A Personal Introduction: Part II

A Personal Introduction: Part II

     I consider this post a revival of sorts. It seemed distasteful to continue posting without a new introduction after nearly a year of inactivity and after a subject change.

     I've decided to center this blog on self-care and cute posts for chronically ill people just a little bit more than before. This is because in May of 2012 I was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease that turned my life upside down, and many more people are struggling with illnesses than you might expect.

     Chronically ill      girls are absolute superheroes and they deserve the most cuteness and positivity in their lives out of anyone! So while I'll continue to blog about the same things as before, I will have more posts around spoonie self-care, and alternative treatments to illness.

     Stay strong and sweet! I'll see you soon!
     XOXO, Sky ♥

Having a Good Period

Okay, I know it's something no one wants to talk about, but periods can be the worst part of someones month! So I want to offer tips of my own to try and help you. 

The Beginning

This can definitely be difficult depending on your schedule, but the number one thing to make your period better? Not wearing tampons in the first days! It's best to not wear tampons at all if you have bad cramping, but not using them in the first day or two can shorten your period by a couple of days, and you'll have little to no cramping! Obviously, you don't have to do this if you're out and about. I only do this if I'm at home, but it really does help a lot.

Painkillers

Painkillers are something a lot of people use to get cramps and headaches under control. The best painkiller for menstrual cramps is Aleve, followed by ibuprofen(Motrin, Advil). Tylenol and Aspirin do little to nothing for menstrual cramps. All of these are good for headaches. Aleve is also good for migraines, and aspirin is good for headaches, but remember you can NOT take these together. Read the labels very carefully, do not take too much, and remember to keep yourself safe.

The Usual Advice

As I'm sure you've heard a thousand times, heating pads and hot baths can help your muscles and relieve cramping.

Hot tea always makes you feel good and can have the same effect. ♥

Try to avoid foods with high sodium content because you'll retain more water, and become more bloated!

And on that note, try to consume a good amount of water. Water always makes you feel better!

Try to avoid sugar at least a little bit too, because the crash will make you more irritable than you already are!

Always remember to change your sanitary items when or before it is recommended to avoid illness!! >:

On the subject of blood loss, if you're already prone to anemia, remember to take your iron pills around and during the time of your menstrual cycle. They'll be more effective if you take them with orange juice because of the Vitamin C, but remember to take them! The last thing you want on top of a period is fainting spells!

Those are all the tips I really have, but I hope some helped you anyways. ♥ Remember to stay safe and healthy, and may your next menstrual cycle be cramp-free!! ♥ ♥ ♥ See you next time!

Documentaries to Watch!

I've compiled a list of documentaries I liked based on their subject matter. All of these movies are available on netflix instant. ♥

Hungry For Change "Hungry for Change exposes shocking secrets the diet, weight loss and food industries don't want you to know about deceptive strategies designed to keep you coming back for more. Find out what's keeping you from having the body and health you deserve." This movie affected me more than probably any I've ever seen. It's a really fantastic place to start if you want to educate yourself on why processed foods are so detrimental to your health.

Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead "100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids, and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.  He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days." This one is only around 90 minutes, and Joe Cross is featured in Hungry for Change but this is a good watch if you're only interested in juicing.

Food, Inc. "The current method of raw food production is largely a response to the growth of the fast food industry since the 1950s. The production of food overall has more drastically changed since that time than the several thousand years prior. Health and safety (of the food itself, of the animals produced themselves, of the workers on the assembly lines, and of the consumers actually eating the food) are often overlooked by the companies, and are often overlooked by government. The global food supply may be in crisis with lack of biodiversity, but can be changed on the demand side of the equation." This is a really popular one and also only 90 minutes. ♥

Blackfish "Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity." In my opinion this movie is a must-see and if you don't think badly of seaworld, you should definitely watch it.

The Cove "Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health."

Vanishing of the Bees "This documentary takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee. The film examines our current agricultural landscape and celebrates the ancient and sacred connection between man and the honeybee. The bees have a message - but will we listen?" And, it's narrated by Ellen Page. ♥

Miss Representation "Explores the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and challenges the media's limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman." This is seriously a must-see no matter who you are.

It's A Girl "Every year in India and China, millions of babies are killed, neglected or abandoned simply because they are girls." This one is really heavy but it's only 60 minutes. A lot of it has subtitles, but it's good to watch if you want to be educated on what goes on in the rest of the world~

Whores' Glory "An examination of the lives, needs, troubles and hopes of prostitutes in Thailand, Bangladesh and Mexico." This comes in at 110 minutes, but once again is really good for educating yourself on troubles outside of America.

Transitioning Into Vegetarianism!

Really often I hear stories of people wanting to become vegetarian, but not knowing how to do it.

I was raised vegetarian my whole childhood, so I hope to help some people that want to make the choice to cut meat out of their lives! ♥

Step one!

Consider your reasoning.

Do you want to stop eating meat because of:

Your health? This is a really good step if you're having trouble because of sodium or cholesterol! If it's because you're low on energy, this might not be the best option for you at the time, but you can fix your energy while changing your diet if you do it smart!

Your weight? Consider what you think vegetarianism would achieve in this sense. I think you're beautiful any way you are- but this could only be a really good choice if you're eating LOTS of meat, in which case, you still have to transition the smart way so you stay healthy and still get enough nutrients and calories!

Moral reasoning? This is an outstanding reason to become a vegetarian! Lots of people don't want to hurt animals, or at least want to hurt them less. It also takes a lot of our natural resources to make meat, and that's no good. It's debated on an actual figure, but the beef industry states that 441 gallons of water go into making a pound of beef. The estimates from outside the industry usually come up to about 2,500 gallons of water. Just for a pound! Only 229 gallons of water go into a pound of rice. Our water is a very precious resource, so this alone can be enough to make someone want to switch to a vegetarian diet. Other reasons for a moral bias against meat can include the way the animals live before they're killed or anything, really.

Step two!

Start to try it!

Transitioning slowly is always ideal. 

To start, if you haven't already, you should cut out red meat. Try to only eat chicken and seafood! If you already don't eat some type of meat, you're off to a fantastic start!

If you can't handle not having one of these, become educated on substitutes.

Meat substitutes are AMAZING for a vegetarian diet in every way. They're all healthier; with less calories, lots of protein and nutrients, and they taste fantastic! I've been eating substitutes for meat since I was born and I love them all. 

These are only the kinds of veggie meats I eat! There's a gigantic range to choose from, but here are the ones I've pictured.

Boca Burgers♥Black Bean Burgers♥Chik Patties♥Chicken Nuggets♥Smart Ground♥Buffalo Wings♥Ribs♥Bacon♥Sausage links♥Ham
Aside from these which you can actually get at most grocery stores, lots of restaurants are starting to carry vegetarian options! You can get veggie patties on your subway sandwich, and they serve MorningStar Veggie Burgers at Burger King too!

Once you have your meat craving handled, work on your other nutrition.
Beans and legumes are a very good source of protein, as is tofu (but it's only good if it's cooked REALLY well).
Iron is also very very important at this stage! You can get it from spinach, potatoes(in the skin), apricots, broccoli, and pretty much any green vegetables you can think of. Nuts also have lots of iron and are a source of good fats!
And iron is best absorbed with vitamin c which you can find in a lot of fruits!
And to keep your health in top shape, consider looking into juicing, superfoods, and dietary supplements!

Step three!
Remember your manners!
If you're following these steps, you probably weren't always vegetarian either. Remember that a dietary change like this is always someones personal decision, and you have no right to be rude or try to force your diet on anyone. Just like your friends have no right to force you to eat meat or chastise you for your choice, you have no right to force them not to eat meat! But, you can always request to not be in the same room as someone if their eating meat makes you extremely uncomfortable, as long as you're polite about the request. And if you're having someone over for dinner, by all means, ask them if they'd like to try a meat substitute or tofu or something! But if they say no, respect that and make something you can both enjoy!

I hope that even if you don't want to cut meat out, which is always fine, you found something interesting in this post! You don't have to dislike meat to like meat substitutes! All my friends I've let try it loved it. Always keep an open mind and a healthy body! See you next time ♥