1 Day after 14 day of Juice Cleanse

"Felt like crying when had a first bite of salad today!"

Food went through my mouth, throat, into my stomach...felt so clear and mesmerizing.
Anyone wants to know what I am talking about, this is highly recommended. Try out for 2-3 days for a start...and slowly repeat the process again about 6months later (more or less)...you can feel and see the different in your mind, body, and spirit.

I feels clarity and energized. It's about the relationship between myself, food, and people around me....not forgetting, specially the closeness to God:)

Day14/14 day of Juice Cleanse...

...thank you Lord for this "opportunity!"

Day 13/14 Day of Juice Cleanse

"Feeling no more, no less"
Really looking forward to 'eat'...but also gotthe feeling of missing the 'feeling' of this fasting...been learnt a lot!

Day 9/14 Day of Juice Cleanse

Learning to appreciate the simplest thing in life, such as prayer. Today, one of my 'blessed friend' gave me this...precious, thank you dear ^_^

Day 4/14 Day of Juice Cleanse

This is my daily 'fruit Juice' for the next 14 days..

Day 1 & 2/14

Changed the date to 13.09.09, because my juicer came late..well, today is actually my 2nd day of juice fasting....lots temptation...I just need to be focused:)

See, this is the interesting moment I treasure a lot during fasting (also happened on my last 7 day veggies & fruits fasting) is that 'the feeling of "fly", and secondly, learn how to be more quieter than usual. Perhaps because I was learning how to control my mind off foods, therefore, I rather to choose to be silent more...like that!

My courage, will, strength, faith are always be with me:)

14-days juice fasting

'I'm going to start 14-days juice fasting on this coming Saturday, 30/08/09. I'll keep you guys up to date, watch this space!'

Food Matters

'Wake Up Call to everyone!'

“We believe that your body is worthy of good care and that no one is more suitably qualified to care for it than yourself.” James Colquhoun & Laurentine ten Bosch

Knowledge part 3 - Vitamin K & Vitamin C

Vitamin K (k1 & K2) is normally produced by bacteria in the large intestine, and dietary deficiency is extremely rare unless the intestines are heavily damaged, or are unable to absorb the molecules.

Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans. Ascorbate (an ion of ascorbic acid) is well known for its antioxidant activity.

So, Vitamin C functions as an antioxidant and enhances iron absorption. I am learning lots of details which I think everyone would benefit from this as well.

Vitamin C's effect on the common cold, stroke, spongy gum. And too much of it will cause diarrhea.

The uses and recommended daily intake of vitamin C are matters of on-going debate but my opinion would be consuming sufficient of combination fresh fruits and veggies in our diets.

The amount is given in milligrams per 100 grams of fruit or vegetable.

Kakadu plum 3100
Camu Camu 2800
Rose hip 2000
Acerola 1600
Seabuckthorn 695
Jujube 500
Indian gooseberry 445
Baobab 400
Blackcurrant 200
Red pepper 190
Parsley 130
Guava 100
Kiwifruit 90
Broccoli 90
Loganberry 80
Redcurrant 80
Brussels sprouts 80
Wolfberry (Goji) 73
Lychee 70
Cloudberry 60
Elderberry 60
Persimmon 60
Papaya 60
Strawberry 60
Orange 50
Lemon 40
Melon, cantaloupe 40
Cauliflower 40
Garlic 31
Grapefruit 30
Raspberry 30
Tangerine 30
Mandarin orange 30
Passion fruit 30
Spinach 30
Cabbage raw green 30
Lime 30
Mango 28
Blackberry 21
Potato 20
Melon, honeydew 20
Cranberry 13
Tomato 10
Blueberry 10
Pineapple 10
Pawpaw 10
Grape 10
Apricot 10
Plum 10
Watermelon 10
Banana 9
Carrot 9
Avocado 8
Crabapple 8
Persimmon - fresh 7
Cherry 7
Peach 7
Apple 6
Asparagus 6
Beetroot 5
Chokecherry 5
Pear 4
Lettuce 4
Cucumber 3
Eggplant 2
Raisin 2
Fig 2

All excess Vitamin C is disposed of through the urinary system. The deficiency of Vitamin C and K will also lead to nosebleed. The human body can only store a certain amount of vitamin C,and so the body soon depletes itself if fresh supplies are not consumed.

While plants are generally a good source of vitamin C, the amount in foods of plant origin depends on: the precise variety of the plant, the soil condition, the climate in which it grew, the length of time since it was picked, the storage conditions, and the method of preparation.

Knowledge part 2- Nosebleed

I am so curious with why, how nosebleed happens? And how to prevent it from happening again.

There are many reasons as to why nosebleed accured, I will only bring some of the causes that contribute it from happening. Causes that I think may or may not be applied to most people especially my family.

1. As nose is part of our body rich in blood vessels which is situated on a vulnerable place on the face. So, trauma to the face can cause injury to the nasal and bleed, it called 'blunt trauma'.

2. Infections, as usual such as nose picking, surgery, etc.

3. Low relative humidity of inhaled air (dry season), particularly during cold winter seasons. Suggested to apply ointment or some type to help to lubricate inside the area of the nose especially middle part. Vaseline is the only type I know, or you may check others.

4. Consuming exersive alcohol.

5. Vitamin C and Vitamin K deficiency.

6. This is the part that I learned so much of what to do during nosebleed (from http://www.medicinenet.com):

A. Pinch all the soft parts of the nose together between your thumb and index finger.

B. Press firmly toward the face - compressing the pinched parts of the nose against the bones of the face.

C. Lean forward slightly with the head tilted forward. Leaning back or tilting the head back allows the blood to run back into your sinuses and throat and can cause gagging or inhaling the blood.

D. Hold the nose for at least five minutes. Repeat as necessary until the nose has stopped bleeding.

E. Sit quietly, keeping the head higher than the level of the heart. Do not lay flat or put your head between your legs.

F. Apply ice (wrapped in a towel) to nose and cheeks.

Hope this article helps, especially when you have little kids at home or even self-help.

Introduction

I begin to become very seriously passionate about the 'health' issues later last year after attended many seminars. Awesome experiences, met different people in all walks of life. Opened up my eyes to explore more about health in details. Changed my life, or I should say my family life forever.

And from there it started to shine/ spread to other around me. I can see people started to change to a better one, of course, and those people starts to influence people around them and so on. It's good to see the changes in my own life and starts to branch up to others too.

From there I love this quote: "If you have something 'valuable', do not be afraid to share it/them to others, because it/they will come back to you twice or more."

So, let's share, learn, and apply those into our precious life, now:)

Live Happily Ever After

Science now shows us that the most common indicators of aging are nutrition, perception, lifestyle, and environment.

Simply 80%-90% of the chronic illness we suffer from is the result of our own diets and lifestyle. And the solution is not in fast fixed drugs, but it's relying in our decision of what healthy foods and lifestyle we want to pursue.

Fast technology, fast speed, fast cars are all 'fortunately' actions that effect our lifestyle. Why I said 'fortunately'?. Because life does not always happen the way we wanted it to happen. But the good news is that we always have something better than the one we wanted it to happen. It's how we see throught this life. There always a purpose behind everything that happened in our life. Sit back and think about it with the big heart, somehow, someday, you'll see something what I meant by that.

Some people see it straight away, others may take longer time. Why?. Simply because they are not ready to see that 'true', and when the time is right, they can accept it more openly in their own way.

So, let's embrace this life with the open heart and soul, accepting that there is always message(s) behind everything that happened in our life, for our own good of course. We are just the small part of the universe, therefore, when we think we have so much problems in our hands, think about this 'universe' concept.

By the way, I still need to remind myself about it ^_^ every now and than, and when I did, I feel so fortunate!. Everything starts to change to look better and brighter.

Green tea as drink, cake, snaps, etc

Green tea is a name that is becoming more familiar to everyone nowadays because of its health benefits. It is a historic tea and has been used more than 4000 years in Chinese culture and medicine.
Lots other health benefits preventing from weight loss, tooth decay to anxiety depression.Green Tea Weight Loss is also becoming more popular amount those who are craving for losing few or more pounds because it increases metabolism. By having a sip in every meals, or maximal 1 to 2 cups of green tea everyday can help to make your dream come true.

It is high in polyphenols, therefore lowering cancer risks and also its little caffeine helps to stimulate the blood flow for mental clarity such as depression.

Study claims that green tea is a better beverages than black tea. If you interested to find out more how to store green tea in a proper ways, here's the link:
http://www.healthyfoodandthoughtdiets.com/weight-loss/green-tea-weight-loss

Here is the recipe for Green Tea Snap Sesame Seeds: (you can also view green tea delicious cake)

Ingredients A: Ingredients B:
220 gr margarine 2 egg yolks
165 gr soft icing 1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
1/4 tsp salt Ingredients C:
1 tsp baking powder 20 gr milk powder
165 gr cake flour
Ingredients D:
20 gr milk powder
165 gr cake flour
70 gr black sesame seeds
1 tbsp green tea powder (good quality)

How to do:
1. Mix A ingredients till fluffy and white. Add B ingredients, mix it till well-blended.

2. Devide mixture into two, one mix with C ingredients, and the rest with D ingredients till blended.

3. Shape green tea mixture in whatever you desired, in this case in rectangle long shape of 6cm x 3cm. Put it in refrigerator for 30 minutes to harden up.

4. Roll the other colour mixture with 2mm thickness as well and put the green tea shaped on top and wrap it over till it is well-covered. Smoot the edges for presentation.

5. Put all back into refrigerator for 30 minutes, so it's ready to be cut of with 0.5cm - 0.8cm thickness.

6. Bake it in 135C for 10 minutes, lower down the temperature to 100C for 15 minutes or so till brownies surface and dry. Put them aside to cool down.

7. Store them in sealed container in a dry place for not more than 3 weeks. Enjoy..

'Grilled Pink Snapper'

Here's how to cook this delicious meal for family and friends:

* 1. 2kg Pink fresh snapper or any other types of fish.
Marinated it with lemon + salt + pepper for about 15minutes to get rid of fishy smell (some people are so sensitive), then cover fish with ingredients below for 2 hours..so that fish will absorb all these herbs throughout.

Minced/blendered till form paste:
4-5 cuts of shaloot (the more the better because they will enhance the taste and aroma)
6-7 cuts of garlic
2tsp tumeric
2 tbsp coriander powder
2tsp fresh ginger
1 tsp white pepper and salt
2cm galanga
1/4 cup of coconut milk (if desired, optional)

* Banana leaves prefered to get the aroma, otherwise just foil. Put banana leaved as a base to cover the whole fish later on.
* Other ingredients spread out on base and top of the fish for a great flavors are (cut thinly):
10 pcs bay leaves (dry or fresh)
10 pcs lime leaves (dry or fresh)
2 tomatoes, cut small
10 pcs fresh basil
10cm lemongrass
3-4 stalks green onion

* Cover fish with banana leaves and steam it for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
* Last but not least: grill fish till it smells good..this is the most fun part where you pick the fruits from your labor. You just can't wait to finish it all out.

Bon Apetit..^_*

Note: All the ingredients above are just estimated, you can explore it by adding more because that can only make the flavour richer and better. You can also adjust them, depends on how big he fish is.

3 Layers Delicious Cake (rich, yet delicious cake)

(green tea, chocolate, and yolk itself flavours)

As I promised on the previous blog, here is the recipe.

Ingredients A:
48 Egg yolks
380 gr Caster sugar
140 gr All-purpose flour
40 gr Corn flour
40 gr Milk Powder
200 gr Margarine (melted)
300 gr Salty butter (melted)
4 tbsp Condensed milk

2 tbsp green tea (good quality)

Ingredients B:
13 Egg yolks
120 gr Caster Sugar
20 gr All-purpose flour
30 gr Cocoa powder
10 gr Milk powder
1/4 tsp Baking powder
45 gr Margarine (melted)
170 gr Salty butter (melted)
1 tbsp Condensed milk
1/2 tsp Cocoa pasta
100 gr Strawberry jam (for layer spread)

How to:
1. A, fit the whisk. Place margarine and butter and whisk until soft and pale. Add condensed milk and whisk again till blended, put aside.

2. Whisk yolks and caster sugar until puff.

3. Sieve the flour, corn flour, and milk powder together and lightly fold with spatula until all blended.

4. Added margarine little by little and fold it gently. Divide into 2, half of the mixture mix it with green tea until well blended, while the balance leave it as it is.

5. Pour into the prepared two grease tins size around 22x22x24cm and bake it 190 Celsius for 20 minutes until brown surface.

7. B, fit the whisk. Place margarine and butter and whisk until soft and pale. Add condensed milk, cocoa pasta and whisk again till blended, put aside.

8. Whisk yolks and caster sugar until puff.

9. Sieve the flour, milk powder, cocoa powder, and baking powder together and lightly fold with spatula until all blended.

10. Pour into margarine mixture little by little while folding it gently.

11. Pour mixture into the prepared grease tin size around 22x22x24cm and bake it 190 Celsius for 20 minutes until brown surface.

12. Take the yellow cake and spread the strawberry jam on top and put another layer of chocolate cake and spread it again with strawberry jam. Repeat the process again with a yellow cake on top of it.

Last but not least, pack the cake nicely and gently so that it containts no air bubbles in between.

Bon appetit...

Also share some comments, if you managed to bake it and tell us what you think about it:)

Who wants to live forever?

Heard the news of the death of my friend's wife, devastating!!. As I was in the playground with my kids, could not take my mind of it, speechless...Can you imagine as you're just newly married couple, happily with a great news of having a pregnant wife. And after around 6 months, the precious baby survived but not the loving mother?:-(

What's the message behind this?. I always like to think that everything happen for a purpose which obviously would bring more benefit to our life a the end.

What can you say?. 'Death' is always brings me to earth again, make me more grounded. With all the fame, status, news, life expectancy, and so on, at the end of the day, those means not so much anymore as to compare those people in this entire world who do not even have a basic descent shelter to live in. We sometimes forgot what's so good already in front of us, but focusing on the outsider who will not even promise you anything in the long term. Well, we learn from out mistakes. Who wants to live forever?. Who lives forever anyway, however, make the best out of in this life now!.

Rest in peace my friend...

Let's move our focus to food as to celebrate our life, love, and health. Today, I was browsing my daughter's birthday files and saw her cake..I smiled again and appreciated it more in the different way. Allow me to share it with you in the next blog.

Knowledge part 1 - B12

Being semi-vegetarian for the first time, I want to make sure feeding my body with the right stuffs in the right quantity. Today, I was doing article about B12, it's interesting to know that B12 plays a very important part in our body functions especially brain and nervous systems. B12 cannot made by plants or animals as only bacteria have the enzymes required for its synthesis. As b12 mostly found in animal products, such as fish (salmon and trout), yoghurt, and eggs. A strict vegetarian may be good to consult with their highly respected people who know more about it.

White spots in the skin, light-headed and migraine headaches, an eye twitch, this is usually in one eye only, it also can occur on the eyelid and surrounding, and some mood swing or/and personality changes can also occur because of b12 deficiency.

Find out more about b12 and and b12 deficiency.

Hopefully this information will help you ^_^

Description of 'Vegetarianism'

Vegetarianism I supposed is the practice of diet that excludes meats (including fish, shellfish, and poultry). There are several kinds of this practice, some of which also exclude eggs, dairy products and even honey. They are called Vegan, Lacto-vegetarianism, Ovo-vegetarianism, Lacto-ovo vegetarianism and last but not least called Semi-vegetarianism.

The Vegan diet excludes all animal products from the diet as mentioned above. This is more so called 'plant-based diets'.

Lacto-vegetarianism includes dairy products but not eggs.

Ovo- vegetarianism includes eggs but not dairy products.

Lacto-ovo vegetarianism includes both eggs and dairy products.

Semi-vegetarianism: is a diet that consist largely with vegetarian foods, excludes certain meats, particularly red meat but may include fish, shellfish, and sometimes poultry, as well as dairy products and eggs. If any of you are interested of reducing the amount of animal flesh consumed or thinking to become vegetarian for the first time, you can try this for a start, gradually cut off the animal flesh at all and follow any other practices mentioned above.

Semi-vegetarianism, it breaks into 3 categories, they are:

Pescetarianism: is a diet that excludes all meat except fish, shellfish, and crustacea (large group of aquatic species, living in either marine or fresh water environments, includes crab, crayfish, shrimp, and lobster). In my case, I fall into this category but strickly no poultry. Perhaps oneday, I will become the true vegan, who knows.

Pollotarianism: is a diet that excludes all meat except poultry and fowl, and

Flexitarianism: is a diet that consists primarily of vegetarian food, but that allows occasional exceptions.

Most of vegetarianism may be related to religion, ethics, environment, taste , or even the biggest factor is being healthy as an individual. Well, at least that's what drove me to become vegetarian, or "Pescetarianism". And slowly from here, I am starting to appreciate the raw taste of the food itself.

Do we need to be vegetarian?

Why people even consider to be vegetarian or semi-vegetarian? It's a choice I guess and the answer is to me that they see something others don't...for better or worse, depends how you look at it.

As for me, giving up red meats was not in my gender at all. I loved them so much, but my mum kept saying to me that we've been eating dead body or meat I should say ,although she's far from being vegetarian. I did not know what it meant at that time but for some reasons it always hang in in my mind to find out more about it.

As a result I heard pastor defined the meaning of red meat and fish/seafood. Red meat temperature is hotter than our body, so when it enters our body, it becomes cooler and therefore it's difficult to be digested. Or else seafoods are the other way around, that's why some people still eating seafoods but not red meats as part of their vegetarian diets, including me. When I became vegetarian, I just feel the energy that flow to my body is triple or more than usual. My body and mind tell me that I am ready to do anything as supposed I used to feel tired so easily. Based on that, then I thought this diet must have done something good to my body and soul. People search high and low just to increase their energy, where to me just by starting to change my diets simply change the whole perspective of how important what goes in to my body. This is not the only health quick fix, regular exercise and psychology have to be improved as well.

To me becoming vegetarian brought me 3 things: first, proved me that if someone wants something, she/he can do it with courage, forget about the world, what people might say or think, who care? After all, this is my LIFE!

Secondly, from there, I suddenly found my inner power, therefore, I did my further 7 days detox with only juices from veggies and fruits, then '14-Day Juice Cleanse' for 2nd round now. I lost my fare bit of weight which is great also the most important thing is I found clarity of life. Clarity to be able to find strength when I am weak and power to be distributed to various areas in my life in positive ways. Bring the whole family into different perspective of how we see life through foods.

Third, because of being vegetarian for the first time, I had issues of lacking the variety of foods choices, from that moment is actually my turning point of becoming more creative of foods exploration. See more things I did not appreciate before. I found my passion, I can forget anything while I am creating, it's like meditating, even house works are piling up waiving for my attention. Many new recipes after another, find out more about the power of foods in general!

My friends are always ask me that 'why' question, well, after reading much above, my personal opinion is "Try it or else you don't believe how much you know!".

Please drop some of your experiences or opinions to be shared with others.