Rain, rain go away!

Here comes rain again. That translates to SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), allergic rhinitis, colds, heavier traffic, slippery floors and wet feet for me.  The only thing that I like about rain is that it's the perfect weather to sleep! But then again, I'm at work, so how can I do that? Haha.

Anybody here who likes rain? Can you give me more reasons to love it?  :)

P.S. Please keep yourselves dry and safe everyone! :D

From the Manila International Book Fair

 

I got some storybooks because I'm catching up on Philippine Children's Lit. (Sampung Magkakaibigan, Pambihirang Buhok ni Raquel and The butterfly who did not want to fly are all signed!)

GH because I love their recipes.

It's a Mens World. No that's not a typographical error. See the blurb:

Interesting, eh? I simply loved the playful use of words! The last two books on my loot are just for laughs and those were signed too :

 How about you? Did you get a chance to visit MIBF? What were you able to bring home? :)

Chronicles of the sweet tooth problem III, or, the ways to relieve PMS.

Most people think that PMS symptoms are "normal", that we're supposed to feel like that just before we get our period. But that isn't right, PMS is a disorder and we can do something to eliminate it. By following a few methods described in the book, 25  natural ways to relieve PMS, maybe we won't have to suffer anymore. :)

Now, in the book, each of the 25 ways was discussed in a chapter. I can't exactly do that herecoz that'd be boring, right? I've chosen stuff that I think is important. If you want more info about things, message me. Arayt? Let's start:

1. Hello good food, goodbye PMS!

Creating a balance of good food is a little tricky for women with PMS. What we eat-- or what we don't eat-- can make a major difference in the way our body responds. Eating fruit (eaten without protein/fiber) can send your blood sugar soaring at first, then crashing down, bringing along intense irritability, dizziness, fatigue, or aggression.

To guide us in making the necessary changes in our diet,  below is the simplified list that we should follow :

• Eat all the fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes that you want.
• Limit your intake of low-fiber foods made from refined grains ( white bread, pasta, white rice, cake, cookies, etc.)
• Eat small amounts of meat, fish or poultry as a protein source. Legumes and eggs are also okay. (Note: limit eggs to three/week)
• Don't eat fried foods or foods cooked in more than 1-2 tsp. of oil
• Limit added fats and avoid saturated fats
• Eat or drink two to three servings of non-fat dairy products
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.
• Cut back on CASS : Caffeine, Alcohol, Sugar and Salt.

2. Can the caffeine

Irritability, Anxiety, Mood Swings, Insomnia, depletion of B vitamins and breast tenderness-- those are just some of the things excessive caffeine can give us.

More important for women with PMS to know is that it takes longer for our body to break down caffeine during the last two weeks of our cycle. Saying no to caffeine forever is the best option but that might be impossible for some people so cutting back on consumption two weeks before period is an alternative, it would still make some positive difference for sure. 

Warning: Cut back gradually if you're used to drinking more than two cups of coffee or a couple of caffeine-containing soft drinks per day. Caffeine narrows our blood vessels. If you stop abruptly, blood vessels will widen unnaturally and may cause major headaches.

3. Abstain from Alcohol

I actually have no problem with this coz I'm not much of an alcohol drinker. I am actually allergic to alcohol. But here are the major reasons why women with PMS should abstain :

• Alcohol exacerbates estrogen excess
• Alcohol interferes with aborption and utilization of B vitamins. If  you're low in B vitamins, you're more likely to feel tired, irritable, bloated and sleepless
• Alcohol is destructive to magnesium. Without enough of magnesium, you'll suffer from mood swings, appetite disturbances, confusion, depression, crams and loss of coordination.
• Alcohol interferes with normal glucose metabolism.
• Alcohol decreases the desire to eat, compromising your nutritional status.
• Alcohol is a depressant. It can intensify feelings of hopelessness and despair.
• Alcohol packs a mightier punch during PMS phase. during the week or so before your period, tolerance to alcohol drops.

4. Skip the sugar

Cutting back on sweets when we're dying  for it seems crazy, I know! Sugar is not a friend wfor women with PMS, it's an enemy. Here are the reasons why sugar is the last thing we need when we're having PMS :

• It makes us moody, irritable, fatigued and weak
• It can exacerbate estrogen excess. High estrogen makes us feel bloated and anxious
• It can worsen progesterone deficiency 
• It works against good nutrition

5. Shun the salt

I'm in this salty food craving now. I'm finished with the sweet phase. If I give in some of the things I might have to face will be: premenstrual water retention, bloating, weight gain, breast swelling, and/or breast tenderness. So I guess I shouldn't, right?

Please forgive the very long post. I tried to keep the info at a minimum but there's just so many things I want to share to you. More on the ways on my next post. :)

______________________________________________
Reference: Taylor, N. 25 ways to relieve PMS (2002). Chicago : Contemporary Books

Space, Enter ! :)

Do not miss out Not Your Ordinary Queen's  Three H&M Leather Bands Giveaway!

Chronicles of the sweet tooth problem II, or, How to know if it's really PMS

Do you crave for sweets, snap at people easily and eat like there's no tomorrow just before your period? 

Like any other disorder/disease, it is good to know the signs of PMS so that we will know how to control  and face them. People, especially boyfriends, husbands and other men in our lives should also be in the know. They should understand what is actually happening to us when we transform to little monsters every month.  Below are the most common symptoms to take note:

Acne	Aggressiveness
Anxiety	Backaches
Binge eating	Bloating
Breast tenderness and/or swelling	Cravings for sweets
Crying easily	Depression
Dizziness	Fatigue
Headaches, including migraines	Hostility
Irritability	Joint pain
Memory loss	Mood swings
Thirst	Weight gain

Aside from craving sweets, I've got 11 other symptoms out of 20!

Other not-so-common PMS symptoms are: constipation, asthma, disorientation, diarrhea, drug abuse, heaviness of the legs, hypersensitivity to sound, self-inflicted injuries, shakiness and suicidal thoughts, among others. Do you get those too? I hope not.

inspired by  this

The author of 25 ways to relieve PMS, Nadine Taylor, said that fortunately, NOBODY suffers from all symptoms (thank heavens!) and that having the above-mentioned symptoms doesn't automatically say PMS is to blame. If it's really PMS :

• symptoms appear before the onset of the period 
• you get the symptoms all month, but it's remarkably worse during the week or so before your period
• symptoms clear up once your period begins or a couple of days into it.   

Now that you know it is actually PMS, what are you supposed to do?

 or "keep calm and carry lang" :)

_______________________________________________________
Note: It  is still best to see a doctor to rule out other things that might cause the symptoms.
Reference: Taylor, N. 25 ways to relieve PMS (2002). Chicago : Contemporary Books

Chronicles of the sweet tooth problem

Yesterday, it was ice cream. Today, it's chocolate. I was able to resist yesterday, but I can't seem to fight the urge to grab a bar of chocolate today. Battling with my craving for sweets is getting more and more intense each day.

The sweet tooth problem is like a signal to me that my period is coming. It also comes with my most unwanted guest every month, Mood Swing. They have been my regular visitors and they never fail to turn my life upside down. If you are (unlucky) like me, then you probably know what signals these two: PMS. Pre-Menstrual Syndrome.

If you have seen my list, you know that 1. I am trying to lose some weight and 2. I have this goal of saying no to sweets for a week. You see, I can't let my cravings win over me so I definitely have to do something.  What would a smart librarian do? Read. :)

I've read some articles in the internet and now, I've got hold of a book that every girl experiencing PMS should have. Presenting :

_______________________________________________
Will discuss more about this book. Please wait for Chronicles of the sweet tooth problem part 2. :)

How do you fit reading in your busy schedule?

In one of the blogs I recently followed, I've seen some comments saying they are experiencing reader's block. They do have books but haven't read one in months. Given my work, I can always find a very gripping book that would take me out of reading slump. Aside from that, I  believe there are just too many great books out there and I just don't have enough time.

Which brings me to my question, how do you squeeze in reading on your busy schedules? I've got a goal to finish 100 books with more than 250 pages (no.10 in the list) in two years. But until now, I haven't finished my first book, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

I would love to get your ideas so leave your comments down there, thanks! :)

I know better now...

The birthday celebrations are all over now and yes, I have eaten a lot. I should have known better than putting Achieve my ideal weight as number one in the list  and publishing the entry just before all the celebrations.

Because I have been munching non-stop the past few days, I was expecting that I've gained a few more pounds... So it was such a surprise when I weighed myself this morning and found out I still am 138 lbs. That's still 38 lbs. more than the ideal weight but I'm just really glad I didn't gain more.

I'm back to "normal" eating habits so I'm definitely losing more lbs this month.  Wish me luck! :D

Beatrice Dungis

We were asked to create a book for children in one of my MA classes. I initially thought of just creating a concept book because it would be easier than making an actual story.  My first idea  was to create a "My first Filipino words" in a board book format.

I was determined on the idea when my boss told me that I shouldn't settle for a concept book, that I am creative so I should write a story. Not all people believe that I am creative, but if there's one person who does, then maybe I should too!

I know this is far from being a novel (number 19 in the list), but this was a good exercise for squeezing out my creative juices. I am proud to present you, Beatrice Dungis:

P.S. My gratitude goes out to all people who made this project possible : Karen for encouraging me to write ; Nomer for some of the ideas ; Reg for ideas that were extremely funny but didn't really work, haha ; Grace and LC for the comments ; Nang Mar for suggesting the illustrator ;  and Tito Randy for giving Beatrice a face.