Day: July 19, 2024

Sherilyn’s Grueling Schedule: Balancing Back-to-Back College Assignments

Sherilyn is in the final stretch of her 1-year Foundation in Natural & Built Environments course, with plans to begin her degree studies in September. As the end of the foundation year approaches, the workload has become increasingly intense, leaving her with little to no time for herself. The relentless projects and assignments have taken a toll on her sleep, leaving her exhausted and overwhelmed. On top of her studies, she is very much involved in dancing, rehearsals, and video shooting. Dancing is her first love and will always be.

The demands of the foundation course have been relentless. Sherilyn has been working tirelessly on back-to-back assignments, barely catching a moment to rest. The past two weeks have been particularly challenging, with little to no sleep as she races against deadlines. A few nights ago, she was still at college at 3:30 a.m., working on a project with her course mates. Despite my worries, I knew she was dedicated to completing her work. Whenever she or Alycia are not back home yet, I won’t be able to sleep well too. So I am also battling sleep deprivation.

After submitting one assignment (drawing of floor plans and site layout), another challenging project awaited Sherilyn. This time, her task involved creating something out of a big bunch of matches, air-dry clay, red papers, fire lighters and sharp cutting tools. For two days, our apartment was transformed into a makeshift workshop, filled with the smell of smoke and ashes from burning matches and papers. The air was thick with fumes, and our air purifier was working overtime to clear the air, with numbers in air quality rising to three digits. As someone with OCD, the mess and chaos drove me to my limits, and I found myself nagging non-stop and yet helping Sherilyn clean up the aftermath despite dealing with a painful right tennis elbow and a post-surgery left foot.

While I was frustrated with the mess and the strain it placed on my own health, I understood the pressure Sherilyn was under. I am still asking her if an architectural course is truly her passion, given the relentless workload and sacrifices it demands.

After pulling two all-nighters, Sherilyn is finally submitting her assignment in college today. I hope she can get some much-needed rest and sleep before the next round of assignments begins. It’s been a grueling journey, but her hard work and perseverance are commendable. As her mother, I am incredibly proud of her dedication and resilience, even if it means enduring sleepless nights and a chaotic home environment.

As Sherilyn prepares to transition from her foundation year to her degree studies, I hope she finds a better balance between her academic responsibilities and personal well-being. The road ahead in an architectural course will undoubtedly be challenging, but I believe in her ability to navigate it with the same determination and strength she has shown so far. Even if she decided to drop architectural and pursue another degree course after the Foundation course, I will support her decision.

Here’s to hoping for more organized projects and less smoke-filled rooms, messy dining table, and dirty floors in our house in the future!

Super messy dining table.

Burnt match sticks on the left and match sticks sprayed with black paint on the right. The ensemble, along with burnt red papers is supposed to create some kind of aesthetic design, I guess.

Burnt match sticks, which looked like some mushrooms.

Carefully burning the edges of some folded red papers.

Now I know why many students gave up the architectural course mid way as it’s not easy. I don’t think it’s easy.

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Why Consuming Too Many Refined Foods is Bad for Us

We all love burgers and sausages and takeaways, but eating large amounts of refined and processed foods can negatively impact our health in several ways. Here are 5 key reasons why we should be mindful of overdoing refined foods.

1. Nutrient Deficiency

Overly refined foods like white bread and white rice have had the nutritious bran and germ removed during processing. This leaves only the starchy endosperm, stripped of beneficial fibre, vitamins, minerals and plant compounds. 

Eating too many refined grains can lead to deficiencies in iron, magnesium, zinc, folate and other essential micronutrients over time. This is especially true if refined grains make up the bulk of your carbohydrate intake, rather than whole grains. Choosing whole grain versions like whole wheat bread and brown rice provides more complete nutrition.

2. Blood Sugar Spikes

When refined grains are consumed, they are quickly broken down into sugar during digestion. This leads to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. Foods high in sugar like sweets, soda and juice have a similar effect.

Over the long run, frequent blood sugar spikes can increase your risk for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and obesity. The fibre in whole grains causes their carbohydrates to be digested more slowly, for a gentler impact on blood sugar.

3. Inflammation

Refined oils like soybean, corn, sunflower and canola oils are often used in processed foods. These oils are high in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Excessive omega-6 intake promotes bodily inflammation, which has been linked to chronic diseases.

Additionally, the refining process strips away antioxidants like vitamin E that can combat inflammation. Eating too many refined foods means you’ll miss out on antioxidants from whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

4. Gut Health Imbalance

The lack of fibre in refined foods can alter the balance of gut bacteria, promote intestinal inflammation, and contribute to constipation. This disrupts our digestive health.

It can also allow candida, a fungus that lives in the gut, to thrive. Candida feeds on sugar and can cause an overgrowth if too much refined sugar is consumed. A candida overgrowth leads to candida symptoms like bloating, cramping and diarrhoea.

Take a candida test if you think this might be a problem for you.

Prebiotic fibres from whole plant foods support a diversity of beneficial gut bacteria. This improves gut balance and intestinal health.

5. Other Health Issues

There are additional concerning health effects tied to overeating refined foods such as:

  • Increased risk for heart disease due to the trans fats and low omega-3s in many processed foods
  • Higher cholesterol levels as a result of refined carbohydrates and damaged fats
  • Possible decreased cognitive function and dementia resulting from nutrient deficiencies 
  • Greater chance of depression and anxiety due to blood sugar fluctuations and inflammation
  • Higher likelihood of acne and skin conditions because of high glycemic diets and food sensitivities
  • Greater exposure to food additives, emulsifiers and preservatives that may impact health

Limiting refined foods as part of an overall balanced, nutritious diet can go a long way in supporting our health and preventing chronic disease.

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HEALTH FREAK MOMMY