In Transit: National Leographic

Okay, I finally consented to posting this on my blog.

Same show... "tighter" shots from Miguel Dumaual's cameraman...

:p

Benefits of healthy sleep

Ever spent the night studying for an exam only to find it hard to concentrate and remember the answers the next day? Is worry keeping you awake like a snoring bedtime partner? The National Sleep Foundation reports that nearly two-thirds of the people in the United States are affected by some sleep problem. Forty million people suffer from chronic sleep disorders and an additional 20 to 30 million are affected by intermittent sleep-related problems. In spite of these alarming polls, few recognize the importance of getting enough sleep; fewer still are those who are aware of how to manage their sleep problems.

Healthy Sleep: Key to a Longer Life
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records show that approximately 100,000 crashes per year are related to drowsy drivers who drifted out of lane and into a few moments of sleep. The Fatal Accident Reporting System reports over 1,500 fatalities result from drowsiness related crashes.

The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that insufficient sleep adversely affects our battle against the bulge. Compared with those with 7 to 8 hours of total sleep time, individuals having only 5 hours or less of total sleep time had significantly increased odds of being obese. Insufficient sleep is also related to diabetes. Leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite, is lowered, while production of ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, is increased. This finding clearly shows that we must not sacrifice sleep time. The Archives of Internal Medicine closely relates chronic lack of sleep with diabetes. A 2005 study showed that people getting five or fewer hours of sleep each night were 2.5 times more likely to be diabetic, while those with six hours or fewer were 1.7 times more likely.

Lack of sleep puts women especially at risk of experiencing heart problems. A 2003 study found that heart attacks were 45 percent more likely in women who slept for five or fewer hours per night than in those who got more.

A recent study among 430 adults in British Columbia showed that depression is common among those who have unhealthy sleeping habits and they are more likely to resort to alcohol abuse just to doze off.

Power for your Brain and Body
Few people will argue with the assertion that sleep is essential for good health, top mental performance and emotional function. We all have, at one time or another, felt great after a good long sleep. Even so, few of us actually stick to the healthy diet of eight hours.

The body rests during sleep; however the brain remains active, gets "recharged," and still controls many bodily functions including breathing. It is during sleep that the body performs many vital functions like muscle repair, memory consolidation and release of hormones regulating growth and appetite. A good night’s sleep arms us with a greater ability to concentrate, make correct decisions, or engage fully in work or social activities.

Doctor Robert Stickgold from the Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, makes this suggestion when trying to learn a new skill or set of information: sleep on it! "If your brain is too tired it can't take information," he says. He emphasizes sandwiching your learning activity with sleep. Getting enough sleep before the day you are set to learn something and sleeping the same day after your learning activity seems to help consolidate memory in the brain and allows it easy access for later use. This explains how a good night’s sleep may be the best preparation you need for that all-important presentation before the boss.

How to get Healthy Sleep
Fussing over how to get healthy sleep could work against you: you may end up losing it. This is the same with any mental activity akin to worrying about the details of everyday life. The best way to get healthy sleep is as simple as taking a breath.

Doctor Sat Bir Khalsa, instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School, discovered significant benefits of breathing techniques in the treatment of patients with insomnia. Lie down in a comfortable position. Begin to calmly observe your breath. Focus on every inhalation and exhalation. When the worries of the day begin to surface in your mind, gently and deliberately bring your focus back to your breath. This exercise effectively clears out your head and relaxes the mind. You’ll be asleep in no time.

Establish a ritual before bedtime. Turn off the TV and your e-mail. A warm shower or bath, or a warm glass of milk, melts stress and releases relaxation responses deep within the body and mind. Sticking to this routine may signal the brain and body to unwind.

Avoid caffeine at least four hours before your bedtime. Alcohol and nicotine have ill effects on your sleep patterns as well.

Create a sleep-conducive environment—dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. Make sure your beds and mattresses are comfortable for you. Take advantage of eye covers and curtains to shut out distracting lights. Use the bedroom only for two activities: sleep and sex. Bringing your work or any other mind-stimulating activity to the bed may just keep you awake and send the brain signals that it is okay to stay alert while in bed.

Finally, exercise and eat a balanced diet. A healthy lifestyle changes your life; make each moment count while awake and while asleep, you will feel better for it!

The law and the lawmaker

If you suddenly become president of the Philippines, what rules would you implement?

If you litter, you go to jail.
Protect and save women and children from abuse.
Absolutely zero illegal drugs.

Go ahead. Name your rule, or rules. Realize that whatever law you would wish to implement tells something about the kind of leader that you are.

Which makes me think of God, because He's given His Law in the Bible. I'm reading Leviticus right now. Animal blood, burnt offerings, bread without yeast. Symbols for a call to holiness and a life of worship and repentance, all made forever available to us by the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

I'm now thinking of His law on giving. It's a universal law. "Give, and it will come back to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over."

If God commanded us to give, He must be a Giver.

Last night, we bought a new sofa (much needed). We ate at the mall's food court. A girl, arms and legs covered with sores, was begging from the customers.

Several rationalizations to justify not giving money:

We're not teaching the parents to be responsible.
She just might buy rugby with it.
et al.

But I have a simple solution. I always bring crackers with me, so instead of having to give money, I give food.

I looked around and saw her eating leftovers. I came over to her and offered her the crackers. You know, I was actually worried she might not accept it! Does God ever feel hurt when we turn down His gifts to us?

I put the crackers on the table and left. I got back to our table and when I looked back, the guard was already escorting (scolding) her out of the mall.

The table she left was empty. No crackers on it. Maybe it's in her pocket.

Borrowed story: Law of the garbage truck

I was in a taxi and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this black car just cut right in front of us. The taxi driver slammed on his brakes and we skidded, almost hitting the car in front of us. We missed it by just a few inches. After that, the guy in the black car stuck out his head, did a few hand signals, cursed and shouted at the taxi driver.

Do you know what the taxi driver did? He smiled and waved back at the guy.

I figured what an amazing response! How strange. I asked the taxi driver, “Why would you just smile and wave at that guy after he almost ruin your car and send us to the hospital?”

The taxi driver simply said, “Sir, I follow the Law of the Garbage Truck.”

“What is the Law of the Garbage Truck?”

“Very simple. Many people are like garbage trucks. They are full of garbage--anger, hate, envy, frustration, bitterness, disappointment, greed, etc. When their garbage truck fills up, they look for people to pile their garbage on. If you are not careful, people will pile their garbage on you. When someone pours his garbage on your life, do not take it personally. Just wave, wish them well and move on. Do not get involved. You will be happy that you didn’t get involved.”

What's been said about fatherhood

Just some of my favorites culled from the Net.

"It is admirable for a man to take his son fishing, but there is a special place in heaven for the father who takes his daughter shopping."--John Sinor

"Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later . . . that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could . . . adopted a role called Being a Father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life." --Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities

"Whatever you are, be a good one."--Abraham Lincoln

"There must be many fathers around the country who have experienced the cruelest, most crushing rejection of all: Their children have ended up supporting the wrong team."--Nick Hornby

"My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, 'You're tearing up the grass.' 'We're not raising grass,' Dad would reply. 'We're raising boys.' " --Harmon Killebrew

"You don't put kids under surveillance: It might frighten you. Parents should sit tall in the saddle and look upon their troops with a noble and benevolent and extremely nearsighted gaze."--Garrison Keillor

"A man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man."--Marlon Brando as Don Corleone in The Godfather

"When I was a boy of 14 my father was so ignorant that I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in only 7 years."--Mark Twain

"Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express."--Joseph Addison

CCF Couples Retreat 2009

I remember in April 2009, Veck and I packed for the Couples' Retreat scheduled early the next day. We were off to Caliraya to spend the weekend.

It's always a blessing to return to Caliraya. For one, that was where I asked Christ to become my Savior. Then, there's the buffet meals, the clean air, the horses, birds, trees. It is a wonderful place.

This was the first time Veck and I went to Caliraya together, and we brought Dana along. This CCF's Couples' Retreat's theme is Fireproof, and we had the chance to see the movie. We would listen to messages focusing on Biblical principles about married life. Then we would break out into groups and discuss what we've learned.

In the first pages of my Bible, there's a section dedicated to putting in one's fondest memories. Our recent trip to Caliraya makes the list:

Bonger and Bekya's Wedding, 27 December 2007, Bulacan, Bulacan.
Renewal of Wedding Vows, 27 September 2008, Antipolo. This was in our first CCF Couple's Retreat.
Dana Keziah is born, 07 March 2009, Malolos, Bulacan.
Second Renewal of Wedding Vows, 25 April 2009. Caliraya, Lumban Laguna.

What happens at a Renewal of Wedding Vows Ceremony?
First, there's a dinner, prepared for you. There's some singing. This time it was my friend, Joan Flores, who regaled us with a classy/jologs/romantic rendition of Grow Old With You from the musical The Wedding Singer. Mrs. Philippines 2009 Camilla Kim-Galvez sang The Nearness of You.

Then we were given a pair of rings. We would recite our wedding vows with Pastor Roy Felipe as officiating minister, give our spouse the rings, then kiss. Then there's wine and cake. It's an excellent reminder of my solemn word to God to love my wife through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, richer or poorer, for better or worse, till death do us part.

During this retreat, Veck and I met a lot of couples, but most memorably, we met Mark and Susan. Thirteen years into their marriage, they were on the verge of separation. They were cynical or in denial of their marriage's emotional health. It would seem that a palpable wall stood between them wherever they went. We saw this in their body language. Too, they never talked to each other, although individually, they were pretty talkative. They even missed Couples' Night on purpose. We missed them during the celebration.

Noticing this, I leaned over to Jess and Becca, who informed us that Susan wasn't feeling too well, hence their absence at the Renewal of Vows ceremony. It was sad that they would miss this opportunity. Then, I came up with an idea.

"Maybe we should hold a little ceremony tomorrow morning, just for them, for their Renewal of Vows," I said. Jess seemed to like the idea. Little did we know that in their room that night, Mark and Susan were already discussing their separation. They had their reasons, and at that moment, they saw that these reasons outweighed any other reason for them to stay together.

Sunday morning came. Jess approached us after the message on Handling Finances. He asked if we could be witnesses to Mark and Susan's Renewal of Vows. Veck and I of course said yes.

Mark and Susan recited their wedding vows. They gave each other rings. Then, after some moments of embarrassed hesitation, they kissed. It felt strained, the whole ceremony, but Veck and I hoped for the better for them.

At the end of the retreat, several couples came up to the open mic and gave their testimonies and thanks on how the retreat has sparked their loved for their respective spouses. There were several couples who took the mic. Finally, Mark stood up and told their story, how they were decided on leaving each other after the retreat; how they felt there would be no hope for them; and then...

It changed. By God's grace, when they went through the Renewal of Vows, they decided to give it one more chance to make their marriage work, to apply the Biblical principles they have learned, and ultimately, to truly forgive each other for past hurts. God is truly amazing! Mark would return to his seat after his testimony, putting an arm around his wife's shoulder.

Thank yous
Thank you to my Breakout Group, these couples who are years along the married life, for candidly sharing their experiences and encouraging Veck and I.

To Jess and Becca, praise God for your wisdom and patience!

To Mon and Bing, our indomitable, indefatigable dGroup leaders, who tirelessly meet and pray with us. You are an encouragement and have become true friends. You guys rock!

To Raffy and Joan, for being there, at the retreat, and anywhere, always.

Your first line of defense against disease

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the single most effective preventive action you can take to save yourself and those you love from swine flu—and most communicable diseases, for that matter —is proper hand washing.

Proper hand washing can protect you from other disease-causing germs as well, such as staphylococcus, streptococcus, salmonella, E. coli, hepatitis and the dangerous MSRA which is resistant to conventional antibiotic treatment.

What kills germs?
Heat, from 167 to 212°F, kills most germs. In addition, chemical germicides such as chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, iodine-based antiseptics, alcohols and soap detergents can be used. Alcohol is only effective if used in proper concentration and for a sufficient length of time. If you use rubbing alcohol or an alcohol-based gel sanitizer, make sure you rub it into your hands until the alcohol dries completely.

Clean hands throughout history
In Ancient Middle Eastern cultures, the washing of hands accompanied most religious activities. The Jews were known to wash their hands and feet before meals as a traditional practice.

It was less than 200 years ago, in 1843, when doctors took up the practice of washing their hands. Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes advocated hand washing to prevent childbed fever, which he believed to be an infectious disease passed to pregnant women by the hands of doctors. His ideas were met with disdain by many physicians during that time.

Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis noted that the mortality rate in a delivery room staffed by medical students was up to three times higher than in a second delivery room staffed by midwives. During that time, medical students came from their lessons in autopsy and handling cadavers straight to maternity wards and delivery rooms. He ordered doctors and medical students alike to wash their hands with chlorinated solution before examining women in labor. The mortality rate in maternity wards dropped to less than 1 percent.

There’s the rub
When you rub your hands during hand washing, the soap molecules surround and lift germs and dirt; and water rinses them down the drain. Have you seen how doctors wash their hands before they engage in an operation? Make that your model. Make sure you build enough lather. Rub the entire surface of your skin, even between the fingers and under jewelry, like rings. Rub the lather as high up as your wrists for 20 seconds and rinse. Dry your hands thoroughly. Wet hands are twice as likely to pick up and transmit germs from your surroundings than dry hands.

Vicky, a pediatrician and mom, is conscientious of her two-year-old daughter, Dana’s health. Already, Vicky has taught her to wash her hands properly.

"To make sure she rubs long enough to meet the 20-second rule, I sing the ABC song to her. She sings along, and when we get to ‘Now I know my ABCs, next time won’t you sing with me,’ it’s time to rinse.”

When to wash?
Wash your hands before eating; after you use the bathroom; when you use public transportation (including elevators); after you use communal products like coffee machines, telephone booths, office computers, etc.; and after office meetings when you’ve shaken hands with your client. Wash your hands especially after you step out of the supermarket. Not only have you picked up one grocery item after another, you also handled cash.

Your worst enemy
The worst enemy to your health is not germs. It is laziness and neglect. People would rather “splash and dash” when in the restroom than take the time to wash their hands properly. Practice hand washing like a form of meditation. It’s a chance to take a minute or two to slow down and enjoy the flowing water and scented soap. In the long run, you’ll also enjoy a healthy, germ-free life.

Carve a six-pack with a pack of cards

I promised to get myself a six-pack by my birthday. Here's my game plan.

Here’s what I need to carve a six-pack: a pack of cards. Play a game of Six-Pack Solitaire!

Shuffle a standard deck of cards. Include the Jokers. Each Suit corresponds to a particular exercise, which is described below. You will do the same number of repetitions as indicated on the number of the card. If you get Face cards, you’ll do planks. Jokers mean 10 jumping jacks. Here’s the complete list to print out and use whenever you want to tone your abs while having fun!

King → Plank, 30 seconds
Queen → Plank, right obliques, 30 seconds
Jack → Plank, left obliques, 30 seconds
Joker → 10 Jumping Jacks
Aces → Six breaths in Down Dog Pose
Spades → Sit-ups
Hearts → Push-ups
Diamonds → Squats
Clubs → Squat Thrusts (Assume a Squat position, then drop your hands on the floor. Jump your feet as far back as you can to a Plank position. Hold for a second and jump your feet back between your hands. Go back to the starting squat. That’s one rep.)

Deal a row of four cards, face up. You will perform the exercises indicated by each card. After the fourth card, rest for 45 seconds. Then deal another row of four cards. Keep doing this until you work through the rest of the cards on the deck. That’s your workout for today.

For example, you get a King of Hearts, 5 of Diamonds, an Ace and 9 of Hearts. That means you’ll do a 30-second plank, Squats for 5 reps, six breaths in down Dog position, and 9 push-ups. Rest, and deal another four cards.

You won’t get bored with this challenging workout routine since you never know what four-card combination you’ll get. This keeps your body and mind working. Let the cards guide your fate into a perfect six-pack in no time. Have fun!

Don't have a deck of cards? Try this random card dealer online from Random.Org

Super charge with super sets

Find out how Super Sets double your gains in half the time.


Are you tired of doing the same workouts week after week? Do you find yourself moving through your usual menu of training sessions with less-than-optimal enthusiasm? Has your performance reached a plateau? If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, it's time to learn about Super Sets.

What are Super Sets?
A Super Set is a series of intervals or exercises which are carried out without any recovery. See if you can do two exercises back to back without any rest in between. This increases the intensity of work in a specific muscle group, making it develop faster. Super Sets also make your workouts time efficient.

Very few other forms of training can test your limits as much as Super Set training. When you carry out Super Sets, you challenge your boundaries. You begin to look forward to your workouts because they are so challenging - and so different from what you usually do. It basically requires you to keep working at your relative maximal intensity over the duration of your workout. You challenge your muscles to work as hard as they possibly can for an extended period and a maximum improvement in strength takes place.

Check out the different kinds of Super Sets you can do:

Single body part Super Sets let you perform back-to-back exercises for a particular body part. If you’re working your biceps, do Biceps Curls followed by Hammer Curls.

Antagonistic Super Sets work on opposing muscle groups. An example would be doing chest press and cable row for your chest.

Pre-exhaust Super Sets let you do an isolation exercise followed by a compound exercise. An isolation exercise works one muscle group while compound exercises move the body through more than one joint. Try cable rows followed by a deadlift to exercise your back.

Giant Sets are like doing back-to-back super sets, which means you do three or more exercises. Do a bench press, a dumbbell fly, push-ups and a cable crossover to work out your chest.

In-set Super Sets let you do two different exercises for a particular area, doing one after the other. For example, do one rep of front raises followed by one rep of lat raises, alternately. This combination works your shoulders.

A unique three-body part combination utilizes the in-set style for three different body parts, say your biceps, shoulder and triceps. A classic example would be doing one rep of bicep curl followed by a rep of Arnold press then progressing straight to a rep of triceps extension, and counting all this as one rep, starting again with the bicep curl for the next rep and so on.

Precautions
While you may combine any of the above Super Sets for a unique workout routine, be sure not to subject the same body part to two different kinds of Super Sets. If you do a Single Body Part Super Set for your biceps, be sure not to include it in an Antagonist Super Set with the triceps. This will avoid placing too much stress on the muscle and keep you from getting injured during your workout.

While Isolation Exercises have their benefits, our bodies are designed for our muscles to work together. It only makes sense that we exercise these muscle groups together. If you are interested in gaining serious muscle, chat with your online coach today and ask about Super Sets. Your body will never be the same again.