a matter of teys.t

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink!

One of the consequences of the heavy flooding that what we’ve experienced lately is the high probability of contamination of our water supply. Homes that have been totally submerged in flood waters means that water from bathrooms, toilets and sewage systems have become part of the flood waters and might have contaminated our drinking water making it unsafe for human consumption.  So what do we do? Here are some tips that you can do to disinfect drinking water (courtesy of the US Environmental Protection Agency):

Important : ONLY USE WATER THAT HAS BEEN PROPERLY DISINFECTED FOR DRINKING, COOKING, MAKING ANY PREPARED DRINK, OR FOR BRUSHING TEETH

1. Use bottled water that has not been exposed to flood waters if it is available.
2. If you don’t have bottled water, you should boil water to make it safe. Boiling water will kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers. You can also purchase water filters or make one yourself using a clean sock stuffed with charcoal and tie it with an elastic to filter water from your faucet.
3. If you can’t boil water, you can disinfect it using household bleach. Bleach will kill some, but not all, types of disease-causing organisms that may be in the water. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for disinfection. Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers.
4. If you have a well that has been flooded, the water should be tested and disinfected after flood waters recede. If you suspect that your well may be contaminated, contact your local or provincial health department or agriculture extension agent for specific advice.

Things to remember:

1. Filter murky or colored water through clean cloths or allow it to settle. It is better to both settle and filter.
2. Boiling is the surest method to make water safe to drink and kill disease-causing microorganisms like Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium, which are frequently found in rivers and lakes.
3. To improve the flat taste of boiled water, aerate it by pouring it back and forth from one container to another and allow it to stand for a few hours, or add a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of water boiled.
4. When boiling is not practical, certain chemicals will kill most harmful or disease-causing organisms. Chlorine (in the form of unscented bleach) and iodine are the two chemicals commonly used to treat water.
5. You can use a non-scented, household chlorine bleach that contains a chlorine compound to disinfect water. (Remember, 1/8 teaspoon and 8 drops are about the same quantity.)
6. You can use tincture of iodine to disinfect filtered and settled water. Common household iodine from the medicine chest or first aid kit may be used to disinfect water.
7. Tincture of iodine. For cloudy water add ten drops and let the solution stand for at least 30 minutes.

With another storm approaching our country, I hope you can use this information to be better prepared in case another flooding happens. Stay safe, folks!

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I used to work in the insurance industry many moons ago. I’ve worked for one of the oldest insurance companies in the country. I was also part of a a pioneering company in the pre-need industry dealing with pension plans, life plans, education plans etc. etc. You would think that coming from that industry, I would be a strong advocate of these products but up to this day I still don’t have an insurance plan or any other pre-need plan of my own. I even bought a few plans that I never finished paying because it simply didn’t fit the choreography of my schedules. I am not going to say that they are or are not important to those of us who have families whom we need to provide a secure financial future for. Whether or not we will get one we all need to know the importance of life insurance and how it will impact the future of our families. We all want to make sure that our loved ones will be secure once we go and this is what insurance plans or pre-need plans sell - the assurance that this personal concern will be addressed and taken care of when we are no longer able to do it ourselves. I have no problem with that actually. My only peeve about buying one is I don’t like overbearing insurance agents and the only time I gave in to getting one was because it was sold to me by a very very close friend whom I trust.

After reading this far, you’re probably thinking “So should I get one or not?” It’s like a chicken and egg thing, really. For us, health insurance is primary for now because that is the most expensive part of life, young or old. Hospital bills, medication, doctor’s fees, laboratory tests and what nots are what cause your life savings to dwindle to a few measly coins. If you can find a health plan that will cover all your major expenses, in case you get sick, then that would be a very good investment. Even if you save so much for your twilight years, the cost of getting sick is like a little matchstick that can burn your whole bank account to ashes. It’s a little bit morbid but getting sick and dying are two of the most lucrative businesses ever. There will always be sick people and everyone will eventually die. It IS a business. Like they say there are only two sure things, TAXES and DEATH.

Of course, there is also an insurance that provides you peace of mind no matter what sudden tragedy may happen to you. It is the insurance that assures you of a future that is unshakeable. 100% return on investment-guaranteed, full coverage against sickness, death, loss of property, theft, fire, flood, tsunami, earthquake and Acts of God. No expiration date, one-time payment. There is one thing though, it is non-transferable and good for one person at a time only. Here’s the best part though, it’s the best bargain of all time. You can have all those benefits for free if you follow the terms and conditions simply and clearly stipulated in John 3:16. No hidden agenda, no hidden fees, no need to worry about the fine print. And no pesky insurance agents hard selling on you. Think about it. In case you’ve seen it before but may have forgetten, here’s the stipulation again. Consider it, peeps. It’s the insurance bargain of a life time!

¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Two icons in the entertainment industry have died. Farrah Fawcett, 62, succumbed to anal cancer and died Thursday morning at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. Michael Jackson, 50, died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and was believed to have suffered cardiac arrest.  I remember growing up and watching Charlie’s Angels together with my dad and how Farrah’s hairstyle was a must have during that time. I also remember watching the Grammy’s with my dad and I remember a very young Michael Jackson singing ‘ I’ll Be There’ together with the Jackson 5. No MTV back then… just plain good ole music. I probably feel the loss as well because they were part of my growing years.

What is anal cancer anyway? According to Wikipedia : Anal cancer is a type of cancer which arises from the anus, the distal orifice of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a distinct entity from the more common colorectal cancer.

Symptoms of anal cancer include bloating and change in bowel habits, sporadic bright red rectal bleeding accompanied with uncontrollable itching at the opening of the anus, and low energy and fatigue. Women may experience lower back pain due to pressure the tumor exerts on the vagina, and vaginal dryness.

Anal cancer is most effectively treated with surgery, and in early stage disease (i.e., localised cancer of the anus without metastasis to the inguinal lymph nodes), surgery is often curative.

What is cardiac arrest? According to the American Heart Association : Cardiac arrest is the sudden, abrupt loss of heart function. The victim may or may not have diagnosed heart disease. It’s also called sudden cardiac arrest or unexpected cardiac arrest. Sudden death (also called sudden cardiac death) occurs within minutes after symptoms appear.

The most common underlying reason for patients to die suddenly from cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease. Most cardiac arrests that lead to sudden death occur when the electrical impulses in the diseased heart become rapid (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation) or both. This irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) causes the heart to suddenly stop beating. Some cardiac arrests are due to extreme slowing of the heart. This is called bradycardia.

Other factors besides heart disease and heart attack can cause cardiac arrest. They include respiratory arrest, electrocution, drowning, choking and trauma. Cardiac arrest can also occur without any known cause.

Brain death and permanent death start to occur in just 4 to 6 minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest can be reversed if it’s treated within a few minutes with an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. This process is called defibrillation. A victim’s chances of survival are reduced by 7 to 10 percent with every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation. Few attempts at resuscitation succeed after 10 minutes.

My father suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away in 2007. It is not an easy thing to lose someone you love dearly. I have moved on since then but I cannot say that the pain has left. It is as potent today as it was back then. Nevertheless, we all have one life to live. Live deep. Live deliberately. Live life. Live.

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…. while sitting down. Impossible? No. Doable? YES! I used to have firm, well-defined arms until about a few years ago.  Then, I started noticing that they were becoming big and eventually flabby, giving in to the force of gravity.  Whenever I raised them, they looked like oversized turkey necks flapping in the air. Ugh! Not too flattering if you wear a sleeveless top, right? Honestly, it’s depressing. I am not one of the courageous ones who can wear a tank top and just let it all hang.

So I scoured around the net for free tips on how to solve my problem. Some of them were just trying to sell me a video after a free trial while others were the tried and tested personal trainor stuff. I couldn’t do both. Between homeschooling, household chores, digiscrapping commitments, and my part-time graphic layout stuff, I just don’t have the time to squeeze it between all that. I needed something that I could do while I was doing all the stuff I needed to do.

Then, I read an article online (I’m sorry I forgot where… out of the many I have read in my desperate pursuit of flab-free happiness) that listed a few exercises that seemed doable to me. I tried it and tweaked it a bit to fit my daily routine like washing the dishes, sitting down in front of the computer, watching the news, daydreaming about a Las Vegas hotels getaway (cough cough), and guess what, I’m starting to see results!

Here’s what I’ve been doing so far:

1. Raise your hands to chin level and make a fist.
2. Punch 20 times in front of you with your right.
3. Punch 20 times in front of you with your left.
4. Punch 20 times diagonal across to the left with your right.
5. Punch 20 times diagonal across to the right with your left
6. Raise your elbows to chin level, bring them to the front and squeeze them together for twenty counts.
7. Repeat these steps wherever you are, whatever you’re doing as long as people don’t look weirdly at you.

Of course, it does help a lot if you eat healthy and choose what you stuff yourself with. I’ve been on a one-meal-a-day fast so I think that made it a bit faster. Who knows I might dare to go sleeveless in the next few weeks. LOL

As with all exercises, consult with your physician before you do the above. Here’s to flab-free arms for all of us!

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I don’t know if I’m alone in this thing but reminding my eldest son to brush his teeth is a daily tug-of-war. Although he does do it when I remind him to, he doesn’t do it well and now his teeth have a yellowish tint to it already. I inspect his teeth all the time to see if there are any food particles left near the gum and in his molars. His baby teeth have fallen out already more than a few months ago and he is sporting his “hammy look” with his two front teeth sticking out like Bugs Bunny. A regular checkup at the dentist’s office is certainly a must and I’m glad we don’t have to go all the way to a Plano Dentist in Texas just to do that. We found one in our church and the kids really like her and are not scared of her and that definitely is a good thing.

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It’s meeh! I get to post again today because the hubby’s computer crashed again on him - well, it’s a 2nd hand recycled laptop that we bought at HMR and of course it’s life span is not something you expect to be beyond forever.  So it’s my turn to blog. 

The hubby and I with kids in tow were invited today to a product launch in Makati and it was not something we were unfamiliar with. One of the products that was introduced aside from all the food supplements was a health card with a validity of one year that costs roughly around P499 pesos only. One of the benefits of the cardholder is that he can avail of an annual executive check-up at the various accredited clinics/hospitals listed. I’m not so sure about the whole set up but then if all you can afford is P500 and you can already get an executive check up at that amount who needs smoker life insurance.  I was also surprised to find that one of those medical institutions listed was owned by my brother’s friend. Small world!

Anyway, that was just one of those products presented. There was a whole other set of food supplements and other health related products that quite frankly were really interesting. Not only that, you get to earn from all of that too. So health is indeed wealth, literally speaking. So the hubby and I will discuss it further to see if that falls into our present setup. It sounds promising.

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Perhaps your thinking of a baywatch scene.  Lots of people facing the Pacific.  Ladies wearing 2 piece swimwear 1 size smaller. Guys lifting weights after their daily dose of prohormones. PCH behind you…No!  Not some beach in Southern CA!  I’m talking about one of the best swim beaches in the world…Boracay! Where the you have soothing calcium sands below your feet instead of hot silicon.  Where you have a gradual increase in depth from the shoreline.  Its like swimming in a swimming pool that extends for miles.  Wow! What a treat for our wedding anniversary!

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Riding along the highways of Manila, you see all these endorsements about pills, shampoos, treatments, etc.   It’s just a fact that all these companies want to increase market share by targetting women like me.  You see names like Xenical, Orlistat, Belo, Calayan, Marie France, etc.  It gets overwhelming and confusing at times.  You definitely need to read diet pill reviews or treatment reviews to ensure you’re not risking your body to permanent damage.

While these treatments may have proven a high level of effectiveness in many aspects, they  remain very mechanical or chemical in nature.  By themselves, these don’t give a wholistic approach towards health and beauty. DW and I recently discovered Ki-Eki Jutsu ( aka The King Method or TKM) which uses the interaction of bioelectric impulses to keep your body healthy.   By simply touching specific areas in the body, one can restore electric flow and assist your body heal itself.  A touch to the hip bone, resolves knee problems.  A touch to the base of the skull clears the sinus.   It appears to be simpler than the meridian system of accupuncturists. It also has points to balance emotions, which indirectly affects beauty. When any physical problem is approached mechanically, chemically and electrically complete healing, beauty and wellness is ensured.

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My nephew who passed the ECE board exam (you can read about it in an earlier post : grin and bare it) early this year is finally in the workforce. He landed a job somewhere in Ortigas and is living in the ‘real world’. Bye-bye school books, hello paycheck! I still owe him a salon treatment but life in the ‘real world’ is quite hectic and chaotic so I never got the chance to give him the treat. Maybe I’ll just buy him an acne treatment cream straight from the drugstore… cheap eh? LOL Anyway, he also owes me a foodie treat as well from his first earnings so we’ll just wait each other out since we live on opposite sides of the archipelago. Look out world, here comes VAIN BOY!

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Just checking in to update my blog. Our house has been a war zone these past few days because the kids are sick. The young ‘un started out with tummy trouble and has been to the ER twice. Now she’s caught her brother’s cough and colds and hopefully we can stop it from progressing into a full asthma situation. So we are all under house arrest, well sorta… cause we are stuck at home and it feels like a hospital ward with hubby and I taking turns doing the midnight rounds for the kids’ medications. Too bad they’ll miss their cousin’s birthday party tomorrow. Hopefully, they recover fast for my son’s birthday in a couple of weeks. I wouldn’t want him to spend it in bed. Catch y’all later folks,!

Have a safe and healthy weekend!

Ciao!

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… somewhere else in your body, is that possible? Methinks that this is true. Case in point, hubby. Since he started becoming more “health” conscious (not “weight” obsessed LOL) he started swimming as regularly as possible. But one of the things that I noticed is that although his waistline was noticeably getting smaller ( hello, ‘ga :D) his chest area was expanding and his weight was still not decreasing. So while he was losing fat in certain places it was being replaced by muscles in other areas. I’m not a nutritionist or a health professional and I can’t say if my observations are absolutely valid but if you are somehow wondering why you seem to be gaining weight even if you are on a regular exercise program, it’s probably because you are gaining muscle - which is actually good. Even the best diet pills, no matter how much you take them cannot produce a single muscle in your body except through regular exercise. So don’t despair if you step on the scales and throw it out the window because you think it’s lying to you about your weight. You might have gained some muscles after all.

Now streeeetch!

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I remember many pounds ago when I did a little ballet, we attended a summer dance workshop held in Baguio and one of the classes that was taught was basic Pilates. Did you know that one of the forms of therapy for injured dancers is to do Pilates? 

Pilates trainer Sarah Aimsworth, a Pilates instructor at the Joffrey Ballet School, has tried various therapeutic systems and concluded that Pilates, with its stress on minimal repetitions, is right for her dancers, and not just physically. Pilates, she believes, is designed to keep the mind active while activating muscles without injuring them.

“You do something three times and you do it right. Repetition is mindless and goes against ballet, which is so mindful.” She also says that she finds that Pilates irons out her dancers’ physical problems.

Now, I’m no longer in dancing form, mind you, but I’m slowly trying to make up for lost time ( I wish it were pounds :P ) not really to dance again but for the long haul. I want to enjoy my kids for as long as I can and still have the endurance that Joseph Pilates had even when he was already in his eighties. Having said that I need to stretch my “pakpak” again. 

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I woke up this morning with a sort of “stiff” arm. I think I had ignored my not so ergonomic computer workspace for so long and now my joints are giving me away (take note: i didn’t say age LOL). So I asked hubby if he could give me his own version of Thai massage mixed in with a little bit of Pilates to relieve my aching “pakpak”. Who would have thought that exercising with your spouse could be fun, eh? I was trying to do a little bit of rowing exercises on my own but when hubby helped me do it (well, he was kinda pulling my arms out of the sockets for a while… aguy!) and we did it together using the other one’s weight as resistance, it was surprisingly effective. I had my very own “human” exercise equipment for free - with free massage to boot right in my own home! Isn’t that a bargain? Cheap ko noh? lol

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I’ve been away from my bloggie for almost a week because I’ve been recovering from a relapse (ugh! not fun at all! NC health insurance anyone?) Anyway, the opening of classes is just a few days from now and I’ve been trying (unsuccessfully?) to get my homeschool act together. I’ve only finished 2 subjects, would you believe? I’ve been trying to do Filipino forever and it just really stumps me. Hay naku, talaga! Ang hirap maging makata. It’s a good thing hubby teaches the Math, Science & History subjects to ds, otherwise my brain is fried. :) So I’m going to try to get back into my blogging groove hopefully before the week ends and come back later for my coffee break with Jan. I also have a little Father’s day treat for you digiscrappers out there. Catch y’all later!

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We went to the supermarket the other night and upon the request of my little boy we bought more veggies and fruits rather than those dehydrated air-filled foil snacks. (Take note, I didn’t say we didn’t buy any, we just bought more of the real food than the processed ones… shhh, I’m the guilty one who sneaks in those chips). Anyway, we are trying to eat more healthy as a family and I’m just glad that the kids’ go-to snacks are apples, bananas and oranges. You are what you eat, so they say. (Oh no, I don’t want to have orange peel looking thighs!) Anyway, I checked out this site that talks about the Top Ten Superfoods. Quite interesting actually. You can read more about those Superfoods at Orovo to learn more. You might be surprised that they are already part of your regular diet. Check it out.

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