Me & IBS

Since I was diagnosed with IBS, I have been trying to make healthier choices when it comes to food. I have tried Poleo diet for 10 days and currently I try my best to avoid consuming highly processed food.

Whilst the diet helps to reduce the symptoms of IBS, I would like to treat this illness once and for all. My doctor told me that there is no cure for IBS, somehow I just find it hard to believe. Thus, I would like to try and cure it on my own. So daring and gutsy eyh?

Although IBS is not life threatening and it hardly effect my daily routine but sometimes the discomforts is so irritating. When people asked me how to described it, I can only tell them that its like having a terrible headache in your gut and there is no medicine for it.

When I told close friends and family about my illness, almost all of them will ask, how did I get it. After reading over the internet about IBS, most of the experts state that the caused of IBS is unknown. However I know that it all has to be with my unhealthy diet for the past 2 years.

I have been consuming instant noodles almost every other night, canned sardines and fast food. Apart from that, I hardly take breakfast, I skipped meals all the time and I drink coffee a lot. To make things worse for my gut, I have this one very bad habit that I didn't know would effect me in the long run, I hate taking my time chewing the food I ate thus making it harder for my body to digest whatever I ate.

I think I have been burdening my intestine for more than 20 years and now only drastic diet and lifestyle changes could help me. After reading numerous article, I came across low FODMAP diet. I shall give it a try. It is strict but I have to do this if I want to have a normal intestine again.

Caffeine Free Me

I love coffee, I still do I think. I have been trying to limit my caffeine in takes for the past 2 months due to my IBS.

It is such a shame that I have IBS and my bowel reacts badly after I had coffee as there are so many new cafes opening up around my neighborhood and I love conducting meetings with clients and friends over a cup of coffee.

Early this year, I had to meet a witness and we decide to meet at Quar/Tet in TTDI. The aroma of coffee in the quaint cafe was so enticing but I stick to my guns and ordered warm water instead since they do not have decaf coffee.

Anyhow, I must say that I did not suffer from any caffeine withdrawal symptoms. I don't feel sleepy or anything in the morning without coffee. Sometimes I would made myself a mug of decaf Nescafe with a bit of brown sugar. Most of the time. I would just drink warm water since the office is cold.

Nowadays, I have a new favorite that is mint tea. I have a box full of Twinnings Peppermint Tea for awhile and just too afraid to try it. After finding out that it is caffeine free and full of health benefits, I start drinking mint tea in the office after lunch as well as at home after dinner. I must say, I sleep much better at night after a cup of mint tea. Based on my readings, I also found out that drinking peppermint tea allow you to dream more vividly. I just experienced that first hand last night and I must say it is not fun if you are having a nightmare. I dream that I did badly in a court case. I screwed up so bad that we lost the case. Not fun at all.

Another tea that I am thinking of trying is chrysanthemum tea. I never had hot chrysanthemum tea before but I have tried the one in juice boxes. Tad too sweet for my liking. I wonder if I can get real chrysanthemum flowers in KL and brew it as tea. I probably could find it in Chinese herbal shops.

Grass Eating Student

Sedih bila baca berita ni kat nst hari ni. Both of my parents are teachers. I have been exposed to the school environment since I was 2 years old. Saje ikut parents pergi sekolah.

Aku masuk darjah 1 when I was 6 years old. I remember lining up for BCG shots which was compulsory to all standard 1 students. Being the youngest in class, aku pun ikut je la kawan2 berbaris jumpa nurse. Hambik kau, kena inject. Esoknya demam, tak dpt nak pergi sekolah.

Banyak kenangan menarik zaman sekolah. Especially sekolah rendah. Enjoy sakan. Ramai juga cikgu yang menakutkan zaman sekolah. Masa dekat sekolah rendah, ada Cikgu Lokman and arwah Cikgu Mahyudin. Cikgu Lokman ni guru displin. Aku pernah nampak dia suruh kawan sekelas aku yg buang plastik sampah makanan ringan dalam longkang utk makan plastik yg dia buang tu tadi. Tapi dia takde la suruh telah. Cikgu Mahyudin plak suka menjerit marah2. Tu memang terkenal dengan short fius dia. Gerun sangat.

So hari ni bila baca ada cikgu suruh student makan rumput, aku jadi pelik lah. Apa yg student tu buat sampai disuruh mereka makan rumput? Ikut report dekat NST, dia kata student tu tak buat homework. Kalau tak buat homework, pergi jadi lembu is it? Aku tak nampak la logik dia. Maybe dia nak kata yg, lembu tak payah buat homework so, since korang tak buat homework, jadi lembu lagi baik?

Still, aku tak paham relevan hukuman tu. Kemudian, cikgu yg bagi hukuman tu tak fikir ke budak2 ni ada parents. Now dah masuk paper sure la jadi kes saman pulak lepas ni. Banyak benda kalau aku nak citer pasal isu cikgu2 ni. Tapi lain hari la kot.

It's Raining Mandrin Oranges

It feels like such a long week! Had so much tasks, did so many things yet the week still yet to end. Dah tak sabar nak cuti CNY ke aku ni?

Since Chinese New Year is around the corner and my company ni 60% Chinese workers pastu big boss plak memang dari China mainland, mood CNY memang high la rite now. Semalam masuk ofis lepas lunch, meja aku dipenuhi mandrin oranges. Aku tengok kat table2 lain, sama jugak. Rupanya, ada agihan limau mandrin. Account department dapat banyak sgt limau dari saper tah, so keriangan makan limau dikongsi dengan department lain.

Aku memang suka makan limau ni. Bila CNY memang aku tunggu sebab nak makan limau je. Kelmarin pergi hantar baju kat laundry siap mintak limau dari Tokey laundry tu. Selamber jek. Hahaha...

Now, limau dah penuh dalam peti ais, baru baca kat Joy Bauer website kata penghidap IBS tak boleh makan citrus. Aku makan sebijik semalam rasa ok je.

Entah la. Aku pun dah tak paham dengan simptom penyakit aku ni. Redha je la.

Tacky Tuesday

Today I read an article, "Smoking Pregnant Mums May Have Gay Babies"

I have nothing against gay people and I do not hate smokers but I am not a smoker. Reading the title of the article would suggest that, if you don't want gay babies, do not smoke when you are pregnant. When the real message should be, "if you don't want to die of lung cancer, and many other chronic disease, do not smoke when you are pregnant, do not smoke, ever!

I just found the title of the article to be a little tacky for my taste.

Masterchef Malaysia All Stars

Aku memang suka tengok rancangan ni. Tak tau sebab apa. Purely entertainment la bagi aku. Sometimes, if ada resepi yang senang2 tu, aku apply la masa masak.

Post ni is just my 2 cents about the show. Kritikan membina la aku harap.

1) Lagu tema dia memang sangat catchy tapi yg spoil nyer dia punya montaj. Gambar artis-artis pegang pisau, kuali dengan ekspresi muka macam nak bunuh orang. Psiko ok riak wajah setiap orang tapi lagu background macam happy cerai macam tu. Konfius aku bila tengok.

2) Skrip utk Chef - Lagi satu benda yang buat aku pening tengok masterchef bila dengan chef-chef ni bercakap. Kekadang translation dari English ke Malay memang fail. Sometimes, ayat-ayat dia memang menjengkelkan lah. Most of the time, what I will do is to fast forward je bila sampai time komen2 dari chef2. Malas nak dengar.

Kalau tanya aku siapa yang akan menang, tu memang susah sikit la nak jawab. Kemungkinan besar Celina atau Soo Winci kot.

It is a fun show to watch la. Especially bila ada Micheal Ang and Brian. Mulut dorang boleh tahan jugak. Cakap semua pakai lepas je. Bila ada drama nenagis-nangis tu pun fun gak. Tapi kalau lebih-lebih sgt boleh meluat dibuatnya.

Apa pun kita tunggu dan lihat siapa pemenangnya.

Paleo Day 10

Despite the near death experience, I try my best to follow the plan. Had VCO in the morning and took my probiotics. That was all I had until I met my dad at the workshop where they are going to fix my car. Somewhere in Kepong. After talking to the mechanic, he took me to Selayang Mall before heading back to Kampar. He said he wants to do some shopping. I guess he prefer shopping without my mom.

He got himself 2 pairs of pants and 2 polo tees for me. Parkson is having a grand sale of some sorts so we had a very good bargain. After shopping, we went to have lunch at a friend's JM Beriyani at Selayang Mall. Had beriyani ayam and tapau some for mom.

We reach Kampar at aroun 5pm. Went straight to our tailor to get my dad's new pants shortened. After that, we make a move to Fizz Delight where my mom is. Due to my accident, both mom and dad had to play truant for me. Aren't they the best parents ever? :P

After closing shop at aound 8pm, I went home. After a good shower and an earnest prayer giving thanks to God for sparing my life, I share beriyani daging with mom. We chat whilst watching tv. As usual, before going to sleep, I had a tablespoon of VCO.

That was the last day of my 10 day paleo diet challenge. Still have no idea what is my next challenge will be. Been stuffing my face with mom's good food. I am going to indulge for the weekend :)

New Diet

I did wrote that I am going to decide on my new diet adventure today. Who know that I get a whole different adventure all together :)

I have yet to decide on which diet to follow next. However, I will keep you posted!

XOXO

Paleo Day 9

Commitment is a commitment. I promise my self to update the blog and just do this thing till the end and I did.

I took VCO right after I wake up. Then 2 tablets of probiotics before going to work. Once I reach the office, I drink a cup of warm water and ate a banana. Had a slightly heavy lunch since my Manager was treating our panel lawyer. It was still healthy and paleo. Its a fusion of Chinese and Thai food. A lot of spices, so yummy. By 4pm I get hungry again. So had another banana.

For dinner, I reheat the chicken soup from the other night, added an egg and walah! My wholesome dinner. For supper, a tablespoon of VCO and water.

It was a hectic day in the office. Tiring but fruitful. Overall, it was a good day :)

My Black Friday

Things started off pretty good this morning. Was amp to go to work. Prepare to go to gym, brought my track suit together, got my pink The Simpsons t-shirt on and off to work I go. It was drizzling, Kerinchi link was busy but traffic was smooth as usual.

Thing went south pretty fast. I am still trying to digest what had just happened. I remember overtaking an MPV, then there is a slight bend on the road then I lost control of my steering wheel, lost my spectacles, lost all sense of direction, I hear a loud crash and then saw the Federal Highway right in front of me. I pray that my car to just stop spinning and no go over the divider. My prayer was answered. The car stopped.

I was disoriented. I can't see anything apart from the emergency light button on my dashboard. In the midst of all the frenzy, I try to look for my specs. Couldn't find it. I saw someone approach my car. I open my car door, shaking all over my body. Told the guy to help me look for my specs as I can't see a thing. Both of us got on our knees and start searching but no avail. The guy asked me to straighten my car as I am blocking the road. I just asked me to do it for me as I cannot drive without my specs. Once he straighten my car, we keep on looking for that specs of mine.

10mins after the accident, he found my specs. It was in the pocket of the passengers door. How the hell did it get there?

The incident keeps playing in my head. How the heck did it happened. Was I going to fast? Did I spun out of control? I did lost control but because I lost my specs I just couldn't see what had happened. I got a headache each time I try to comprehend the whole incident.

I am just grateful that I am still alive, I am unharm, not even a scratch. The airbag did not open up. I am not sure whether its a malfunction or I did not bang the car hard enough.

I survived my black Friday, thank you Lord!

Rindu Serindu Rindunya

Tekak ni gatal sangat... Rasa nak minum coffee la, makan millie crepe la, ais krim la. Tapi aku tahan juga. 10 days Paleo challange akan berakhir esok. So, Sabtu dah boleh makan sweets tapi still in moderation as I aim to be as healthy as can be from 1st January 2014 onward.

VCO tu memang menampakkan hasil. The flares have reduced to almost non existent. Although my stool stil quite watery, at least there is no pain anymore. I am happy. So, I am going to continue drinking VCO.

I am not sure whether I can ever get used to the taste and smell. I gagged every time I swallow the oil. I just have to do what it takes lah if I want to get better right?

I will only update on today's diet progress, tomorrow. I will also decide on my next challenge to undertake tomorrow.

Paleo Day 8

Semalam agak memeningkan untuk aku. Macam-macam benda jadi. Mak and ayah nak turun KL hantar aku pg specialist lah. Remote kereta habis bateri lah, pressure kerja tak payah citer la kan.

Anyway, diet semalam macam biasa. Pagi breakfast dengan VCO, probiotics, banana & warm water.

Lunch, nasi sikit, ayam goreng, sambal belacan and sepotong kecil pajeri nenas.

Dinner, sup ayam dengan nasi. Sempat la balik masak sup semalam. Kali ni bahan tumisan dia aku masukkan celery, onion, carrot and garlic.

Esok, 10 hb. Last day of 10 days paleo challenge. M craving for ice cream.... soft creamy sweet cool mint choc chip ice cream....

Tak berapa banyak mood nak update hari ni..

Commitment

Last night was rough. Was feeling slightly upset with work pressure, personal and health. I think I dream of something in my sleep last night. In my dream I see a ring on my finger. I was shocked. That's it.

Weird eyh? I look into dream interpretation. I do believe that dream is a way for our subconscious mind resolving issues that we are facing in our everyday life. I was ranting about  my boss in the evening. However, I am resolved that I want to handle the issue on my own. The dream diary basically states that when you see a ring on your finger it means you are committed to something or someone.

Well, I guess that is true. I am committed to my work now.

Paleo Day 7 Dinner

Aku dah star bergym semula. Best betul sebab company ni ada gym. Alatan dia tak byk tapi lengkap. Gym kat Kampar aritu lagi kecik dari yang ni. Boleh je kurus. Tapi time tu kurus sebab banyak makan hati rasanya...Hahaha...

So, balik lewat sket semalam sebab bergym and bergosip. Jalan jem pulak sebab hujan lah landslide la accident, kereta rosak semua ada la atas jalan semalam. Sepanjang jalan aku dok pikir pasal makanan. Rasa nak makan KFC la, minum coke, makan nandos lah, macam2 la otak ni pikir dalam jem. Dah dekat sampai rumah, aku decide nak pg supermarket beli drumstick and masak je ayam kfc sendiri.

Sampai Hero Supermarket kol 9.15pm. Ayam semua dah tinggal sikit. Drumstik tinggal seketul je. Mood nak masak terus hilang. Browsing punya browsing last2 aku ambil kelapa muda and grill seaweed snack. Sampai rumah, keluarkan potato salad baki kelmarin dari fridge and dats my dinner last nite. Since mom still bising about my health, i took a spoonful of VCO before going to sleep.

Hari ni bowel movement much better. Tapi still ada rasa flaring. Aku dah set appoinment degan specialist dekat KPJ Damansara next Monday. Hepefully, I can sort this out soon.

Paleo Day 7

Selepas minum minyak kelapa dara, proses pembuangan sangat smooth. Cuma waktu pagi still ada darah bila buang air. Perut still bloating. Luckily, baju keje still muat lagi nak pakai. Kena cover perut sikit la.

Hari ni breakfast macam biasa, probiotics and ubat doktor kemudian lapik perut dengan 2 biji pisang montel/emas yang cute like me. Jenis pisang memang akutak pandai la. Pisang tanduk je aku kenal actually. Tapi rupa pisang tu macam gambar kat bawah ni.

Since aku nak lunch kol 12, kol 11 aku dah makan lagi ubat yg doktor tu bagi. Tekak ni rasa gatal je nak makan laksa selepas baca blog ni and tgk anak kakak ni menghirup kuah laksa dengan penuh berselera. Aku boleh je nak masak laksa. Tapi tak pernah masak untuk makan sorang. Dulu biasa masak utk family. Nowadays, kalau nak rasa laksa mak, kena pegi makan kat kedai Yus.

Back to my lunch story, aku ngn Nabil (my workdays lunch partner) mengagahkan diri redah jem bandar Kajang pegi mencari laksa. Last2 decide pergi Kajang Prima je sebab ada Cafe Old Town White Coffee. Both of us order laksa sebab dah bosan hari2 lunch makan nasi je. My verdict, kuah cair, condiments tak banyak, rasa laksa ada lagi la. Aku prefer Papparich punya assam laksa.

Oldtown

Papparich

For drinks aku mintak lime juice. Sebabkan lime jus dia macam campur dengan cordial je, aku terminum sikit. Rosak poleo diet aku arini gara-gara tekak yang gatal hari ni. But its ok, will burn it off dekat gym today. Macam mana nak bergym dengan kaki yang sengal2 ni pun aku tak sure lagi.

More updates to come!

Paleo Day 6 Dinner - Sweet potato & egg salad

Semalam melarikkan diri dari ofis jam 5.35pm. Badan aku still crampy, sengal2 etc. Kerja masih bertimbun. Aku decide untuk bawak balik one of the work.

Sampai rumah dengan perasaan happy sebab takde trafik jem. Tukar baju jap aku terus ke dapur nak buat dinner. Malam semalam aku prepare sweet potato and white potato egg salad makan dengan meatballs.

Resepi salad ubi-ubian dan telur.

Mula-mula aku bersihkan potatoes tu semua. Since aku nak makan sorang and aku nak prepare 2 portion supaya esok tak payah masak, aku just gunakan one of each potatoes. Aku buangkan kulit and potong kiub bite size. Kalau mulut korang besau, boleh le potong besau-besau. Dah siap tu, aku masukkan dalam periuk berisi air dan garam sikit and rebus ubi tu sampai lembut. At the same time, kita rebuskan telur. Aku paki 2 biji telur. Cara rebus telur korang tau kot *wink*

Once ubi dah lembut and telur pun dah masak, kita boleh la buat dressing dia yang super simple. After dah letakkan ubi dalam mangkuk, kupas kulit telur kemudian potong telur tu sesedap rasa. Masukkan sekali dalam mangkuk berisi ubi tadi. Hiriskan sikit daun bawang untuk dapatkan rasa bawang. Bagi yang gemar makan bawang, boleh la letak hirisan bawang besar dalam tu.Then, masukkan garam and blackpeper secukup rasa. Lastly, masukkan extra virgin olive oil. Gaul sampai sebati kemudian makan!

Senangkan? So tu la menu aku malam tadi. Again, malas nak amik gambar. So gambar kat atas ni aku dapat kat google. Bentuk rupa dia lebih kurang sama la dengan salad yang aku buat semalam.

For supper, since mak aku  risau sangat dengan tahap kesihatan aku sekarang, dia suggest aku minum minyak kelapa dara sebelum tidur untuk sembuhkan internal injuries katanya. InsyaAllah. Memandangkan bau minyak kelapa dara tu agak kuat, aku blend mango dengan celery, jadikan jus. So for my supper, aku lapik perut dengan jus tu kemudian minum satu sudu besar minyak kelapa dara yang mak aku buat eyh. Bukan beli tau. Gambar kat bawah ni sekadar hiasan saje.

Rasa dia, eeeww...

Paleo Day 6

Dah 6 hari dah rupanya aku ikut Paleo diet ni. My verdict so far, I lost over 1 kg. Aku rasa just by cutting off sugar from your diet, you would be able to lose weight. But then again, aku punya 10 days challenge ni bukan untuk lose weight. I just want to make better choice and eat healthy meals so that I can heal my body. Tu je.

Aku rasa ubat yang doktor tu bagi dah menampakkan kesan. Although I still experience low grumbling sound coming from my gut, at least I am not going to the toilet as often as before. Thank God.

I am still contemplating whether to visit the specialist or not. My mom has been nagging me to go but truthfully, I don't like seeing doctors.

Anyway, untuk hari ke-6 ni makan biasa je. Morning, I took the probiotics, ubat dari doktor tu and pisang untuk lapik perut. Sampai ofis drink 2 gelas air. Lunch kt luar makan nasi campur. As usual, nasi dikurangkan. Lauk hari ni lebih pada meat. Kemudia aku amik egg tofu and mango salad tak lupa juga sambal belacan. Malam ni most probably just makan meatball yang aku dah prep and freeze semalam. Sos bolognese aku yang awesome pun masih ada lagi. I am set for tonite.

By the end of the week nak cuba diet lain plak. Been reading about all these different diet. Macam menarik je. Ada flat tummy diet la, 3 days diet la. Will read some more and make my decision by the end of the week.

Update later

Paleo Diet Day 3, 4 and 5

Mood nak update blog kat umah memang tak berapa nak ada sgt so, aku update semua sekali gus here.

Dinner Day 3

Aku masak sup ayam. Masak nasi. So makan tu je for that nite. Sebab malam tu aku rasa bloated, aku minum lemon & ginger infused water.

Day 4

Brunch
Since its Saturday, bangun pun lambat. Malas nak masak, malas nak keluar so aku just reheat the soup and makan ngn nasi and telur sunny side up. Drinks, lots of lemon & ginger infused water. At around 2pm aku walk to my panel clinic pegi jumpa doktor. Mintak referal letter nak jumpa specialist. At the same time dia bagi aku ubat juga. This time dia suspect aku ada IBS pulak. Entahlah...

Snack/Tea
Balik dari klinik singgah grocery. Beli salary and mango. Sampai umah, buat smoothie untuk mimum petang. Aku campurkan banana, mango, raspberries and a stick of salary. Warna dia memang gross giler la kan tapi rasa dia sedap ok. Sebabkan aku buat banyak, aku simpan a portion dalam freezer jadi gelato.

Dinner
For dinner, aku stir fry kacang buncis, garlic, onion and oyster sauce, telur dadar and the soup from the nite before.

Day 5

Breakfast
After a completely restful day on Saturday, aku decide untuk jadi aktif sikit on Sunday. I call up a friend and ajak dia hiking at Bukit Kiara. Before hiking I ate a banana and some water. Since we started a bit late, cuaca dah agak panas tapi it was a good hike. We spent almost an hour to complete the circuit.

Lunch
After hiking lapar. Memang ingat nak makan nasi lemak. Since dah pukul 11 lebih time tu, nasi lemak pun dah habis. End up makan nasi beriani ayam dekat Restoran Ismail TTDI. First time rasanya makan nasi beriani kat tempat tu. Nasi amik sikit, then ayam dia besar gila. Aku m intak acar timun dia lebih sikit. Air, just plain ice water. Heaven... Sampai rumah, shower and rehat. Did a bit of light exercise while watching tv. Starting to have bowel movement... Happy!

Tea/Snacks
Was feeling restless kat umah. Nak buat house chores pun macam malas. So around 5 aku keluar ke Tesco Mutiara Damansara. Park kat sana sebab free and banyak parking. By thattime perut cam rasa lapar sikit. So I went to Juice Works dekat Curve and get myself Smooth Operator. Ingredients dalam tu ada guava, celery, pineapple and orange. Sedap. With that as snacks I made my way to Ikano. Sebab sebenar ke Ikano is to go to Cold Storage cari decaf coffee. Jelous gila pagi2 and petang dapat hidu bau coffee je kat ofis tapi tak boleh minum. Choices for decaf coffee tak berapa banyak, tapi kalau banding dengan tesco, cold srorange has wider range. So I choose to try Nescafe Classic but decaf. Nescafe Gold pun ada decaf tapi aku nak try yang biasa dulu. Tengok how my tummy takes it. I also bought sweet potato and almond. Snack untuk ptg tu.

Owh, nak dijadikan cerita, kat depan cold storage tu ada clearance sale. Aku berjaya rembat a pair of jeans and 2 work blouse and each costs me RM19! Awesome kan? Dah puas shopping kat Ikano pergi Tesco balik. Ye la. Since aku park kat sana, kena beli barang kat sana sikit before bleh dapat parking free. I bought some rice, birthday card for my boss, cat food since its on sale and face tissue. Less than 10 items. Habis shopping terus balik rumah.

Dinner
Sampai rumah, aku start bersihkan dapur. Since Saturday was my lazy day, pinggan, periuk, kuali semua penuh dalam sinki. At the same time aku take out the ground beef yang aku beli last week. So the plan is to make meatballs & homemade bolognese. Resepi semua pakai hentam je.

Resepi Bolognese hentam keromo
Diced onions, carrots and celery. Sauted dengan minyak masak sikit sampai layu pakai api medium. Memang agak lama la proses ni. Bila semua bahan tu dah agak layu, masukkan crush garlic, black pepper and salt. Goreng lagi sampai semua naik bau and lembut. Bila dah lembut, aku masukkan tomato puree and sikit air. Since aku ada banyak cherry tomato, aku masukkan sekali and let it simmer for 20 mins kot. I stir it occasionally so that takde bahan yang hangus kat bawah.

Resepi meatball
In between masak sos tu, aku prepare meatball. Aku masukkan diced onion, garlic, salt and paprika. Aku masukkan juga sebiji telur untuk bind them together. Buat bentuk ball and goreng. Aku tak goreng sampai masak sangat coz I intend to put them in the sauce so that they can finish cooking in the sauce. Dalam pukul 10.30 baru siap masak. So, last night aku makan meatballs dengan bolognese sauce and the smoothies I made the day before. No pasta for me but still Kenyang!

It was a great weekend. Yeay!
  

Flattered by Anil Netto

Was feeling down due to health issue. Updating my blog with so much negativity. Tetiba terfikir nak check pageview. Nampak my post on Melaka dapat banyak reader secara tak semena-mena. Saw that the traffic source was from anilnetto.com.

I was surprised to see that my entry on Melaka was mentioned on his blog. You can read it here. Tatau nak rasa malu or bangga or what.

Oh well, I am glad that I manage to get my opinion out there. Manage to read a bit about him. Interesting guy. Should read more of his posts as he writes about current issues effecting Malaysians. Definitely something I am passionate about.

If you are reading this dear Mr. Anil Netto, thanks and yes I am embarrassed. I just hope that Melaka State Government could pay more attention to public amenities than waste their time and money on talking nonsense and giving empty promises to the rakyat.

Have to get back to work now.

Paleo Day 3- Kucar Kacir

Hari ni rasa tak best sikit. Malam tadi lepas dinner perut bloating. Aku dah dekat seminggu kot takde proper bowel movement (BM). So, aku amik 45ml lactulose. Kesannya, stomach cramp. BM takde jugak.

Pagi ni makan probiotics. Sampai ofis lambat hasil tidur yang tak berapa nak lena kerana sakit perut. Kol 7.30 baru bangun. Kol 8.15 baru sampai ofis. Nasib baik bos tak sampai lagi. Pegi toilet, diarrhea as usual. Tak banyak pun. Bloating stil tak turun eventhough malam tadi bangun pergi toilet 2-3 kali.

Bila bos masuk, setelkan preparation meeting dia dgn CEO dulu. Lepas update blog, baca plak e-mail yg menyakitkan mental. Research sikit sebelum reply, tak jumpa2 maklumat yg dicari. Fikiran still terganggu sebab perut aku ni dah mula buat gurgling noise. Keep on sipping warm water. Going to the toilet every hour. Small quantity of discharge.

Apetite aku unaffected. Lunch hari ni nasi ayam. Sedap. I load on greens, salad timun. Nasi sikit je.

After lunch Stress fikir coz now dok pk meeting kol 2.30. Pastu, witness statement utk kes kat Industrial Court pun tak setel lagi. Adoi...

In short, hari yang tak berapa best. I hope the condition will improve. If not, esok nak pegi klinik mintak surat referral ke specialist.

Update later

Paleo Diet Day 2 - Omega 3 rich dinner

Semalam balik kerja agak lewat. Melayan bos yang stress sebab CEO dari China nak datang melawat esok. Dekat setengah jam dengar dia mengeluh je. Sesak nafas aku dibuatnya. Siap semua keje semalam aku cabut. Kol 7.15pm gerak dari ofis. Sebab lapar sgt dalam jem, aku sempat la makan sebiji pisang dalam kereta.

Sampai umah, terus buka peti ais. Fikir nak makan apa, nak masak apa. Ayam, daging semua lupa nak keluarkan pagi tadi. Kalau nak tunggu thawed baru nak masak, alamatnya kol 10 la baru aku dapat makan. So, aku kuarkan ground beef dari freezer untuk dia thaw sekejap, then aku pegi mandi and buat apa-apa yang patut.

Ingat nak buat meatballs, bila memikirkan macam banyak je nak kena cincang and aku pun tak berapa rajin, aku buat omelet je la. Bahan-bahan dia simple je, 2 biji telur, sikit hirisan bawang besar, sikit ground beef and cherry tomatoes. Nak masak dia lagi simple. Aku pakai olive oil utk caramelized bawang, kemudian aku stirfrykan sekali ground beef. Sementara stirfry tu kita seasonkan beef tu dgn salt and paprika just nak kasi flavour. Kemudian aku masukkan cherry tomato, bagi dia layu sikit. Once semua dah masak, aku masukkan beaten eggs yang aku season sikit dgn salt. Then walah! bSiap untuk dingap.

Sebab rupa dia agak buruk, aku tak snap pun gambar omelet tu. Lepas makan omelet tu aku amik sebiji fish oil as supplement. Berganda-ganda omega 3 dalam badan aku semalam.

That's all folks. More updates to come

Top 3 Myths

Since I'm a Fairy, I am full of myths * I'm not high on drugs or anything k

What i mean by myth is the normal, usual first impression (sometimes 3rd, 4th, 5th and they have that same impression for years) of me by my friends. Yes by my friends, those who are suppose to know me well..

1. High on top of the list is "Farina tu sombong". I get this every time, every where and I am so used to it. From high school friends to university friends to fellow lawyers, they all will come to this same conclusion. The real fact is that, I'm actually very shy. Its difficult for me to really talk to a person and look them in the eyes if I don't really know them.
2. Second is "Farina budak pandai". The fact is that I am not born clever. I have a very garang mother as my teacher. With scoldings from her everyday for the rest of the life, I bet anyone can be as clever as me *laugh
   
3. "Farina tu selalu serius je" I think I'm born with this serious look plastered on my face. Can't help it. The fact that I rarely smile made it worst I think. The truth is I'm only serious in court, while doing work which involves chasing datelines and when I'm listening to problems. What I'm trying to say is that, I am not serious all the time. Most of the time I'm hilarious and I love to laughs. I laughs at the silliest jokes and when I laugh, I L.O.L and sometimes I ROTFL... hahahhaah....

Tioman [repost]

Kalau nak tau, ni sebenarnya my 2nd attempt utk menulis entri dalam bahasa melayu. 1st attempt fail denganhebatnya apabila formatting kucar kacir n takleh nak publish post. Jadi terpaksalah saya menulis semula entri ni.

Cuma nak update readers on my trip to Tioman. A few months ago, sy cuma boleh visualize je Tioman tu. Akhirnya, pada bulan Julai, sy berjaya juga sampai ke situ setelah menempuhi pelbagai jenis halangan ;p

Patutnya, kami pergi b'4. Disebabkan hal-hal yg ak dpt dielakkan di mana kwn sy "Engineer-terlampau" telah jatuh sakit, makanya hanya sy danDaphne je yg meneruskan perjalanan ke Tioman.

Kami telah ambil pakej percutian dari myholiday2u.com. RM 275 per person. Harga tu termasuklah penginapan 3 hari 2 malam di Damai Resort Tioman, 1 welcome drink 1 lunch, 2 breakfast, 1 dinner dan 1 BBQ dinner dan yg plg best skali, 1 snorkeling trip menaiki speedbot.

Atas bantuan seorang kawan baru, kami berjaya sampai ke Tg. Gemok pada jam lebih kurang 10.30 pagi. Selepas menguruskan dokumentasi perjalanan, kami bersarapan dulu di gerai berhampiran.

Kami menaiki feri pada jam 11.30 pagi dan sampai di Kg. Genting Pulau Tioman pada jam lebih kurang 1.15petang. Sesampai je di Jeti Kg. Genting, kami telah disambut oleh host dan dibawa ke resort untuk menikmati welcome drink dan diberikan briefing ringkas oleh host Damai Resort yg chubby, bubbly and friendly, Abg Bakhtiar. Lepas briefing tu, kami masuk bilik yg terletak btol2 di depan common area/dining area kami. Bilik tu mmg selesa banget. Ada air-cond, 2 double bed, hot shower, fnctional toilet & tv yg channel dia sgt blur.

Lepas tukar pakaian to something yang lebih selesa, kami terus menjelajah pulau. Time tu panas sikit la tp sebab teruja sgt tgk air laut yg biru, kami pki sunscreen and terus keluar. Dekat ujung Kg. Genting, ada satu kawasan pantai yg sgt cantik airnya. Tak silap tempat tu dipanggil Blue Ocean. Mmg air dekat situ warna biru. Menarik sgt. Hari pertama tu mmg kami jalan-jalan je. Penat jalan, g mkn burger plak. Merata-rata ceruk Kg. org jual burger. Sy terpk, Patut tukar nama la Tioman ni jadi Burger Island :p

Pas penat jalan, mkn burger, main air, tangkap gambar, kami balik bila

dan tidur. Ptg tu ditakdirkan hujan pulak. Lg sedap la kami tidur.

Kami bangun untuk mkn mlm. Simple dishes tp sedap banget. Mkn malam tu ala-ala buffet dan kami diserve seekor ikan sikap (kot) masak sweetsour utk setiap couple. Mlm tu sy perasan ada around 6-8 couple. Semuanya berpasangan lelaki dan perempuan. Mungkin newly wed yg sedang honeymoon. Yg bawak anak kecik pun ada.

Mkn mlm tu mmg best cuma after mkn sy rasa cam badan panas sket. So, kakak sy si Daphne to insist kami pergi cari panadol. Kedai runcit pun kat depan chalet kami gak. So setelah membeli belah, kami jalan-jalan sikit hirup udara malam dan tgk aktiviti yg ada kat citu. Kat resort kami ada karoke machine yg free untuk digunakan oleh guests. So, aktiviti melalak yg sgt hebat berlaku mlm itu. Near d jetty, ada 1 bar. Mat salleh n Chinese ramai hangout kat situ minum2 beer. Sbb cuaca yg sejuk n suhu badan yg panas, kami balik ke bilik untuk berehat. Agak susah gak nak lelapkan mata malam tu sbb lalakkan yang berterusan sehingga pagi. Nevertheless, sy berjaya jugak tidur.

2nd day starts with a very nice breakfast. Hari ni adalah snorkeling day. Excited banget coz tak penah cuba snorkeling ni. Pas mkn breakfast yg sgt variety (ada nasi lemak, mee goreng, toasts with jem, peanut butter, mentega & cereal mcm cococrunch and honeystars pun ada k) kami diberikan taklimat dulu oleh abg Bakhtiar mengenai aktiviti, kemudian kami pun bergerak ke jeti di mana speedbot kami telahpun menunggu.

Ceriter snorkeling and mabuk sambil berenang will be updated soon ;p

My Ramadhan Story

I am so happy and grateful that I was given the chance by God Almighty to fast in this holy month of Ramadhan. Wishing all Muslims friends a very happy Ramadhan :)

This is my second year fasting at home with my parents most of the time. I love fasting at home coz its so comfortable. On 2008, I had to fast in KL. At that time I was chambering in a firm near Jalan Masjid India and was staying in an apartment in Sentul Timur. In my experience, Ramadhan 2008 was the worst Ramadhan in my life. It didn't feel like it was a fasting month at all.

We (KC & I) break fast in office most of the time by eating whatever we could grab downstairs. There were so many people in Jalan Masjid India and there were not so many choices. There was this one day, we break fast with instant noodle in the office because we were way to busy to go downstairs and buy proper food. I don't recommend anyone to eat out during break fast period in KL because every food outlets will be packed with people. So, most of the days we end up drinking coffee in the office then grab something to eat before we go home around 9pm everyday.

However, we were so grateful to be living in Sentul Timur at that time coz Sentul Timur has the longest Bazaar Ramadhan. We visited the Bazaar every chance we got and mostly its on the weekends coz we were not working. I had the pleasure of sharing the Ramadhan with a friend for United States, Adelaide and she had a blast trying all the different food and drinks available.

I am never fussy when it comes to food during Ramadhan. Dates is a must for me and I eat whatever available. Maybe because I've experienced Ramadhan in college, away from family and eating whatever was serve in the dining hall. I loss so much weight fasting in college, it was 2006 if I'm not mistaken. I had a great Ramadhan on 2007. I was renting a house in Shah Alam with a bunch of friends. Breaking fast with them is an awesome activity. There were so many bazaar Ramadhan in Shah Alam and there were so many place that we can hangout and break fast. The best is on an open field near the lake. Sweet memories...

Wishing everyone the very best of Ramadhan! God Bless.

Red Velvet Cake

The 2nd day of Raya I tried baking Red Velvet Cake. I mention about wanting to do it in one post last month. Finally I manage to do it. Got the recipe from Joy of Baking. Change a few things but it turns out great. The cake is so moist and the frosting is nice and sweet. Its chocolaty and not too sweet. Will definitely bake again soon.

My friend, Bullah enjoying the red velvet cake during his visit to my house. Brought some for Baiti who was in the hospital. She likes it too.. I am so glad :)

Sharing is Caring

I just want to share something with you guys. An e-mail I received from a dear friend.

POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

Personality:
1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
3. Don't over do; keep your limits
4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does
5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
6. Dream more while you are awake
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more
14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree

Community:15. Call your family often
16. Each day give something good to others
17. Forgive everyone for everything
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day
20. What other people think of you is none of your business
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything
24. Do the right things
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
27. The best is yet to come
28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people you school with,
people you play with, people you work with and people you live with.
Not only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you.
by Randy Pausch

Being Normal

I rarely complaints out loud in my blog. I'm seeking permission to do just that today. Pardon me, forgive me but I need to be a normal human being just for awhile.

I've been feeling so tired for the past few days. I sleep at night with thoughts about work almost every night. Its so difficult to do any positive visualization when I have all sorts of problems congesting my mind.

Being the office manager is such a headache. I desire having reliable staffs. No nonsense staffs. Dear God, dear life, give me the strength to go through each passing day.

I just want to sleep. Rest. Think about nothing but happiness in the future. Think about love. So many things in my mind right now!!! If only I could just dump a portion of my memory somewhere.

Work is giving me too much headache. M losing my sleep and appetite thinking of work. Is it too challenging??

Last but not least, let me count my blessings.

Thank you for giving me faithful sisters. They are the most reliable person in my life!! and I love them to death. Thank you for allowing me to work in a very supportive firm. They forever encourage me, advise me, supports me, love me, teach me and care for me. Thank you for giving me the wisdom and courage to tackle each duty that I've been entrusted with. Thank you for the never ending guidance from Allah. Thank you for protecting me and always keeping me safe from harm. Thank you for giving me the strength to wake up every morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to breath and live yet another day. Thank you for giving me kind hearted friends who always care for my well being. Bless them with happiness and health also wealth. Thank you for giving me such wonderful nephew. He gave me great joy and happiness. Bless him with a wonderful life, health and happiness. Thank you for the feeling of love that I feel each and every moment in my life from everyone and everything that surrounds me.

God Bless You!

Writing Down Your Worries Can Boost Performance??

I read about this topic here.

I have yet to test the theory but i think the theory might not work for me. The basic rule in the Secret teaching is "Thought Become Things". So, if you write down your worries, you are thinking of your worries and according to the Secret's teaching, your worries is going to materialise coz your are thinking about it.

by Mr. Google

So, what do I do when I worry about something?

I distract my self by doing something that makes me happy. Like reading in a bookshop or listening to music or drive around or workout in the gym, or eating ice cream. For the time being, the best remedy I found is, talking to someone. Sometimes, we really think that we had a rough day at work or our work is so hard or our boss is such a badass or whatever when in reality, there are others who has even worse job then ours. I find it soothing listening to other people's problem when I my self is jammed with problems. When I listen to their problem which most of the time is worse then mine and when I could find solutions for their problems make me realise that my problems are solveable so, I have nothing to worry about.

Oh well, lain orang lain cara rite? Just be happy coz we live only once, why waste it by worrying?

by Mr. Google again

Paleo Diet Day 2

Update sekejap on my diet before sambung keje. Takut malam kang sampai umah je dah malas nak online.

So, hari ini dimulakan dengan air sejuk dan 2 biji probiotik from Biolife. Mudah-mudahan dia akan improve my gut punya condition.

Sampai ofis biasanya aku akan buat coffee. But since aku suspect my intestinal is inflamed, aku akan cut off all forms of caffein termasuklah tea. Kalau ikut paleo diet, coffee and tea without sugar is fine. Since aku ni inflaming, kita puasa la kafein kejap. So, sampai ofis aku minum air suam and makan 1 ripe banana. That's my breakfast. 

At 12pm, aku keluar lunch. My plate include small portion of white rice, stir fried beef with black pepper, fried cat fish, cooked pineapple and soft boiled okra with sambal belacan. 1 portion of water melon pastu air, limau ais kosong (withhout sugar). Paleo rasanya menu ni. On the way balik ofis, singgah jap kat kedai runcit untuk beli banana. I am going to have them for snacks later today. 

Malam ni plan nak masak sup. Tapi tak sure lagi rajin ke tak. Kalau tak rajin (most of the time penat bukan malas), kita makan buah-buahan je. Seedless grapes ada lagi satu bekas, cherry tomatoes beli semalam, tak sentuh lagi and banyak pisang. So, tonight my dinner is set even if too tired to cook.

More updates to come

Peanuts Is Not Nuts?

Disebabkan 2014 aku nak jadi health conscious, nak ikut paleo diet etc so that I can successfully heal my body, aku read a lot. One of the things yang paleo dieters tak bleh makan is peanuts tetapi at the same time diorang suruh makan nuts.

So aku jadi confius kejap. Peanuts is not nuts? Biar betul? At this moment, aku ada 1 can of Koh-Kae Peanuts perisa BBQ. Sedap tau kacang ni.

Aku pun buat la quick search. Nak pastikan aku boleh  makan ke tak peanut ni if aku nak follow paleo diet strictly.

Secara ringkasnya. Peanuts is legumes and nuts is actually tree nuts. Kacang yang tak boleh dimakan oleh paleo dieters adalah kacang tanah, kacang soya, kacang kuda etc. Tree nut is basically a fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, where the hard-shelled fruit does not open to release the seed. Contoh macam almond, walnut & hazel nut. Susah sebenarnya nak differentiate. Jalan mudah, avoid them altogether. heheh...

So, kenapa peanuts or legumes is one of the not to eat food in paleo diet? Boleh baca kat sini kalau rajin. Kalau  malas, aku explain briefly kat bawah:-

1. Legumes ni kurang zat nutrisi. Unless korang eat them mentah2, bila kita masak kacang2 ni semua, zat dia dah takde.
2. Dalam legumes ada phytates. Benda ni menghalang badan kita dari menyerap mineral.
3. Legumes mengandungi Lectins. Lectin adalah sejenis bahan yang dikeluarkan oleh tumbuh-tumbuhan untuk mengelakkan diri mereka dari dimakan. Kalau makan, akan mendatangkan masalah dekat usus. 
4. High in protease inhabitor - Protease adalah enzim yg tolong hadamkan protein. Protease inhabitor prevent protease from doing its job. So, kalau makan kacang, protein dalam badan tak dapat digest properly and again mendatangkan masalah penghadaman.
5. Legumes have carbs. So bagi mereka yang nak kurangkan berat badan, tak elok makan legumes ni banyak2
6. Legumes juga mungkin mengandungi phytoestrogen - Plant-estrogen, sejenis hormon. So, if makan banyak legumes yg ada phytoestrogen ni, estrogen dalam badan kita boleh meningkat.
7. Legumes contains saponins- try la google kalau nak tau saponins ni apa. In short, banyak saponin dalam badan, akan rosakkan usus. 

So now I knoe kenapa aku ni bermasalah kat bahagian usus lately. Aku banyak makan kacang and aku suka minum soya bean. so, one step at a time, aku akan bagi kacang koh-kae atas meja aku ni pada bos aku. Dia memang suka junk food. Pastu, I will not drink or eat legumes based product. At least not until I am fully recovered.

Updates on Day 1

It was a quiet and restful new year yesterday. No celebration for me as I was too tired. I didn't even wait till its midnight. I think by 10pm, I have already fallen asleep. I was woken up by the sound of fireworks and I was like, "what's going on?? Owh, its new year" Back to sleep.

I woke up at 4.30am. Checked my phone. 3 new SMS. The first was from Mr. VW (very wrong). He wished me happy birthday and happy  new year. I have no idea where he was. 2nd SMS was from KC, my dearest fren and the 3rd was from my awesome boss. After replying to all their text, I watch some tv and get back to sleep.

I did woke up a bit late. Made my self an omelet with 2 eggs and head out. I get to do a bit of grocery shopping, went to the pharmacy to get some supplement & I also had a nice lunch. Was thinking of going to the mall but the traffic leading to any mall was a nightmare. I decided to shop at a nearby grocers instead.

For dinner, I had a bowl of seedless grapes and cold water. I am really going into this whole paleo diet thing. I just want to heal my inside so that I look more radiant on the outside. My 2014 mission statement is , Let's Be Happy By Making Better Choices.

Day 1

Happy new year everyone. Happy birthday to  me!

Yes today is my birthday. No celebration just many warm wishes from those who loves me the most or those who are closest to me.

2014. A new year. A fresh start. I start of my day with a promise. To heal my self and to keep my self healthy. My aim is not to loose weight, I just want to be healthy by making better choices. So, I am going to start a short term goal. Starting today till 10th January I am going to do the following:-

1.  stay off simple sugar i.e sweets, chocolate, ice cream & carbonated drinks
2.  eat fresh fruits instead
3. drink water
4. stay off processed food
5. eat more greens and home cook meals
6. no fast food, no junk food

So today, as the 1st day I started with an omelet and water. I went to the pharmacy and bought probiotics. I has bento and shashimi at Sushi King for lunch. Then I went grocery shopping. I bought the following:-

1. potatoes
2. baby carrots and cherry tomatoes for snacks
3. ground meat
4. chicken
5. grapes
6. lemons
7. eggs  

I am going to make meatballs and refrigerate them. I also intend to make potatoes salad as I can keep it refrigerated too. That way I can safe some cooking time. Sometime, after coming back from work, I can get so tired and end up eating instant noodle which is bad!

I will update this blog as regularly as I can.