Celiac and Gluten

My BIL has celiac disease. He can eat as much as he wants without worry of stuffing all those calories and fats in his belly. But his diet doesn’t mean he can have anything he wants rather, he can eat bigger portions of food that he can only have. He’s actually subsisting on rigid and boring diet. Celiac is caused by a reaction to gliadin, a gluten protein found in wheat, rye and barley. The only effective treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet and that means, celiac people only eats gluten-free food. Now, that’s what I meant with boring.

Subsisting on gluten-free diet means you can’t gate-crash at some parties or the parties you hosted cater only gluten-free diet so the selection of food that you can serve is limited. Eating out is not a good option either, unless you can find a gluten-free restaurant, which I haven’t heard of yet. And those living with a person with gluten-free diet, unless the “cook” fixes-up two meals, will also make-do with the routine meal.

Having a gluten-free food is not at all that a misery. Shopping is made easy. What good in this place is, packaging label is strictly regulated so every single processed goods in the market are specifically marked “gluten-free” or “contains gluten”. There are also shops like bakery that especially baked/sell gluten-free bread and goods, so shopping for gluten-free items are not really a hard-done task. It just makes your pockets deeper. Gluten-free items cost more than half and sometimes double or triple the price of ordinary goods. I think that’s the price you have to pay to make a lingering mark in this world.

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Do You know Your Shoes

I am a shoes person and I am sure most women are. My Husband call me the next Imelda Marcos. But my knowledge about shoe kinds is just very limited to what are commonly known as closed-shoes and sandals/clogs. Now, no more! Thanks to BeautyDen article about shoes.

Women certainly love their shoes. Are you like Carrie Bradshaw, the sassy fashionista character played by Sarah Jessica Parker in the HBO hit series Sex and the City, who has some $40,000.00 invested in a closet full of shoes but has yet to wear all of them?

Do you know your shoes? If you do know your shoes, then well and good for you. You can go ahead and skip the rest of this article.

But if you do not have even the smallest of ideas as to what kinds of shoes there are around, then perhaps it may interest you to skim through the rest of this piece. So, do you know your shoes?

Ankle strap shoes. Ankle strap shoes are shoes that have buckled or elastic straps that are fastened around the ankle. They can either be sandals or pumps. However, ankle strap shoes where the strap is a ribbon or string that is wrapped many times around the ankle and are tied are more often called ankle wrap shoes.

Ballerina flats. Ballerina flats are footwear that have flat heels and closed toes. Aside from these, ballerina flats often show most of the top of the wearer’s foot and are also styled like slippers.

Clogs. Clogs have thick platform heels, traditionally made of wood but can now be made from other materials. They also have closed toes and open backs.

d'Orsay pump. A d’Orsay pump is a type of shoe where the sides are cut away to reveal the arch of the foot.

Espadrilles. Espadrilles are slip-ons made of woven fabric and with a flexible sole. The fabric making up the shoe is usually canvas.

Kitten heel shoes. Kitten heel shoes are pumps with thin and low heels set. These heels are set in from the back of the shoes and often emphasize the feminine shape of the heel.

Mary Jane shoes. Mary Jane shoes are shoes that have straps over the top of the foot. These shoes can either have just one strap or more than one. Mary Janes also come in different heights.

Mules. A shoe is a mule if the back is open and the toes are closed. But unlike clogs, the heel of a mule can either be chunky or slender, regardless of height.

Platform shoes. A platform shoe has a thick sole at the front. The heels can either be wedged, thick and chunky, or even stilettos.

Slide shoe. A slide shoe is a slip on shoe that has either a single strap or a set of straps across the top, but with both the toe and the back open. A slide shoe can come in flats or can also have a heel of any type or height.

Sling-back shoes. If a shoe has a strap at the back instead of having a full, closed back, it is a sling-back shoe. A sling-back shoe can either have an open toe or a closed toe.

Stiletto shoes. Stiletto shoes have slender, high and pointed heels. They are also called spikes.

Wedge. Wedge shoes are those that have triangular heels that run from the back of the shoe to the middle or even the front, creating a wedge shape. Wedge shoes come in different heights.

Isn't it interesting? My vocabulary in the shoes department has expand. :D

Now, let's talk about shoes!

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The Power of the Heart

How powerful is the human heart? What happened to the recipient after the heart transplant? Will he/she feels the life of the donor or his/her own old life alone?

These questions have been bugging me since I read the book a looonnnggg time ago, Home Again by Kristin Hannah. Here is an excerpt:

Hollywood bad boy, Angel De Marco has everything - talent, looks and fame. Then tragedy strikes, and he winds up in the care of cardiologist Madelaine Hillyard, the woman he had ran out on 16 years before. But it will take more than forgiveness for the betrayals of the past to save Angel

Angel has a brother, Father Francis - obviously a priest, who's the complete opposite of him in attitude even while they were young. Angel, the bad boy - alcoholic, smoker - was prompted by a very bad news, he won't live long unless he'll have a heart transplant. That's when Madelaine, his childhood love and his brother came into the picture again.

Moving forward, Father Francis met an accident on a stormy night when he was going home from a conference. He then became brain dead. And his heart was transplanted to Angel, of course with out the latter's knowing. There is this strict confidentiality regulation.

After the transplant, Angel became a different person. In some ways, he was living his own old life as well as Father Francis'. The story has a happy, melodramatic ending.

The story is too good to be true, but yeah, still a fiction, hence the questions in my mind.

Recently, I watched a telly program about heart transplant.

It was said that 10% of the recipient in a heart transplant feel the lives or part of it of their donors. The donor's heart passed on the talent, feeling, memories and tastes to the new owner of the heart.

Skeptics said, these events were just coincidences. After all, the human heart is a huge genetic organ that communicates to the brain and it is the reason why recipients are feeling the lives of their donors. The heart can't generate ideas or memories but is only capable of pumping blood. It is believed that these are just psychological effects.

On the other hand, some geniuses believed that the human heart is capable of storing memories and ideas. There is the question now of where our memory resides? It is distributed throughout the nervous system and the heart is part of that system. One doctor conducted a study and research and found out that the heart has neurons which is the little brain of the heart.

The heart stop pumping right after it was removed from the donor's body, it is then cooled and can stay alive up to 4 hours. It will just resume pumping blood once it is attached to the body of the recipient. The compelling question is, how then the heart knew that it will pump blood once it is attached to the human body? How will it remember that it is its function? One can say that it has its own intelligence. One can argue that, as well!

I can't say that I now know the answer. I only will if I happen to be a recipient, which I never wish to happen. But I am sort of clarified.

At the end of the day, it is not the donor that will be blame or be honored for whatever the recipient did after the transplant. The heart may not be his/hers but he still has the control over his/her actions. But wouldn't it be a happy and new beginning if the recipient ditch his/her old bad self, if there is, and live the good side of the donor?

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Bread and Making Sandwiches

Before I came in the land of kangaroo, outback and right-hand-drivers driving on the opposite side of the road, I am not really into eating bread nor do I am adept at making sandwiches. Sure I ate bread before but it was basically a pandesal or two in the morning and not wh0le meal or wheat bread. While if I made sandwiches, the spread would always be from take-home-bottle-from-the-supermarket or just a simple combination of tuna and mayonaise - still no-cook spread from the supermarket isles. My meal would always be of staple rice and veggies/fish/meat.

But now, no more! I am already a convert. After my bout with pregnancy sickness, I was back to my normal eating habit and is actually eating more and more each day. I can't really say that I love eating bread - btw, whole meal/multi-grain is the favorite, but I cant deny that I am used to eating it every day and even with all the main meal. Who wouldnt if you can see Hubs scoffed his sandwiches, the drab-food looks so appealing and mouth-watering that you cant deny yourself to have a grub? I still eat rice once in a while, that is, if I can cook it right. :D

I really have fun putting on butter to bread when making sandwiches. It is like painting the whole wall that you shouldnt miss a tiny area. And I now seldom if not use bottled spread, except for the toast in the morning. I am learning how to make it from scratch - cooking the meat, boiling the eggs, etc. My favorite is cheese sandwich - my style, which is painless to prepare but still yummy! Just cut-cheese and various fresh veggies.. viola! Even yummier if you'll cook it, melting the cheese. *that's what I had for lunch* .

With all these, I am still very Filipina in preparing for these meals. Get my drift? :D

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Lotion Shopping, New Skin

Why is it so hard to shop for lotion apt for my skin during cold days? Maybe because I am just buying the ordinary-supermarket brand? I dont really mind if it is the most cheapos one as long as it doesnt leave my skin dry, frequent application is not a must, with mild and pleasing scent with the approval of my uber sensitive nostrils and not sticky - the latter two are really the key factors.

I was using this brand before - too sticky so not comfy to put on at night, then two weeks ago we bought this - not sticky with mild scent but my preggy nose said yucky and my skin reacts repulsively, then I got this last night - my nose doesnt react, I have yet to find out my skin's reaction. I dont want to waste money [kuripot kasi :D] but the products are usually sold in big containers so those that are not favorite for now will probably be off by the time they are needed. Hummmmm.... One more thing, I am cautious to pay an exorbitant price for those products that I am not familiar or haven't tried at all. Talking of being stingy and practical, I guess. Hehehe.

If this doesnt work after a week or two, this is next on my list. But hopefully, I dont have to do more lotion shopping.

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Ok. ok. ok.... like Dangkin, I have nothing to do today.. so I tinker my skin. ;D I think, I did a lot. I dont really like the header - will figure out how to change it some time soon, but I like the layout and the latter, weighs more, so I got it.

Cess, have tried twitter too, and I think, its fun and user-friendly. Thanks!

My fave color is light shades of blue but I never got a blog skin of that kind since then. Some color are nice but just doesnt fit to some things, I guess. But, I noticed, I always got the earth colors... should I switch to earth colors now for my darling shade? Not a bad idea! :D

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Why I Love Washing Whites

I have a love-hate relationship with laundry eversince I got the masters degree in Homemaker... :D particularly with whites. I love hanging the clothes on the line. Yup, we do the convential and old way of drying and airing clothes.. hanging them on a rotary clothes line. We do get an average 274 sunny days in a year, so a dryer is not a necessity. Besides, our washer has only 2 rinse cycles that I feel sunny-touch is a must. But I hate folding them... and these darn whites are stick-in-the-mud. The supposedly sparkling color turned to yellow, gray, you-name-it-color the more I washed it. I even banned Hubs in wearing white clothes and reckon that we shouldnt buy any white washable stuff.

Until I started using bleach. This isn't pricey, special, sophisticated, the best-in-the-market, extra-ordinary performing agent.... just an ordinary bleach with hot water in a bucket solve my dilemna. There are bleaching agents in the Philippines, Zonrox, was popular to me but I wasnt an avid user. I may have not really realized the purpose of the said bleach, thus, I didnt rely to it.

Now, I really recognize the benefit of using bleach that I even soaked multi-colored stuff.. and the beauty of it is, I can left it sitting for more than two days/nights and I dont get any foul smell. I just get results more than what I expected.

Who said, doing laundry could be this fun? Yup, I am looking forward to washing more whites. :P Thanks to the manufacturer of the bleach.

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Herod the Great

Im quite fascinated and interested in history, especially those that way back the time of Christ. Adding some stuff to your brain apart from what was fed by the bible makes you more curious and want to dig deeper.

Hubby was complaining last Good Friday that there were no religious/spiritual program on in telly. [in my mind, i reckon, this is how aussies commemorate holy week]. Well, it was already Easter when we had our little share of the show that we expected to see since the start of the week. The last bit was about Herod the Great.

We know Herod as the Jewish King who ordered the killings of the infants when Christ was born.

Matthew 2:16-18 (New International Version)
16When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."[a]

The program was related by historians and apart from the bits a pieces of exaggeration, which makes you think they were actually present during that times not just making speculations and educational guesses of what had happened based on the artifacts, the show was superbly discussed and illustrated.

Herod was just a commoner that turned to be a great icon in the Roman times. He was born and raised in Idumea to an Idumean father who later was converted to Judaism and became founder of the Herodian Dynasty. He became governor at the age of 25. He was appointed King of the Jews by Mark Anthony and later show his allegiance to Octavius - after the latter defeated Mark Anthony.

During his reign, he built the Temple of Jerusalem, the fortress in Herodian - the first ever man-made mountain with a palace on top of it, and a man-made harbour in Ceasaria - all of which was Roman inspired to show his loyalty to the latter. His architectural success was viewed as a political triumph and a show that Judea was prosperous.

Despite all these parade of his talent he was still remembered as the cruel king. He had ordered the death of the old Judean King when he was positioned to power, the killings of the high priests, the death [it was shown as an accident in the pool] of his brother-in-law - the latter being a threat to his position as a king, and even the death of his wife if he will die. He loved his wife [Mirriamne II] so much that he didn't want her with other man after him.

Fast forward, Herod suffered acute diseases in his later years - shortness of breath, severe stomach pain and the most-that-will-make-you-puke, worms were coming out of his body. In ancient beliefs, these illnesses were viewed to be the bad carma for what he had done but in todays medical research, he was said to be suffering from heart failure, kidney problem and the worm was caused by the flies that infested his infected body, leaving maggots.

Most if not all dying people, repent when they were in their death bed, but Herod was still Herod-like. In between pains and agony, he left a message that all the high priests will be killed right after he die - the mourning widows will make a spectacle that they were grieving for him.

Although being Herod "the Great", he died alone and mourned by no one.

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