Health & Home (September-October 2015)

September-October 2015

CONTENTS

22

6 A Life Worth Living

By Kay Kuzma

Teach your children to be love-cup fillers to their peers

8 An OFW Asks How to Deal With Business Partner In-Laws

Child Trafficking: Blemishing the Innocent

By Rose Fres Fausto

Helpful thinking points on how to settle financial issues with in-laws

2 icontact 5 Toward the Mark

By Lucile B. Tañalas

COLUMNS

12 Consult Your Lawyer

10 Letting Go, Letting God

By John Lerry F. Villalobos

Surrender your bitterness to the Lord and become a better person

14 Family: A Sacred Circle

By Ellen G. White

May our family be a reflection of the heavenly home

16 Worried About Forgetfulness?

By Evelyn V. Almocera

Tips to preventing or delaying memory loss

20 The Glitz and Glamor

By Meriam A. Polinar

Seek the Source of true greatness and glory

24 Life in the Countryside

By Warlee A. Amado

The best things in life are free…and simple

26 Hand Exercises: A Daily Must

By Avery Carol B. Delica

Thumbs up to these easy-to-do mini-workouts

30 Parsley: A Powerhouse of Nutrients

By Arlene May G. Corpus

Packed with nutrition, more than just a food decoration

34 Changing Lolo’s Diaper

By Mamerto M. Guingguing II Having the Right Frame of Mind

By Kathleen B. Flores

The most memorable disgusting experience

36 How Do You Say “No”?

By Arlene R. Taylor

Love yourself and practice the art of saying “No”

13

19

21

By Silvino L. Sumagaysay, Jr.

By Lucile B. Tañalas

44

The Good Side of Fear Word for the World

Writ of Possession Dear Doctor

By Linda L. Varona

Is It OK to Drink Tea From Guyabano Leaves?

Share a Thought

By Leren D. Bernardino

Learning Life Skills Subscribers Section

By Iluminada G. Layosa

Health & Home: A Resource for Ministry 29 Personal Answers

By Arnold C. Serra

Missing My Best Friend 41 Food for the Family

By Miriam R. Estrada

Two Are Better Than One 42 Children’s Corner

By Ryan J. Martinez

Victory Over the Unseen

38 The Design of the Earth

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

The shearwaters’ precise navigational skills point to an amazing Creator-God

40 Button Art

32

Organ Donation: Leaving a Legacy of Life

By Janet R. Tolete

Coming Up...

By Czarina V. Budayao

The colorful world and artistic potential of buttons

45 Luis Philippe Santos Manzano: WWF Marine Conservation Steward

By Lucile B. Tañalas

On helping save our seas and finding time for family

The Role of Money in Your Life • Spring Onions • Why You Should Eat Slowly • Our Amazing World • Ornamental Fishing: A Booming Industry • Rise of the Selfie Generation • Hearing Our Deaf Community

Photos in this issue are by rogeRGSabio unless credited otherwise.

Cover photo by Gregg Yan

ABOUT THE COVER

Luis Philippe Santos Manzano, showbiz scion, rescue diver, budding macro and underwater photographer, TV host, businessman, and WWF-Philippines advocate, shares his love for God, the seas, and his family. More about him on page 45.

Erratum: The husband of Segunda Katigbak was Manuel Luz, instead of Miguel, as mentioned on page 36 of H&H July-August 2015.

Grace

in the Act

Letting Go, Letting God

By JOHN LERRY F. VILLALOBOS

G

grants so I could study for free. My love for teaching led me to enroll in a Teacher Education Program.

I enjoyed every bit of my time preparing to be the best teacher I can be. My successful efforts for the first three years even fueled my anticipation that I could eventually

Model not su bject of artic

le

rowing up wanting so many things we could not afford, I’ve struggled and studied hard to live a comfortable life. I ran hard and chased after my dreams like a child trying to catch balloons racing to the sky. So many times, I’ve fallen and tried to get back on my feet. I’ve learned later on, however, that there are times when I just have to let go.

My elementary and high school days often started with me watching my father repeatedly borrow money from people, usually my grandparents, for my tricycle fare and baon or snacks. This became our uncomfortable routine for quite some years, something that almost always made me want to give up if not for that feeling that Someone was always reaching out a hand.

My college days were far worse.

It was one topsy-turvy world—of losing, winning, and losing again.

But God must have truly loved me for He blessed me with scholarship

10 Health & Home September-October 2015

march with honors and easily land a job. I looked forward to giving my family a better life and preparing my future students for the life ahead.

Things were finally looking up.

Losing track

Until all of a sudden, just days before graduation, things came crashing down. It was a Saturday meant for the usual review for the licensure examination when I discovered I almost failed a subject.

This meant I won’t be receiving the honors I dreamed of and worked hard for.

The news totally broke my heart.

I know very well that I am not a perfect student, but I also know too well that each student deserves a

dear DOCTOR

By Linda Lim-Varona

Is It OK to Drink Tea From Guyabano Leaves?

For about a year now, I have been drinking boiled guyabano (soursop) leaves as a cleansing agent, even if I feel no pain.

What are the side effects of drinking this tea? Is this practice safe?

S

cientifically called Annona muricata, all parts of this tropical tree have been given much publicity lately, because of their medicinal indications. Since your question is on guyabano leaves, I will center my explanation on this plant component.

A study published in a 2010 journal showed the potential anti-inflammatory and pain-blocking properties of guyabano leaf extract, based on an experiment conducted on mice. When an edema of guyabano leaf extract was induced on the paws of the mice, no inflammation was seen. There was also less pain perception. While this study was promising, however, no available study of this same nature had been conducted on humans.

Another study was done on the acetogennin component found in guyabano leaves. It showed potent inhibition of cancer cell growth. A third study showed the medicinal potential of guyabano and petunia leaf extract.

An inhibition of the Herpes simplex virus was noted.

Other studies report promising results. These include antidepressive effects of the fruit and antibacterial effect of the seed and pod. Most studies, however, were not done on human subjects. Therefore, no definite conclusion on the medicinal value of guyabano leaves or other components for human subjects can be made yet.

Despite guyabano’s medicinal properties, there are reported harmful effects, too. According to sources, concoctions of guyabano leaves, seeds, and barks are not recommended for internal consumption of young children as well as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Reports also show that guyabano bark contains alkaloids called anonaine and anoniine. They are high in hydrocyanic acid, which is considered poisonous.

Guyabano leaves also have traces of hydrocyanic acid.

Guyabano leaves may have promising results, but they should be used with caution. The absence of studies, however, does not mean that a product is bad or it is not useful at all. It just means that it has not been well-researched yet. My advice to you for now is not to overuse or depend totally on unfounded claims regarding guyabano components.

Herbal products and food supplements are marketed nowadays.

Uninformed and unsuspecting consumers often fall prey to enterprising people who make promising or even outrageous claims to sell their products.

My advice to you and all our readers, therefore, is to be informed and make proper research first before believing any health claim.

Uninformed and unsuspecting consumers often fall prey to enterprising people who make promising or even outrageous claims to sell their products.

Linda Lim-Varona, M.D., internal medicine specialist and author of Prescription to Health, welcomes questions of general interest on medical problems or treatment. Send your letters to “Dear Doctor,� Health & Home Magazine, P.O. Box 813, 1000 Manila or email her at rx2health@yahoo.com.

Health & Home September-October 2015

13

HAND EXERCISES:

A DAILY MUST

By AVERY CAROL B. DELICA

O

ur hands help us accomplish the tasks on our “To-Do List.”

Whether in the office or church, home or school, hospital or mall, or anywhere, we use our hands.

With the influx of cellphones, computers, and other gadgets, our hands are truly busy. Doing business involves not only our brain but also our hands. Laborers greatly depend on their hands to do their work.

Shouldn’t we then take good care of our hands, and pamper them, too?

Our hands and fingers need exercises to help strengthen them, increase their range of motion, and provide pain relief. Those more advanced in years, especially need to exercise their hands and fingers.

Here are hand exercises that can be done while sitting, standing, or having breaks.

Daily hand and finger exercises Claw stretch

Hold hand out in front, palm facing you. Bend fingertips down to touch the base of each finger joint. Your hand should look a little like a claw. Hold for 30 seconds then release. Repeat 5 times on each hand.

Finger lift

Place palm on a table or any flat surface. Gently lift one finger at a time off the table and then lower it. Or, lift all your fingers and thumb at once, and then lower them. Repeat 8-12 times on each hand.

Finger stretch

Place palm on a table or any flat surface. Gently straighten fingers as flat as possible against the surface without forcing the joints.

Hold for 30 seconds, then release.

Repeat 5 times on each hand.

Fist flex Finger bend

Keeping fingers straight, bend knuckles as far as comfortable as possible. Apply a stretch. Hold for 30 seconds then straighten fingers fully. Repeat 5 times on each hand.

Finger spread

Place palm on the table, spread fingers out sideways, then bring them together again.

Repeat 5 times on each hand.

26 Health & Home September-October 2015

Hold hand upright, fingers apart.

Gently draw fingers into a fist, placing thumbs on the outside. Don’t squeeze or clench fist. Hold for 10 seconds, then release. Repeat 5 times on each hand.

How Do You Say

“No”?

I

f I ever say ‘no’ to my family or friends, they complain I’m selfish or have a negative attitude or not being nice or don’t know how to be a team player. My brother says ‘no’ all the time—at least it feels that way—and most of the time they just say ‘okay.’ It’s not fair!”

Clara, it turned out, was 23 years old and, as far back as she could recall, “no” from her was an unacceptable response. Even during the so-called terrible twos, when children begin to differentiate themselves from other human beings—likely by saying “no” because there is usually little opportunity for saying “yes”— Clara had been expected to do as she was told and be quick about it.

Used appropriately, saying “no” means something. It is a clear statement that you, as a separate and unique individual, have personal limits (e.g., ethical, social, spiritual, sexual, financial, physical, mental, emotional, and professional). These boundaries help you connect with others and stay safe at the same time. When you say “no,” it affirms your personal limits clearly and positively. In one setting, it may announce your integrity, while in another it may shield you from being exploited. If you can never say “no” to anything, you are being controlled possibly by expectations, family scripts, and/or perceived rules or threats—whether verbalized or not.

“Growing up there was always only one option,” said Clara, “and I was expected to be agreeable and immediately comply. I didn’t have any other choice.”

I wanted to respond empathetically. “I regret that you had few opportunities to practice making choices.”

The words options and choices clearly imply decision-making, a key developmental task that underlies much of a person’s success in life. The wise parent or care provider offers children choices very early in life and as often

36 Health & Home September-October 2015

By ARLENE R. TAYLOR

as possible. Giving only two choices at a time is preferred, since the brain has only two cerebral hemispheres. Almost any two choices work if they are safe and healthy. This gives the child practice at making choices by saying “no” to one and “yes” to the other.”

For example: Pick either the red top or the blue top. Your choice. Would you like me to peel your banana, or will you do it yourself? You choose. I have water and orange juice. You may choose either one. This morning you can play basketball or go biking.

When the child makes a choice, make sure to follow that choice, so he or she learns that there are consequences to making choices. Sometimes a child who wants desperately to please or who has learned it is unsafe to verbalize personal wishes will say, “I don’t care. You choose.” That’s a great opportunity to reply with: “You are the only person who will be with you for your entire life.

It’s important that you learn to take good care of yourself by knowing how to make choices. You are old enough to start now.”

Make no mistake. It takes courage to offer choices, especially in the short term. An anxious, over-controlling, or perfectionistic adult, or a care provider with self-esteem issues, is typically too fearful to encourage a child to make choices. At times it may be faster and easier to just tell the child what to do. This is, however, unhelpful in the long term. The healthy, functional adult or care provider, one with a balanced sense of selfworth and high levels of emotional intelligence (EQ), understands the critical importance of each human being learning to make choices and experiencing the consequences of those choices.

Generally, they provide this opportunity on a regular basis. And the sooner in life the better.

Beyond Imagination Series

The Design of the Earth

T

here are few places in the world with more varieties of fascinating life than Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. This enormous complex of reefs runs along the northeastern coast of the Land Down Under. Snorkeling there, you can see giant clams with their exposed mantles green with microscopic algae. Schools of colorful fish appear and disappear among the coral. The coral itself is a wonder to behold, a living organism miles long in a rainbow of colors and an endless array of shapes and sizes. Hidden in its depths are colonies of wonderful life-forms and amazing creatures.

Cooperative relationship What may be even more wondrous are some of the hidden details in the lives of these creatures. The giant clam, for example, has an interesting, mutually beneficial relationship with

the tiny, one-celled alga called Symbiodinium. The clam—which really is giant-sized at four feet long and up to 500 pounds—sits on the ocean floor with its two shells spread apart and its fleshy mantle exposed to sunlight. The algal cells live within the cells of the clam’s mantle, where they produce food by photosynthesis. A single clam may have millions or even billions of algal cells in its tissues. The algae obtain nutrients from the clam, and the clam gets part of its nutrients from food produced by the algae. This is a kind of cooperative relationship in which each partner benefits the other. Together, the giant clam and its algae can live for up to 100 years.

Cooperative relationships are common among living organisms.

Some, like the giant clam and the tiny alga, are very specific. In the big picture, all living organisms interact

38 Health & Home September-October 2015

in ways that are mutually beneficial.

Plants capture energy from sunlight and use it to convert water and carbon dioxide into food. Oxygen is released in the process. Animals recombine the oxygen and food to release the energy for growth and movement. Carbon dioxide is produced in this process, which is used by the plants to produce food. The cycle continues, and the mutually beneficial interactions among plants and animals make survival possible for a rich diversity of living creatures, including humans.

Perfect timing The palolo worm is another interesting creature that lives in the corals of the Great Barrier Reef, and in many other places in the South Pacific.

These worms, which look a little like a flattened earthworm, grow to about a foot in length, and live in tunnels in blocks of coral, where they feed on

Image courtesy of iStockphoto.com

By JOHN T. BALDWIN, L. JAMES GIBSON, and JERRY D. THOMAS

Luis Philippe Manzano:

WWF-Philippines Marine Conservation Steward

By LUCILE B. TAÑALAS

H

e looks dashing even in the simplest outfit: perfect-fit shirt, shorts, tennis shoes, and sunglasses to match. “He is going directly to his workout right after this interview,” Gregg Yan, World Wide Fund for Nature* (WWF)-Philippines Communications Manager and a dear friend, informs us. Luis greets the Health & Home staff with his boyish smile and firm handshake.

You see him on ASAP every Sunday, The Voice Kids Philippines on Saturday and Sunday nights, and Deal or No Deal on weekdays. Add a taxi business to attend to, advocacies to promote like WWF, barkadas to socialize with, and a special Angel to inspire him, and you’ll wonder how he juggles his time and still enjoy life.

I’d like to share 10 inspiring characteristics I’ve discovered about this young man that made me realize he’s more than just “Lucky.”

1. Family-oriented fellow

“I try to find time at least once a week to bond with my family,” he shares. “On special occasions, we’re always together; it’s a must. Sundays are my busiest because of TV hosting commitments. But then Sunday is the only rest day for my Mom (Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos). So after work, I spend dinner sometimes with my family, sometimes with Angel (Locsin), or with my barkada.”

photo/Gregg Yan

2. Understanding stepson

Luis remembers meeting Sen. Ralph Recto when he was four years old. They've been close since then. “He and I are buddies. We never had a fight. We know our boundaries.

Tito Ralph knows that I have a real dad (actor/ TV host Edu Manzano), but he is always there for me just in case my parents are busy, or I needed an extra confidant."

Health & Home September-October 2015

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