Shed off Those Holiday Fat

Did you just step into a weighing scale on the first day of 2014 and made a shocking discovery? Well, here are some tips on how to turn those flabs into abs so that you can start the year by being healthy.

According to the article: "Losing Weight The Healthy Way" by the Philippine Star (link:http://www.philstar.com/science-and-technology/2013/12/19/1269587/losing-weight-healthy-way), doing these common weight loss practices can help you be in shape in no time:

* "Exercise 2-3 times a week with at least 20 minute strength training." - In my opinion, people tend to neglect the strength training and focus more on cardio such as jogging, sprinting etc. Yes it will help you burn those calories but by combining it with push ups, sit ups, planking and such will not only burn those fats but also boost your metabolism throughout the day. There were some studies shown that people who do strength training are fitter and stronger than those who do cardio alone.

* "Switch to better alternatives" - In the article, it said that try to to pass on soft drinks to water, butter to peanut butter and mayonnaise to mustard. In short, watch your calorie intake because proper diet has a huge factor on being healthy and in shape.

* "Chewing sugarless chewing gum can suppress your appetite" - studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum can help control your cravings but until now it's still debatable if it's just a myth or a fact.

* "Eat fruits for snack" - instead of eating junk foods such as potato chips and candies for your snack, eat variety of fruits such as mangoes, apples, grapes etc. Healthy yet equally delicious.

* "Lessen your sugar content" - Sugar consumption has a huge contribution to your weight gain so if you can avoid chocolates, ice cream, or any food that has a high sugar content, avoid it but if you have a sweet tooth, try to lessen it.

* "Go Lean" - nuts such as peanuts, cashew nuts and almonds are considered as fat burning foods.

* "Avoid fast foods" - fast foods have high salt content. Avoid it or eat occasionally.

* "Keep track of your diet success and make a goal" - By doing this, it will help you to become motivated and inspired so that you can continue your goal.

These simple practices cannot only make you go back into shape, but also to become healthy. Let's go for a healthier inside and out this 2014!!

By: Ralph Reizon A. Santisteban

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

The chemistry of fireworks:

Sodium produces yellow/gold colors. Barium creates green, copper compounds produce blue, strontium salts give you red and titanium metals give you silver coloured sparks. 

Other commonly used chemicals are carbon which provides the fuel, oxidizers which produce oxygen for burning, magnesium which increases the overall brilliance and brightness, antimony that gives you a "glitter" effect and calcium which deepens the colors.

Image via Intel

Taken from: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=731967500157597&set=a.456449604376056.98921.367116489976035&type=1&theater

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On Men and Mangroves

                The problem with society is that it responds quickly, but temporarily.

                Security in malls tightens right after a robbery incident.

                People rally along the streets upon hearing news about misappropriated funds.

                Everyone participates in relief operations after a calamity strikes the country.

                Yet, two months, or maybe even two weeks after these events occur, people again revert back to their regular habits as if nothing ever happened.

The forum about mangroves and beach forest greenbelts by the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, Inc. held last December 9, 2013 can be considered as an immediate response to the disaster that was typhoon Yolanda. Judging from the audience present in the auditorium that day, this forum had a wider scope, catering mostly to the older crowd instead of college students. I observed that many of them were also taking down notes and taking snapshots of the slideshow presentations of the speakers, and were able to ask intelligent questions that benefitted everyone present at the event.

The forum boasted exceptional speakers, who managed to keep the talk interesting even whilst tackling very technical topics and using uncommon terms. Prior to the forum, I used to think that plants were just plants, and mangroves were just mangroves. Little did I know that it took so much research and skill just to determine where and what type of plants to grow in each area. The speakers even showed detailed aerial images of the lands, and sketched out precisely where mangroves must be established in order to protect against typhoons and other calamities. I appreciated that they really did their best to communicate with the audience. In a forum like this, it is important that the speakers strive to be understood. Communication is everything, especially when the goal is to make people act and be moved by what one is saying.

 Despite the knowledge that I gained that day, I left the forum feeling very disappointed. I found it sad that there were these people who had so much knowledge and ideas on how to better the country, yet seldom do these plans get put into action. What particularly saddened me was when Dr. Primavera mentioned that she had already been studying this for over 20 years. I could not fathom how easily translating this research into reality could have saved thousands of lives, and still, only a few people have listened. It may be ignorance, or sheer lack of care, but whatever it is, something must be done about this system. Although the lives in the past cannot be brought back, it is never too late to nourish mangrove rehabilitation. This can save thousands more in the future.

                       

Nature really is such a wondrous thing, but it is equally terrifying because the environment is not a slave to mankind. The way society cares for its surroundings can determine a nation’s life or death. Sadly, in the case of Yolanda and other other calamities, it was the latter. Hopefully, the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, Inc., along with the speakers and other experts on plant life, can reach even more people and educate them. In this way, the immediate response can see long-term results and be able to prevent future tragedies from occurring through proper planning and the cooperation from people in various sectors of society. Let this not be another concern that people forget about in two months’ time. Restoring the mangroves to their ideal ratio is not something a handful of people can do on their own. Ultimately, people should work hand in hand in creating an environment that will be fit to house this nation’s children, and along with this, cultivate their minds into awareness and action.

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Reflect and Accept

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” –Jimi Hendrix

Photo from www.sunstar.com.ph

A few months had passed after the Zamboanga City crisis in Mindanao but souls are still not healed; homes are still not built; and lives are still not at peace. What good does really a war bring if it costs lives and peace? After the war, what happens next?

A symposium regarding the Zamboanga City crisis was held last December 11, 2013 in the College of Mass Communication by its Graduate Studies Department. The speaker of the event entitled:  “Zamboanga City Crisis: Reconciling a Divided Community” was Ms. Armina T. Rasul-Bernardo, president of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy. She talked about how the Bangsamoro struggled during the Marcos regime, how they lost their land and power even necessities for living like electricity and water sources. She also discussed some background of these people like the religion and culture of Islam which significantly helped in understanding the situation from their perspective. The origin of the problem that led to the war in Zamboanga was also explained in her talk.

When people experience hardships and sufferings, we tend to cope and aspire for change, for a better life that we, undoubtedly, deserve. As humans who have suffered a lot, who lived in the poorest slums, and were put in the lowest kind of low, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) wanted to gain back what were rightfully theirs and what they deserve as Filipinos and they believed that the only way to achieve this is by a bloody war. And shame, this was also what our government had to offer them back.

Ms. Rasul-Bernardo was right as she emphasized on her talk that acceptance and unity are the key to rehabilitation of Zamboanga. Communities must be rebuilt with unity and no discrimination. Our country may be comprised of thousands of separate islands and hundreds of tribes with different religions and culture but we should unite as Filipinos and accept each other’s differences to be able to live in peace and harmony. Wars and bloodshed are never the answer to a better life. Wars only create victims and break bonds.  Hunger for power won’t lead us to anything good. Once we embrace our differences and accept one another as brothers and sisters, and treat every being as equal, we are never too far from this peace that we have always been talking about.

by Mykha Marie B. Tabuzo, 2010 24968

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Some Like it Cool

Photo taken from: student.societyforscience.org
Courtesy of Kathleen Kokolus and Sandra Sexton

I’m writing this blog entry as a dedication to a close family friend who I recently found out is in her 4^th stage of colon cancer. Cancer is a very painful thing to happen to anyone – not just to the patient but to his/her family and friends as well. As of press time, the cure to cancer has yet to be discovered.

Researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., found out that mice kept at lower temperature developed more cancer tumors than those kept at higher temperature.  (See main article here: https://student.societyforscience.org/article/cold-environment-suppresses-mice-immune-system-can-foster-cancer-growth). A batch of mice was kept at about 22.5°C and another separate batch kept at a temperature raised to 30.5°C. The batch of mice kept at a warmer temperature developed fewer tumors, their cancer cells grew more slowly and were unlikely to develop more tumors throughout the body. It was suspected that cold room temperatures mess up the immunity of the test mice and thus had fewer killer T cells, a type of white blood cell. Also, cells known to partially turn off immunity were found in higher numbers in the tumors in those housed in colder temperatures.

While this new discovery only aids in minimizing the tumors and the development of more cancer cells, it still doesn’t eliminate cancer totally. Another study conducted at the University of Alberta (see article here: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/06/26/dichloroacetate-university-of-alberta-doctors-discover-a-cure-for-cancer/) suggests a link between pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and cancer. 

Dichloroacetate (DCA) was also found to shrink solid tumors, including the aggressive primary brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme in humans. It has been proven to reverse cancer growth. The drug tricks cancer cells into normal energy production by changing the ways they handle nutrient fuels. This causes the cancer cells to “self-destruct” without harming other cells in the body. Many researchers around the world have confirmed the validity of the research study conducted by the University of Alberta. Disputes over public funding vs biased industry ties are seen to be suppress known cures that won’t make them profit. 

Through the years, extensive research and efforts have been put up to develop a cure for cancer. Billions of money and time are continuously being invested, but issues concerning culture and religion among others as well as lack of support from the medical industry hamper the development for a cure.

I am positive and I feel hopeful that a cure for cancer is on its way very soon.

by Audrey Raposa

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