Clean Hands Raised: Global Handwashing Day 2015

                There was an air of cheer as Jawili Integrated School pupils and students started the day with the flag ceremony and raised their hands as they pledged to keep their hands clean and spread awareness on the importance of proper handwashing.

                Various contests were held for learners to showcase their talents and their knowledge and expertise on proper handwashing. There were slogan, essay writing, and poem writing contests in three languages – English, Filipino, and Akeanon. For the creative artists, there was a Hand Art Contest for kindergarten pupils, Drawing Contest for grades 1-3 pupils, and Poster Making for grades 4-6 and grades 7-10. Their arts were displayed on a wall for others to see and admire.

                Then, the learners formed their lines toward a clean and bright future as they look at their hands, washed their hands with soap and water, and smiled as they show off their clean hands. Members of the Philippine National Police also joined in the celebration and washed their hands with the learners and the teachers.

                Indeed, handwashing is for everybody and we, at Jawili Integrated School, raise our hands for hygiene!

Be Healthy, Be Wealthy

The old adage, “Health is wealth” will never lose its essence and truth. No matter how often it is said or written, it will remain true. This is why there are a lot of different health products sprouting from one side to another. These products come in different forms including protein shakes. Health allows people to make the most out of life.

A lot of old people envy the young because of their health, strength, and energy. However, good health is for everyone who deserves it. Those who deserve good health are those who work to have it. It is not too difficult to obtain if one knows how to take care of herself or himself. Here are some health tips that people can follow so their bodies will always be at its best condition.

Beauty is Skin Deep

Good health shows on a person’s skin. There are different products available in the market that helps take care of a person’s body which shows beautiful skin as an after effect and there are also some products which mainly aim to give people healthier and more beautiful skin.

Image from Glam Girl

• Oolong Tea. Teas are great for health and for beauty. One of the exceptionally good teas is the Oolong tea. This is perfect for people who suffer from mild cases of eczema. It helps relieve itchiness and other eczema symptoms.
• Tea Tree. Tea Tree leaves’ extract works great against athlete’s foot. Just apply it on the affected spots at least twice a day. Teas are great for skin as well as for metabolism.

Break Free from Pains

Pains are signs that there is something wrong in a person’s health. There are different products that people can use to relieve pain and also to prevent it.

Image from Critical Science

• Headaches. A good remedy for headaches is peppermint oil, white flower, or tiger balm. These are rubbed into the person’s temples.
• Muscle and Joint Pains. For such pains, use ointments or creams that contain capsaicin. This element is found in peppers.

Prevention is better than Cure

There are other products that does not only cure medical conditions but also help people prevent potential health problems.

•  Rosemary. The aroma of Rosemary is enough to help sharpen a person’s mind. This is perfect for those who are about to take an exam. Instead of stopping to smell the flowers, smell Rosemary instead.
• Sugar-free. Maintain healthy blood sugar levels through incorporating endive, cooked greens, radicchio, and olives into the person’s meals.
•  Dry no more. For people who usually suffer from dry eyes, the remedy is to eat lots of seafood! 
• Say yeast. Eat Probiotic rich food such as sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, and yogurt will help prevent yeast infections.
• Bilberry Bush. Take bilberry, which is especially great tasting as a jam, to improve a person’s night vision.
• Go Bananas. Maintain healthy blood pressure and good heart condition through eating bananas, oranges, and cantaloupes.  

Go Raw!

A lot of people believe that raw food is the healthiest way to go. This practice is also known as Raw Foodism or Rawism. Like the name implies, this is a practice of eating only raw foods such as raw fruits, grains, and raw vegetables. Food items in a raw food diet should be uncooked and unprocessed. Usually, these are what most people call organic foods. This is said to be a much healthier of eating food as heating the food causes loss of nutrients. There are also some studies that prove how cooking can make the food harmful for a person. A raw food diet will ensure that a person will eat food that are safe to eat and with all its vitamins and nutrients intact.

Some people choose to go on raw food diet for three possible reasons.

• Weight loss
• Better health
• Environmental causes

Does Raw Food Diet work?

Although the nutrients of food items usually found in the raw food diet, there are usually questions about this diet being a good one for weight loss. There are also questions about the suitability of such diet for people with busy schedules and for people who are always in a hurry. Instead of using the microwave, food preparation is usually done using blenders, dehydrators, and food processors. These are processes that are as quick as when microwave ovens are used, yet produce healthier dishes!

People who go into raw food diet have a good chance of losing weight. The fact that food items in this kind of diet contain low calories, low sodium, low fats, and high fiber makes it a lot better when measuring these against what they eat before this diet. These food items are usually rich in vitamins and nutrients too. This is perfect for busy people to keep them in shape and in their best condition to work and perform their daily tasks.

Coffee Cut

Jackie Chan meant it when he said, “Coffee is a language in itself”. Since the 16^th century, coffee continues to be a part of people’s lives. It is some people’s “Good morning!” Coffee is some people’s “It’s time to relax.” Coffee is some people’s “I miss you!” Coffee is some people’s “Everything will be alright.” Each cup of coffee conveys a message that some people fail to say directly. However, its warmth, its bittersweet taste, its seductive aroma, and its rich flavor are enough. It feels like a friend’s warm hug, a mother’s touch, and a lover’s kiss.

Nowadays people can get coffee anytime they want to. At the press of a button, one can get their cup of freshly brewed coffee. According to the National Coffee Association of USA, 83% of all Americans drink coffee. This explains the sudden increase in number of different Coffee shops not only in America but all over the world.

In the Beginning: Brief History of Coffee

Coffee drinkers are forever indebted to goats. People may think that goats are only good for milk and meat but a special herd of goats actually paved the way to the discovery of coffee in the 6^th century. It happened one day when Kaldi, a goat herder was watching over this particular herd, he noticed that the goats became restless. He figured out that it was because of the unidentified berries and leaves that the goats ate. He tried the berries himself and was pleasantly surprised by its invigorating effect. The monks who witnessed how Kaldi danced with the goats tried to figure out the best preparation for these berries and coffee, as people know it now, was born.

Why Drink Coffee?

No one can deny the charm of coffee’s taste and aroma. However, aside from satisfying a person’s sense of smell and taste, it has a lot of other benefits.

•  Drink coffee for long life. Studies conducted in 2008 and 2009 prove that coffee drinkers who suffer from different chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease had longer lives that those who do not drink coffee. In addition, those who drink four cups of coffee a day or more even had longer lives than those who drink less. Three more studies show that people who drink up to three cups a day have 10% lower death rate while those who drink more than three cups have 12% lower death rate.
•  Drink coffee to boost energy. Charge up with caffeine which is the most popular psychoactive substance that people around the world love to consume. Right after drinking, this energy booster flows with the person’s blood and goes to his or her brain.
• Drink coffee to boost mind functions. Once in the brain, caffeine blocks the Adenosine which causes hyperactive firing of neurons resulting to memory enhancement, lighter mood, alertness, more energy, and more efficient thinking process. 
• Drink coffee for healthier reproductive system. While prostate cancer and ovarian cancer as the most frequent gender-exclusive causes of death, a lot of people would try anything to prevent such illnesses. Fortunately, there is no need for expensive supplements and treatments as coffee is the answer to this quest. A study conducted in 2011 shows that male coffee drinkers who drink at least six cups of coffee a day have 20% lower rate of having prostate cancer. On the other hand, women who drink at least four cups a day have 25% lower chance of having ovarian cancer.
• Drink coffee to prevent cancer. Studies prove that coffee drinkers have lower chance of having different kinds of cancer such as lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, and colon cancer. The coffee is able to provide protection against cancer because of its chlorogenic and caffeic contents.
• Drink coffee to get rid of fat. Different fat burning products have one thing in common – caffeine. This is because caffeine is an effective fat burner. Numerous studies prove that caffeine raises a person’s metabolism rate by at least 3%. In addition, it increases the rate of fat burning to at least 10% for obese people and at least 29% for others. These are observable on new coffee drinkers.

What’s the Difference? Brewed Coffee VS Instant Coffee

Some people may not recognize the difference between a cup of brewed coffee and a cup of instant coffee. However, for avid coffee drinkers, there are a lot of differences between the two. More coffee drinkers prefer freshly brewed coffee over instant coffee.

• Cost. Instant coffee is definitely more affordable than brewed coffee. It may be bought in bottles, in cans, or sachets. From its name, “instant coffee”, this powder is just added to hot water, sugar and creamer may also be added, stirred, and drank. On the other hand, brewed coffee will require a coffeemaker. However, brewed coffee drinkers swear that it is definitely worth the price difference. 
• Content. Acrylamide was discovered in 2002. It is a toxic compound measured in PPB or parts-per-billion. Apparently, instant coffee has more PPBs of Acrylamide compared to brewed coffee. As an example, Nescafe has 471 PPB while Classic Roast has 13 PPB only.
• Detoxification. Coffee is popular for its antioxidant contents. However, it turns out to be the result of the roasting process. Therefore, instant coffee has a lot less antioxidants than brewed coffee.
• Caffeine. While people turn to coffee to stay awake and alert, instant coffee cannot give them what they need. If an instant energy and mood booster is needed, this need can only be fulfilled by brewed coffee. As an example, 8 oz. of instant coffee has a maximum of 173 mg caffeine while brewed coffee of the same amount can have a maximum of 200 mg caffeine.