The Worst Fat?

This is a good advice for those of you who are on a diet plan to keep watch of your fat intake. You must know how to read on what it says of the package label. Here is what it says: Monounsaturated? Good. Saturated? Bad. Trans? Ugly. Trans fat is in many packaged foods, from crackers to salad dressing. The fat, which is often man-made, is used to enhance texture and extend shelf life. It's just as bad- if not worse as saturated fat, since it boosts heart disease risk by raising bad cholesterol.
FDA as well as BFAD is requiring that all food manufacturers list the amount of trans fat on all packaged food labels since 2006. Also check the ingredients list for the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" vegetable oil. Or, if the label lists the amount of saturated, mono and polyunsaturated fats, add them up; if they don't equal the number for total fat, the rest is probably trans fat. The Philippine Heart Association recommends for a 2,000 calorie diet, stick to less than 22 grams of trans and saturated fat combined.
Somehow, knowing all this bitty information would really count a lot. So next time you grab a packaged of your favorite cookies or chips try to give some counting to avoid the "worst fat"!

Eat Right and Stay Fit

Be sweet to your heart. It has been said that tea and chocolate have been touted as heart smart, but you're better off reaching for the latter. A recent review says that "cocoa cause systolic and diastolic blood pressure to drop about 5 and 3 points, respectively, while tea doesn't appear to have much of an effect. Isn't it a great treat for all the ladies out there who really have a sweet tooth! So go ahead and satisfy your next chocolate craving with this easy to make heart warming treat :


Cocoa-Banana Shake


Pulse 2 ice cubes, 1 cup fat -free vanilla frozen yogurt, 1 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in blender until smooth (makes two servings).


So great and easy....


Another thing is to trim the fat. Slash your saturated fat intake by 15% to lower risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Pour skim milk on cereal, use low-fat chesse on sandwiches and make burgers with ground chicken fillet. It sounds great isn't it. Try it now and be sweet to your heart.

Saying Goodbye Is......

How do we say goodbye to someone? For me it's one of the words I hate to say. I hate to say goodbye even if it's just for a while, and much even for good.
This morning, I attended a funeral of one of my closest friend's father who died of old age. Dying for me is so inevitable, it's no respecter of age or gender. Everything and everyone has an end, has a goodbye. No matter how I hate it, no matter how I hate saying it, somehow too often I need to yield to it.... So many goodbyes had gone, most of them are painful. I don't even want to remember them. It always gave me a feeling of sadness, of loneliness, of brokeness.....
How do we say goodbye?! Goodbye to someone we dearly love. To someone who is your life? Can we ever say it without the heaviness in our hearts, without that something hard to swallow feeling on your throat...... Tell me, how do we say goodbye without the tears.....welling up in your eyes....

The Miracle Mineral That Helps You Lose Weight

Studies found that people with the highest calcium intakes have the lowest levels of body fat. They also weight less than people who don't take in enough calcium. Why is this? Low calcium consumption results in an increase in vitamin D in the bloodstream, which signals fat cells to store fat. "Your body will react to calcium deficiency by hanging on to fat. That's exactly the wrong message to send to your cells if you're trying to control your weight, and if you're trying to lose weight. If you are on a weight-loss plan, a diet high in calcium can actually increase the speed at which you lose weight. That's because high-calcium diets suppress levels of calcitriol, a hormone that promotes the accumulation of fat, according to a research.
How much calcium do we need? Women between the ages of 19-50 should get 1,000 mg of calcium daily, menopausal women over 50 should take in between 1,200 -1,500 mg a day. When we don't take enough calcium, the body starts taking it from your bone reserve to maintain an even level of calcium in your bloodstream. Draining the calcium reserve from the bone can lead to osteoporosis, which results in a high percentage of all hip fractures among women.
To all those who are planning to lose weight this New Year, take the magic mineral. "Keep your calcium levels up to keep your weight down. "

The Male Hormone Women Need, too

If you're postmenopausal and you've lost your energetic zip and sex drive, you may benefit from "testosterone." While women produce only one-twentieth of the amount of this hormone that men do, "testosterone" serves a number of important functions in women, including maintaining muscle mass and building bone, regulating metabolism, protecting the cardiovascular system and supporting certain brain functions.
"Testosterone" levels peak in the late teens. By your late 30s, production is decreased by more than half, and menopause cuts it in half again. "Testosterone" deficiency may also occur in women who take oral contraceptives.
A blood test can reveal a deficiency. But there's no way of saying, "if your testosterone level is normal, then you're okay," since the same level of the hormone can feel different to each woman, so better pay more attention to some symptoms that may exist.
"Testosterone" supplements are available in a topical cream or gel, or an oral capsule. You may ask or consult your doctor for more advice.

Here are some Symptoms of deficiency:
1. Low energy level and persistent fatigue
2. Diminished sense of well-being
3. Loss of libido
4. Poor muscle tone or loss of strength
5. Thinning of hair in some women
6. Dry skin, brittle hair and nail

New Year

It's the first day of the year, so unusual though, everything is peace and quiet. Something different from my past 24 years of being married. Ah, perhaps it's because my two girls are now both grown up. My eldest is not staying with us anymore and my youngest have her own space in her own little room, in her own world. Is this what a married life has to offer, quietness or emptiness after 24 years of making yourself too noisy and busy for them. I wonder what's in store for me this year. What will keep me busy? What will keep me up on my toes? I'm keeping my finger cross on what the year has to offer. I hope and I pray it would be a more blessed and meaningful year for everyone of us.

Before I forget, this year will be our Silver Wedding Anniversary! Yes, it's our 25th wedding anniversary. I myself could'nt imagine it has gone so fast. I wonder where all the years had gone? I survived! We survived all the storms, rocks and hills of marriage. So, this is one thing to look forward to this year. I have to keep myself posted how it feels like having your "Silver Wedding Anniversary" approaching and coming!!!

10 Ways to....Make Every Day of your 2009 Special

BE A JOY SEEKER- Joy is everywhere, you just need to know where to look. So open your eyes wide this New Year and try the following:

1. Anticipate good. Every day is a new day so you better start your day telling yourself "Something good is going to happen today."

2. Create delightful daily habits. Why not taking an afternoon naps or a nightly bowl of ice creme be a new delight in our habits, as I may suggest....

3. Change your outlook. Treat your chores as an oppurtunity to have fun instead and enjoy it.

4. Look for laughs. Research shows that laughter is good for your mental and physical health, so chase it like a prize.

BE KIND TO OTHERS- Sharing joy with others means more joy for you as well.

5. Give praise. The next time you get great service at a store or restaurant do not forget to give praise or a simple thanks.

6. Be a mentor. Positively influencing a child's life is very rewarding indeed.

7. Send thanks. Write a note on pretty paper to someone you tend to take for granted like: a friend or a family member.

8. Do a good deed every day. It can be a small gesture like letting another shopper go in front of you at the checkout countrer.

THINK SMALL- Sometimes it's the little things that mean the most.

9. Be grateful. Gratitude opens your heart to joy, so be sure to appreciate all your blessings, even the tiny ones.

10. Tune in to yourself. Whatever you're doing, take some time, reflect and appreciate the fact that your body is healthy and strong that you're physically able and strong to perform the task at hand.

Dont' forget to thank God every day. Again every day is a new day, so you have to live it right, live it well.