Thursday, September 30, 2010

help me know You are near

I want to pray.

But I do not know what to say.

I know that God understand word-less prayers.

But even my heart contains nothing, will He still understand?

I am not here to complain.

I just feel like losing it..

Losing it to something I do not even know.. what

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

not much

I feel like the world is against me today!

I am in my lab now, supposedly be doing some rotavapouring, but still can barely hold my tears. I have to be tough on life otherwise he'll be tough on me! But I can't..




I really shouldn't blame it on the weather.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Going to make the most of it!!

plane tickets to home is so expensivooooo!!! $1826, and it's from CMH to Singapore only.. Well, at least the flight route is very good: CMH-TX-SIN, only transit once- isn't that awesome??!!! :D

I think I am taking extra days of winter break then. lol. Regardless of the price, I am so excited and CANNOT wait to go home!!!

can't stop thinking about Manadonese food. hahahaha ^.^

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Projects

1. Scrapbook for our anniversary (check)
2. Graduation pic and plaque for him (check)
3. Flower bouqet for M (not check yet)
4. Card for his graduation (not check yet)
5. B'day card for M (not check yet)
6. Graduation gift for J (not check yet)
7. Graduation card for J (check)
etc

I am so behind.. so behind..
these are supposed to be fun non-academic projects. Yet now they're driving me kwayzeee.. >.<

But for my loved ones, apa sih yg ga gua kerjain..
it is worth the world to see them happy! =)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Beware: Misleading ingredient names explained

My general rule is to buy foods that list ingredients I can pronounce, but there are at least two things I additionally watch out for: ingredients that sound healthy but aren’t (I try to avoid those) and obscure ingredients that sound scary but are basically harmless.
The latest ingredient to request a “healthier-sounding” name change? High-fructose corn syrup. This week, the Corn Refiners Association, which represents firms who make the product, petitioned the FDA to change the ingredient’s name to “corn sugar.” The group has many reasons for wanting the change, including changing public perception of this controversial ingredient. But two respected nutrition watchdogs, EatingWell advisory board member Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at New York University, and Michael Jacobsen, director of a Washington, D.C.-based nutrition and health advocacy group, Center for the Science in the Public Interest, told the New York Times that the new term “corn sugar” is a more accurate description for high-fructose corn syrup, which is a mixture of glucose and fructose.

I talked to EatingWell’s nutrition editor, Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., about HFCS and 4 more ingredients that sound healthier than they are, plus 4 obscure-sounding ingredients that are basically harmless. (Note: This is not a complete list, just some highlights to pay attention to.) Here’s her advice on how to decode them:

Related: Is High-Fructose Corn Syrup Worse for You Than Sugar? Find Out Here.
Related: Yogurt & More: 6 healthy-sounding foods that really aren’t


WATCH OUT: INGREDIENTS THAT ARE SCARIER THAN THEY SOUND

1. Fruit Juice Concentrates

What it is: An alias for added sugars, which supply calories but little to no nutritional value. This also applies to: corn sweetener or syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, agave, invert sugar, malt sugar, molasses, syrup and sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose).
Why you should watch out: Because high intakes of added sugars are linked with increased risks for high blood pressure and high triglyceride levels, risk factors for heart disease, The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars, advising that women eat no more than 100 calories per day from added sugars, or about 6 teaspoons, and men should stick to less than 150 calories, approximately 9 teaspoons. (A 12-ounce can of cola has about 8 teaspoons.) Added sugars in processed foods are difficult to track. "Sugars" on Nutrition Facts panels include added sugars and natural sugars found in healthful foods (fructose in fruits, lactose in dairy). In general, the closer added sugars are to the top of the list, the more the food contains.
2. Soybean Oil

What it is: A plant-derived oil
Why you should watch out: Soybean oil, along with corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil, is high in omega-6 fats, which compete in your body with healthy omega-3 fats (the kind that benefit your heart and brain). Many nutrition experts say that Americans get too many omega-6 fats in their diets, mostly from processed foods. Joe Hibbeln, M.D., a captain in the United States Public Health Service takes it a step further and blames alcoholism, depression and a host of other illnesses on the excess of omega-6 fats in our diet. In fact, it’s quite difficult to find commercial salad dressings, mayonnaise, even crackers, breads, pasta sauces and granola bars, among other products, that don’t include oils with high levels of omega-6 fats.

Click here for our recommendations for some of the healthiest packaged salad dressings, mayonnaise, crackers, pasta sauces and granola bars.
3. Palm Oil

What it is: Oils derived from the fruits of palm trees.
Why you should watch out: Now that the heart-damaging effects of trans fats (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils) are widely known, many food manufacturers are replacing them with palm oil. EatingWell’s Dietitian and Nutrition Advisor Sylvia Geiger, M.S., R.D. reports that while palm oil is trans-fat-free, about half of its fat is saturated, adding about 1.5 grams sat fat to each 2-tablespoon serving. Have we traded one “bad fat” for another? Could be. While you may have heard that palm oil has less of a cholesterol-raising effect than other tropical oils, the research isn’t conclusive. Your best bet is to choose natural products that contain neither added palm oil nor trans fats. (Note: Products labeled “0 trans fats” can still contain up to half a gram of trans fat per serving. You can assume that “trans-free” products still contain a small amount of trans fat if partially hydrogenated oil is listed as an ingredient.) In addition, recent research shows that palmitic acid, a saturated fat found in palm oil (and beef, butter and cheese) caused mice to become resistant to the appetite-suppressing hormones leptin and insulin, which in theory could make them eat more.
4. Wheat Flour

What it is: Refined wheat flour, also a synonym for white or all-purpose flour.
Why you should watch out: Wheat flour is different from “whole-wheat flour.” Wheat/white flour contains barely any fiber, vitamins or minerals, the building blocks of healthy food. So you’re missing out on all the benefits of whole grains. One slice of white bread has 65 percent less fiber, magnesium and potassium than whole-wheat bread. The bran alone in whole-wheat bread gives it 20 times more antioxidant power. A diet high in whole grains, on the other hand, is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, less weight gain, fewer cases of type 2 diabetes and reduced risk of colon cancer and metabolic syndrome. People who eat more whole grains also tend to have lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and higher good (HDL) cholesterol, all good reasons to opt for a chewier loaf and more foods made with whole grains.
Related: 3 Ways to Find the Healthiest Supermarket Breads



CHILL-OUT: SCARY-SOUNDING INGREDIENTS THAT ARE BASICALLY OK

1. Inulin

What it is: Not to be confused with insulin, a hormone that regulates energy and glucose metabolism in the body, inulin is a soluble fiber found naturally
in bananas, onions and some plants.
What it does: It is added to processed foods to replace sugar, fat and flour. Bonus: It can help increase calcium absorption and can help promote the growth of beneficial bacteria added to yogurt.
2. Ascorbic Acid

What it is: This is a pseudonym for vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin perhaps best known for its role in boosting our immune system, it also helps the body absorb iron from plants we eat, acts as a protective antioxidant and has been linked with younger-looking skin.
What it does: It is added to products to prevent discoloration; in bread-machine yeast it acts as a dough conditioner to promote volume.
3. Xanthan Gum

What it is: You’ll see this powdery substance, fermented from glucose, in a lot of products— from salad dressings to ice creams.
What it does: It thickens salad dressings and maintains the smooth consistency of ice creams. Bonus: Increasing the viscosity of lower-fat dressings gives them the richer “mouthfeel” associated with full-fat versions—making it a little easier to reach for the healthier choices.
4. Maltodextrin

What it is: This ingredient, along with vegetable gum and methylcellulose, is one of the starches or fibers derived from natural plants (including bushes, trees, seaweed) and bacteria.
What it does: You’ll find maltodextrin, or its pals, in nearly every processed food, including veggie burgers, in which they act as a binder and stabilizer to hold everything together in a neat, firm patty.

What ingredients do you wonder about?

By. Michelle Edelbaum

Monday, September 20, 2010

Lesson of the day

How can people be so rude?

Two people being carelesly rude to me within the same hour. I could hold back grudge. It wouldn't do me anything but turn myself down. So instead, I decided just to let it out (read: write here) and not to dwell in it for the rest of the day.

One thing that I learned: Be careful with whatever you say and/ or do to others. Think before you speak, because you never know how badly a discouraging word could affect someone. Whatever is going on in your life cannot be taken as an excuse for you to be rude to the person next to you. Don't be a stumble stone. Be a blessing instead!

God, please give me a heart to learn from and take the good side of whatever uncomfortable situation I am in. Also, I pray that I can be more careful with the words that come out from my mouth as well as actions done by me. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

a little surprise

I am so exhausted today.. Do not know why..

Btw, I got to see yet send away my boo yesterday. I was happy indeed to see him after over 2 weeks not being able to see, feel, hug, tease, etc him ^^ I felt like I did not hug him enoguh-- he had to go to CA and leave me again that soon! But good that my friends were with us and together we sent him to the airport. Otherwise I would have been terribly sad I bet. Now I am missing him already.. =(

I did not get to meet again with his family. Though I wrote a card for his family and leave it on his desk. When I met him, the only thing I wanted to do was to hug him super duper tighlty!! I came to his house, I huged him, he went to his room, came back with a bag.

At the begining I thought it was his sister's bag, for the ribbon knotted to one of the bag's straps looks pretty similar to hers. Then he handed it to me and said, "here's a bag from my mom and I", smiling. And me smiling too.. =)

selidik-punya selidik.. It was actually form his mom (only). Not from him. Which is not surprising. hahaha.. Katanya waktu jalan2 di outlet di NYC, mamanya sama cc adenya masuk Coach. While dia yg udah bosen, nunggu di luar (biasa lah, cowo). Then when they came out his mom gave the bag to himn and said, "Nih mama beliin buat Angel". Sudah saya duga.. My boy hasn't changed that much lah from his mighty cuekness trademark! lol. Yet I am soooooo happy!!! Happy that his mom bought me something from their trip ^.^. The bag is very nice and I like it. But what pleases me the most is the fact that his MOM bought it for me. I am a little flattered, you know! lol.

According to J, "it's a good sign loh Njel that his mom bought something for you. Apalagi si Ray anak cowo semata wayang maminya..". So ya, I am more than just 'a little' flattered I guess..

Thank you tante buat Coach tote bag nya.. it's really nice and it's a very kind of you =)

Monday, September 13, 2010

Miss you

I have countless moments with you
Many laughs and tears we shared
And I hope that we will make it through
Loving each other, faithfully, to death

Maybe we are too young to speak in the name of true love
But why do I see so clearly that my future is you?
Sharing my life with you, I pray to the One above
To grow old with you would be a sweet dream-come-true

Nothing I promise for now
But all my heart, passion, and affection
Yet I just cannot think of how
How I can live a second of my life without you, my perfection

If you ever have to stop holding my hand
Please keep your memory of me in a little piece of your heart
As for our castle in my heart, made of sand
Will dust away, yet covering all part

I miss you terribly.. =(

Maryland, June 9, 2010
..and right now

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Curhat

Motivation, where art thou?

Senior thesis is in the house! Three "potential" research papers (those that I will be working on for my analysis) are due tomorrow and guess how many I have found? ZERO!

Am I busy? Yes. But I did have time to do my online research finding three informatif and interesting science journals. Too bad my motivation is on vacation- gone with the wind! Here we go now I am writing rather not-so-important issues on my blogger. jah..

Well, in about a month Ray and I are going to celebrate our 1st anniversary. I am so excited. I like celebrations, always cherish special moments. Currently I am making an album/ scrapbook to my other-half (as janet always refer to him). I already planned it since long time ago (see how I like special occasion!). But I changed my mind! And this one is even better!!

So, instead of dealing with the hasle fighting with glue, scicors, and their friends, I am working on it with Shutterfly! It is hasle-free and looks nicer overall!

Though my excitement had to stop for a bit last night. I was talking to R about how excited I am about our upcoming anniversary and he just said "it's just an anniversary.. bla bla bla..". I was so down that I cried =( I mean, how could one say such thing to ones gf? After her putting so much effort on the scrapbook she's making despite the schoolworks she has??

I was indeed irritated and disappointed. But then I learnt 2 things:
1. If a person doesn't love you the way you want, it doesn't mean he doesn't love you with all his heart.
R is just a boy. And his "cuek-ness" is kinda his trademark. Sometimes he says things without even thinking about it. Love is not about changing, but rather understanding and acceptance.
2. Love is more about giving, and not focusing on receiving (affection, respect, or materials). If I want to do something because of love, I then should do it because of love regardless the respons of others (including him).

shoot it;s 9:37pm already! Gotta force myself to do what I'm supposed to be doing! aaarrrggggghhhhh >.<

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

blah blah blah on wed evening

It's a quarter after ten, I am a little bored and I miss you now..

My boo is out and about, with his family. I am trully happy to see him having a great time with the ones he dears high and so glad I had the chance to hang out with his family even just for a while. He doesn't have so much time to contact me lately (which I do understand) and I miss him.. He'll be away for 3 weeks =(

and I have to deal with senior thesis. and phi chem. and dental school applications. concentrate!