A Super Weekend

We had one super educational and eye-opening weekend! Oscar and I attended The Superfood Grocer's talk on how to start living healthy and what these superfoods are about.

Now, don't think that I'm a health-freak na just because I went there. Truth be told, I'm probably only 20-30% living healthily which is very embarrassing! Let me share to you first how I got there and my reasons why I'm taking these little steps in improving our eating habits.

When I was a baby, I was never breastfed. I wrote about my story here on my Breastfeeding Tips from a Non-Breastfed Mommy. It turn, I had formula and wasn't well introduced to eating my veggies. I mostly had fried food and fast-food because I just loved, loved Jolibee! Frankly, I'm still like this but since getting married, pregnant and now with a 21-month old boy, healthy grocery shopping and home-cooked meals are my top priorities. Did you know that I only started eating salad when I was in college?! Pathetic compared to my son who started out with greens and veggies!

I haven't talked about here yet but I have been diagnosed with having a condition called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS. It's not a big deal because a lot of women get them, but it was hard for me to take. I am only thankful that I have Jacob already before I got this. In summary, my there's an imbalance in my hormones, I'm not ovulating (what my OB GYN said) and  I may have a problem conceiving again or may not even be able to anymore. One of the symptoms of this is weight gain and frankly, I'm probably at my biggest and heaviest in my whole life.

Photo from Womenshealth.gov

Hearing this from the doctor made me realize that I need to make changes in my life. I need to help make things right without medicines first (I'm currently not taking any medicines to help my PCOS situation). I badly want more children and it saddens me that I can't because there's something 'wrong' with me.

I munched on these after giving birth to Jacob when I should have been eating healthy! Tsk!

Now back to how I started with superfoods, Oscar caught the flu late January and it was so bad that I knew that Jacob and I would eventually get it. Two-three weeks gone by, neither Jacob and I got seriously sick. What I mean is that we didn't get a fever, just runny nose every morning and once in a while. But a couple of days after the first sign, I started feeling an itch and sting in my throat. Oscar again told me to try out The Superfood Grocer's Camu Camu and Maca powder and see it work for me. He's been adding these superfood to his daily diet since last year and I was still skeptical about it. But I decided to give it a try.

Actual products photo

Before I begin sharing my new found amazement with superfoods, I want you to know that they're not exactly appetizing for people who aren't use to eating healthy. The Maca powder for me taste like soil. The Camu Camu is okay because I like the sourness to it. So what we do is instead of mixing them in green smoothies (which I will share a simple recipe soon!), we take 'shots' of it. We just dilute it with as little water as possible then flush it down with juice. I've become used to the taste that after a few days, I stopped making a big deal out of it and actually started looking forward to it.

Ok back to the story!

 

Photo from The Superfood Grocer's Facebook Page

 

Maca is known to be a nutrient-rich anti-stress adaptogen, just what I needed! I've been sleeping terribly and I've seen it with my own eyes how Oscar sleeps so much sounder (sounder... snoring...) and gets into deep sleep quite fast. I told him that when he took Maca during the day, he doesn't even notice Jacob crying at night! I was looking forward to actually experiencing this because I wanted to get a real night's rest. Though one side effect I've experienced with taking maca is that I've been having breakouts like a teenager! I don't get acne often so this is definitely new. Or it could also be caused by my PCOS.

Camu Camu Berry on the other hand, is packed with Vitamin C, better than oranges! So this actually helped me feel so much better after one time of taking it. Instead of getting sicker, I felt normal again after two days.

My first time trying it out was so dramatic, Oscar wanted to catch it on video but scared him to not to. Lol! I eventually got it down and when I was falling asleep, I noticed how in just a matter of minutes of quietly resting, I can already feel myself dreaming and drifting away. The next day, Oscar was telling me how I was snoring (he even recorded that on the iPad!) and laughing/talking in my sleep! This went on for several nights! I woke up feeling so refreshed, as if I was fully-charged for the day. I didn't feel tired or groggy, which I usually do when waking up ever so early to tend to Jacob's needs. To make it short, I was happy with how much difference it made with my sleep and how much better I felt every morning.

And that's not even the best thing about it! I feel energized the whole day when I would usually be taking a nap or two and just be fully awake in the afternoon. I was ready for Jacob's kakulitan and I was more patient with him. I loved this part! I get to accomplish so much during the day and I feel so good laying down and drifting off to sleep at night.

Carmela and Ralph teaching the group how to make green smoothies.

After the eye-opening talk last Saturday by The Superfood Grocer's owners, Carmela Tancho and Ralph Go, I've learned so much how eating healthy, possibly having a 100% plant-based diet, can change you and can help you live longer, not just for yourself, but for your loved ones. I can't say that I'm going to jump into being a vegan now, but we're taking small steps. First to start taking out white rice in our diet and replacing it with brown rice. I know, I know. It's going to be hard. But it's all worth it!

 

A room full of people wanting to live a superlife!

Having a healthy lifestyle and a plant-based diet can actually reverse illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. Something that most people would just rely on medicines or would just openly accept the situation because it has become a norm that people get sick and die. We should take precautions now and not eat to our hearts content all these food around us and just willingly accept that we're sick. In fact, Carmela mentioned in the talk that people really only make changes when they're already in the situation, and not before it. I don't want to be like that. I can right now, I'm not ill with anything like diabetes, etc. But I'm not going to wait for it to come just because I want to satisfy a craving. No more!

Food was served. All greens, no meat or dairy, and all tasted so good!

I want to share more of what we've learned but I want you to experience it on your own. Please do check out their Facebook page (this is not paid or sponsored in any way!) and find out when they will be having their next talk so you can hear and see for yourself.

Fighting for these men!

I'm making changes for Oscar, so that we may grow old together, witness our children get married and have kids of their own. I'm making changes for Jacob so that I share years and years of memories with him, guide him in leading a life in God's will, and not bring pain in his life when I die of an unfortunate illness that could have been prevented. I'm making changes for my family, so that we can all see our children grow up to be amazing people and make more memories.

 

My big family!

 

And lastly, I'm making changes for myself, so I can catch up with my ever-so-active toddler and live a more active lifestyle with my loving husband. We're doing yoga together now! :D

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QUESTION OF THE DAY

How do you live and eat healthy in your home?

Share your thoughts below!