It's been 3 months (almost to the day) since my last post so just a quick little note to the few readers that remain...haha. All is well in the Contreras house. Since my last post:
1. My Grandma Petra Saenz (paternal) went to be with the Lord, and I am thankful for the 31 years I got to spend with her, most of which were spent in good health and happy times. Thank you to all that prayed for our family during our loss.
2. Nicolas is now tolerating dairy. I never thought I'd see the day. WOOHOO!!! :)
3. It's been a vicious cold/flu season, and we have managed to get a cold every 2-3 weeks in this house...no fun! I guess that's what we get for keeping Alex out of school all last year. He seems to be outgrowing his asthma, and I could not be happier. The sinus rinse has been our saving grace.
4. Sweet Alicia turned 1. :)
Having 2 boys seems to get more challenging every day. They have such different personalities, but they are both so incredibly loving, just not toward each other. haha. At some point between my last post and now, they have made what I am calling, the great turnaround. Alex, who has been a daddy's boy since day 1, is now a mama's boy and Nicolas, who has been attached to my hip since day 1, is now a daddy's boy. It's absolutely crazy, but I am loving every minute of Alex giving me lots of love. Much like both of his parents, he's not the most affectionate little guy, but his sweet small gestures melt my heart. Nicolas still gives his mama tons of love, hugs, and kisses, but the second he sees his daddy, I am suddenly chopped liver. Good times!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
We've gone eggless!
Well, after months of multiple doctor visits, the one doc who always figures me out, Dr. Dilley, found that I am now allergic to eggs. At one of my initial visits back in 2008, he said, "it's amazing how God brings people together," and those words still ring true. I've blogged about it before, but I began having severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) during my pregnancy with Alex. I never had suspected food allergies before although I did have a lot of tummy problems. I had allergy testing performed during my pregnancy and it came back negative to all allergens. After I had Alex, I had a couple more anaphylactic reactions so I sought a second opinion with Dr. Dilley on the recommendation of a friend. He found that I have a rare food allergy to a food additive, vegetable gum. Those include: guar, xanthan, cellulose, acacia, arabic, gelatin, carageenan, agar, pectin, and the list goes on and on (or so it seems.) They're basically an additive used as an emulsifier, binding agent, or anti-caking agent. They're not good for you because the body can't digest it (think of chewing gum) and they cause gas and other digestive upset although it's not considered bad for you, per the FDA. Not all allergists test for it so I was beyond lucky to have found one that did.
Anyway, fast forward to the present and I finally feel great again. I haven't felt good since having Nicolas, but I still managed to get by somehow. I am really sad that I have to give up eggs because they really are in so many things but I basically just have to eat like Nicolas eats. :) I've had a couple of run-ins with egg-containing foods and the reaction is now so annoying. I get ridiculously fatigued with an upset stomach and I don't like it; therefore, I won't be playing with fire any time soon.
One of the things that I immediately thought about was how challenging it would become to bake. It had lingered in the back of my mind because of Nicolas' allergy but I had only tinkered with cookies. I'm excited that I found a white cake recipe that is egg-free and I will be making vegan pumpkin spice muffins later on this afternoon. This dreary weather somehow needs to payoff for my children. They are so bored in the house today and I hate not being able to get them outside and exercised. At least they'll have some delicious muffins to as a reward for being so awesome. :)
Anyway, fast forward to the present and I finally feel great again. I haven't felt good since having Nicolas, but I still managed to get by somehow. I am really sad that I have to give up eggs because they really are in so many things but I basically just have to eat like Nicolas eats. :) I've had a couple of run-ins with egg-containing foods and the reaction is now so annoying. I get ridiculously fatigued with an upset stomach and I don't like it; therefore, I won't be playing with fire any time soon.
One of the things that I immediately thought about was how challenging it would become to bake. It had lingered in the back of my mind because of Nicolas' allergy but I had only tinkered with cookies. I'm excited that I found a white cake recipe that is egg-free and I will be making vegan pumpkin spice muffins later on this afternoon. This dreary weather somehow needs to payoff for my children. They are so bored in the house today and I hate not being able to get them outside and exercised. At least they'll have some delicious muffins to as a reward for being so awesome. :)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thankful blessings
On this day, more than any other day this month, I feel thankful for the health of my family, my friends, and myself. There are people every day who struggle with their health and I am thankful that there are physicians, medicine, and technology that can help make us better and help us detect when we are not well. November was a month full of friends counting their blessings and I feel bad that I never made it a point to post anything about all of the little things for which I am thankful but I guess I do it daily as I reflect on all that God has blessed me with. I am human and sometimes get sad for the things I don't have (like my mom,) but I think of the love I have for my children and can only imagine how happy she is in heaven watching her grandchildren (and Roly and me of course.) I guess that's the only thing I can do other than feel sorry for myself, and we all know that's not an option. :)
One of the many things I am thankful for is that I am finally feeling more comfortable with cooking for Nicolas and accommodating his allergies. I have altered a lot of our favorite recipes, and I think the biggest point of success for me has been finding a suitable substitute for tomato puree (which is in almost all Mexican dishes I know how to cook.) I now use carrot puree and it is an amazing substitute. It provides a similar sweetness and texture when pureed and mixed with rice, meat, or you name it. I have already purchased some kitchen items that are SFN (strictly for Nicolas) such as cooking spoons, a food processor, and plates/utensils. I am working on getting him some pots and pans that will be strictly for cooking Nicolas-friendly meals. Some of his favorite meals for now include: quinoa macaroni with either an avocado puree (pureed avocado with canola oil and salt) or carrot puree as well as any rice with that is made just like Mexican rice and a non-tomato puree that is red or yellow (squash, pureed roasted red pepper, sweet potato, or carrot.) I can't believe all of the possibilities that were there that I never took advantage of. Now I just have to hope that he doesn't grow tired of all the healthy choices he loves right now.
So, thank you to everyone of you that reads my blog. I am thankful for each and every one of you and wish you all of the blessings this holiday season and every day of the year.
One of the many things I am thankful for is that I am finally feeling more comfortable with cooking for Nicolas and accommodating his allergies. I have altered a lot of our favorite recipes, and I think the biggest point of success for me has been finding a suitable substitute for tomato puree (which is in almost all Mexican dishes I know how to cook.) I now use carrot puree and it is an amazing substitute. It provides a similar sweetness and texture when pureed and mixed with rice, meat, or you name it. I have already purchased some kitchen items that are SFN (strictly for Nicolas) such as cooking spoons, a food processor, and plates/utensils. I am working on getting him some pots and pans that will be strictly for cooking Nicolas-friendly meals. Some of his favorite meals for now include: quinoa macaroni with either an avocado puree (pureed avocado with canola oil and salt) or carrot puree as well as any rice with that is made just like Mexican rice and a non-tomato puree that is red or yellow (squash, pureed roasted red pepper, sweet potato, or carrot.) I can't believe all of the possibilities that were there that I never took advantage of. Now I just have to hope that he doesn't grow tired of all the healthy choices he loves right now.
So, thank you to everyone of you that reads my blog. I am thankful for each and every one of you and wish you all of the blessings this holiday season and every day of the year.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Breast Cancer Awareness
October is here and that means we are celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness month. This year, it brings with it so much more than it has in previous years. For the first time, it finally sparked a flame of motivation for me to take as many precautions as I can for early detection and possibly prevention. At the end of September, I participated in the facebook campaign that stated I am ___ months and I am craving ____. While it didn't take off as rampantly as last year's color of your bra on your status, it definitely raised some eyebrows and prompted some undue congratulations for many women (including me.) It also annoyed some others stating that they thought it was ridiculous and unnecessary. Well, to the nay-sayers, you can shove it because at least for one person (and several others I know,) it reminded me and them that breast cancer awareness isn't about knowing what breast cancer is. I'm pretty sure most adults knows what it is. Instead, it's about doing something to detect it as early as possible if it happens and to take every step and precaution in doing so. This means, a monthly reminder card to check your breasts for lumps or changes, taking the steps to know your family history, and asking your ob-gyn or PCP about scheduling a mammogram or genetic counseling and testing as early as 30 years of age. It really doesn't seem that difficult but as the child of a parent who died young from this horrible disease, fear often dictates a person's actions or inactions. A little nudge or reminder via a silly facebook game can go a long way. I think it's safe to say that fear is what kept me from getting the testing when I turned 30.
It had always been recommended to me to have an annual mammogram starting at 30 years of age due to my mother's young age at the time of her first diagnosis (36 years old) and several doctors had recommended BRCA gene testing. Rewind to my 30th birthday last year: amidst breastfeeding a 3 month old, adjusting to a new family dynamic of 4, getting little sleep, trying to lose the babyweight, hormonal adjustments, etc...it was not a priority on my list. I kept saying to myself, "well I'm still 30...I'll go in a few months." Finally, at my annual ob-gyn visit on Aug 31 (I was still 30 years old people,) I mentioned it to the nurse practitioner, and she recommended the testing and to make an appointment with an oncologist to do that and schedule my mammogram. I turned 31 on September 9th, and I knew it was time to take action.
I made the appointment, completed BRCA testing, and this Saturday, I will have a mammogram. I am not having any problems right now, so I'm hopeful that this is just the beginning of being very careful about my future health. I have A LOT more to lose now that I have 2 children, and even though I am nervous about the results of the genetic testing, I know I need to be cautious whether or not there are genetic aberrations. The oncologist told me that only 7% of breast cancer is genetic and the rest of random occurrence. This should promote extra caution in all my lady friends. Check your boobies monthly and if you have any concern, be adamant in your request for a mammogram. You don't have to be 40 years old to get one annually.
If I must, I will harass you on a monthly basis. These people right here are my inspiration.
My babies, Alex & Nicolas
My mom and my late Tio.
My brother Roly & hubby, Eddy
The sweetest niece ever, Alicia.
It had always been recommended to me to have an annual mammogram starting at 30 years of age due to my mother's young age at the time of her first diagnosis (36 years old) and several doctors had recommended BRCA gene testing. Rewind to my 30th birthday last year: amidst breastfeeding a 3 month old, adjusting to a new family dynamic of 4, getting little sleep, trying to lose the babyweight, hormonal adjustments, etc...it was not a priority on my list. I kept saying to myself, "well I'm still 30...I'll go in a few months." Finally, at my annual ob-gyn visit on Aug 31 (I was still 30 years old people,) I mentioned it to the nurse practitioner, and she recommended the testing and to make an appointment with an oncologist to do that and schedule my mammogram. I turned 31 on September 9th, and I knew it was time to take action.
I made the appointment, completed BRCA testing, and this Saturday, I will have a mammogram. I am not having any problems right now, so I'm hopeful that this is just the beginning of being very careful about my future health. I have A LOT more to lose now that I have 2 children, and even though I am nervous about the results of the genetic testing, I know I need to be cautious whether or not there are genetic aberrations. The oncologist told me that only 7% of breast cancer is genetic and the rest of random occurrence. This should promote extra caution in all my lady friends. Check your boobies monthly and if you have any concern, be adamant in your request for a mammogram. You don't have to be 40 years old to get one annually.
If I must, I will harass you on a monthly basis. These people right here are my inspiration.
And of course, not pictured, my dad and sister-in-law Marissa. (Pictures wouldn't load, sorry!) I'll post some of them shortly. :)
Saturday, October 1, 2011
September, where did you go!?!?!?!
So, I realized that September just came and went in the blink of an eye and I didn't post to my blog (gasp!) So, I'm retroactively posting and promise to post at least one more for the month of October. September was an incredibly busy month for us as we celebrated my 31st birthday on the 9th, Alex's 4th birthday on the 19th, and what would have been my late and wonderful mama's 61st birthday on the 27th. (Geez that was a numerical sentence.) We also baptized my beautiful niece, Alicia, Alex started pre-k, and we had lots of not-so-fun medical issues involving pretty much the entire family. Just thinking about it makes me exhausted.
In typical Alex fashion, he got sick on my birthday with a nasty cold which triggered the nastiest asthma attack we've seen since the day before Nicolas was born. (side note: Alex has managed to get very ill every year on my birthday with the exception of my 30th birthday.) We came to realize, after receiving multiple calls from the director at Alex's preschool that his skin was itchy and his eyes were burning, that he was showering using a body wash/shampoo that contained tree nuts, which he is allergic to, for at least 2 months. This triggered the bad asthma episode and other issues we were having with the little guy. Fortunately, he is off the shampoo and doing a lot better. WOOHOO! And, the biggest bonus of it all, he loves his school, Marvelously Made Preschool I could not be happier with the progress we've seen with his anxiety about school and how happy he is to go to school and be with his teacher and friends. (sigh of relief.)
As for Nicolas, the little guy is doing wonderfully although he is sad when his brother goes to school on Tuesday/Thursday mornings from 9-12 even though he has alone time with mommy. However, we have been noticing some food allergy issues, one of them being eggs, so we took him to get allergy testing and the poor kid is allergic to everything but the kitchen sink it seems. His list: peanut, chicken, egg, apple, tomato, baker's yeast, pineapple, pork, coconut, barley, grapefruit, lobster, and tuna fish. He did not show up as having an allergy to dairy like we previously thought so Dr. Dilley ran a blood test, to which we have no results yet. I'm still convinced he has an allergy to dairy but we'll see what the test says. If he isn't, that will make my life in the kitchen so much easier when it comes to planning his meals. What his means for me is that I will have to modify every single thing I cook because almost every single meal I make contains chicken broth (which also contains yeast) and tomatoes. I was basically poisoning my child with every meal I made him. (sigh) I'm looking forward to the day when I have a solid food repertoire for him that he enjoys. In the meantime, I'm testing recipes and will be posting those in which I found success. :)
I will sign off for now in hopes that my sweet potato soup rice came out okay. :) I'll let Nicolas be the judge.
In typical Alex fashion, he got sick on my birthday with a nasty cold which triggered the nastiest asthma attack we've seen since the day before Nicolas was born. (side note: Alex has managed to get very ill every year on my birthday with the exception of my 30th birthday.) We came to realize, after receiving multiple calls from the director at Alex's preschool that his skin was itchy and his eyes were burning, that he was showering using a body wash/shampoo that contained tree nuts, which he is allergic to, for at least 2 months. This triggered the bad asthma episode and other issues we were having with the little guy. Fortunately, he is off the shampoo and doing a lot better. WOOHOO! And, the biggest bonus of it all, he loves his school, Marvelously Made Preschool I could not be happier with the progress we've seen with his anxiety about school and how happy he is to go to school and be with his teacher and friends. (sigh of relief.)
As for Nicolas, the little guy is doing wonderfully although he is sad when his brother goes to school on Tuesday/Thursday mornings from 9-12 even though he has alone time with mommy. However, we have been noticing some food allergy issues, one of them being eggs, so we took him to get allergy testing and the poor kid is allergic to everything but the kitchen sink it seems. His list: peanut, chicken, egg, apple, tomato, baker's yeast, pineapple, pork, coconut, barley, grapefruit, lobster, and tuna fish. He did not show up as having an allergy to dairy like we previously thought so Dr. Dilley ran a blood test, to which we have no results yet. I'm still convinced he has an allergy to dairy but we'll see what the test says. If he isn't, that will make my life in the kitchen so much easier when it comes to planning his meals. What his means for me is that I will have to modify every single thing I cook because almost every single meal I make contains chicken broth (which also contains yeast) and tomatoes. I was basically poisoning my child with every meal I made him. (sigh) I'm looking forward to the day when I have a solid food repertoire for him that he enjoys. In the meantime, I'm testing recipes and will be posting those in which I found success. :)
I will sign off for now in hopes that my sweet potato soup rice came out okay. :) I'll let Nicolas be the judge.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Oh sweet tendons!
I am either officially old, wasn't in as good of shape as I thought I was, I moved too quickly into a really difficult workout, and/or I need to buy a new pair of workout shoes. :( I'm hoping that it's the latter although I think it's all of the above. Turbo Fire has done amazing things for my energy but my Achilles tendon is still achy. I think it's a good thing, though, that it only hurts when I've been sitting for a while and not after having been in bed all night and then standing up. They feel tight so I'm working on stretching them but I can't take any NSAID's (ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) because of my allergy. Every single pill contains the vegetable gum I'm allergic to. What are you gonna do?!?!?! I'm working on getting one compounded for me but in the meantime, the pharmacist has me taking Children's Tylenol. HA! :)
I'm hopeful that after a weekend of rest, I'll be able to resume my regular exercise routine. In the meantime, I'll just be walking around with a gangsta limp.
I'm hopeful that after a weekend of rest, I'll be able to resume my regular exercise routine. In the meantime, I'll just be walking around with a gangsta limp.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Workout video junkie am I
My name is Ronnie Contreras, and I'm a workout video junkie/addict. In my defense, I do actually use almost all of the workout videos I have and due to my addiction, I have made it a point to find them at a bigger discount by purchasing used copies (not bootlegged though.) Anyway, my most recent purchase was Turbo Fire. It is UH-MAZING! Here is a list of my workout dvds in no particular order.
1. Tony Horton's 10 minute trainer: excellent workout! I used it to help ease me back into working out one 10 minute workout at a time following my c-section with Nicolas. I was able to stack them after a month and I still throw a workout in when I'm running low on time and need an overall awesome workout.The ab workout is killer and more effective and efficient than any other ab workout I've tried.
2. Zumba-Total Body Transformation: the original zumba set. This is an awesome workout but not super duper crazy intense. Without dieting, it helped me lose 5 lbs and I call it my "when I don't feel like working out" workout. It makes me sweat. Once I put myself on Weight Watchers, I lost my last 10 lbs with it.
3. Tracy Anderson Post Pregnancy Workout: really long, difficult video but excellent workout. I learned quickly that the TAM (Tracy Anderson Method) is not realistic for me. I actually want to vomit any time I hear Gwyneth talking about how TA changed her body, blah blah blah. Well, I'm pretty sure that if somebody has the time to commit to 5, 1-hour dance cardio workouts and 5 1 to 2-hour resistance training sessions a week, you better end up with a different body and maybe even an eating disorder or two. Just sayin'.
4. Zumba Exhilarate: it took me a while to warm up to this one but it is an excellent workout. The sentao workout is amazing, and the toning workout is great, but I miss the original instructors Tanya Beardsley and Gina Grant. They are featured in one of the easier workouts that is not intense enough for me. The music is very Latin American (Latin techno) as opposed to U.S. Latino/Hispanic (merengue, salsa, etc.) oriented like the Zumba TBT. Most of the workouts annoy me because it is not live instructional. The workouts are filmed without the instructors talking and the voices are added in after the fact so that the viewer has the choice to shut off vocal instruction. That is the biggest downside for me and it makes me sad. :( I'm hopeful that the next zumba collection will include the awesome instructors, Tanya and Gina doing live instruction. Some of the workouts remind me of white girls on ecstasy dancing at a rave. *I know many white girls that can dance, these white girls I think were chosen for their outward appearance as opposed to dancing skill.*
5. Turbo Fire: Chalene Johnson is a spaz but like she said, "I have found my workout soul mate." It is high energy and the woman has me drenched in sweat every time, even only during one of the 15 or 20 minute HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts. Even on mornings like today when I was feeling kinda tired, I finished the workout with incredible energy. I can't speak highly enough of the workout, but you definitely have to be in decent physical shape to start out because she does not mess around. All the jumping has my Achilles tendon feeling a bit strained but I'm definitely trying to work on healing it quickly so I can get back to my crazy workouts soon. Highly recommend this one.
6. P90x: this one is actually Eddy's but because it helped me in my weight loss journey, I'll give it a quick critique. It is an amazing workout that I think is geared more toward men or for women who are looking to get ripped and not for weight loss. It includes a "lean" module which allows you to focus more on getting leaner but there isn't enough intense cardio for my taste. I like the cardio x, stretch x, and kenpo x. The Yoga x is ridiculously hard but definitely a great workout too.
We'll see what Eddy lets me indulge in next. :) I'm stuck on Turbo Fire for now so we'll see in what direction I go once I've finished my 90 days. My energy is oh so high and I love it. WOOHOO.
1. Tony Horton's 10 minute trainer: excellent workout! I used it to help ease me back into working out one 10 minute workout at a time following my c-section with Nicolas. I was able to stack them after a month and I still throw a workout in when I'm running low on time and need an overall awesome workout.The ab workout is killer and more effective and efficient than any other ab workout I've tried.
2. Zumba-Total Body Transformation: the original zumba set. This is an awesome workout but not super duper crazy intense. Without dieting, it helped me lose 5 lbs and I call it my "when I don't feel like working out" workout. It makes me sweat. Once I put myself on Weight Watchers, I lost my last 10 lbs with it.
3. Tracy Anderson Post Pregnancy Workout: really long, difficult video but excellent workout. I learned quickly that the TAM (Tracy Anderson Method) is not realistic for me. I actually want to vomit any time I hear Gwyneth talking about how TA changed her body, blah blah blah. Well, I'm pretty sure that if somebody has the time to commit to 5, 1-hour dance cardio workouts and 5 1 to 2-hour resistance training sessions a week, you better end up with a different body and maybe even an eating disorder or two. Just sayin'.
4. Zumba Exhilarate: it took me a while to warm up to this one but it is an excellent workout. The sentao workout is amazing, and the toning workout is great, but I miss the original instructors Tanya Beardsley and Gina Grant. They are featured in one of the easier workouts that is not intense enough for me. The music is very Latin American (Latin techno) as opposed to U.S. Latino/Hispanic (merengue, salsa, etc.) oriented like the Zumba TBT. Most of the workouts annoy me because it is not live instructional. The workouts are filmed without the instructors talking and the voices are added in after the fact so that the viewer has the choice to shut off vocal instruction. That is the biggest downside for me and it makes me sad. :( I'm hopeful that the next zumba collection will include the awesome instructors, Tanya and Gina doing live instruction. Some of the workouts remind me of white girls on ecstasy dancing at a rave. *I know many white girls that can dance, these white girls I think were chosen for their outward appearance as opposed to dancing skill.*
5. Turbo Fire: Chalene Johnson is a spaz but like she said, "I have found my workout soul mate." It is high energy and the woman has me drenched in sweat every time, even only during one of the 15 or 20 minute HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts. Even on mornings like today when I was feeling kinda tired, I finished the workout with incredible energy. I can't speak highly enough of the workout, but you definitely have to be in decent physical shape to start out because she does not mess around. All the jumping has my Achilles tendon feeling a bit strained but I'm definitely trying to work on healing it quickly so I can get back to my crazy workouts soon. Highly recommend this one.
6. P90x: this one is actually Eddy's but because it helped me in my weight loss journey, I'll give it a quick critique. It is an amazing workout that I think is geared more toward men or for women who are looking to get ripped and not for weight loss. It includes a "lean" module which allows you to focus more on getting leaner but there isn't enough intense cardio for my taste. I like the cardio x, stretch x, and kenpo x. The Yoga x is ridiculously hard but definitely a great workout too.
We'll see what Eddy lets me indulge in next. :) I'm stuck on Turbo Fire for now so we'll see in what direction I go once I've finished my 90 days. My energy is oh so high and I love it. WOOHOO.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)