philstar.com - Health And Family

Oct 272014
 
Little sun exposure may lead to vitamin D deficiency

No sunshine? No problem! With the heavy rains, Pinoys can get their healthy dose of the sunshine vitamin with Forti-D, which contains 800 IU of vitamin D3.   MANILA, Philippines – With more typhoons expected to hit the country, Filipinos will have less sun exposure, which is not always a good thing, contrary to what most people think. The lack of sun exposure inhibits the body’s production of vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, which is vital to one’s overall health and well-being. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to a number of serious health conditions common among Pinoys such as bone degradation, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain types of cancer. Health experts even declared vitamin D deficiency as a silent epidemic that is now affecting three out of every five Filipinos. What makes vitamin D unique is the fact that it is the only vitamin the body is capable of generating. However, the body cannot produce it without regular exposure to sunlight. Unlike vitamin C, which Filipinos can easily get from a variety of fruits and vegetables, vitamin D can be found only in small amounts in very few foods such as  salmon, tuna, cod liver, and egg yolks. With the pervasiveness of heavy rains that keeps Filipinos from getting enough sunlight, they can turn to Forti-D to help meet their body’s daily sunshine vitamin requirements. A single dose of Forti-D contains 800 IU of colecalciferol or vitamin D3, which is responsible for absorbing calcium and phosphate as Read More …

Oct 222014
 
7 MUFA-rich food that help trim belly fat

Stock photo of nuts and seeds. Photo by Martin Weller/CC BY-NC MANILA, Philippines – Worried about your muffin top? Despair no more, because you have MUFAs (moo-fah) to help you blast those belly fats while still getting the appropriate amount of unsaturated fat that your body needs. MUFAs are monounsaturated fatty acids, plant-based fats found in some of the world’s most delicious foods. Previous studies show that aside from the fat blasting benefit, these good fats also enhance heart health and protect you against chronic disease. Flat Belly Diet as edited by researchers Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass, suggests MUFA-rich food that would help you trim fat, especially those in your belly. Studies have shown that eating one serving of one of these foods with each meal helps people lose weight and body fat without cutting on calories. Avocado threelayercake/CC BY-ND Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: Salmon Chris Goldberg/CC BY-NC Oils churl/CC BY-NC-ND Olives Bunches and Bits {Karina}/CC BY-NC-ND Nuts and Seeds Martin Weller/CC BY-NC Dark Chocolate John Loo/CC BY Blueberries maira.gall/CC BY-ND

Oct 132014
 
The buzz on Boy Abunda’s near date with death

Man of the hour:  “It’s about time I spent more time with my loved ones,” says Boy Abunda.   A visibly leaner Boy Abunda greets me with a big smile, like a friend from a distant past, as I walk into the waiting room where he’s killing time before the start of an informal round-table conference that would launch him as the newest celebrity ambassador of TechnoMarine, the Geneva-based watch brand known for its timeless timepieces. As the torrential rain continues to pour outside, the King of Talk talks about how he weathered what was probably the biggest storm in his life.  “It’s really funny that it had to take a 16-day ordeal in the hospital for me to realize how important time was,” Boy muses aloud. He quickly adds, “It’s something I knew from the very beginning, but I never took it seriously. I didn’t know how important time was, how important it was to spend time with your family, with yourself, with your friends. Before, right after the Aquino and Abunda Tonight, which would finish by 10:20 p.m., I would still have three meetings — I would do negotiations, contracts, production meetings.” It was probably the loudest buzz in tinseltown: Boy Abunda’s near date with death. Not seeing him for a long time in his TV shows, some people were even quick to “kill” him. “They said I died of colon cancer or I had HIV (the AIDS virus),” says an unamused Boy. So, how did Boy deal Read More …

Oct 102014
 
World Sight Day makes future brighter by combating avoidable blindness

MANILA, Philippines – World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness aimed to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. For this year, WSD was held Thursday. Carrying the campaign, “no more avoidable blindness,” the Global Action Plan (GAP) works together with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) for the first time  to reduce the number of people suffering from avoidable visual impairment by 25 percent by 2019. This can be achieved by making comprehensive eye care services affordable and accessible . IAPB NGO According to the website of IAPB, South East Asia has one quarter of the world’s population, but as much as one third of the world’s blind people and half of the world’s 1.5 million blind children live in the region. In the Philippines, a National Statistics Office population report says more than 303,000 people are bilaterally blind. To push further the world campaign for reducing avoidable blindness, Health Secretary Enrique Ona launched the Eye Center in Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City on Thursday. In addition to that, he also headed the kick off of the Philippine Eye Disease Study, a joint undertaking with the Philippine Eye Research Institute.

Oct 022014
 
Where to go this weekend: A round-up of family-friendly events

In my last article here, I listed three family-friendly events that were worth visiting two weekends ago. I hope some of you found it useful! Our family was able to catch the last day of the Manila International Book Fair, and we had a great time (though it wasn’t so great for our wallets!). As you all probably know by now, I’m all for making meaningful memories with our families, so I really encourage all the parents out there to spend quality time with their kids when they can! I am also an advocate of lifelong learning, and if you’re a parent like me, let’s consider ourselves blessed that there are lots of learning seminars and events especially for people who are starting out or have young families. With this in mind then, allow me to share with you another round-up of family-friendly events this weekend, in the hope that it will help you and your family somehow: 1. The Breastfeeding Club’s Breastfeeding 202 Class If you’re an expectant parent, this class is perfect for you! Join La Leche League Leader and Certified Lactation Counselor Abbie Yabot as she teaches you about how breastfeeding is truly the best start for your baby. Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: For more details, contact 0917-8110821 or email bestforfamilies@gmail.com. 2. Yaya Seminar on Newborn Care and Proper Breastfeeding Support This is especially for young families and/or expectant parents. If you have a yaya whom you want to train on how Read More …

Oct 022014
 
Officials ask about 80 to watch for Ebola symptoms

DALLAS — Health officials in Texas have reached out to about 80 people who may have had direct or indirect contact with the man who brought Ebola into the U.S. or someone close to him, a public-health spokeswoman said Thursday. None of the people is showing symptoms, but health authorities have educated them about Ebola and told them to notify medical workers if they feel ill. The group will be monitored to see if anyone seeks medical care during the three weeks immediately following the time of contact, said Erikka Neroes, of the Dallas County Health and Human Services agency. The people include 12 to 18 who came in direct contact with the infected man, as well as others known to have had secondhand contact, she said. “This is a big spider web” of people involved, Neroes said. The initial group includes three members of the ambulance crew that took Thomas Eric Duncan to the hospital, plus a handful of schoolchildren. Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: The Texas Department of State Health Services said Thursday it has a list of about 100 possible contacts but that the official number will be lower. Health officials are focusing on containment to try to stem the possibility of the Ebola virus spreading beyond Thomas Eric Duncan, who traveled from Liberia to Dallas to visit relatives and fell ill on Sept. 24. His sister, Mai Wureh, identified Duncan as the infected man in an interview with The Associated Press. A Read More …

Oct 012014
 
Fun Halloween costumes

Dressing up as little fashion icons is a great idea this coming Halloween. Halloween is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries, including some parts of the Philippines. On October 31st, the eve of All Saints Day, people go trick-or-treating, hold costume parties, decorate carved pumpkins, play pranks and visit haunted houses to supposedly drive away evil spirits. Halloween is a big thing in our village. Children and adults both dress up in scary and not so scary costumes and enjoy going around houses to collect treats. It’s always fun to see the creative costumes parents and kids come up with every year. And while the typical department store bought costumes are still popular, more and more people are trying to come up with original, one-of-a-kind ensembles. Here are some cute ideas we found on one of our favorite sites for all things crafty, OhHappyDay.com. They’re easy to put together as well as practical and inexpensive. All you need is a quick visit to your closet! She Said: Halloween costumes need not be expensive. Bianca found some useful pieces that were hiding in my closet. Thrift stores are good places to check out too!   Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: she said: I’m so excited to be the fabulous Anna Wintour for Halloween this year! I raided my mom’s closet for this look, and the magazines are mine. Little music icons Photos taken from OhHappyDay.com. Visit their site here for more costume and craft Read More …

Sep 302014
 
Dangers of calcium deficiency

MANILA, Philippines – The calcium intake of Filipinos is inadequate because they are not eating and drinking enough milk and milk products, according to the latest survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST). The study shows that nearly 90 percent of Filipino households is not meeting the average calcium requirements. The consumption of Filipinos for milk and milk products decreased by seven grams, from 49 grams per capita per day in 2003 to 42 grams per capita per day in 2008, it added. What is calcium deficiencyCalcium deficiency as defined by Medterms.com is a condition wherein there is a low blood level of calcium (hypocalcemia), which can make the nervous system highly irritable, causing spasms of the hands and feet (tetany), muscle cramps, abdominal cramps, overly active reflexes, and so on. Chronic calcium deficiency contributes to poor mineralization of bones, soft bones (osteomalacia) and osteoporosis, and, in children, rickets and impaired growth. Two types of calcium deficiency HypocalcemiaIt is the term for an abnormally low level of calcium in the body. Calcium is necessary to keep bones strong and to help them grow or heal. Hypocalcemia may be the result of low calcium production or insufficient calcium circulation in the body. A deficiency of magnesium or vitamin D is linked to most cases of hypocalcemia. Symptoms include seizures, muscle stiffness, anxiety or depression, hypotension, congestive heart failure, dementia, cataracts, eczema, dry, coarse skin, and parkinsonism papilledema. Dietary Calcium DeficiencyGlobal Healing Center says that Read More …

Sep 222014
 
A special report: Your ultimate guide to physical fitness

Grooving to health: Singer Madonna is well-known for her love for working out. Photo from madonnascrapbook.blogspot.com Many Filipinos regard exercise as a fad, or chore, or merely a sign of personal virtue. But being physically active is natural for humans, as it is for all animals. We’re wired for it. Thus, the largely sedentary existence of vast numbers of people is a historical aberration of the past century, made possible primarily by labor-saving devices, motor vehicles, desk jobs, and increased leisure time spent in front of TVs and computers. Our sedentary lifestyles, together with the obesity epidemic they help foster, have taken a big toll on our health. They have put a drag on the improvements in well-being and longevity made possible by medical advances and positive lifestyle changes, such as the reduction in smoking rates in recent years. It’s tempting to think that feeling fatigued, being winded when going up the stairs, and no longer being able to carry heavy bags, are natural parts of aging. But many of the declines in physiological functioning we associate with getting older are largely the consequence of inactivity and being unfit. Being physically fit won’t stop the biological clock, of course, but it can slow it down. “Use it or lose it” is truer than ever. Many people say that they do want to be fit, but they don’t know how. Today’s article offers a scientific but practical guide on how you can achieve lifelong fitness. The elements of fitness There are Read More …

Sep 122014
 
5 clichés that are true and backed up by science

MANILA, Philippines — Clichés may be overrated, but these phrases save you from that awkward moment when you just cannot verbalize what you really wanted to say. Clichés are always there whenever we want to make an excuse. Take for example when you just broke up with someone. Your friends will always tell you this – “You can’t love someone else until you love yourself.” These aren’t just words told to console you or make you stop from wallowing. Psychological science says that people with higher self-esteem tend to have higher-quality marriages, reporting more trust and intimacy that people with lower self-esteem. So you literally have to love yourself before having a successful relationship with someone. You may not know it, but here are some of the most over used clichés, which are actually true whether you like it or not: “You learn from your mistakes” Wish there is a button that says “press me” whenever you are about to make the mistake you already did? Well, human brains already do. A study at the University of Exeter, which was published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, found out that the lower temporal region of a human brain sends out a “warning signal” before you could register a conscious though whenever you are about to repeat a past mistake. Amazingly, this process only takes 0.1 seconds. That does not mean through that you would automatically stop what you are about to do, but at least part of your brain did Read More …