Vitamin C galour

It is a common belief that Vitamin C is our greatest armor against colds. There are more interesting notes about Vitamin C like:

• needs increase among smokers by 40 to 45 mg (from 70-75 to 110-125 mg) because smokers are more likely to experience higher levels of oxidative stress and cellular damage
• supplements may decrease duration and symptoms of colds
• deficiency may develop within 3 weeks of very low intake

hmmm..

So, it is quite true that Vitamin C is our greatest armor against colds. So, we must take in enough for us. And to smokers, take much more Vitamin C.

All about Alcohol

Are you a social person who loves being in a crowd? If yes, you're just like me. I just love being with people. Maybe that is why I can't get off with parties and of course, drinking sessions. But honestly, I'm a social drinker. I only drink occasionally.

And that's one of the reasons why I got interested with alcohol. And I like to share it with you.

I have a question...

.....Which has highest alcohol content?

1. a 12-oz can of beer
2. 5-oz glass of wine
3. 1.5-oz 80 proof liquor

ANSWER:

......all contain the same amount of alcohol, so their effect on the body is the same.

INTERESTING INFO:

• Alcohol can be absorbed into the bloodstream in its natural state
• It is carried to the brain immediately, where it impairs judgment, then physical response
• A full stomach cannot prevent alcohol from being absorbed - only slow it down

hhhmmmm...

Need I say more? Drink moderately.

Margarine is Bad for us

I love sauteed food like mixed veggies. I also love bakes mussels and grilled mussels. I just love eating although it doesn't show with my slim body. But I wonder what the restaurants put on these food that I love to eat. Are they sauteing the veggies in butter or margarine?

Now that I have learned about the negative effects or margarine, it does matter to me. But there are more than my previous post about butter and margarine.

Here's more for margarine:

• very high in trans fatty acids thus triple risk of coronary heart disease
• increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol)
• lowers HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol)
• increases the risk of cancers by up to five folds
• lowers quality of breast milk
• decreases immune response
• decreases insulin response

Here is the part that is very interesting!

• Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC...
• margarine is hydrogenated

So, I hope it now does matter to you if the food you is eat is with margarine...

Butter vs. Margarine

Who loves cooking or eating? I guess everyone of us loves eating because of the bliss the tastes of the food brings us. But we must be critical with what we eat because it could greatly affect our health. Here's one of the many myths in nutrition that we should correct.

MYTH:

Margarine contains fewer calories than butter.

FACT:

• Margarine are plant oils processed to resemble butter.
• The caloric content and total fat content of margarine and butter are the same.
• Whipped butter or margarine has less calories because they contain air.
• Butter is slightly higher in saturated fat at 8 g compared to 5 g.
• Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter (Harvard Medical Study).
• Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of food.
• Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
• Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has only few because they are added.
• Butter has been around for centuries while margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

So, now, what do you prefer? Butter or margarine? I warned you. (laughs)

Jana's Plans

In one of my laboratory classes, we were asked our plans after graduation. I am certain with my plans after graduation. I actually have a lot in mind. And I promised myself to really fulfill all my plans.

Here is the list of my plans after graduation:

• Learn how to play violin
• Learn how to play piano
• Enroll in a swimming lesson
• Learn to ride a bike
• Enroll in a driving lesson
• Pursue my career in modelling
• Work in a company
• Venture in a business
• Volunteer in community development projects

That was it. But I know that these list would be modified from time to time. There would more additions to this list.

Good luck to me.

Fake Havaianas

I went shopping last week to buy a pair of flip flops. I came across a boutique which sells different brands of slippers. I searched for the flip flops I was looking for. As I was searching, I noticed a pair of havaianas. I was in a bliss to see that they were selling havaianas because it was the first store I found selling havaianas in our town.

The pairs of havaianas were lovely. They look fashionable and fabulous. But then when I looked at its price, I was shocked. They only cost a little more than a hundred pesos. What? That's when I realized that these flip flops were fake. They were just purely imitation.

On the first look, they seem to be genuine ones. They look the same in terms of the sole, the straps, the brand, the logo and even the tag. But If you'll examine it closely, you'll be able to spot the difference between the genuine and the imitation. The imitation is not as soft as the genuine. The straps were not perfectly cut. The brand, I mean the word havaianas do not look as perfectly done.

This case is alarming. The manufacturers of these fake flip flops do not have the right to imitate havaianas or any other brand for that matter. Let us not support these fake products.

Say Cheese..

Say cheese... pose... 1 2 3 smile...

I love to hear those words.. Simply because I love posing for pictures. I love taking pictures of myself and sharing them with my relatives and friends via my friendster account.

Actually, when I was young, I don't like posing for pictures. I actually hate that. And I guess it's because that time, I wasn't as confident as I am right now. I have always known that I'm not cute when I was a child. I said, when I was a child. Now, I have high self esteem. And I am confident with myself.

And now, I love photos..of myself. hahaha =)

That is why I am very thankful to my camera phone. I just love it that mobile phones now have cameras. So, now cameras come handy. I could take my photos anytime and anywhere.

Syensaya, A venue for genius students

Last July 16-18, the University of the Philippines Los Baños hosted an exhibit. The exhibit was science and technology in nature. It was entitled Syensaya.

The exhibitors were from different high schools, institutions and organizations. There were exhibits from students from public high schools. And they were the ones that really gained my admiration.

One student exhibited her malunggay flavored ice cream. The taste was incredibly okay. I actually didn't expect that it would taste really good. Then there was a group of students who created a roof made up of recycled can of softdrinks. They used some chemicals to make the cans more flexible. I was really amazed with the idea. There were also a group of students who were able to create a glue from Janitor fish. Another student exhibited his silver extraction from X-ray film. A lot exhibits are as wonderful but they're just too many to mention.

I was amazed that these young students could create such innovative things. And credits should also be given to their respective schools.

My 20th Birthday

I just celebrated my 20th birthday last wednesaday. It was a totally fun day. Here's a summary of what happened on my birthday.

I woke up with a lot of greeting on my mobile phone. A lot of friends greeted me happy birthday. Then, on my history class, my teachers and classmates sand happy birthday for me. It was like we're in elementary. But it was sweet. I miss that.

Then after my classes in the morning, my mom and I had lunch at a Japanese reataurant. We ate my favorite shrimp tempura. Then we went home. I was able to rest.

Then I went to my last class. I saw my boyfriend because we're classmates. He gave me a letter. It was so cute because there are my pictures. I'm so cute i those pictures. I love it!

Then, one of my best friends surprised me. She gave a booklet with greeting from my closest friends and with our photos. I love it so much. I was so touched.

At night, my boyfriend and I has dinner on a bar and grill restaurant. The food was so great. I enjoyed our date. I received a gift from my honchi. Then he drove me home.

At home, I still received a lot of greetings. And my closest brod called me to greet me. It was so unexpected. And I love it because I really miss him.

That was my birthday. It was so fun!

Camp Allen

In line with the camp we are organizing, we visited our venue, Camp Allen. Camp Allen is in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. It is a conducive place for camps like leadership, ecological, camps or girls and boys scouts and others.

We roamed around the place. There are a lot of facilities in Camp Allen. They have a social hall where we could conduct our lectures and discussion. They have a mess room where we could cook or food and eat. They have a big house which has around 10 rooms. Each room can accommodate 10 to 20 people. The house is literally big and really comfy.

On the outdoors, there are a lot of built-in challenge stations where endurance, planning skills, physical strength team effort and cooperation could be developed or further enhanced. There are also facilities for wall climbing and rappelling.

Camp Allen is indeed a conducive place for our eco-camp.

Eco-Camp..

Me and my classmates in SDS 30 are organizing a training camp for new freshmen students of our college, the College of Human Ecology. This training camp is what we commonly call as eco-camp. Eco is short term for ecological.

Our first objective in conducting this camp is to make the students know more about Human Ecology as a field of study and to further appreciate the course. And our second objective is to increase the ecological awareness of the students. In increasing their ecological awareness, we would introduce or discuss with them the current prevalent environmental issues and how to solve this issues.

We would be making this camp and educational yet enjoyable camp. We would be having lots of activities that would educate the students like tours, eco-challenge, games and some lectures and discussion.

We believe that in this way, we would be facilitating learning in a more fun and interactive way.

Why Philippines is Underdevelop?

Philippines is a third world country. It is one of the poorest countries in Asia and even in the world. There are a lot of things that could be blame for the said poverty of the Philippines. A professor of mine introduced us with the five factors that either hamper or permit the Philippines' development.

These five factors are: historical background, geographic characteristics, economic situation, political set up and idiosyncrasies of political leaders. Our professor gave us an activity which is to think an example with each factor.

The colonization period of the country is what I think had the most influence with the development of ten Philippines. On the geographic characteristic, I think is the archipelagic characteristic of the country that hinder the development of all regions of the country. On the economic is the brain drain phenomenon that continues to happen. On political set up is the presence of political dynasties on the different regions of the country. And lastly, on the idiosyncrasies if political leaders is corruption.

Indeed, this theory is right. These five factors are really the reasons for the underdevelopment of the Philippines.

Planned Obsolesence on Gadgets

There are a lot of gadgets that are becoming more and more popular nowadays. These gadgets are mobile phones, music phones, mp3 players, laptops and more. But have you noticed that these gadgets are easily broken that the older versions before? I guess that some makers of these gadgets are practicing planned obsolescence.

I know you are wondering what obsolesence is. Obsolescence is defined as the state of being which occurs when a person, object, or service is no longer wanted even though it may still be in good working order. Obsolescence frequently happens because a superior replacement has become available e.g. smaller, faster, lighter or less expensive. Planned obsolescence, on the other hand, is the process of a product becoming obsolete and/or non-functional after a certain period or amount of use in a way that is planned or designed by the manufacturer.

Planned obsolescence has potential benefits for a producer because the product fails and the consumer is under pressure to purchase again, whether from the same manufacturer (a replacement part or a newer model), or from a competitor which might also rely on planned obsolescence.

Producers take advantage of the trend that we see these gadgets as necessities in our lives. So, when purchasing any of these gadgets, we should take note the guarantee and warranty that the gadgets are offering. In this way, we would be more assured with the products we buy.

Emotions and Impulsive buying

Are you shopaholic who loves shopping and shopping, and.. shopping? If yes, you may encounter a problem in the future.

Impulsive buying is attached to emotions. First, impulsive buying is buying things without having to really think about its worth and value. According to studies, impulsive buying happens when are emotions are fluctuating. For some, when they are in a bliss, they tend to shop and shop to sustain their happiness. For others, and for many, they tend to buy base on impulse when they're sad, down and depressed. The latter is a common thing among people. They reward themselves through buying so that they can forget their gloomy emotions.

If you're like the first one or the latter, you may be in trouble one day. Impulsive buying is not a good hobby. It would spare your money someday. So, manage your emotions well.

Motorcycle Accidents

News have almost always reported cases of motorcycle accidents in the Philippines. There is an increasing number of Filipinos who drive motorcycle. That's why there is an increasing number of motorcycle accidents.

I have observed a number of reason why there are motorcycle accidents. First, motorcycle riders are not always wearing helmets and other protection gears. Second, there are motorcycle with more than two riders. Third, there are a lot of motorcycle owners who personalize their rides even if it takes removing some important parts of the motorcycle. And lastly, the traffic regulations regarding motorcycle riders are not strictly implementes.

The increasing number of motorcycle accidents is alarming. There are already rules and regulations for motorcycle ruders, the problem is .its implementation. So, if we don't want this number to continue to increase, we better strictly follow these rules and regulations.

Touch Theraphy for Your Baby

Touch Therapy could be easily done by mothers for their babies. Here's a number of reasons why touch therapy is important for the growth and development of babies.

• Touch helps strengthen babies' limbs and improves coordination, motor skills and muscle tone.
• Touch helps babies develop a stronger immune system which helps fight against diseases.
• Massage teaches babies to relax which is vital in a child's physical and mental development stage.
• Massage improves babies' mobility.
• Touch facilitates faster growth and helps babies gain weight in the early stages of their lives.
• Touch is the most intimate and loving way for mothers and babies to bond. Massaging your baby can help her become more affectionate, confident and well-adjusted as she grows up.
• Touch is clinically proven to help stimulate child's circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems.

That was it. So, don't hesitate to try touch therapy for your baby or future babies.

Credit Cards lead to Impulsive Buying

Credit cards come handy. You could bring it with you anytime and anywhere. They are convenient to use in shopping because you don't have to be afraid of bringing lots of money on your wallet. Credit cards are also dependable during emergencies.

But then using credit cards also have downsides. Use of credit cards leads to impulsive buying. Impulsive buying is buying without having to seriously thinking about the product's prize and quality. Impulsive buying happens more when one is using credit cards.

Why is there connection between credit cards and impulsive buying? Credit cards are like plastic money. They are readily available for card owners. But unlike our wallets, credit cards never run out from money. That is why there is a tendency for card owners to just buy and buy things they may not really need.

Impulsive buying and extensive use of credit cards is dangerous. One may lose a lot of money if this habit would continue.

So, you better think twice, thrice and so on when purchasing anything.

Motorcycles Fad

In the Philippines, motorcycles are becoming more and more popular among Filipinos. There are a lot of Filipino families depending on motorcycles for their everyday lives.

If you were to ask what accounts for the popularity of motorcycles? Well, in my own opinion, it is because motorcycles are more affordable than cars. Motorcycles are relatively cheap and there are stores who sell them for installment. That is why, Filipinos in the middle class can afford them. Second, motorcycles are low maintenance unlike cars. Also, motorcycles consume less gasoline. Motorcycles are also more convenient in the Philippines because of heavy traffic.

Motorcycles are dependable like cars. They can bring you almost anywhere you want. Also, they are convenient to use because you won't get suffer much during heavy traffic.

But, there are precautions to remember when driving and riding one. Happy trip!

On Our Second Year

Two different personalities.
Two different souls.
Two different hearts.
But only one destiny...
...to love each other.

On July 3, 2008, my boyfriend and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary. Yeah, we're two years now. It's been a two years of a roller coaster ride. A roller coaster ride because of all the challenges and trials we went through as a couple.

It's been two years of laughters and tears, ups and downs, on and offs... But no matter how painful those tears, downs and offs were, I know they all happened for a reason. And they only made us stronger as a couple.

I know the way I feel for him is now or never. The more I love, the more I am afraid..that I may not see forever in his eyes...forever. But if we could be the best of lovers, yet be the best of friends...With any luck, I know, the music of our love would never end.

I am looking forward to having more anniversaries with my honey...Ü

A Lifetime Commitment

A sis of mine, who's already an alumna visited us one day. When I asked her why she's with us even if she have work, she told me that she wanted to have a break from work. She further stated that she's stressed with her work and she wanted to relax.

And so, we accompanied her. We had a lot of bonding moments with her. Then she wrote on our logbook that she's happy to be with us and that whatever she go through, it will still be the sorority that we'll always be with her. She was happy to feel the warmth of the sisses everytime she's with us. And she knew in her heart that she will always come back to the sorority.

It's nice to know that our being members of the sorority is a lifetime commitment. And it's nicer to know that years may pass, but the sorority would always be here for us. Now, I don't have to worry on being an alumna.

After Typhoon Frank

Two weeks ago, Typhoon Frank hit the Philippines. The typhoon was so strong that it had destroyed provinces. Typhoon Frank left those provinces with undetermined future.

Typhoon Frank hit Ilo-Ilo City, Infanta, Quezon and even Manila. After the storm, there were a lot of lives that were left broken. There were broken homes. There were even homes that were totally destroyed. There were some people who died. There were also buildings that were destroyed. And unfortunately, there were schools that were also destroyed.

Now, those regions are on their way to moving on. Their lives must go on despite what had happened to them. There are struggles to their moving on. They'll be needing a lot of help. Still, they are in need of food, medicines, drinking water, clothes and materials for reconstructing their homes.

If we could not help them financially, we could more help for them. Let us all together pray for those families who are suffering because of the effects of Typhoon Frank.

Music and Temparament

Do you love listening to music? Are you a melodramatic person who loves listening to mellow music? Or you love hitting the dance floor while listening to upbeat music?

Oh well, I, myself is a sucker for music. I just can't live without music. But did you know that music can effect our temperament.By the way, temperament is one's disposition or usual mood. The music that we listen to has an effect on out minds end emotions, tough we don't realize it.

Music triggers our mind, thus, affecting our system. According to studies, those who listen to mellow music have relatively lighter mood or happier disposition. On the other hand, those who listen to music with loud sounds and harsh lyrics were found to have negative disposition.

Thus, we should be careful in listening to music. A mere hobby can be the reason why we are irritable and emotional at times.