LIFE AS IT IS

It started out of curiosity, but soon turned into a rule of my grocery shopping -- I read the nutrition labels on foods before buying them . Ten years ago, I did not care to decode Nutrition Facts labels. I would just pile up my shopping cart with whatever I wanted to eat -- bread, jam, peanut butter, cereals, cookies, chips, candy, fruit juices, ice cream, frozen dinners-- you name it; I did not care to find out if these were wholesome or not. I ate what I wanted to eat! Living in a country where grocery stores are giant, food options unlimited and portion sizes huge, overeating is not uncommon. I gained weight in the first few months of my life in the U.S. It was after I put on weight that I began to wonder if I was overeating like many others or, if it was my diet that was unhealthy. It was during this time that I became curious about the hundreds of words in small font that are printed on any packaged edible item in this country. I learned from those easy-to-understand labe...

I beg to differ with those who think that fatness comes with the pregnancy package. People ask me how I managed to go back to my pre-pregnancy body weight in just 6 months. I tell them that it is not as difficult as it might seem. All one needs to do is eat healthy and exercise. I feel so happy every time I wear an old pair of pants - there was a time when I thought that I would never fit into them again! From the day I learned I was expecting I tried to eat as healthy as I could. My daily meals included milk, eggs, wheat bread, rice, freshwater fish, chicken and lots of fruits and vegetables. I avoided fast food and fizzy drinks. I ate more than I used to because I needed to gain weight for my baby but I did not overeat. A lot of women tend to think that one needs to eat for two people when pregnant. Such a misleading idea! I am not a health professional but I can tell you from my personal experience that it is so not true. All a pregnant woman needs to consume is an additional 20...