by Grace on March 14, 2010
Thud! Did you hear that? You just landed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Hi, I did not die. Literally, no. After all, ghosts don’t write blogs, right?
I had been very busy with work – I know not the most colorful excuse of the day but I don’t know any better and it’s true. It’s a shame that it’s true. Two of my colleagues are still in their home countries and I’m still doing a workload of at least 2 people.
It pains to end the day, with an hour of overtime (at least) and think I’ve not written anything. This has been going on for days which is not nice because blogging had been my cheap (free) therapy.
Quickie updates:
- My close friend/confidante Rose has left the UAE last Friday for the Philippines to deliver her baby. I will miss our chats. She’s a ray of sunshine and a great listener to my sometimes pointless blahs. She’s just gone for three days and I already attempted to call her, forgetting that she’s not here…
- We watched Alice in Wonderland last Friday and I enjoyed the movie – but still insist that the Mad Hatter could be Elijah Wood and not Johnny Depp! The audience won’t know the difference!
- The little birdie in our window sill isn’t so little anymore.
..which reminds me, I actually have something to say.
Pristine has named the little bird “George” because lately, she’s been obsessed with the name “Georgia” (I don’t know why). Since the bird is assumed to be a boy bird, considering the size and all according to my mother who majored in Biology before (not sure if that has any connection, just thought I’d mention it heh). The male species are always bigger in built, and George is robust.
So George it is! In a few days, we think he’ll be able to fly.
Oh and the other egg didn’t make it. Mommy bird pecked it but the chick inside didn’t come out to see the light. Somehow, it made me kind of sad. 
by Grace on March 8, 2010
Pristine screamed from the other room. “Maaaamaaaaa, come! come!!!!”
I ran like a mad woman, with soapy hands thinking of a thousand and one things as the reason for all the panic. “Get the camera! Get the camera!”, she said. Pristine was by the window, all smiles and eyes oh so wide for this:
The nest outside our apartment window had just showed some drastic changes.
Closer, closer.
Awww. Isn’t it the cutest? But made us wonder, how did it ever fit into the egg as small as the other one in the nest? HOW?
While we were busy cooing over the new baby bird, the mom came back. Pristine said, “Congratulations, mommy bird!” LOL. The mommy bird was pacing back and forth, cautious of our movements. Though the mirror is one-way (we can’t be seen outside but we can see from the inside), the bird definitely knows someone’s near.
After she thought everything was clear, she came back to the nest to warm her new baby and the other egg too.
Now, we are anticipating the arrival of the other baby bird inside egg #2. That egg was laid a few days after egg #1 so it might crack soon…or not. It’s exciting.
Now, Pristine is busy thinking of names for baby bird #1. Any suggestions?
by Grace on March 7, 2010
As I’m writing this post, I’m on my 22nd hour without food. The last meal I had was during dinner at 6 pm yesterday and my next meal will be at 6 pm today. So far, I am still alive, moving and my mind is as alert as ever. I’m at work, focus unchanged, if not sharper and I don’t have that after lunch sleepiness where I used to yawn almost every minute.
I even went to the gym and was able to do my usual workout routine.
I’ve been doing intermittent fasting for more than six months now. That is, dinner-dinner fasts twice a week. Fasting means no solid food for 24 hours but all non-caloric drinks like herb teas and water is ok. I drink more than 2 liters of warm fruit flavored tea all throughout the day.
Sounds over the top just to lose fat? I thought so. I was probably the person who had a lot of skepticism when I first heard of intermittent fasting. I thought only loonies do that kind of torture.
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a pattern of eating in which one alternates periods of fasting and non-fasting.
What is the purpose of intermittent fasting?
To create a calorie deficit* to promote fat loss.
* We need to create 3,500 calories deficit (through diet or exercise) to lose a pound of fat
How to do intermittent fasting:
- Pick a day when you feel you can best accomplish this. (I pick a day of the week when I’m at my busiest at work. )
- Eat a sensible, filling dinner at night and go to sleep. When you wake up the next day, skip breakfast but drink lots of liquid, then skip lunch again.
- Drink lots of liquid throughout the day. Now’s the time to experiment on various tea flavors. (I have 5 different boxes of tea flavors I love and use throughout the day.)
- Plan your post-fast meal. (I eat a banana or a handful of almonds to break my fast.)
- Eat dinner as if you did not fast the whole day. There is no need to “make-up” for the meals you skipped. (Contrary to what I thought at first, I wasn’t ravenous at all and did not consume a whole horse after 24 hours without food!)
The benefits of intermittent fasting for me:
- Helped improve my relationship with food i.e., identify which ones that really nourish hunger or make me tired and bloated, etc.
- Weaned me from my sugar addiction and junk food cravings
- Released me from the chains of consuming 4-6 small meals per day
- Saves me time in the morning to prepare my food for breakfast and my lunch box
- IF gives the body a chance for internal cleansing that improves immune function and overall health (it is even linked to longevity).
- Decrease not just in weight but also in fat in the belly which is the most difficult to burn.
Going 24 hours without food is not as bad as it sounds. After all, there’s not a day that you’re not eating anything, right?
Intermittent fasting might not be for everyone but for me, it is much better than “moderation” – those small kindergarten meals that leave me wanting for more. It is easier when your limit is zero. Eating a small doughnut easily leads to a whole doughnut or two, or three…because it spikes the blood sugar making you crave for more.
Remember the goal of intermittent fasting is not about eating nothing (or as people would say “starving yourself” ) to lose weight. It is about just taking a short break in eating in order to aid natural hormonal and evolutionary genetic responses at the cellular level for better health (and weight loss does happen in the process). You will still eat that day and you are not doing this every day.
Disclaimer: If you have any health issues like hypertension, diabetes ,etc., it is always advised to consult your doctor before deciding to make drastic changes to your diet.
by Grace on March 5, 2010
Brava, Valentine
is the sequel to author and award winning playwright, television writer and documentary film maker Adriana Trigiani’s Very Valentine, hailed by People Magazine as “Sex and the City meets Moonstruck”.
The book revolves around the main character, Valentine, a workholic shoe designer who after taking over the family’s shoe business that started in the early 1900’s, discovers and learns more about the shoemaking business, love and life.
From Harper Collins:
As Brava, Valentine begins, snow falls like glitter over Tuscany at the wedding of her grandmother, Teodora, and longtime love, Dominic. Valentine’s dreams are dashed when Gram announces that Alfred, “the prince,” Valentine’s only brother and nemesis, has been named her partner at Angelini Shoes. Devastated, Valentine falls into the arms of Gianluca, a sexy Tuscan tanner who made his romantic intentions known on the Isle of Capri.
But it doesn’t end there! After that there are twists and turns and colorful words to delight you. You can check out what’s inside the book here.
I really, really enjoyed this book. I could say that with smiles and a face that would make me look like a child who had just been given free cotton candy and that’s still an understatement. We just finished moving houses and once the dust settled and all things in place, I was looking for a book to help me relax, take me to places (I love how books do that to me). I am so glad to have picked up Brava, Valentine courtesy of Harper Collins. It did not just help me relax, it entertained me so much.
The book took me to magical Manhattan, enchanting Italy and the dramatic cobblestones of Buenos Aires - places I haven’t been to so it allowed my spirit to soar freely and imagine myself being there with Valentine and the whole bunch of vibrant cast. Each page breathes and laughs as you turn it.
The book is full of life, love and family humor. If you’d like to read and get all those warm, fuzzy feeling with a dash of excitement and palpitating surprises, then you’ve got to read this one. 5/5 rating from me.
One last thing – I wish this book will be made into a movie!
Giveaway!!
Harper Collins will send one (1) copy of Brava, Valentine to a lucky reader of this review. If you’d like to be entered, please drop me a comment on this post BUT let’s have fun and answer this question to qualify:
Did you marry your first love?
(I couldn’t think of a good question for the unmarried so, I guess you’ll just have to leave any comment except, “Enter me!”. You can do better than that!)
I’ll close the comments in a week and draw a winner by random. US only, please. Sorry international readers!
Disclosure: This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the item for review and wil provide for the giveaway. I was not compensated in any way.
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Congratulations to Henria O. for winning 8 e-book titles from Picpocket Books last week!
