How To Lift Your Mood In 6 Steps

Well, I can't claim to be an always "happy" person. Am not moody though as far as I know. But there are times too, several occasions actually when the usual optimistic ME feels a bit BLUE. It's easy to say JUST SMILE, in REALITY it is difficult to just snap from being sad to glad. We are no robots. Yet here is a LIST of my SPIRIT lifting TRICKS I hope could help you make that SMILE reach your eyes :)

my good friend Dr. Raiza Marie

My friend captioned her shared photo above- ...."can't afford to let anything or anyone steal my happiness"....

10,000 Steps Goal Met!

Yay! So yesterday I re-embarked on my journey to good health. Eeee seems like it's a love-hate relationship goin' on here 😀

Well, the thing is, yes for years I was able to stick to my low carb diet but my physical activity level depended largely on my mood. But yesterday I officially launched my "healthy living project" 2.0!

I will now add jogging to my daily routine!  Yep, Sharing with you yesterday's achievement above. 

Wanted: Healthy Eating Buddies

So I have been into high fiber, colorful healthy eating for the past years. Sharing with you my favorite dishes and hoping you will hop into (pun intended) my "crazy for greens" diet. 

BREAKFAST

Above is a recipe I found while browsing Google articles - "Oats Bread" which my cousin Lejin has been baking for me. The bread has eggs, milk and bananas for flavoring. No sugar or any other ingredient is added. I love munching on it matched with my warm milk. 

"Orange" You Glad

 

photo by Mhark Parchamento

"Orange" You glad there are Oranges?

For one, oranges provide us Vitamin C. There's also that naturally sweet juice that's amazing to sip with its citrus smell that lasts long after the last bite. 

I'd squeeze the orange's peels each time and each time I would be amazed at the popping out of lovable scent that brings back childhood happy memories. 

In the photo, taken on a Friday favorite day   you can see me playing around and juggling my oranges just for fun so yeah, you can derive childish joy too from those vividly colored nature's gift!

So there, have I triggered "Orange" cravings? Go grab 'em "Orange" goodness now! 😙

Our COVID Story

 

So yes, here goes our family COVID scare. After two years of battling the pandemic working both in public service, the hubby and I tested positive for COVID. He had symptoms first, video-calling me on a Wednesday afternoon saying that he was feeling unwell and that he planned to have himself tested soon. He had fever and colds and slight cough. The next day he had an Antigen test which yielded a positive result so he underwent RT-PCR. He then came to isolate, preferring to be under my care to be babied at home. So the family immediately undertook a COVID alert protocol. I prepared our room where he will be isolating. I took my belongings to our son's room and the son was evacuated to the other house. Everyone wore masks. The hubby's food was served in disposable containers. I was feeling well for the first twenty four hours. After 48 hours we learned of his result as well as that of a workmate of mine. They both tested positive so technically I had exposure to two Covid patients. Whew, I had a feeling I would also test positive. On Friday night, I began experiencing sore throat more on the right side which lingered until the time I was swabbed. 

I alerted the rest of the family that I will also be in isolation. True to my instinct, I also tested positive. I took medications to do away with the discomfort of nasal stuffiness; sore throat and muscle pain. Thank God for vaccination and my booster shot weeks ago. I did not experience moderate nor severe signs and symptoms. I just had trouble sleeping not used to sleeping alone/ without the hubby. 

On the third day of isolation the hubby coaxed me to watch the sunrise with him by the farm. No one else would be there for sure so we had the chance to breathe in fresh air. Thank God for the hubby's emotional strength which I totally lack haha, so yeah he is the leader in this marriage 😁. We were treated to well wishes from friends and the family most especially my MOM who called up every now and then. A sister-in-law kept us nourished with food. Here goes some...

So we are okay now. The hubby was back to work today. I will be back on Wednesday too. It was a scare but with proper care COVID can be survived! And we can eradicate it soon! Vaccinate, wash hands often and keep a safe distance from others plus keep your immune system strong! :) Thank you to everyone for the prayers and thoughts. You all know who you are. 

My Weight Loss Journey Part II

So this is Part II of my weight loss journey...

You can read part I here. 

I promised to share with you how I became medium from extra large so here goes:

1. My diet

Goodbye Rice, goodbye

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#breakfast #healthylifestyle #weightlossjourney

A post shared by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on May 2, 2017 at 3:48pm PDT

Seriously I bought a plate with partitions so I could start limiting my rice intake. I used to devour rice like a monster! Like life could not go on without rice 😂. My blood sugar level started to rise because of this and my blood pressure likewise skyrocketed since aside from sweets I was also a salt lover! Too much of the extreme tastes plus I have genes for both hypertension and diabetes. What motivated me to finally cut on the rice? I had scary dizzy spells! Whew, like I was too afraid already to move! So off went white breads and all the dessert I used to binge on. 

My Weight Loss Photo-Journey Part 1

 So, from my most recent post aptly entitled LAZY where I said "I am going to sleep and see you in my dreams" I am now here ready to tell all about my WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY! Wow! the inspiration to write truly comes in mysterious ways huh! Well after clicking publish awhile back I opened my Instagram and found tons of evidence of my LOVE-HATE relationship with sugar as well as with exercise and dieting, aahh the complicated love triangle that is ME, My Ideal Body Weight and FOOD. 

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What I ♥ about summer.

A post shared by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on Apr 29, 2013 at 2:57am PDT

April 29, 2013

The great thing about social media is we get to store our memories as vividly as possible 🤣 so should you want to reach your goal and be motivated by yours truly bear with the corny illustrations presented in a chronological manner.

No Rice! My Low Carb Diet Journey

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The Cactus 🌵 #OOTD

A post shared by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on Aug 21, 2019 at 1:02am PDT

So, I've been on and off healthy eating. Something a follower would know. Is there anyone out there left reading this blog? haha, well somehow I'd love for this page to be read by only me. That is not the purpose of blogging at all.

Anyway, I have been busy. Hmmm to say I have been busy is in fact an understatement.

I have been engrossed in daily life grinds! Like work, family, studies. Name it! I still find time to sleep though, a talent I guess I will have until the end wehehehe.

Well, one thing that changed since I hit forty was my weight! I became really more conscious of my health. I finally bid goodbye to sweets!
No more dessert for me! - the complicated, intricately designed sweets have been ditched from my vocabulary- AT LAST.

So, what changed? My blood sugar level did! I had signs and symptoms of diabetes, something that is in the family genes, so lo and behold, I was afraid like really afraid for the first time in many years of existence.

So, I am now on a low carbohydrate diet. I broke up with beloved rice, and pastries and ice cream and everything that is fancy and sweet yeah even milk chocolates. Hmmm yep I do indulge in darck chocolates once in awhile. It keeps me sane, believe me!

So today, I also chose not to be stressed with law school haha. I have enrolled in five subjects. Now I am planning to quit this semester. Gee, bad decision eh? but I am just too tired. It does not make me happy these days! I need a rest! I need my sanity back! I want to be happy! I am aging hahahaha.........

They say you can never really have everything. So, I am accepting that. I am not quitting. I am simply taking a break!

So ask me how to lose weight? Simple, have a motivation, a strong one, like good health and being able to live a long life with thy loved ones. What better reason is there?

That is all for now, sleep beckons wehehehe :)

Back On Track

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#TGIF #OOTD #selfietherapy

A post shared by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on May 17, 2019 at 3:04am PDT

So, I just recovered my site. Using my Google Profile on blogger has rendered my account inaccessible until I figured out through blogger forum what to do. All thanks to one user who had the same issue I managed to log in after several frustrated attempts.

Okay, so how have I been? I've been busy with work, school and of course I have been prioritizing my family all these years. So, writing quite took a backseat. The farthest seat to say the least 😙.

The Surprising Bad Habits Affecting Your Looks

If you want to look your best, it is likely you will need to look further afield than you think. The truth is that many aspects of your life affect the way you look, and it is often going to be essential to pay attention to as many of them as you can in order to bring about the results you really want to see. There are likely to be a number of bad habits which are affecting your beauty in surprising ways, and that is what we are going to look at here. Take a look at the following and see if there is anything you should be doing to help keep yourself looking your best.

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Getting To Bed Late

If you are often struggling to get to sleep, this will almost certainly be affecting the way you look in the long run too. When you routinely don’t get enough sleep, it makes the skin look dull and can even affect the whiteness of the eyes. However, with enough sleep under your belt, you are much more likely to look full of life - and feel it, too. If you have been struggling to get to sleep recently, you might need to approach the issue from a variety of angles. Try replacing your mattress with a Hypnos mattress for better sleep, or maybe you could work on reducing the noise in your home. Cutting out screen use at nighttime will also help hugely, and is well worth the effort. Whatever you need to do to get more sleep, make sure you get on top of it.

Feel Better Today: Open Up About Your Feelings

Every single person in the world has days where they don’t feel 100%. Some people have weeks of it. In some cases, this is depression, and it can be quite serious. After all, you can’t just flip a switch and feel better. You can watch as many fluffy puppy videos on Facebook as you want; that feeling of hopelessness still stays, because it’s about an imbalance of chemicals in your brain.

You should never feel ashamed if you feel depressed, or if you’re simply having a low couple of days. Sometimes, this is a good opportunity to take a mental health day off work, to spend some time looking after yourself, even for just wrapping yourself up like a sushi roll and binging on Netflix. However, if you want to feel better, opening up about your feelings is a good idea. Whether you think it’s going to help or not in the long run doesn’t matter right now; simply trying it and letting somebody know what’s going on with you is important.

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People Want To Help You

The first thing you need to realize is that people want to help you. Your friends and family care more about you than you know, even though it may seem like they don’t. Feeling low can distort things and make you see the world differently, but always try to remember that the people close to you would be happy to help you if you asked for it. Why not message a friend and ask if they are free to talk? Open up a dialogue with a partner or parent? Letting somebody know that you don’t feel OK is more than OK.

4 Great Benefits of Cycling

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Whether for environmental, fitness or economical reasons, starting to ride a bicycle could be one of the best and most important decisions you can make in life. If you are still on the fence about just how fantastic it is to ride a bicycle read on for our top four reasons how riding a bike can benefit your life.

Speed up Your Commute

If your commute is dragging you down and wasting unnecessary time in your mornings and afternoon, then a push bike is just what you are looking for. Recent research shows that driving a car to work in a busy city can waste an extra 30 minutes in the morning and in the evening. As drivers can sit in the traffic not moving at all for minutes on end, only averaging a general speed of 7mph, whilst cyclists manage to average around 12-15 mph. Making getting to and from work much quicker and much less stressful.

Top 3 Most Enjoyable Exercise Machines That Actually Work!

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If you're looking for an exercise machine that works wonders, but is actually enjoyable to do - then don't give up - they do really exist, you just need to look in the right place.

Here are three of the best workout machines that you won't want to get off of.

Stair Mill

If you want to achieve a bigger, more sculpted booty, then a stair mill is what you need. Sure, you can use the stairs in your home, but sometimes it's just not practical to do so, and it can be very dangerous too, unlike this machine that constantly flows, letting you walk up a never-ending flight of stairs, while safely offering you support on either side. There are also different settings and speeds that you can do, so it doesn't have to stay all on the same level if you get bored easily. You can set modes to the style that you prefer, such as landmarks, rolling hills, and interval training. This works by targeting your hips, calves, thighs, and butt, which is what all of us girls want to work on nowadays.

Vibration Machine

If you want a workout that engages your muscles while having fun, then a vibration platform machine may be the thing for you. As the name suggests, this machine vibrates which stimulates your muscles to either contract or relax. When you usually exercise, you contract a muscle one or two times a second, whereas when you use the vibrating machine, it causes you to contract up to fifty times a second! So not only does this give you a killer workout, but it could save you so much time too. A ten-minute session on one of these is the equivalent of an hour's workout. So if you're always on the go, want quicker results or just enjoy adding a bit more fun into your exercises, then get yourself one of these.

My Healthy Habits

My fave fish and veggies

Running

Resting

Still Going Green

#breakfast #healthyliving #myweightlossjourney

A post shared by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on May 15, 2017 at 3:07pm PDT

So I'm still on track with my healthy eating habit yay! I actually gained a bit of weight the past month since many concerned friends and family have been telling me "too thin" doesn't look good on me. I trusted their good suggestion and ate a larger serving of each meal. Now I'm back to square one and mastering this healthy living thingy haha! I recently attended a convention, medical one where a speaker reminded us to eat at least five kinds/ servings of veggies and fruits each day. That and proper exercise is what I am imposing to myself. So far, so good. Join me?

Recovering From A Work Injury & Regaining Your Health

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Experiencing an injury at work can throw a massive spanner in the works regarding how your life will be over the next few months, or however long it takes to recover. Once you’re free from medical care and have the opportunity to fully recover at home, you might wonder how to make the most of your recovery and how you should proceed with your administrative tasks.

It’s not easy recovering from an injury of any severity, but there are steps you can take to mitigate the time it’ll take to recover and get your financial and personal affairs in order. Just because you’re tied to a home lifestyle, for now, it doesn’t mean your time isn’t valuable like it was before.

In fact, taking a proactive approach to the activities you embark on while recovering will help you fend off feelings of lethargy and easy-to-encourage depressive tendencies. As always, you must follow the advice of your medical professional and only operate within those parameters. If something in this list seems to coincide with something your doctor has told you, prioritize your doctor’s advice. This article will focus on the general injury that isn’t too incapacitating to prevent possible positive courses of action.

Seek Representative Legal Advice

If you feel you’ve been the victim of ineptitude or you went out of the terms of your work contract and resulted in an injury, you might be entitled to compensation. Hiring a personal injury attorney might be the best course of action, because there’s a likelihood that you’re entitled to compensation. Your workplace is often insured for eventualities such as this, so why not try and claim some of the money that’s rightfully yours? Be sure to be forthright about the honest details of your malady, and provide all the necessary information to help facilitate the process. Your financial security is an important factor after you’ve become injured.

aking Care Of Your Health After A Traumatic Event

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For some people, they have to go through something highly traumatic at a point in their life. Whether it’s seeing someone pass away, or even being involved in an accident, it can turn their life upside down. In fact, it can have a lot of repercussions in the years to come. And there is often not a simple solution. But the most important thing is your health. After all, it’s so easy to go under if you don’t keep on top of it. In fact, here are some ways you can take care of your health after a traumatic event.

Keeping Fit And Having Fun: Why These Two Make A Great Pairing

When you hear the words 'health' and 'hobbies' you probably don't immediately put the two of them together. Anything healthy - whether it's a food or an activity - is typically seen as a bit of a slog for most of us. Something we have to do to keep ourselves fit and to set a good example to our kids, but not exactly anything we really enjoy. But not finding enjoyment in your diet or exercise regime can easily cause you to fall off the bandwagon. After all, who wants to put themselves through something they don't like? What a lot of us forget, however, is that there are actually plenty of ways for us to keep active and healthy that aren't dull at all. Here are just some of them.

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Be Bone Healthy Now To Boost Your Body Forever

How healthy are your bones? If you’re interested in keeping yourself fit and well, healthy bones are vital. If you’re unlucky enough to break an arm or a leg, which happens to many of us over a lifetime, you want to be strong enough to heal as quickly as possible. For women, the onset of the menopause in later life can kick-start a thinning process in the bones, which can lead to debilitating conditions like osteoporosis. The good news is, you can take steps to make sure that your bones are in tip-top shape both now and in the future.

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Stop smoking

You know it stinks and can give you cancer, but did you know that those crafty cigs can also have a big impact on the health of your bones? Research has shown that smoking can cause the bones to lose density, which means that you are much more likely to break them, and to take longer to recover from fractures. Keep up the smokes, and you’ll probably be facing osteoporosis as well as a whole host of other problems. So, kick that nasty habit now, your body will thank you for it. If you need any help on quitting, there is lots of support available.

Take calcium supplements

Calcium supplements are a great way to look after your bones. There is a lot of evidence that suggests they can provide a significant boost to your health. There’s a common perception that only kids need to get lots of calcium for their growing needs. However, if you don’t eat a lot of dairy products and you like to pound away on the treadmill, you’ll probably need to take a supplement. Read AlgaeCal reviews to get the skinny on how these little beauties are your secret weapon in the healthy living stakes!

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So How Did I Get To Fit In A Dress?

Friday! 😜 #OOTD #TGIF

A photo posted by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on Jan 6, 2017 at 9:28am PST

Oh well, it is no secret! I have been watching what I eat plus have been moving physically! My day starts with a hearty breakfast- two tomatoes, several red onions; fish or boiled egg or veggies; half cup of rice and a fruit plus a glass and a half of  lemonade.

My lunch would be the whole oats I cooked with milk in the morning with fruits, fish or veggies or meat in small servings plus a glass of water.

For dinner I'd eat veggies with fish or meat minus the rice. Sometimes I just have a bowl of fruit and a glass of warm milk.

I have not been snacking on sweets, the artificial ones I mean. I have completely ditched soda and ice cream is for my cheat days only. I eat a slice of cake on rare occasions.

The downside is people, even the ones closest to me would call me weird! I really wish I'd get even just one of them to join me in my healthy quest so I wouldn't look foolish LOL.

Anyway I am enjoying being able to find dresses that fit me in a flash! Unlike before when I was huge!

I'd share more tips on losing weight next time!

                                                                 ~ KULASA