Back to basics

Home remedies for colds, cough, and flu

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
February 19, 2014

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In preventing and curing colds, cough, and flu, did you know that a whip or two of some basic home ingredients can get you through?  Need not look in a drugstore, but be your own doctor. The answers lie in your own kitchen or in your organic garden. Spend less, or even nothing.  You know we are not bluffing. Here are some easy steps to follow for a healthier, happier tomorrow. 

Garlic

This indispensable cooking ingredient is known for its antibacterial and antiviral properties thus, it is an effective solution for fighting colds, cough, and flu. Peel two to three cloves of fresh garlic and gently crush them. Add two cups of boiling water after. Sweetened this drink with raw honey and voila, a calming beverage for you.

Hot water with honey and lemon

Cut two thin slices of lemon (or more if you want) in a cup of warm water and sweetened it with honey. This soothing concoction can temporarily relieve cough. Have it as many times as you want!

Salt solution

Ease your sore throat by making a saltwater gargle. Just mix two teaspoon of salt into warm water. Salt is one of the best natural astringents that helps relieve sore throat and swelling. Meanwhile, to ease your congested nasal, make your own saline drops/spray by adding ¼ teaspoon to 8 ounces of water. Spray or drop the solution into each nostril at least three to four times. Repeat five times a day.

Extra pillow

Have a good night rest by elevating your head with extra pillows. It will relieve your congested nasal passages.

Chicken noodle soup

A healthy and savory soup helps keep the colds away! Did you know that chicken soup contains cysteines, which are known at thinning the mucus? Scientists also believe that the vapor/fume of the soup helps release the mucus and fights against virus. The chicken, vegetables, and noodles also give you energy and nutrients.

Steam

Take a bath in warm shower, close the door, and savor the steam of your own sauna-like bathroom. The vapor helps open up clogged passageways as it also softens thickened mucus in your sinuses. If hot baths are not your thing, pour boiling water in a bowl mixed with ginger and eucalyptus and breathe the fumes of your aromatic steamer.

Lotsa liquids

Drink at least 8 glasses of water to keep your mucous membranes moist and thus easier to expel. It will also relieve your dry eyes and ease your swelling throat.

Lemon

If you don’t like the salt gargle, squeeze lemon to your glass of warm water instead. Bacteria and viruses don’t like the acidity of the lemon.

Art that heals, empowers, celebrates

Philippine Arts Festival 2014: Art that heals, empowers, celebrates

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
February 10, 2014

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Philippine art appears to be on the edge.  It is on the brink of being forgotten with artworks and artists relegated to the peripheries. The artists, meanwhile, are slowly getting trapped by the daily routines of everyday life, their creativity somewhat stifled by mundane concerns. Yet, art strives to bring the artists back to the mainstream.  And in doing so, it challenges and pushes people to step out of their comfort zone to create, innovate, celebrate.

These are the focus and objectives of this year’s celebration of the Philippine Arts Festival (PAF) spearheaded by the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA). This year, NCCA takes on the theme, “Art on the Edge: Arts for Healing, Arts for All.” It celebrated its opening last Jan. 30 in Roxas City, Capiz.

But besides being a catalyst for evolution, innovation, creation, and advancement, art is an avenue for healing. Last year was a testament to difficulty and triumph. We were almost knocked out by killer earthquakes and super typhoons;  and yet, while we were shaken, art has helped (and is still helping) people to stand up, rebuild, and heal.

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  Local musicians share their traditional music.

Art as healing

Capiz is the most apt setting for the PAF event as the province is art-friendly and artistic. It is also one of the areas in the Visayas badly beaten by the super typhoon Yolanda. It needs healing through art.

“Art on the Edge means arts for the people in crisis especially in Visayas. We bring them the arts because art heals people,” NCCA Chairman Felipe De Leon Jr. said.

How does art heal people? De Leon explained that art as a form of expression aids in forgetting, expressing, and rebuilding one’s senses. It helps that Filipinos are innately creative, passionate, and expressive.

“Art on the Edge utilizes the Filipinos as resources because we are expressive. We like to express our feelings and our thoughts through the arts. Therefore, we can recover easily from any tragedy, from any calamity, because expression means [getting] out of your system all those pain and traumas caused by the calamities, manmade and natural,” De Leon said.

He added that being expressive also means being sensitive to the misery of the people, the victims on the edge.

Provincial arts

“Another meaning of the Art on the Edge is that we are trying to bring to the mainstream people who are on the periphery, ‘yung mga halos di natin napapansin, the marginalized, the provincial arts. Ang napapansin kasi natin urban arts.  Our goal is to bring them to the mainstream so we can empower,” De Leon said.

Sayaw Pinoy, etc.

Last January 20, LRT passengers were treated to samplings of dances—Filipiniana, hip hop, ballet, contemporary dance—as a prelude to PAF. This year, Sayaw Pinoy lends the stage to local performers from various dance companies. But more than the showcase of talents, the annual dance presentation aims to encourage budding dancers as well as express their emotions through graceful dance moves. Sayaw Pinoy is the longest-running National Arts Month project.

Aside from dance, PAF consists of the other flagship projects of the national committees of the sub-commissions on architecture, cinema, literature, music, theater, and visual arts. The activities will be held nationwide to highlight our innate artistic talents.

For more details on the activities and schedules, contact PAF Media Director and NCCA-Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO) head, Rene Sanchez Napeñas at (632) 527-2192 or at 0928.5081057 or log on to www.ncca.gov.ph.

no fuss, no frills

No frills, no fuss

A Home From Home With Andrei Felix…

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
February 5, 2014

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Minimalist and pragmatic, the home of TV personality Andrei Felix is a stark contrast to the gilded furnishings, stunning arches, and marble glass lobby of the European-inspired Grand Palazzo condominium tower in Eastwood.

The 57-sq.-meter unit Andrei has been living in since 2008 embodies a typical bachelor pad. It has the perfect home entertainment set up for watching basketball games, movies and playing video games, and enough cozy ambiance for an intimate date night.

The unit accommodates only the basic necessities, no frills, no fuss. Not that it was devoid of luxurious trappings, he treasures his collections of shoes, watches, caps, movies, and Marvel action figures.  His pad houses the basics – a couch and a TV in the living room, a bed, a refrigerator, a dining table, and of course, his ever reliable microwave oven.

Photography by Noel Pabalate

“I cook bacon; but using the microwave. Tinatamad na ‘ko mag-luto. Tapos, malapit din naman bahay ng lolo ko, so minsan nagpapaluto ako doon. Or pa deliver or takeout. Kaya love na love ko ang Eastwood, kasi it is very accessible,” Andrei says.

His carefree lifestyle reflects his choices of gadgets, appliances, and furniture. “I only buy what I need,”

His carefree lifestyle reflects his choices of gadgets, appliances, and furniture. “I only buy what I need,” he shares. His furniture pieces are either inherited from their old house (his family is now based in the States) or domestic influences of past relationships.

It’s not surprising then that Andrei, with his angelic and clean-shaven look, is a typical guy. In fact, he relates himself to Hollywood actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character in the movie Don Jon. He quotes his favorite line, “There are only a few things I care about in life, my body, my pad, my ride, my family, my church, my boys, my girls…”.

Like the character in Don Jon, he says cleaning the mirror with a brush and soap is the only household chore he enjoys doing besides sweeping the floor. “But I wish I also have his (Don Jon) patience na maglinis ng buong bahay,” he says.

He would not need a house helper though. The house keeps up with its owner. He cleans only when there is a visitor (he cleaned his house and shaved his beard before this interview). But nobody minds.

“I am alone in the house, I don’t have visitors every day and nobody sees it in a daily basis. So I don’t need to clean,” he explains with a sheepish grin. Well, previously, his simple abode gets constant tidying thanks to his past relationships, but now that he is currently single, the cleaning part takes a backseat.

So does a home reflect the personality of its owners?

It takes a long conversation to notice that beyond the messy setting, despite the undomesticated set up, (which is typical of any single guy), you’ll find a comfortable home. His dwelling was casual and inviting. The chaos grows on you. Simply put, amid the heaps of unfolded clothes, piled up collection of shoes, and disorganized DVDs and CDs, is a good-natured man living the life and enjoying his space.

He treasures his collections of shoes, watches, caps, movies, and Marvel action figures,

Minimalist and pragmatic

Don’t let food labels fool you!

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
February 4, 2014 (updated)

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The careful scrutiny of the nutritional labels seen on the back of food package is the second best solution to healthy consumption next to eating freshly picked veggies, fruits, and sea food. Apparently though, making sense of the food packages is not as simple as you may think. Do not be fooled for there is an art behind it. Here’s how:

Read the serving size first

“Look at the serving size. This is where a lot of companies get you because you think and look at the label and see that, “Oh this bag of chips only has 40 calories. That’s perfect!” and then you read closer and figure out that it is only for eating two pieces of chips, which is not the way you eat your chips especially when you are in front of the TV,” Millie Davis of Tagaytay’s medi-spa Nurture Wellness Village explains.

Here is another example. A 16 fl oz (473-ml) soda says that it only has 96 calories. But then again, you will see that the serving size is 8 fl oz (240 ml) and the servings per container is 2.0, which means that calories will be doubled if you plan to consume it all.

Analyze the calories

On average, men need 2200 calories per day while women need 1,800. This being said, the next thing to do is look at the calorie content. Look for low calorie and low sugar content food because the sugar goes directly to and stays on your hips—forever, unless you exercise and trim down your calorie and sugar intake.

On artificial ingredients

“The more it looks like a chemistry lesson the more you should avoid it. If you cannot pronounce the ingredients anymore avoid that because it means it is highly processed,” Davies adds.

The order of the ingredients used is in proportion to their amount.

Brown is our best friend

Stay away from white (rice, sugar, bread, pasta etc.) and go for the unrefined and healthier option—brown food.

Imperfectly perfect fruit

Oftentimes, we choose the unblemished fruit thinking that the flawless one is the most nutritious. Think again! Apparently, a perfect fruit may have undergone chemical treatments hence its perfection. “The ugly banana is perfect in its imperfection,” Davis says. So the next time you are at the market, choose the spotted fruit instead because it means that it is organic.

Fats 101

Not all fats are bad for you. We need a small amount of fats because they coat the heart and our blood vessels. Mono and poly unsaturated fats are good; consume them in moderation. The trans fat and saturated fat are the worst enemies! Below is a helpful mnemonic you can memorize:

Why wellness doesn’t suck!

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
February 4, 2014

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•  

Did you know that giving in to your favorite chocolate mousse is okay? But it only becomes healthy and satisfying when you share your favorite dessert with your friend and partner it with water and fruits.

Unfortunately, a whole lot of Filipino food is unhealthy and Americanized, leaning toward the oily, fried, and fatty food choices. In fact, stress and sluggishness, dubbed by experts as the Black Death of the 21st century, may be attributed to one’s food preference. But then again, leading a healthy lifestyle is a conscious effort and choice. It does not mean restricting your diet to mere salad and water and starving yourself from your comfort food. It is all about balance.

Nothing beats a refreshing kale juice mixed with lemon, malunggay, and water. (Photo by Rudy Liwanag)

“Go ahead, eat your sisig, but don’t eat it 100 percent,” health and wellness coach and specialist Catherine Brillantes-Turvill says. Incidentally, she is also the owner of the Nurture Wellness Village, a destination spa in Tagaytay (Pulong Sagingan Brgy. Maitim II West).

The Nurture Wellness Village offers the Work Well Project, which focuses on helping people, especially the young and working class, to live a healthy lifestyle. The project injects hip, fun, and doable activities one can apply at home or in the workplace.

The project banks on the growing cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and cancer because of sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy food choices, and tobacco and alcohol abuse. Most of the victims of the NCDs are the working class aged 20 and above. The World Health Organization says that more than nine million of all deaths attributed to NCDs occur before the age of 60 and 90% of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, including the Philippines.

Let’s do the happy dance! (Photo by Rudy Liwanag)

The lush green forest, fresh air, and bucolic setting is perfect for a corporate teambuilding location. (Photo by Rudy Liwanag)

Work Well Project

“We are a hospital in many ways but we advocate more on the prevention. We want to take away the negative notion that health and wellness is baduy (outdated) and for the oldies only,” Turvill says.

The nilaib massage, the Pinoy version of the hot stone massage, uses pouches with sand and herbs to relax the muscles and ease any tension. (Photo by Rudy Liwanag)

Some of the activities one can do when in the village include a five-minute happy dance, which, despite the Tagaytay gentle wind that enveloped our body, made one sweat and pant in a therapeutic way.  Also, the lush garden and scenic view was the perfect setting for a Tai Qi Gong, a traditional Chinese exercise, which improves health by increasing the energy flow through graceful repetitive movements.

For the tired and weary mind and body, the village offers traditional massages and a simple head and shoulder massage, which can be practiced in the office or at home.

Despite the craving for a hot bowl of bulalo to perfectly complement the chill weather, we consciously chose a healthier and organic food fare thanks to the healthy food preparation demo, including the fruit and vegetable juicing. Throw in any favorite fruit and vegetable in a blender, add water, and voila! — a healthy and cheap concoction.

Kale: the super veggie

Among all the fruits and veggies one can juice, kale perhaps is the best option. Kale, dubbed as the wonder veggie, is closely related to cabbage and broccoli. It contains vitamins A, C, E, K, magnesium, calcium, iron, B6, potassium, and omega 3, among others.

Aside from these, the leafy vegetable is also a good anti-oxidant to fight skin problems and a good cancer protection thanks to its organosulfur compound, which is said to reduce the risk of cancer.

Add kale to your diet by injecting it in your malunggay-lemon juice combo or in your favorite soup.

Healthy at home and work

But if you don’t find yourself visiting Tagaytay any time soon, here are some easy-to-do tips for a healthier lifestyle you can apply while at work or home:

• Have a five-minute breathing exercise before going to work

• Bring a healthy baon

• Bring water jug

• Walk or stand up every one hour

• Use the stairs instead of the elevator

• Juice your favorite fruit and vegetable

• Eat in smaller plates

• Only eat when you are hungry

• Control hunger pangs with apple or bubble gum

The Nurture Wellness Village offers team building events, wellness packages, and wedding reception among others. For more information you may visit www.nurture.com.ph.