November 30, 2015 is a day like no other: it is my
82nd birthday.
It is a special day, not because of the
personal significance of the occasion, but because I’ve reached it against tremendous
odds! So - time to share and be grateful!
Most octogenarians cannot claim to be as
healthy as I do. The great majority have had some kind of major medical
episodes. The only major health episode I’ve had is Herpes Zoster or
Shingle, which by itself is not life threatening, but it disrupted my routine
morning exercise resulting in weakened leg muscles. At seventy, it was
extremely difficult to resume the old routine.
Consider the odds.
I lost regular employment at 65.
Together with the employment was the loss of my health benefits. At
any rate HMOs discontinue their benefits for those over 65 years old. One can
continue coverage but you have to pay an escalating premium every year without
any recourse to cash values, dividends, or return of premiums. I still have
Philhealth coverage but it can only shoulder a small amount of the total
hospital bill.
A friend was hospitalized for a major
illness in one of the tertiary hospitals in Metro-Manila. A major illness is
called such because it is curable but money has to be thrown to it.
Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink time! It’s also called catastrophic
disease because it spells a catastrophe to the finances of the family involved.
Today, my friend has been moved to a neighborhood hospital because his
resources are almost gone. Relatives and friends have pitched in but donor
fatigue is setting in. Philippine General Hospital, a public hospital with
Grade A medical care but Grade D for hospital atmosphere beckons. A
trip to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has to be done. Government
helps the destitute, but requires to show proof.
Indigent. Insolvent. Pauper. These words sting. Perhaps poverty is even
harder to take than the disease itself, because the last resort is the family
home.
Yes, Filipinos in general are in danger of
heart-wrenching financial crisis in the latter years of their lives because
modern medical science offers many options to keep the family head or member
alive by all possible means. No one turns his or her back on family. Not in the
Philippines.
The future is not going to be easy for
oldies who may later on be stricken by major disease. So, aside from deep
breaths and prayers, preventive medicine is the only answer.
Let’s go back to Kindergarten where we
learned the basics. A nursery rhyme goes:
“The best six doctors anywhere and no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, air, exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease, Your will they'll mend, and charge you not a
shilling.”
To slow-down the deteriorating
effects of aging, the number that is most revealing indicator about one’s state
of health and is the most important number to pay attention to if we
want a life free of pain, inflammation and disease, is one’s pH factor, the
number that indicates acidic versus alkaline ratio in our body.
In a flashback to high school
chemistry, remember that the pH scale goes from 0 to 14: zero is pure
acid, 7 is neutral, and 14 is pure alkaline.
Each of us came into this
world with a certain alkaline pH. It's how our body was designed by our
Maker and how we are supposed to stay. Without exception, all of our organs,
tissues, bones and joints work best when blood pH is slightly alkaline (around
7.365).
Also, our body is designed to
stay in contact with the Earth. Positive Electromotive forces in the form of
free radicals can build up in our body and direct contact with the ground
balances this out as earth is naturally a negative grounding source.
If your pH is even just a
little too acidic, that's when your body can begin to literally break down.
Aches and pains begin to creep up. Tumors (including cancer) can flourish.
Diseases can rear their ugly heads. Although a number of factors can contribute
to an acid pH, (including stress, environmental toxins, lack of exercise and
smoking), far and away the number one factor is your FOOD.
Eating acid-creating foods
(especially fast food, processed food, meat, dairy, refined carbs and hard to
digest meal combinations) pulls your pH down toward the acid range. On the
other hand, when your diet contains many alkaline foods (like fresh fruits and
vegetables) and is easy for your body to break down, you encourage a more
alkaline pH.
A snapshot of your innards
shows how two examples of how your body can break down when your system is
acidic:
Your heart pumps an
unbelievable 13,000 quarts of blood a day--enough to fill a small swimming
pool! If there are toxins in your blood, that puts a huge strain on your heart
to do its job. Acid wastes in your system also rob your blood of oxygen, which
causes your heart tissue to deteriorate. And you don't want your ticker
breaking down, do you?
Your liver serves over 300
different functions --with two of the most important being to remove acid
wastes from your blood and make alkaline enzymes for your body. If you are like
most of us who live in urbanized countries, your blood resembles a war zone
with far too many toxins floating around, and your liver is constantly being
stressed cleaning them out. If that goes on long enough, it can completely shut
down. And so will you.
So... how do we get and
maintain this magic 7.365 pH? Hopefully you've gotten the idea of how important
it is to have a slightly alkaline pH while you're still breathing and upright.
Now here are the steps to attaining and
maintaining an optimal alkaline pH:
Step 1- Check your pH at
regular intervals
You can get a saliva test or urine test kit at most drug stores
or health food stores. The saliva test is the least accurate and
urine is slightly more accurate. The normal pH for urine is about 6.5-6.8 (it's
acidic because urine is an exit for toxins), for saliva 7.0-7.4 and for blood
7.365, which is your target. If you're testing your pH with saliva or urine,
it's important to perform the test several times at different times of the day,
since pH can be affected by what you eat or drink.
Step 2- Drink pure water
Aim for drinking one liter upon waking up or at least 5-8 glasses per
day. Stir in a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice to make it more alkaline if
you like. Water means water and does not mean coffee, tea, Gatorade, soft
drinks or other sweetened drinks. But avoid drinking tap water as it can
contain chlorine and/or fluoride. Strive to drink filtered or bottled water.
Step 3- Eat more
alkaline foods
Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic
and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat
also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are
all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
A diet made of 80% fresh
vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put
the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food
including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily
absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and
enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building
healthy cells, try and drink fresh vegetable juice and eat some raw vegetables
2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40
degrees C).
Step 4- Keep your digestion
efficient
In order to keep your digestion humming, it's vital to eat meal
combinations that are easily broken down and don't cause your stomach to
over-produce acid, and make sure you have adequate enzymes to do the job.
Without the proper enzymes for digestion, you can suffer from gas,
bloating, constipation, waste build-up... and you'll have a more acidic pH!
So remember--while your
weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. are all very important, it's
vital to keep your eye on the MOST important number--your pH. Do that and your
body as well as your children and grandkids will thank you many times over.
Getting Grounded
Basically, the theory is that
our bodies, which are naturally slightly alkaline, are also meant to come into
contact with the Earth on a regular basis. Modern living enables positive
radiations in the form of free radicals to build up in our bodies and direct
contact with the negatively charged ground is needed to discharge or neutralize
this stored charge in the body.
The way we live now, our
bodies and cells are bombarded by electrical energy, and especially with the
high prevalence of Electro Magnetic Fields (EMF), such as Wi-Fi and mobile
smart phone waves, many of us have a high amount of positive electrons built up
in our bodies.
Throughout history, humans
have spent time outdoors much more than we do in modern time and have been in
direct contact with the soil. From walking on the ground barefoot, to gardening
or tilling the soil, humans have always touched the earth… until recently.
Now, we live in houses, wear
rubber shoes, are exposed to EMFs daily and don’t often come into direct
contact with the ground. Some even wear rubber gloves to touch the soil.
Have you ever noticed that
you sleep better on a beach vacation after walking barefoot in the sand or
being in the ocean? The sand and ocean water are both naturally conductive
materials and both help ground the body and remove excess positive electrons.
For the same basic reason that we ground electrical outlets to avoid the
build-up of excess positive charge, our bodies need the same grounding effect.
When in direct contact with
the Earth, your body becomes suffused with negative charged free electrons and
equalizes to the same electric energy level as the earth.
If you were to ask about the
most impressive recent medical breakthrough, the answer would have nothing to
do with high-tech at all. It is the very Earth we live on – back to nature,
literally, the ground beneath our feet.
The hippie wisdom in getting
back in touch with our earthly roots just may have had something to do with
grounding’s health benefits. Earthing can protect our bodies
against chronic inflammation, which is, in part, caused by lack of electrons
with which to neutralize positively-charged free radicals. As with antioxidant
deficiency, electron deficiency due to insufficient contact with the earth’s
electromagnetic surface, or “disconnect syndrome,” can result in excess
oxidative damage.
Many of earthing’s benefits,
such as chronic pain relief and faster wound recovery, may simply result from
reduction of free radical activity and inflammation, which frees up the immune
system to perform other reparations. Other antioxidant benefits such as lowered
blood pressure and better circulation may also result from slightly alkaline
blood and the thinning effect of grounding.
An acid pH is GOOD – only
when you are DEAD. This is one time when you're SUPPOSED to have an acid
pH. When you're DEAD -- your body automatically becomes acidic upon death so it
can decompose like it's supposed to. And thus becomes permanently
grounded to enable recycling!
Many people worry, health-wise and security-wise, after reaching 80
years of age, feeling as if a diminishing importance is given to them and their
opinions. But, it need not be so, if only we understand and follow the basic
principles of life.
Here are some pointers for some senior friends to make life after
retirement more pleasant and enjoyable as they treasure the last “2 minutes”
rally of elder years of wisdom and intelligence at its best.
There are three ages: chronological, biological, and psychological. The
first is calculated based on our date of birth; the second is determined by
your health conditions and the third is how old you feel you are. While we
don't have control over the first, we can certainly take care of our health and
with a cheerful positive attitude, healthy diet, and moderate exercise we thus
slow down the second and even reverse the third age.
Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping
good health and earning family respect and security. Don't spend beyond your
means even for your children. You have lived for them through out, and it is
time you enjoyed a harmonious life with your immediate family. If your
beneficiaries/ children are grateful they should take care of you. But never
take it for granted.
The most relaxing and recreating forces are healthy and religious
attitudes, good sleep, music and laughter. But our secret should be on the
internal satisfaction and happiness we derive by sharing what we have with
others as directed by our Maker.
"Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a
good measure-- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your
standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."
I am happy to note that at my extended age, aside from my recent
transient ischemic attack, I have not gone through any serious life-threatening
medical episodes and my health is relatively better off than many of my
aging contempories. And this I attribute to my DNA and health promotive
routine, which I am gladly sharing with those unterested while joining me in
knocking on wood:
1. At night I sleep while attached to a grounded device (to neutralize
accumulated electromagnetic charges that cause stress and inflammation).
2. Upon waking up, I drink a liter of plain water on an empty stomach
(to hydrate and to stimulate waste elimination).
3. I start breakfast with available fresh fruit (to turn stomach pH to
slightly alkaline where cancer cells cannot survive).
4. After breakfast, I take my morning pills composed of food supplements
and vitamins:
a) gingko bilova and/or virgin coconut oil - (to hopefully stop
dementia),
b) fish oil capsule- alpha omega - (for good cholesterol),
c) vitamin B complex - (for nerve damage),
d) Stem cell nutrition - (for repair of ongoing damage),
e) BP maintenance pill - (to forestall a repeat of unwelcome
surprise).
Of course, I cannot help but be overtaken by natural catastrophic events
and inevitable aging. The hardest part: I need to be physically active
exercising while reducing my time spent sitting down. But, at 83, what else
outside of prayers can I do and ask for?
So until science fixes human aging, we should accept the fact that we
are going to slowly decline, just like everyone else. You can only accelerate
or slow down the decline. The counterintuitive way to slow it down is to let it
happen. Offer your life completely to God and accept His Will for what it is.
Alter all, no one leaves this world alive.
__________________
3. THE ROAD BACK FROM NEAR-DISASTROUS STROKE last
January 30, 2017:
“I don't think I need more
medical intervention. I had sought confinement mainly to have answers to my
high blood incident. I hit 178/104 at home even after taking my routine meds.
It went down only after doubling my dosage. My speech had slurred. 2/8/17 PM.
So, my wife Lita called Dr.
Alran Bengzon, who personally guided my check up from TMC’s ER. His first
concern was the brain, so MRI was used. He found “small strokes”, symptoms of
TIA. Next was the heart, - ECG, 2D echo and chest x ray.- guided by
Dr. Eugene Ramos. Only after these 2 organs were cleared were other organs
considered. Blood tests meanwhile were started. But, I was not even feeling
sick.
Next were the lungs -
under Dr. Josephine Ramos, pulmunologist . Sputum test, Stethoscope test,
& Confirmatory x-ray confirmed pneumonia. The blood test result
showed that my creatinine was over the limit. Hence, Dr. Rommel Tolentino,
nephrologist was alerted. He came over when my right foot became painful and
was swollen. The next day, I was also referred to Dr. Sidney Cheng,
neuro-ophthalmoloist, when my eyes could not properly focus. Dr. Cheng
explained that the brain is quite resilient and such damages could in time
correct by itself - by the time, my slurred speech had improved. My painful and
swollen right foot was eventually corrected by daily medication by mouth
(ketobest). I discovered I tended to choke or gag easily on my food. An
endoscopy procedure was done which discovered that my small stroke also
affected my swallowing causing dysphagia. I was prescribed a thickener powder
that was mixed with any liquid that was to be swallowed. (This worked for a
while until I discovered that it created worse difficulty causing
constipation.)
I was sent home on the fifth day. I was not yet feeling hungry, so I was
prescribed Mosegor an appetizer.
At this time of writing, I am ravenously hungry, my appetite is
back. The only thing to do is to rest to regain strength and to use my
eyes to get them to properly focus and be able to read again. In time, my
swallowing difficulty improved, but I still easily choke gag on food bits.
This is the payback for having worked for TMC for 15 years.
__________________
4.
Looking back, I believe this difficult episode
happened because I became careless with my preventive health care ritual,
specifically my regular grounding practice and taking of VCO.
Eversince I resumed my grounding and VCO nightly ritual, I was also able
to resume drinking a liter of water upon waking up.
My blood pressure has also started to go down. After 10 days, I
started to worry: my blood pressure had gone down to 88/57,
which is lower than the minimum normal range. So I had
my blood chemistry tested: which showed my cholesterol to be 138,
lower than the minimum range of 150 – 239. My LDL was also low at 138.
So I called my nephrologist who advised me to stop taking
my maintenance antihypertensive medication (twynsta 80/10) as well as
the statins(plavix and roswin) that I was taking. On my question of what will
replace my maintenance antihypertensive drug, he advised me not to go back
to the old antihypertensive dosage but to see my cardiologist if and when my BP
goes up to and over 140/90. My internist eventually prescribed 5 mg. amlodipine
as my maintenance.
Which brings me to the present situation. This morning’s BP was 135/90
which, as expected, went down to 105/70 later in the day, after drinking a
liter of water.
_________________
5. June 2, 2017 – A digression on Pneumonia
The risk of developing pneumonia in elderly is higher if the elderly
often suffer from chronic illness or weakened immune systems and, in turn, have
a more difficult time recovering.
Pneumonia can go unrecognized in seniors as they may be asymptomatic due
to other medical issues or typical age-related changes in the lungs (ie.
decreased productive cough for bringing up liquid/sputum from the lungs). Seniors
are also often used to feeling unwell and may not report symptoms to their
physicians.
Other factors such as poor nutritional intake and decreased physical
activity further impact the elderly in this regard.
Pneumonia is an abnormal inflammation of the structures of the lungs
most often caused by bacteria, viruses and less often caused by fungi or
parasites. The lungs can become inflamed, liquid can build up in the tissue of
the lungs and infection can spread to the whole body.
Pneumonia in elderly itself is not contagious but the underlying cause
(eg. bacteria or viruses) can be contagious, particularly for people with
compromised immune systems. If transmitted, pneumonia may be passed in the same
way as influenza or the common cold: by people's hands and by tiny droplets
from their mouths and noses.
What are the Risk Factors for Pneumonia?
Underlying illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease, emphysema, cystic
fibrosis, diseases of the immune system, smoking and alcoholism increase the
risk of pneumonia. Hospitalization puts seniors at high risk for
pneumonia elderly.
Decreased ability to cough
Poor dental hygiene leading to higher amounts of potentially harmful
bacteria in the mouth (which can then go into the lungs)
Symptoms of Pneumonia
1. Night sweats
2. Weight loss
3. Abdominal pain and diarrhea
1. Night sweats
2. Weight loss
3. Abdominal pain and diarrhea
As mentioned above, seniors can often be asymptomatic due to age-related
changes, other medical issues or a regular feeling of decreased wellness. This
can make it difficult for elderly to differentiate additional symptoms to
having pneumonia.
Why are Hospitals More Risky for Developing Pneumonia?
The biggest reason seniors are at higher risk of developing pneumonia in
hospitals is because of spending too much time in bed. They may also have more
difficulty with deep breathing due to pain, fatigue, medications or surgical
incisions.
The simplest way for a senior to reduce the risk of developing pneumonia
in the hospital is to GET OUT OF BED. Getting seniors up into a chair, walking,
moving to and from the bathroom and completing any functional activity such as
getting dressed or grooming at the sink will be beneficial. Being in an upright
posture allows the senior's lungs to expand more easily and makes it easy to
cough and clear those lungs.
6.
Subject: GOING BAREFOOT
Last February, as a
result of the TIA (transient ischematic accident) and pneumonia that I
suffered, I was given a thorough review and update of my medication profile by
my doctor friends at The Medical City. This supplanted the protocol
that I was following for a long time.
I was following
this new set of medication for around 5 months and everything was fine. Except
. . I discovered that the updated set of medication was practically
consuming my entire retiree’s SSS pension.
So, with apologies
to friends, I reviewed and rationalized each prescription that I was supposed
to follow:
1) Omacor:
EPA/DHA Omega 3 fats: I decided to shift to Kirkland Fish Oil, which is essentially
the same as Omacor.
2) I also
discovered that I inadvertendly stopped my old practice of Grounding or
Earthing, which is supposed to lower the viscosity of the blood and prevent
inflammation aside from many other health benefits.
a) I was also asked to
take 2 types of statins which I thought would be superfluous and duplicates the
beneficial results of Grounding.
b) Vitamin B complex:
I shifted to Kirkland Super B Complex with Electorytes.
c) Vitamin D3: I found
and am taking Kirkland Vitamin D3 2000iu.
3) Hypertension
medicaton, Twynsta, is a combination of a telmisartan and amlodipine besylate.
The dosage prescribed may have to change if and when Grounding takes effect.
4) I continue to take
Ketobest since my creatinine has not yet normalized.
The above changes
should prove less expensive than the previous set of medications.
_____________________________________
Have you ever wondered why lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure,
diabetes, depression, cancer etc. are unheard of in our barefoot brethren in
the farms, barrios and mountains. We assume we just do not know if they are
affected. But maybe they are just not susceptible to these challenges. Why?
Read on -
In the book: What is "Grounding" or "Earthing", Dr.
Stephen Sinatra introduced the basics of “Earthing,” or “grounding”: the
process of connecting with the earth’s primordial, healing energy to reduce
inflammation and ultimately improve health by promoting electron balance in the
body.
“During my many years in medical practice I have seen
remarkable advances in technology that give physicians unprecedented ability to
save lives. However, if you were to ask me about the most impressive
breakthrough, I am positive my answer would surprise you. It has nothing to do
with high-tech at all. It is the very Earth you live on. Literally, the ground
beneath your feet.”
Feeling Groovy: Electron Balance and Health
The hippie wisdom in getting back in touch with our earthly roots just
may have had something to do with grounding’s health benefits. Earthing can
protect our bodies against chronic inflammation, which is, in part, caused by
lack of electrons with which to neutralize positively-charged free radicals. As
with antioxidant deficiency, electron deficiency due to insufficient contact
with the earth’s electromagnetic surface, or “disconnect syndrome,” can result
in excess oxidative damage.
When we attune to the earth’s electric potential, we soak up
negatively-charged electrons that neutralize free radicals in our bodies. Many
of Earthing’s benefits, such as chronic pain relief and faster wound recovery,
may simply result from reduction of free radical activity and inflammation,
which frees up the immune system to perform other reparations. Other antioxidant
benefits such as lowered blood pressure and better circulation may also result
from the blood thinning effect of grounding. While reduced inflammation may
also explain improved sleep and lessened menstrual symptoms, these benefits may
also be due to Earthing’s favorable effect on the autonomic nervous system
(ANS), which leads to greater overall hormonal balance.
Earthing as the Ultimate Anti-Aging Strategy?
Besides keeping chronic inflammation at bay, Earthing may also keep us
healthy by enhancing ATP production / recycling in our bodies, the same
principle underlying metabolic cardiology. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is
our bodies’ primary energy source. To recycle ATP, our bodies take electrons
from fatty acids. By absorbing negative free electrons from the earth’s
surface, our bodies may more easily recycle ATP. Although scientific research
is necessary to validate this, it’s possible that, by facilitating ATP
production, Earthing improves cardiovascular and immune system function and
ultimately slow down the process of aging.
