Lunette Re-usable Menstrual Cups for the Environmentally Conscious?

Recycle, Re-use and Reduce. Those three words are very present in my mind. I send to recycling whatever I can: plastics, paper, cardboard. If something's not broken, I won't buy another one, no matter how cute it is. This applies from coffee cups to furniture. I even use the waste from my juicer to make nutrient-rich compound for my plants. The other day, my husband needed to keep frozen meat he had bought, while he was called to attend a last minute meeting. So, he stopped at a convenience store and bought a styrofoam cooler. I thought I was gonna have a heart attack, lol.

Yesterday, while reading my issue of Redbook, I saw this ad. Lunada has created plastic, reusable menstrual cups; a very simple  concept, according to them. It consists of inserting with your fingers a plastic barrier into the vagina. This barrier, or cup, catches the menstrual flow. Then you remove the cup with your fingers, dispose of the blood, and wash the plastic cups for re-use. Don't forget to wash your hands, of course.

Here's how, in detail, from their website:

What Lunette is about, from their official website

I wonder why the information says to keep Lunette away from children and pets, but then adds especially [pet] rodents. Why are rodents a special category? Maybe they carry some sort of disease.

This made me think this is probably the way our ancestors managed menstruation: they probably washed and re-used cloths or something similar. I was wrong. I thank the site MUM.ORG, for offering information about recyclable ways in which ancestors managed menstrual bleeding (meaning: washing and re-using special underwear and other gadgets). However, I was amazed to discover that most women used nothing. They just allowed the blood to... well.... flow....

Just to let you know, here is one example of early attempts to create pads for women:

Drawing of a proposed washable German belt and pad, 1894 (from Livius Fürst, Die Hygiene der Menstruation in normalem
und krankhaftem Zustandeund krankhaftem Zustande [The Hygiene of Menstruation in the Normal and Diseased State; Leipzig, Germany, 1894]

 

According to one source, in the 19th century most German women either made their menstrual pads or used nothing at all! Tampons, available in the U.S.A. in the early 1930s, seem to have appeared later in Europe (o.b. started after World War II).Below is a drawing of a belt and pad proposed by a German writer and gynecologist, Dr. Livius Fürst, in 1894. In the small drawing to the right of the pad I show how the flap pulls up and buttons on the front of the belt. He suggests using cotton as the filler for the pad. Disposable Kotex did not appear until 1920's. .Source:  mum.org At first, Kotex was sewer safe, but I guess that after trillions of pads were flushed down household toilets, they became a problem. So, these days you toss them in the trash after wrapping them in toilet paper. Which is also a problem, because of the environmental cost caused by so much garbage in general. Just by reading the information from the Lunette website, I can think of a word: MESSY. Just picturing myself removing the cup from my vagina and pouring the contents in the toilet makes me not want to buy Lunette. However, I was born in the era where we still had cloth diapers and those were messy as well, especially when babies had diarrhea. Disposable diapers may be cleaner for the household, but they are awful for the environment. I guess it just depends how committed to our planet we are. I have known some parents who are conscious enough to go back to cloth diapers. How eco-conscious are you to go back to re-usable menstrual management devices?

Alkaline Water?

Hey! How are you doing today? 

Alkaline water, is it good for me? That is a common question these days. During my research, I even found articles about the alkaline water myth. 

The pros and the cons are very well explained on the website ehow.com
I am quoting the site:

Claimed Health Benefits

People who support drinking alkaline water for health benefits, such as the marketers of Kangen water systems, say it prevents disease and slows the aging process. They also claim it stops free radicals from forming, flushes toxins from cells and prevents toxins from accumulating, provides essential minerals, promotes normal blood flow and maintains normal blood pH. Alkaline water also is said to be better at hydrating the body because it penetrates cells more effectively.
Acidic Diet Effects

Proponents say alkaline water can improve health because when people eat an acidic diet and drink water which is not alkaline, the body has to balance blood pH by leaching important minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium from tissues, bones, and teeth. This contributes to bone loss, tooth decay, and cellular aging. People with systems that are acidic, as measured by saliva pH, can have many symptoms and disorders including muscle and joint pain, fatigue, headaches, indigestion, excessive mucous and dry skin and hair. On the other hand, proponents say high-alkaline diets prevent and treat degenerative diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, heart disease and kidney disorders.
Science

Many claims related to alkaline water are unsubstantiated by science. Although saliva and urine pH levels change, blood pH is always very close to the same number, and excess acidity is mainly expelled by breathing out carbon dioxide. In addition, regions of the western United States that have alkaline well water show no difference in average numbers of degenerative conditions compared to the rest of the country. Some websites selling alkaline tablets say people should be drinking water with a pH between 9 and 10, which is about the alkalinity of Milk of Magnesia. Distilled water can be brought to a pH of around 8.3 by adding baking soda. Any substance with a higher pH than 10 gets into the realm of soap.

What does this have to do with me?

Well, my husband and I started drinking alkaline water. He started complaining that it is "kind of heavy" on the stomach, whatever that means to him. I would like to describe the changes we experienced and the symptoms we have found during our internet research.

1. I have read about people who suffer from heartburn due to alkaline water. This happens especially in those who eat animal protein. Since the stomach acids are atenuated by the ingestion of alkaline water, every time protein is eaten the stomach has to produce even more acid than before.  I used to have heartburn at the  beginning of my alkaline water 'regime,' but now it is not as frequent or as bad.
2. A Google search took me to why does Alkaline water gives me a headache? So, this is something people have experienced, indeed.

Right now, after three weeks I am still waiting for this overall feeling of wellbeing that the makers of alkaline water tout. In fact, this picture here is part of the label of the brand I drink:

It will, supposedly, neutralize body acidity, eliminate toxic agents, reduce stress, controls anxiety and depression (that would be so good for me), delays premature aging, helps control high blood pressure and lose weight. 

Are we being too naive or what?

I'll keep you posted my dear readers! Huggs.

HcG Diet and Me

Hey, How's Everyone? I hope fine!

On this post, I'd like to share my experience with the injected HcG hormone for weight loss. As you may be aware, the Human  Chorionic Gonadotropin is being sold in either sublingual or injected presentations as an "aid to weightloss".

Let's get to the basics. If you already know what this hormone is, you may want to skip to the part where I relate my experience after four days of use. HcG is a naturally occurring hormone during pregnancy. It helps form and sustain the placenta. As a medication, it is approved for women who have problems conceiving because it stimulates ovulation. That is all the therapeutic use it has, according to the Food and Drug Administration. If a woman is pregnant, she'll naturally produce HcG. If a woman has fertility problems, she can be given HcG (under medical supervision) to make her body more likely to ovulate. Of  course, this is not the only treatment for infertility. Only a woman, her family (if she wishes) and her doctor should decide and choose what treatment is best for her, taking in consideration the possible side effects.

By the third week of September, I went to a General Practitioner who I knew prescribed HcG for weight loss. Being kind of a fitness fad, I thought this would help me get rid of the 15 pounds I gained when my Internal Medicine Specialist decided to increase the amount of anti depressant medication I was taking. It was like.... poof, one day my dose was increased, and the next two weeks I started gaining weight even when eating pretty much the same foods (I don't eat junk, generally) and maintaining my level of activity. I go to the gym at least three times a week. I dance to salsa, bellydance and zumba. For those of you who think you hate exercising, try one of those clases. You'll burn lots and lots of calories and you'll think you're having fun! Anyway, I was doing the same and still gaining weight until I reached those extra 15 pounds.

Soooo, I started following the doctor's directions, poking my belly with 12 units (from a diabetes syringe) of HcG once a day. It didn't stop me for being hungry or anything. It didn't give me extra energy. But the doctor had said that it would help me not to lose muscle mass associated with rapid weight loss. He said I would lose body fat instead.

Oh, did I forget to tell you he gave me a sheet containing a 500-calories-a-day diet? Anybody would lose weight on that kind of food.

Day 1: Fine, but felt hungry. No, make that HUNGRY.
Day 2: Fine
Day 3: Fine, for the most part
Day 4: Mild disconfort on my tummy, which I believed had to do with my IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Day 5: Stomach ache
Day 6: Stomach ache so bad that I decided to look on the net if the side effects of the HcG diet included stomach ache.

From my research, I found out one of the most common side effects of the HcG diet is pelvic pain and it is severe enough to discontinue treatment. In fact, it advised to discontinue HcG immediately if this kind of pain was experienced. By this time, I was sure the problems was not IBS but my pelvic organs.

Day 7: Zero HcG for me whatsoever. The pelvic pain subsided and dissappeared like in two more days and so far I have been completely fine.

I learned the hard way to be patient during my weight loss process. You know, I am 46 years old now. My metabolism is not the way I used to be. Strike one.  I am taking antidepressants, known to cause a bit of weight gain. Strike two. But I'm still playing and optimistic! That's a hit!

Thanks for reading and God bless you abundantly.

An Appointment With Ourselves

I was reading a magazine article and  the honest, expert and down to earth opinion of  Dr. Sanjay Gupta about his exercise  habits caught my attention. He said: "I would never cancel an appointment with my boss, unless there is a really unfortunate reason. I have made a point in never cancelling a  work out unless there is a good reason to do so.

I got it. Many times we don't see workouts as something we HAVE to do. We would go to work with a mild headache; we would go to work even when we are feeling down in our personal life. But sometimes we don't work out just because "we don't feel like". We brush our teeth before going to bed, no matter how tired or sleepy we are, don't we? Then, why do we cancel our workout when we are feeling a bit blue? Why do we sabotage our good eating habits when we are sad and depressed? Why do we miss a workout because we are tired from work? 

It is great to know that, if you are tired, exercise will help you sleep better at night. During exercise, and shortly afterwards, chemicals in your brain are released to maintain the alert state you need to workout, flushing away your anxiety and depressive moods. Later on, a different set of chemicals are released, that will help you sleep and recover your energy. Our body is wonderful, isn't it?

For Great Workouts and much, much more, please check this page out:

Exercise in your own time, at your own pace! - You may find here the right workout DVD, gear, and even an egym,  just for you. Even if you have physical conditions like chronic pain, there is TaiCheng, designed to improve flexibility and coordination. 

EAT WELL! - The meal on the go may be the best meal of your day! Contradictory? Not al all. It is called Shakeology.  What if you are VEGAN? No problem, we got vegan shakes!

Image Source: myshakeology.com/mariesantini

Restaurant Review: Al Maccaroni, Canary Islands

Hello readers!

From September 22 to September 29, 2012 my husband and I visited Gran Canaria, a part of the Spanish Canary Islands archipielago. We enjoyed the landscapes, the old cities and the food.

One of the places that we liked the most was Al Maccaroni, an Italian restaurant serving, not only pasta and pizza, but beef and seafood as well. We were strolling on the boardwalk by the beach, close to Hotel Cristina in Las Palmas area, when we spotted the restaurant and its menu shown on the window. They said the restaurant offers good quality steak. As you can see on the following photo, the restaurant has a casual, comfortable European environment.

The waiter made great suggetions and actually helped us decide what we wanted to try: we went for the hot-stone cooked loin dish for two, which is one full beef tenderloin prepared to one's preference right next to our table and served with mushroom sauce.

First, he asked us how thick we would like our beef, and then cut it according to our wish.

Then, he masterfully cooked it to the exact term. It was all served with sauteed vegetables and potatoes.

Everything was really good.The beef was absolutely tender and the vegetables were nicely cooked; not overdone at all. The mushroom sauce was good too! I think I ate too much that evening (haha) but it was OK, because not everyday we have the opportunity to enjoy each other's company in an exotic environment,  with great food served.

Fnally, we had ice cream for dessert.

If you are a meat lover, and happen to be in Gran Canaria, you may like Al Maccaroni! Hugs to everyone and God Bless abundantly.

Menopause and Mood Swings... etc.

Women, like me, going through peri, pre or menopause, suffer from symptoms that range f rom severe to mild. I found this article very, very useful. I hope you do too. It explains how hormones affect serotonins and neurotransmitters.

http://www.34-menopause-symptoms.com/mood-swings.htm

This is the home page
http://www.34-menopause-symptoms.com/

Restaurant Review: Brasas (Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico)

Right across from the main plaza (town square) in Cabo Rojo, stands Brasas (meaning "Flames") Stakehouse and Pasta, occupying an early 20th century family-style house.  


The restaurant has a cozy casual environment.  One of first things customers notice is the decor, related to the American west, specifically cowboys. There is even a 19th century shotgun on display! On the right side they have a bar.

Now, to the food.


My husband and I went there for lunch. Brasas serves appetizers and we chose sausage in wine and fried cheese balls. The sausages were quite tasty, not greasy, good quality. The cheese balls were pretty much like... fried cheddar cheese balls lol.


They have daily lunch specials ranging from $6.00 to $10.00. These include churrasco (skirt steak), Puerto Rican style beef-steak with sauteed onions, chicken wings, 1/2 rack of pork ribs; fried pork cuts (carne frita); each served with either plantains, rice and beans (a local favorite) or French fries.


There is also an a-la-carte menu including filet mignon, as well as a choice of other cuts of steaks, pasta and salad. Dessert choices included Oreo cheesecake, house lemon pie, and plain cheesecake.


 The dish presentations are nice (not plain, but not out of this world either, which goes perfectly with the restaurant's ambiance).  I had the BBQ ribs with fried green plantains (tostones). The ribs were amazingly soft with the meat easily coming off the bones and practically no fat! That was so yummy! (I was like OMG I want to take the bones home for my doggies, they shouldn't be thrown away!)   My husband's selection was good too. He ate the fried pork with rice. He had a glass of peach iced tea with his lunch and it tasted great.


Dessert... My husband selected the lemon pie and he became immediately smitten! This  is not the typical two layer lemon meringue pie.  Nothing like that! It is creamy, velvety; a perfect, heavenly texture. To me, it had a hint of bitter taste in it, but it is just a matter of individual preference.

In summary, we had appetizers, a great lunch for two, dessert,  plus non alcoholic drinks for $33.00 tax included.