Yogurt and the Dukan Diet

I had a lady doctor come over today to buy some fat-free natural yogurt.  In the Philippines, there are but a few who make yogurt and most are either whole milk or low-fat.  Thus far, this lady said I'm the only yogurt maker with fat free yogurt that she found on the internet. 

Anyway, it turned out that she is on the attack phase (the very first phase) of the dukan diet and had very little choices for food variety that she wants to add yogurt or fat free dairy to her list. So, she tried to ask me and while I do not have fat free yogurt in my product list, I do give in to some client requests such as this.  She contacted me yesterday, and today, she came over to pick it up. 

So what's the Dukan Diet all about?  As I understand it, it is a diet formulated by a certain Dr. Pierre Dukan who is a French medical doctor.  The diet has 4 phases and the very first one, the attack phase, involves ingesting only protein.  Some people claim to have lost 10 pounds in 3 days.  This lady doctor said she has so far lost 10 pounds in 7 days.  Not bad.  perhaps I'll give it a shot.  Anyone care to try? 

For fresh yogurt in manila and other dairy and probiotic needs, visit www.yogurtstation.blogspot.com.  

Eco-Friendly Companies: John Aquino

Saving the Earth is everybody's business. Not, just the student who takes it up in class, not just the science teacher's who is tasked to inform the class about the problems in the globe, not just Al Gore's who travels the world to disseminate information about Global warming. Not just theirs but ours too because we are all affected by what is happening to the earth and its atmosphere. Here is one person who is in business because he tries to save the earth by being in the business of solid waste management. I received this one in my inbox lately and I'm glad we have something like this in Manila:

Turn your trash into cash! (call us: 8977199 / 5633027 / 0921-8370993)

Did you know that poorly running air conditioners are not only less cooling & noisy but also consume 50% more electricity than efficiently working ones? Yes. Those sad & tired A/Cs are electricity- gobbling monsters!

TIP! Inefficient air conditioners consume 50% more electricity and malfunction often. You end up wasting more money via your electricity bills and occasional repair fees.

So now you want to sell away & get rid of those old, inefficient, sometimes even irreparable scrap A/Cs right?

But due to the influx of very cheap surplus air conditioners available in the market today… What fool would buy your bad A/C if they could buy very cheap but efficient ones? Right?!?

But because we utilize A/C parts, we'll buy them from you. Yes! We're the fools who'll buy your old inefficient or scrap air conditioners and even pick them up from you!

You can't pass this up now. Sell it now or keep your trash forever!

So convert your bad air conditioners into cash. Free yourself from clutters. Save the environment by letting us recycle your trash and we all win!

Interested? Let us know. (call us: 8977199 / 5633027) FREE PICK-UP SERVICE

We also buy office and home appliances/equipmen ts/furniture/ wares, demolition/renovati on debris, heavy equipments, scrap cars/trucks/ etc., surplus, warehouse stocks, salvage items, etc.

We offer clear up-clean up-pick up services for warehouses, basements, garages.

Do something for your country. Pass this message around. Forward this message to your family and friends. This venture helps both the environment and the economy.

Guess, this would be a good way to clean up while we prepare for christmas huh?

Training For Nurses

I've just finished my IV THERAPY Training at the Fabella Hospital. It's been a long and tiresome search for that elusive training. Now, all we have to do is to complete it. Fabella will have 2 IV trainings every month soon. I'm just not sure whether they will start doing that this July. Completion date is a different story. We had to get another schedule to do that. I'm not certain I'd want to go back there for that. It's too far from where I live. Also, a feedback I got from a friend is that when they finally had to complete their cases, on top of their schedule at Fabella they had to have another completion schedule at Amang Rodriguez Hospital in Marikina because most IV insertions were done inside the DR.

Another thing with Fabella is that it is located near the Recto station between LRT 1 and LRT 2. If you know the area, you'd know that there are shanties and squatters there not to mention the road is forever muddy. What we did was to either take a cab or a trike going to and fro.

But the training was ok. They made sure that we knew the basics before they even introduced the skill. Kinda like our NCM lab and lectures. The training room was cold and had the materials we needed. We were given an envelope each which contained the photocopies of the lectures along with a pencil, the green book which will be submitted to the ANSAP, and a notepad. Snacks were served every morning and afternoon. There were 62 of us but the area easily accomodated such a number. The audio was loud enough for you to understand what was being said even when seated at the last row.

The aseptic technique was overemphasized. At one point during the return demo I failed to mention it but had practiced it anyway. I was made to say the step just so it would sink in maybe. Of course I appreciated having been reminded of it but thought that would have been a given since all of us were registered nurses anyway. After I had observed some of my classmates I realized it was needed to be said over and over again.

Oh, we were told that we wouldn't be able to leave without getting pricked. I can still see where it left the mark. Ouch!

Are You Getting What You Pay For From Taxicabs?

Yesterday, I brought my daughter to the Medical City Hospital for her regular check up with her Orthopedic Surgeon. There wasn't any direct transportation from my place to there so we hailed a cab. It was 36 degrees outside and I expected the cab to be cool when we got in. But no. It was about 30 degrees inside. Of course I politely asked for him to put ther airconditioning's temperature lower and make his blower a little stronger. He refused and said that his airconditioning unit would break down should he do so. Because of that, I asked him to let us go down just shortly after.

What's happening to the taxis and other transportation here in Manila these days? I mean you're charged higher because of the premium placed on service for a comfortable ride and they refuse to deliver that to their customers. that particular cab was not the first one. There had been others who do not care whether their clients are already bathing in their own sweat. The fx and buses are the same. There are fx whose airconditioning can hardly be felt and whose seats barely have cushions anymore. Some buses pack in riders so tightly when their airconditioning isn't strong enough to make a few passengers comfortable. The bottomline is that the commuters who pay are the ones who suffer.

The Land Transportation office , the LTFRB together with the Police Force and the MMDA should be able to fix this. Perhaps an ordinance or an administrative order should be made to take care of the poor paying passengers of Metromanila. Give us what is due. We pay for a comfortable ride, and we should be able to get it.

I've just been to hong kong, macau and zhuhai and I can say that one of the reasons their tourism is booming is because of their public transportation. I wish we could have that here too.

Swimming as a Sport and AnAll-purpose Activity

Swimming is really a great sport. Do you know that it is a recommended sport for almost everyone specially for those with health problems? For the asthmatic and those with respiratory problems, it is a great exercise for the lungs since it encourages deep breathing pretty much like playing the flute or even singing does. For the people with heart conditions, it is a great cardiac exercise. For the menopausal women, and those at risk for osteoporosis, it provides the necessary demand required by the body to keep its calcium levels in the bones. For the pregnant woman, for the children, for the adults and the seniors. For kids, it is a total workout needed to make the brain function well resulting to an attentive mind in class. For the scoliotic, it provides the necessary exercise to strenghten the back muscles. For the ladies with irregular periods, a regular swim will regulate it. For the weightwatchers, swimming is one of the most effective workout.

At the moment I can only think of 4 conditions that will not recommend swimming: 1. for those with Congestive heart failure since any activity for that matter will cause the heart to work fast; 2. for those who are prone to skin cancer but this can be prevented by regular application of sunblock; 3. during a or just after a hypertensive attack because it will raise the blood pressure all the more;4. for those who have epilepsy or are taking drugs that cause drowsiness. In these conditions, swimming will not be beneficial and might even be fatal. But all as with all other conditions, swimming outweighs the disadvantanges.

It is a great activity to do with the whole family. In my husband's family, there has never been a summer that did not involve going for a swim whether it be at a nearby pool or a beach outing somewhere. You don't have to be a really good swimmer but you do have to know how to swim and not just to float. So while in Manila, why not attend a swimming lesson with Coach Efren Jocson of the Pasig Flying Dolphins Swimming Team? They meet every weekend at the Philippine Sports Commission's ULTRA Swimming pool. This is located in Pasig.

Don't get me wrong. This is not a paid blog. I'm promoting the team because I believe that the coach is doing a good work with the training he is providing the children. And, he doesn't charge so much. Actually, I don't think he earns a living out of the fees he collects from us. You can hardly even call it a fee. I'm not authorized to say how much but I assure you it is really, really low. So, let me urge you to get in touch with him. It's a good way to train your kids. Who knows they might end up as a varsity player and get a scholarship in the process? That's not a far-fetched idea as a few of those under Coach Efren's tutelage are already scholars. Ask Tito Guch or Manay Jane who are parents of two students and they'll swear that they will not have anyone else handle their children's swimming lessons. Way to go Coach!

When going for a swim though, you have to bring the right stuff. But that's my next blog. watch out for it.

Oh My Poor Back! - Scoliosis Management

Scoliosis inflicts anyone in any age or gender and there's really no special reason for doing so. In fact, in the Philippines, it is present in about 4 out of 10 girls. The sad thing is that there is really no cure for it. But the good news is that it can be managed.

With prompt attention, further curvature of the back can actually be prevented. Take it from me. My daughter has it. And I try to support her in most things that she needs to do. Her treatment includes daily exercises which could last anywhere from 30 minutes to more than an hour depending on how fast she does each exercise. I have to help her with some bending that she does only to stabilize her. She goes to swim classes every week to build stamina and she wears a body brace which covers just below her neck to her hip.

When we found out about her scolio, she was devastated having been told that she has to do the management until she's 18. And that if her scolio progresses, she'll have to undergo surgery. I felt so bad for her too because we were also told that the chances of it progressing was 50/50 since she was only 13 then and her bones were so soft yet.

We had a visit to her orthopedic surgeon and her orthotist and they have both give us a thumbs up on the results so far. The secret really is prayers, prompt attention and compliance to the treatment. All the components of the treatment has to be done. We still have 4.5 years more but with God's grace we will overcome it.

For consultation, please get in touch with Dr. Acedillo and Dr. Bate of the Medical City, Ortigas Blvd., Philippines. for swimming, get in touch with Coach Efren Jocson, head coach of the Flying Dolphins Swimming Team at the ULTRA Swimming pool every weekend.

SeaMed Review Center

I've just recently taken the nursing board exam. It was not quite easy but not quite hard either. Although I can't say I studied hard for it, it was a good thing I studied on burns, perioperative techniques, and emergency nursing. The nursing board are really trying to be sure that when an emergency situation comes, the pinoy nurse will know what to do.

For those who would be taking the philippine board, I'd like to recommend the SeaMed Review Center. Sir Mark Asuncion (he's kwenek to us reviewees), Dr. Malvar, Sir Laboy and Sir Villegas are the best reviewers. The downside is that the review takes only 4 hours but those 4 hours are really worth it. The rationale is that you will take home the tests so you can answer and study them and they will give you the same test the following day which you can do at a faster rate because you're already familiar with it. Makes sense. They have a computer room where you can review too until 5 pm. In case you don't want to go through the trouble of lining up at the PRC, you can ask them to file your application for the NLE with them for a fee. I paid 1,500 php. Don't worry, they're legit. If you want to go to PRC yourself, that's fine too.

By the way, SeaMed is located at 867 G. Tolentino St. Sampaloc, Manila. tel # 735-2579. It is just actually almost at the corner of Tolentino and Quezon Boulevard, just about 2 corners before reaching the corner of PRC. They are next door neighbors of Pentagon and Carl Balita's Review Center.

Mother Goose PlaySkool - A Blessing to Children

Recently,
I've been reflecting as my daughter is about to graduate from grade 6 and her commencement exercises are up next week. Did I and my husband make a good choice of the school to send her to? About 8 years ago, I took time out from work to look for a school where I could let my daughter study. She was, at that time, enrolled with a school near our home and it was quite convenient for her to just go there. But my attention was called by the teacher because she was not doing her class work and insisted that she already knew what the subject was about. Fortunately, I chanced upon a neighbor who is a "true blue" educator and he adviced me to look for a school that would challenge my baby enough. According to him, my daughter was showing signs of underachievement because she was bored - that the tasks were too easy for her. So, just shortly before the end of that school year, I was off on a mission to look for a good school for my baby. And then I found Mother Goose Playskool. I have not looked for another school since.

As a mother, I want the best education for my child. All parents do. I'm convinced that this is the best gift we parents can give our children. But not all parents are blessed to find such a school where there is a holistic approach to teaching, combining excellent academics with play, socialization, good citizenry and spirituality. Being involved in my daughter's education was one of the keys to it. In fact, it was the major key. I had made a crude list of what I wanted the school to have. Topping the list is the school's ability to give quality education,followed by proximity, the values taught to the children, and the teacher-student relationship. I had gone to 5 different schools during that "mission" and at each school I requested to be toured. In 4 of those schools, I was privileged to sit in during the class and was able to assess whether that school would be enjoyable for my child. Meeting the "would-be" teachers, I learned what they taught and how they delivered those lessons in class. I took time to check out the works of the children and observed the children themselves, taking mental notes of how they related with each other and with the people around them.

Among those schools, MGP (Mother Goose Playskool) was the best. It still is. The children are challenged with work enough to interest them and to sustain that interest as well. They cater to all kinds of children and yes, even those who belong to the extremes of the learning curve - both the gifted and the mentally challenged. Even those with behavioral problems. I remember seeing a diagnosed autistic kid when he started out as a child who was isolated and how, over the years, he had been able to come out of his shell and interact with the others. The children treat each other like members of their own family - with genuine love and concern for each one.

Children love MGP and never want to leave. At one point, we offered my daughter the chance to move to another school. She simply looked at us with her puppy-dog eyes and walked away. To my surprise and amusement, the parents of the other kids had similar stories to tell. Why would they want to leave anyway when they're having a great time?

With all honesty I dare say that I did not make a mistake. In fact, we've been blessed to have our daughter go to one of the Philippines best schools - Mother Goose Playskool and Grade school.