9. April 2010 by admin.

Three days ago, I joined an organization of bloggers whose objective is to utilize the clout  or influence of “blogosphere”  or the members’  respective blog spaces to make the world a better place.   Members are expected to write or contribute something on various areas of interest which ranges from poverty, health, education, community development, environment, migration,  human rights and other  facets in life.  I am still contemplating on which field I would like to focus on but I would like to make sure that it is in consonance with the objectives of my blog.  

One area which has a soft spot in my heart concerns about health and its effect on the quality of life of  the people worldwide, especially the children and those who can not afford for their health care (e.g. immunizations, childbirth services, chronic diseases) and hospitalization.    Health in itself encompasses a broad spectrum but for the month of April,  the concerned bloggers are specifically supporting the following events:

1.    World Health Day 2010  which was held two days ago, April 7, 2010, and

2.    Spirit Jump 2010 which will be held tomorrow, April10, 2010 

World Health Day 2010 focuses on urbanization and health.  Events in various cities worldwide have been organized calling on authorities to open up streets for health related activities with the end goal of improving health.  It was too late on my part to join in any organized activities here in the Big Apple in view of my very recent involvement with the organization.  But we all know that the advocacy for health in general did not end two days ago; It is a continuous process and you and I can still be a part  of this mission.

Tomorrow, April 10, 2010 takes a higher emotional level.  The said day is especially dedicated to  the many people including children battling cancer.   Spirit Jump 2010 was launched as a non profit organization primarily to help those affected people by bringing hope, comfort  and happiness to cancer patients despite their weak and distressed conditions.   While  there are public and private charitable  institutions  dealing with care of cancer patients,  there is still a need for some kind of support for these  patients from advocacy groups and individuals particularly at a more personal level.     

The Spirit Jump for instance shall be collecting cards from various groups, family members, neighbors, schools, youth groups and the like.   Cards can be handmade or purchased from stores and should bear the message to help JUMP the SPIRIT of someone who is battling cancer. 

From  my side,  I shall request the help of my former and present colleagues, friends and family members who have generous hearts, and/or probably from the students in schools to make cards for these people. While the distribution of cards is due tomorrow,  I believe the giving of cards doesn’t stop there, If it is only possible to give them get well and cheering cards on a weekly or monthly basis just to perk up their days, that would even be better.     I shall utilize my free time during weekends to design my own cards for these people.   I have already purchased the materials I will need for devising my own cards.  I  hope you will likewise have the huge heart and the desire to do so. 

As I mentioned in my Easter season reflection,  this is the time for us to somehow give back the blessings we received from HIM to the people in need and in pain.  

Since  some of you are living in other parts of the globe and it would definitely not be logical to send the cards to me for distribution, I would advise and encourage you instead to deliver the said cards to your local cancer or health centers for distribution.   I would just like to ask a favor from you to take a photo of your cards and to where did you send it so that everything can be listed and accounted for.  We need to know how many cancer patients have been given well wishing cards for 2010 from all of us. 

So join me by spreading the mission and for sure we can make this world a better place to live in.  Smile and the world will smile at you!

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10. March 2010 by admin.

Let’s face it, majority of us women   start to be mindful of our physical looks,    regardless of our status in life , as we reach the age of 30’s   or even earlier.   Not only that,    the adolescent girls of today in fact are much even image obsessed and stressed to hell, if they don’t approve of what they see of themselves in the mirror.    My take on this is that this outlook   may be normal and could  be attributed to our human nature  - that preferably we would want as much as possible to look good , stay young and live forever happily.    This is quite true!   I myself would want to have this gift from our Creator if only it is possible.  However, we are faced with the dreadful truth that we are mortals, that human beings go through a life course process , i.e.  from childhood to adulthood.    Adulthood is the stage where we tend to be more conscious of ourselves not only mentally and spiritually but also physically, and that we have to go  through a  maturation period.   While we can not control the meter of life course process from running, various studies conducted depict that we can actually turn back the clock of aging   if we desire to stay young.  How can this be possible?  Is this too good to be true? You can’t blame me for being a skeptic at times! But I do fairly  believe that a healthy lifestyle and a positive outlook in life are the best natural therapies for staying young and prolonging one’s life.  Note that I use the conjunction “and” as opposed to “or” .  It is better to have these two than just one of them.

I remember one time one of my sisters told us that when she accompanied our Mom to  her doctor for a physical check up, the doctor was amazed and exclaimed to her how my mother’s skin can relatively look so young at her age of 80 years old! I am sure our Mom was flattered at that time – trying to hide her frugal smiles!  We should know her, she’s our Mom. That I think can be attributed to her self strategies on how to cope stresses and hardships and  her strong spiritual beliefs.

We have also heard in the news about oldest people ever lived on earth.  I  understand the  current oldest person in the world is Kama Chinen of Japan at age 114 years, 301 days and another one  an American , Neva Morries of Iowa, at age 114 years, 216 days.  And guess what, another woman (Mary Josephine Ray) who just died two days ago  was also 114 yrs, 294 days. Incidentally, the oldest person who died just last year was Gertrude Baines at the age of 115.  My biggest and loudest clap to these people!  Notice that they are 114 yrs. old and some days older! Is this a coincidence? Is it all right to conclude that people born somewhere in 1895 to 1896 were more or less endowed with the gift of longevity and the privilege to witness the major world events that happened more than a century ago?   Quite strange, isn’t it?  But I would say, let’s leave it at that  since it would require  an in-depth analysis to come up with  a literature on why these people born in those years lived longer!

Let me give you first the definition of aging (or  ageing under the British dictionary), as defined in the web: - “growing old or giving the appearance of advancing age”-“process of growing old or maturing”-“process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environmentally modulated”.These are pretty straightforward definitions, with no qualifications.

I am not a medical practitioner, neither a plastic surgeon nor a dermalatologist,  to claim that “this and that” would provide answers to retard aging.    What I would like to put emphasis here are the helpful and sensible tips on how to stay young and live happily, based on personal experience and research from various studies conducted, particularly on food and lifestyle that would boost our morale to stay fit, feel and look young,  live longer and be happy.  

There are various ways and means on how to do it as espoused by other researchers .   Several factors could be considered: physical, emotional, spiritual, medical  and so on and so forth.  As I am not an expert on anti aging vitamins (pills, etc.) , products (creams, etc.) and services (injections, surgical procedures, etc.)  proliferating in the market today, I would limit my discussion on the following three aspects:

Physical

As mentioned in my previous blog (Smart and Effective Diet Tips),  living a healthy life with the right food (well balanced diet) , good physical habits and the proper attitude would make us refreshed, energized and slim. As we’ve learned from our “Health and Science” high school class ,  our bodies are made up of cells and these cells need food which provides us the energy to survive and keep us alive.  But it’s just not any kind of food, but the proper  nutrition for healthy living.  Do you still remember this common phrase,  “You are what you eat”?  Let’s make this as our tagline from now on!  So, what are examples of “body-friendly foods” that we normally see on the table that are considered as anti-aging:

1.   Water – This is my first in the list.   As mentioned in my other blog,  we have to drink at least 8 glasses of water everyday and we already know the significance of this. Once again, soda and alcohol are not considered as water under this category.   Green tea or black tea  is one very good option because it contains antioxidants which were proven to have healthy benefits for our body. 

 2.    Cereals – Oatmeals, rice (brown variety as much as possible),   and barley – Based on research, these are foods high in fiber which lowers bad cholesterol and consequently other related diseases.   

3.   Vegetables -  Leafy green and cruciferous veggies are likewise very essential to our body. Examples of leafy greens are spinach, kale and collard greens.  Perhaps the green leafy vegetables that grow in tropical places may serve as an alternative.    Cruciferous veggies include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and radish.  I remember one funny poem by R. Pottle about veggies, here’s the excerpt: “I haven’t lost faith in my veggies,  they do make you healthy and bright , their powers are truly amazing , but they cant make your brother polite”! Want to know why, just read the poem “My Brother Will Not Eat His Veggies”. 

4.   Fish –  While there are not much enough choices of fresh fish in the supermarkets,  we need to find  them as it is recommended by reputable institutions such as  the American Heart Association.  It is said  that adults eat two servings of fish a week for the omega-3 fatty acids that is good for the heart and brain.   Examples are salmon   and sardines.   

5.   Fruits -   Scientists proved that certain fruits contain a healthy amount of antioxidants, carotenoids, beta carotene,   monounsaturated fatty acids, phytochemicals  and lycopene, which protects our body from diseases.  Examples of these are  apples, avocados, berries (esp. black and blue) , black grapes,  carrots, tomatoes, oranges, olives, watermelon  and the like.  Note that avocadoes are a good source of Vitamin E and can help to maintain healthy skin. 

6.    Low fat Dairy Products or Fortified Soy Milk – These are good source of calcium and Vitamin D.

7.    Spices such as Ginger, Garlic  -   These spices are useful for the body.

8.    Nuts – Examples are walnuts and brazil nuts.  It has been found out that most of these are good sources of minerals.  

Apart from these foods,  there are other things to do in order to maintain a healthy body and a younger looking skin.   These are: 1.    Adequate sleep – at least 8 hours a day 2.    Embrace Exercise – at least 45 minutes 3.    Quit Smoking 4.  Quit Drinking Alcohol 5.    Avoid Too Much Exposure to Sunlight  - these last three can damage your health, especially the skin.

Emotional

Typically, we encounter stresses  in our lives,  be it short (e.g. not so good events that we face everyday)  or long term (family problems, sick, death, etc.).  These stresses can have adverse effects  on our bodily health, our lifestyle and are considered as one of the major factors why people age quickly.   In order to slow down aging due to stress, we need to know how to manage it.   There  are professionals and therapists who can help, especially for serious stress related cases.   However, there are practical ways to handle stress  in healthy ways.

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1. March 2010 by admin.

What? You’re on a diet! As unthinkable as it sounds, it is to some people who are not food conscious and who do not wish to think about the word “diet”  at all! 

Still, it is not too late or impossible to “hit the mark”. You just have to have the determination, patience and perseverance to gradually undertake the steps and ultimately reach your goal. It’s a long term process – it’s not just for a week, a month or so , otherwise, you will just be gaining back the pounds you’ve lost for a while, thus defeating the whole exercise! Ouch! I am beginning myself to feel guilty!         

With all these in mind, I trust you will now have the option of whether or not to keep your weight under control and enjoy life at the same time. Remember the key words in any diet, “Eat in Moderation” and “Embrace Exercise”. Adopting a healthy balanced diet coupled with an exercise and a positive attitude will leave you feeling refreshed, energized and slim! Come on, YOU CAN DO IT!

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