Wheat grass, what is it?

Wheatgrass refers to the young grass of the common wheat plant, Triticum aestivum, that is freshly juiced or dried into powder for animal and human consumption. Both provide chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Claims about wheatgrass' health benefits range from providing supplemental nutrition to having unique curative properties. Some consumers grow and juice wheatgrass in their homes. It is often available in juice bars, alone or in mixed fruit and/or vegetable drinks. It is also available in many health food stores as fresh produce, tablets, frozen juice and powder.

Drink wheat grass juice... not beer.

Earlier I was watching GMA's Jessica Soho show and their episode is regarding natural supplements that are very helpful to people's health. This 'wheat grass juice' caught my attention so I tried to watch carefully. Interesting. Afterwards, I research the internet for related articles and below is one of them:

Drink wheat grass juice to boost your immune system

If you find yourself out of breath and out of mind, listen to your body.

Heed the following signs: shortness of breath, constant headache, persistent pain, stomach disorders, palpitations, dizziness, pale or discolored skin, see-saw weight loss/gain, exhaustion, constipation, general weakness, tremors.

If you have experienced the above-mentioned conditions:

1. Stop whatever it is you are doing. Take the example of Mandy, a 40-year old businessman. For years he had been experiencing mild palpitations. Coming from a family who has a history of diabetes and heart disease (his younger brother died a few years back of renal failure due to diabetes at the age of 30), he ignored the quality of his genes. While doctors say 70 percent of your body’s health is up to your genes, 30 percent is under your control. However, more studies have shown that the predisposition of your genes may be challenged by a healthy lifestyle.

Mandy didn’t do anything to improve his lifestyle. He had little exercise. By the time he reached his 40th birthday, he suffered his first heart attack.

2. See your doctor. Have a medical check-up.

3. Learn to do less work.

Health tips from experts

1. Learn to unload your stressors such as work, people and situations that cause your aggravation. Do not take more work than you should—you are not a super hero/heroine.

2. Adopt moderate exercise.

3. Make relaxation part of your daily life such as a walk in the park, listening to meditation music, taking time out with family and friends, laughing.

4. Adopt a joyful attitude so no matter how great your burden, it will not weigh heavily on your heart.

5. Eat more vegetables. Start your day with a shot of wheat grass juice. You can buy trays of the freshly grown grass (Tel: 09178168794 (Arthur Tanco), an immune system booster.

6. Drink water every hour on the hour. The medical benefits of this pure liquid are far-reaching.

7. Sleep at least 8 hours, preferably before 10 p.m. The gallbladder rests and rejuvenates between 11 p.m. - 1 a.m. while the liver 1 a.m. - 3 a.m.

8. Have a detox bath by using activated charcoal. This ingredient can draw out toxins from the skin through the pores. Sweat glands are able to release heavy metals from the body (such as lead, mercury, cadmium) which if not excreted can cause illness. Tel: 4119168, Biosafe Complementary Center.

Kidney cleansing tea

1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 cup hot water

Drink up (you may eat the leaves).

Today’s affirmation: “I let life flow through me. I have the will to live.”

Love and light!


Credits to Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Pacquiao vs De La Hoya is on!

The fight is on!

The Golden Boy will be facing the pound-for-pound king of boxing, Pacman, in what is believed to be the biggest match for this year.

It will be Oscar De La Hoya’s farewell fight and Manny Pacquiao’s biggest ever.

Check it out: "Pacquiao-De La Hoya, the $100M fight"

Kirsten Recruitment and Wave Training tie-up (Public Notice)

Here is the public notice of Kirsten Recruitment that I've talked about on the previous post Kirsten Recruitment and Wave Training tie-up:


NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

We are aware of the recent publication in the website of Immigration Matters, a private immigration consultancy firm based in the UK.

Contrary to the claims of Immigration Matters, Affinity Training Ltd. and Kirsten Student Development Inc. in particular stands firm in its commitment to its candidates already in the UK and those posing to go to the UK, as well as those applicants of Kirsten Student Development Inc. here in the Philippines.

At present, changes are in process in the UK. Personally, KIRSTEN STUDENT DEVELOPMENT INC. is asking for understanding and dispensation to the Learners in the UK, and in the Philippines, to applicants who are waiting for deployment and to those waiting for their offer letters.

Arrangement and changes are being made and we expect things to be in place in the very near future. Such changes will result to a more stable process streamlined for faster delivery of quality services.

The machineries, procedures, processes, system and schemes are still in place. Our continuing obligations to the Filipino learners in the UK shall be respected and answered for by Kirsten Student Development Inc.

To implement this guarantee, Kirsten Student Development Inc. categorically declares and undertakes that it will continue its operations and accomodate applicants and monitor its candidates in the UK. Kirsten Student Development Inc. is not a recruitment agency. It is separate and distinct from Kirsten Recruitment Inc. Our student applicants are not migrant workers.

Kirsten Recruitment and Wave Training tie-up

A week ago we went to the office of Kirsten Recruitment to get some update or information about their tie-up with Wave Training, the new institution in U.K. that was established on the days that the Affinity Training Ltd. is going down, and also to process some documents of course. It's been known, news spread over the internet, that Affinity went bankrupt and that it had created 'chaotic' problems to some Filipinos in the United Kingdom and here in the country. We were informed, also there was a public notice released, that everything is being taken care of and that all accountabilities are being carried over to Wave. Is it?

When Kirsten announced that they are trying to resolve the problem by making a deal with Wave, we immediately searched the internet for information about the said 'school' but seems like the search engines were having difficulty giving us search results. However, there was this one time that we were able to access the website of Wave (http://wavetraining.co.uk) but it was still under construction. Whatta!!

Yesterday I checked Whois.ws to get info about that site it was just registered on the 24th of July this year. What could be the credibility of a claim that could guarantee those Filipinos who applied (and who are applying) that everything will be OK? I mean, Wave is just a new institution and that the first batch for the Kirsten-Wave students to go to UK will be experimental. Correct me if I'm wrong. Sometimes I've got this feeling that Wave is just a mask for Affinity. Hmmmm, this better be good for there are a lot of people involved and concerned about this.

Mehn, am I being radical about this? Gotta drink a water to cool off.

Our health is our wealth.

Last thursday morning I didn't go to work for my right pinkie (finger) had a small wound and got infected. A small thing that I should have given a curing action before it got worse. The images above show what my finger looked like that day read here what I've done for it.

When you are sick, you need to see doctor. Nobody can bear the pains of sickness and diseases. In health, never underestimate what you know is just a small thing for it can cause big effect. When you are sick, you are suffering.

Our health is our 'everything'. Whether you are a toddler, a child, a teenage or an adult, a good health enable you to perform the daily functions of life. For adults, good health means you can go to work everyday, to earn a living, to be able to achieve your goals in life. Good health also enable you to enjoy life.

The greatest asset of life is our ability to be able to wake up everyday and go to work. I am sure you have experienced time when you are not able to wake up in certain time of the morning. You are sick. Your bodies are aching. You have headaches and to make it worse, you feel nauseous and you may be having diarrhea too. When time like that strikes, you have to call up the office to report that you are sick.

Credits to Helium.com.

Scandal in Eat Bulaga

BPC agent Emer Almiral played in Eat Bulaga's "Sa Pula, Sa Puti" and proved that he is really... black by wearing white shirt and bonnet!!



Click here for the proxified version.

He had just created a 'scandal' for not saying the correct spelling of the word 'hippopotamus' and also by humiliating his opponent (and Tito Soto) for answering without a question.

What's going on with Affinity and Kirsten?

A few weeks back I accompanied my girlfriend to submit the documents being required to her by Kirsten Recruitment for her application to study in the United Kingdom thru the Affinity Training Ltd. She also paid a "commitment" fee that amounts to hundreds of dollars in order for her to complete her CV and be sent to UK for possible employers. She will be studying, and at the same time working, in the UK for about two years. She is a nurse and will be taking National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) levels 3-4 in Health and Social Care. Actually there are hundreds of nurses and caregivers from the Philippines that are in UK right now and taking up their NVQs. This is actually a good program; not only that a student gets paid but he/she will also earn an international qualification related to his/her degree. Nice.

However, just last week, a rather bad news had came out. The major NVQ training provider, Affinity Training Ltd, went bankrupt! News from UK about this had reached all 'corners' of the Philippines. Here is a quote of an article published over the internet:

• "Major NVQ training provider, Affinity Training Limited, has been put into administration after going bust.
  
  Hundreds of international students, many recruited from the Philippines, will lose fees paid in advance for NVQ training in Health and Social Care."

You can click here to check it out.

Kirsten Recruitment claimed that they had already established a tie-up with another institution but still information regarding it was not disseminated. A lot of applicants are still waiting.

The bad thing about this is that not only my girlfriend was affected but also her brother (who is also a nurse) and her brother's friends. And the worse thing? A lot of Filipinos are affected!

Dating Services

Dating is easy when you sign up for a membership in a dating site. With technology as fast and easy as it is, you can find the love or your life, or at least a solid friend, when you allow yourself to meet new people. Dating has never been easier and when you check out the services that are provided to you on this site, you will be able to increase your chances of meeting that special someone now.

Dating sites have changed Dating sites have changed. Now, more than ever, you can option to sign up without having to commit to a relationship. Many people are simply looking to meet someone that they can connect with, be it a romantic level or platonic. Get the information that you want when you are seeking the right person for you. On this dating site, you will gain the information that you need. Safety, efficiency, and privacy are all important when seeking the right kind of mate.

Dating online Increase your chances of meeting that special someone right now. Dating has never been easier and when you check out the services that are provided to you on this site, you will find that you are more than satisfied with the outcome. Get the information that will protect you and give you opportunities to date the right type of people for you. Get started today.

Distance Education in the Philippines

This is somewhat related to my last post. I decided to put in here the institutions or schools, that I was able to research, which offer full academic degree programs via distance learning that are duly recognized by the Philippine government, through accreditation with the Commission on Higher Education, are shown below. Their programs enjoy the same legal status and privileges as those offered in traditional colleges and universities, and are eligible for credit to other institutions of higher learning.

Asian Institute for Distance Education

Asian Institute for Distance Education (AIDE) is a distance learning college accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the official government agency regulating all colleges and universities in the Philippines.

AIDE is a private, non-sectarian, higher education institution offering programs leading to baccalaureate degrees via a mixed mode of instruction, largely dependent on self-instructional module packages.

CAP College Foundation

Academic programs: CAP College offers associate degree, baccalaureate degree, and masteral degree programs in business, education, social sciences, liberal arts, and information technology.

Teaching method: Students have the option of taking courses online, by mail, or by pick-up of their module packages. Midterm and final examinations are proctored and have to be physically taken on-site.

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Open University

The Open University of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, headquartered at the Gusaling Don Pepe Atienza at Intramuros, Manila, has operated a continuing education program for working adults and professionals in its several partner institutions and agencies in and out of the country. It is designed to provide higher education and improved qualifications to individuals who are unable to take advantage of traditional modes of education because of personal and professional responsibilities. It offers a number of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Open University

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Open University (PUP-OU), or the Pamantasang Bayan (Filipino: Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Bukás na Unibersidad) or the PUP Center for Distance Learning Education is located at Mabini Campus in Manila. It was established in 1995 to meet the needs of those who cannot physically go to regular classes.

The following degree programs are offered via distance learning:

Master in Educational Management
Master in Public Administration
Master in Construction Management
Master in Communication
Bachelor in Broadcast Communication
Bachelor in Entrepreneurial Management
Post-Baccalaureate in Computer Technology
Post-Baccalaureate in Library and Information Science
Post-Baccalaureate in Entrepreneurial Management

Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute

The Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute School of Organization Development, also known as SAIDI School of OD or simply SAIDI, is a graduate school in Antipolo City, Rizal Province, Philippines.

SAIDI is one of only few graduate institutions in the country to offer distance learning programs for working professionals. As of 2008, SAIDI offers academic programs in business, education, information technology, and language. The graduate school maintains an international faculty and admits students from different countries around the world.

University of the Philippines, Open University

The University of the Philippines, Open University (U.P.O.U.), headquartered at Los Baños, Laguna, was established on February 23, 1995 as the fifth constituent university of the University of the Philippines System. Its mandate is to provide education opportunities to individuals aspiring for higher education and improved qualifications but were unable to take advantage of traditional modes of education because of personal and professional obligations.

UPOU provides quality higher and continuing education to Filipinos through the distance education system. Its mission is to give its students formal qualification, as well as to develop in them the discipline and capability to become lifelong learners who are at home in today's knowledge society.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has declared the UPOU as the National Center of Excellence in Open Learning and Distance Education in recognition of its achievements in this field and its vital role in pushing the frontiers of learning in service to the Filipino nation.

Hope this will help give you information about the distance education in the Philippines.

Distance Education

I was not able to finish my BS course, that's a fact.

I want to finish college and have a degree, that's another fact.

I was studying back then when the opportunity of working reveals itself and was able to convince me follow its path. That was late 2005. On that time, deciding whether to continue my studies or start working was not easy. I can't do both at the same time, as much I want to, for the workplace is in Baguio. Before going to the City of Pines I told my friends and relatives that I'm sure I can manage my time in Baguio and become a working-student; but that never happened.

Now that I'm here in Manila, still I cannot find time to enroll myself to any college to continue education. Until my girlfriend told me an idea about distance education. Distance education?!

• Distance education, or distance learning, is a field of education that focuses on the pedagogy and andragogy, technology, and instructional systems design that aim to deliver education to students who are not physically "on site". Rather than attending courses in person, teachers and students may communicate at times of their own choosing by exchanging printed or electronic media, or through technology that allows them to communicate in real time and through other chatting ways. Distance education courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason including the taking of examinations is considered to be a hybrid or blended course or program.

So we researched the internet about the colleges that offfers distance education. What caught my attention is University of the Philippines Open Univeristy, will this be another opportunity for me to go back to the school that I left? I guess not. Their offered courses were not in my interest. Tsktsk!

Distance education, distance education. How can I avail of you? Having further net search about it we came across CAP College - College on the Web (CAP-COW). Nice one. I did a lookup on their program and I was somewhat interested on their A.B. Information Technology (IT) course. I will be taking that and finish it! Angst!

A good thing about CAP-COW is that they offer courses that can be taken whether via online or via the common modular method. Hopefully this month I can enroll and start my distance education.

Nothing is impossible. Just believe in yourself.

White Water Rafting and the Rain

It's rainy season again! But don't think that you cannot do any adrenaline-pumping activities under the rain.

If it rain, the waters of the great Chico River will rise and more rapids are created. High and fast rapids means added difficulty to rafters; white water rafting will be more intense and exciting. If a river flows faster than it normally would then the force of the rapids will be stronger. So if you want to do something adventurous during the rainy season then, besides from camping, white water rafting would definitely be a great experience!

The Chico River is always open for you guys. The river is challenging you to conquer its rapids. Do you have the guts?

Nothing much...

For the last few days I've been busy at work and that I'd hardly found a little time to think about what I can post here. Actually, I started some articles but I wasn't able to finish them that's the reason why I've posted some "hosted" articles instead. Can't find my rhythm. Can't find the proper mood to start with. Aarrgh!

However, I've had always updated my sports blogs though. Check them out, The Great Ballers and Total Knock Down and leave some comments if you like to. Also my iKalinga blog is always alive. God bless!

Using tramadol to treat chronic low-back pain.

Low-back pain is very common. The lower area of the back is made up of several vertebrae, disks of soft cartilage, joints, muscles, ligaments and nerve tissue. Its function is to connect the upper area of the chest and arms to the lower area of the pelvis and legs, providing the power and strength to stand, walk and lift, and the mobility to bend, turn and twist. If the lower back is not functioning well, almost every daily activity is affected.

Research evidence suggests that up to 85% of people will experience pain in this area of the back at some point in their lives. In most cases, the pain passes quite quickly, easing within no more than four to six weeks and allowing the same degree of mobility as previously enjoyed. But some estimates have pain persisting for one year or longer in up to 30% of all cases.

If pain does persist and significantly impairs mobility, painkillers of increasing strength may be required to allow everyday life to continue. The use of mild analgesics over time is not a problem but, if you feel that something stronger is necessary, it may be necessary to take one of the opioids such as tramadol. The difficulty is that, taken over time, any opioid may become habit forming. It is therefore necessary to balance the effectiveness of the drug against the risk that you may become addicted to it.

Published at the end of 2007, a Cochrane Review examined a number of randomized, double-blind studies involving some 950 participants into the use of oral opioids to treat low-back pain. The studies either compared tramadol (an atypical opioid) to a placebo or a morphine-based opioid to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as naproxen for more than one month. Studies comparing different opioids were excluded from the review. Without exception, all those receiving an opioid reported a reduction in the level of pain experienced and an improvement in their ability to continue their everyday lives. This does not mean that there was any change in the mobility of the back itself. None of the painkilling drugs on the market have any direct effect on the joints or musculature to relieve stiffness or restore function. All that happens is that people are better able to move within their physical limitations without the accompanying pain.

The authors of the Review therefore conclude that the use of tramadol for short-term pain relief is safe and effective. Although a small percentage of people reported mild headaches and an occasional feeling of nausea, there are no adverse side effects for the vast majority of people taking this drug. It may be considered a reliable response to moderate to severe low-back pain. But there are no formal studies examining the long-term management of low-back pain using opioids. Thus, their use should always be discussed with your physician if you propose to take it over any extended period. The fact that some people become dependent on tramadol is well documented. So you should combine drug therapy with other forms of treatment to reduce the risk of addiction while continuing to lead a relatively normal life. Used wisely, tramadol will give you the relief from pain while your back problems are resolved (to the extent that medical science can resolve them).

How do you stay at the top of your league?

Talk to any sports team manager and you hear the same answer. Once you are at the top, everyone else is gunning for you. They want the satisfaction of beating you, to prove they are better than you. You have to play your best all the time. One slip-up and you are yesterday's team, the has-beens.

According to reports in Drug Topics, the online magazine, Ambien was the thirteenth highest selling brand-name drug in the United States in 2006. So ignoring all the categories of antibiotics, antidepressants and so on (Ambien is the best selling hypnotic sedative used to treat insomnia), only twelve other medications sold more by volume in the US. That makes Ambien one of the most profitable medications on the market and, not surprisingly, other manufacturers would like a slice of Ambien's pie. But, to do that, the competition has to prove their products are as good (if not better) in direct comparison trials. As Ambien might say, "Bring it on!"

Perhaps even as recently as last year, there was investment money available to develop and bring new medications to the market. Now the credit crunch is starting to bite more fiercely, that money is harder to find. Take as an example, the Neurogen Corp., a biotech company based in Connecticut. It has a medication in development intended to go head-to-head against Ambien. But that is only half the battle. To get past the Food and Drug Administration, it needs clinical data from properly designed trials. This takes time and money. So it all comes down to priorities. Which is more important: current operations or future profits?

Neurogen has just announced it is laying off forty-five of its staff and raising some $30m with private investors to focus on just four prospects. This is a dramatic strategy. Most of the staff were in research and some in administration. So, the company has decided that one of the four prospects - to treat insomnia, anxiety, restless legs syndrome (RLS) and Parkinson's disease - must succeed for the company to survive. It does not have the capital to maintain the search for future medications. Even the more general administration of the company can be allowed to degrade. The share value fell one third on the announcement, the company having lost almost $58m last year.

But the potential value of even a flea bite in Ambien's market share would restore Neurogen to profitability. So it has to bet its shirt on its head-to-head competitor in development. If it can produce clear clinical data that it has a safe and effective product and that product is at least as good as Ambien, it will have saved itself. The results of the trial are due at the end of this year.

What price should any company pay to chase the pot of gold at the end of the commercial rainbow? Market dominance such as that enjoyed by Ambien is not necessarily a good thing. In a capitalist society, we should encourage open competition if it benefits consumers by producing excellent products at a good price. But I worry about the forty-five staff who lost their jobs. Who is to say they would not have developed a special new medication next year? Now all they have to look forward to is next month's red reminders from the credit card companies.

I am not arguing that companies should not compete with Ambien. Competition keeps the established player on form. But I wonder who really benefits if a biotec company like Neurogen does get a good product out there. A few already rich investors get a spectacular return. There is a new product that has to maintain a high price to recover its development costs, i.e. Ambien has no price competition so consumers get no benefit - other than being able to buy Ambien and get some quality sleep, of course. Perhaps that investment money could have been better spent on something more immediately of benefit to the ordinary consumer.