Cleansing Diet

When I posted on my Facebook account that I lose 8 lbs after a week of diet, a couple of friends and friends of my friends sent me private messages expressing their interests in the said diet. I responded to their messages but I just can’t provide all the necessary details in one particular email. So I thought of writing a blog post about it and just give the link to all those who are interested.

Not all our bodies are created equal and our bodies can respond differently to certain factors. This is the reason why I would advise anyone who would want to try this diet to consult their doctors first before taking this challenge. This is imperative especially if you have certain medical conditions. I also won’t recommend that you venture into this diet if your job entails strenuous physical activities.

After getting a clearance from a doctor or you are sure that you are fit to take on the challenge, start preparing yourself mentally and emotionally. Prayers can help too, lol. The last night before you start the diet, take note of your vitals: weight, blood pressure, etc. This is important so you can monitor your progress. After the diet, you can compare the numbers and see for yourself if the diet is effective or you only wasted a week of your time.

Before you go to bed, drink one or two tablespoons of castor oil. Just to set your expectation, this doesn’t taste good so finish it in one gulp. Castor Oil is a good laxative, it helps flush out all the wastes and toxins in your body. Just be ready to respond to the earlier call of nature the next morning. I was told that drinking a cup of pure coconut milk will give the same result as drinking castor oil. But I haven’t tried it. It’s your choice. Do what you think will work best for you.

I started my diet on a Saturday, since it was my rest day. It was chosen deliberately so in case my body would not respond positively to the diet, my work would not be affected.

For one whole week, I only ate a variety of fruits and raw vegetables. Any fruits will do. You can also take natural fruit juices as long as there are no artificial flavorings or sweeteners added. I didn’t even use sugar or salt. The idea is to rid the body of toxins so using refined and processed sugar will not do any good. I ate a combination of bananas, pineapple, mangoes, apples, grapes and other fruits. However, I know a person who said that she doesn’t eat bananas that much as it triggers her gastritis. I don’t know if there’s a truth to this claim but in case there is, then look for other fruits to eat.

I was asked for the frequency on when you will eat these fruits and my answer is anytime. When you feel hunger pangs in your stomach then that is the time to start munching your fruits. It doesn’t matter if it is every hour or two. Suppressing your hunger would only increase your cravings and I certainly would doubt if you will last one whole week with this diet if you will not eat when you are hungry.

During days when I have to go to the office, I made sure that I have peeled fruits in my bag that I can eat when I’m hungry. However, let me reiterate that if you have a job that requires strenuous physical activity, then this diet is not for you.

A couple of tips before you start:
1. It is important that you take a lot of liquids in your body. 8 to 10 glasses of water a day will do but I suggest that you aim for at least 10 to 12 glasses of fluids every day. They said that water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster. Drinking more fluids can help prevent overeating and help weight loss.
2. Stay away from temptations. Stay away from the kitchen to be more specific. The smell of food that your mom is cooking can be tempting.
3. Limit your TV-watching as I’m sure that there will be plenty of mouth-watering food advertisement that will be so hard to resist.
4. If possible, don’t let everyone know that you are on a diet. Resist the itch to let your social networking friends know that you are up to something even when you haven’t started yet. You can do that later when you are done with it and you have the results to brag about. You certainly don’t want your friends teasing you or making fun of you. Not all your so-called friends can be very supportive.
5. Make yourself busy. Focus on creative things. Don’t let your mind wander as it may end up thinking of food.

Good luck!


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What To Do If There Is An Earthquake

I guess we were all shocked by the destruction caused by the different disasters wreaking havoc to some countries around the world. The 6.3 magnitude earthquake in New Zealand has not only left buildings and structures leveled but it also shattered the lives of the few Filipinos in that country. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami in Japan left thousands of people dead and some Filipinos displaced and jobless. We may have not felt the tremors but the effects of these disasters in our economy and in the lives of our fellow countrymen who have relatives working in these countries are inevitable.

Panic or paranoia has also become prevalent among our countrymen with the local media continually harping on the idea that a strong earthquake in Metro Manila and nearby provinces may happen anytime. If there’s anything good about this, it is the fact that the government and other concerned agencies were compelled to work and map out plans and contingency measures for this eventuality. They have also started educating the public on what to do in case this dreaded disaster suddenly strikes us

Although I understand that there’s no amount of preparation that can possibly prevent disaster from causing damage. Knowing what to do in terms of emergency can spell a big difference, it may even cause us our lives if we are caught off-guard. Awareness and prayers are two of our best defenses when faced with an impending disaster.

On this note, please refer to the following article from sagipkapamilya.com on what to do in case of an earthquake especially if you are in a tall building:

WHAT TO DO IF THERE IS AN EARTHQUAKE DURING BUSINESS HOURS
AND YOU ARE:

In a Building

1. Duck, cover and hold. Advise others to do the same. Do not run or panic.
2. Do not leave the building until the motion stops and it is safe. Stay where you
are. If indoors stay indoors. Most injuries occur because people are trying
to enter or leave buildings in a state of panic.
3. If inside the building, take cover under a desk, heavy table or bench, or against
inside walls and doorways, or in the corner of the room. Stay away from
glass, windows, and outside doors. Watch out for falling debris or tall
equipment that may topple or slide across the floor.
4. Do not dash for exits since stairways may be broken or jammed with people.
Do not use elevators as the power may fail. Seek safety in the immediate
area you are in and then calmly evacuate the facility after the quake.
5. Do not distress if you hear alarms going off or if the sprinklers begin to
operate. These systems will likely be activated in the event of a major
tremor. Expect to hear noise from breaking glass, cracks in walls, and
falling objects.
6. Prepare for more than one aftershock. Aftershocks are common after an
earthquake. After the first motion is felt, there may be a temporary
decrease in the motion followed by another shock. Aftershocks can occur
several minutes, hours, or days after an initial shock.
7. Do not use candles, matches, or open flames during or after the tremor.
Extinguish any fires immediately with a fire extinguisher.
8. When leaving be alert for possible falling objects.
9. Assist people to safety.
10. Administer first aid as needed.
11. Make sure coworkers are safe.
12. Report to the Department's Evacuation Assembly Area.
Note: Each supervisor is responsible for assuring the safe evacuation of staff
and clients.

Driving

1. Stop as quickly as possible in a secure area to avoid accident and falling
objects.
2. Assess the situation before exiting the vehicle.
3. Provide assistance to other motorists
4. As soon as it is safe to do so proceed to the Department's Evacuation
Assembly Area in the vehicle or on foot.
5. If you come into contact with fallen electrical lines, assume they are hot, stay
in your car (the tires are good insulators).
6. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, overpasses, bridges, and utility wires.

WHAT TO DO AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED:

1. Be prepared for additional tremors or aftershocks.
2. Evacuate the facility taking care to avoid hazards inside and outside the facility
such as broken glass, gas leakage, chemical spillage, unsafe structures,
falling debris, trip hazards, downed power lines, etc.
3. Use great caution when moving about or entering a damaged building as
collapses can occur without warning. There also may be other dangers
such as gas leaks, electrical wiring, broken glass, etc. If you can smell a
gas leak, immediately leave the facility, warn others, and notify the
Maintenance Department or Security as the gas must be shut off at the
main.
4. CPR/first aid trained personnel will provide first responder care to any injured
personnel and notify the Supervisor or Manager. Notify the medical
emergency response personnel by telephone if the phones are operating.
5. Check for fires and fire hazards. Any fires discovered must be out immediately
if safe to do so with the use of the nearest fire extinguisher. The Fire
Department should be contacted of any fires not extinguished in case the
telephones are inoperable.
6. Do not light matches, use any open flames, or turn on electrical switches or
appliances – there may be gas leaks in the facility after an earthquake,
and doing so could create an ignition source resulting in an explosion.
7. Never tough power lines or anything resembling electrical wiring, or any
objects that may be in contact with electrical wires.
8. Only use the telephone to call Emergency Services for help. Tying up
telephone lines may delay emergency response personnel.



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I lose 8 lbs in 1 week!

No, this is not a paid post about a weight loss pill or any coffee or tea that will allow you to shed your extra pounds. I just don’t believe in shortcuts. What I did is an all-natural diet that not only helped me lose a couple of pounds but also detoxifies and cleanses my body of toxins. However, this diet will need a strong determination, self-discipline and willpower.

No, I am not obese, far from it. I weighed 170 lbs before I started the diet and with my 5’9” height, my BMI (body mass index) was just normal. The impetus for me to embark on this cleansing diet was my erratic blood pressure. During our company’s annual physical examination last year, I was appalled to know that I was hypertensive. It was not alarming, though. I know that there are many factors that could affect the blood pressure. Stress for one, which I had in abundance at that time can easily be the culprit. My blood pressure at that time soared to 140/100. I am not a doctor, but I was told that the diastolic and systolic were way above the average. I tried to downplay it but the company doctor did not help. He stressed the fact that our family has a history of hypertension and both my parents are monitoring their blood pressures. He told me to avoid eating salty and fatty foods. It didn’t sound good to me.

The following week after my session with the doctor, I monitored my blood pressure on a daily basis and I was relieved when I saw a downward trend. After 4 days of monitoring my blood pressure, it became normal. My food intake was drastically reduced to half of what I usually eat and it paid off.

It took a few months before I thought of starting this cleansing diet. I just thought of doing something for my overall health and wellness and this diet was just perfect. The idea is to clean the body system of toxins that have accumulated over years of eating junk and unhealthy foods. There's no better way of cleaning the body than eating natural foods such as vegetables and fruits. So for one whole week, I only ate fruits and raw vegetables. No rice, sugar, salt or any seasonings. It was a test of willpower and I was very happy when I completed the program.

In my next post, I will discuss more on how the diet works, how to start the program and other things that you need to know in case you want to try it for yourself.

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Dead men don't talk

I was told that suicide is not a wise solution to end someone’s misery. But the immediate escape that it offers proves to be too enticing to resist. Some believe that suicide is a cowardly act as it is an act of escaping instead of facing the problems head-on but some believe that the act in itself is a daring and bold move. I won’t dare to make any judgments on that.

The death of former AFP Chief of Staff and former Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes was a sad chapter to the investigations of the Senate and the House about the plea bargaining agreement entered by the Office of the Ombudsman and former AFP Comptroller Carlos Garcia. The former military comptroller was accused of pocketing P303 million in kickbacks during his time in the military. If we would believe in the testimonies of the different witnesses who have surfaced, then there are other powerful officials and generals who are involved in the corruption in the military.

However, the death of Reyes has attracted more questions and suspicions. Some believe that Reyes knew something that will incriminate other influential people. If this is the case, I can only imagine the pressure that he has endured from these people. Will he allow his reputation and his family to be dragged into the controversy or will he spill the beans and implicate his comrades? He had chosen neither. With his death, it will be up to the other people involved in this controversy to spill the beans. It will definitely not come from him. What he knew will be buried with him in his grave. Dead men don’t talk….

I can only hope that something good will come out of these investigations and eventually the people who have salted away the funds of the military will be prosecuted.



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I'm back!

After weeks of reflection, soul-searching, meditation and relaxation, I’m finally back. It’s been three months since the last post that I wrote for this blog. It crossed my mind not to return to blogging and let this blog die a natural death. Stress at work and time constraints are the top reasons why blogging has become a luxury.

But this blog has been with me for quite some time, the 2 or 3 years that I have spent blogging is not something that you can just throw out of the window.

I weighed my options and a decision has been made. I will continue to blog for another year. At least, this blog will stay until 2012. In fact, I just recently renewed this domain.

I admit that it will not be the same. Gone are the days when I can blog for 2 to 3 hours and drop EC until I’ve reached the maximum number of drops allowed. I will just take this in strides. No dropping of EC this time. No pressures, no promises, no expectations. I will blog when I have time. I will drop a note to fellow bloggers once in a while. A new post perhaps a week or every weekend is not that bad. But who knows?

I’m just glad that I have managed to write this post. I’m really happy and excited to be back.

Happy weekend to all!



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Sykes One Year-end Party, the biggest Christmas party in the Country

Last Saturday marked the return of the Sykes Year End Party unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the occasion. My colleagues who attended the party gave positive comments about the party. Of course there were also complaints but that is expected.

Anyway, the event made the news over the weekend. Here's one from abs-cbnNEWS.com.



Call center holds biggest Christmas party in the country
abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines - Sykes has started to celebrate news that the Philippines has overtaken India as world’s top location for call centers.

The firm held its biggest ever Christmas party last Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia open grounds with a record breaking attendance of more than 9000 call center agents.

The party, called “One Sykes,” symbolizes the firm’s commitment to the local industry.

Dean Van Ormer, senior director for Philippine operations, said: “We’ll continue to have stronger presence in the Philippines…to be the employer of choice for Filipinos.”

The firm recently purchased rival ICT Group through a cash-and-stock deal worth $263 million. This paved the way for the firm to tap further the potential of the domestic market.

Industry analysts earlier said the steady supply of English-speaking college graduates as well as strong support from the government allowed the industry to overtake India in terms of revenues.

One of the event’s highlights was a spectacular fireworks display from the people behind World Pyro Olympics. The Pyro Theater Show incorporated lights, sounds, fireworks and live performances from local talents.

The Sykes employees also presented a unity mob dance, one of the night’s highlights. While dancing, the employees held on to a chain of light “to signify their being one as Sykes and their higher ambitions for the years to come.”
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Web hosting hub

More and more people are discovering the joys of blogging every day. In fact, I have friends and acquaintances that recently have embarked on their own blogging journey. No wonder as everyone has a story to tell and emotions to express.

A friend who just started blogging asked me if it is best to get the services of a web hosting company this early in their blogging journey. I said to her that if she really wants to take blogging seriously then getting her own web host is a sensible investment. However, I told her that I know some people who were all excited when they started blogging but then slowly lose the focus and enthusiasm after a few months of blogging. So I told her that she can try any of the free blogging platforms first and then if she is sure that she’s really into blogging then migrate the free domain into her own custom domain and get the services of a web hosting company. This is what I did for this blog which now has its own custom domain.

I also warned my friend not to be fooled by the myriad of web hosting companies in the market. I told her that it is best to get acquainted with the many features and benefits that she should be looking for a reliable blog web hosting service. I advise her to compare the web hosting plans of different providers as well as the reviews from real customers. I even gave her a website for a web hosting hub to help her decide on the best web hosting provider that will suit her needs. I told her that there are cheap but reliable web hosting services out there. There are also blog hosting services which cater to beginning bloggers and those that are running multiple blogs like me. When creating your blog, you can now choose between WordPress or b2evolution which is best for bloggers who have multiple blogs. I find it pretty cool. I wished I had known about this when I was looking for a web hosting company.

Well, blogging is a continuous journey. Surely, there are lots of things that we can learn as we go along. The challenge is for us to learn from our past mistakes and to keep on going despite of all the challenges ahead.

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