Author: Rochelle Sy Chua

I just had 1st shot of the vaccine last night.  There are a total of 3 shots that will need to be taken at a certain time interval.  2nd shot will need to be taken after 2 months while 3rd shot, 1 year after that.

Why did I decide to take the vaccine?

A month ago, our office clinical services organized a lunch & learn about cervical cancer & HPV.  Only ladies attended the training but it was such an enlightening event.  Most of us ended up ordering vaccines since they were on sale.  The original price per shot is Php5,000 but if we sign up that time, we’ll be able to get it at only Php3,000 per shot.

Here are my key takeaways from the training that made me decide to take it, there’s really nothing much to lose but a lot of things to gain from it:

• cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects the womb & the vagina
• it’s estimated that 8 out of 10 women will get HPV in their lifetime. (for most women HPV will clear on its own, but for some women who do not clear certain types, cervical cancer & other diseases can develop).
• there’s no way to know whether a female’s body will or won’t clear the virus.
• 3 out of 4 HPV infections occur in women ages 15 to 24.
• It’s estimated that many people get HPV within their first 2 to 3 years of becoming sexually active.
• while half of all women who develop cervical cancer are between 35 and 55 years old, many of these women were probably exposed to a cancer-causing HPV type in their teens or 20s.
• 600 women die each day from cervical cancer worldwide.

There are about 30-40 HPV genital types but there is a vaccine available to protect ourselves against the ff. cancers & diseases caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 & 18:

• cervical cancer
• vulvar cancer
• vaginal cancer
• genital warts

A vaccination is an essential part of protecting ourselves against diseases.  Though it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to get the disease, it’s still best for us to protect ourselves.

Here is me with nurse Lhany while she was preparing me for the shot (not painful, so don’t worry), talk to your doctor about helping to protect yourself against cervical cancer, you need it 🙂

More pictures here.

I got an email regarding food that we usually take & how much added sugar are in it.  Upon reading it, I felt that I needed to share it with you.  I just realized I’ve been taking too much calories in a day!  Here it goes..

Added sugars, which are sprinkled on and processed into packaged foods and beverages, have become all too common in the American diet, says the American Heart Association. The group argues that sugar bingeing is helping drive the uptick in metabolic changes in the American population, including the exploding obesity rate, and has now recommended an upper limit on daily consumption.

Women should consume no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars, and men should not top 150 calories per day. There goes the soda habit: One 12-ounce can contains about 8 teaspoons or about 33 grams of added sugar, which equals approximately 130 calories, notes the AHA.

One gram of sugar serves up 4 calories, according to the American Dietetic Association. (Too much sugar causes wrinkles.)

With math like that, it’s not surprising that the average American rings up an average of 22.2 teaspoons, or 355 calories per day, of added sugars, mostly from sugar-sweetened beverages.

But those who shun sweet-tasting drinks are not off the hook. Part of the challenge of avoiding added sugars, argues the AHA, is that they have become far more prevalent over time; the amount of added sugars in Americans’ food options increased 19 percent between 1970 and 2005.

Here are 11 sneaky dietary sources that are surprisingly high in added sugars based on serving sizes from non-brand name nutrition labels at www.nutritiondata.com. The per-serving figures allow you to calculate your own added sugar intake, both in grams and calories, if you use more or less.

1. Fortune cookies. Just one fortune cookie packs about 3.6 grams of added sugar.
2. Flavored booze. Exercise good judgment when you drink: One ounce of crème de menthe has 14 grams of added sugar; 53-proof coffee-flavored liqueur has 16 grams of added sugar per ounce.
3. Baked beans. A one-cup serving of canned baked beans with no salt added will cost you nearly 15 grams of added sugar.
4. Dried, sweetened cranberries. Without the sweetener, this fruit can be incredibly tart. But one serving-a third of a cup-of this treat will hit you with 25 grams of added sugar.
5. Ketchup. A favorite condiment, a single one-cup serving of regular-or low sodium-ketchup racks up nearly 40 grams of added sugar.
6. Cream substitutes. A one-cup serving of a liquid “light” cream substitute packs 22 grams of added sugar, while a one-cup serving of a powdered “light” cream substitute adds a whopping 69 grams.
7. BBQ sauce. A one-cup serving of this summertime favorite adds 9 grams of added sugar onto those ribs and chicken.
8. “Reduced” salad dressings. A one-cup serving of reduced-calorie French dressing heaps 58 grams of added sugar, and a one-cup serving of reduced-fat coleslaw dressing hits a home run with 103 grams of added sugar.
9. Lemonade. A cup of lemonade powder has a massive 200 grams of added sugar. A single serving of the drink has almost 17 grams of added sugar.
10. Flavored popcorn. Think the added sweetener can’t be that bad here? Fat-free-syrup caramel popcorn has 18 grams of added sugar per ounce serving.
11. Granola bars. Often deemed a healthful snack, some are tricky-a 1-ounce serving of a granola bar with oats, fruit, and nuts has 11 grams of added sugar.

I’m kinda guilty of the juices, fortune cookie & lemonade.  I’m not fond of water, I ended up buying powdered juices so I can enjoy my drink.  I guess I really just have to push myself in drinking water.  Hopefully, if I make it a habit I’ll be able to enjoy it soon.

Guess those are some things we have to let go just to be able to live healthier.  How about you?  What’s your plan? 🙂