Don't compare your life to others.
If you threw your problems in a pile and saw everyone's else's, you'd grab yours back.
Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
Cry with someone, its more healing than alone.
When in doubt, take the next step
Your children get only one childhood, take great care of them.
Get outside every day, miracles are everywhere.
Life isn't about how you survived the storm it's about how you danced in the rain.
Burn the candles, use the nice sheets make everyday a special day.
God never gives us more than we were designed to carry.
Prayer is more than words, it gives us strength.
You can't do everything, and what you can do you can't do perfectly but that's okay.
God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or you didn't do.
A miracle no matter how big or small is still a MIRACLE
Friday, October 19, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Look good and feel great
How to look good and feel great
LOVE LUCY By Lucy Gomez (The Philippine Star)
(Note: This is an excerpt of a speech I gave before the Association of Special Librarians of the Philippines last week at SMX. The topic assigned to me was “Look Good, Feel Great.”)
Some of my happiest days as a schoolgirl were spent in the library of St. Peter’s College in Ormoc City. It is a Benedictine school, it still exists today (I am proud to say that the number of enrollees has more than doubled, maybe even tripled) and all throughout my elementary and high school days I wore that white starched blouse tucked into the navy blue jumper.
There was a narrow concrete staircase leading up to the library on the second floor of the elementary wing. It was a sunny room that always had sunlight streaming through the glass jalousies; I remember Ma’am Nida who was stationed at a desk by the door — she was the pretty and a bit stern but kind-hearted librarian who I knew loved me (maybe because I always returned my books on time). I remember the shelves that held the promise of every dream that could play in my mind, the many pages that unlocked even more questions after all the answers. I remember the wonderful smell of paper, the library cards that almost read like little diaries. Even in my innocent little world I could already grasp how wonderful it all was; how utterly magical that one book could actually travel from home to home like everybody’s favorite guest and still find its was back to the right shelf.
When I moved up to high school there was a different library altogether. There, it was Ma’am Obejas, she who allowed me to borrow more books than what the rules allowed. She, too, loved me. And more than just a librarian, she became a friend. She was a working college student, but our age gap did not get in the way of how well we got along.
I think of the libraries I grew up in while I was in school and I am brought back to a happy place. So when my good friend Rowena Tomeldan handed me the invite and asked me to speak before all of you, I said yes right away. I would not pass up the chance to be amongst some of my most favorite people in the world. I am very happy to be in your company — custodians of learning, books being the repositories of knowledge. Even before I actually got the chance to travel, the books in the library allowed me to not only reach faraway places but also to shape the quality of my dreams.
My task today is to talk to you about looking good and as a consequence of that, feeling great always. I do agree that those two go side by side naturally. So I will officially begin my speech today with random questions.
Like, why does a woman itch to make her home beautiful?
Why do we spray on perfume even when no one is around?
For us women, why do we wear the prettiest underwear even when no one else can see it?
Why do we appreciate flowers in a vase even though we know they will not last forever?
Why does coffee taste better in a prettier cup?
Why do we color our hair, have a manicure and pedicure, put on lipstick?
All these I know we can live without. But we embrace them anyway, some more than the others, because beauty and the pleasure it brings is something that resonates well with all of us. It is something we can all relate to very well, regardless of how we define it.
For many years now, I have been blessed to write two columns for The Philippine STAR: my Sunday column is free-flowing, just basically whatever feels right for the heart at the moment, but my Wednesday column is all about fashion and beauty — and there I get all sorts of questions, the most popular of which include how to cure dark underarms, how to lose bilbil without giving up food or going on a healthy diet (there is no magic trick to that, sadly), or what is a universally flattering shade of lipstick. The sum of all those questions, as they pour into my e-mail box on an almost daily basis, give me a sense of just how important being beautiful and, consequently, feeling good about it is, whether we care to admit it or not.
Is there anything wrong with that? I ask that question because being vain is so easily tossed aside as though it were some evil that should not be dealt with. I don’t agree. I feel that we all should have a measure of vanity about us, within is. It is a sign of respect to the self; it is a sign of respect to others. It is also an integral part of how we celebrate life as a gift.
But it’s unfair, we always hear those words said. Not everybody is born beautiful. But we are. Really, we all are. In ways that can be quantified both on the inside and out. There is a measure of beauty in each and every one of us and our individual uniqueness highlights that all the more.
In this day and age, with so much information out there, and with an assortment of products available at various price points, kasalanan mo na kung pangit ka pa. There is no such thing as pangit. Why do you think makeovers are popular? Because it is based on the premise that something is already there to begin with. The prospects are wonderful, especially in this day and age.
I am hard pressed to share with you all that I want to on the subject, there’s just so much, so I’ve broken them down into quick 10 tips to looking good. I hope you enjoy listening to them.
Lesson 1: The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Growing up, I knew someone who was morena and chinky-eyed. There was a time in her life when all she wanted was to be as fair as my sister and I were. She wore the same colors we did, fought her wavy hair, bought the same styles. One day she became good friends with someone who was also morena who, by example, taught her to embrace her own kind of beauty. All of a sudden she was wearing orange lipstick and bronze eyeshadow, and instead of taming her hair she celebrated it by getting a perm. She wore cut-off shorts and showed off her tanned legs and nice arms. The boys started flocking to her. What did she do differently? She found herself, claimed her own identity, celebrated her choices.
Lesson 2: Kilay is everything. Look in the mirror now. You might have existed all this time in the world with strange eyebrows (read: too thick, overplucked, meeting in the top part of the bridge of your nose like two valleys or the Levi’s logo, or worse one eyebrow shorter than the other). Go to a pro. And keep going to a pro for maintenance after that. It will make a world of difference. Your face will look different. It will look, well, right. Hairworks Salon right across Greenbelt 5 has a bunch of girls that can fix your eyebrow woes.
Lesson 3: Master a five-minute makeup system. Learn from the pros. Go to makeup counters, allow the experts there to show you how it is done. Keep practicing until you get it right.
Lesson 4: To look young or young-er, wag ayos na ayos the hair. The hairstyle has to be a little soft, a bit mussed up, perfectly imperfect. Nothing that is overly teased, nothing that suggests you have way too much faith in hairspray.
Lesson 5: For ladies, if you had to buy just one kind of nice, real jewelry, let it be pearls. My lola Carmen used to say that pearls can make anyone look even more beautiful; they reflect on the skin and make it glow.
Lesson 6: Don’t just work out a sweat, find a physical activity that you really, really enjoy. That way, you are able to stay on track because you will actually look forward to instead of dreading exercise. Just make a go of it — whether it is sports, pole dancing, yoga, running; find that activity that will give you a natural high. I remember when I was doing yoga, after each session I felt that I could take on the world. Another plus to this? A good sweat opens your pores and makes your skin better. Plus it releases toxins from stress we have to deal with from different fronts.
Lesson 7: Eat with the seasons. Eat natural, eat fresh. But feel free to indulge every once in a while. I repeat. Every. Once. In. A. While. You do not have to finish the entire loaf of banana bread, or two plates of chicharon bulaklak. Even if you can, even if you want to. May bukas pa.
Lesson 8: Always have blotting paper and buy nude shoes. The first will keep your skin clear (sweat can really clog pores) and the latter will make your legs look endless.
Lesson 9: Celebrate what you have, enhance your assets, be the best version of yourself. Curl your lashes before stepping out, wear a dress as often as possible. Both will make you look and feel pretty.
Lesson 10: Have a good life. And what is a good life? A good life is a happy life, where you love a lot and get loved right back. Where family comes first and friendships are real. The people in your life are very important. When your smile reaches your eyes, when you can sleep peacefully at night, when you foster a magnanimous spirit no matter what wave life throws, you are beautiful. Make no mistakes about that. Live your life in such a way that only good karma will chase you. Surround yourself with everyday little pleasures, be mindful of everyday blessings. A grateful heart is the foundation of a beautiful life.
LOVE LUCY By Lucy Gomez (The Philippine Star)
(Note: This is an excerpt of a speech I gave before the Association of Special Librarians of the Philippines last week at SMX. The topic assigned to me was “Look Good, Feel Great.”)
Some of my happiest days as a schoolgirl were spent in the library of St. Peter’s College in Ormoc City. It is a Benedictine school, it still exists today (I am proud to say that the number of enrollees has more than doubled, maybe even tripled) and all throughout my elementary and high school days I wore that white starched blouse tucked into the navy blue jumper.
There was a narrow concrete staircase leading up to the library on the second floor of the elementary wing. It was a sunny room that always had sunlight streaming through the glass jalousies; I remember Ma’am Nida who was stationed at a desk by the door — she was the pretty and a bit stern but kind-hearted librarian who I knew loved me (maybe because I always returned my books on time). I remember the shelves that held the promise of every dream that could play in my mind, the many pages that unlocked even more questions after all the answers. I remember the wonderful smell of paper, the library cards that almost read like little diaries. Even in my innocent little world I could already grasp how wonderful it all was; how utterly magical that one book could actually travel from home to home like everybody’s favorite guest and still find its was back to the right shelf.
When I moved up to high school there was a different library altogether. There, it was Ma’am Obejas, she who allowed me to borrow more books than what the rules allowed. She, too, loved me. And more than just a librarian, she became a friend. She was a working college student, but our age gap did not get in the way of how well we got along.
I think of the libraries I grew up in while I was in school and I am brought back to a happy place. So when my good friend Rowena Tomeldan handed me the invite and asked me to speak before all of you, I said yes right away. I would not pass up the chance to be amongst some of my most favorite people in the world. I am very happy to be in your company — custodians of learning, books being the repositories of knowledge. Even before I actually got the chance to travel, the books in the library allowed me to not only reach faraway places but also to shape the quality of my dreams.
My task today is to talk to you about looking good and as a consequence of that, feeling great always. I do agree that those two go side by side naturally. So I will officially begin my speech today with random questions.
Like, why does a woman itch to make her home beautiful?
Why do we spray on perfume even when no one is around?
For us women, why do we wear the prettiest underwear even when no one else can see it?
Why do we appreciate flowers in a vase even though we know they will not last forever?
Why does coffee taste better in a prettier cup?
Why do we color our hair, have a manicure and pedicure, put on lipstick?
All these I know we can live without. But we embrace them anyway, some more than the others, because beauty and the pleasure it brings is something that resonates well with all of us. It is something we can all relate to very well, regardless of how we define it.
For many years now, I have been blessed to write two columns for The Philippine STAR: my Sunday column is free-flowing, just basically whatever feels right for the heart at the moment, but my Wednesday column is all about fashion and beauty — and there I get all sorts of questions, the most popular of which include how to cure dark underarms, how to lose bilbil without giving up food or going on a healthy diet (there is no magic trick to that, sadly), or what is a universally flattering shade of lipstick. The sum of all those questions, as they pour into my e-mail box on an almost daily basis, give me a sense of just how important being beautiful and, consequently, feeling good about it is, whether we care to admit it or not.
Is there anything wrong with that? I ask that question because being vain is so easily tossed aside as though it were some evil that should not be dealt with. I don’t agree. I feel that we all should have a measure of vanity about us, within is. It is a sign of respect to the self; it is a sign of respect to others. It is also an integral part of how we celebrate life as a gift.
But it’s unfair, we always hear those words said. Not everybody is born beautiful. But we are. Really, we all are. In ways that can be quantified both on the inside and out. There is a measure of beauty in each and every one of us and our individual uniqueness highlights that all the more.
In this day and age, with so much information out there, and with an assortment of products available at various price points, kasalanan mo na kung pangit ka pa. There is no such thing as pangit. Why do you think makeovers are popular? Because it is based on the premise that something is already there to begin with. The prospects are wonderful, especially in this day and age.
I am hard pressed to share with you all that I want to on the subject, there’s just so much, so I’ve broken them down into quick 10 tips to looking good. I hope you enjoy listening to them.
Lesson 1: The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Growing up, I knew someone who was morena and chinky-eyed. There was a time in her life when all she wanted was to be as fair as my sister and I were. She wore the same colors we did, fought her wavy hair, bought the same styles. One day she became good friends with someone who was also morena who, by example, taught her to embrace her own kind of beauty. All of a sudden she was wearing orange lipstick and bronze eyeshadow, and instead of taming her hair she celebrated it by getting a perm. She wore cut-off shorts and showed off her tanned legs and nice arms. The boys started flocking to her. What did she do differently? She found herself, claimed her own identity, celebrated her choices.
Lesson 2: Kilay is everything. Look in the mirror now. You might have existed all this time in the world with strange eyebrows (read: too thick, overplucked, meeting in the top part of the bridge of your nose like two valleys or the Levi’s logo, or worse one eyebrow shorter than the other). Go to a pro. And keep going to a pro for maintenance after that. It will make a world of difference. Your face will look different. It will look, well, right. Hairworks Salon right across Greenbelt 5 has a bunch of girls that can fix your eyebrow woes.
Lesson 3: Master a five-minute makeup system. Learn from the pros. Go to makeup counters, allow the experts there to show you how it is done. Keep practicing until you get it right.
Lesson 4: To look young or young-er, wag ayos na ayos the hair. The hairstyle has to be a little soft, a bit mussed up, perfectly imperfect. Nothing that is overly teased, nothing that suggests you have way too much faith in hairspray.
Lesson 5: For ladies, if you had to buy just one kind of nice, real jewelry, let it be pearls. My lola Carmen used to say that pearls can make anyone look even more beautiful; they reflect on the skin and make it glow.
Lesson 6: Don’t just work out a sweat, find a physical activity that you really, really enjoy. That way, you are able to stay on track because you will actually look forward to instead of dreading exercise. Just make a go of it — whether it is sports, pole dancing, yoga, running; find that activity that will give you a natural high. I remember when I was doing yoga, after each session I felt that I could take on the world. Another plus to this? A good sweat opens your pores and makes your skin better. Plus it releases toxins from stress we have to deal with from different fronts.
Lesson 7: Eat with the seasons. Eat natural, eat fresh. But feel free to indulge every once in a while. I repeat. Every. Once. In. A. While. You do not have to finish the entire loaf of banana bread, or two plates of chicharon bulaklak. Even if you can, even if you want to. May bukas pa.
Lesson 8: Always have blotting paper and buy nude shoes. The first will keep your skin clear (sweat can really clog pores) and the latter will make your legs look endless.
Lesson 9: Celebrate what you have, enhance your assets, be the best version of yourself. Curl your lashes before stepping out, wear a dress as often as possible. Both will make you look and feel pretty.
Lesson 10: Have a good life. And what is a good life? A good life is a happy life, where you love a lot and get loved right back. Where family comes first and friendships are real. The people in your life are very important. When your smile reaches your eyes, when you can sleep peacefully at night, when you foster a magnanimous spirit no matter what wave life throws, you are beautiful. Make no mistakes about that. Live your life in such a way that only good karma will chase you. Surround yourself with everyday little pleasures, be mindful of everyday blessings. A grateful heart is the foundation of a beautiful life.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Balut Benefit
Is 'balut' a stem cell enhancer?
SAVOIR FAIRE By Mayenne Carmona (The Philippine Star)
He stands erect, plays golf twice a week, still travels with a group of senior citizens to join golf tournaments abroad, actively goes to office daily, and keeps abreast of the latest technology by learning how to use an iPad and an iPhone.
He is still mentally sharp, and never fails to astound me, especially when he talks to us very accurately about the latest medical technology. He still drives himself everywhere and the only time he uses a driver is when he has to attend a function with my mom.
After reading about the findings of some scientists, I think balut has a lot to do with his good health, mental acuity, and stamina.
Recently, a friend slipped and twisted her knee and pulled her hamstring muscles. She was in so much pain for weeks and her doctor prescribed some medicines and physical therapy, but her recovery was taking longer than she expected. And then she bumped into her lady doctor friend who shared with her the curative powers of this wonder pill, Laminine. According to her lady doctor friend, Laminine made her eyes and mind sharper, gave her the stamina to tolerate rigorous gym exercises, and endowed her with maximum muscular strength. It also made her recover faster from fatigue after her training sessions.
The lady doctor regaled everyone with testimonies on how Laminine improved her friends’ health conditions. Like the miraculous recovery from the worst diabetic attack that almost ended in an amputation, a cancer patient avoiding surgery of a nodule in the adrenal gland, quick recovery from a knee replacement surgery, among others. Lady doctor convinced my friend to take Laminine and sure enough, her knee and hamstring got better.
I was so curious to learn about this wonder pill that I took the initiative of having coffee with Lady Doc and this is what she disclosed:
Laminine is a result of an experiment of a Canadian doctor, Dr. John Ralston Davison, in 1929. Dr. Davison theorized that an extract from fertilized hen eggs could be helpful for cancer. Fifty years later Dr. Davison passed away, Dr. Bjodne of Eskeland revived the study on fertilized hen eggs. He hypothesized that partially incubated, fertilized hen eggs contained a special combination of amino acids, peptides, and protein fractions that could help provide an incredible array of health benefits. In theory, these partially incubated, fertilized eggs, specifically nine-day-old fertilized eggs, contain all the nutrients required to start a new life. This includes vitamins and minerals and proteins as well as important defense growth factors, hormones, and other biologically active components.
At this point, I interrupted the good doctor and said,
“So, if partially incubated egg is like balut, I might as well eat balut.” She replied, “Yes and no. Yes, because balut is a partially incubated egg but no, because balut is more than nine days old and did not undergo the process of getting the powerful extract!” She went on patiently that a patented process extracts the “Critical Nutritional Fluid” from the white of an egg at the “protoembryonic” stage (nine days old) of the fertilized egg. At this stage, the extract has all the 22 amino acids, peptides, and growth factors that nurture the body’s own stem cells.
During one experimentation stage, they found out that the group taking Laminine experienced strength increase that was nearly double that of the other group using a placebo. Athletes who were taking it outperformed the other group in areas of endurance, training, motivation, and subjective health and wellbeing. They also recover faster after a training period, have better muscle tone and increased muscle strength.
Other benefits of Laminine, according to many testimonies unveiled by the good lady doctor, are: increased organ defense against the effects of aging, healthier skin and hair, increased libido, reduced cholesterol, improved sleep, and enhanced memory function. It’s also been said to prevent dementia from progressing; reduce symptoms of asthma, cystic fibrosis, and emphysema; help prevent cataract and macular degeneration; enhance neurotransmitters in the brain; help treat some respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, angina, and chronic pulmonary disease; aid in the elimination of toxic ammonia in the form of nitrogen from the body; regulate blood pressure; control serotonin level; improve mood; regulate diabetes; help increase HDL “good” cholesterol; help in weight loss as it curbs hunger; aid in fertility when taken with fertility drugs; and prevent colon cancer and other forms of cancer. Laminine seems to be a cure-all, a miracle pill, the answer to our prayers to improve, cure and prevent a lot of diseases. It certainly is worth a try. It is manufactured in California, USA.
Laminine is a curative pill that has stem cell-enhancing properties but perhaps our humble balut (especially if we can get them as young as nine days old) is not a bad substitute, seeing how very healthy my father still is at 90!
SAVOIR FAIRE By Mayenne Carmona (The Philippine Star)
He stands erect, plays golf twice a week, still travels with a group of senior citizens to join golf tournaments abroad, actively goes to office daily, and keeps abreast of the latest technology by learning how to use an iPad and an iPhone.
He is still mentally sharp, and never fails to astound me, especially when he talks to us very accurately about the latest medical technology. He still drives himself everywhere and the only time he uses a driver is when he has to attend a function with my mom.
After reading about the findings of some scientists, I think balut has a lot to do with his good health, mental acuity, and stamina.
Recently, a friend slipped and twisted her knee and pulled her hamstring muscles. She was in so much pain for weeks and her doctor prescribed some medicines and physical therapy, but her recovery was taking longer than she expected. And then she bumped into her lady doctor friend who shared with her the curative powers of this wonder pill, Laminine. According to her lady doctor friend, Laminine made her eyes and mind sharper, gave her the stamina to tolerate rigorous gym exercises, and endowed her with maximum muscular strength. It also made her recover faster from fatigue after her training sessions.
The lady doctor regaled everyone with testimonies on how Laminine improved her friends’ health conditions. Like the miraculous recovery from the worst diabetic attack that almost ended in an amputation, a cancer patient avoiding surgery of a nodule in the adrenal gland, quick recovery from a knee replacement surgery, among others. Lady doctor convinced my friend to take Laminine and sure enough, her knee and hamstring got better.
I was so curious to learn about this wonder pill that I took the initiative of having coffee with Lady Doc and this is what she disclosed:
Laminine is a result of an experiment of a Canadian doctor, Dr. John Ralston Davison, in 1929. Dr. Davison theorized that an extract from fertilized hen eggs could be helpful for cancer. Fifty years later Dr. Davison passed away, Dr. Bjodne of Eskeland revived the study on fertilized hen eggs. He hypothesized that partially incubated, fertilized hen eggs contained a special combination of amino acids, peptides, and protein fractions that could help provide an incredible array of health benefits. In theory, these partially incubated, fertilized eggs, specifically nine-day-old fertilized eggs, contain all the nutrients required to start a new life. This includes vitamins and minerals and proteins as well as important defense growth factors, hormones, and other biologically active components.
At this point, I interrupted the good doctor and said,
“So, if partially incubated egg is like balut, I might as well eat balut.” She replied, “Yes and no. Yes, because balut is a partially incubated egg but no, because balut is more than nine days old and did not undergo the process of getting the powerful extract!” She went on patiently that a patented process extracts the “Critical Nutritional Fluid” from the white of an egg at the “protoembryonic” stage (nine days old) of the fertilized egg. At this stage, the extract has all the 22 amino acids, peptides, and growth factors that nurture the body’s own stem cells.
During one experimentation stage, they found out that the group taking Laminine experienced strength increase that was nearly double that of the other group using a placebo. Athletes who were taking it outperformed the other group in areas of endurance, training, motivation, and subjective health and wellbeing. They also recover faster after a training period, have better muscle tone and increased muscle strength.
Other benefits of Laminine, according to many testimonies unveiled by the good lady doctor, are: increased organ defense against the effects of aging, healthier skin and hair, increased libido, reduced cholesterol, improved sleep, and enhanced memory function. It’s also been said to prevent dementia from progressing; reduce symptoms of asthma, cystic fibrosis, and emphysema; help prevent cataract and macular degeneration; enhance neurotransmitters in the brain; help treat some respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, angina, and chronic pulmonary disease; aid in the elimination of toxic ammonia in the form of nitrogen from the body; regulate blood pressure; control serotonin level; improve mood; regulate diabetes; help increase HDL “good” cholesterol; help in weight loss as it curbs hunger; aid in fertility when taken with fertility drugs; and prevent colon cancer and other forms of cancer. Laminine seems to be a cure-all, a miracle pill, the answer to our prayers to improve, cure and prevent a lot of diseases. It certainly is worth a try. It is manufactured in California, USA.
Laminine is a curative pill that has stem cell-enhancing properties but perhaps our humble balut (especially if we can get them as young as nine days old) is not a bad substitute, seeing how very healthy my father still is at 90!
* * *
Healthy Life
Live healthier, longer, and happier
CONSUMERLINE By Ching M. Alano (The Philippine Star)
Naturally, “natural” is a much used and abused word in the health food/drug/supplement industry. We see it being bruited about in big bold letters on product labels. So it’s only but natural for us to seek the help of Dr. Elizabeth Micaller, the indefatigable spirit behind Organix Nutraceuticals International Inc. (www.organix-ph.com) who also happens to be an iridologist. Here, she lets us sink our teeth into this absorbing topic.
According to Dr. Micaller, “natural” legally means it should not contain any artificial ingredients, coloring ingredients or chemical preservatives. In terms of meat and poultry, it should be minimally processed. “On the other hand, meat from animals treated with artificial hormones can and is in fact labeled ‘natural,’ just like meat that has been injected with saline solution to add flavor and weight to a product sold by the kilo. Then we have those foods containing ‘natural flavors,’ such as processed meat like our longganisa and tocino which can legally sport the label ‘natural.’”
Clearly, this is a baffling issue as there are no strict rules on the use of the word “natural” in the food industry. It may as well be an empty word — you see it on labels even if the product contains just one little real natural ingredient and is in fact fully loaded with artificial additives. So, if you’re really interested in pure and whole foods and minimally processed or unprocessed foods, your best bet to find out if what you’re buying is healthy is to read the label in detail.
Read these top tips from Dr. Micaller: “Instead of the word ’natural,’ I now look for labels that claim ‘100% natural,’ ‘no artificial ingredients and additives,’ ‘certified organic,’ and ‘non-GMO.’ These are my guidelines in choosing the food I eat and are also the new buzz words of the health food industry that are so far not yet abused as there are organized authorities that monitor the use of these words in labels.”
Naturally, if you want the best natural foods, simply go back to nature and eat what is grown organically in its raw form, as much as possible. That means eating food just the way the Lord made it, unhampered and untampered by science, which is best for the body.
“Eat it raw and see what wonders it will do to your body,” Dr. Micaller stoutly suggests.
But today, there are the superfoods, generally recognized as food that is high in nutritional density and low in calories, high in fiber, high in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, and rich in phytochemicals that have the potential to prevent or even reverse disease.
“The beauty and great benefit of eating superfoods would be getting more nutrition without synthetic additives and supplements while eating less, which is healthy for most of us because there’s less of a digestive/elimination burden on our bodies from eating more than we need,” Micaller shares a mouthful. “Adding superfoods to your daily diet will give a big boost to the immune system and the effects will be subtle but long-lasting.”
She highly prescribes the following superfoods — take some daily:
• Sea algae: This comes in the form of chlorella, spirulina, and the best which is Klamath blue green algae. These single-celled, water-grown, chlorophyll-loaded algae boost the immune system, help detoxify, and assist in curbing an overactive immune system, which is often responsible for autoimmune diseases.
• Green food concentrates: As in alfalfa, wheatgrass, and barley, either in live sprout form, which is highest in nutrient density, liquid or powder. These foods are rich in individual vitamins and enzymes and have been known to help balance the pH of the body.
• Aloe vera: The juice of this plant is commercially prepared to drink in small quantities as a health tonic. The best quality is one that is organic and not adulterated through processing, and should have no preservatives.
• Pure powdered whey from contented grass-fed cows: This type of whey should come from cows that haven’t been injected with antibiotics or hormones, and processed into powder with pharmaceutical grade purity. Add to smoothies or mix into soft foods to help your body create abundant glutathione, the master antioxidant that creates and regenerates antioxidants. Pure unadulterated powdered whey is the top glutathione precursor, which is needed for the body to create glutathione, which heals and detoxifies the liver while building overall massive immunity. Note that this is not the whey that is readily available in sports stores, and if it is from grass-fed cows, it is usually stated in the label.
Now, if you wish to turn over a new (green) leaf and shift to a healthier diet, you will find so much conflicting information out there as to which foods are healthy and which are not.
“The health food industry is so full of assorted marketing gimmicks to sell their products even if many are less than what we call healthy,” Dr. Micaller notes with much concern. “Processed foods are technologically modified either for preservation or to convert into ready-to-eat items for longer storage and they come in a box, can, bag, and carton. They definitely have poorer quality than what is fresh and more expensive for the value they deliver.”
Truth of the matter is processed foods have been known to cause many ailments, to name some:
• Obesity because they are rich in calories but low in nutrition.
• Diabetes because there are a lot of hidden sugars.
• Heart disease because they use high quantities of a dangerous type of fat called trans-fatty acids, which have a highly refined salt content that affects the heart.
• Cancer because processed meats contain a lot of food additives such as nitrates in hot dogs and sausages that increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Micaller gives yet another friendly warning: “There is a grouping of foods, too, that we should avoid if we wish to stay healthy till we are older (as I say in my seminars: Stay healthy till the day you die). These will be a bit difficult to avoid for a majority of us, but a conscious effort to reduce or eliminate some of the toxic foods will mean a great improvement in your health.”
Here’s the must-avoid list:
• Diet sodas and beverages sweetened with artificial chemicals. Some people think that if they take sugar substitutes, they are doing something healthy. This is farthest from the truth. Many studies reveal that artificial sugars (like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose) are bad for your health — they can cause obesity. It is best to stick to either raw sugars like muscovado or coconut sugar and natural sugar substitutes like stevia extract.
• High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the silent killer. This is a toxic sweetener, also known as glucose-fructose syrup, that should be avoided at all costs since it is linked to obesity, brain damage, low IQ, and even mercury poisoning. This may be difficult to avoid as many foods contain HFCS — such as breads, cereals, fruit drinks, dried fruits, and almost any processed food.
• Most vegetable oils, including hydrogenated and trans-fat varieties. This sad myth is that a lot of people think that vegetable oil is the better alternative to saturated fats. Many of our vegetable oils, whether from coconut , canola, corn, soy or palm ( aside from being sourced from GMO or genetically modified seeds ) are processed with so much chemicals and high heat, they have been the source of heart disease and other degenerative ailments. Best to stick to healthy fats like butter from grass-fed cows, virgin coconut oil, and virgin olive oil, which will greatly improve your health and lower your risk of disease.
• White bread, pasta, and other refined flour foods. These white flour products are cheap and plentiful but are the top destroyers of health or carcinogenic because they are bleached and bromated, and they also lack vital natural nutrients that are stripped away during processing.
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and refined salt. Of course, you have been amply warned against MSG, which is really almost always a hidden pervasive salt chemical in most foods and is linked to headaches, heart problems, brain damage, and other problems. Processed salt, which is added to just about everything these days, lacks the trace minerals normally present in sea and earth salts, which means it ends up robbing your body of these vital nutrients. There’s iodized salt, but refining the salt removes the natural minerals and replacing one with a chemical one does not make it a healthy choice. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke are just a few of the conditions that can result from refined salt intake, so it is best that you stick to unrefined sea salts, preferably without the chemical potassium iodide.
“It is heartwarming that there is now a greater awareness among our countrymen on what is healthy and what is detrimental to one’s health,” Dr. Micaller is happy to note. “When we opened our holistic center 22 years ago, only a handful was delighted. Now, every major city has a center that caters to natural wellness and hopefully, the right diet is instilled in their clients’ minds. This is the core of the wellness missions of CIPAP (Comprehensive Iridology Practitioners Association of the Philippines). We are promoting lifestyle changes and letting people return to the era of our grandparents when there were no fast and junk foods. It is evident that they lived healthier, longer, and happier lives, and they left this earth due to old age and not a debilitating disease. To change to a healthier lifestyle comes with a commitment and desire and it can only be done by you alone and no one else — not your doctor or your natural health practitioner — but it is all worth the effort.”
It’s about time we took (health) matters into our own hands.
CONSUMERLINE By Ching M. Alano (The Philippine Star)
Naturally, “natural” is a much used and abused word in the health food/drug/supplement industry. We see it being bruited about in big bold letters on product labels. So it’s only but natural for us to seek the help of Dr. Elizabeth Micaller, the indefatigable spirit behind Organix Nutraceuticals International Inc. (www.organix-ph.com) who also happens to be an iridologist. Here, she lets us sink our teeth into this absorbing topic.
According to Dr. Micaller, “natural” legally means it should not contain any artificial ingredients, coloring ingredients or chemical preservatives. In terms of meat and poultry, it should be minimally processed. “On the other hand, meat from animals treated with artificial hormones can and is in fact labeled ‘natural,’ just like meat that has been injected with saline solution to add flavor and weight to a product sold by the kilo. Then we have those foods containing ‘natural flavors,’ such as processed meat like our longganisa and tocino which can legally sport the label ‘natural.’”
Clearly, this is a baffling issue as there are no strict rules on the use of the word “natural” in the food industry. It may as well be an empty word — you see it on labels even if the product contains just one little real natural ingredient and is in fact fully loaded with artificial additives. So, if you’re really interested in pure and whole foods and minimally processed or unprocessed foods, your best bet to find out if what you’re buying is healthy is to read the label in detail.
Read these top tips from Dr. Micaller: “Instead of the word ’natural,’ I now look for labels that claim ‘100% natural,’ ‘no artificial ingredients and additives,’ ‘certified organic,’ and ‘non-GMO.’ These are my guidelines in choosing the food I eat and are also the new buzz words of the health food industry that are so far not yet abused as there are organized authorities that monitor the use of these words in labels.”
Naturally, if you want the best natural foods, simply go back to nature and eat what is grown organically in its raw form, as much as possible. That means eating food just the way the Lord made it, unhampered and untampered by science, which is best for the body.
“Eat it raw and see what wonders it will do to your body,” Dr. Micaller stoutly suggests.
But today, there are the superfoods, generally recognized as food that is high in nutritional density and low in calories, high in fiber, high in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, and rich in phytochemicals that have the potential to prevent or even reverse disease.
“The beauty and great benefit of eating superfoods would be getting more nutrition without synthetic additives and supplements while eating less, which is healthy for most of us because there’s less of a digestive/elimination burden on our bodies from eating more than we need,” Micaller shares a mouthful. “Adding superfoods to your daily diet will give a big boost to the immune system and the effects will be subtle but long-lasting.”
She highly prescribes the following superfoods — take some daily:
• Sea algae: This comes in the form of chlorella, spirulina, and the best which is Klamath blue green algae. These single-celled, water-grown, chlorophyll-loaded algae boost the immune system, help detoxify, and assist in curbing an overactive immune system, which is often responsible for autoimmune diseases.
• Green food concentrates: As in alfalfa, wheatgrass, and barley, either in live sprout form, which is highest in nutrient density, liquid or powder. These foods are rich in individual vitamins and enzymes and have been known to help balance the pH of the body.
• Aloe vera: The juice of this plant is commercially prepared to drink in small quantities as a health tonic. The best quality is one that is organic and not adulterated through processing, and should have no preservatives.
• Pure powdered whey from contented grass-fed cows: This type of whey should come from cows that haven’t been injected with antibiotics or hormones, and processed into powder with pharmaceutical grade purity. Add to smoothies or mix into soft foods to help your body create abundant glutathione, the master antioxidant that creates and regenerates antioxidants. Pure unadulterated powdered whey is the top glutathione precursor, which is needed for the body to create glutathione, which heals and detoxifies the liver while building overall massive immunity. Note that this is not the whey that is readily available in sports stores, and if it is from grass-fed cows, it is usually stated in the label.
Now, if you wish to turn over a new (green) leaf and shift to a healthier diet, you will find so much conflicting information out there as to which foods are healthy and which are not.
“The health food industry is so full of assorted marketing gimmicks to sell their products even if many are less than what we call healthy,” Dr. Micaller notes with much concern. “Processed foods are technologically modified either for preservation or to convert into ready-to-eat items for longer storage and they come in a box, can, bag, and carton. They definitely have poorer quality than what is fresh and more expensive for the value they deliver.”
Truth of the matter is processed foods have been known to cause many ailments, to name some:
• Obesity because they are rich in calories but low in nutrition.
• Diabetes because there are a lot of hidden sugars.
• Heart disease because they use high quantities of a dangerous type of fat called trans-fatty acids, which have a highly refined salt content that affects the heart.
• Cancer because processed meats contain a lot of food additives such as nitrates in hot dogs and sausages that increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Micaller gives yet another friendly warning: “There is a grouping of foods, too, that we should avoid if we wish to stay healthy till we are older (as I say in my seminars: Stay healthy till the day you die). These will be a bit difficult to avoid for a majority of us, but a conscious effort to reduce or eliminate some of the toxic foods will mean a great improvement in your health.”
Here’s the must-avoid list:
• Diet sodas and beverages sweetened with artificial chemicals. Some people think that if they take sugar substitutes, they are doing something healthy. This is farthest from the truth. Many studies reveal that artificial sugars (like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose) are bad for your health — they can cause obesity. It is best to stick to either raw sugars like muscovado or coconut sugar and natural sugar substitutes like stevia extract.
• High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the silent killer. This is a toxic sweetener, also known as glucose-fructose syrup, that should be avoided at all costs since it is linked to obesity, brain damage, low IQ, and even mercury poisoning. This may be difficult to avoid as many foods contain HFCS — such as breads, cereals, fruit drinks, dried fruits, and almost any processed food.
• Most vegetable oils, including hydrogenated and trans-fat varieties. This sad myth is that a lot of people think that vegetable oil is the better alternative to saturated fats. Many of our vegetable oils, whether from coconut , canola, corn, soy or palm ( aside from being sourced from GMO or genetically modified seeds ) are processed with so much chemicals and high heat, they have been the source of heart disease and other degenerative ailments. Best to stick to healthy fats like butter from grass-fed cows, virgin coconut oil, and virgin olive oil, which will greatly improve your health and lower your risk of disease.
• White bread, pasta, and other refined flour foods. These white flour products are cheap and plentiful but are the top destroyers of health or carcinogenic because they are bleached and bromated, and they also lack vital natural nutrients that are stripped away during processing.
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and refined salt. Of course, you have been amply warned against MSG, which is really almost always a hidden pervasive salt chemical in most foods and is linked to headaches, heart problems, brain damage, and other problems. Processed salt, which is added to just about everything these days, lacks the trace minerals normally present in sea and earth salts, which means it ends up robbing your body of these vital nutrients. There’s iodized salt, but refining the salt removes the natural minerals and replacing one with a chemical one does not make it a healthy choice. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke are just a few of the conditions that can result from refined salt intake, so it is best that you stick to unrefined sea salts, preferably without the chemical potassium iodide.
“It is heartwarming that there is now a greater awareness among our countrymen on what is healthy and what is detrimental to one’s health,” Dr. Micaller is happy to note. “When we opened our holistic center 22 years ago, only a handful was delighted. Now, every major city has a center that caters to natural wellness and hopefully, the right diet is instilled in their clients’ minds. This is the core of the wellness missions of CIPAP (Comprehensive Iridology Practitioners Association of the Philippines). We are promoting lifestyle changes and letting people return to the era of our grandparents when there were no fast and junk foods. It is evident that they lived healthier, longer, and happier lives, and they left this earth due to old age and not a debilitating disease. To change to a healthier lifestyle comes with a commitment and desire and it can only be done by you alone and no one else — not your doctor or your natural health practitioner — but it is all worth the effort.”
It’s about time we took (health) matters into our own hands.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Regina Brett wrote
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of You when you get sick.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
10. When it comes to chocolate , resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't mess up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.
16. Take a deep breath.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer
21. Burn the candles, use nice sheets and wear the fancy lingerie.
22. Over prepare and then go with flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Creative.
24. The important sex organ is the brain. Everything starts in the mind.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so called disaster with there words, "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything.
31. However good or bad a situation is it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it.
36. Growing old beats the alternative--dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of You when you get sick.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
10. When it comes to chocolate , resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't mess up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.
16. Take a deep breath.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer
21. Burn the candles, use nice sheets and wear the fancy lingerie.
22. Over prepare and then go with flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Creative.
24. The important sex organ is the brain. Everything starts in the mind.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so called disaster with there words, "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything.
31. However good or bad a situation is it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it.
36. Growing old beats the alternative--dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Thursday, July 05, 2012
Success
It's not the hours you put in that count; it's what you put into the hours.
You're not just carrying bricks; you're building a cathedral.
The fastest way to succeed is to find what you're good at and find somebody to let you do it.
You have to dream continuously; you need to be found as a dreamer.
You can only claim you lead a successful life if you have a successful family life.
If you can walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch.
At the end of it, what truly matters is how you make your life more significant.
You're not just carrying bricks; you're building a cathedral.
The fastest way to succeed is to find what you're good at and find somebody to let you do it.
You have to dream continuously; you need to be found as a dreamer.
You can only claim you lead a successful life if you have a successful family life.
If you can walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch.
At the end of it, what truly matters is how you make your life more significant.
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
8 things we learned from CNN's 'Eye on the Philippines' by Don Jaucian
MANILA, Philippines - There is only so much a tourism campaign
can do. With clichéd pictures of white sand beaches, smiling locals
forced to look courteous and whirring bokeh shots of the city’s night
life, an image of a country is only as good as its soft power import, or
its next travel advisory. But as CNN’s Eye On the Philippines feature proved, there are many things that even us Filipinos
don’t know about our country. It takes a World Bank and CIA World
Factbook to pry our eyes open about certain realities that have been
relegated to blind spots and commentary thread fodder.??“I think
Economics is not really a mainstream thing yet for the average
Filipino,” explains Kim Quilinguing, media production specialist II of
the University of the Philippines
System Information Office.”Unlike our neighbors and those in Europe and
the US, we rarely talk about the economic standing of the country with
our peers in coffee shops, offices, classrooms, and much more in the
streets.” ??As the CNN feature showed, the challenge of changing
perceptions about the Philippines
still remains.“Maybe, as we were wallowing in the mud over the past few
years, we failed to see that portions of it have dried up. And that we
can stand on those portions to eventually rise out of the pit we have
been in since the Marcos
years. Maybe, it’s time we face up to the changes and move on,”
Quilinguing adds.??With this, we hit on eight things that the CNN
feature sprung up on the rest of the country, or at least the social
media freaks and trendy kids.
1. Average age??
An average age of 22.9 says a lot about the country’s economic potential, labor force and even population control measures. As opposed to countries like Japan where the population is generally aging, the Philippines’s young population is a potential for the country’s income, leadership, and cultural revolution that can be ignited by the youth’s ideologies. So if today’s kids grow past their grammatical mangling and ADD-fuelled travails, maybe the future would look bright.??
2. Total GDP rank??
he country’s total GDP is an indicator of how much we earn collectively from our recognized goods and services. Considering we’re 33rd out of 226 countries, it doesn’t really look bad. But historical data shows that the our GDP has been continually lagging for the past few years. A study in 2011, conducted by the International Monetary Fund, showed our GDP sliding from 12th in the mid to late ’90s to its current rank in the Asia Pacific region. Political uncertainty, high government debt and low investments are some of the elements that affect our economic growth and if all these internal turmoils catch up on us, there’s a big chance we’ll be finishing behind our neighbors.??
3. The Pacquiao Effect??
Upheld as a hero and national treasure, Manny Pacquiao’s stature has been a high pedestal of inspiration and patriotism. But as Philippines Olympic Committee vice president Manuel Lopez said in an interview with CNN, most boxers in the country have hooked up on the sport looking at it like a gold mine. Pacquiao’s name in the news has always been associated with the wealth that the sport has brought him, something has given a new generation of boxers wrong ideas about life in the ring. Like every bandwagon the country has jumped in (like the nursing boom in the mid-2000s), each is treated like a magical closet into Narnia of greener pastures. ??
4. A country of science underachievers??
In a report from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, only one percent of high school seniors receive qualifying grades in math and sciences. We’re terrible underperfomers compared to other Asians, especially since we’re in a region known as a breeding ground of math and science nerds. It takes a lot of pageantry to dress up an intimidating subject and make it palatable to students and with a strong Catholic grip, it’s still a challenge to further scientific ideas in a country which prides itself as one of the most literate nations.
5. Transitioning from agricultural state??
??Don’t let the fancy premium outlets fool you. Despite the proliferation of Starbucks, sprawling malls and call centers around the country, the Philippines is still largely an agricultural state. As BPOs and other services and investments push the country into an industrial state, 12.3 percent of the GDP is still coming from the agricultural sector. Maybe that article on organic farming that you bookmarked may still come in handy after all.??
6. Government efficiency??
Buried under scandals and dragging impeachment trials is a smoother government operation that should take center stage instead of sensationalized news that pollute our social network feeds. Reports from the Bureau of Internal Revenue show that tax returns have increased in 20 years with almost 30 percent. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism also reported that the overhauled bidding systems for public works have cut down government project costs by up to 30 percent. Now that’s the road to reform.?? 7. OFW financial literacy courses??
This windfall of money is all too tempting for OFWs and their families, particularly those who want to swagger around with LV bags and Saudi gold dangling from their necks. The government has been giving financial literacy courses to OFWs on how to invest their money in a sustainable future. The sight of six-figure bank accounts can send some people into a frenzy but as the economic collapse of other countries has shown, it’s not an unlimited source of income.??
8. Tourism is still hard-sell
As the Tom Parker Bowles’s article on Philippine food (which appeared on Esquire UK last year) showed, the Philippines is still a dark blot for tourists. In 2010, international flights only attracted 1.7 percent of tourists among the Asia Pacific region, which goes to show that the image of the country as a sex den, terrorist training camp and country of corrupt bastards hasn’t changed a bit. The Department of Tourism’s new campaign slogan may evoke a sunshiner outlook for the country but it’s one hell of a lifeline for our tourism industry.
1. Average age??
An average age of 22.9 says a lot about the country’s economic potential, labor force and even population control measures. As opposed to countries like Japan where the population is generally aging, the Philippines’s young population is a potential for the country’s income, leadership, and cultural revolution that can be ignited by the youth’s ideologies. So if today’s kids grow past their grammatical mangling and ADD-fuelled travails, maybe the future would look bright.??
2. Total GDP rank??
he country’s total GDP is an indicator of how much we earn collectively from our recognized goods and services. Considering we’re 33rd out of 226 countries, it doesn’t really look bad. But historical data shows that the our GDP has been continually lagging for the past few years. A study in 2011, conducted by the International Monetary Fund, showed our GDP sliding from 12th in the mid to late ’90s to its current rank in the Asia Pacific region. Political uncertainty, high government debt and low investments are some of the elements that affect our economic growth and if all these internal turmoils catch up on us, there’s a big chance we’ll be finishing behind our neighbors.??
3. The Pacquiao Effect??
Upheld as a hero and national treasure, Manny Pacquiao’s stature has been a high pedestal of inspiration and patriotism. But as Philippines Olympic Committee vice president Manuel Lopez said in an interview with CNN, most boxers in the country have hooked up on the sport looking at it like a gold mine. Pacquiao’s name in the news has always been associated with the wealth that the sport has brought him, something has given a new generation of boxers wrong ideas about life in the ring. Like every bandwagon the country has jumped in (like the nursing boom in the mid-2000s), each is treated like a magical closet into Narnia of greener pastures. ??
4. A country of science underachievers??
In a report from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, only one percent of high school seniors receive qualifying grades in math and sciences. We’re terrible underperfomers compared to other Asians, especially since we’re in a region known as a breeding ground of math and science nerds. It takes a lot of pageantry to dress up an intimidating subject and make it palatable to students and with a strong Catholic grip, it’s still a challenge to further scientific ideas in a country which prides itself as one of the most literate nations.
5. Transitioning from agricultural state??
??Don’t let the fancy premium outlets fool you. Despite the proliferation of Starbucks, sprawling malls and call centers around the country, the Philippines is still largely an agricultural state. As BPOs and other services and investments push the country into an industrial state, 12.3 percent of the GDP is still coming from the agricultural sector. Maybe that article on organic farming that you bookmarked may still come in handy after all.??
6. Government efficiency??
Buried under scandals and dragging impeachment trials is a smoother government operation that should take center stage instead of sensationalized news that pollute our social network feeds. Reports from the Bureau of Internal Revenue show that tax returns have increased in 20 years with almost 30 percent. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism also reported that the overhauled bidding systems for public works have cut down government project costs by up to 30 percent. Now that’s the road to reform.?? 7. OFW financial literacy courses??
This windfall of money is all too tempting for OFWs and their families, particularly those who want to swagger around with LV bags and Saudi gold dangling from their necks. The government has been giving financial literacy courses to OFWs on how to invest their money in a sustainable future. The sight of six-figure bank accounts can send some people into a frenzy but as the economic collapse of other countries has shown, it’s not an unlimited source of income.??
8. Tourism is still hard-sell
As the Tom Parker Bowles’s article on Philippine food (which appeared on Esquire UK last year) showed, the Philippines is still a dark blot for tourists. In 2010, international flights only attracted 1.7 percent of tourists among the Asia Pacific region, which goes to show that the image of the country as a sex den, terrorist training camp and country of corrupt bastards hasn’t changed a bit. The Department of Tourism’s new campaign slogan may evoke a sunshiner outlook for the country but it’s one hell of a lifeline for our tourism industry.
Good Communication
What can set you apart
Focusing managers and other employees on customer needs
Engaging employees in running the business
Helping managers effectively communicate key messages
Leveraging talents of internal communicators to manage change effectively
Measuring effect of employee communication
Brand employee experience or build employee loyalty
Focusing managers and other employees on customer needs
Engaging employees in running the business
Helping managers effectively communicate key messages
Leveraging talents of internal communicators to manage change effectively
Measuring effect of employee communication
Brand employee experience or build employee loyalty
Is the customer always right? by Malu Dy Buncio
There is an adage that everyone knows
and that is “THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!” Obviously the customer is
‘always right’ because the decision to hand over their hard earned money
for your product or service lies with the customer.
Recently however, I encountered a
prospective client that got me thinking about whether this adage is
indeed always true. As a consultant, I was being asked to submit a
proposal for ananticipated strategic planning session for a company.
Actually I had submitted a proposal the previous year for the same
company but the planning session did not push through.
Last year
after several meetings with this client, it became clear to me that the
head of the company had already decided what the course of action should
be for the company. I remember thinking to myself that in this case, a
strategic planning process would not be effective.
This year I received an urgent call back
from the same client. When I met the client, I was pleasantly
surprised that the head of the company seemed to be more open to
strategic planning. However, as the meeting progressed, it became clear
that the client wanted to design the planning session in a way that I
knew would not give them their desired results. In fact, the desired
process would give them the same old strategies they were implementing
year after year. I explained why the proposed design was flawed but my
explanation fell on deaf ears. In fact, the atmosphere became quite
hostile when I usedthe words “in my experience with other clients . .
.“ The client’s response was “well I know my market.”
I realized then that this client and I
were not a good fit, so I politely said ‘then perhaps you would be
better off working with another consultant.’ To which the client
quickly replied ‘yes’.
I have no regrets letting this project
go because I don’t believe we would have achieved fact based conclusions
and strategies. The management style of the client was quite
autocratic and would have resulted in him overruling conclusions and
strategies he did not agree with.
I did however, think about the concept
of ‘fulfilling the needs and wants of clients’ after my meeting with
this client. In Interior Design School I was taught that if you have a
client and if the design they desired did not match your vision or your
idea of good taste, just follow the client’s desire. The client is
always right. After all, they will be the one to live with the design.
Should I have taken the same attitude?
Should I have just taken the client’s money and followed his process and
let him live with flawed strategies? Perhaps- but my work ethic
cannot take that attitude. It is not a coat of paint or color scheme.
These strategies would have determined whether the company would survive
and whether people who have invested the best years of their lives
working for this company would still have a job in the future.
So is the customer always right? Yes
because they do have the final decision in whether to hand over their
money for your product or service. But manufacturers and service
suppliers also have the right to design their product or service in a
manner they believe is correct. In addition, manufacturers and service
suppliers also have the right to decide who they will sell their product
or service to.
Malu DyBuncio is the Chief Business
Development Strategist of Mansmith and Fielders, Inc.,
(www.mansmith.net). She was the former country head of Avon Philippines
and Avon Indonesia. She will be conducting the Dynamics of Direct
Selling seminar-workshop on September 20-21, 2011. For inquiries on our
programs, please call (63-2) 584-5858/412-0034, text 0918-81-168-88 or
email info@mansmith.net. Please also send your marketing and sales, strategy and innovation questions to mentors@mansmith.net.
Monday, April 23, 2012
SILENCE
Keep the plot of your
life simple. “Beauty when unadorned
is adorned the most”. (Athenaeus) Simplicity makes things visible to everyone
and thus enlightens all who are exposed to what is presented. Be yourself.
Give what you wish to
receive. What you give back freely
will come back to you.
Don’t feel bad when
someone criticizes you; it’s one of the certainties of life. There are only
three things that are certain death, taxes and criticism.
Always believe that
patience is a virtue. Patience
allows you time to know more about yourself and the person you are dealing
with.
Spend some time in
the dark. When facing emotional
despair, hopelessness or physical anguish, going into the darkness helps you
find yourself and renew your life. The
care you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. (Joseph Campbell)
Have no regrets. Regret for things you did can be tempered by
time; it is regret for the things you did not do that is inconsolable (Sydney Harris). You
can do nothing to change the decisions you made in your past, but the
future holds many possibilities.
Be a best friend
forever. That BFF is someone who can
put up with your follies and shortfalls but still put up with you and be there
for you.
Say the serenity
prayer when feeling troubled, and remember its message. God grant me the
serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things
I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Fail successfully. You can be discouraged by failure or you can
learn from it. Mistakes can be a
valuable part of life’s curriculum.
See through the eyes
of an optimist and observe what direction your life takes. Attitudes are more important than facts. That
life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.
(Charles Swindoll)
Cleanse yourself with
a good cry. God washes the eyes by tears until they can behold the
invisible land where tears shall come no more. (Henry Ward Beecher)
Be generous with
praise. It is the sweetest of all
sounds. Listen to your guilt feelings and follow their
guidance. Do not avoid them. They are markers of mental health.
Never lose hope.
Live in the moment.
Silence is one of the
greatest gifts God has given you. Silence
is the most beautiful doorway into prayer, peace contemplation and true
wisdom. Silence is also a discipline
that leads to humility and to a love that does not seek to possess. Only the person who is truly silent can hear
the whisperings of God’s love deep within his heart. “Listen” has the same letters as
“silent”. Listen to the silence of your
heart and you will know what to do.
Books recommended by National Book Store
The 7 Great Prayers: For a Lifetime of Hope and Blessings
by Paul and Tracey McManus
Paul and Tracey McManus lost everything in the wake of dot-com bust-- they have no jobs, their savings had evaporated, the bill collectors were banging on the door, and they were losing their home. Though scared and paralyzed with fear they began to thank God for what they have. This prayer of gratitude was life changing. These prayers give them hope and strength they needed to overcome life's challenges, financial worries, health concerns and also to find purpose in life. Eager to share their newfound hope they created a simple webpage about The 7 Great Prayers and they wrote a book about them.
Heaven is for Real: a Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
by Todd Burpo
When Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren't expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the months that followed--a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing the little boy's trip to heaven and back. Colton, not yet four years old, told his parent he left his body during the surgery, and authenticated that claim by describing exactly what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital while he was being operated on. He talked of visiting heaved and relayed stories told him by people he met there whom he had never met in life, sharing events that happened even before he was born. He also astonished his parents with descriptions and obscure details about heaven that matched the Bible exactly though he has not yet learned to read. He also tells of meeting long departed family members. He describes Jesus, the angels how "really, really big" God is and how much God loves us. It offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us.
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