jun.anteola

One thing that annoys me is when I argue with my mother over something I feel I am so right about, only to realize later that she has been so correct all along. This was our case over veggies. It used to be such a big issue between us, that even now when I’ve become friendly with the vegetable section of the local stores, she’d automatically remind (nay, lecture) about the benefits of eating green whenever she gets word that I’m not feeling well.

Now, even with much encouragement, I don’t believe I’m ready to go vegan. Not when I’m trying to lose extra fat, in exchange for more muscle. And PETA has more convincing to do for me to finally yield to their call to ban the meat in my diet altogether. I am omnivorous, thank you. My teeth are my proof.

Seeing this video however, makes me want to think twice. I find it too extreme, but informative, nontheless. It was enough to give a jolt and make me question.

content warning: the animal cruelty presented in this video may be unpleasant and objectionable.

Some people may find the video offensive in that it’s not only very brutal and graphic, but it also comes across as too pushy, and personally I got turned off by the guilt trip. Beyond that however, I see a need for me, for us, to be aware of where and how our food came to be. With frozen meat in supermarkets, I don’t see much assurance other than the label, the brands they belong to. The kilatisin, amuyin, kurutin (inspect, smell, pinch) routine wouldn’t suffice, would it? What guarantees that these were prepared according to how we want them?

My family usually buys meat from sources we know who raise their livestock under free range and organic conditions (which are two different things, by the way). Whenever there’s a chance, we buy them alive, and this is common with poultry. But there are instances when hitting the supermarket freezers is most convenient. I wonder how these meats get to the grocers here in the Philippines? Do they have a similar fate?

Does it only happen to me, but it seems that when I look desperately for things, I can’t find them… only to recover them when I’m looking for something else, or nothing at all? I was deleting clutter on this computer and found stashed on drive D this article I thought I had lost when I unintentionally deleted several posts on my Live Writer. I wrote this late January, but for whatever it is worth, I’m reposting…

Every last Thursday of the month, my local dental society meets and since February is National Dental Health Month in the Philippines, focus was on activities for its kick off in a few days. This is the third year we are at it, and when previously we had only one week, we now have a whole month of observance. Whether this ploy really works remains to be seen over a long time. We need more than public awareness. There has to be working systems and sound policies which ensure that awareness translates into action. Only then can we say that we didn’t do it all in vain.

Pardon me for starting with a pessimistic note, but we Filipinos belong to the least healthy when it comes to our teeth (the whole mouth and associated structures, included), and I don’t see any improvement any time soon. I’d like to support my opinion with figures, but related data are rather outdated, if not limited. So I am basing them from observations as a private practitioner and from the occasional outreaches I am involved in. Continue reading this entry »

So it isn’t just the lead laced barbies and formaldehyde on clothing, and White Rabbit.

But I wonder how they got to our store shelves in the first place? Are these bootleg? But how come they’re up and out for all to see and take?

Don’t we have the proper authorities to regulate and insure consumer safety? Are they turning a blind eye? Aren’t we?

And China isn’t even alone in the guilt. Let’s look some place closer, like home.

Photo taken from Himantayon.

• Half the world, nearly three billion people, live on less than two dollars a day
• Over a billion people are illiterate – unable to read or sign their name
• Some 1.1 Billion people have inadequate access to water
• 2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation

I was aware that the internet is a medium with a large user base, but it was only when I started to blog and go blog hopping that I got to appreciate this. Through the very few months I have been at it, I came to experience firsthand and realise the potential of the internet to reach an immense number of people, and to sell anything - be it a product, an idea, a skill, even affection. Until then, I couldn’t quite comprehend and ascertain why businesses see it as an important medium to advertise in.

It is from seeing this tool’s power over both consumer and provider that the people at ripple found inspiration to get income to support its causes: access to clean water, food, education and microcredit for the less fortunate. With a click or a search on the ripple homepage, users help in generating funds for these ends, advertisers effectively reach consumers as well as contribute, and more money means more work done for the advancement of these charities. It’s a win-win scenario. It makes one feel good because he is able to get involved in something worthwhile, and there’s no catch.

click on the image to get started in saving the world

 

MAY 5, 2005: A counselor in red soccer jersey & his team brought me to It Works! After hours, I was transferred to LS for detoxification. On May 9th, monday, I started Day 1 and attended my 1st A A Meeting. Thank You for helping me… Today, I am two (2) years CLEAN & SOBER…

My brother sent this text message to me this morning. I wanted to say, “how time flies!”, but taking his perspective, these two years of daily struggle against drug addiction has been a long, challenging crawl through the tunnel’s end.

All that happened about his healing still remain fresh, etched in memory, to serve as a battery of lessons about life, love and family.

The family never expected it to happen to anyone among us. We saw no reason for him to get into it. He didn’t either. Like the rest of them. Nobody intends to get caught into its trap. Lucky are those who are able to get away from it after the first few tries, or are able to occasionally have its thrill without discernible harm. Maybe it just isn’t their thing. But for most, the promise of temporal pleasure is just too hard to ignore and let pass. And it doesn’t take long to get hooked, even before they know it. By then it will be too late to see that there is no sense in playing Russian roulette with life. Continue reading this entry »

Yes, I’ll be silent on April 30. But will probably be for the rest of the week, too. It’s annual convention time and I’m off to Manila. Just when the thrill of rising stats is giving me impetus to write more and better (hopefully), I have to drop it. I am not sure if it’s possible for me to blog through my phone, let alone find time to do it.

Earlier I had no intention of going. Continue reading this entry »

I knew it. It isn’t just about Peter Parker being a sensitive, compassionate guy. It isn’t just about Spidey being a crime fighter with superpowers. It isn’t even about those cute, tight buns that got M.J. hooked. The spider venom may have rendered our hero the stamina to last longer in bed too.

A study conducted at an Israeli hospital, and involving the black widow and two other species, seeks to find the possibility of using venom to treat erectile dysfunction after finding out that patients bit by spiders are experiencing prolonged erections, too.

This should be interesting. Although not a novel idea, it could give Viagra, Cialis and the like, a run for the money, if the substance gets identified, subjected to pharmacologic testing, and verified to be relatively safer, if not as potent than current treatments.

A question remains, though. Will treated patients wield web slinging abilities, too?

It’s summer break, and I have more time in my hands to do things I had left and taken for granted. First on the list is getting back to the gym.

I have not totally abandoned exercise. I do morning crunches and push ups, and any other exercise I can sneak into my usual routine at home, at work, and even while standing in a queue. But I found it more gratifying to be actually doing reps lifting weights, earning my bulges from sweat and pain. And I like the interaction there… exchanging bits and tips on nutrition and proper execution from like-minded people, and the invaluable support & encouragement one gets are just as ceaseless as that which one gets at church.

But one can’t help but notice that a lot of information shared actually don’t make sense, are without good basis, often exaggerated, downright wrong and potentially harmful. I try to tactfully correct whenever I catch any of these, but then it seems in their rush to build that Mr. Universe arm or sculpt that perfect six-pack, many are only too willing to perpetuate these myths. Specially when that information comes from someone who has visibly gained, but obviously out of sheer chance, or luck.

This post from Medical News Today came just in time. It lists down the 10 most common myths in nutrition today. And yes, I’ve heard of these dropped in matter-of-fact fashion at the gym. And I’ve been misled by a couple of these, too.

10. Eating carbohydrates makes you fat.
9. Drink eight, 8-oz. glasses of water per day.
8. Brown grain products are whole grain products.
7. Eating eggs will raise your cholesterol.
6. All alcohol is bad for you.
5. Vitamin supplements are necessary for everyone.
4. Consuming extra protein is necessary to build muscle mass.
3. Eating fiber causes problems if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
2. Eating immediately after a workout will improve recovery. (or make sure to load up on protein right after the workout)
1. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by eating foods low on the glycemic index. (or that eating sugary foods can lead to diabetes)

This article is yet in the works… but I wanted to post pictures from yesterday’s (March 2) activity. Pictures tell more, anyway and I just might leave this post as is.

Click on the thumbnails for the rest of them.

cartoon taken from cheekies.com