Health & Home (July-August 2017)

Men’s guide to being kind Breadnut vs.

Breadfruit

journey

The raindrop’s

How much is a life?

High school temptations

Exercise

with passion

Big little choices Small things that matter in life Shiphrah Birthing Center Haven for moms and babies

From carnivore to herbivore

One vegan’s healing

contents 22

July-August 2017

27 Cheerfulness at Home

By Ellen G. White

Truly the happiest place on earth 28 As You Enter High School

By Rod Arters

6

First impressions, temptations

Financial vs. Emotional Investment

30 Better Than Me

By Rose Fres Fausto

By Nathanlie M. Baldoza

Make money for doing what

you love

I'm glad I’m second 32 How a Carnivore Became

an Herbivore

8 How to Exercise With Passion

By Andrew Cate

By Nona D. Andaya-Castillo

Enjoy it and keep doing it

The benefits of being vegan

10 Hope in the Storm (Part 1)

35 Detox Your Cookware

By Melodie Mae K. Inapan

By Sue Radd

A mother’s heart for a baby’s eyes

Which pan is safe?

36 Three Angels Shouting

14 Breadnut vs. Breadfruit:

Battle of Benefits

ABOUT THE COVER

Choices, however small, can lead to greatness or to downfall. From the food we eat to the people we hang out with; whether we should go or stay, cry or pray—our decision today determines our place in history and eternity.

Ajiloh Manasseh B. Aquino, 11, shows how hard choosing is.

By John T. Baldwin, L. James Gibson, and Jerry D. Thomas

By Arlene May G. Corpus

How Jesus will come again

Clearing the confusion, a new appreciation

Photos in this issue are by rogeRGSabio unless credited otherwise.

39 Nylon Stocking Flowers

By Czarina V. Budayao

16 When God Made the Brain

Torn stockings into candle lighting

By Rowena R. Antemano

He made it beautifully complex

14

40 A Bright Place for Pregnancy and Childbirth

22 You’re Made to Fly!

By Marlo Schalesky

By Janet R. Tolete

When a bird is too afraid

Shiphrah Birthing Center

24 How to Be a Better Man

46 Above the Clouds: Mt. Pulag

By Victor M. Parachin

By JM Sabariaga

Being kind is better than being right

The peak that’s cold and bald

Columns 3 Passion and Purpose

By Lucile B. Tañalas

Crossroads and Choices 4 iContact

Compiled by Dexter O. Quiñones

13 Consult Your Lawyer

By Silvino L. Sumagaysay, Jr.

Testamentary Capacity 18 Echoes of Life

By Ryan J. Martinez

My Eating Habits

19 Personal Answers

By Arnold C. Serra

High School Reunion Reservations 20 Subscribers Section

By Shayne V. Esquillo

Touched by Health & Home

21 Dear Doctor

By Linda L. Varona

All Stressed Out

38 Word for the World

By Rodulfo F. Ceniza

EJK: How Much Is a Life?

43 Food for the Family

By Miriam R. Estrada

Food Safety: To Eat or Not to Eat 44 Children’s Corner

By Janet R. Tolete

Where Does the Rain Fall?

Coming Up...

• Earth 2.0 • A Millennial’s Dream • Letter From the Womb • My Wife Says I’m Cheating • Alluring Sohoton • Hara Hachi Bu • Refugees in the Bible

Grace

in the Act

Hope in

the Storm Part 1

By MELODIE MAE K. INAPAN

M

aking sure my 18-year-old totally blind son has a firm grasp on my arm, I guide him up the stage to the grand piano in a church in southern California, USA. He then faces the congregation confidently, takes his seat, places his deft fingers on the ivory keys of the grand piano, and plays his heartfelt interpretation of Dino Kartsonakis’s “My Tribute.”

photo/Melodie Mae Inapan

In our previous issue, Rene Derek Joseph “DJ” K. Inapan shared the story of his blindness and perseverance, along with the support he enjoyed from his family, friends, and schools.

For this issue, it is his mother’s turn to reveal her side of the story.—Editor

10 Health & Home

July-August 2017

You’re Made to Fly!

photos/pixabay.com

By MARLO SCHALESKY

I

saw a flutter. A hop. And the cat pounced. “Nooooo!” I raced out the door. “Friskey, put that bird down!” I crossed the lawn and skidded to a stop in front of my bird-catching cat. “No birds. We like birds.”

Friskey looked up at me with big, blue eyes.

I tapped his nose. “Let go.”

The bird lay motionless in his mouth, its eyes wide, its feet curled.

“Friskey.”

His whiskers twitched. Then slowly, he set the bird on the ground, backed up a few paces, crouched, and wiggled his back end.

22 Health & Home

July-August 2017

HOW A

BECAME AN

I

used to hate vegetables!

Whenever my mother would cook a vegetable dish, I protested like a true activist. How I loved her sinigang na manok sa sampalok (chicken cooked with tamarind broth), adobo, bopis (made of pig’s internal organs), fried chicken, shrimp crispies, and her 101 ways of cooking milkfish and tilapia!

Eating out meant gorging on grilled pork, sisig, dinuguan, beef kare-kare, isaw, chicken liver and gizzard, chicharon bulaklak, and more fried chicken, with soft drinks! Why waste money on vegetables?

We also grew our own chickens and pigs in the backyard. I loved cooking chicken and pork adobo brimming with all the fat!

Because my father worked in an ice cream company, our refrigerator was always full of ice cream of all sorts, milk, cheese, and butter. Later, when he worked overseas, he would send us boxes of chocolates and cans of butter, which my mother would complement with processed meats and loads of cheeses.

32 Health & Home

July-August 2017

Model not subject of article

By NONA D. ANDAYA-CASTILLO

Always sick

No wonder I was almost always sick! I lost track of doctors’ appointments, dextrose bottles, and blood tests. When I worked for non-government organizations (NGOs), I applied for social welfare cards in several hospitals to save on consultations and hospitalizations.

I was in and out of the hospital due to severe illnesses that brought me so much pain. It was so awful that one time, the entire hospital heard my scream when the nurse injected antibiotics to the intravenous (IV) line near my wrist. The excruciating pain traveled up to my underarm!

My husband got worried so he tried to talk to me but I couldn’t answer him because I was delirious with high fever. This happened a few days after our

church wedding and that was how we spent our honeymoon.

Acting skills

Back in May 1985, I volunteered as a lay missionary who worked for peasants mired in poverty.

It was during this time that my boyfriend introduced me to his parents, 100 percent Ilocanos who loved to eat meat but more often had vegetable dishes on the table.

Mealtimes during visits to peasants’ homes or my future parents-in-law meant an opportunity to polish my acting skills in college. I tried to conceal my disgust when they served local vegetable dishes called dinengdeng and pinakbet. They looked like pig’s food to me, but I pretended to smile and eat with gusto.

In December 1987, I became pregnant. Instinctively, I ate more

A complete family after a water birth at Shiphrah

Text By JANET R. TOLETE Photos By ISABELL STEINERT PHOTOGRAPHY

W

ith seven children, Judith Calayeg had experienced giving birth at home with a hilot (traditional birth attendant), in a hospital with a doctor, and at a birthing center with midwives. But when her eldest daughter, Christine Joy, became pregnant with Judith’s first grandchild, she brought her to Shiphrah* Birthing Center in Taytay, Rizal.

“Three of my kids were born here,” she said in Filipino. She had just rested from assisting in Christine Joy’s childbirth since early morning. On another bed, the newborn slept soundly beside her mom and dad.

40 Health & Home

July-August 2017

“This place is well-managed. There’s a workshop, a seminar. The midwives teach discipline to pregnant women. They really focus on what you eat, on what you shouldn’t do, and on prenatal checkups,” Judith explained.

She also praised Shiphrah’s comfortable rooms and cleanliness, especially the toilet. “I don’t understand how toilets in public hospitals can’t be improved.”

Sitting on a stool in front of us was Nilda Dellosa, Christine Joy’s mother-in-law.

“It’s actually my first time here. It’s nice,” Nilda commented. “When I gave birth in a hospital, it was quite different. It’s more comfortable here.”

Above the Clouds: Text and Photos By JM SABARIAGA

M

alayo pa ba?” (Are we there yet?) I asked our guide several times, but she kept saying “Malapit na.” (Almost.)

Mt. Pulag is the highest peak in Luzon and the third highest in the Philippines. Dubbed as “playground of the gods,” it is known for its “sea of clouds” scenery, which appears during sunrise at the summit. The way up also offers plenty of picturesque views, with the vegetation changing along with the altitude, making Mt. Pulag one of the most beautiful and “Instagram-able” mountain destinations in the country.

Ever since it became famous, nonhikers, nature lovers, and outdoor enthusiasts have been flocking to the mountain to witness the majestic sea of clouds. Imagine! Roughly 300-500 visitors visit Mt. Pulag during weekends.

46 Health & Home

July-August 2017

There are four options for those who would like to reach the top: Ambangeg, Akiki, and Tawangan trails from Benguet province and from Nueva Vizcaya, the Ambaguio trail. First-timers usually take the Ambangeg trail because it is the easiest.

There are three camping grounds on Mt. Pulag. Camp 1 is near the ranger station, which serves as the drop-off point. Camps 2 and 3 are near the summit. Mount Pulag National Park, under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), manages the area.

The first time I went up this mountain was in August 2014.

As expected with the habagat (southwest monsoon) season, it was raining the night we slept in our tents pitched at Camp 2. I felt the cold water running underneath the tent and thought I was sleeping

on a bed of ice! The trek from there to the summit took us an hour and we were able to see a clear view.

Because I promised to go back, I planned a second trip in February last year with my friends.

The authorities don’t allow camping during weekends at Camps 2 and 3, though, so our only option was to camp out at the ranger station or sleep at a homestay (a local’s house accommodating tourists).

We started our hike from the ranger station, where it takes 4-5 hours to reach the summit.

Because we wanted to catch the sunrise at the top, we ate our breakfast as early as 12 midnight.

From December to February, temperature at the mountain can drop to below zero, so I pretty

A rainbow collection of the most nutritious foods plus their healing powers Philippine Publishing House 632 Baesa, 1401 Caloocan City (Location) Box 813, 1000 Manila, Philippines (Postal) Tel. Nos.: (632) 363-3024, 364-5205 Fax No.: (632) 363-4244 E-mail: marketing@pphsda.com Website: www.pphsda.com For more information, contact your local sales representative.