How to live with lupus

Healthy Salad Dressing/Sauce from Radio ˜jin bao baifen bai 3 Oct 2006

Have you ever thought of making your own salad dressing and sauce? Here are two recipes that you can start with or add on to your list. Its easy, try it!

All Natural Salad Dressing
Mix all into a juice blender
(i) 100cc cold pressed olive oil (ii) some lemon juice (iii) sugar & salt and (iv) cup of mashed potato or milk powder. If you prefer your dressing to be lighter or thicker, try reducing or adding more of the olive oil.

Healthy Special Sauce
(i) mushroom soy sauce
(ii) cold pressed sesame oil
(iii) minced ginger
(iv) mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
Mix all the above ingredients together. Pour mixed sauce over the food and sprinkle some sesame seeds to enhance the flavor.
Tips: I like to use this special healthy sauce over noodles, as a dipping sauce for steamboat and boiled/steamed vegetables. Really delicious!

Plum Essence from Radio ˜jin bao bai fen bai” on 2 October 2006

All Natural Plum Essence

The making of all natural green plum is very precious. In order to extract 20 g of plum essence, you need to use 1 kg of green plums. Methods used in preparing these products are under very strict environmental control and hygiene standards.

Used as a daily supplement for good health, bones, antiseptic, detoxify, weak stomach,
beautify skin and increase immunity.

1. Alkaline forming food
2. Increase metabolism, eliminate fatigue
3. Relieve stress
4. Promote & advance calcium absorption
5. Ameliorate constipation/diarrhea
6. Strong in killing germs & bacteria
7. Improves skin allergy
8. Normalize blood pressure (high or low)
9. Improves blood circulation
10. Protects liver
11. Prevent gallstones
12. Ease pain
13. Beautify skin
14. Eliminate free radicals, anti-ageing
15. Promote resistance to diseases
16. Prevents cancer

A good product to bring along for travel overseas: abdominal pain, food-poisoning, indigestion, diarrhea, car-sick, boat-sick & airsick.

How to usePLUM ESSENCE
Drink one to two drops every morning and night (for starters: you can add into plum juice
or to 50cc water.
Plum Essence is suitable for all people.
The equivalent of 1 bottle of essence = 5 bottles of vinegar.

How to usePLUM JUICE
Drink it hot or cold (add ice cubes).
For flu, sore-throat and diarrhea, add hot water into juice and drink.
For a refreshing drink, add ice cubes or cold water. It can also prevent any germs, bacteria in the large intestines.

How to usePLUM VINEGAR
Normal: 30cc vinegar + 5 parts water (can use cold water). For children: 20 parts water.

Dispel wind, uric acid, fatty liver, lower cholesterol: 50cc + 3 parts warm water.

Constipated and gastric: 30cc + 10 parts warm water.

Most suited for people with sensitive nose and skin inflammation.

Caution
DO NOT USE HOT WATER as it will destroy all the minerals.
NOT TO USE WITH MILK, at least before or after 30 minutes.
FOR MEDICATION, take only after/before 1 hour.
PREGNANT WOMEN CAN DRINK NOT MORE THAN 80cc PER DAY.
NOT SUITABLE FOR WOMEN IN CONFINEMENT AFTER GIVING BIRTH
AND BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS.

Where to buy: DIY Nature House
325 New Bridge Road
#03-00 Thye Shan Mansion
Tel: 62951798

Eat and Live Healthy

STEP THREE

What You Should Know About Shifting Your pH Toward Alkaline

The pH (potential of Hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. A pH of 7.0 neutral, below 7.0 is acidic and above 7.0 is alkaline.

An imblanced diet high in acidic-producing foods such as sugar, caffeine, soft drinks, white flour, processed foods and animal products like meat, eggs and dairy puts pressure on the body’s regulating systems to maintain pH neutrality.

Modern fast-paced lifestyle, emotional stress, drugs, toxic overload and diet promote acidification of the body’s internal environment. An acidic balance will decrease the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and minerals, deprive the cells of oxygen and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness. A healthy body usually keeps large alkaline reserves which are used to meet the emergency demands but these reserves can be depleted if too many acid-producing foods are consumed. A build up of acids in the cells will then occur and health can be seriously menaced.

For an optimum health, it is imperative to correct an overly acidic body with a change in diet and lifestyle.

What Is The Body’s pH?

The body’s pH should be slightly alkaline (7.35 - 7.45). It is vitally important that there is a proper ratio between acid and alkaline foods in the diet. When such an ideal ratio is maintained, the body has a strong resistance against disease. A normal healthy body’s diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.

Your body can function normally and sustain health only in the presence of adequate alkaline reserves and the proper acid alkaline ratio in all the body tissues and the blood.

In the healing of disease i.e. patient has acidosis, the higher the ratio of alkaline elements in the diet, the faster will be the recovery.

In general, alkaline forming foods include most fruits, green vegetables, seeds and nuts, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings. We need to avoid processed, sugary and simple-carbohydrate foods, because they are acid-producing, nutrient-lacking and may be toxic and they raise blood sugar level too quickly (high glycemic index).

The food’s acid or alkaline forming in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. Take for example: Lemons are very acidic, however once it’s absorb in the body, they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline. Lemons then become alkaline-forming in the body.

Meat on the other hand will test alkaline before digestion but acidic after. So meat is acid-forming. It is vitally important that your daily dietary intake of food naturally acts to balance your body pH.

This Alkaline & Acidic Food Chart is an easy guide for your reference.

The body’s pH should be slightly alkaline (7.35 - 7.45). It is vitally important that there is a proper ratio between acid and alkaline foods in the diet. When such an ideal ratio is maintained, the body has a strong resistance against disease. A normal healthy body˜s diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods. Click this link. Food Chart

My Turning Point

After all these years of life struggles and experiences, I finally learned to stay faithful to my check ups and taking my medication. But the road to recovery seemed to be taking such a long time. I wanted to feel “normal’ again, no more ache and pain, no more waking up in the morning feeling good on some days and bad on other days! Even though I knew that lupus meant a lifelong illness and there was no permanent cure.

I remembered some time in the year 2001, after my routine blood test and check up at a specialist’s clinic, my husband and I went across the street to have our lunch. About an hour later that day, I received a telephone call from my doctor regarding the blood test results. I had a lupus flare and needed immediate medical attention. I went to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and was hospitalized.

That was how I met my present doctor, Dr Lian Tsui Yee, consultant of the Rheumatology & Immunology. I have come across many doctors but this one is special. On the first morning during my stay in the hospital, I remembered what she did during the ward visit by the doctors. After the group had left, she came back shortly to examine my body and explained why she did this and that and what medicines will be given to do what etc. She also explained my SLE condition and asked me not to worry. Maybe it was the anxious look on my face and she had such a smile that could make you feel you are in safe hands. You know that really brought comfort to me and my husband. She is very kind and caring, full of compassion and I can always feel her sincerity. She is ever ready to listen and chats with you like a family member. It’s very heart warming. I never missed any of my appointments with her. How many doctors do you know are like that? With all due respect, Dr Lian Tsui Yee is one exception!

In August 2002, I was traveling in a cab and on my way for a medical appointment, the driver’s radio was on a Chinese channel and I got hooked. I cannot deny that it had helped to change my life and my way of thinking. If you had read my blog on “My gratitude to a wonderful friend”, you will know how I got hooked on Mediacorp Radio Love 97.2FM “jin bao bai fen bai’.

After ten years, I finally came to accept my lupus condition. The encouragement that I had received while listening to the Chinese radio program had brought new hope in my life. From the contents of the program, I knew that the DJ must have had put in a lot of hard work in order to capture the hearts of the listeners. His radio show included healthy recipes, interviews with doctors, benefits and nutrition of foods, fight against common ailments and also chronic illness especially in the area of cancer. There were also stories and testimonies of people who overcame all odds and sicknesses. DJ Billy Wang is a cancer warrior himself and also one of the extraordinary people whom I grew to respect and trust.

I admired him for his courage and transparency to dare to bear all of his past before the public. And now at present, he is taking the lead by setting the role model and teaching others on healthy living and fight against cancer. I have acquired much knowledge and information relating to health through Billy. I was sad that this program has ended on 6th October 2006. Yet at the same time I am happy to know that my friend could now spend more time with his beloved mother and family. He will be concentrating on his teachings on healthy living in order to reach out to more people. May God continue to bless his works.

Lupus Association of Singapore will be holding an education talk on
“New Treatments for an Old Disease”

Date:  25 November 2006 (Saturday)

Time:  2.00pm – 5.00pm

Venue:  Conference Room 1 & 2 (Tan Tock Seng Hospital)

Speaker:  Dr Andrea Low (English) & Dr Lau Tang Ching (Mandarin)

Registration:  Members Free,  Non-members S$10.00 per person
For more information, please call Tel: 62549130 (1pm-5pm Mon-Fri).
Strictly no registration at the door.

STEP TWO

Just a quick check:
a) Have you been drinking enough water daily? 
b) Have you started on increasing your intake of vegetables and fruits? 
c) Are you taking less salt, less sugar, less oil and less fat meals?
d) Are you exercising, brisk walking?
e) Are you drinking lemon water? (see Categories - Recipe No.1 ‘Green lemon water’)

If your answer is ‘Yes’ to all, well done!  But if you are still trying, keep going, you can do it!  

Just to share with you on how I check my daily water intake of 2500cc.
First thing in the morning after brushing my teeth, 2 glasses of water/lemon water is a must for me.  1 cup hot beverage with breakfast and 1 glass of water for my medicine.  That is already 4 glasses (1000cc in total).

1st check - 11.00am
By this time 1000cc

2nd check - 3.00pm
By this time 2000cc already

3rd check - 7.00pm
By this time 2500cc definitely

Note: Try not to drink anymore after 10.00pm, take sips of water if you are thirsty.

Cold Pressed Oil from Radio Show ‘jin bao baifen bai’ 29/9/06 (Friday)

OLIVE OIL - beneficial to health due to its high content of antioxidative substances and monounsaturated fatty acids.

Aids in the protection against heart disease by controlling LDL ‘bad cholesterol levels’ while raising HDL ‘good cholesterol levels’.

Olive oil has lubricating abilities, help to relieve constipation and keep bowel movements regular.
Try this: cold pressed Extra Virgin olive oil + honey. (do not add water)

Olive oil - helps to lower the incidence of gallstone formation.
Try this: 60 cc Cold Pressed Extra Virgin olive oil + 1 freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Drink before you go to bed at night or in the morning on an empty stomach.

FYI: Oil that comes from the first ‘pressing’ of the olive, is extracted without using heat or chemicals. The less the oil is handled, the better the oil. If the olive oil meets all the criteria, it can be designated as ‘extra virgin’.

SESAME OIL is cholesterol free and is an excellent source of Vitamin E and contains a high proportion of the good polyunsaturated fats.

Try this delicious recipe:
‘Mian xian’ Mee Sua with olive oil
1. In a bowl, add some cold pressed olive oil, mushroom soy sauce and fresh ginger (julienne).
2. Blanch mee sua in boiling water for 3 - 4 minutes, drain.
3. Mix well in the bowl above. Serve immediately.

Cold Tofu with sesame oil
1. Place tofu on a plate
2. Mix some cold pressed sesame oil, fresh ginger (julienne), mushroom soy sauce and
some Chinese parsley.
3. Pour sauce over the tofu and serve.

“How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! 
I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn towards me. 
And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!”     TLB Psalm 139:17,18