Half Rice

half rice_from Vanessa Pike-Russell's photostream (flickr)

Before, I have this thinking that I am completely healthy. Healthy in the sense that I can’t get sick… I am not fat nor thin… I eat vegetables (well, hmm.. just few of them), fruit.. I eat on time… I get enough sleep.. I drink liters of water a day..

Until I got sick…

Last April 2008, I decided to see an obstetrician-gynecologist. Yup, the specialist pregnant women see. But of course, the entire universe knows that I am not pregnant (woohh.. as if the moon, mars, and stars care about me not being pregnant.. LOL!!!). That time was the second month I am not having my supposedly monthly period. It has affected me quite much, particularly my mood, which has gotten so swingy. My condition made me so paranoid that time I so badly need to see a doctor.

The female doctor who diagnosed me is great. She did all the needed tests and examinations to determine why I am not having my period. Just imagine how awkward it is to fall in line for the lane intended for women carrying a baby on their womb. Almost everyone there was asking me if I am pregnant. So it was kind’a difficult to explain my situation then.

I won’t go into the details of all those medical procedures coz I am so shy..(shy? But I have even managed to start writing about it??!!! Lol!!) The diagnosis found out that I have this hormonal and ovarian problem affecting my menstruation. For almost a year, I took a pill to regulate it.

Prior to this ‘major medical history,’ I have been seeing my ophthalmologist to regularly check on the condition of my poor eyesight. Until now, I regularly meet with him to monitor if my eye grade is maintained or has increased. And just lately, I confirmed my long suspected hyperacidity.

With all these medical conditions, I self-imposed diet restriction. Starting at the last quarter of 2007, I stopped eating pork. And at the last quarter of 2008, I swore to eat only half rice during lunch and in some meal time except breakfast (I can’t last a day without rice or sinangag for breakfast). That, I think, aggravated my hyperacidity. I even partnered this half rice diet with frequent Sunday morning jogging (But I’ve stopped recently kasi yung jogging pakner kong friend, busy na. Tanghali na magising. Kaya nanawagan po ako kay Jing! Gumising ka na ulet ng maaga every Sunday

Initially, I was getting the anticipated weird remarks from officemates and friends who started to notice my half rice diet. Of course there were some who obviously raised their brows.

At first, I seem to just be fooling myself when I eat only half rice. But later on, I got so used to it that I can no longer eat more than half rice. My friends tell me that if I would go on a date, there’ll be much cost saving on the food budget

So what have all these health measures did to me? I get to feel healthy again and more conscious about my lifestyle. I got to inspire my family and friends to live healthy as well, at least, in my own little way :)