Perfect, Cheap, All-Natural Health and Fitness Elixir

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, friends--I found it!

Yup! I finally found it, folks! I've been looking for the perfect, cheap, all-natural health and fitness elixir available. I've been searching high and low. Majority of them are expensive or fakes--or both. Some are good but they cost your entire month's wage to buy one. Some costs 3-month salary. Is it really that expensive to enjoy good health and fitness? There must be something…

Then I discovered all-natural apple cider vinegar (ACV). It's very affordable. My wife and I scouted around and discovered that in Manila, Health Options (they have shops in some SM malls) sell it for only a hundred plus pesos per pint or 16 full ounces. You may also buy online. It's cheaper because you don't get to drink a bottle-full or even a cup-full; you just take 2 teaspoons per mix. Mix it with a glass of clean water, and drink--3 times a day.

You may not like the smell and sour taste, but that's not important. What I'm after are the health and fitness benefits. Just look at the benefits of this perfect, cheap, all-natural health and fitness elixir:

1. Weight Loss. No, it's not a fat burner. But it regulates your food intake. It reduces your desire to eat too much. Well, some claim it speeds up metabolism. In my case, I feel it. I'm not that of a devourer anymore.

2. Controls Bad Cholesterol. Somehow it lowers your LDL. Perhaps, it's all because you lessen your appetite for fatty foods. 

3. Strengthens the immune system. It's rich in Vitamins C, E, A, P, B1 and B12,  and B6. It is also full of vital minerals like manganese, iron, calcium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, chlorine, and fluorin, and they are all-natural.  

It has enzymes, amino acids, aldehydes, and apple pectin--which is an important fiber for health and fitness. It also has lots of potassium and help control glucose levels. It is a powerful energizer. Above all, it remedies tummy problems like reflux, IBS, and the like. It also fights infections and allergies. 

It's good for arthritis, strong bones, and helps relieves your nasal congestion and sore throats. Plus a lot more! It's the perfect, cheap, all-natural health and fitness elixir! When buying, make sure to opt for the organic kind, and with the "Mother."

Just one thing--make sure to gargle well after drinking a glass of the ACV concoction--to guard against teeth erosion. And oh, it fights bad breath because it's a natural pro-biotic (kills germs). Good for your acne, too!

Pineapple Omelet: Have You Tried It?

Pineapple omelet--pineapple slices dipped in beaten eggs and fried in oil. Well, this is not exactly what I mean--although it's something close. When I think of something weird, I say it's my pineapple omelet. Like my milk and turnip (singkamas) shake. Ever tried that?

Or, how I enjoyed dipping my hotdogs in vinegar as a kid. And I think I  was among the pioneers who ate hotdogs with rice in the 60s. I've been experimenting on foods and things and ideas to come up with lots of my pineapple omelets. It's my nature to try and learn new things or try what most people say is dangerous or prohibited. It's not because I want to be foolish; I wanna know the truth. I don't want to just take people's word for it. Most people do not think about what they do or believe in and never end up with their pineapple omelet.

Pineapple omelet enables you to see the truth for yourself. I grew up in a church culture that says not going to church on Sundays makes God so angry at you. After several pineapple omelets I found out the truth: it's not our church attendance God is finical about; it's our life. God says, "present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. This is your spiritual worship." So it's all about life--whether you're living the Jesus LIFE.

 

They've been saying if you have no college diploma or degree or credentials, you'd never make it to higher positions--or even get a job. Well, if you have a degree, good for you. If not, it's not the end of the world. In fact, what I found after much pineapple omelet munching is that you can not only end up with a good job; you can even be promoted to being boss or manager. It happened to me many times.

Pineapple omelet--you should try it some time.

Pineapple Omelet for Your Finances!

Tips on How Not To Burn Your Rice

How not to burn your rice. Some friends are wondering how not to burn their rice when cooking it. Here are Choy's wild ideas:

1. Never cook rice. If you never cook rice you won't burn it. 

2. Eat bread or oat meal. That way, you won't need to cook rice and burn it. 

3. When you have washed the rice and put the right amount of water with it in the cooker, don't turn the cooker on. This is a sure tip on how not to burn your rice.

4. Never buy rice. 

5. Never go to a rice store.

Other Ways How not to Burn Your Rice

If you have guests who are Asians who love to eat rice, buy cooked rice from a restaurant. Or organize a pot luck and urge your Asian guests to bring rice. Or announce a sacrificial dinner of bread and soup. I promise you, these tips will ensure that you never burn your rice again.

Or try telling this short story to your Asian guests: "Rice is good but I know a guy who ate rice and died." Then your guests would ask, "Really? You can die eating rice?" Then tell them, "Well, it's like this. The guy ate too much rice when he was invited over for dinner by a friend. And then while walking home, he was hit by a car and died on the spot."

Last Resort

Here's another surefire tip: If your Asian guests still look for rice even if you have followed the above tips, do this: Tell them you often burn rice when you cook it. That way, they'd do either of two things:

1. Forget about dinner and go home.

2. Offer to cook the rice themselves.

Either way, you are prevented from burning your rice. There's your best tip on how not to burn your rice.

Crazy but Relaxing Ideas

No Water?

And it Just Rained So Hard Last Night! Where is this all coming to? They say the Polar ice caps are melting and flooding all the seas worldwide with excess water due to climate change. And yet, no water? Can they not channel the excess water to the city dams and filter them and turn them to potable water? I mean, we're in the 21st century, and we're supposed to be able to do that, right? Don't we have an effective water technology?

Early this summer they complained about a cloudless sky. They could have seeded clouds if there were any, they claimed, but there weren't. The planes for seeding clouds were all ready to take off at the slightest sign of clouds. Okay, good excuse, I told myself. So let's pray for clouds. Then came heavy, dark, angry clouds. Did they seed? No rain came. Still no water, said the news. So where's the effective water technology I saw on TV documentaries?

Then last night it rained. It was a glory to feel the refreshing cool breeze. Wow! They seeded the clouds, at last! But early this morning, we found our faucets dry. I opened them and they released nothing but air--in a ghostly moan that sent our cat scramming in fear. Is this a joke or what?

How can you workout when there's no water to take a shower with after? How can you go to work? How can you cook and wash dishes? How can you fight the blazing summer heat? How can you....where's that effective water technology? Only Japan has it? Why didn't they take that technology here years ago then? 

The 7000 plus islands we have are surrounded by bodies of water. That should eliminate all excuses of having no water during drought or El Nino or climate change, or what-have-you. If we have an effective water technology and wisely invest in it, we would have nothing to worry about no matter the climate Nino or El Change that happens around us. 

So, there's no water. Hmmm...I think the bottled waters in the fridge would do for taking a bath and using the toilet. The phone rings....my sister asks if we have water supply. "Yeah," I answer, "we have lots of water...in the fridge and in our bodies---70 percent of body weight is water! Ain't that good news?" She hangs up. 

Now here are tips on saving water:

1. Conserve water. After gurgling water when brushing teeth, keep it for later use--I mean to wash car tires or the street canal--not for gurgling again. 

2. Save the water when washing your hair. Use it for flushing the toilet bowl. 

3. Use paper plates, cardboard cups, and other disposables for a while for dinners. No, don't eat them--I mean, us them for containing food and transporting food from container to your mouth. Okay?

4. And use Downy softener when rinsing clothes--the type that allows for super effective one-time rinsing. 

Jocotes Will Keep You Fit and Happy

Jocotes will keep you fit. I know that for a fact. I mean, fruits keep us healthy. Eat enough and you're on your way to fitness and happiness. Oh yeah, jocotes can make you happy. I can remember as a kid how I and my cousins would buy some jocotes and try to hit each other with them. It was fun to see very ripe and soft jocotes hit someone's face. What are jocotes? They're "Sinigwelas!" Man, you should know!

Or, there's an alternative. Eat the jocotes first and then hit someone with the remaining seed, with traces of your saliva still on it. Or, just plain hit a foe with it whole and round. When I spent summer vacations in San Juan, La Union as a kid, that was among our summer treats. I wonder if my cousins remember. There would be jocotes everywhere. It signaled the onslaught of summer heat. By the way, that's my hand above holding jocotes. My skin's still rich with fresh collagen. See? Because of jocotes. 

But be sure about it--jocotes will keep you fit. Because of its dark green color, it's got lots of antioxidants, Vitamins, and other micro-nutrients. Not to mention the natural fiber. When you bite into it, you'd see its rich yellow inner color. That makes it so rich in Vitamin A. I heard somewhere from someone that jocotes also pact you up with iron and alkaline. That makes it safe for those with reflux--I mean the alkaline part. Plus, they say it has a fat burner property. And I'm sure that any fruit as good-looking as jocotes can only mean good health for anyone. Yes, jocotes will keep you fit. 

I can also remember how we used jocotes to decorate cakes and other sweet desserts--like Halo-Halo. You should try keeping extra ripe (but not rotten) jocotes in your chiller for an hour or two. Then take a bite--ummm! Relish that cool, fresh splash of juicy jocote essence round your tongue, teeth, and tongue! It's something like a subtle mix of papaya, pineapple, banana, kiwi, and peach, all rolled into that tiny crooked, oblong globe of a tropical fruit. Hey, that's my finger above sizing up a jocote. All jocotes seen here on the blog have been consumed as of this writing. Yum!

Now, why didn't anyone invent seedless jocotes? I also used to ask why a seedless mango was never invented. Anyone who invents them will become a multi-billionaire in a day. And how about a seedless mongo? Hey, I know a man who loved eating mongo beans and he died....

Anyway, jocotes will keep you fit. The only problem is, it's not a year-round fruit in Manila. What happens if your wife gets pregnant and starts craving for jocotes in October? Someone must start making jocote jam or candy or preserves. Or at least make it a juice flavor. 

The guy above is a jocote fanatic kept fit by the fruit--and regular exercise (martial arts) and right diet. I just had my latest blood chemistry this month, April 2010, and the results were all very normal! Praise God! And I'm able to keep an ideal weight. Yup, jocotes will keep you fit.

How to Normalize Your BP Effectively

Do It! Do It! Do It!

We've heard enough about the causes of high blood pressure and how to normalize your BP. I think we really know what we ought to do--problem is, we don't do it, and do it consistently. I've observed in emergency rooms and often hear BP patients saying "I've not been taking my pill," or "I ate quite a bit of this and that."

But what I'd really want to point out here are just 4 things--eat right, exercise, drink plenty of water, and relax. Often, simply do this and you'd be out of trouble. They're enough to answer what most people ask about how to normalize your BP. But, again, the problem is, they don't do it regularly. You have to think of it as your life. It's the way things are now. Don't change it.

When I recommend this remedy, I often check folks I recommend it to. They do it persistently the first few weeks, and then lax. Then they complain about getting high BPs. Then they ask you again for other remedies on how to normalize your BP. Then they insist your formula doesn't work. 

Okay, for you new visitors to Choy's Blog, get this straight and just do it, do it, and do it. Don't stop. And regularly consult your doctor.

Eat Right

Do I need to explain this? Eat lots of fruits and veggies--especially the green leafy. I don't care if they taste terrible. Just eat them. Forget about taste. It's your life to forget about taste. And always use olive or corn oil. Forget about the rest types of cooking oil. Eat a small cup of rice, and that's it (no, don't eat the cup--eat the rice in the cup). 

Exercise

Brisk walking is the best. Do it leisurely. Don't have goals or targets--just walk and enjoy. Always consult your doctor about it, and your progress. Do it each early morning, or every other day. Do it for 30 to 40 minutes. Sway your arms and move your body as you brisk walk. If you get tired rest. As simple as that. That's how to normalize your BP. 

Plenty of Water

Drink 3 glasses first thing in the morning prior to brisk walking. Relax and rest, and then brisk walk. Drink 8 glasses a day. Drink, drink, drink. Drink fresh fruit juices. My favorite is avocado, mango, papaya, and banana mix cocktail. Forget about your beer or alcohol. Red wine is good now and then--ask your doc about it. 

Relax, Will You?

Just relax. Don't take any problem seriously. Think about solutions but be sure to relax and enjoy life more. If you cannot solve a problem--then don't solve it. Pray for it to just go away. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! RELAX! Some people just cannot relax. Lots of people have forgotten the art of relaxing. We have to re-learn this gift from God. 

I have my share of problems. Well, because of my simplicity, I have less serious problems than most people do. When I have a heavy problem, I just relax and enjoy, while thinking out solutions. If it's unsolvable--to heck with it. I throw it away, and just relax. 

Well, there's another tip: live a simple life.

Kayaking in Quezon City?

Kayaking in Quezon City? I was in grade 6 then. We were mighty adventurous, but lacking outlets to release our energies through. We wanted to go kayaking, but didn't have the kayak, the wild river, and the skill to do it. We remembered the dirty river nearby. Okay, that would do. Now, how to build the kayak? The kayaking skill could come later--right on the spot.

We got some empty rectangular gasoline cans, riveted them together to fit our legs in, and that formed the "kayak." We also built a "canoe" using Chinese wood planks nailed together. We sealed joints by dropping melted candle on them. That should do it, we thought. We also made paddles from woods. Then we marched through the woods and then down the dirty river to go kayaking in Quezon City. 

Everything sank. Kayaking was not that easy, after all. It looked so easy in the Encyclopedia we had browsed. The same with canoeing. We noticed goat poo floating on the water. Some of us wallowed some of that water when we sank. It was a miracle that no one had stomach trouble. We went home laughing, though a bit frustrated. We planned on a come back--we wanted to be the first to go kayaking in Quezon City. But the return bout never happened again. That was in 1972. 

 

Some 38 years have passed. Most of the QC kayakers are living abroad--one in Australia, two in the US, one is a Housing commissioner, one is dead, and one is a web content writer---me. Recently I passed by the bridge along Mindanao Avenue near Road 20 where the kayaking trip happened. It's now a major, busy road. Some 38 years ago it was surrounded by woods and thick clusters of bamboos. I reminisced and smiled as I passed by---kayaking in Quezon City. We never thought it was crazy and dangerous. 

Kids, don't do that at home--or in any river nearby.