Mauie Flores

La Kapitana of BarrioSeite.com has started this very meaningful tribute to former President Cory Aquino. The drive urges bloggers to tie a yellow ribbon for the former president and to offer prayers for her health.



Yellow was the color of democracy during the first People Power revolution in EDSA back in 1986. It was in contrast to Marcos' red. I remember that as kids, we had fun playing with the yellow "L" cardboards while shouting "Laban!" during playtime. Of course, we were young and we did not know what the People Power Revolution was all about. As I became older, I understood the role Cory Aquino played in the restoration of democracy in this country. She's also a role model for being so God-fearing and prayerful.

With this yellow ribbon, we bloggers pray for a miracle. We are praying for the former president's health. If you also want to join us in this endeavor, you may check out the original post of La Kapitana here.

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So, this is a late post because Diabetes Awareness Week was officially held last week from July 13-17, 2009. That is according to the calendar of the Department of Health. But you know, me being me and my deadlines being my deadlines prevented me from doing a related post last week. Anyway, I was able to see an exhibit showcased at the New Medical City when I brought my husband to the ophthalmologist last Thursday. But I will be writing about that in another post.

Philippine Diabetes Awareness Week was signed as Proclamation 213 by former president Fidel V. Ramos in 1993. Diabetes Awareness Week is held every 4th week of July. The week-long celebration has different diabetes educational clinics and exhibits. Diabetes is a life-long condition and the best way to get through with life being a diabetic is early detection and effective management.

Genetics play a major role in being a diabetic. I have aunts, uncles, and cousins who are diabetics in my paternal side of the family although I am the only one among my siblings who has diabetes. I am quite fortunate that, at least, we were able to detect my condition early. I am also glad to say that my blood glucose levels have relatively good results compared to when I was younger. I guess being more educated and conscious about making healthier choices have contributed to that. I am still on my way to losing more pounds not by using the best weight loss supplements but by being more mobile and active. I have also succeeded in programming my system to not want for carbs in the evening.

Diabetes should not prevent one from living each day with the sweetest smile. I should know. That is why I am living my sugar free sweet life to the fullest.

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The Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center joins the celebration of the National Science Week in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology from July 20 to 26 with special lecture workshops that will help kids become better learners and encourage parents to take an active role in their kids’ development.

Two interesting lecture workshops that will discuss how kids can do better in school and how parents can encourage them to increase interest in learning science while having fun are slated for three successive Saturdays of July until August.

On July 18, 25, and August 1, learn how to create Mind Maps to help your kids organize their thoughts and understand concepts better using techniques developed by Tony Buzan, a world renowned guru on brain power and the inventor of Mind Maps, the most powerful and transformative thinking tool today.

The Buzan Power Learning Workshops will teach you how to create Mind Maps which will help you make notes to retain important information in a fun way, creatively organize the day, find solutions to a problem, or explain an idea or concept.

A Mind Map is a powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlock the potential of your brain. It harnesses a full range of brain skills such as word, image, number, logic, rhythm, color, and spatial awareness in a single, uniquely powerful manner. This way, it gives you the freedom to roam the infinite expanses of your brain.

Making a Mind Map is easy to do— you just need a blank unlined paper, colored pens or pencils, your brain, and your imagination. When you use Mind Maps everyday, you will find that your life becomes more productive, fulfilled, and successful on every level.

Buzan has written more than 90 books on maximizing brain power, with sales in over 150 countries. His books have been translated into 33 languages. Among his latest books is Brain Child, which is written for parents who want to bring up smart kids.

The workshop sessions will be conducted by Ivy Marquez, a licensed Buzan instructor trained at the Buzan Center Asia in Singapore. “Parents who are actively involved in the learning and teaching of their children will find mind mapping a handy and effective tool to impart knowledge to kids,” says Marquez, who has a wealth of experience with kids in her 10 years of homeschooling and tutoring.

Marquez is a BA Mass Communication graduate from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. She worked as corporate communications officer at San Miguel Foods, Inc. and has served as Kid's Church Director in Victory Christian Fellowship for 15 years.
On July 25 at 10 am, Kids are from Jupiter: Nurturing Inquisitive Minds by Dr. Grace Shangkuan Koo, Ph.D, promises an interesting Saturday morning as it discusses the need to nurture children’s inquisitive minds at homes and in schools.

Dr. Shangkuan Koo will present how the human brain works such as the functions of the right and left hemispheres, and how teachers and parents should deal with children’s questions everyday. She will also discuss a child’s natural behavior like his need to move and play, as well as his insights and openness, sense of humor and wonder.

Today, parents and teachers face a lot of questions from kids who are curious about many things. For example, when a kid asks, “Why is the moon silver and round?” the best thing to do is welcome the question and try to answer it that will satisfy a kid’s curiosity. Ignoring or dismissing a child’s question as stupid would discourage the child and might dampen his innate curiosity.

After the seminar, Dr. Shangkuan Koo will welcome questions during an open forum. She will also conduct a creative thinking exercise for the participants.

Dr. Shangkuan Koo is an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. She took her post-doctoral studies as a visiting scholar at Harvard University Graduate School of Education in 2003 and studied with Drs. Howard Gardner and Kurt Fischer. She contributes articles on education, parenting, classical music critiques, and travel stories to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

To register for these sessions, please call the following numbers: 813-2732/03 and 830-2191 for the Buzan Power Learning Workshops and 727-8838 or 09178273124 for Kids are from Jupiter seminar.

Official Press Release from NIDO Fortified Science Discovery Center. The NIDO Fortified Science Discovery Center is located at SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

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Malunggay is one of the most underestimated plants ever. In my household, for instance, we have malunggay tree in our backyard but we just use the leaves when cooking Laswa or Tinola. My mother's a Bicolana and I think she knows more than a dozen of dishes cooked with malunggay. I grew up eating malunggay so often that I got quite tired of it.

Last Saturday, I got reintroduced to this plant that, unknown to me, has so many benefits. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was growing a wonder plant in my backyard!

I was part of a group of bloggers who attended a product presentation of Chrimi Malunggay Products. There we learned the many benefits of Moringa Oleifera or malunggay. Among the benefits of this wonder vegetable are:

• anti oxidant
• lowers cholesterol
• increases energy
• normalizes blood pressure
• anti-depressant
• strengthens the immune system
• anti-fungal
• normalizes blood glucose levels

In the photo above are just some of Chrimi Malunggay Products. We were given sample sachets of each to take home. My husband and I enjoyed the Malunggay coffee and my son loved the Malunggay Choco. There is no malunggay aftertaste at all. This is a plus for me because my son seldom eats vegetables.


Here I am with fellow bloggers Ria, Jennie, Betchai, Jane, and Rochelle.
Aside from these, Michri Marketing, the company behind Chrimi Malunggay products, also manufactured Malunggay Hand and Body Lotion and Herbal Soap. The Body Shop is also featuring Moringa beauty products but the prices are way too expensive compared to Chrimi products. I was also given a sample of both lotion and soap and I like it. The lotion is non-greasy and has a very enticing scent.

After learning about their products, we were also introduced to the vision of the company. The company envisions a supply chain social enterprise. This means that they aim for every Filipino to be empowered through the business and products they have now. It is a business that wants to produce business for others. If every Filipino is empowered with a sustainable livelihood, the desire to work abroad will never be a reality anymore. In fact, the company's battle cry is "Why leave the Philippines? God is alive here!" With a benevolent mission and products that are both healthy and affordable, the company will surely be able to reach its goals in no time.


If you are interested in buying or selling Chrimi Malunggay products, you may want to check out this page.

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I'm in bed already and Michael Jackson's songs are still playing in the background. I'm a fan. Who isn't? Even my nine year old son is. My goodness, I had to bully him just so he will go up to his bedroom and stop watching MTVs ultimate tribute. He has been watching it the whole afternoon and even commenting on some of the videos that were shown. He read the Wikipedia entry on the King of Pop and even begged me to buy TIME Magazine's special issue. I guess it's true that Michael Jackson's music really bridges the gaps between generations.

I also got to read the magazine last night and his story almost brought me to tears. I think he was very much misunderstood by many. Being Jacko was just the result of a missed childhood plus being under the public's scrutinizing eyes for more than forty years of his life. You know, I was emotional when Marlon Jackson spoke during the memorial and said that "Now they will leave you alone." Yes, all the leeches that Lisa Marie Presley wrote about in her blog will now leave him alone.

I am bothered by the thought that he died in debt. Everything went way out of hand. I just hope that some of the people around him even bothered to ask for life insurance quotes in his behalf for the sake of the children he left.

Michael Jackson's story may have ended tragically but his music will not.

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I've been working so hard lately that I had to set aside a special day for a Thai massage. Last Friday was that day. I knew I had to get one to be more productive. I have been experiencing back pains and shoulder pains probably from sporting a bad posture while working on some articles.

My husband and I prefer Thai massages than the other massages that are available. For one, we don't like being smothered with massage oils. Another reason is that the Shiatsu and stretching techniques that Thai massages offer directly target our problem areas. It really feels good to have your muscles stretched after a long and tiring day.

Of all the massages that I have tried, Thai massage has the one with the most interaction between the masseuse and the client. Our massage sessions are like well orchestrated dance moves. For example, my masseuse kneels on top of my buttocks and puts pressure on some points of my back. From that position, she presses on my back a little and lifts herself to a standing position. Then, she grasps my wrists while I grab hers and she pulls my arms to give me a stretch. This is the reason why Thai massages can never be done on outdoor chaise lounges that cannot support both the masseuse's and the client's weight. It should be done on a mat or a foam mattress on the floor.

We try to have massages every other week because its therapeutic. I am lucky that we have a Thai massage day spa near our area that offers discounted rates in the afternoon. I hope you can try getting a Thai massage soon and tell me about your experience.

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Image courtesy of www.hellomagazine.ca

The oldest of the Jonas Brothers trio has just proposed to his girlfriend, Danielle Deleasa. Isn't that sweet? Some have criticized the move considering that the brothers have a very promising career. Kevin getting married may lose some of their infatuated fans. Others think that he is still too young to be thinking of marriage. He's 21. I got married when I was 21 so that really is not a problem for me.

Anyway, that ring is the engagement ring that Kevin gave Danielle. Isn't it pretty? The solitaire diamond is set on a 210 diamond studded platinum band. Must have cost a fortune.

It may seem that proposals will never be complete without diamond engagement rings. I hope that couples realize that the ring is not the only one that will make the marriage successful.

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It has been months since my last visit to the gym. I decided not to renew my membership for now since I have been so busy lately. Bad news is, I gained the pounds I lost when I started to work out. Let us put it this way, I am back to 160 pounds and I am not proud of it. But managing my weight starts with acknowledging it. The only consolation I have now is that I started to take control again before I go back to my old 180 pound self.

So I started brisk walking an hour each morning like what I did in 2006. I had cramps the first day I brisk walked and I did not walk the following day. I hated myself for doing so because when I stop even for a day, I will need to force myself to go back in track again. After that one rest day, my morning walks became regular. When it rains, I put my dance workout videos and I dance inside my room. I also do the dumbbell routine that we did while in the gym. I haven't tried using a Kettlebell yet but I heard that it's more fun to use.

So there. I hope that I lose some pounds again just by working out on my own. Gym memberships cost a fortune nowadays and I think that I'll be also saving a lot of money by doing this.

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I have heard a lot of stories from friends, both online and offline, about how thieves have become so advanced today with regard to their tactics. For instance, a friend related how she almost got robbed inside her own home. The thief was trying to get inside the bedroom window at the second floor of their home and they haven't eaten their dinner yet. That's how early it was. It seems that robbers nowadays do not attack in the wee hours of the morning anymore. They do not have a dog in the yard, not like us.

This is one of the reasons why we chose to keep a big dog. We have two, actually. Musmos (short for Optimus because we got him after watching the first Transformers movie) is of native breed. Bronson, on the other hand, is a Pitbull Terrier. We got him from Ralph's swimming coach a year ago. These two dogs are the reason why thieves, and even neighbors, do not attempt to go inside our yard. They both look ferocious but they are gentle giants.


Bronson


Musmos, with Rap, when he was still a puppy
Our dogs have different needs. Musmos only needs the basics: food, clothing, shelter, and shots. Bronson needs all of those plus pet supplements. He's allergic to chicken so I need to carefully scrutinize his dog food and see to it that it doesn't have chicken. Bronson is a dog that loves to have all the attention. He's our houseboy's favorite. To balance it, I show more attention to Musmos so he won't get jealous.

Yes, our dogs are like our children, too. We give so much time and effort in taking care of them because we know that they take good care of us, too.

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I was able to watch a show on Discovery Channel this morning and it showcased future gadgets that almost made my jaw drop. Most of these gadgets and machines already have existing prototypes in their respective laboratories and scientists are just making some tweaks and repairing bugs before they are released. Their inventors express their desire to make human life easier with the help of these gadgets.

One future machine that I am rooting for is the air-powered car. This car runs on energy that it converts from air. Imagine all the fuel that can be saved because of that! And because it uses air and not fuel, it does not emit smoke that is harmful to the atmosphere.

Another invention that was featured was a computer contact lens. Wearing these contacts is just like taking a lightweight computer anywhere you go. It makes your eye acts like a barcode scanner scanning the images that you see and providing information about them. You will be seeing written information on demand just like when you're googling about something.

I appreciate the efforts of scientists who are constantly researching on ways to further improve these machines. I just hope that they won't forget that these should only be used for the good of all mankind and not use them for man's destruction.

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Do I need to get a life insurance? This got me thinking lately. It's not a priority, really. Or is it? Probably if I have extra savings, I would get one for myself although the current state of the world economy may stop me from doing so.

When I was still working in a publishing company years ago, part of our employee benefits was a term life insurance. It was imperative, especially for me, to have one. I was an editorial assistant and part of my job was attending media events. I needed to be insured just in case an accident happened while I was on the job.

This is one of the cons of having a freelance job. I guess I will just try hard to be safe at all times while I still cannot afford to get a life insurance for myself.

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My household switched to brown rice recently after my husband had his kidney stones removed. It was part of our healthy living plan for the whole family. Back then, brown rice in my household was just exclusive for me, the lone diabetic.

Usually, I buy brown rice in 5-kilo packages at a nearby supermarket and it costs me 264 pesos or almost 53 pesos per kilo. Our town's public market also sells organic brown rice for 50 pesos a kilo. I am so glad that, just last week, I was able to find organic brown rice sold at Sta. Lucia East Supermarket for only 39 pesos a kilo. The cheapest white rice in supermarkets is sold at 35 pesos a kilo which means that I only added 4 pesos per kilo to what I regularly spend on white rice. Not bad, don't you think? Before, to cut down on extra costs, I would tell my househelper to mix white rice with brown rice but we need not do that anymore. We can now enjoy pure organic brown rice with our daily meals.

When I was still a kid, I remember eating brown rice whenever we have vacations in the province. I remember hating how it looked like and how it tasted as well. Its texture was coarser than the white rice we ate back home. It was the usual rice in the province, fresh from the farm, dried and pounded the traditional way. My older cousins would tell us that they can only eat white rice on special occasions. Brown rice is peasant's rice, they would say.

Now, it's the other way around. Brown rice is more expensive than white rice. Of course the laws of supply and demand have something to do with that. Another reason for this is that rice manufacturers would need additional specialized equipment to prepare brown rice. Brown rice also has a shorter shelf life compared to white rice so these manufacturers cannot produce much unless they have a guaranteed market for it. By the way, I keep our stock of brown rice inside the fridge.

In the past, white rice has been found to cause beriberi because of its lack of vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 is stripped off the grains during processing. Rice producers were then compelled to enrich their rice. Still, we should remember that part of the process of cooking rice is washing it. This step actually makes the vitamins and phytochemicals go down the drain. Brown rice still has its bran which keeps the innate vitamins and minerals intact even when its washed. Aside from being high in fiber content, brown rice is also rich in manganese and selenium. Manganese helps support a healthy nervous system while selenium reduces the risk of colon cancer. Brown rice also lowers cholesterol and helps in weight loss. Diabetics benefit the most from eating brown rice because its magnesium content helps the body maintain stable blood glucose levels and improves insulin secretion.

It's a hard fact that healthy living is now more expensive than having just the regular stuff. Nevertheless, I would prefer spending a little more than the usual just so we can have a healthier diet. I hope that more and more people get into having brown rice to increase the demand and supply and bring down the costs. For now, I am happy with my 39 pesos per kilo brown rice find.

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When I started designing my diet to become more diabetic-friendly, one of the first steps I did was to avoid white sugar. White sugar or refined sugar is readily available in the market and is what is commonly used in almost every household. I chose to buy artificial sweeteners instead and used it for almost a decade. Since artificial sweeteners available in the supermarket are all manufactured overseas, I was constrained to buy only what I will be consuming. The rest of my household used refined white sugar which is less expensive albeit less nutritionally beneficial.

Refined sugar is stripped off its important vitamins and minerals and is more acidic. High acidity levels in our bodies make us more susceptible to diseases. Aspartame, on the other hand, is believed to increase the incidence of cancer cells in the body. Aspartame is the chief ingredient of artificial sweeteners.

I started using muscovado sugar just this year. In the past years, our local supermarkets do not carry muscovado sugar. Muscovado sugar is often only found in specialty shops or baking supplies stores. Now that there are more manufacturers of this healthy sugar, more brands became available and the prices went down, too. One kilo, as of the last time I did my grocery, was at 70 pesos. It is actually double the price of refined sugar but cheaper than my artificial sweetener brand. Because of this, my entire household now uses muscovado sugar.

Muscovado is derived from the Spanish word "mascabado" meaning unrefined. It is natural cane sugar and is comparable to pure honey in terms of health benefits. It being unadultered and unrefined makes it retain its natural nutrients like potassium, calcium, and iron. Unlike refined sugar that has empty calories, it doesn't make our body have sweet cravings. The empty calories in white sugar make our body want for more sweets because our system instinctively looks for the calories that our body needs for energy. It is also an alternative to using the best diet pills for weight loss since sugar craving is stopped.

While research show that muscovado sugar has a higher glycemic index than artificial sweeteners, I still chose to use it to avoid the danger of having cancer that artificial sweeteners bring. And besides, even with muscovado sugar, my blood glucose levels just stays within the 80mg/dL to 120mg/dL range. It must be because it's sweet enough to make me use just a teaspoon of it compared to the two packs of artificial sweetener I use with my morning tea.

With this information, I hope that you also give muscovado sugar a try even though you are not a diabetic. Use it as sweetener for almost everything and enjoy its healthful benefits.

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