Yummy Aloe Vera Smoothie

This may look a bit pale, but it's bursting with flavors........
yummmyyyyyyy....... I could drink this everyday....



So I have a cantaloupe that's a bit too ripe... I know... I forgot about it
but it was soooooo very sweetttt.....

Okay....
I use :
- a very sweet Cantaloupe - around 1 cup ? I never measure anything ;p
- 2 passionfruit
- freshly squeezed lemon juice from half a lemon
- a big aloe vera

mix the cantaloupe, 2 passiofruits and half a lemon juice in a blender
add the aloe vera later

done !!!
easy....
It's sweet and sour with a crunch... perfect
those oreo like black dots are actually passion fruit seeds.... *crunch crunch*
If you prefer a smooth smoothie, you may want to strain the passionfruit seeds first.

How do you eat your pomegranate ?

I eat them my way ;p
the messy way that is :D

look at those ruby-like capsules bursting with sweet and sour goodness
not to mention, super healthy :)

but first....
I don't buy pomegranates often, because....
1. they're not always available
2. they're quite expensive !!!
1 pomegranate (0.4 kg) cost the same as 1 kg of apples
Sometimes I get the cheaper pomegranates imported from China orIndia, but they're not bright red like this one, they're pale pink-white, more transparent clear actually. But they taste just as nice.

So... there are a lot of ways on how to cut a pomegranates,
cutting it sideways and batting it with a wooden spoon
cutting it into wedges and soaking them in water
etc etc

but I just got them up in half, save the other half in a container, stash in the fridge for later.


After that I just pick them one by one and I use my front teeth and my index finger to manouver each one and kinda try to remove the white hard seed and eat the rest ;p

huu yeahh.... it's a wonderful mess.

and yes... patience is needed, but I enjoy every tiny explosive burst of super flavors.
I don't eat the seeds, I wonder why some people can eat the seeds ;p

and I love looking at pomegranates seed sprinkled all over the salad, but I just don't know how to eat them... I mean do you eat the salad and spit out the hard seed every now and them ?
or do you force yourself to chew and swallow the hard seed ?
wait a second,
the red capsule-like thingy inside the pomegranate fruit is called the pomegranate seeds.
and the hard white seeds inside the red capsule-like thingy is also called seeds ?

anyhuuuuuuu............

yum yum.......


Isn't it amazing that those tiny red dots supply all the nutritious juice and color to each ruby capsule ? :)

Water Kefir Grain

After reading about the benefits of Kefir from other blogs, I decided to try them for myself.
I chose Water Kefir / Sugary Kefir instead of Milk Kefir because I'm not drinking milk at the moment.

I ordered from the Kefir Lady because it was the cheapest that I could find.
For US$10, I get 8 grams (less than a tablespoon) of dehydrated Water Kefir Grain sent by mail, along with 3 sheets of paper containing :
- 1 page instruction to re-activate the sugary/water kefir grains
- 1 page of oil-pulling method taken from http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/oil_pulling.html
- 1 page of product list and price list



Long story short, the grains didn't grow and they kept on disintegrating and I had less and less grain and it smelled bad/off so I threw them out after batch # 19.
So they're not really "guaranteed to grow"
I thought they can live on just sugar and water, but they need quite a lot of supplements.
not all at once, but here are some of the stuff : sodium bicarbonate, coral calcium or eggshells, unsulphured raisins, unsulphured dried cherries, rapadura, etc etc
of course there are those who say that they only feed their water kefir grains sugar and water and they grow just fine, but then again, I don't know.

I made around 19 batch of 2 days duration each.
I tried
sugar + water (bottled spring water)
sugar + water + sodium bicarb + raisins + ginger slice + eggshell
sugar + water + sodium bicarb + raisins
and other combinations using the above ingredients.

Sometimes the water kefir grains would plump up a bit and I thought they'd grow but the next day it stays the same or sometime they'd shrink.
I kept the temperature below 85F/30C and it never gets cold here
Marilyn said "They didn't like your water for some reason or their environment or your sugar. There could be many reasons. They don't always prosper in every home even though everyone may use the same recipe. Water has a different energy wherever you go."
yup... I kinda figured out if it wasn't the water, it was the sugar, or it was the environment, it could be any of those things, I know that.

I didn't drink the first few batches because I didn't know whether or not I should drink the first ones.
Marilyn said "try it". I didn't dare because Kefir is new to me and at that point I didn't dare drinking a foreign liquid ;p
I drank the water kefir once only, I think at batch # 5, it was good, it tasted like a mild soda.
but it just wouldn't grow and as I made another batch and another batch, they started to smell bad, it's not the fermented smell, it just smelled off, like it's gone bad, so I didn't dare drink it.
Marilyn (Kefir Lady) said that it was probably contaminated.
But I just didn't know where I went wrong, I mean, I washed the jar thoroughly every 2 days, I didn't stick my finger to taste the kefir, although I was tempted ;p

Here's a photo of the grains, probably on batch #15
You see how the grains are tiny.


There're less and less grains below.


I felt like I've wasted 10 bucks and time and effort to get the Kefir to grow.
I read in a forum that the same grain might act differently in different houses, meaning in house A they'd grow really well and in house B they just wouldn't grow.
some also suspect the grains might become damaged when sent via post/mail because they got radiated in the process.

I don't know where I went wrong, maybe I did something I'm not supposed to by accident that I'm not aware of, maybe the Kefir grains just didn't like the water/sugar/environment. I'm just lost.
I'll probably try again next time and I might buy them from Dom
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html
His grains are more expensive, US$35 and I don't know how many grams of dehydrated water kefir grain is included in that price.
But his website is the most complete and thorough ones I could find.
Even Marilyn (Kefir Lady) referred to Dom's website for more kefir instructions.

So... If you'd like to know more about Kefir,
go and read it at Dom's website (milk kefir and water kefir)
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html
another one on water kefir
http://www.weim.net/homeovet/Docs/water%20kefir.pdf

or read the forums here :
Kefir Lady's forum
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Good_Kefir_Grains/

Dom's Kefir forum
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Real_Kefir_Making/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Kefir_making/

actually, I first found out about Kefir from reading this 2 blogs and the blog owners also sells Kefir grains, check them out :)
http://rawmodelcom.blogspot.com/
http://happyhealthybalance.blogspot.com/
http://happyhealthybalance.blogspot.com/2009/07/get-your-kefir-on-water-kefir-grains.html

As for me,
I can't say anything about the benefits of Kefir because well... they die on me ;p
so I can't recommend it to anyone.
but anyhow.... a lot of people are saying that Kefir is good, so.....I'm just posting my brief experience with Kefir and I'm not promoting their products, I'm just linking to resources that might be useful for you.

Another Aloe Vera juice

So I made another Aloe Vera juice
yupp... that's one big aloe vera
peel and rinse to clear the yellow sap.



Blend everything first,
then lastly, add the freshly cut aloe vera chunks.
I read somewhere.... I forgot where.....that it's best not to blend aloe vera for too long in the machine, so that the polysaccharides chain doesn't get broken down too much
or something like that :)
will try to find that page.

I've always known that Aloe is good for you, but only as a hair growth "serum"
when I was a kid, I sometimes peel and use the aloe vera meat to rub on my scalp because they say it's good to promote hairgrowth.
But I never actually eaten or drunk the Aloe Vera raw.
It actually turn out pretty good.... sometimes not very tasty if I put too much of the healthy green :) but drinkable and it's sooooo good for you, lots of live enzymes :)


So here's the result, the color's not very good due to the red+brown from the watermelon+seed mixed with the greens from parsley, but it's mildly sweet.

Below is a really nice baby pink color which I just love to stare at :)
the top is frothy, blending aloe makes frothy smoothie
It's aloe + banana + strawberries
Nice :)


I just made another one of just aloe vera and melon
and it was this cool light green color.
yummyyy :)

Intermezzo

Phew....
I've done posting all my journey / documentation during the Anti Candida Diet.
I don't care if people are going to read it or not.
I post them here for myself and if it can be useful for others than that's great :)

Do you ever feel that ?
You want to post something but you just haven't gotten around to it and it felt like homework and after you're done with it and posted it, you feel relieved.
maybe that's just me ;p


Another thing is I want to add at least one picture on every post.
Why ?
It makes people read the post.
I know it makes me read someone else's post and if the post have no picture on it, I tend to not read it ;p
But it turns out I have other stuff to do so I tend to not have the time to add pics on the post, well I could actually add a pic instead of writing this post, but hey.....

I also don't have the patience nor the skill to shoot a perfect picture of my food.
I go over to other people's blogs and their photos are super perfect, they make me wanna eat my screen.
My photos and my food are simple, messy at times, but it's what they are
it's who I am, a little bit messy but also a clean freak at the same time.
So it's okay....:D

Also....
Do your eyes get tired writing posts that are too long ?
Reading too many blogs ?
Editing photos
Setting up your blog layouts ?
Mine gets tired, so I always try to take breaks in between but most of the times when I'm in the middle of writing something, I don't take breaks and it's really bad for my eyes because they get too tired.
So people.... Take a break, Rest your eyes
Do a little gentle eye exercise.... Tap around your eyes to increase blood flow
Take care of your eyes :)

I'm taking a break now :)
well maybe in 5 mins

What if I go out of control ??

(since I'm no longer 100% Vegan)

There are Times when
I want to be like before
like my family and my friends
to be able to eat everything and not care & stay healthy

BUT
Now when I read more, I learn more, I know more, I also get more food restrictions = headache ;p
or how to cook this, how to prepare this, how to combine foods, etc etc etc
I used to eat everything, no worries, but I'm always about 2-3 kg overweight from my current weight.
when I was in Australia & Milan, I got fat and also I got acne because of all the dairy, cheese, sweets, that I ate,
but happy and also not happy because I'd feel stuffed and being a bit fat & have acne due to my comfort food choices is also not flattering ;p
But it was so easy getting food, I could just go anywhere and find food,
so should I go back to not care about nutrition and eat whatever I want again ?
Especially now that I'm no longer 100% Vegan.

WHAT IF I GO OUT OF CONTROL AND PIG OUT INSTEAD ?
But I can't, even if I want to
and that's not a bad thing.
Now, My body would definitely tell me if I ate too much junk
It's like a natural indicator
too much fried food = throat starts to feel bad
too much fatty food = tummy feels uncomfortable
etc
we all have that natural indicator, but most of use seem to ignore it.
Our rational mind says NO to comfort food, but we tend to surrender to our cravings for comfort food and not think ahead / in the long run.
I suppose people who are more conscious about their health and who are eating healthier are more aware of these things.
Raw foodist for example, they may be way more sensitive about these things than I am.
I'm just a beginner and I'm still learning lots and lots of stuff by the minute.

BESIDES
Whenever I want to eat easy-to-reach comfort food like most people
I go over to other people's websites
Raw foodist, Vegans, I'd just go over to their blogs and I'm just glad I didn't eat junk
All those healthy yummy creative food at their blogs
makes me crave healthy fresh fruits and vegetables instead of junk.
These people are really good in cooking, they come up with all sorts of creative food combinations and they're also great photographers :)
my only problem is I don't like spending time in the kitchen ;p but I love to eat

and What about when I want to eat meat ?
when I want to eat desserts ???
Should I refrain from them forever ?
Should I be Vegan forever ?

I know I'll always change, people change
and I was a strict Vegan for almost 8 months before, but I'm not at a point where I'm allowing a small amount of good quality "comfort food"
They make me happy, they make me enjoy my meal, they make me to be able to share food with families and friends again
but of course,
First, I find a healthier alternative if I can
Second, If there's no healthier alternative, I'll make a choice, to eat it or to not eat it.
If I allow myself to eat it, I'll eat it responsibly, in smaller portion and guilt free.
There's no point in allowing yourself to eat something and not enjoy it and feel guilty the whole time, you might as well not eat it at all.
what can I eat ?
it varies.......
I know I won't be drinking milk or eating dairy ice cream anytime soon because just thinking about it makes me tummy uneasy now.
I used to love Haagen Dasz Green Tea ice cream and the Banoffe I tried in Barcelona was to die for.
I just don't want it anymore at this point.

Since I've started going to the gym, I've started eating more now.
Sometimes way too much ;p
So I'm going to have to stop pigging out on food and be in control again.
By being in control I don't mean restricting food portion drastically just to keep my weight.
No.... for the past 8 Vegan months I can eat healthily as much as I want without gaining weight.
I think I can maintain that healthy lifestyle for the future.
Although I won't be 100% Vegan now, I know I'll definitely stay on the healthy Vegan side and adding more raw fresh Vegetables to my food
and fruits, nuts, sprouts, etc etc

By listening to my body
I know I'll definitely choose not to eat junk naturally
Being responsible means I'll be "awake" and realize what I'm doing / eating.
Eating Healthily is also as important as Eating happily :)

Anti Candida Diet Result part 2

LAB TEST
9 Nov 2009
After the end of the Anti Candida Diet
I did a stool test at a local Lab
I "send" in the "thing" in the morning and the result was there in the afternoon.
It wasn't a thorough lab test as the result was only positive or negative
So the result of the microscopic candida stool test was negative for parasites, fungi/yeast, amoeba.
It was positive for bacteria, but my mom said the stool test result is always positive for bacteria.
It cost around US$10

If I wanted a more accurate test, they could do a stool culture test which could take up to a week
and they'll be able to identify, if any, the names of candida types present. (cost around US$40)

I called numerous labs and they don't seem to know much about other tests for candidiasis.

And.....
My LAB TEST turn out negative for candidiasis,
so why did I even bother to do it in the first place ?
Well.... the thing is, we all have candida inside of us naturally
and eating a unhealthy diet can lead us to candida overgrowth which may cause problems that seems to be unimportant enough to be concerned about
and since candidiasis may be linked to a lot of auto immune disorder (I have Vitiligo)
So.... I did the Anti Candida Diet anyway.... just because I wanted to.
hey.... who knows right ? besides the stool test is not 100% accurate anyway.
and I'm glad I did the Anti Candida Diet, because it made me come to a NEW REALIZATION.
Read on at the bottom to find out more

SPIT TEST
I think my spit test will always result in stringy and speck-y clouds in the water.

WHITE TONGUE
I was just paranoid, my white tongue is just a normal tongue, probably with some toxins build up causing the whitish surface and the back part of the tongue.
You know how they tell you to scrape your tongue to clean it, I'll probably try that.

SUGAR INTAKE
I'll definitely control my sugar intake
I'll try to avoid all kinds of refined sugar
Palm sugar at a minimum
I also won't over indulge on Natural sugar (from fruits, coconut)
When I eat fruits, I won't eat everything in one go, I'll divide the portion so I can eat it in small portions throughout the day.

Besides,
Sugar is bad for your eyes,
Sugar is bad for candida
and Sugar can cause Diabetes
and Sugar is also called the White Death
and Our body don't need sugar anyway, so .... stay away from Sugar

GARLIC & Ginger
I'll eat puree/mashed Garlic, raw from time to time
I'll swallow a tiny portion of it with a little water and maybe with some food to help "push" the garlic down into my stomach. well....it's just a theory of mine ;p
and drinking Ginger Tea (without Tea) is good

RESPONSIBLE
I'll try to be responsible and not overeat on anything

VITILIGO
I didn't see any improvements on my Vitiligo
but Vitiligo is a slow process and I didn't expect any drastic change in 2 weeks time, but I know every little things I do to become healthier and happier counts for something.

The good thing that came out of this Anti Candida Diet is
THE REALIZATION
Realization that it's about everything, it's not all about food
LEARN TO LISTEN TO UR BODY, EXERCISE, REST WELL, REST/SLEEP ENOUGH,
HAPPY, SINCERE, DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF, etc
IT'S ABOUT EVERYTHING
and that's why I'm now writing about THE HEALTHY LIFE DIET.
To spread awareness what we can be healthy and happy and enjoy our meal at the same time
that it's not all about the food and losing weight.
It's about a healthy balanced diet without any judgement, strict or drastic changes.
It can be done gradually and of course, responsibly :)
You have to want to make a healthy change :)
It's just easy
Read more at www.TheHealthyLifeDiet.com



=========================


IMPORTANT FOR ANTI CANDIDA DIET

TO DO THE ANTI CANDIDA DIET, MAKE SURE U HAVE ENOUGH NUTRITION FROM FOOD !!!
You can also supplement while doing the Anti Candida Diet
I supplemented with :
Acidophilus capsule
Kelp capsule
Multivitamins
Garlic capsules or Raw Garlic puree/mashed
etc
other stuff : Ginger Tea, raw parsley, Aloe vera, etc

DON'T USE THIS CANDIDA DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT, EAT WHENEVER U'RE HUNGRY !!!!

If you don't have a major candida problem,
don't force yourself, esp on the first days !!!
if you can't handle the food, the hunger, the "die-off" reaction, etc
do the diet slowly and gradually, baby steps !!!
If you can go "drastic" you might experience the detox effect + die-off effect
and that could be a major discomfort.... major

I myself have been a vegan for 7 months
I've done :
- vegan+fruits (no carbs, grains, sugar, fried food)
- vegan + fruits+ carbs + grains + sugar + fried food
- vegan (no fruits + no carbs, grains, sugar, fried food)
- now I'm back again to
vegan + fruits+ carbs + grains + sugar + fried food
but limiting the fruits, carbs, grains, sugar and fried food
I'm eating responsibly and feel happier now.

All this time, I've eaten almost no canned food at all, no fake meat
no exercise during my 7 Vegan months -NEED TO
Update. I just started the gym last 2 weeks ago and I just love joining the Body Combat classes.
So I eat more now coz I work out more.

I've gradually lost roughly 2 kg - 2.5 kg during the 2 week period that I did the Anti Candida Diet.
But I've now gain back the weight I lost and I'm now back to my normal weight.


REMINDER
During the Anti Candida Diet, Eat whenever you're hungry, don't wait or postpone eating

DON'T DO THIS IF U LIVE ALONE
Always have people around just in case, tell them that you're doing the Anti Candida Diet.
I stay at home with people around me all the time.

Always Have Food ready in your fridge
so when you get really really hungry, you can eat right away

Remember to eat a large variety of Vegetables.
I'm amazed of what I've been eating, they're just so healthy and green
although they looked green and fresh but sometimes it's a struggle to eat them
but they're so healthy :)
that's why towards the end I added fish, tofu, etc
It really helped me to eat the food with ease and it made me enjoyed the food :) and it's important to feel Happy when you eat.
Read more at www.TheHealthyLifeDiet.com