Archive for May 2013

Breaching 80

 MANAGING TO REACH AND BREACH 80
I will now endeavor to document the signs that will allow you to recognize a threat to your life and be able to take early steps to prevent it. The following signs will come to mind randomly and will tip you on general health degradation.
1.       You are afflicted by Shingles (herpes zoster), when your immune system weakens.
2.       When walking you stumble even on level ground or kick the legs of chairs and tables when you ‘re used to pass them effortlessly.  This is because your legs are no longer as strong as they used to be.
3.       You sometimes find you cannot pronounce the 'ar' sound and it comes out as 'el'.  Your speech is slurred and sometimes you drool.
4.       The pen you are holding slips from your fingers. Holding up the newspaper can be a problem because your fingers have lost their flexibility. It is caused by your muscles losing their strength.
5.       After sitting for some time you find that you cannot easily stand up. You lose your balance and fall back.
6.       You also lose your balance when you squat and may find yourself sitting instead of standing up.
7.       You start to be forgetful and mental activities become difficult as your brain weakens through lack of nourishment.
Some of these signs will come and go, so much so that you do not take them seriously when they occur. You tend to pass them off as signs of physical and mental stress or normal signs of ageing. So you will think it is not serious enough to see a doctor, until it becomes necessary for the doctor to come to see you.
Let me stress that I am not a doctor and do not pretend to be one. So what I am about to tell you is mostly from my own experience.
First of all, when you find that your body is not functioning as it should - that some parts are slacking off and not obeying your brain as it normally does, you start exercising – slowly at first. Then go for long walks. You will experience immediate benefits even while exercising, such as clearer vision and mental alertness. Make it a habit to go for walks at least three times a week. Do not stop.
If you find difficulty exercising due to early fatigue, taking up Stem Cell Nutrition becomes urgent – StemEnhance will jumpstart your vitality and energy to allow exercise. It is difficult to say what organs stem cells repair because they repair anything that needs repairing. But StemEnhance is not a miracle drug. It is made from algae from a lake in Oregon that has been tested over the years and proven to make the body’s bone marrow release more stem cells. Then it is up to your body to heal itself wherever it needs healing. Ask your friends about it. Check out http://www.stemcellnutrition.net/stem-cells-the-building-blocks-of-the-body
Drinking lots of water helps immensely. Drink a liter of water upon waking up every morning. Then drink one or two gulps every half hour or whenever thirsty. This is to provide the blood stream with a regular supply of fresh water as our body gets rid of water all the time. Lack of water means poor blood circulation which can lead to stroke.
Eating greens and fruits regularly is also important. But eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal - while there is no putrefying food in the stomach that produces gas when mixed with fruit. Hence, your stomach turns alkaline keeping away cancer cells.
It was believed that unlike human cells of other organs, brain cells are not nourished and therefore could not repair itself.  It is now a fact that ketones from Virgin Coconut Oil act as brain cell food and can therefore repair itself. So take at least 2 tablespoonfuls of VCO daily to keep away memory problems. (You can check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=ZZOR-Qd3QSg>)
Stroke and many cardiovascular problems happen because of arterial blockage. Health buffs say that this concoction will guarantee to melt obstructions in the heart aorta and veins. It's great in preventing and maintaining good health.
The base ingredients of the concoction are garlic, apple cider vinegar and honey. Each one has individual benefits on its own and in this mixture, a synergistic effect enhances the properties of each. There are some variations to this with the addition of ginger and lemon juice to greatly improve the taste.
 Ingredients
8 cloves of fresh garlic
1 cup (200ml) of unfiltered, unpasteurized organic apple cider vinegar
2 cups (600ml) of raw, unpasteurized honey
2 small pieces of ginger (this is optional)
2 pcs. Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Instructions
1.       Mix all the ingredients into a blender and mix at high speed for 45-60 seconds. Alternatively, you can put the garlic and ginger in first, blend well so the fibers are pulverized, then mix in the honey, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar and blend for another 10-15 seconds.
2.       Then pour into a glass jar or sealable container. Refrigerate for 5 days occasionally stirring daily. After five days the mixture is ready.
3.       Take 2 tablespoonfuls a day, preferably on an empty stomach – with water as chaser.



With the above in place, you can aim for a fruitful life beyond the 70’s – just keeping away from depression and accidents. A positive attitude and deep faith in God are presumed.

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Aging Well Through Exercise

Relevant excerpts from various sources influenced by a Septuagenarian's first-hand experience
Staying active is not a science.Just remember that mixing different types of exercise helps both reduce monotony and improve your overall health. Here is an overview of the four building blocks of senior fitness and how they can help your aging body

The 1st building block of senior fitness: Cardio endurance exercise 

  • What is it: Uses large muscle groups in rhythmic motions over a period of time. This type of exercise increases your body’s ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove waste over sustained periods of time. Cardio workouts get your heart pumping and you may even feel a little short of breath.
  • Why it’s good for seniors: Helps lessen fatigue and shortness of breath. Promotes independence by improving endurance for daily activities such as walking, house cleaning, and errands. Cardio includes walking, stair climbing, swimming, hiking, cycling, rowing, tennis, and dancing.

The 2nd building block of senior fitness: Flexibility

  • What is it: Challenges the joint’s ability to move freely through a full range of motion (ROM). Can be done through static stretches (stationary), and ballistic stretches (moving or bouncing) to keep muscles and joints supple so they are less prone to injury.
  • Why it’s good for seniors: Helps body stay limber and increases range of movement for ordinary physical activities such as looking behind you while driving, tying shoes, shampooing your hair, and playing with grandchildren.

The 3rd building block of senior fitness: Balance

  • What is it: Maintains standing and stability under a variety of conditions including static (stationary) and dynamic (moving) balance.
  • Why it’s good for seniors: Improves balance, posture, and quality of walking. Also reduces risk of falling and fear of falls. Try yoga, Tai Chi, and posture exercises to gain confidence with balance.

The 4th building block of senior fitness: Strength training

  • What is it: Builds up muscle with repetitive motion using weight or external resistance from body weight, machines, or elastic bands.
  • Why it’s good for seniors: Helps elderly people prevent loss of bone mass, builds muscle, and improves balance—both important in staying active and preventing risk of falling. Building up strength will help seniors stay independent and make day-to-day activities easier such as opening a jar, getting in and out of a car, and lifting objects.
In multiple earlier studies, people over 50 have been found to possess far fewer muscle motor units than young adults. But that wasn’t true for sexagenarian runners, whose leg muscles teemed with almost as many motor units as a separate group of active 25-year-olds. Running, scientists wrote, seemed able to “mitigate the loss of motor units with aging well into the seventh decade of life.” Similar benefits are attainable by people who take up exercise when they are middle-aged or older.
I can safely say that those who have been regularly exercising from middle-age to senior age, but, for one reason or another, are suddenly forced to stop their exercise regimen, become subject to very fast muscle and strength deterioration. It is at this stage that it becomes doubly difficult to regain fitness, because of the onset of age-induced fatigue and consequent loss of muscle mass.
It is at this point where extra help to regain vitality and self-confidence is needed. While muscle mass can only be regained through resistance training, the easiest means to jumpstart vitality and energy for the elderly is through what is now well known as Stem Cell Nutrition. With energy regained, elderly exercise can continue.

What Is Resistance Training?

Resistance training, often called strength or weight training is physical activity performed at a controlled speed. This training works the muscles of the body and is most beneficial when all the ranges of motion are included.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends resistance training be done two-to-three times a week with an average of 8-to-12 repetitions of a series of different resistance-based exercises.
Note that while there are basic recommendations, no one should begin resistance training without talking it over with their doctor. People vary in their abilities, and overdoing it or doing too much too soon can cause serious health problems and long-term muscle injury. It's better to build intensity of weight and repetitions gradually.
Seniors reap the following benefits from resistance training:
  • Studies show that people over the age of 80 were able to increase muscle strength and muscle endurance.
  • Weight training allows an elderly individual to walk longer before becoming tired. Both leg strength and walking ability are huge indicators of an older person's overall health. You want to be able to walk long and far albeit slowly.
  • Women of any age can increase bone mass with regular resistance training. Research shows that even if a woman is past menopause, strength training will increase bone density, which can prevent breaks and pain.
  • Resistance training provides an improved overall quality of life and healthy aging process when seniors who do exercise are compared to those who do not exercise.
  • Regular resistance training can decrease the risk for depression.
Some studies also indicate that individuals are more prone to heart attacks if they lead a sedendary lifestyle, but suddenly have to engage in physical exertion. It's better for the body to stay active with regular movement and exercise to avoid sudden shocks to the system. 

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The 2013 Elections


Things I Learned from the 2013 Elections
 2 things: 1. Political dynasties need to be legally demolished.
               2. The electorate has to be uniformly informed, if not educated.

These are the simplified extremes of what is wrong with our country. Fortunately, I believe our new set of legislators are made fully aware of the problems and should be patriotic and smart enough to craft laws that will bridge the chasm between the above extreme national obstacles – the cause and effect. The bottom line consequence of such laws is poverty alleviation.

I used to hear my Jesuit teachers say: “Your greatest virtue is your greatest vice.”
Admittedly, Pinoys are clannish. The family is what keeps us together in good and bad weather. What we need to realize, however, is that clannishness becomes evil when our clan starts to bully the next clan. In contrast our Philippine tourism is being pushed effectively through resourceful family ventures. The same is true with political dynasties. Per se, political dynasties are not evil. But they can be put to positive use.
Traditionally, winning candidates go back to doing everything they can to protect their clan’s interests and practically nothing that could benefit the rest of the people. The enlightened legislators have the opportunity to change this practice.
 Right now, there are 178 clans ruling 73 of the 80 provinces in the Philippines. The officials were voted into office by the same people who continue to complain about their wretched lives. Even a convicted plunderer can run again and again for public office and win.
Nancy Binay used her father’s popularity to win the election. Some of her critics are actually too harsh on her when they should be directing their anger at the voters. Nancy Binay or even Grace Poe would not even think twice about running if they knew that people voted with their heads. But they knew that their popular family names would be enough for them to win. What they were doing may be unethical but they find solace in the fact that it was the people who wanted them to win.
The government will therefore remain under the control of the traditional political parties, where the same elites who control the gains of our surging economic resources belong, while the masa remain destitute willing to sell their votes to the highest bidder. Hence, poverty linked to lack of education is the culprit.
There is no magic formula for addressing the country’s perennial economic challenges. The government has tried very hard to address extreme poverty, namely through the expansion of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme,  which provides financial benefits to indigent sectors in exchange for performance-based improvements in crucial areas such as education. It takes years, if not decades, to reverse the impact of previous government’s counter-productive policies.
But this should not be a reason for complacency and obstinately sticking to an economic paradigm, which sustains boom among the very few rich, provides the motivation for the middle class to migrate but provides limited opportunities for the greater number of unemployed and poor.
The answer to the country’s continuing socio-economic challenges is at the doorstep of our new legislators. There is no shortage of innovative suggestions from media, bloggers and the private sector on better ways to allow the fruits of the surging economy to filter faster from the 10% rich to the struggling 90%.
The conductor should be ready to wield his baton in front of legislative orchestra. 

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Tips for Optimal Health

from Tancio


Back Pain
The evils of sitting have been well documented in recent years. It’s been associated with everything from increased cancer risk to shorter life expectancy, and it’s costing Americans an arm and a leg — and a back. At least $50 billion is spent each year to treat lower back pain, the fall issue of NYU Physician says. “Lumbar spine issues are starting to explode as people sit in a chair all day,” physician Wayne Stokes told the magazine. “We try to get across the idea that if the body doesn’t move, it’s not going to work.”
According to the magazine, chronic back pain isn’t caused so much by acute injury as by muscles that have become weak or imbalanced from disuse. For example, an MRI scan might show a herniated disk, but the source of the pain may be in the joints around the spine or pelvis. This makes back pain difficult to diagnose and treat. “It’s possible to do the wrong exercises and make things worse,” says Stokes. He and other doctors are pursuing more holistic treatment regimens that combine medical interventions with lifestyle changes: strengthening exercises for the core and lower back, massage, acupuncture, anti-inflammatory meds and injections. And above all, we need to get up, stand up.
“Setting an alarm to go off every 20 to 30 minutes is a good reminder to stand up,” says Stokes. “Even 15 seconds of standing helps break the seated cycle.”
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Life Expectancy
Advice for American men on living longer: You can improve your chances
Heart disease. Diabetes. Prostate cancer. Every man is susceptible, but according to the current issue of Men’s Health, these and other ailments are killing American men faster than guys from other countries. The magazine reports on a paper in the journal Health Policy that found that about 150,000 men in the United States die prematurely from preventable causes every year — a higher rate than in 15 other developed countries.
The magazine recommends looking to other countries for healthful habits. Italians, who have a lower risk of fatal heart attack than American men, demonstrate the importance of heart-healthy eating — including olive oil and moderate amounts of red wine — and of smoking less than before. Swiss men are more likely to walk or bike to work, activity that may contribute to their lower incidence of diabetes, the magazine said. In Japan, drinking green tea has been shown to help men fight prostate cancer.
The common thread in all these countries is that their men take an active interest in their health, according to the magazine. You’ve heard it before, but cleaning up your diet, quitting smoking and walking more could help move things in the right direction. And a cup of green tea can’t hurt.
   Maggie Fazeli Fard
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 While I do not believe in spreading "hype" about Stem Cell Nutrition product through anecdotal evidence, people ask for real-life examples of what StemEnhance has done to people's health. In reading this doctor’s story, please understand that the results described may not be typical. StemEnhance acts differently in each body. While StemEnhance always supports the release of stem cells from the bone marrow and always increases the number of circulating stem cells in the blood, what each body does with these circulating stem cells depends on a myriad of factors unique to each individual.
When the number of stem cells is increased, the body guides these stem cells to various areas of the body to assist in maintaining optimal health. While StemEnhance does not cure, heal, mitigate or prevent any disease, it does help to maintain the optimal number of stem cells circulating in the blood, which then supports the body's natural renewal system.

Fernando Aguila, M.D., graduated from the University of Santa Thomas in Manila , Philippines. He finished his internship at Cambridge City Hospital, Cambridge, MS and completed his residency at the New England Medical Center in Boston, MA. He obtained a fellowship in OB-GYN anesthesia at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and a fellowship in cardio-thoracic anesthesia at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, OH.

Due to a heavy patient load, I have recently found that I tire more easily, my legs are cramping, and by the time I get home, even my shoulders and rib cage hurt. I knew I had to find a way to increase my stamina, energy and vitality.
A friend gave me information about stem cell nutrition and how it promotes the release of stem cells in the body. One of the components apparently promotes the migration of the stem cells to tissues or organs where regeneration and repair is needed most. My attention was drawn to the fact that it can increase energy, vitality, wellness, concentration, and much more. It sounded just like what I needed.
Since then, I've heard testimonials from others who have experienced significant improvement in their painful arthritis. They claimed the pain had became almost negligible. I heard about patients who regulated their diabetes, blood pressure, and had improvements in cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, and even myocardial infarctions.
The improvements sounded dramatic. Because of all of their testimonies, I was willing to believe it could promote wellness in the human body.
I tried Stem Enhance myself. After a day, of hard work, I realized I wasn't tired at all, my legs were not aching, and I didn't have any shoulder pain. I decided the stem cell nutrition must be working. I continued to take it, and was able to work so efficiently and steadily that one surgeon commented that I was moving like a ball of fire.
Stem cell nutrition gives me support physically and mentally. I look forward to seeing what the major medical journals have to say about the studies being done with this new approach to wellness.

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