Happy Memories [3] : Family, Friends and Disney

Happy memories is going to be a post feature every Saturday that will be about happenings or just random stuff that made me smile or happy for the past week.
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It's the last day of 2011 so this will be my last Happy memories post for  this year, but there would be more in 2012. I am claiming that I will have more and happier memories to share with you guys the next year.

Good times with my family never fails to make me smile. I had a healthy dose of laughs with them this past week and being with them means good food too, so extra happiness for me.

I met with my highschool friends this week. Although there were only five of us when we met last Tuesday (we are 15 in the group), it was good to see all of us changing for the better. We are even  able to talk about "mature" things now.

Can you guess who the characters are in the picture? Yes, you guessed that, right. Disney loves!  I watched Disney on Ice for FREE, c/o my boyfriend's sister. Although, I was made to sit alone (because of the ticket numbers), I still am very thankful for the experience. yay. Forgive the awful quality of the photo, I took it with my phone camera. I'll share more pictures when they post the ones from the DSLR.

I also met with my college buddies last Thursday. I was an awesome night as we reminisce how we all looked before and now.

With the thought of having great friends and family, I am glad to say goodbye to 2011 now. Happy New Year everyone!

End of year realizations...

2011 just passed by like a breeze. In exactly twenty-four hours, we will all be welcoming 2012, hoping that it will be a more wonderful and prosperous year.

Photo from We Heart It

The first quarter of this year was such a hard time for me. I was confused about work and life in general. I thought I was being left behind by everyone. I felt depressed and pressured. I thought of quitting my job and going some place else. I had to fix my messed-up life things and on the second quarter, I thought and planned how I should go on with my life. Everything fell into place on the third quarter. I went back to school, I made this blog and now, I have been working on my life plans. Everything is still a work in progress, but I am glad I know where to go, what to do and not to think about. The fourth quarter was basically dedicated to work and school and those efforts will also help me achieve my end goals.

It is always nice to bring the year to a close by reminiscing the lessons we have learned. The two things I value the most this year are PATIENCE and FOCUS.

I tend to be impatient when I really, really wish for something. When I want it, then I want it now. Please do not judge me, I am not a spoiled brat. I work (super extra) hard for things that I want but sometimes, things don't work and we just have to wait for the right time. I know now that things cannot happen as quickly as we want it.

As for focus, my boyfriend recently made me realize that I change my mind too quickly. I mentioned before that I want to try/do a lot of things. Sometimes, something "more" interesting happens while I am currently involved with another. I have the tendency to drop what I am doing so that I can try the new one. (Yes, I have attention span issues.) The boyfriend says that is never good for someone who wants to be productive. That when I continue to be like this, then I won't be able to accomplish anything.  So now, I'm trying hard to finish things one at a time. Less stress, more productivity!

For 2012, I know that I will be learning more. Hopefully, what I got from this year's experiences will make me a better person next year and in the coming years of my life. How about you, what are your lessons for 2011?

My first giveaway's winner!

Hello everyone! I've checked all the entries and made the draw via Random.org today. And the loot bag goes to....MICHELLE LALIC! Please reply to the email I have sent so I can send the prize tomorrow. Congratulations!

Thank you everyone for your kind comments and suggestions about the blog. I will surely be working on your suggestions real soon. Thanks for joining and Have a blessed and peaceful New Year!

Happy Memories [2] : Christmas

Happy memories is going to be a post feature every Saturday that will be about happenings or just random stuff that made me smile or happy for the past week.
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Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope everything is going great at your end! Please forgive me for posting this late. I had to do some errands yesterday then I had to help out preparing our Noche Buena. Despite being tired, I had a blast!

Let's start with Monday. Because the students and teachers started their vacation three days earlier than us, we were able to enjoy working in the peaceful and quiet library. Yes, ladies and gents, it is never peaceful and quiet in the library when we have students, parents and teachers coming in. No pressure, no hassle. Perfect environment for a workplace.

Tuesday and Wednesday came by so quickly. We also had a luau for a Christmas party last Wednesday and it was fun! I even won a rice cooker in the raffle draw. I was ecstatic as it was my first time to win in a raffle.

Vacation started last Thursday. I was just glad to finish some errands before I left the bustling city. And on Friday, I was more than happy to finally go home and play with the doggies.

We shared laughters and stories last night. I was with my two sisters, two aunts,  my baby cousin and my boyfriend and his sister. It was our first time to celebrate it together and it all turned out nice. I even received some great gifts -- a yoga mat and a watch to name a few. :)

I know most of you are also having great times with family and friends. Please share the happy memories around by joining the meme. Happy Holidays everyone!

Happy Memories [1] : Christmas shopping et. al.

Happy memories is going to be a post feature every Saturday that will be about happenings or just random stuff that made me smile or happy for the past week.
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Hello dearies! First of all, I am extremely happy that I am finally making my first post for this meme. I was supposed to create the first one last week but I was too sad, because of the laptop incident. But yea, I am okay now.

I am actually pretty happy about this week, there was just one thing that made me super irked but generally, everything was fine. 

As it was the last week for the students, some dropped by the library and gave me presents. It rained pastries, sweets and chocolates in the library. Good for the sweet tooth, bad for the health. It was such a sweet gesture that even my heart was smiling.

It was also the last week for my MA classes. That means more yoga/pilates nights for me, but there are still some work to do so I am not completely free for the holidays. I was still in UP yesterday though as it was the lantern parade. I watched it with my BF and BFF. Lantern parades this past few years weren't the same as it  were when I was still an undergraduate. The lanterns from the College of Fine Arts, though, were still wonderful as ever. It was also my first time to see some sky lanterns.  It was just too bad that I don't have a good camera to capture all the amazing stuff I saw last night. Below are some photos I lifted from UP System's Facebook account.

 

The day was ended with a bang. Fireworks were great as usual, it was just unfortunate that some people were hurt because of an accident.

One last thing is that I am almost done with my Christmas shopping. Yes, I am one of those late shoppers. I am very disorganized this year, but I will definitely do better next year. I just started yesterday but I found  some great stuff that I'll try to share on my next post.

How about you guys, what have made you smile this past week?

To gift or not to gift, that is the question.

Hello dear readers! First, I want to thank everyone who already joined my first-ever blog giveaway! All your comments about the blog are very much appreciated. For those who want to join, click here.

Anyway, It's the season of gift-giving again! I have been debating with myself lately (Yes, I do that.) about giving gifts. We all have heard of "It's the thought that counts" right? But if you were the giver and not the receiver, do you really give gifts because you thought of that person or just because of kahiyaan? We all know that hiya (shame) plays a big part in our Filipino culture.

Photo from Weheartit

Personally, I would rather not give a gift if I am out of budget or if  I don't feel like it. I do not like giving gifts because I am supposed to. I would like to give because I want to. I would rather give a heartfelt letter or card than give someone something that I know s/he will not appreciate or will not make use of.

One more thing, are you guys in favor of recycling gifts?  I wonder what you guys think.Share your thoughts!

Space, Enter : My first giveaway!

Christmas is just around the corner and in lieu of the spirit of giving, I decided to have a small giveaway.  It would also be my way of saying thanks for coming here and reading what I write.

Lately, I have been trying some organic products and mineral cosmetics. Two of the brands I love are Human Nature and Ellana cosmetics.  So for this giveaway, the winner will receive:

From L-R: 50ml Human Nature All Natural Spray sanitizer, Human Nature Natural Strengthening
Shampoo, Human Nature Moisturizing Conditioner with Ellana Oatmeal Soap, Ellana Mineral-Tinted
Lipgloss in Taffy, Human Nature Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Orchid &  Human Nature Lip Balm in Peppermint

I really wanted to give a pot of mineral foundation from Ellana coz that's their "specialty" but I can't just pick any shade as it is based on skintone and under tone. That would be a little taxing so maybe I'll just do that next time.

Anyway, let's not make this post longer, here's how you can join...

A. Follow this blog thru Google Friend Connect. (MANDATORY. 1 pt.)

B. You have to follow @beforeiturn25 on Twitter. Tweet "Bee is hosting her first giveaway! Head on to: http://beforeiturn25.blogspot.com/2011/12/space-enter-my-first-giveaway.html @beforeiturn25." (2 pts.)

C. You have to answer the questions : What entry in this blog did you like most and why? & What improvement would you like to see here in the next year? (2 pts.)

and lastly,

D. Post about my mini giveaway in your blog. (+5 points)

After finishing this steps, leave a comment with the following details:

1. your full name

2. email address

3. Answers to letter B

3. GFC & Twitter usernames and the

4. blog post link.

This will run from now to December 25, 12 noon. A winner will be chosen via Random.org. Please make sure to leave an email address when you comment, because that is how I will notify the winner.

Join now and may the odds be ever in your favor!

This is open to Philippine residents only.

The death of my 4-year old friend

I can't believe I am writing a sad note instead of my first Happy Memories post. I am currently typing all these in my iPod touch and I find it hard and uncomfortable. So here's what happened...

I woke up early and went straight to my laptop to create the first post for my meme. I turned it on and was surprised that I didn't hear a beep (you know,the BIOS thingy). I restarted it twice but nothing happened. I just received the blue light signaling it was on, but the screen is black and blank.

We went to three different repair centers and they said the problem is the motherboard, which will cost me like 3500 bucks. I think that's a lot of money because my laptop is actually kind of ancient. It's the kind that doesn't have a built-in cam, with an old processor and low memory. But it works for me and I LOVED it.

I bought it four years ago, during my last year in the University. It helped me with my thesis. I used it for sending my applications for my first job. It was my only "appliance" when I first left home and decided I want to be independent. So you see, I have this extreme attachment to it. You might think that I am just being melodramatic, but I feel like I've lost a friend today.

Some changes + a new meme!

I have been MIA in the past few days, I know. It's just that I can't seem to keep up with everything that's been happening. But I'm back and I've got some new changes for the blog...

First off, I've just added  "Things I'm looking forward to" on the sidebar. I'm just that kind of girl, you know. Getting excited and giddy for things to come. It's my way of sharing great stuff that I am hooked to. It will also serve as a reminder for me, coz you know, I get senior moments all the time.

Next up  is the Space, Enter! feature. This will be a post asking readers to join a giveaway I am joining or I am hosting (hint, hint!).

The last thing is what I'm really excited about. I am starting a little happiness project for myself so I thought of hosting a meme that is somehow connected to it. It's called the Happy Memories.

It will be posted every Saturday and will be about a recent happening or random stuff that made me smile or happy for the past week. I'm hoping that you guys will be interested to join me so I've included the code for the badge below.

<a href="http://beforeiturn25.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff471/beforeiturn25/HM-2-1.jpg"></a>

What do you guys think? Grab the badge and let's spread the happy memories around!

For all Harry Potter lovers like me...

The song had been playing on my mind. Enjoy the video! :)

(I never thought you'd be in my life)

Who would have known that I could like a boy like you
Tall dark and Slytherin, what's a girl to do?
You used your Nimbus to sweep me off my feet.
But now without you by my side I feel incompleete.

Slytherin and Gryffindor, parted by the sorting hat
From rival houses boy but we don't have to be like that
Cause you've confundesed me, and now I'm feeling well
Like this is magical, I'm under your spell.

I never thought you'd be in my life
Two different worlds that we let collide
and it will never be the way it was before
Cause baby I'm a Slytherin and girl you are a Gryffindor

Yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah
Cause baby I'm a Slytherin and girl you are a Gryffindor

Walking down a corridor with tricks right up my sleeve
bump into this girl that's on my floor, she just wants to see
what would it be like to hold hands with someone dark
who would have you don't need a wand to start a spark

I'll slyther up to you, you can be my lion cub
Let's share a butter beer down at Rosemerta's pub
I'll chase right after you, you are my golden snitch
I'll be your Wizard love, you are are my only witch

Who wants to have more blog followers?

I do and I know you do, too. Read on and you might never have to beg for links anymore. :)

Calling all bloggers who want to gain friends in the blogosphere and build links at the same time – BC Bloggers 3 is now open. To join just visit Mommy Diary, read the requirements, and fill out the Application Form.

Inhale 2-3-4, exhale 2-3-4

I have been inhale-exhale-ing for the past few days for my pilates exercises. But this afternoon, I had to make a different kind of inhale-exhale-ing.

If you would be asked what are the top five things people do that irk you, what would you say? Mine would be:

1. Blaming me for something I didn't do
2. Bad customer service
3. Lying straight in my face
4. Doing a "bad" thing all over again
5. Things not going out as planned

Number one and three happened to me today. The person blamed me for something she forgot to do and said that I was the one left there because she was out. It was actually the other way around.

People from my "real" life know that I am easily annoyed and that I am a confrontational person. I was ready to confront her when I remembered to breathe deeply. Inhale, exhale. Count up to ten. I even stepped out of the room just to breathe my anger out. It was not easy but I tried.

It is never easy, but I resolved that I would always try to control my anger. I want to be a less angry person.

Photo from here

In the book Don't sweat the small stuff for teens, the author said that one should know what battles to fight. If it is not that imprtant, then don't sweat it. I tried that today and I am not saying that I feel so much better. But I am hoping that in time, I would learn how not to sweat small stuff and be relieved about it.

I am taking baby steps to conquer my angry self. Inhale-exhale-ing. Counting one to ten. Stepping out of the room. These are the steps I take to calm the angry bird in me. How about you, what do you do when you're angry?

Books, toys and gifts

I can't believe one and a half week passed and I wasn't able to post anything. I just didn't have inspiration and urge to blog. 

Anyway, here I am again and for starters, I want you guys to meet:

 

The cat in the hat

The Cat in the hat is the most famous book character made by Dr. Seuss. I bought the adorable plushie two months ago, for only 150Php (roughly $3).

Yesterday, the boyfriend and I went out to buy Zagu. Being the Librarians that we are, we got sidetracked and went to second hand bookstores before actually getting the drinks. I saw a Horton plush toy and I really wanna buy it but we didn't have enough moolah with us. I'm crossing my fingers that Horton will still be there when I come back.

Aside from Horton, I have also seen a lot of children's books in excellent condition and very affordable prices. I thought, if we have kids at home -- cousins, nephews or nieces -- whom I can share my love for reading with, then I'll have a valid reason to buy more children's books and plushies! :)

Parents, soon-to-be parents, godparents and hoping-to-be-parents-someday (or whoever you are), I beg you. Please do not deprive children of good books. It is such a pity that our country won't can't provide for public libraries, but that should NOT be a hindrance to children experiencing good books. It doesn't matter if they get it old or brand new. 

Christmas is just around the corner and if you're thinking of what to give children this year, please give them books. Foreign ones might be a little expensive, so check out the locally published ones! But if you happen to have extra money to spend, get a plush toy to accompany the book. Not only is it a good reading buddy, it will also be a good prop for storytelling sessions!

The Cat in the Hat and Are you my mother? are my favorite books that were gifted to me as a kid. What are yours?

#achieved!

It may not seem like I am working on my list because most of my posts lately are actually non-related to the "before I turn 25" title, but I really am. Here's my progress report:

The top news is that I am soon going to scratch  Take a yoga/pilates class off the list! I bought some vouchers from a group buying site last month and I am taking some pilates classes.  

I have previous knowledge on Pilates but that was 7 years ago, during my first sem, freshman year in college. I thought I needed some reviewing to do so I downloaded some Pilates videos from Youtube. I have been working out here at home for two weeks now.

The instructor in the videos I have downloaded is funny and inspiring. Meet the awesome Cassey Ho :

Photo from Blogilates FB page

The pilates workouts are really challenging, but she makes it so fun with her non-stop talking and the pop music, you'll just keep on doing them. It also helps that her videos are (mostly) just 10mins. long, so it's so easy to include working out in my daily schedule.

I discovered her videos in Youtube, but if you want to try them out yourself (please consult a doctor first before trying any workouts), I suggest you go to her blog. Let me know what you think, okay? :)

Second,  I have booked a flight to Laoag on January so Vigan will also happen very soon! If you have been there tips would  be greatly appreciated...

And finally,  I am finishing my first semester for MA. Just one more project to go. And yes, I actually have to go to a group meeting for that project.  Like now.

So there, I am really thrilled that everything's going well on my end. I hope you're doing great too, and of course, I would love to hear what you've achieved on your goals lately!

P.S. A dear friend of mine had just started a blog. He is a terrific writer, which he doesn't realize. If you've got some spare time, please visit his blog and give him some love. 

Thanks and have a lovely weekend!

Sunshine award 2011

 Thanks to Laarni of the jagged barn for giving me my first ever blog award!

Below are the rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award and write a post about it.
2. Answer the following questions.
3. Pass it to 10 fabulous bloggers and send them a message to let them know.

Here are the questions:

Favourite Colour: Red and Fuchsia. 

Favourite Animal: Dogs and Dolphins

Yes. These are our dogs. They're cutie-pies, right? :)

Favourite Number: My birthday number

Photo from here

Favourite Drink: Coffee-based frappes, Buko juice/shake

Facebook or Twitter: Facebook

Your passion: Reading and writing

Giving or getting presents: Both

Favourite pattern: Don't have a favorite.

Favourite day: Christmas

Photo from here

Favourite flowers: Sunflowers

Photo from here

Now, I'm passing this award to these 10 lovely bloggers:

1. The Average Jane
2. Aria of Sun, Sand and Stilletos
3. Sumi of The purple doll
4. Colleen of Sweet Home Designs
5. Mymy of  mybric-a-brac
6. Rosamond of Rosamond Writes
7. Rae of Scatterbraintures
8. C &amp; M of .
9. Juhina of Juhina reads it all
10. Mar of Not your ordinary beauty queen 

And of course, my favorite Librarian blogger: Rita of Screwy Decimal.

Now, it's your turn ladies! Spread the love, love, love!

Love and other jobs

Saying what we hate about our jobs is as easy as ABC. Horrible bosses, slim paycheck, few promotional opportunities, internal politics, and the list goes on and on and on.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.- Steve Jobs  

The quote above made perfect sense, right? We spend most of our waking hours at work, so it pretty much consumes most of our time here on Earth. If you don't like what you do, if you don't see your work as important, then that's really depressing.


Last week, a student asked me if I like what I do, if I love being a librarian and I  answered yes. She didn't ask me why but it made me think what I love about it.

• Our library has a well-updated collection. I never run out of good books to read! yay!
• I get a sense of satisfaction when kids thank me because I helped them with a project, or when a parent or teacher thinks that I have magic with computers whenever I help them with their technical difficulties.
• Our department head is one great man. He is one rare specie. I don't think I can find a boss better than him.
• My direct supervisor might stress me at times, but she is actually good at what she does.
• I am well-paid. Enough said.
• I don't have to go overtime and I don't have to take my work home!
• Both our department head and my supervisor are forward thinkers. I don't have to worry about people adamant to change.

I remember reading from a book* that when you get annoyed with your partner, you should remember at least one thing that made you fell in love with that person. I guess we can also apply that to our work. Like when you wake up and have the urge to file that sick leave just because you're too lazy to go, just think of one thing that makes you want to go to work.

For most people, work is what they do in the office or in the field. Work for me is what you devote your time to, whether it requires you to go out or not. So as the work week starts, here's my challenge to you: think about the things you love about what you do, share it on the comments box and inspire me and other people!
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I think that's Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus by John Gray - Great book, you should read this!

Sambokojin

When I first thought of blogging, I considered making a food blog since I love cooking and eating. Later, I realized I am not really that adventurous with food. I like trying out things when I've read raves about the place or they're recommended by a friend. I rarely try new food because I don't like getting disappointed. I hate having to force myself finish something I don't find palatable. Another thing would be I know what I consider yummy and delicious, but I just can't go into details. I am not that good in describing things. So no food blog for me. I'll just occasionally post "reviews" of places and food I liked but please don't expect too much. :)

I first tried Sambokojin when my youngest sister received her first paycheck and she decided to treat us for dinner. We wanted to try a place with smokeless grill so we had to make a choice between Yakimix and Sambokojin. (We even had a poll in FB just to decide!) In the end, we went to Sambokojin because one of my aunts and my sister Reg were able to try Yakimix and said that it wasn't good. 

I wasn't able to blog about it that first time, but we went back there yesterday and I thought I should recommend  the place. Here's what I thought:

Cleanliness and Ambience

The photo should speak for itself, right? I also loved  that the grilling is basically odorless, you won't step out of the restaurant smelling like you have been cooked too. I'll give it a 5/5. :)

Food Choices 

food for grilling: seafood, veggies and meat

fried/breaded food: ebi and kani tempura. there's a lot more in there.

sushi heaven

I love meat, the boyfriend loves fish and the family loves seafood, so going here is such a joy for all us. I also love shrimp and it's like an ebi tempura heaven! They never ran out of tempura unlike Saisaki. :) I give this 4.5 just because they don't have enough desserts to choose from! (sweet tooth problem, you know. hehe.)

My food recommendations: fish teppan (cooked), marble beef (for grilling), asparagus wrapped in bacon (for grilling) and kamameshi rice. 

Good service

If you are like me, who's VERY particular to good customer service, then this place would surely delight you. Aside from good food, the excellent service is worth every peso I have spent here. From the moment we entered the place (where they greeted us with shaimase, paper mache or something. haha) until we stepped out with our very heavy tummies, the Sambokojin staff were all smiles, which made us feel so welcome. I give them a 5/5.

Price

Mon-Fri Lunch : Reg. price 595.00 ; No left-over price 495.00*
Mon-Sun Dinner : Reg. price 695.00 ; No left-over price 595.00
Sat-Sun Lunch : Reg. price 695.00 ; No left-over price 595.00
Children’s price : Reg. price 395.00 ; No left-over price 295.00 

*except holidays

As I've said, with good food and excellent service, the whole Sambokojin experience is worth every peso I have spent. You guys should try it yourself and let me know what you think. :)

Now it's your turn, dear readers. Drop a comment and share your great recommendations! :D

Chronicles of the sweet tooth problem V

Finally, here is the last of the chronicles. If it's your first time here, please see the previous posts:
Chronicles of the sweet tooth problem
How to know if it's really PMS and
Ways to relieve PMS

Chronicles of the sweet tooth problem IV

Below are the rest of the ways to relieve PMS :


16. Yoga

Yoga is an all-round antidotes of PMS as it has relaxing, calming and restorative effects in the body.  Nice, I'd be shooting two birds at one stone if I would try this : anti-PMS and cross-out number 2 in the  list. Rae  from Scatterbraintures suggested Bikram Yoga Manila, do you have any other suggestion, ladies?

17. Add DLPA

DLPA is short  for the amino acid  dl-phenylalanine. Unlike pain pills or anti-depressants, it leads a hand to our own hormones that act as natural painkillers or mood regulators by acting as its "bodyguard". 

WARNING: If you would like to try this, please consult your doctor. This should NOT be used by pregnant and lactating women.

18.  Try Homeopathy

Homeopathy literally means "similar suffering". It is based on the idea that taking a tiny dose of whatever's ailing you can be the best treatment for that same disease. This works as a cure not a remedy so one who is experiencing PMS and wants to try this should see a qualified homeopathic physician.

19. Aromatherapy

Certain scents can stimulate our brains and can affect our moods, stress levels, metabolism and libido.  This is the basis of the healing art of aromatherapy. See this link to know what oils work and how to use it. My favorite scent is peppermint.

20. Massage

When we're irritable, depressed and stressed out, a good massage is exactly what we'll need. Swedish and Shiatsu  (another name for acupressure) are best for relieving PMS symptoms as they emphasize relaxation and release of tension using pain-free methods. 

21. Acupuncture and Acupressure

Both are based on the theory that when the qi (life energy) if flowing freely, all is well within the body. A stagnation of energy occurs if the flow of qi is blocked and if the blockage happens in a meridian serving the female organs, PMS can be the unhappy result.

22. Reflexology

Reflexology is an excellent way to relieve tension, improve circulation, normalize both nerve and gland function and restore balance to the body. This will be helpful to PMS if the areas that correlate with the pelvis and female organs are stimulated.

23. Let there be light!

Because lack of light causes lack of serotonin, which causes worsening of PMS symptoms. Light therapy will help improve the mood of PMS sufferers. The simplest way to do this is to go outside, walk in the bright sunlight for about ten minutes, preferably in the early morning.

24. Get enough zzZs

Each of us knows how it feels when we didn't get enough sleep, right? Depressed, tired, irritable, distracted, moody, suffering from headaches. That's because too little sleep exacerbates PMS and PMS causes sleep problems. It is a vicious circle and we wouldn't  like to be caught in it, so log off on your facebook, shut down the computer and sleep early, ok? :)

25. Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative

Click to enlarge

Anger, frustration and negative thinking all encourage the body to produce stress hormones and we don't like that. Focus on the good things in your life: love, fun times, good jokes, your achievements in life. Appreciate the beauty around (look in the mirror, beautiful!) and look for the little things to be happy about in your life.

That is definitely a nice way to end the list, right? With positivity, we can surely win over PMS.

In all the 25 ways, massage, sleep, yoga, exercise and being optimistic are my favorites. What are yours?

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Reference: Taylor, N. 25 ways to relieve PMS (2002). Chicago : Contemporary Books
Photos above are not mine. If you find one of your photos here and you would like to have them taken down, please message me. 

Chronicles of the sweet tooth problem IV

I know this is long overdue. I actually made a draft a few days back and when I went back to it yesterday, it's gone! :(

If it's your first time here, please see the previous posts:

Chronicles of the sweet tooth problem
How to know if it's really PMS and
Ways to relieve PMS

Now, if you're done with that, let's move on!
There are 20 more left in the list so I'm dividing them to two entries. Below are the first ten:

6. Eat more fiber

• It helps decrease excess estrogen  (which is one of the most likely causes of PMS)
• It helps improve glucose intolerance (many women have trouble with fluctuating blood glucose levels during PMS phase)
• It reduces the the urge to binge
• It helps the body fully utilize progesterone

How to get it? Eat nuts, cereals, fruits and veggies!

7. Eat the good fats -- GLA and Omega 3

Gamma linoleic acid is involved in the metabolism of prostaglandins that regulate pain and inflammation in the body.  Excellent sources are evening primrose oil, black currant oil and borage seed oil while Omega 3 helps  decrease inflammation, stabilize blod sugar, fight acne (no to zits!)and increase production of endorphins. We can get this from fat or oil of cold water fish such as anchovies, tuna and salmon.

8. Phytoestrogens

In layman's term, plant estrogens. These are not chemically identical to the ones our body produce but it can function like it. This is good for those whose estrogen levels are too high or too low. How to get it? Eat a diet rich in plant foods and eat a couple of servings of soy-based foods each week.


9. Vitamins & 10. Minerals

We know that we all need vitamins and minerals and yes, we can just get those commercially available ones that says complete from A-Z. But what are the specific vitamins and minerals that will be most useful  in treating PMS symptoms? See links 1, 2 and 3.

11. Exercise

I think I don't have to say much about this but just to emphasize, regular exercise is particularly helpful in relieving symptoms related to depression and tension, such as  mood swing, fatigue, irritability and cramps.

12. Natural Progesterone

 Seventy-five percent of women affected by PMS appear to have too little progesterone so it actually makes sense to give a supplementary to fill the lack. Water retention, breast tenderness and insomnia are just some of the symptoms that this hormone can help ease. While there are several forms of natural progesterone, many experts recommend the topical cream because it's easily absorbed and  it mimics the ovaries' natural release of the hormone. To know more about this click here.

13. Herbs

There were ten herbs mentioned in the book but there was just one that (I think) is easy to find : Chamomile. Primarily, chamomile tea is used for its relaxing qualities but it actually exerts a number of positive effects on the body  because it has natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal ingredients. For PMS, it can be used for symptoms triggered by tension or stress.

14.  Avoid Xenoestrogens

These are man-made substances that are structurally similar to estrogen, so it has the ability to bring on excess of the hormone. We can get this from nail polish, nail polish remover, bleach, cleansers and detergents. I know we can't completely avoid exposure to these things but we certainly can achieve a certain amount of caution, right?

15. Reduce Stress

The connection between Stress and PMS is just very simple, when one is really stressed, symptoms of PMS gets really worse. What to do? Exercise or try something that helps you slow down, calms your body and mind and relax. Now I'm thinking of a warm bath, foot spa, a book or movie marathon.

Please see next post for the rest...
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Reference: Taylor, N. 25 ways to relieve PMS (2002). Chicago : Contemporary Books
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