Obesity: Not a Laughing Matter

Did you know that the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that obesity may soon replace traditional public health concerns such as undernutrition and infectious diseases as the most significant cause of poor health? In Canada alone, the rates of obesity in children has increased from 11% in the 1980s to over 30% in the 1990s. Factors contributing to this are mainly diet and the decrease in physical activities. Thanks to the technology era which brought about video games, climbing trees and having a run in the park are some activities that some kids are not experiencing anymore. Plus, the modern diet which constitute mostly of saturated fats, such as in junk foods and french fries.

A crude measure of obesity is by the body mass index (BMI) which is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of his/her height in meters. A BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese. While a BMI of 25 (and above) is already considered as overweight.

Presently, I can see campaigns promoting healthy diet (look for unsaturated fat in the label) and exercise/working out. However, I think that these campaigns are not aggressive enough to instill these healthy lifestyle on every sector of the community. Most who have became more aware and have started become conscious are those coming from the A-B crowd, and those who need to look good for their professions. And I hate to say these, but I personally know a lot of people who think that being fat is cute and healthy.

Fact: obesity has a serious impact on health. Diseases associated with obesity are type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and some cancers. Therefore, it reduces life expectancy. Not to mention the psychological impact it has on the person (self-consciousness, inferiority). 

Just earlier today, I saw a teen-age boy who is overly obese, to the point where his gait is no longer balanced and his body structure is assymetrical/deformed. I was discretely observing the people around and could see almost everyone follow him with stares, and the poor boy knew this too as he shyly looked back to see who were staring at him. It was a very sad sight! I feel for the boy and I really hope that his family will help him overcome obesity. Take note, I wish for this not only because I want that kid to look good physically, but mostly because what I saw in him was a walking time bomb where various diseases could possibly manifest any moment, AND also to lift up his trampled self-esteem. Adolescence is no easy stage, and going through that is an added burden. 

The good news: obesity is preventable.There are only 2 keys to solve this: diet and physical activity. This doesn't even mean that you have to cut down on what you eat, you simply have to watch what you eat. Less saturated fat, less calories, more fruits and vegetable, more whole grains, less sugar. You can even indulge once in a while just make sure that you burn it up too. Alternate cardio exercises with strength training every other day, even for just about 15 minutes. You'll notice that you will feel lighter throughout the day and going about the daily chores becomes easier.

I hope anyone who reads this, could in some way, even in their own circle of influence (family, friends) do something to relay this information and instill and follow a healthy lifestyle. By doing it yourself, you become an example to those around you. There isn't even a need to preach, simply tell them what good this has done to you to inspire them to do the same. Remember, the main goal is to become healthy and avoid diseases. Looking good physically is just an added bonus.

The Wonders of Baking Soda

Sodium bicarbonate or NaHCO3 or most commonly known as baking soda.... i just love this stuff! It practically has way too many uses and it's cheap. Having it at home is really a must, every housewife should know this, and yes, every bachelor and bachelorette, too.

Let's get into the chemistry of it first. According to Webster, baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a white crystalline weakly alkaline salt, used especially in baking powders and fire extinguishers, and in medicine as an antacid. It is an amphoteric compound, which means it can react as an acid as well as a base but aqueous solutions are mildly alkaline due to the formation of carbonic acid and hydroxide ion. Its application ranges from cooking, medicine, laboratories, personal hygiene, cleaning agent, and many more.

Personally, my three main uses for this are as follows:

• face exfoliant/mask - i have an oily, acne-prone skin so I do this twice a week. I simply steam my face first, then, making a baking soda paste by adding water in it, I rub this paste on my face to remove dead skin and leave it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing with warm water. I dries my pimples and keep the oilies at bay :)
• teeth whitener - yep! no need to buy those expensive toothpastes that boast of their whitening effect. Being coffee and tea lover, which stains the teeth, this is very important to me. I usually do this once or twice a week, after brushing my teeth with toothpaste (don't rinse it yet), I dip my toothbrush in a paste of baking soda and brush it on my teeth, then rinse (be sure not to swallow).
• deodorizer in the fridge - it is slightly alkaline so it neutralizes the acidic scent molecules. Viola! Odor-free refrigerator :)

But hey, do not limit yourself, maximize the use of this great product. To cite some more:

• first and foremost, it is used in cooking as a leavening agent. Baking powder is basically baking soda mixed with cream of tartar and starch.
• it can also be used to soften peas or dried beans by adding a pinch of baking soda to the water where you soak the beans
• add a pinch to tomato sauce (while cooking) and coffee (while brewing) to reduce acidity
• an effective meat tenderizer
• as first aid to scalding- cover the scald area with baking soda to avoid blistering and scarring
• deodorize carpets and kitty litters
• effective and all-around cleaning agent (clothes, drink containers, pans, table tops, combs, etc.,)
• run a cycle in your coffee maker or dishwasher with baking soda and water for a thorough cleaning
• underarm deodorant
• soften your skin by adding it in your bath water
• deodorize shoes, boots, and socks
• first aid to sunburn, windburns, bug bites and bee stings
• freshen the air by sprinkling baking soda on your carpet. Leave for a while before vacuuming.
• use as a fire extinguisher
• and many more.....

Now you know why I love this... ^_^

BB Creams..... the bug got me!!!

I really am not fond of make-up, mainly because they often cause me to break out and second, I'm a dummy in using them, duh! My routine basically consists of powder and lipgloss and some eyeliner if I'm not so lazy, teehee :)

So, I didn't really give much attention whenever I hear my younger cousins and nieces talk of foundations, eye shadows, etc., And now the new fad, BB creams. Hmm, sounds Korean to me. What instantly comes to mind are Kpops and those really fair-skinned Korean artists, which obviously I know nothing about **grin**

What really brought my attention to BB creams was when I got curious to what BB actually means. Off I went to check Mr. Wikipedia to enlighten me. Whoa! See my naivete? It actually originated in Germany, not Korea, and not as a cosmetic but rather as an ointment used to soothe and regenerate the skin after laser surgery. Thus, it was called BB cream or Blemish Balm. That's interesting. Reading on to related articles, it did say that a Korean actress was the first to use it for beauty purposes. Well, that makes sense. If it can heal the skin after laser surgery and hide blemishes as well, wouldn't that be great?

Most BB creams now are manufactured in Korea, and like any beauty product, a lot of improvements have been made on it to meet the needs of different type of skin plus other extra benefits, such as SPF. To make the story short, I bought one... hehe, like I said, it got me!

It's really funny coz I got late in the game, so when I was choosing one for me I was really amazed with the many variants offered in the market now. A single brand offers like 3 or more kinds. Anyway, I settled for Skinfood's Peach Sake BB cream because of the good reviews I read about it and because I don't want to confuse myself any more by looking into all the options.

Here it is:

Skinfood's Peach Sake Pore BB Cream #2

So far, I love it! It's like a tinted moisturizer and I like that it has SPF20+. The coverage is light to medium which is fine with me. It's supposed to offer good oil control which didn't really work much for me, maybe because I really have oily skin and I don't use primers. But I really like that it doesn't feel heavy on my skin, it actually gives me a natural and healthy glow which is amazing really. And most of all, it doesn't aggravate my pimples. Really good for my sensitive skin. And the sweet smell! Love it! :)

Am I glad that I got curious on this stuff, now I found a product that really compliments my skin without that cake-y look. Maybe I'll try Skinfood's Aloe BB cream next :)

Healthy Foods to provide your children:

• Low fat milk offered in clear plastic bottles - especially chocolate milk, kids will drink more of it.
  
  * DO not allow non-fat food to be served. Studies show that non-fat foods actually cause weight gain because it changes the way the body is processing fats and how they NOT burn fats in the body.
  
  * Milk and dairy products should be organic that do not contain anti-biotics and pesticides like regular milk does.
  
  * Cows fed non-organic grains have increased pesticides in milk. Cows that are injected with anti-biotics pass this into their milk. Studies show that by ingesting these by-products of anti-biotics in products is lowering the resistant to bacteria in the human body.
  
  *All dairy products SHOULD not contain carregenan. Carregenan is used in many products as a thickening agent. Studies have shown it increases inflammation throughout body and increases arthritis and breathing disorders like asthma.
• All meats should be from organic sources. Chicken should be organic, free from anti-biotic injections and range fed. Eggs should be as well.
• More fresh water fish - NO FARM RAISED FISH - these fish are showing unusual strains of bacteria in the meat.
• More fruits and vegetables on the menus - preferably organic to reduce pesticide ingestion * All fruits and vegetables should be carefully washed. If not organic, outside peelings like apples and other fruits should not be eaten with these peelings because of possible high pesticide contamination.
  
  *Check to see where fruits are coming from, what country? Fruits coming from Mexico and South America where they allow the use of many pesticides BANNED in the U.S. In these countries, farmers also use human waste and sewage water for fertilizers. Do you want your children eating this?
• No junk foods - demand that all junk foods be taken out of food machines.
• No soft drinks - demand that all soft drinks be replaced with drinking water or 100% fruit juices.
  
  *Juices should not be sweetened with high fructose syrup, a leading cause of your children developing diabetes.
• Whole grains in bread products
• NO FOODS CONTAINING HYDROGENATED OILS or MONODIGLYCERIDES
• NO FOODS CONTAINING MSG - ( MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE )
• NO FOODS CONTAINING ASPARTAME
• Healthy oils that should be used are; olive oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, safflower oil