for lack of a better, wittier title. be prepared for what you're about to witness.

i started to like eating veggies one day, and now i find myself trying to fit them in as much as i can bear to. imagine, i coerced adelfa into ordering chop suey or something when we ate out last thursday, and as it turned out, only me and jc would even touch it. my dad made me taste something with ampalaya, but for a moment there i wasn't exactly disgusted! now, i've taken a vow to buy at least half an order of vegetables from my favorite turu-turo in manila every time i eat meals at home. however, i'm not exactly cutting down on sweets and meat and junk food, so all this effort might not amount to much, but at least it's a start. i might make a vegetarian out of me yet.

i am also majorly envious of my friends who've had the chance of working out at a gym. of course, the promise of a buffer body is very appealing, but i would also consider it for the other benefits. it might seem a bit contradictory since i'm not exactly the athletic type, but i do play some sports, and when i do play them i love getting all tired and panting and sweaty (sounds nasty, haha). if it weren't just so much of a hassle, i would want to fit in physical activity into my daily life as much as i can. during the summer, i've even entertained dreams of jogging at baywalk in the morning before classes, but with a study schedule that will inevitably require after-midnight extensions, and the morning rush at the condo, it might stay just that: dreams. maybe when (if) i get my own place, then we'll see.

diet and exercise aside, i also vowed (observe how my life becomes redundant) to donate blood whenever the occasion arises. and as it happened, we got just that chance this afternoon, with a mu-sponsored drive at the college. i had my first try last march, and aside from legitimately missing a nat sci class, it was honestly quite enjoyable. they've said that donating blood actually lets you lose calories (not that i need to) and promotes healthy blood and marrow, since it forces the body to compensate for the sudden loss, but there's also the comfort and fulfillment in actually doing something good for someone else. and i swear, after the needle enters, you won't feel a thing.

i can't exactly explain when, how, and why this unofficial healthy lifestyle campaign started, but it's becoming a sort of third nature for me (if there is such a thing). but now, i'm finding more and more reasons why i should be doing it. my blood pressure constantly touches above 130 systole, and with learning how to use a bp apparatus, it'll just haunt me more and more. we've also met a bona fide igorot princess from bontoc who's in our batch (okay, scratch the *princess* part, and i'm not sure about bontoc either) and she's a full-time vegetarian. i have no idea how she'll survive in manila though, but it's an inspiration nonetheless.

the doctor in me has taken control, and frankly, i'm liking it.