I had my first mammogram when I was 37 years old. I was surprised when my primary care doctor informed me about it. Apparently, they want to have a base reference on which to compare my future results in case one needs to be looked at closer. When I turned 40, I started having annual mammograms. My first experience was not uncomfortable nor painful. I was pleasantly surprised considering I've been hearing stories about painful mammograms. I can't say that about my last two exams though, it was so uncomfortable. There was even a point that I thought I was going to pass out. :( Good thing I didn't!
I learned that you should schedule the test for a time when your breasts are least likely to be tender. They're often least tender during the week after your menstrual period. Your breasts are most likely to be tender the week before and the week during your period. You should also take an over-the-counter pain medication, such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), about an hour before your mammogram to help ease the discomfort of the test
If you have breast implants, those can interfere with the image of a tumor. You should have your mammogram at a facility that does a large number of these kind of examinations. It is best to have a radiologist that is experienced in reading mammograms from women with implants. Along with the annual mammograms, women should also do a self-breast exam regularly. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm very bad at doing this. I know that I need and should do it but it just doesn't happen. Do you regularly check your breasts for lumps?
Ovarian cancer has been known as the "silent killer" because by the time it's detected, it is often too late: In advanced cases, the survival rate is less than 30 percent. But researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine now say that there are six specific symptoms that can signal trouble:
1. Bloating
2. Increased abdominal size
3. Abdominal pain
4, Pelvic pain
5. Feeling full quickly
6. Difficulty eating (you can't finish a regular-size meal)
Of course, many of us experience problems like these from time to time, and they're usually not serious. "But see your doctor if the symptom is new, occurs every day or almost every day, and doesn't seem to be going away after a couple of weeks," says lead researcher Barbara Goff, M.D. If ovarian cancer is detected early, as many as 90 percent of cases can be cured.
Have you ever had a fresh pomegranate? It tastes sweet and just a little bit tart. I've eaten all sorts of food with pomegranate seeds in it, my favorite being the chocolate covered ones. They are high in vitamin C and potassium and a good source of fiber. The juice is high in anti-oxidants, it is high in three different types of polyphenols (a potent form of antioxidants.) These are: tannins, anthocyanins and ellagic acid. You can also get these three in other fruits but pomegranate juice contains very high amounts of all three. These antioxidants are credited with helping in the prevention of cancer and heart disease.
Fresh pomegranates are available from September to January. Buy a pomegranate that is heavy for it's size, that means it has more juices in it. It can be messy opening it, here's how I do it:
- Cut off the top part then cut the pomegranate into quarters. Place these in a bowl of water and take out the juice sacs with your fingers. Discard all except the seeds.
Pomegranates can keep in the fridge for up to 3 months and the juice for 6 months. Each pomegranate has exactly 840 seeds. (I don't know if this is true since I haven't counted it myself!). One pomegranate yields ½ cup of juice and ¾ cup of seeds.
If you take prescription medicines, it is best to take it with water. Drinking it with orange, apple or grapefruit juice may render the medicine useless. A report found that these juices decrease the absorption of the following medications:
- Allegra - allergy drug
- Cipro, Levofloxacin(Levaquin), Sporanox (Itraconazole) - anti-biotics
- Atenlolol, Celiprolol and Talinolol - beta-blockers
- Cyclosporine - transplant-rejection drug
- Etoposide - chemotherapy drug
It is best to check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
The best anti-bloat foods which are also natural diuretics are:
grapefruit, watermelon, asparagus, celery and cucumber
Note: Yes, those are square watermelons. I wish they have it here in the US. It'll solve the problem of storing it in the fridge. LOL I read that they do this in Japan where space is at a premium. The Japanese farmers force the watermelons to grow into a square shape by inserting the melons in a square, tempered glass while the fruit is still growing in the vines.
If you have stainless steel appliances in your kitchen like I do, then you're always cleaning the surfaces. The appliance company has its recommended cleaning solution. I ordered two bottles from them (you can also get these at the store, I found out later) and this really cleans it up pretty good but takes quite a while. First you spray it on, then let it dry. Next step is to wipe it down with clean cloth and then the last step is to buff it with another clean cloth. Too much work! How I wish it were true. Sadly enough, I have to do windows since no one else will. In the Philippines, I learned from my mom to use old newspaper to clean the glass door. I thought she was kidding but it really works. You save money by using old newspaper but the downside is you'll end up with gunk on your hands after you're done with it.
Cleaning windows is not my favorite thing to do. I have 16 windows to clean in the house plus a sliding door. One good thing is we have the kind of window that tilt it so it's easier to clean the outside part. When it comes to glass cleaners, I've tried using store brand but they leave some residue and streaks. So I went back to the tried and tested Windex. Do you have a window cleaner you like to use? Do share, I might just try it.
QUICK WINDOW CLEANING TIPS:
Fastest Fixes
• Give dirt the brush-off. We know — going at the glass with the cleaner is the most satisfying part. But before you squeeze that trigger, pull back the blinds or curtains, open the window, and inspect its sill, frame, and tracks for obvious crud and cobwebs. Sweep out debris using the small-handled brush that comes with your dustpan. (Skip this step, and you risk a mess later, since the loose dirt can stick to your wiping towel and smear the glass.) Also handy: a cloth-wrapped screwdriver for flicking out dead bugs or hard-to-reach gunk.
• De-grime the screens. If you leave yours in year-round, give them a once-over now — otherwise, all that dried-on dirt may blow into your house the first time you open the windows for ventilation. The good news: You don’t need to take down the screens and hose them off. Just run your vacuum with its dusting-brush attachment over the side that faces in. (Side to side, top to bottom is the speediest method.)
• Make the glass gleam. For windows that tilt in, washing both sides is a cinch. Spray your cleaner on the inside of the glass until it’s heavily misted but not drippy. Then, with a clean lint-free cloth, wipe horizontally until dry. Tilt the window the other way; repeat on the outer panes, but this time wipe vertically (cleaning in opposite directions makes streaks obvious and easier to zap). For double-hung windows that don’t fold in, slide the bottom pane up about eight inches — so you can reach out and up. Clean what you can; then slide down the top panel to get it from above. Windows crank out or don’t open at all? Clean the insides, then rinse the outsides with a hose.
Make It Easier Next Time
• Pick a cloudy day. Direct sun makes the cleaner dry too quickly, leaving streaks behind.
Source: Good Housekeeping
A new study by the John Hopkins' researchers show that Low levels of vitamin D may raise a person's risk of premature death. So it is advised that a person take at least 400 IUs of Vitamin D a day. I take the 'One A Day Women's' vitamin and it has 800 IU of Vitamin D. I do forget to take it everyday though, my bad.
"The research follows other recent studies showing low levels of vitamin D are linked to certain cancers, diabetes, and bone and immune system problems, but this is the first research to connect vitamin D deficiency to a higher risk of death, says study author Erin Michos, assistant professor of cardiology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore."
Eversince we've been warned that the UVB and UVAs of the sun are harmful, a lot of us have been avoiding the sun altogether. This proved to be a double-edged sword however, since sunlight is the number one source ofVitamin D. I, for one don't like to be in the sun so I'd rather take Vitamin D in a pill. Plus, your skin will not age prematurely when you avoid the sun.
Luckily, we can get Vitamin D from food sources as seen on this table. The easiest way of course is to take a muliti-vitamin to cover all the bases. Be sure to check the ingredients to be sure you are taking the recommended amount of Vitamin D.
So what's the best way to get rid of red wine stains? Pour some
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wow! I finally did it. I've been thinking of starting another blog for a couple of weeks now. My son is starting Pre-school at the end of the month. I will now have a couple of hours to spare and I plan to do more blogging. So I decided to make this blog that will be about everything in and around the house, thus the title 'Everything PLUS the Kitchen Sink!'
MY FOOD BLOG
Fitness Tip of the Day
