Possible Soundtrack - Various Artists

Darling, How You've Changed!

Photo: Erudite at Gecko & Fly

A lot has changed in the short time since my blog went from a strictly-CRON diary to a life-improvement blog under the LifeCandy domain and persona.

I've made some fabulous friends, grown in my awareness of social issues, and enjoyed the various characters and events in the blogosphere. I've learned a lot about writing, increasing traffic, and the myriad ways of monetizing my site.

And I also pleased the geeky, creative control-freak in me by learning how to tweak and customize my own template, slowly morphing its look and giving it a (IMHO) much needed boob job!

The screen capture above is the look of the original Erudite template. Check out the demo. I liked the bones of the layout... but the rest really needed customizing. I'm not even sure its Erudite roots show at all!

So, how do you like these knockers now?! ;)

Poll: What kind of gum do you chew?

Photo: History of a Bubble Gum

As you all know, I'm not a big fan of sugar, but I LOATHE aspartame... and, kick my ass, it's everywhere! I didn't realize this until recently when my 5yo son started chewing gum.

For those of you wondering why I'm encouraging my son's gum habit, he's been cursed with my (and Roomie's) motion sickness genes, the poor little guy, and chewing gum keeps him from throwing up in my car. I'm not really concerned about him soiling the interior of my '91 Tercel. We could tell him to, as my brother-in-law would say, "throw up in your hat - your hat can go into the laundry, my car cannot", but I'd rather not have a 'puke hat' in my car, and I'd just rather him not feel sick at all. Gum has been our solution.

But try to find a sugarless gum not tainted by aspartame! It's been near impossible for us. I've even looked online. Nothing. So, we have resorted to giving him Bubblicious. They're big, so we cut them in half.
Frankly, to me, it's still not an ideal solution.

Hey... you may have one!

So, as my 52 Weeks of Community task for this week, I'm running a poll, and my question is... "What kind of gum do you chew?"

And if you have a good suggestion for a non-aspartame sugar-free gum, please let us know in the comments...

What kind of gum do you chew?
	regular sugar gum
	bubble gum
	sugar-free gum (with aspartame)
	sugar-free gum (with other artificial sweetener)
	I don't care how my gum is sweetened/I don't chew gum
pollcode.com free polls

Goods 4 Girls

You all probably know about the new Always and Tampax initiatives to supply menstrual hygiene products to African school girls. These young ladies would typically stay at home from school during their periods, and with these products, they don't have to miss a single day or fall behind.

Unfortunately, the garbage produced by the plastic applicators, bleached cottons, and synthetic fibres of these disposable products just create an added burden on communities that burn their solid waste.

And burning plastic is not nice... try inhaling them fumes!

Fortunately, there's Goods 4 Girls, a greener initiative that works with aid and relief organizations to bring new, reusable cloth menstrual pads to areas of Africa with adequate water supply for washing.

Not only is this a more environmentally friendly alternative, it also eliminates the dependence on outside aid organizations for a continual supply of menstrual products. Super sweet, eh?!

Want to show your support? You can donate new pads that you make, buy at your local store, or buy online (just set the delivery address to Goods 4 Girls).
And if you have a blog or website, you can help promote Goods 4 Girls by putting up one of their banners.

Addendum:
I'm really excited about this initiative... so much so that I've even bought my own first set of new, reusable products at sckoon.com... yeah, yeah, TMI... but it's my blog, so... too bad. :)

Recommended Reading:

Chrunchy Chicken (the blog of Deanna - organizer of Goods 4 Girls)

Green as a Thistle (a cool blog with more green ideas)

The Best Love of All

Photo: Mini & Me

It was a very cold day yesterday, but when we set out, my 3yo Mini-Me* refused to wear her favourite, warm, pink & black hat, choosing to wear just her coat hood instead.

Later that afternoon, we decided to spend some time at our favourite bookstore. As I unbuckled her carseat, I asked her if she wanted to wear her hat.

"Yes...", she said with a shiver. She looked up at me gratefully as I produced her beloved hat and slipped it on her head.

Mini gripped my hand as we started for the store. "Did you bring my hat for me just in case?"

"Yes, I did," I smiled down to my little sweetheart.

She smiled back. "I love you, Mommy. You're the greatest mommy in the whole wide world."

I hugged my little girl there between the cars, trying not to weep like a baby.

Happy Valentine's Day...


* not her real name... no, really...

8 Good Habits in 2 Years

Photo: U1315234INP

February 10 marked the 2nd Anniversary of the day I started CRON.

Yippy!!! Happy Anniversary to Me!!!

These 2 years have just flown by, and I'd be lying if I said that it's been a breeze. In fact, I'm rather ashamed to say that the past 3-5 months have been less CRON than I'd like. But I'll never throw in the towel. This "eat no crap" way of eating (moderate, obesity-avoidance CRON) is too empowering, too intelligent and too body-respecting to give up. And contrary to popular belief, it's really easy too.

The 2 most important lessons I've learned over these 2 years are...

(a) I really am the captain of this vessel, the high priestess of this temple. If things go right, I get the credit. If things go wrong, I'm to blame. Hunger doesn't have to control me; I can ignore it till the next meal. I call the shots.

(b) Experimentation and education are key. I've been my own lab mouse and confidently tried all sorts of weird-ass and not-so-weird-ass stuff on myself in hopes of finding what really works for me. And all of those "good habits" we all know we should adopt, I've actually tried. Here's what I've found...

1. 8-10 glasses of water a day does help keep me full, keep my skin clear, and keep my weight down.

2. I was low in vitamin B, and taking a supplement has resulted in a better reaction to stress and a smaller waistline.

3. I do best with a caloric intake of 1200-1500, which is perfectly normal and healthy. On a slow day, I'm good closer to the lower end, and when I have a tabata workout, I'm hovering around 1500.

4. Kitchen closes 3 hours before bed. For me, this is at about 7pm. Eating late disrupts my sleep and adds an extra pound or two the following morning.

5. Green tea is a satisfying, anti-oxidant-packed drink to have throughout the day. It's a great healthy way to deal with hunger and boost the immune system.

6. No dairy... except the occasional yogurt. I've dropped a couple of pounds, felt more clear-headed, and experience no more sinus problems since doing this. It's been like a miracle for me.

7. Eat more protein... especially in the morning. Starting off with eggs in the morning (thanks, April!) helps with hunger and gives me a kickstart to be healthy throughout the day.

8. Establish an eating schedule of 4-5 meals per day. Knowing when I'll be eating has helped me deal with hunger and kept me from overeating. I eat at 8:30, 11:30, (2pm - optional snack), 3:30pm, and 6:30pm.

Now, if I can just kick the last traces of this cold so I can get back to my workouts, I'll be gold! :)

How about you? What are your favourite healthy habits?

Off to celebrate my anniversary with a cup of green tea...

Recipe: Hawaiian Ambrosia

Hawaiian Ambrosia is a fresh and tasty dish you can have alone for breakfast, as a side for lunch or dinner, or as a healthy dessert.

It's so ridiculously easy to make, you can do it with your eyes closed... which I don't suggest you do unless you're wearing trench coats, a scuba suit, or having a 'naked day'. ;)

This is my own recipe, and I hope you like it. It really tastes like the food of the gods and goddesses!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 - 500ml container plain yogurt (low fat to full fat)
* 3 - 398ml cans of tropical fruit (papaya, pineapple, banana, etc.)
* 2 - 284ml cans of mandarin orange segments
* (optional) dried coconut flakes, or young coconut strands, available at any asian food store

DIRECTIONS

Drain canned fruit well. Add all ingredients together. Mix well, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serves 6 as a side, less if eaten as a meal.

Detox Day 16-21: Premature Ejection

Today is Day 21, the final day of my detox as designed by the book Joshi's Holistic Detox.

Unfortunately, on Day 16 (Tuesday), I caught the flu and decided to end the detox then. I'm now slowly on the mend, caring for my now-ill family and thoroughly enjoying the Maintenance Phase of Joshi's program.

Two-Week Detox Still Worth It

At the end of two weeks, these were my results:

1. I'd lost 5 pounds and went down 3 inches around my waist. That's pretty good. I lost the majority of it very early on, which was very motivating, and although I did succumb to temptation a couple of times, I didn't gain any weight.
   
2. I experienced the mental clarity, boundless energy and euphoria I enjoyed during my 8-month CRON phase. Feeling that again made me want to feel that all the time.
   
3. I learned once again how easy and satisfying it is to eat healthy. For a quick lunch, I hurriedly microwaved about a cup of frozen mixed veggies (you know, the cubed carrots, cut beans, peas, and corn mix) and threw in a half can of salmon... this became my favourite lunch even on slow days.
   
4. I know how to listen to my body and heed its messages... again. I know when I'm almost full, and I can stop eating when appropriate. I'm not a slave to my appetite.
   
5. I don't crave sweets as much. I still do, but I am easily satisfied with something healthy.

The Fruit Factor

On the whole, I enjoyed this detox, and I found it easy because I already practiced many of its principles. I already avoid wheat, dairy, red meat, and alcohol.

My only problem I had with this program - and it's my biggest obstacle with many strict plans - is the banning of an entire food group - in this case, fruit. Yes, fruit was a no-no during the 21 days... except bananas. Bananas were okay.

Joshi says that doing this forces the body to draw on fatty, toxic cells, instead of on the sugars from fruit, for energy. This, I understand, but boy, was it hard! I didn't like cutting out the vital nutrients easily available in fruit, and dammit, I'm an island girl... I NEED MY FRUIT!!!
When I crave sweets, fruit is usually my healthy alternative. I can't tell you how many bananas I ate during this detox! :)

For this reason alone, I'm really glad I'm in Maintenance!

Moving on to Maintenance

Maintenance on this program is essentially an alkaline-balancing, ayurvedic way of eating, a time-tested and healthful way I've come to respect and enjoy.

The re-introduction of non-acid-forming foods, such as fruits, has been easy and a joy to the tastebuds. You can find charts of alkaline and acidic foods everywhere. There's a good one at this website or in Joshi's book, which, by the way, also includes a great guide for dining out.

As for ayurveda, I fall into the Vata dosha metabolic type... I took the test. :)
The list of vata-balancing foods should further help me feel better and get me healthier. I'm already in the process of CRON-ifying this way of eating, taking calories down to between 1300-1500 which is where I've felt the healthiest.

I hate being a "strict" practitioner of anything... you know, moderation is key, but this is a good guideline. I'll continue to listen to my body, and do what it tells me. If that means I need to make some changes outside of the guidelines, I'll do it. I'll keep you all posted.

Would I recommend this detox? I do, actually. But of course... if you do decide to try it, please see your trusted health care professional before you start.