Reflecting On I Thought I Knew Best, But Was Wrong

By the time I was 22 years old, I thought I'd help God plan my life out by clearly laying out what I never, never, ever, ever want to do in life. There were three important areas where I clearly marked I will not enter! To start, I had wholeheartedly promised myself not to do a marathon, let alone a half marathon, or even a 10 K, or even a 5 K. I absolutely thought that it hurts to run...period. Second item I promised to never do was to teach at a university and not to teach at Loma Linda University. Now I had no idea why I thought this. I loved going to school at LLU and my teachers were all great and wonderful. There was no rhyme and reason to my ignorant, young mind back then. All I had planned as far as career-wise was concerned is that I will be a clinical dietitian forever! The third area of "never ever" is that I believed that going for a doctorate degree is extremely way too hard and that it really should just be left for the total intellectuals who are total nerds. By next month, it will be a whole twenty years later since I told God what I would NOT DO!!!

Before I go on, I just want to say, what a relief God didn't listen to me. I'm thankful God listened to my request that "God, my every day life is in your hands, so just take over." Ha! Little did I know what I meant when I let Him have control over my life.:) I'm grateful God made me swallow up all of my very own horrible words and immature thoughts. I sure have learned that you still keep growing and evolving through every decade of your life.

Almost two decades later, I am thankful for the enjoyment and thrill of completing two full marathons, four half marathons, two sprint triathlons, a 10K, and a little dinky 5K. I thought I'd be content just going to the gym, lifting those li'l machines and going to aerobic classes. The journey of preparing for a marathon is not easy, but definitely has provided life lessons which I wouldn't have learned just going to a gym. The opportunity to teach at LLU was presented to me and I'm very thankful for the other passion of life I now partake in, which I didn't know I had. Working with students is greatly rewarding and satisfying. The teaching part is not difficult, but what is hard is dealing with a few students every year who are difficult at times. However, we are blessed at LLU that most students are such wonderful blessings to have. I'm still shocked that I am working on this third degree. I am thankful that I have learned so much and have enjoyed all of the new ideas and concepts I have acquired in the past five years in the area of educational technology and e-learning. What truly has been difficult is working on my dissertation. There have been several times that I've cried...and I hate to admit, want to give up. With God's help though, I will not quit.

What have I learned from "detouring" in the areas I promised myself I would never get into? Well, I have learned even more clearly about discipline, patience, and endurance. Oh a whole lot more! God sure knew I needed way more growth in those capacities. I have learned that even if these three areas of "I don't want to go there" were God's will for me to get into, He did not promise all areas would be a rose garden. With all of the difficulties and challenges I continue to encounter in these scenarios of my life, God has always been there to help me get through one day at a time. God certainly has provided me with guidance, strength, courage, and fortitude. I know He will continue to provide that for me, because that's how much He loves me. The other thing I learned is that even though I can make my own plans, I'm glad when He takes over and has better plans in store for me. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know that plans I have for you. Plans not to harm you, but to give you a future and a hope". So even if things don't work out the way you had originally intended, just know that when God is control, things work out for the better, because God knows best! He definitely knows me better than myself and He definitely knows you better than you know yourself. 

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What surprises in life are you enjoying now that you did not originally plan for yourself?

Added Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, and Natural Sweeteners

We are definitely bombarded with information regarding the consequences of consuming excessive added sugars. We can't fight what is reported. There is truth to what has been said. Then we read about natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners. There is reason to be concerned about intake of artificial sweeteners. However, reading about all that can be confusing and can drive a person up the wall.

Instead of living life around making sure you get your sweet-tasting fix from added sugars, natural, and artificial sweeteners, it may just be a better idea to train our taste buds to enjoy the authentic sweetness that comes from eating fruits on a regular basis. From birth, our taste buds are a clean slate. Then we trained it as we have matured and grown to either love more sweet foods or salty foods. So, why don't we train our taste buds to yearn for the sweetness in fruits, and just get use to eating less added sugar desserts and drinks. Who needs artificially or naturally sweeteners anyway? Seriously now, we don't need those "sweeteners" to exist or enjoy life. No deprivation required, just consume less of the real deal and up the fruit intake. Our taste buds do adjust to less added sugar or artificially-sweetened intake. 

Training our taste buds to enjoy less highly sweetened foods and beverages doesn't happen over night though. There is an adjustment period. This may vary from individual to individual. One person may easily adjust from a weeks, while another individual may adjust to less sweet indulgences for months. While the adjustment period may vary, the end result will still be achieved. The adjustment period may not be easy at times, but it can be done bringing desirable outcomes.

Part of life's enjoyment is delighting in a sugary, decadent dessert once in a while. Go ahead and enjoy it when you do. Just don't let life be centered on satisfying that sweet tooth at a heightened level every day. Anything in excess has consequences. Allow your taste buds to adjust. Consume less added sugars, enjoy the natural goodness of fruits, and reap consequences that are absolutely good for that body of yours.

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As a treat once in a while, I absolutely enjoy and love ice cream sandwiches. What is your once in a while favorite dessert that you enjoy?

San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon 2012

To be completely honest, I had lost my motivation for the second full marathon I had signed up for. I really think it was due to being unable to maintain the long run mileage training due to unexpected interruptions. When I trained for my first full last year, I had no detours...I was able to stay right on track.  However, such is life with an unexpected death of a relative, death of a friend's father, my boss sending me to Slovakia to teach, and other situations that are all part of life...oh, and I forgot to mention that I'm also a doctoral candidate working relentlessly on my dissertation. Regardless, I still did the best I could when it came to training.

I did two major things to get me back on track as far as motivation was concerned. I expressed my decreased motivation to my students who are runners.  Boy oh boy...I sure got a really, really good pep talk from the two of them. Thank you, Aletta and Holly!! Their pep talk was just what I needed. They helped put me back in my place. The second thing I did, which I've never done ever was that I actually bought a new outfit to run in for the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon. For some reason, this also worked in shooting up my motivation.;-) I decided to run this time in a skort.

On top of everything else, I got sick when I arrived back from Slovakia and since then I've had this lingering cough which was really wearing me out. However, I still trained through not feeling good and my cough and was really stubborn about that. I'm really thankful I did though! 

I started to get that excited feeling for the marathon back a week before the race. By the Friday before the run, I was fully back into motivation and excitement!

Being silly at the expo.

 
I am thankful I planned the logistics much better of where we were going to stay at this time. It is not easy to get to the start line for this marathon as I found out the year before. This time my careful planning paid off and made for an absolutely stress-free morning before starting the event.

Before the race at around 5:30 a.m. waiting for  things to get rockin' and rollin'!

The weather this year was perfect...cloudy and cool!  Oh yes! It was sunny and warm the year before and made for just an okay run. I loved every mile of the 26.2 course! I don't run for time (I can't! I'm naturally slow!), but I just run to enjoy the experience and finish! 


There were about 30,000 runners who were all participating to help support raising funds for leukemia and lymphoma. Not only were the runners important for this event, but the community of San Diego truly gave their unselfish support in making us be comfortable during the race. Thank you so much to all who volunteered for this event. They really helped us feel loved and cared for, which made the entire race so enjoyable and memorable.


The San Diego Rock and Roll marathon route is for the most part flat. Running through downtown San Diego is fun! I also like the part of going on freeway 163. It's uneven in certain areas, but it doesn't last long. I think it's absolutely cool to have the privilege of running on a freeway.:) Then running along Mission Bay is very soothing where we can see the water. There is not much running uphill.  In fact, this second time around, I didn't really notice running uphill anymore. However, the entire route is absolutely enjoyable and lovely.


I started out running with a friend of mine for the first  6 or 7 miles. I was excited to be running with her, then out of the blue, she said she was in pain and didn't feel good. We walked and stopped for a little bit until she was able to call her husband to pick her up. Once we knew her husband was coming, my friend told me to just go. (My friend went to urgent care immediately and found out she has plantar fasciitis and will be getting an MRI. I'm wishing speedy recovery for her.) So, I continued the rest of the race without her. At the same time, I was thinking about my other friend who came down to the race with me as she was doing the half marathon. I was hoping she was enjoying her race. They separated the half marathoners from us at around the third or fourth mile I believe.

Getting on mile 10 or so and was feeling so happy that day!:)

Despite all the detours I came across training for this marathon and getting sick and running with a cough, I was pleasantly surprised that I actually shaved off 26 minutes from my first marathon! I wasn't even pushing it.  I was just telling myself the whole time that I was doing this for my enjoyment and to bask in every step, which I definitely did! All I wanted to do was happily finish. My friend also improved her half marathon time from her first half. So, we both were definitely happy little campers...oops I mean, happy li'l runners.

My friend, Danelle, and I were both so happy to finish!

 
Once again, my nutrition regimen throughout the event was to take a small strip of peanut butter and jelly sandwich at every third mile up until mile 24. In between I had a chew or a chomp in my mouth. I took advantage of the water and gatorade at every aid station.


I'm thankful I didn't give in to my lost motivation. I'm thankful it came back and very grateful to have participated in such a wonderful event. I got emotional once again at mile 25...just overwhelmed with the fact that God helped me for the second time complete another full marathon. I was thinking about the verse Philippians 4:13 as I was running..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". He definitely did!


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Are you signed up for any upcoming running events?  Or have you recently participated in one? Would love to hear your story!

Review Post Turned Non-Review Post on Protein Supplements

Just because protein powdered supplements are available out there doesn't mean that you need to automatically purchase and consume them. Depending on your circumstance(s), which may be connected to a medical condition or preparing for a sports event, certain powdered supplements/drinks may be warranted and necessary. Especially when it comes to certain protein supplements/drinks, there is no one size fits all.


This post started out to be a product review of a protein powdered supplement that was sent to me by its makers. I truly, absolutely like this product and would recommend it for individualized situations. In fact, in my lecture this week, I will be informing my dietetic students about this product. I have been wanting to write about this product for some time now; however, I am turning this product review post into a non-product review post, because I wouldn't want anyone to start buying this product if it isn't necessary for him or her. I am definitely not in the business of leading others to spend their hard-earned money unwisely.

To really determine what meal plan is appropriate for your situation, health, and nutritional goals, please meet with a registered dietitian. If you would like to meet with a registered dietitian in your area, I would be happy to locate one for you. I am also available for online consultations as well. 

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Spending this Memorial Day relaxing with family.:) Thank you to the men and women who have selflessly served our country. How are you spending Memorial Day today? 

Children's Day Fair at Loma Linda

Last week, two of my students and I held a nutrition booth at Loma Linda University and Medical Center's annual Children's Day Fair. Over 1300 children and 400 parents/teachers were in attendance to enjoy the various booths by all the different medical departments including the fire department and police department. This is definitely a fun time of learning for many children in the Inland Empire.

The wagon was filled with colorful fruits & vegetables.

My two dietetic students may look familiar to you. They are Melani Sadanala and Zsaleh Rahimi. I had posted their outstanding video cooking demo presentations a few months ago. They both are great students who will be graduating in about two weeks.

The theme I chose for our booth this year is "Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables!". I believe it is never too early to encourage children in the right path of eating right. If they are taught from the get go that eating fruits and vegetables is definitely a wonderful thing to do in order to grow strong and be healthy, there is a good possibility they will embrace these good lifestyle practices into adulthood. As a registered dietitian, I don't believe in deceiving your children by "hiding" vegetables in food. 

For our give-aways at our booth, we handed out bananas as well as colorful handouts on what constitutes a portion size for fruits and vegetables. We also handed out magnets, pens, and little note-pads. 

As the children came to our booth, we talked to them about what their favorite fruits and vegetables are and explained to them why it is important for them to continue eating these delicious whole foods every single day. We showed the children that a baseball is equivalent to the portion size of one fresh vegetable serving. A tennis ball was used to show that a serving of fresh fruit is about the size of that particular ball. Although all of the children listened intently, many of them asked if they can have the baseballs.:-D  Many of the children do understand what it means to be healthy and to be sick. They understand that being as healthy as they possibly can is the way they want to go.

Even though it was a hot day, it still was an enjoyable day for all of us with the children. We were very glad to once again be part of a fair that introduces children to the various medical professions as well as to the professions that help protect our communities...and of course, introduce them to healthy living. We hope that all of the children we saw that day will grow up to making healthy choices when it comes to food!

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How do you encourage your children to eat fruits and vegetables?

Recipe Redux: Silver Fish Patties

I got really excited when I found out that this month's Recipe Redux's theme is "little fishes".  I absolutely love little fishes and that's maybe due to my Filipino background. Little fishes is one of the delicacies served from the Philippines.  I have eaten silver fish patties at my relative's restaurant and of course, my Mom has made silver fish patties for us.  However, I did not ask my relatives or mother for their silver fish patty recipe. I wanted to make my own up.

These silver fishes do come to us from the Philippines and other Asian countries.  Of course, they provide omega-3 fatty acids, which are definitely heart healthy; but they also most likely do not have much mercury or none due to the fact that these fishes are so little that they haven't been given the chance to grow and devour some mercury.

So here's my version of Filipino silver fish patties paired together with LaChoy's Sweet and Sour Sauce.






Ingredients:
1 small 8 oz. box of silver fish (can be bought at Asian stores)
1 cup of low sodium panko bread crumbs
5 stalks of green onions chopped
5 pieces of minced and chopped garlic cloves
3 eggs and 2 eggs whites
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
pepper to taste
1 tsp mushroom seasoning
1 tsp of fish sauce
2 Tbsp of canola oil
LaChoy's Sweet and Sour Sauce


Directions:
Defrost silver fish in refrigerator over night. Mix all of the ingredients together and very well in a medium size bowl. Take a 1/3 cup measuring cup and spoon this portion of the mixture onto a skillet with the added oil. Press down and shape the mixture as to desired or as in a patty shape. Have on medium heat. After a few minutes or so, flip patty on to other side. Heat until both sides are slightly golden brown or until desired crispness. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.


Hope you enjoy this Filipino-turned-American recipe of Silver Fish Patties!:)

Also, please check out the other tasty and delicious little fish recipes by my colleagues! Bon apetit!


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What Filipino fish dishes have you enjoyed or like?

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Henry & a Farmer's Market in Vienna

I arrived a week ago from a wonderful and memorable trip to Slovakia and Austria. I had the privilege of accompanying a current dietetic student and a former dietetic student (now a colleague) as they taught the lay people of Slovakia and Serbia on nutrition and how to counsel others. However, the three of us gals had a memorable time together on our trip.

One of the highlights of our trip to Eastern Europe was when we stopped at a splendid little market in downtown Vienna called Henry, the art of living.  Visit their website at www.enjoyhenry.com. If you love food and you love nutritious, good-for-you food...this is the kind of store you would enjoy walking through. Their fruits and vegetables were truly amazing to feast your eyes on.  I did get to enjoy some sweet plums that they sold there.  Here are some of the pics from this delightful Viennese market.

Then we also got to see a farmer's market of sorts in another beautiful Austrian town called Salzburg. Does Salzburg sound familiar? I'm sure "Sound of Music" rings a bell when you hear Salzburg.:)

Of course, I also got to enjoy there the infamous Sacher Torte in Vienna as well as this other decadent dessert which name I cannot remember.  However, my Sacher Torte picture doesn't look good so I'm not posting it, but here's a picture of the other dessert I ate, which I had a scrumptious toffee topping on top! Delicious!

If you ever get a chance to visit Austria, I certainly would highly recommend it. The beauty of this country is spectacular. The culture, architecture, natural surroundings, and kindness of the people truly make this place a wonderful to visit.

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What are your favorite European countries that you have visited or would like to visit one day?