Lolita. :)

   So I've always adored the Lolita style, and this past year I decided I was finally going to save up for an outfit or two. :D I was so stoked! I got my first one two days ago - and I just love it! <3 So I decided to do a Blog post about it, just 'cuz (partially because a few people keep asking me to). xD It's the dress and umbrella (which I'll be using as more of a parasol since I sunburn really easily and can't wear sunscreen due to allergies. o.o'' I thought it was a good idea, anyway.)

    I won't ramble too much about them right now, because I'm kinda tired. But I'll come edit the post a bit later when I'm more awake and tell about how much I LOVE these items. <3

   As I said, I'll come edit the post and talk a little bit more, when I'm more awake and inclined to think. ^^;;

   I started a new list off to the side; "Some Favorite Links" and provided a link to the site that I got these items off of. Milanoo.com - I love that site! :D Go take a look; they have a great selection of items anywhere from clothing to bedding, and the prices are also great. ^^

Take care!

-Bryn

Yeah!! :D Japanese Cooking!! :D :D

    Ah my gosh!! :D Tonight was amazing! Well, today was amazing. Absolutely brilliant. Yesterday too, actually. It's the first "great" days that I've had in a long while. :) Yesterday I had a sufficient amount of energy to do some stretching and push-ups. I can't even begin to describe how amazing that is. I've barely been able to walk for the last few weeks, and the weeks before that, I had to have help walking around or else I'd take a few steps and fall. I wish I was exaggerating. But it was all worth it because of how wonderful the last two days have been!! <3

    So before I ramble too much about my days, I'll get on topic. :) I was able to go out with my mom to the Oriental Market today, and that was super exciting. I love the Oriental Market. <3 I always feel happy in there. The vibes are all very harmonious and the music is upbeat and the workers are so super friendly. Easily one of my favorite stores; everything is just awesome there. :) Anyway, I have been wanting to try out Japanese cooking for a while and just haven't gotten the chance to go out and get what I needed until now. So..! Tonight, I got to try out some authentic, traditional Japanese recipes. :D I was so excited to make this for my family for dinner - you have no idea!! :D And I was excited that I was able to make it! :D

    It was a major, epic win. At least, for me. My dad and brother weren't terribly fond of it. Which is fine for my brother since he's married; he doesn't have to put up with my cooking. My dad does. :) Mom is going to let me do more cooking to try out more recipes; I can't wait!! :D

    Right. Anyway. It was an epic win. So epic. I seriously can't remember the last time I felt this good after eating a meal. I doubt I've ever felt this good after eating a meal, actually. Even with keeping most allergens out of my system on a regular basis (there are accidental exposures; those are unavoidable, sadly)...I still hurt after eating. Sometimes my body will get to points where it just outright rejects anything I try to eat, no matter how "safe" it is. But I always hurt somewhere. After having dinner tonight...I don't hurt anywhere! My body is totally happy! I love it! :D I'm so excited! <3

    And I love how healthy the recipes I've looked through are. And the food tastes good. Like, there's flavor...but it's a good flavor. Natural. Healthy. It's not like junk a lot of people eat in America. Sure, there's flavor...but...it isn't "good". It...it leaves you wanting, and you end up eating more. But this food I made tonight...it's got flavor that's very satisfying, and it's a very filling meal. It doesn't leave you wanting. Does that even make sense? Probably not. I'm just typing words.

    Anyway, after doing poking around on various sites, I wound up making the following tonight: Satsumaimo no miso-shiru (sweet potato miso soup), gohan (steamed rice), and horenso no goma-ae (spinach with sesame/honey sauce). Seriously, so delicious. <3 And then we had some ginger tea after, which was awesome. My brother and dad haven't had herbal tea before, so me and mom were enjoying that. :D

    It was so good!! <3 I know I keep saying that...but seriously. It was. And I feel so good! Ah!! I'm looking forward to trying more recipes in the future, that's for sure. :D :D

    Now, I shall be a dork and include some pictures. ^^

 There's me cooking. :)

 There's the whole meal. :)

 Satsumaimo no miso-shiru (sweet potato miso soup).

 Gohan (steamed rice).

 Horenso no goma-ae (spinach with sesame/honey sauce).

    With that, dear reader, take care. :D

Have a good one!

-Bryn

Corn Allergy: Symptoms

   Well...I was checking my Blog stats not too long ago (I check them from time to time). One of the stats was that I'd gotten a view on my first post about corn allergies, and that it was in a google search for non-traditional corn allergy symptoms. It just kind of struck me that my post was showing up. I made that post on a bad day, and there was a lot I was just barely learning, and a lot I had yet to learn. How helpful was that post to that person really?

    I looked back at that post and realized that I never posted about corn again like I said I would. I need to do better about that. As I said in that initial post, I'm one of the individuals affected by a corn allergy. I should be talking about it from time to time. I wish to do so.

    To start it off, I'm going to post about symptoms. I'll re-post the traditional and non-traditional symptoms, along with the link to the site that I got those lists from. But, I'll be posting additional symptoms not listed in either of those.

    One thing to remember with a corn allergy is that it is a bit of a weird allergy. Not everyone has the same symptoms, and you aren't always going to have the "traditional" or "non-traditional" symptoms - sometimes you're going to have one that isn't on those lists. Sometimes you're one day going to realize that, "Hey...this really weird, obscure thing is from my corn allergy!" So...don't get too caught up in "traditional" or "non-traditional". :) Just say "general symptoms", maybe.

    Before I start, let me just specify that I am going to be using my personal experiences, so this is a biased post, though I will try my best to be informative. I do apologize in advance for any inaccuracies in the information I provide. If you notice any, dear reader, feel free to let me know so I can correct it. :) Now then:

Traditional

1. Anaphylaxis*

2. Asthma attacks and/or shortness of breath

3. Breathing and/or swallowing difficulties

4 Drop in blood pressure

5. Intestinal issues such as stomach discomfort/ cramps/ pains, diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting

6. Migraine headaches**

7. Rashes and/or hives

8. Tongue, face and/or throat swelling and/or tingling

Non-Traditional

1. Depression

2. Disturbed sleep

3. Eczema***

4. Fatigue

5. "Fuzzy thinking"****

6. Joint pains

7. Hyperactivity*****

8. Inability to concentrate

9. Lethargy******

10. Mood swings and/or behavioral changes*******

11. Night sweats

12. "Raccoon eyes"

13. Recurring ear infections

14. Respiratory conditions

15. Sinus conditions

16. Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)

The site is for these lists: http://www.cornallergens.com/symptoms/corn-allergy-symptoms.php

*Anaphylaxis seems to typically refer to throat closing, but is defined by dictionary.com as "exaggerated allergy reaction to a foreign protein resulting from previous exposure to it." I remember there was one day where I had a severe drop in blood pressure and just slept for a very long time. We were told that that was an anaphylactic reaction. Up to that point, we'd just assumed that anaphylaxis was if your throat closed. As you can see, while that's probably what the term is typically used for, it can probably apply to any extreme reaction.

**Migraine headaches are migraines. A migraine is typically characterized by shooting pain on one side of your head, and a lot of the time behind one or both eyes. Further symptoms that help to characterize a migraine can include any to all of the following: Nausea and/or vomiting, dizziness, pulsing vision, "aura" - or seeing spots, clouded vision or partial (temporary) loss of vision, increased sensitivity to noise (any), increased sensitivity to light (any), hypersensitive to touch (i.e.: it hurts if someone were to softly stroke your arm or something to the effect), etc.

***Eczema is defined by dictionary.com, "pathol a skin inflammation with lesions that scale, crust, or ooze a serous fluid, often accompanied by intense itching or burning".

   >Serous is defined as, "of, resembling, producing, or containing serum". Or, more applicable to the above, "1. resembling serum; of a watery nature".

****"Fuzzy thinking" is the same as "brain fog", I believe. You just have a very hard time focusing or thinking. It almost feels like someone has placed a filter over your brain.

*****Hyperactivity isn't just jumping up and down and running around all over the place like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. :) Hyperactivity is, to my understanding, the inability to just sit still. You don't have to be running around or talking a million miles an hour to be hyperactive; it's just more noticeable in those cases. Hyperactivity results from an over-abundance of energy. Dictionary.com, "(of children) displaying exaggerated physical activity sometimes associated with with neurological or psychological causes".

******Lethargy is the opposite of hyperactivity. Hyperactivity involves excess energy; lethargy involves a significant lack of energy. Dictionary.com, "1. the quality or state of being drowsy and dull, listless and unenergeticc, or indifferent and lazy; apathetic or sluggish inactivity."; "2. Pathology . an abnormal state or disorder characterized by overpowering drowsiness or sleep."

*******Mood swings and/or behavioral changes. Keep reading, because as I get into other symptoms, I will be getting more into this listed symptom. :)

    So, I'm not as active on the corn forums as my mom is, and as I probably should be. I always mean to be, but I just have a hard time keeping up with everything. I also feel like I don't have much to contribute on the forums with my current knowledge levels. I'm one of the individuals who when I post, it typically is to ask a question. So my personal knowledge is limited. However, I'll probably be asking my mom for help with this post at some points, and I do remember some of the mentioned reactions people have had. :)

    As I list these, aside from the mood swings and/or behavioral changes, I may mention some of the other things in those lists. I apologize for any repetition. :)

Hair
1. Thin hair and/or loss of hair.
2. Stunted hair growth or rapid hair growth.
3. Hair discoloration.

Physical and/or neurological
1. Temporary limb paralysis.
2. Weight gain or weight loss (and inability to gain healthy weight).
3. Hypersensitive to touch.
4. Skin rashes and/or cracked skin.
5. Mild to severe headaches; migraine-level headaches; migraines.
   >You may get some of the migraine symptoms individually as corn-reaction symptoms.
6. The "giving out" of knees when walking or standing.
7. Heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, fluttery heart, etc.
8. Numb limbs.

Gastrointestinal
1. Stomach or abdominal cramping.
2. Bloating.
3. Constipation and/or diarrhea and/or gas.

Emotional and/or psychological
1. Increased (any form of) anxiety.
2. Increased depression.
3. Increased irritability.
4. Increased paranoia.
5. Sudden difficulty in normal social interactions.
6. Increased difficulty in focusing.
7. Lack of motivation.
8. "Hyper focus"; becoming nearly obsessive in completing certain tasks and becoming upset at any hindrance to the completion of said tasks, or upset at inability to complete said tasks. (Example: Perhaps you have a desk with a few stacks of papers and miscellaneous objects on it. Normally this wouldn't bother you, but suddenly cleaning and organizing this desk consumes your thoughts, and you aren't happy and can't focus on anything else until you clean and organize this desk.)

Miscellaneous
1. "Bad teeth"; inclusive of moderate to rapid tooth decay, increased likelihood of cavities, decay of tooth enamel, easier discoloration of teeth, etc
2. Slight to moderate jaundice.
   >Jaundice is the yellowing of skin, whites of eyes, and/or gums(, etc).
3. Absence seizures.
   >Can be described as "spacing out". You more-or-less "black out" for several seconds. I used to get these a lot, and it certainly presented a challenge in a school setting as I would frequently miss parts of what the teachers were saying. After testing, it was determined that I don't have epilepsy, and they weren't sure what the cause was (I had also gotten some partial seizures). Since getting the corn out of my system as much as we have, I haven't had this problem.

   One thing to keep in mind about an allergy is that it can go in layers. For me, once we got all of the obvious sources of corn out of my system (straight corn, corn syrup, corn starch, etc), I would be feeling pretty great for a while. And then I'd be doing bad again. After some poking around, we'd find out I was reacting to a direct derivative (glucose, xanthan gum, citric acid, etc). We would read the labels and once we got the direct derivatives out, I'd be feeling pretty great for a while. And then I'd be doing bad...again. More prodding and it led to some odd things like "sorbitol is broken down and processed using a corn derivative" - so I'm reacting to sorbitol. And so on and so forth. The more corny stuff we've gotten out of my system, the more sensitive to corn I've become. It's like that for other people too.

    One last thing: This list is not a complete symptom list. Everyone is different, and the allergy comes out differently for everyone. There are symptoms that are more common than others, but it is entirely possible that if you or someone you know has a corn allergy, you'll see a symptom that's not listed here and that maybe a lot of corn allergic people don't get. What it comes down to is that you know how you feel. If you have a problem that can't be explained and isn't going away, look at allergies. Not necessarily corn, because Heaven knows that there are a million other kinds. But monitor how you feel after eating certain foods. If you notice that something gets worse in correlation to something you've eaten, look at the ingredients of what you ate and start eliminating some of those things from your diet. You may notice that you start to feel better, and that maybe an unexplained, recurring problem starts to get better. Anything is possible with an allergy. And...remember that allergies aren't always food; sometimes it's something in your environment, whether it be indoors or outdoors.

    Good luck. :) I'll be adding a gadget to my Blog pretty soon here to list some helpful links in regards to corn allergies. At least one of which will be a recipe Blog; keep in mind that the main focus for it is eliminating corn. If you're anything like me, you'll likely have to alter the recipes to be friendly for other allergies you may have.

Have a great one, and take care!
-Bryn

New Year!

   Well, it's a new year. So: Happy New Year's! I hope you have a fantastic 2013, dear reader. :)

  I've been thinking a lot lately about why New Year's is significant. All growing up, I've seen New Year's as an excuse to hang out with a bunch of people and stay up all night. This year, for varying reasons, I was alone as far as friends went. I had my parents, but I've never...I've never hung out with my parents for New Year's.

    A few years ago I decided resolutions were dumb. Why should I make a list of resolutions if I'm just going to wind up angry at myself in 12 months? Why should I make a resolution simply because it's a new calendar date? I can choose to set goals anytime I want.

    But...as I've been thinking about it...New Year's isn't an excuse to party. I mean, it is. But it isn't at the same time. Making a resolution isn't completely stupid. I mean, I still choose not to make them so that I wind up totally amazed at myself a year later. I don't have an expectations for myself, so it's a great year regardless of if I do a lot of productive things or not. If I do something productive, and I have fun, then I'm happy. But...a new year...to a lot of people...a new year is a fresh start.

    You made it through a year, and you can hang in there for the next one. Just take life one day at a time and pat yourself on the back for surviving 365 of them. Right? :) Setting resolutions is part of the idea of a new beginning. It's a day that makes you think about how you can better yourself. People just party first.

    It's like Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is honestly the holiday I least like. It's a historically inaccurate day of gluttony. Most people eat themselves sick, and I don't see the point to it. But...I mean...how many people get too busy in their daily lives to remember to stop and be thankful for something? Thanksgiving at least allows people to step back and remember, "Oh hey, I'm thankful for this, that, and this."

    New Year's allows you to step back and evaluate yourself. What you like about yourself, what you don't like. What you think you can improve, what you would like to change. What you would like to accomplish. And so on and so forth. It's a day...well, I feel like it can be a day that allows people to put aside their grudges, against both others and themselves, and "start over" in a sense. :)

    Of course you still have your past riddled with both good and bad choices...and you may still have consequences taking place from some of those. Of course things aren't erased with a New Year. But...it's the symbolism. It's hope. Amid the partying that goes on, if one were to just stop and think about what New Year's represents...it's hope.

    So...I'm glad that I wound up alone this year. It helped me to step back and evaluate the holiday and figure out why it isn't a stupid day after all. :)

    I know...that holidays aren't stupid. Not really. Not at the root of the day. They all have symbolism, and they were all created for a reason; created as a day for people to remember. It's just that...well...they get blown out of proportion these days. People get so caught up in the festivities, that they forget to remember now. At least, a lot of them. For the three recent ones:

-Thanksgiving: Gratitude. Remember your blessings.

-Christmas: Religion; Celebrating the birth of Christ. Give service, be selfless, be loving, be forgiving, be understanding, give thanks... essentially, remember the Savior, and try to be more like Him.

-New Year's: Hope. Better yourself, and your life.

^ That's as they should be. How they seem to be turning into:

-Thanksgiving: Gluttony, and (if you aren't the one cooking) sloth. "Lay on the couch all day and stuff my face until I puke, and keep eating anyway? Sounds like a plan! Where's the TV remote??"

-Christmas: Greed. "Let's see what I got this year~!"

New Year's: PAAAARTY!!! "Time to get drunk!"

^ That. That is why I have a hard time with holidays and tend to think they're less-than-desirable. Why bother with a day that's just gonna be like any other day, only with more people? Holidays aren't being practiced the way they were meant to, I don't think. They...they're being turned into something else, something less meaningful and something that is really very pointless when it boils down to it. And...that's how they're starting to be taught, too.

    As holidays come up throughout this upcoming year...I think I'd like to try and post about what I think the symbolism is. I'll probably even do research to find out the historical significance of them. :) I dunno...I just feel like maybe if I'm feeling bothered that people are forgetting about what the holidays are meant for, and bothered that I don't even know what some of them are meant for...maybe I could try and do something about it. At the very least, I can make a change in myself. :)

   Anyway. I really do hope you have a great year, dear reader. Remember that the future is as bright as we'll let it be. :D Always look for the good in every situation, no matter how good or bad, always find a reason to smile, and always find something to be thankful for, whether it's big or small.

Have a great one!

-Bryn