Food

Yup... here is one of the very sensitive subjects that people talk most about and also try to avoid.

You might wonder why I start talking about food. You might even start thinking that I'm going to preach about food. It might be true but it's only because it's important to know.

As classes start, I realize wow.... there are many organizations and they try to let you know about them by saying... we serve pizzas during our meeting. As a health professional student, I can't help but wonder... if you're going to be working in the health profession... and if you're going to tell your patients... don't eat that chocolate bar, your insulin is not going to like it.. or if you're going to say... don't eat that slice of pizza... your heart is not going to love you... imagine yourself at this moment enjoying the piece of pizza! It's very to tell people what to do but it's a lot harder to do it ourselves. And I speak that from my own experiences.

I can't help but keep on stressing the importance of diets. I'm not a nutritionist by any chance. Neither am I trained in nutrition in anyway. So I am like you... I read news, magazines, articles, books and learn about things. I know too much sugar, salt, fats are not good for our body. We can't consume too much of a certain type of food for example sugar or even rice in particular. I took me a long time to realize that I was overweight. And it took me a whole summer to get back in shape and maintain it.

It all started with reading the labels and hitting the gyms. I have to say.... we are incredible crazy with our food. Yes, we are. No doubt about it.

We love sweet treats. We love fatty products. And yes, we love salts. But actually, there is a better way to say it. I think we are conditioned to love sweet treats, fatty products and salts. When we were younger, we tended to eat candies, then pizzas, and started adding salts in our diets. Increasingly, our doses increase. *it's just so additive to eat fat especially*. And eventually, when we reach a certain age, it has become a common diet for us : rich in sugar, fat, and salts. You might think gosh, I can't change because I have eaten this my whole life. But think about it... our body and mind change all the time. Our body can adapt to different situation and environment. So will our diet. We all can change it. All it take is just a little bit of patience and determination.

So go read the labels of the products that you are about to buy. Does it have too much sugar? How about fat? (please, even with the good fat, too much is not good) How about salt? These are important factors in determining our health.

I hope I haven't cut it too short. I was reading some news articles and this thought just came up to me. Really!!! just try it!! change your diets! one thing at a time.... because I do hope my future colleagues change their habits too. Instead of buying pizzas (convenient, slightly inexpensive, but create a bad habit for students), I hope they opt for something that are more health conscious otherwise I will go hungry for long time!

Fear

wow.. it's been like forever but I think I will start writing again even though it seems to be pretty busy for the next few months.

Today I realize that I wish I knew Spanish. I wish I knew another language. I wish I had stepped out of my comfort zone and tried to learn another language while I was in high school instead of giving an excuse that I've already known another language. It's so valuable and it's incredibly popular in my area.

I went to the clinic today and found that more than 70% of the patients are Spanish speaking patients. And I can't help but keep on thinking. maybe I should start taking Spanish now but do I have time?

Maybe I have hesitated in taking it in the first place because I was afraid. You see... fear gets into you. Fear will interfere with your life. Fear will make you step aside from what you wish to do or hope you can do. So many times I have told myself... I wish I am not afraid of something and just go ahead and do it. Many times, I hesitated and never carried things through.

Until now, I realize... it was just fear. Yes, I fear this and that. Many of which didn't even happen. I didn't even give it a chance to happen because I never took action.

I hope I have learned the lesson well because Ireally shouldn't fear in trying new things or learning things that could possibly benefit me in the future. Maybe it's not too late yet to learn Spanish. I should learn a little bit a day. It will be so beneficial in the future. Not because of job but also because I could communicate more with the population that I might be working with in the future.

I hope you do the same. Please don't fear to take another step. Please don't ever fear that you will fail because you have failed the moment you give up. Please don't ever let fear interfere with your ego. It's true sometimes we're afraid of losing or not doing well so that we decided not to do it. I have learned that no matter what, as long as I try my best, there is nothing to worry about.

Yeah... another step is taken to conquer my fear.

Career crossroad

I was told from the very beginning that I need to be successful in school in order to advance in life. I need to do well. I need to get a good job in order to make money to survive in this society. Time after time, it makes me think... what is a good job and what is a job that will help me make a lot of money and how much is enough?

I can't answer all of these questions because I haven't been able to find it myself. As I am ready to enter a new phase in my life, I once again revisit this subject. I am about to start on a new journey that people said will guarantee me a good life later. I give it a thought and then just realize... well everything is just assumption. Whatever career is out there, there will be no longer a guarantee in life. In fact, it scares me when people start talking about money.

I'm scared when people talk about how much money you should make in order to be successful. I'm scared when people start measuring me with money. I'm scared when I realize how superficial the society has become. Yeah, we all measure everything with money. And yeah to many of us, money is very important.

I don't deny the importance of having money but being driven by money has made the society worse by the day, the hour, the minute, and the second. Without money, I can't get food, housing, or clothes. However, how much is enough? I think the problem arises when we can't realize or know how much is enough. We keep on going and going until we break down... until we can't go on anymore. Then we turn around and think... have we gone too far?

I don't know whether I will finish the journey that I am about to start but I am sure I will find something along the way that is worth pursuing. Hopefully, I won't be driving too far away from the original road. Let the force be with me as I continue walking on the path.