At the Check Out Stand

Recently I got a job at a grocery store.

And today I noticed something...  most people don't get fruit and veggies.  They get chips, and crackers, and soda, and candy, and other junk food.  But most of all they get meat.

I'm not anti-meat just because I can't have it.

But until today I never known so many different types of meats existed.  Or that the regular person used so much.  They hardly ever got fruits and veggies.  And when they did it was either: potatoes, apples, bananas, or grapes.

Then there are those who get LOTS of fruits and veggies.  And they are super healthy and buy only health foods.

I love fruits and veggies, and I just wanted to put a plug out there that fruits and veggies are GOOD!  They taste good, they are versatile, they are healthy.  You don't have to go all health-nut to enjoy some good fruits and veggies!

So below are a few of my favorites (had to limit to top 5) and some ways to enjoy them.

My Favorite Fruits are:

• Coconut (yes it is a fruit)- A PKU'er can do so much with this!  I use coconut milk in all sorts of recipes, but it's also very good just shredded.
• Apples- Very good raw.  You can also dip them in almond bark, or cut them into slices and pour lemon juice on them, or you could caramelize them.
• Pineapple- This fruit tastes carbonated.  A good healthy snack when you feel like having a soda.  It's also good grilled, on a pizza, fresh, or dipped in almond bark.
• Grapes- Frozen grapes are perfect for a warm sunny day.  But grapes are also good fresh, or in a fruit salad, or a smoothie.
• Bananas- I HAD to mention the Banana.  It is the base of EVERY good smoothie.  :)  And it's good in almond bark, or fresh, or frozen.

(Yes I know I just listed some of the most common fruits bought, but they're popular for a REASON and I never said I didn't fall into the same rut.  I just noticed it today)

My favorite Veggies:

• Bell Peppers- Doesn't matter the color, bell peppers are delicious.  You can roast them, eat them with a dip, have them raw, or add them to a stir fry.  
• Potatoes- Even though the potato has practically no nutritional value.  We all love it.  You can roast them, mash them, fry them, make hash browns.  They are very versatile.
• Corn- Again, not the healthiest of the veggies.  But they can be grilled or steamed it is really yummy.  
• Carrots- Dipped in ranch, or roasted, or steamed, or plain raw; Carrots are delicious.  And a fabulous snack!
• Zucchini- These veggies take on the taste of whatever you cook them in.

          In an earlier post: Tastiest Way To Get Rid Of Zucchini!            I showed you a weird yet delicious recipe for Zucchini Cobbler!  You could also saute them, roast       them, grill them, all sorts of things.  


Again I don't profess to be the healthiest of eaters.  But, this post is just meant or be a kind of reminder that fruits and veggies are good.  And you can do so much with them.  Go and buy more fruits and veggies. :)  I know I will... :D

A Post for Ladies

Sorry about the sudden break in blogging.  I had finals, then I moved back home, and then I had to find a job for the summer.

But I return bearing a really good post. 

Last night, the clinic in my area hosted a "Female Teen/Young Adult" get-together; in order to discuss topic a that every female PKU'er worries about.

PKU Pregnancy

It was actually pretty cool, because it brought people, who weren't following their diets currently, out.  I met several girls who I had never seen before.  (And the PKU community is a rather small one.)

We ate at a restaurant, which was kind enough to cook some low-pro food for us, and we talked.  We talked to woman who had already been pregnant or were currently pregnant and had PKU.  What they said was very reassuring.

It's not as hard as one might think. 

The lady I talked to said, "the hardest part was getting her levels down to a 2 before trying.  After that it's really easy to keep it down, because your tolerance goes up."  

Which makes sense, because suddenly you're feeding two people instead of one.  Some other helpful things she said were: 

"Your formula also goes up, but sometimes if you can't eat it all they'll half it with pills."

 "You have to keep a diet record and do weekly blood draws..."

"When I go see my doctor he doesn't have to do anything different than other pregnancies."

 And finally:

"It's a lot of work, but once your holding that little baby in your arms, it'll all seem worth it." 

It's not impossible.  That is the message I wanted to spread today.  Just a message of relief.  It's hard work; but every pregnancy is.  And if that's what you want... YOU CAN DO IT! 

(And I believe there are blogs of PKU woman who are currently or have been pregnant if you want to see more of the day-to-day stuff.)

        

A REAL Date-killer

Last week I talked about a fake date-killer.  This time I'm going to talk about a REAL one. 

So guys might not care about the salad, but they get really freaked out when you mention your "diet".  Yes, mentioning your diet on a date is a DATE-KILLER. 

When you mention your diet, even if it's offhandedly, one of two things can happen:

1. They never ask you on another date ever again.
2. They ask more questions.

Some guys just can't "handle" a girl who has dietary needs.  I've talked to some people who had guys mention how they could never be with a girl who has a diet like that ON THEIR DATE!!!! 

And when the guy asks more questions about it.  (However kind he may be.)  You can bet that you're going to spend the majority of the date talking about what you can and can't eat.

Date: "Can you have chicken?"

You: "No.  It has a lot of PHE in it."

Date: "How about turkey?"

You: "Same deal... no."

Date: "How about fish?"

You: "Still has a lot of PHE."

Date: "What about water?"

You: "Actually that I can have." (while in you mind you're thinking: Of course I can have water!  You've been watching me drink it for the whole date!) 

It's nice that he's interested.  But while he's busy asking questions about your diet, you lose the chance to get to know each other.  In his head your "the girl with the really complicated diet".

 You could be using the time that you spend trying to explain your diet to find out more interesting things like: what color is his toothbrush?  What's his favorite type of goat?  What's his favorite cartoon?  What is his closet-nerdy habit?  What is his favorite crayon in those big coloring boxes?  Etc...

The funny thing is, even if I know the guy pretty well.  We've been friends for a LONG time, the moment we're in a date setting they suddenly want to know all the gritty detail of my diet.

It's a Date-killer.

So some good advice?  Save discussing you're diet for another day.  Definitely not the first date.  Once you get to know him a little better, and he knows that you're not only your diet.  Because the moment you're diet is mentioned... it becomes the choice topic for a long long long long time. 

    

 

Oh, You're a Salad-Eater?

The other day I was talking with my friends about dates/dating/ guys ... you know.  We were talking about "Date-Killers".  (The things that really make a date awkward or can sometimes even ruin it).

I went home, and later I was still thinking about it.  What are some "Date-Killers"?  And are they real or just a Myth?

Well, when I was 12 years old I was told that one dates you shouldn't order salad or spaghetti because they're really messy.  And on top of being messy, salad makes him think "oh you're one of THOSE girls.  The ones who obsess about their weight and whatnot."

Basically they told me, salad is a Date-killer.

Which for PKU'ers is kind of sad.  Most of the time all we can eat at restaurants IS the salad.  So what do we do?

My first date I decided that I didn't care if my date thought that.  He should already know me well enough to know somewhat about my diet, if he was going to ask me out on a date.  So I ordered a salad.  I order salad a lot on dates, and you know what?  No one cares.  :)

So that Date-Killer has been DE-MYTHED.  Next time I'll talk about a REAL Date-killer, one that I've experienced myself.  Should come with an intriguing story. :)   

(Sorry that this was short.)

Test Day

I love smoothies.  I've mentioned that in a couple posts before.  But I do.  I love smoothies. 

And I ALWAYS make a smoothie for breakfast the morning of a huge test (like the ACT, or an AP Test). 

ALWAYS.

It's a tradition.  I put my medicine and some fruit and some rice milk (or coconut or dairy free, depending on what I have) in a blender and I make it. 

Well, Tuesday I had a HUGE test.  I was taking the PRAXIS.  Which for all those who don't know what that is, it's a test you have to take to be a teacher.  At my college we have to take it in order to get into the teaching program.  Anyways, I was taking the test because I'm going to apply for the teacher's program (which by the way is VERY competitive). 

I was so nervous.  The night before I went to bed at a decent time and just laid there.  I couldn't sleep, and when I finally dozed off I woke up again thinking I was going to be late for the test.  I must've woken up at least 4 times that night.  And the worst part of it was the test was scheduled for 1 pm.  There was no way I was going to sleep in THAT much!!! 

(What does this have to do with smoothies???  I'm getting there.)

The next morning I was SO tired and SO nervous, and I had a piercing migraine.  I don't think I've ever been so nervous for a test before.  I simply didn't have time to make a smoothie for breakfast.  I went to my first two classes smoothie-less and could barely pay attention.

But I learned something very interesting in my 2nd class.  We were talking about endorphins, and what makes it.  And the lecturer (who was a guest speaker that day) said something to the effect of:
"When you do stressed, or nervous, or depressed and you do something you like, or eat something you like, or exercise you're body creates endorphins.  That's what happens when your studying and you suddenly have a comfort food craving."

(Yeah that's the example she used)

Well, I had gone out of my way to collect smoothie items the previous day and I really wanted my smoothie.  So I booked it to my apartment (I had 2 hours until I needed to be at the testing center) and made my smoothie.

It was delicious. :)

But it was kind of funny.  After drinking that smoothie I already felt calmer.  And I still had an hour to get to the test.  So I decided to walk.  It was beautiful weather, and I'm so glad I did.  By the time I reached the test, I was nervous but nowhere near the point I had been that morning.

And the good news is... I survived.  (I won't find out the results for another 11 days.  :-P )

Moral of the story: When your stressed/ depressed/ or extremely nervous, make a smoothie.  Haha.  Okay, make whatever you want.  And exercise.  And do something you like to do.  It helps.  :)

Later Gators!

Wisdom Teeth

My eyes wandered down the list the dentist had given me.

Recommended Foods List:

• Ice Cream
• Smoothies
• Jell-o
• Yogurt
• Mac'n cheese
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• ....

What? 

If you haven't guessed yet, the list was for Post-Wisdom Teeth Surgery. 

Yes, this week I got my Wisdom Teeth removed.

It wasn't too bad.  3 of my 4 Wisdom had grown in already and all they needed to do was pull them out.

But, because of this I was given an extra challenge.  How to stay on the dentist's diet AND the PKU diet?

This week I explored that question.

The top 2 hardest challenges:

1. Remembering to take all the pills AND drink my formula!  I felt like I was constantly taking them all the time.  Or near the end I'd almost forget one or the other.
2. Not being fresh fruits and veggies.  I naturally go and eat a piece of fruit when I'm hungry, so not being able to do that?  It was pretty challenging.  A couple of days ago I made the mistake of eating an orange too soon.  It BURNED!!!

 Here is my revised "Wisdom Teeth Foods"  For the PKU Child:

• Rice Dream Ice Cream
• Sorbet
• Melted Butter/Margarine on PKU bread (to soften it up)
• Smoothies
• Rice (be careful with this one... maybe near the end of recovery)
• Popsicles
• Mashed Potatoes
• And anything else you think might be okay.  Like I said my recovery wasn't that too bad.  It all depends to what you feel up to.  

That was my Spring Break.  Wasn't as bad as it sounds.  I got a lot of time to read and watch movies.  =)  Well enjoy your week!  Be happy!

Happy 2nd Bday!!!

Guess What???

It's my Blog's 2nd Birthday!  

(Well technically it was the 28th of Feb.  But I wasn't able to get on yesterday) 

Hurrah!!!!!!!! 

I never imagined that my blog would amount to much.  At first, it was really for my own sake.  To "help" others yes, but to help me take control of my PKU.  To help me gain interest and responsibility for it. 

Now let's look at some stats for this past year.

Top 5 Posts:

1. Happy PKU Awareness Month (from 2011)- 408 views
2. A PKU Story- 185 views
3. New Favorite Recipe!- 143 views
4. Happy PKU Awareness Day 2012- 74 views
5. Hello to you too!- 66 views 

Top 5 Searches:

1. pku	36
2. pku awareness month	23
3. phenylketonuria	22
4. people with phenylketonuria	15
5. people with pku	10

Top 5 Countries:
 

1. United States	2488
2. Norway	251
3. Russia	194
4. Germany	84
5. Canada	80

I never imagined my blog would be so popular.  Thank you.  All of you.  :)  Especially those who have become "followers"  whenever I see someone on the list that doesn't share the same last name as me, it makes me feel good.  

Special thanks needs to be given to pkuworld.com for putting my blog on your list.  I know that I wouldn't have achieved this much without your referrals.  (Wow... suddenly I feel like I'm giving an Oscars speech or something.)  But anyways thanks everybody!  I never imagined that my blog would live to see 2 years, or that it would keep going after 2 years.  

I have plenty more ideas of blog posts, and I'll see you next time.  Who knows maybe my blog will live to see 3 years?  :)