Monday, June 28, 2010

weighing matters...

Another week of brooding, great thunderclouds and sideways, monsoonal rain has passed without my kitchen scales or my bathroom scales to aid and provoke my dietary attempts. My waist measurement has dutifully stuck around the 33.5 - 34 inches mark since the shock bulge followed by the shock drop, despite various naughtinesses associated with wine, carbohydrates & cheeses.


My various naughtinesses are, however, about to end. My container has cleared customs, travelled from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh in one piece, passed through a warehouse check and is scheduled to arrive this afternoon, so I can then weigh and cook to my heart's, and stomach's content. NB: never forget the stomach, never, never or it will get you. 


So soon to come this way, some recipes, some strategies and some measurements on a more regular basis as well as the occasional review of products, restaurants and swimming pools.



Thursday, June 24, 2010

I hate cabbage and I don't have to eat it!

Our poor little thyroids are not only at the mercy of all sorts of pesticides and other chemicals encountered in daily life, but also all sorts of our favourite foods - or not as the case may be!


Brassicas affect thyroid function so yay! no more cabbage or broccoli for me. I do love mustard greens but don't get to have them very often so they get to stay on my menu. Interestingly, I'm one of those thyroid people who generally find brassicas bitter and unpalatable.


OH NO!!! THIS CAN'T BE TRUE...recent research has discovered that coffee reduces the absorption of levothyroxine. [sobs into empty coffee cup] On the bright side, it's thought that if you wait an hour after taking levo (as soon as you wake up), you can then have coffee. I generally try to wait an hour after taking levo to ingest anything other than water but my tummy often leads me into forgetting this really, really, really important tactic for thyroid happiness.


Soy products are nature's little n'bomb for the thyroid. Fermented soy products like soy sauce and tempeh are better for anyone anyway so a little of these is OK. Unfermented soy products should only be eaten in combination with a diet that includes animal protein, and not by people with thyroid disease. No more endame beans at The Sushi Bar for me...


Mild goitrogens include pine nuts however, there really are so few in a teaspoon of pesto that I can't believe they would have any effect [embodies furious denial]. Pesto is the only pine nut product on my menu and it's staying. Others mild g's are millet (huh? couldn't care less about that one), peaches, which I love but are largely unavailable here thus saving me from a dilemma, and bamboo shoots, peanuts, radishes, strawberries and sweet potatoes, all of which make it on to the least consumed but still consumed section of my menu. I really hope okra is bad for the thyroid. I recently read a description of this..um..stuff.. that I couldn't agree with more - snot from the ground.


Then there is the good-for-your-thyroid-but-watch-out-with-meds category. Iodine rich foods like the various dried seaweeds and iodine enriched salt belong here. These are on my menu but I could have more than I do. 


Some meds are not good as well as fluoride, bromide and chlorine so stop eating the toothpaste and drinking the bleach - they're bad for your thyroid!


Finally, it's said that cooking foods that contain goitrogens reduces the negative effect but I suspect you would have to cook until ridiculously mushy. Broccoli soup, anyone?

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

in recovery...

Two & a half days back in the land of the conical hat not only did bad things for my stress levels, it also did some very bad things to my tummy. The less said about that, the better. My thyroid symptoms have also been elevated, particularly joint pain mostly in hands & arms but also knees & feet. I have been tested for arthritic conditions recently and I do not have any kind of arthritis so this is pure thyroid tantrum territory. And it's not the first time I've had ridiculous levels of joint pain.


So, what to do for it? Lots of liquids. It doesn't seem to matter what as long as it's lots; water, pots & pots of green tea, coffee and soda water with a splash of lemon juice all seem to work well together. The next thing is to make the pain in my hands much worse and then it gets better. I sit on a hard floor and put my hands palm down then push to bend back the fingers as hard as I can. After several scalp tingling, hair raising waves of pain, it rapidly reduces. Repeat as often as necessary. Emergency massage of at least one & a half hours is necessary. Ask for a gentler level of massage than you would normally have as a regular strength one can leave you just as crippled. Try not to sit too long in one position or hold a hunched posture. Consciously, stretch and lengthen whichever bits need it at the time.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

in moments of stress...

A recent two and a half days in HCMC was enough to do thoroughly bad things to my stress levels. Apart from the incessant traffic and motorbikes, the driving seems to have become worse, if that's at all possible, and the locals are just as obstructive as ever. To tip me over the edge, sales assistants dogged my every footstep despite the very firm instruction of: "Do not follow!" I had to leave a number of shops due to zealous stalking. Oh, for the blithe indifference of the average Cambodian shop girl, who is really just like the average New Zealand shop girl.


With stress mounting and shopping still to be done, a small oasis of relief presented itself at the Lotte Mart massage device section.

Terrina and I both displayed the rapid neck swivel typical of the shopper who has eyed something potentially worthy of our dong. The quick witted shop girl picked up the display box for the item (solid alien thing on the left) and announced, "Buy one, get one," that odd Vietnamese epithet that means get two for the price of one."How much," we enquire? "Two hundred thousand." Rapid mental currency conversion took place (five bucks each) followed by product testing. "Yes, we will take one, get one." T then walks around the display case and starts displaying overt signs of shopper excitement caused by something that looks like an alien tuning fork that she's been looking for for months. "It's a head massager!" I never would have known. More product testing took place resulting in goosebumps & rapid transportation to scalp ecstasy so more purchasing (100,000)

As soon as was seemly, I busted out the new toys and proceeded to massage away the stressed bits on my head (spikey alien thing) and my lower back (solid alien thing). Highly recommended, value for money products to include in your anti-stress arsenal.  

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

the first deadly sin...

My biggest deadly sin is coffee. I love it. I love it best Vietnamese style, which can only be described as coffee sex, but I also love short espresso, long espresso, latte and I even love instant. I love coffee flavoured ice-cream, milk and cake. I even travel with the stuff. It's a deal breaker. No coffee? Then point me to the exit, I'm out'ta here.
Given that I have Hashi's and get oesophageal ulcers, I am not supposed to have caffeine, let alone the bucket loads of coffee I so desire. So, how do I get to have my coffee and drink it too?
  • Firstly and most importantly, and this cannot be said loud enough or long enough, take your meds. If you don't, you're fcukt from the start. 
  • Eat before the first coffee of the day to give your innards a fighting chance
  • Drink water to flush the caffeine through before it irritates your delicate inner bits.
  • There will come a time of day after which coffee consumption will result in sleeplessness. Learn it & don't abuse it.
  • When coffee no longer helps in terms of alertness, the time has unfortunately come to re-set the caffeine clock. This is painful. It requires 3-4 days of NO CAFFEINE, followed by the reintroduction of 1 cup of coffee per day, immediately after breakfast. In severe cases, a break of a week or longer may be required.
Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

the top 10 benefits of living in SE Asia when you have Hashi's (in no particular order)

1 - It's almost always hot so you never have to cope with aches & creaks from the cold or that particular kind of lethargy which always seems worse in cold weather. 
2 - Over the counter medications - it's almost all OTC so you don't need a prescription. Just don't overdo it on the self medicating though.
3 - Domestic help is very affordable. Even I, as a lowly English teacher, can afford a cleaner. I currently have a lovely, diminutive lady called Varleak who comes twice a week and takes care of the big stuff. Her husband also comes sometimes to clean the outside of windows and look after the plants.
4 - Lots of cheap, fresh fruit and veges. Good diet helps support the thyroid. 
5 - Beautiful mornings. Morning is the best time of day. Mornings are cool & sunny with a playful breeze, and everyone's out doing their tai chi or walking, all of which does help you to get out of bed and get your day started earlier than you ever thought possible! I have never been a morning person but now if I sleep past 6.30am, I kick myself as I am really missing out. 
6 - As a foreigner, you get a lot of help with bureaucratic stuff. I'm a mess when it comes to anything bureaucratic and generally can't cope with it. God knows how I ever enrolled at university or got a passport to get out of my own country. The fact that I did these years behind everyone else shows how paralysing a bureaucratic blind-spot can be. Now all I have to do is read over the translated version and sign. Someone will have collated all the necessary papers and filled in all the necessary blanks. If you do have to do this yourself, there is a someone there to tell you exactly what to do. I am so grateful for this, and it reduces my stress levels no end.
7 - You are a long, long way away from your rellies. Not everyone has a functional, happy family and getting away from family stress makes it easier to cope in the daily thyroid battle. You can always visit or they can come and visit you. You might even start to cope with each other better with this kind of arrangement. If not, you can take comfort in the fact that you are a long, long way away from your rellies.
8 - Delivery. You can get everything delivered. If you are too knackered to cook all you have to do is summon the energy to dial the number of your favourite restaurant. And it's cheap with a lot more healthy stuff becomming available, so there is no excuse for not maintaining a good diet.
9 - It's a casual kind of place. Outside of work, people don't care if you look like you've been dragged through a gorse bush backwards. You don't have to go out in full make-up, although you can (it slides off pretty quickly though), you don't even have to get dressed. Pyjamas are it! Everyone wears pyjamas. You can even go to the local market in your pyjamas and almost blend in! 
10 - Massage. It's cheap and it's everywhere. My local women's only place in HCMC was just $3 for 1 hour and my salon place was $17 for 75 mins. My new massage place in PP is $11 for 1 hour, $16 for 90 minutes & $20 for 2 hours, and yes I've had the 2 hour massage. I've also had a special back massage for back pain (caused by muscles between my ribs spasming - the after effect of a car accident when I was 16). I bounced back on my feet the next day, which is also in record time.


Finally, you're a foreigner so you are expected to be a bit odd. That's it as far as expectations go. It's amazing how refreshing it is to live without the pressures our own cultures and communities thrust upon us. Just don't make the mistake of trying to recreate or look for that same set of expectations, as many do. This is known as ex-pat hell. Enjoy the differences of living in a different culture but remember to take it at your own pace. 

Monday, June 7, 2010

the thyroid back story...

My regular doc in HCMC sent me off to a heart specialist as he found I had a low heart rate. At the time, my resting rate would get as low as 43 beats a minute and I was not in any way, shape or form, fit. It had always been low and just kept getting lower over the years. The heart man found nothing untoward apart from the fact that I made a basking lizard look fast.


My doc said the next most obvious thing to check was thyroid function. (I had been trying for years to get my thyroid function tested while I was still in NZ as I had symptoms and a family history but that just wasn't good enough for them.) Results came back that I was just outside 'normal,' and would I like to go see a specialist in Singapore or should we be begin with a low dose of Levothyroxine and monitor closely? I went with the second option, of course. 


Within a few weeks I felt better and over time had more energy, less pain and was sleeping better, however it took a long time to get used to having a faster heart rate - now in the 50's. I wasn't losing any weight and in fact was still putting it on.


I decided to see a local specialist which was a huge mistake as the woman was clearly incompetent or else a pedlar for the drug companies. She did more specific tests and said yes, I have Hashimoto's (anti-bodies present and my thyroid is very small), and then flip-flopped around more than a fish out of water trying to say that I was depressed, which I'm not and never have been. Now I do not tolerate fools well at all, least of all a fool that I'm paying, so I was very clear with her that I thought she was doing less than a good job. Her response was to prescribe anti-psychotics. I also don't take self-serving attitudes or incompetence very well. I went ballistic. 


The one positive thing that did come out of that whole mess was a small increase in the dosage of the Levo. It took 3 months of hell to adjust but because I knew I definitely had Hashi's, I persisted 'til I felt better. Until I went on Levo, I could not tolerate it if my heart rate went above about 75 - it would feel like it was hammering out of my chest. With the higher dose, this increased to about 90 over the first 3 months and has since gotten up to about 110 before it feels that way, with my resting heart rate being around 60 on a good day. My bloods, meds and symptoms are now reasonably well aligned which is the best you can hope for with this thing. It's a continuous balancing act and one that I think diet plays an incredibly important role.


I read somewhere that when you have Hashimoto's you get to eat half as much as everyone else and exercise twice as much. That's a real bugger as I'm exercise challenged, so I've really made an effort with diet and so far I've lost 20kgs.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

the weekly weigh/waist in...

The results after being back on plan for 1 week. 
My scales are currently packed in a container sitting at Sihanoukville port, so today will only be a waist measurement.             
              30/05 (start)                 06/06 (today)
waist -   36 inches                   33 inches
weight - ?????                         ???????
Challenges: wine tasting on Friday night - totally failed to control the wine and cheese, they controlled me. May have a bounce back effect this week - oops.

This was much better that expected and back to where I was at before the operation, but also that 36 a week ago was a bit of a shocker. I think, too, that a lot of it has to do with fluid and being properly hydrated, especially in this heat. We're still racking up 35-39C (much higher on the ground though) and although I'm drinking about 4 litres of water a day now, I hardly go to the bathroom. Most of it is sweated out. 

This leads to me on to the very important issue of hydration, heat exhaustion, getting enough mineral salts and alcohol. Avoidance of heat & alcohol, or obsessively calculating the nutritional value of everything are a little OTT whereas a little common sense goes a long way. If you've been out drinking, have tummy troubles or  notice cramps or light headedness, grab a bottle of Pocari Sweat and it will ping you back on your feet in no time. It's a Korean ion replacement drink and when I lived there, it was the go to remedy for everything. There were Western rehydration drinks around like Gatorade but they just didn't cut it by comparison. 'The sweat' as it's fondly referred to, is available at Lucky in PP and I also used to get it at any Korean convenience store in D7, HCMC.


Update - please note that this was a false start and the fact that a back-on-plan week included wine and French cheeses should have been an indication that I was deluding myself [kicks self swiftly in backside]

Saturday, June 5, 2010

jujubes

These are jujubes. They also come in a larger size, about twice as big as these little babies. They are very crisp, have a small pit in the middle & are quite like apples, which I'm unfortunately allergic to as I love them. I only found this out a year ago but it goes a long way to explain all those unexplained upset stomachs right from when I was a little kid. Not any more thanks to the mighty jujube.


I first came across jujubes in South Korea in their dried form which are used in the only Korean recipe I know, Young Chicken Soup. I had been happily munching away on these tiny apple like fruits for 3 years in Vietnam and had never made the connection to the wrinkly dried version as they were called something else, which I couldn't pronounce anyway. It was only in Lucky Supermarket (or Super Lucky Market as my landlord's mother calls it) in PP that I found them with "Jujubes" printed on the label. So here's me standing by the fruit chiller clutching a pack by both hands and virtually shouting, "Oh my god, they're jujubes." Yes, I must have looked like just another foreigner going nuts in Asia.


Young Chicken Soup - simple and tasty
This is traditionally eaten on one of the high protein days near the start of the hot season in Korea. There are several of these days and the idea is that you need to build yourself up with protein so your body copes better with the hot days ahead. Koreans use baby chickens for the dish, 1 per person. They are also very cheap and plentiful in Korea but elsewhere, I've had to substitute with chicken pieces. For the basic soup:


1 baby chicken 
1 potato cubed
6 cloves garlic (I usually use a whole corm)
4-5 dried jujubes (supposed to absorb any toxins in the chicken)


Put all in a pot and cook about 20 minutes. Put in a large soup bowl. Add some chopped spring onion and have some kind of chilli condiment on hand to add to individual taste. I use this as a base and make all sorts of variations; rice noodles instead of potatoes; use more potatoes, remove chicken, blend then return chicken torn into small pieces; other veges like carrots or whatever needs to be used. 

Friday, June 4, 2010

the basic diet plan...

You don't find a lot of diet books in the shops in Ho Chi Minh City. People are more likely to be worried about how to fatten their sons than loose their rolls of belly fat. So, in this vacuum, Dr Phil's Ultimate Weight Solution was a brightly shining beacon and the only choice. 
The basic 2 week starter plan is protein 3x a day, dairy 2x a day, fruit 2x a day, carbs 1x a day and as much vege matter as I can handle. And water, water, water. 
PROTEIN = 4 ounces (114grams) for lunch and dinner, 1/2 that for breakfast. Use high quality, low fat protein. Red meat once a week and fish once a day for quicker weight loss. Eggs are OK, 2 eggs make 1 protein serve. Eye-ball guide for main meal protein serve is about the size of the palm of your hand.
DAIRY = low fat milk, low fat cottage cheese etc in sensible serve sizes. According to Dr Phil, dairy is essential for weight loss as there is some kind of enzyme or thing in it that if our bodies don't get, they won't lose weight. I find that if I skip dairy, the weight loss slows.
FRUIT = sensible portions. Choose mostly low glycemic fruits. Unfortunately, a lot of the gorgeous tropical fruits, like mangoes and melons, are not good for losing weight, but there are some that make up for this. Pomelo is the dieter's best friend. It's a mild citrus that I can have even with an active ulcer, although shouldn't be over done. It's huge so contains 3 fruit serves in one fruit. I'm allergic to apples but there are some great apple alternatives like the crispy, juicy, rose apples and jujubes which I'm addicted to.
CARBS = wholegrain, whole wheat, whole whatever. There are no good quality whole grain breads like Burgen or Vogels to be had. There are plenty of so-called 'whole grain breads' but they are poor imitators. There are some Russian dark breads and a heavy rye-style available but they don't have grains. I usually end up with whatever bread that's available that I can get my hands on, 1 small slice at a time. I also have some untoasted muesli inn the cupboard to deal with the errr, slow movements one experiences as a result of a lot of vege matter. 
VEGE MATTER = Limit high glycemic veg. I run into problems here as I have a couple of other restrictions. I have Hashimoto's so brassicas need to be kept to a minimum as they can affect the thyroid. Yay, no broccoli or cabbage for me, although I never say no to a mustard leaf or 5 at Wrap'n'roll. Also unfermented soya products are totally out - nature's little N'bomb for the thyroid. I also have a problem with oesophageal  spasms that lead to choking issues so I don't eat cooked leafy greens. They are instant trouble. I've tried the meds but they are absolutely horrific - very nasty side effects and only made it worse anyway. Never, never, never, never, never again...
FAT = olive oil, cooking spray, butter - I get the little pre-portioned packets which helps control the amount. I also count avocado as fat at this point. You must have about 3 teaspoons a day of fats or you miss out on really important fat-soluble vitamins that you can't get any other way. Also, your adrenal glands need cholesterol. I've often heard stories from vegetarian friends who find themselves scarfing down beef burgers & blocks of cheese because they've had an uncontrollable craving. Maybe it's their adrenals shouting, 'for god's sake feed us!' 
DRINK = bucket loads but not wine unfortunately. Being overweight you need more than 'normal' and living in the tropics means drinking more water. When my total daily fluid intake is about 5 litres, I loose weight quite easily. This would consist of about 4 litres of water and the rest in coffee and jasmine tea - iced is nice. It also keeps the metabolism ticking over at a higher rate to space it out during the day. No juice. Soda water with a squeeze of lemon is good & if necessary use some Equal.
EAT = 5-6 times a day. Again, keeps the metabolism chugging along at a better rate.
EXERCISE = ha, ha, ha, ha, ha - I don't - more on that at a later date.


So, during the first two weeks a regular day looks like this:
  • Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 small piece toast
  • Snack: fruit & low fat yoghurt
  • Lunch: fish & salad followed by a latte
  • Snack: fruit
  • Dinner: chicken and salad/veges
  • Snack: vege stuff, carrots etc
Various condiments, herbs and spices & lemon juice are fine and help to create variety. 

the balcony...

Meet the balcony. Early morning will find me sitting out here in the gazebo, enjoying the breeze and drinking coffee. Mucking about on the laptop and reading are also enjoyed. Once the day gets a bit too warm, I move on.

the losing weight thing...

To be fair, I'm already about half way along in the weight loss department so this will not be a blow by blow from the beginning. I will of course, hark back to it. 


I started last November while still living in Ho Chi Minh City and had lost about 20kgs (44 pounds). Then came April and with it an operation, followed by a fair amount of champagne (actually Prosecco) and other goodies in early May, consumed in honour of leaving the country and moving on to the unseen future. 


Having arrived in the unseen future in Phnom Penh, I've spent the past couple of weeks familiarising myself with the food scene; supermarkets, gourmet shops, local markets and salad bars as well as the surprisingly and pleasingly good wine selection.


All in all, one thing has led to another and I find myself a victim of waist expansion once again. Time to get back to business.