Thursday, March 30, 2006
Coincidence?
We're having a boy, just as the lunar calendar predicted! Or, was it just a coincidence, given that it has a 50-50 chance of being right? Well, we're batting 1.000 with the accuracy of Isabella and baby #2's gender! So test it yourself here and see.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Peanuts everywhere!
Since Isabella is so sensitive to peanuts, not only are we avoiding all possible peanut contamination including Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, etc. restaurants, but also everything in the same family of foods. This site has a helpful list of what foods belong in which food family. I'm listing the legume family (to which peanut belongs) so I can remember what to be wary of. This does not mean that she is sensitive to all of these; often times there is no cross reactivity. But since each food is different, you will just have to test and see how your kid will react.
Legume family:
Most likely to cross react: soy, peas, lentils, chick peas (garbanzo beans)
Also in the family:
Acacia; Acacia Gum; Alfalfa; Arabic; beans; bean sprouts; Black-eyed pea; Carob; Carob (St. John's Bread); Cassia; fenugreek; Field Pea; Green Bean; Green Pea; Guar gum; Jack bean; Karaya Gum; Kidney bean; Licorice; Lima bean; Locust Bean Gum (found in Horizon Yogurt Tubes); lupin seeds; Mungo Bean; Navy Bean; Peanut oil; Pinto Bean; senna; Soybean; Soybean oil/flour/lecithin; soy sprouts; Split Pea; String Bean; Talca Gum; Tamarind; Tonka bean; Tragancanth Gum; Urd Flour; Chinese long beans, snap peas, snow peas, black beans
Also beware of arachis oil which is a type of peanut oil and are in many lotions
Legume family:
Most likely to cross react: soy, peas, lentils, chick peas (garbanzo beans)
Also in the family:
Acacia; Acacia Gum; Alfalfa; Arabic; beans; bean sprouts; Black-eyed pea; Carob; Carob (St. John's Bread); Cassia; fenugreek; Field Pea; Green Bean; Green Pea; Guar gum; Jack bean; Karaya Gum; Kidney bean; Licorice; Lima bean; Locust Bean Gum (found in Horizon Yogurt Tubes); lupin seeds; Mungo Bean; Navy Bean; Peanut oil; Pinto Bean; senna; Soybean; Soybean oil/flour/lecithin; soy sprouts; Split Pea; String Bean; Talca Gum; Tamarind; Tonka bean; Tragancanth Gum; Urd Flour; Chinese long beans, snap peas, snow peas, black beans
Also beware of arachis oil which is a type of peanut oil and are in many lotions
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Meal efficiency
Given Rich’s cholesterol-lowering diet, Isabella’s food allergy avoidance, and my pregnancy diet restrictions, it has gotten really challenging figuring out how to feed us all! It doesn’t help that I’m a pretty boring cook. Poor Rich and Isabella! Rich and I are total foodies, so this has really impacted our lifestyle. On the bright side, I’ve gotten to discover the wonders of xanthan gum, amaranth flour, tapioca starch, and all sorts of other products that I probably wouldn’t have touched otherwise!
Although I love eating, cooking is not my forte. And while I pride myself in being organized, efficient, and a good planner, cooking smart is one thing that is totally new to me. I usually decide day of what I’m in the mood to eat, and therefore waste a lot of time going to the store to shop for food. By the time I make that roundtrip, I’ve used up all the time I could have used to prepare and cook. Plus oftentimes I wind up cooking 2 dinners since Rich and I have different palates than Isabella. So, lots of energy wasted, which is a luxury that I can't afford any more now that I have a little one. But I’m learning, and getting better. Here are some good food planning ideas that I’ve picked up, many of which are from this article.
Plan ahead
- Plan your meals for the week (all 3!); write a thorough shopping list, sorting out ingredients you need to buy from different stores (if necessary); shop ONCE (preferably on a weekday morning when the stores are empty) for all the ingredients.
- Cook things (like a protein) that can carry you through the week, e.g. roast chicken or meatloaf (organic ground beef, finely chopped onion, some tomato bisque, bread crumbs, eggs, fresh herbs, lemon juice, and salt and pepper). Eat it for dinner one night, put it into sandwiches, fried rice, eggs or noodles for other meals.
- A few times a week, spend time cleaning and chopping vegetables and salad greens ahead of time. Then store them in sealed plastic bags so they're ready for a fast stir fry or salad another night. Make a couple of sauces that keep when you have some downtime, so you can turn plain steamed vegetables, baked potatoes, or rice and beans into a lovely light meal.
- Use a slow cooker. Put it on in the morning and by dinner the food is ready. Examples include beans, braising meat. See this for more slow cooker recipes
- Shop smart. Buy pastas already stuffed with pesto, or find flavor-baked foods. That way, you have some seasoning to work with already. Pick up organic frozen vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and artichokes.
Keep it Simple
- Don't try to get creative when you don't have time, but stick with the eight to ten dishes that you have mastered. Over time, they will become stress-free and second nature. It's good to have a couple of pastas, a roast chicken recipe, a stir-fry or two, an egg dish, and some soups in the mix. One idea is to keep recipes for your standard meals on 3x5 cards. On the back, write the list of ingredients for going to the store and any notes about making the meal you want to remember.
- Get sliced, precut vegetables or salad bar selections at the grocery store and keep them in your fridge in resealable plastic bags. Then pick one-pot meals like stir-fry that cut down on your cooking time. Example includes fried rice and noodles.
- Make foods that kids love to make. Examples are pizza or tacos. Make tacos with all-organic ingredients: ground beef, canned tomato sauce, and taco shells. Brown the meat with a southwestern taco seasoning, add the sauce, heat the taco shells, serve them with julienned romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, jack cheese, and sour cream.
Stock up on staples
- Have quick and easy to cook items in the freezer, like dumplings filled with your protein of choice, edamame (soybeans), pizza dough
- Create or buy several "speed scratch" ingredients — high-quality items like stocks, spice rubs, olive oils, jarred marinara sauces, or pre-made pesto that can add flavor fast if you're pushed for time
- Keep canned foods of your favorite stuff. Example, organic beans — pinto, black, red kidney, and chick-peas. These come in handy for tacos, quesadillas, and burritos. Another idea is for a bean dip — black beans, lime, garlic, ground cumin, salt, and tomato juice — smushed up in a food processor, which kids seem to like. Most bean-based chili, soups, and casseroles freeze beautifully. Make a big batch on the weekend and freeze in several smaller containers. Take out a tub before you go to work or start your day and it will be ready to heat and eat when you get home.
Although I love eating, cooking is not my forte. And while I pride myself in being organized, efficient, and a good planner, cooking smart is one thing that is totally new to me. I usually decide day of what I’m in the mood to eat, and therefore waste a lot of time going to the store to shop for food. By the time I make that roundtrip, I’ve used up all the time I could have used to prepare and cook. Plus oftentimes I wind up cooking 2 dinners since Rich and I have different palates than Isabella. So, lots of energy wasted, which is a luxury that I can't afford any more now that I have a little one. But I’m learning, and getting better. Here are some good food planning ideas that I’ve picked up, many of which are from this article.
Plan ahead
- Plan your meals for the week (all 3!); write a thorough shopping list, sorting out ingredients you need to buy from different stores (if necessary); shop ONCE (preferably on a weekday morning when the stores are empty) for all the ingredients.
- Cook things (like a protein) that can carry you through the week, e.g. roast chicken or meatloaf (organic ground beef, finely chopped onion, some tomato bisque, bread crumbs, eggs, fresh herbs, lemon juice, and salt and pepper). Eat it for dinner one night, put it into sandwiches, fried rice, eggs or noodles for other meals.
- A few times a week, spend time cleaning and chopping vegetables and salad greens ahead of time. Then store them in sealed plastic bags so they're ready for a fast stir fry or salad another night. Make a couple of sauces that keep when you have some downtime, so you can turn plain steamed vegetables, baked potatoes, or rice and beans into a lovely light meal.
- Use a slow cooker. Put it on in the morning and by dinner the food is ready. Examples include beans, braising meat. See this for more slow cooker recipes
- Shop smart. Buy pastas already stuffed with pesto, or find flavor-baked foods. That way, you have some seasoning to work with already. Pick up organic frozen vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and artichokes.
Keep it Simple
- Don't try to get creative when you don't have time, but stick with the eight to ten dishes that you have mastered. Over time, they will become stress-free and second nature. It's good to have a couple of pastas, a roast chicken recipe, a stir-fry or two, an egg dish, and some soups in the mix. One idea is to keep recipes for your standard meals on 3x5 cards. On the back, write the list of ingredients for going to the store and any notes about making the meal you want to remember.
- Get sliced, precut vegetables or salad bar selections at the grocery store and keep them in your fridge in resealable plastic bags. Then pick one-pot meals like stir-fry that cut down on your cooking time. Example includes fried rice and noodles.
- Make foods that kids love to make. Examples are pizza or tacos. Make tacos with all-organic ingredients: ground beef, canned tomato sauce, and taco shells. Brown the meat with a southwestern taco seasoning, add the sauce, heat the taco shells, serve them with julienned romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, jack cheese, and sour cream.
Stock up on staples
- Have quick and easy to cook items in the freezer, like dumplings filled with your protein of choice, edamame (soybeans), pizza dough
- Create or buy several "speed scratch" ingredients — high-quality items like stocks, spice rubs, olive oils, jarred marinara sauces, or pre-made pesto that can add flavor fast if you're pushed for time
- Keep canned foods of your favorite stuff. Example, organic beans — pinto, black, red kidney, and chick-peas. These come in handy for tacos, quesadillas, and burritos. Another idea is for a bean dip — black beans, lime, garlic, ground cumin, salt, and tomato juice — smushed up in a food processor, which kids seem to like. Most bean-based chili, soups, and casseroles freeze beautifully. Make a big batch on the weekend and freeze in several smaller containers. Take out a tub before you go to work or start your day and it will be ready to heat and eat when you get home.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Food allergies. Still.
We're still dealing with Isabella's food allergies and sensitivies. We went to see a new allergist, and got retested - this time with a scratch skin, not RAST (blood). She once again showed sensitivity to egg, wheat, garlic and oat. (We know the peanut one is insane so there was no point of checking that; we were told just to avoid peas and sesame seed for now.) The list is still so overwhelming because these ingredients are in so many foods. The doctor suggested being totally viligant about complete peanut and egg avoidance. Avoiding peanut means even avoiding restaurants which may have cross contamination in serving utensils and pans, such as Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese. Oy, this is super challenging because we're Asian and we eat those foods all the time! Since she is so sensitive, anything that is produced in the same plant as peanuts can be suspect (no chocolate M&Ms!) and anything in the legume family (peas, green beans, etc.) can be an allergen. And of course total egg avoidance means no cakes at birthday parties or baked goods including cookies (going for a "fast" ride in the Porsche with Daddy to find cookies is one of Isabella's favorite activities). Plus wheat avoidance is a super challenge because wheat is in most snacks, pastas and breads. When you completely cut out products with potential peanut contamination, egg or wheat, what do you have left??
Each of the foods cause a different degree of sensitivity, so we are doing a trial elimination to see which ones aggravate her skin the most. The other foods may affect her less and may be liveable. So our first step in the trial elimination is complete peanut and egg avoidance for 2-3 weeks to see if the skin improves. Then if it doesn't, we do a second stage trial elimination of wheat, garlic and oat. (yum yum - 3 weeks of rice, quinoa, rye, and barley!) The doctor believes that since peanut and egg (next is wheat) are the elements that cause the majority of allergies, avoiding these would probably get rid of most of her skin problems. (and leave us a little bit more options in terms of food.)
I now read the labels on everything. Check out this site which houses many food labels.
I thought that one culprit could have been MSG, but I've learned that while MSG is not considered an allergen, it does stimulate nerve cells and increases histamines which could make your allergic reaction worse than it would be otherwise. So, avoid and resolve all of your allergens, and your body could proably manage the MSG you consume.
I admit that we've been a little lax on the baked good thing recently because it is just so hard when you want her to live a normal life and let her enjoy things like every other kid. It bums me out when, for example, everyone at her preschool gets oatmeal cookies, and she has to leave the school empty-handed, asking "cookie?" Avoiding all these foods is a super pain and I hate it. I hate worrying about it, and having to become a neurotic Mom feeling paranoid and suspicious about everything. But I also hate that Isabella is scratching her legs so much, crying "itchy!" and looking really miserable when she's obviously eaten something she's sensitive to. I am still looking for that comfortable equilibrium where she can eat quasi like other kids do without becoming an itching mess afterwards for it. We're still learning, still trying to figure all this out. Ugh.
Useful sites for allergy free foods:
Divvies
Miss Robens at allergygrocer.com
Each of the foods cause a different degree of sensitivity, so we are doing a trial elimination to see which ones aggravate her skin the most. The other foods may affect her less and may be liveable. So our first step in the trial elimination is complete peanut and egg avoidance for 2-3 weeks to see if the skin improves. Then if it doesn't, we do a second stage trial elimination of wheat, garlic and oat. (yum yum - 3 weeks of rice, quinoa, rye, and barley!) The doctor believes that since peanut and egg (next is wheat) are the elements that cause the majority of allergies, avoiding these would probably get rid of most of her skin problems. (and leave us a little bit more options in terms of food.)
I now read the labels on everything. Check out this site which houses many food labels.
I thought that one culprit could have been MSG, but I've learned that while MSG is not considered an allergen, it does stimulate nerve cells and increases histamines which could make your allergic reaction worse than it would be otherwise. So, avoid and resolve all of your allergens, and your body could proably manage the MSG you consume.
I admit that we've been a little lax on the baked good thing recently because it is just so hard when you want her to live a normal life and let her enjoy things like every other kid. It bums me out when, for example, everyone at her preschool gets oatmeal cookies, and she has to leave the school empty-handed, asking "cookie?" Avoiding all these foods is a super pain and I hate it. I hate worrying about it, and having to become a neurotic Mom feeling paranoid and suspicious about everything. But I also hate that Isabella is scratching her legs so much, crying "itchy!" and looking really miserable when she's obviously eaten something she's sensitive to. I am still looking for that comfortable equilibrium where she can eat quasi like other kids do without becoming an itching mess afterwards for it. We're still learning, still trying to figure all this out. Ugh.
Useful sites for allergy free foods:
Divvies
Miss Robens at allergygrocer.com
Monday, March 13, 2006
Portland to do with kids
Here is what friends have recommended we do while in Portland with Isabella:
- Oregon Zoo (good zoo, right next to Children's Museum)
- Children's Museum
- Powell's Bookstore
- Velveteria - New 'museum' devoted to velvet paintings
- Portland Saturday Market - huge arts & crafts fair w/hippie influence; in downtown
- Laurelwood - Brewery with the kid's playpen
- Portland Vaccum Cleaner Museum
- Excursions: Wine Country; Multnomah Falls / Columbia Gorge; Mt. Hood/Timberline; Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center
- VooDoo donuts have a Monthly Donut-Eating-Contest
Restaurants:
- Heathman Bistro
- Mother's Bistro
- Bijou Cafe
- Cadillac Cafe
- Zell's Cafe
- Roux New Orleans Bistro
- Legin (Cantonese)
- Pho Van - *note: lots of peanuts everywhere and Isabella had a TERRIBLE cross reaction to the contamination
- Oregon Zoo (good zoo, right next to Children's Museum)
- Children's Museum
- Powell's Bookstore
- Velveteria - New 'museum' devoted to velvet paintings
- Portland Saturday Market - huge arts & crafts fair w/hippie influence; in downtown
- Laurelwood - Brewery with the kid's playpen
- Portland Vaccum Cleaner Museum
- Excursions: Wine Country; Multnomah Falls / Columbia Gorge; Mt. Hood/Timberline; Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center
- VooDoo donuts have a Monthly Donut-Eating-Contest
Restaurants:
- Heathman Bistro
- Mother's Bistro
- Bijou Cafe
- Cadillac Cafe
- Zell's Cafe
- Roux New Orleans Bistro
- Legin (Cantonese)
- Pho Van - *note: lots of peanuts everywhere and Isabella had a TERRIBLE cross reaction to the contamination
Friday, March 10, 2006
Thanks! I'm flattered.
Hey, I just noticed that the Parents Press awarded this and Isabella's blog "Best Baby Blog" for March! Thank you! I'm truly flattered. Hmm, now I feel pressured to have better content beyond my whining... :-)
Monday, March 06, 2006
Packing list
GENERAL
wallet w/ $$$ and small bills
sunglasses
plane ticket
camera
camera bag
camera battery recharger
reading material
guide books
mobile phone
phone recharger
iPod
iPod cable
iPod charger
noise canceling headset
laptop
laptop power cord
wifi
journal
pen
watch
binoculars
water bottle
Purell
gifts for people
handiwipes
Garmin Nuvi
maps
address / directions / driving instructions
Walky talkies
swiss army tool
travel clock
keys
checks
purses
extra duffle bag
linens (towels, sheets)
eye mask
ear plugs
Ziploc bags
Laundry bag
Small tissue packs
mints
CLOTHES
underwear
socks
pants
skirts
dresses
shorts
blouses
tshirts
sweater
fleece
jacket
scarf / pashmina
gloves
coat
shoes
hat/cap
pajamas / lounge wear
belt
hotel slippers
bras
TOILETRIES
toothbrush
toothpaste
floss
mouthwash
facial cleanser
soap
cotton balls
eye makeup remover
toner
lip balm
eye cream
moisturizer
acne medicine
aloe vera
hydrocortisones
body lotion
sunscreen for face and body
birth control
feminine hygiene products
hair band
shower cap
eye drops
nursing pads
facial mask
Shaving cream
razor
Nail clipper
MAKEUP
hair brush
eye lash curler
mascara
makeup brushes, including for eye brow
eye liner and eyebrow black shadows
eye shadow
lipstick
foundation
loose powder
pressed powder
earrings
Bracelet
necklace
oil blotting paper
hair dryer
Tweezer
perfume
1ST AID
bactine
bandaids
mosquito repellent
Benadryl
droppers / syringe
baby acetophenomen
Dimetapp
mopiko
vitamins (multi & C)
Fenugreek
digital thermometer
nasal aspirator
INTL
passport
visa
foreign currency
phrase book
Outlet plug adapters
Citibank ATM card (transfer $)
Mobile phone
KID STUFF
GENERAL
diapers/pullups
overnight diapers
wipes
Diaper trash bags
changing pad
diaper rash cream
Aquafor
Vanicream
hydrocortisone
suntan lotions
epipen
Albuterol
Flovent
Aerochamber
Baby soap / Cetaphil
baby shampoo
hairclips / bands
Toothbrush
toothpaste
Nail clipper
Emery board
vitamins
EQUIPMENT
baby bjorn / sling
travel crib
Sheets for travel crib
toddler bed
baby monitor (2)
Phil & Ted and/or Volo stroller
car seat
car seat backpack
breast pump
Baby Bjorn toilet seat
Travel toilet seat
pacifier
nightlight
CLOTHES
pajamas
onesies
t-shirts
underwear
sleep blanket
outfits
warm hat
sun hat
jacket
socks
shoes
slippers
security towel
blankets
wash cloths
burp cloths
Robeez
sweater
FEEDING
sippy cups (1 tall Playtex, 1 short playtex, take & toss sippy & snack top – enough for both kids)
kid sized utensils
baby spoons
bibs (2)
flight dinner/lunch
first breakfast – oatmeal, Cheerios, Rice Chex
snacks – goldfish, rice crackers, apple sauce, dried fruit, fruit
travel sized milks
rice cereal
baby food
formula
bottles and nipples
icepack
AMMO
books
Aquadoodle
Color wonders
crayons
coloring book
homework
stickers
DVDs
DVD player
DVD battery recharger
DVD power adapter
make sure iPod is loaded with kids’ music
stuffed friend
Baby toys
DO BEFORE LEAVE HOME
hold mail
give Susan & James garage door opener so they can push out garbage
get wad of cash from ATM, small bills for tips
leave ring at home
turn off heater / toilets / thermal pot
unplug rechargers
wax underarms & bikini
Transfer $ to Citibank
Find new books / DVDs
Rip new DVDs
Install timer for lights
Medicine refills
Manicure/pedicure
Prepay Tania, Juan
MORNING OF
Earrings
Watch
Baby monitors (2)
Sleep blanket
Security blanket
Security towel
turn off heater / toilets / thermal pot
unplug rechargers
SUN TRIPS ONLY
sunscreen
bathing suits
swim diapers
straw hat
beach towel
sandals
flip flops
snorkel
mask
goggles
fins
sand toys
beach ball
inflatable
SNOW TRIPS ONLY
thermals
thick socks
slow sunglasses
warm hat
gloves
boots
turtlenecks
ski mask
ski pants
ski jacket
goggles
CAMPING ONLY
thermarest
sleeping bags
tent
hiking boots
wallet w/ $$$ and small bills
sunglasses
plane ticket
camera
camera bag
camera battery recharger
reading material
guide books
mobile phone
phone recharger
iPod
iPod cable
iPod charger
noise canceling headset
laptop
laptop power cord
wifi
journal
pen
watch
binoculars
water bottle
Purell
gifts for people
handiwipes
Garmin Nuvi
maps
address / directions / driving instructions
Walky talkies
swiss army tool
travel clock
keys
checks
purses
extra duffle bag
linens (towels, sheets)
eye mask
ear plugs
Ziploc bags
Laundry bag
Small tissue packs
mints
CLOTHES
underwear
socks
pants
skirts
dresses
shorts
blouses
tshirts
sweater
fleece
jacket
scarf / pashmina
gloves
coat
shoes
hat/cap
pajamas / lounge wear
belt
hotel slippers
bras
TOILETRIES
toothbrush
toothpaste
floss
mouthwash
facial cleanser
soap
cotton balls
eye makeup remover
toner
lip balm
eye cream
moisturizer
acne medicine
aloe vera
hydrocortisones
body lotion
sunscreen for face and body
birth control
feminine hygiene products
hair band
shower cap
eye drops
nursing pads
facial mask
Shaving cream
razor
Nail clipper
MAKEUP
hair brush
eye lash curler
mascara
makeup brushes, including for eye brow
eye liner and eyebrow black shadows
eye shadow
lipstick
foundation
loose powder
pressed powder
earrings
Bracelet
necklace
oil blotting paper
hair dryer
Tweezer
perfume
1ST AID
bactine
bandaids
mosquito repellent
Benadryl
droppers / syringe
baby acetophenomen
Dimetapp
mopiko
vitamins (multi & C)
Fenugreek
digital thermometer
nasal aspirator
INTL
passport
visa
foreign currency
phrase book
Outlet plug adapters
Citibank ATM card (transfer $)
Mobile phone
KID STUFF
GENERAL
diapers/pullups
overnight diapers
wipes
Diaper trash bags
changing pad
diaper rash cream
Aquafor
Vanicream
hydrocortisone
suntan lotions
epipen
Albuterol
Flovent
Aerochamber
Baby soap / Cetaphil
baby shampoo
hairclips / bands
Toothbrush
toothpaste
Nail clipper
Emery board
vitamins
EQUIPMENT
baby bjorn / sling
travel crib
Sheets for travel crib
toddler bed
baby monitor (2)
Phil & Ted and/or Volo stroller
car seat
car seat backpack
breast pump
Baby Bjorn toilet seat
Travel toilet seat
pacifier
nightlight
CLOTHES
pajamas
onesies
t-shirts
underwear
sleep blanket
outfits
warm hat
sun hat
jacket
socks
shoes
slippers
security towel
blankets
wash cloths
burp cloths
Robeez
sweater
FEEDING
sippy cups (1 tall Playtex, 1 short playtex, take & toss sippy & snack top – enough for both kids)
kid sized utensils
baby spoons
bibs (2)
flight dinner/lunch
first breakfast – oatmeal, Cheerios, Rice Chex
snacks – goldfish, rice crackers, apple sauce, dried fruit, fruit
travel sized milks
rice cereal
baby food
formula
bottles and nipples
icepack
AMMO
books
Aquadoodle
Color wonders
crayons
coloring book
homework
stickers
DVDs
DVD player
DVD battery recharger
DVD power adapter
make sure iPod is loaded with kids’ music
stuffed friend
Baby toys
DO BEFORE LEAVE HOME
hold mail
give Susan & James garage door opener so they can push out garbage
get wad of cash from ATM, small bills for tips
leave ring at home
turn off heater / toilets / thermal pot
unplug rechargers
wax underarms & bikini
Transfer $ to Citibank
Find new books / DVDs
Rip new DVDs
Install timer for lights
Medicine refills
Manicure/pedicure
Prepay Tania, Juan
MORNING OF
Earrings
Watch
Baby monitors (2)
Sleep blanket
Security blanket
Security towel
turn off heater / toilets / thermal pot
unplug rechargers
SUN TRIPS ONLY
sunscreen
bathing suits
swim diapers
straw hat
beach towel
sandals
flip flops
snorkel
mask
goggles
fins
sand toys
beach ball
inflatable
SNOW TRIPS ONLY
thermals
thick socks
slow sunglasses
warm hat
gloves
boots
turtlenecks
ski mask
ski pants
ski jacket
goggles
CAMPING ONLY
thermarest
sleeping bags
tent
hiking boots
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Just don't eat duck confit everyday
With anything above 240 deemed "dangerously high", Rich just scored 277 mg/ml on his cholesterol test! Ouch! He was in the desirably healthy sub-200 range only 2 years ago, so I'm convinced it is all of the work cafe food he's been eating. Whoever said that having duck confit, skirt steak and lobster bisque for lunch is normal! (We just saw "Super Size Me" so I am wary of the damage a short period of high fattening food can do to the body...)
Anyway, the doctor has put him on a cholesterol lowering diet where he is restricted from many of his favorite foods: marbled beef, duck, sausage, bacon, pork, organ meat, anchovies (usually packed in oil), french fries, etc. *sigh*
There are long lists of things to lower your cholesterol, but here are some suggestions that we need to specifically remember:
- at least 1 citrus fruit daily; 1 1/2 cups fresh fruit per day
- one dark green and one deep yellow (squash) vegetable daily
- broccoli, celery, potato skins, cauliflower recommended for fiber content
- lean meats (chicken, turkey, veal, non-fatty cuts of beef)
- fresh fish or canned packed in water
- shellfish (limit to 3 oz per week)
- high fiber grains, such as oats, whole wheat, brown rice
- only 2 egg yolks per week; unlimited egg whites/substitutes
- soft margarine, not butter
- drink 99% or fat free milk; same with all dairies
- raw garlic good for lowering cholesterol
Anyway, the doctor has put him on a cholesterol lowering diet where he is restricted from many of his favorite foods: marbled beef, duck, sausage, bacon, pork, organ meat, anchovies (usually packed in oil), french fries, etc. *sigh*
There are long lists of things to lower your cholesterol, but here are some suggestions that we need to specifically remember:
- at least 1 citrus fruit daily; 1 1/2 cups fresh fruit per day
- one dark green and one deep yellow (squash) vegetable daily
- broccoli, celery, potato skins, cauliflower recommended for fiber content
- lean meats (chicken, turkey, veal, non-fatty cuts of beef)
- fresh fish or canned packed in water
- shellfish (limit to 3 oz per week)
- high fiber grains, such as oats, whole wheat, brown rice
- only 2 egg yolks per week; unlimited egg whites/substitutes
- soft margarine, not butter
- drink 99% or fat free milk; same with all dairies
- raw garlic good for lowering cholesterol