Small Steps

I chanced upon this website that offers help so that we can separate healthy fact from fiction.

www.smallstep.gov challenges us to be healthier!

So, if you want to get healthy, but don’t know how to begin? Start with this list of small steps and find some that work for you. I am now searching...

1. Walk to work.
2. Use fat free milk over whole milk.
3. Do sit-ups in front of the TV.
4. Walk during lunch hour.
5. Drink water before a meal.
6. Eat leaner red meat & poultry.
7. Eat half your dessert.
8. Walk instead of driving whenever you can.
9. Take family walk after dinner.
10. Skate to work instead of driving.
11. Avoid food portions larger than your fist.
12. Mow lawn with push mower.
13. Increase the fiber in your diet.
14. Walk to your place of worship instead of driving.
15. Walk kids to school.
16. Get a dog and walk it.
17. Join an exercise group.
18. Drink diet soda.
19. Replace Sunday drive with Sunday walk.
20. Do yard work.
21. Eat off smaller plates.
22. Get off a stop early & walk.
23. Don't eat late at night.
24. Skip seconds.
25. Work around the house.
26. Skip buffets.
27. Grill, steam or bake instead of frying.
28. Bicycle to the store instead of driving.
29. Take dog to the park.
30. Ask your doctor about taking a multi-vitamin.
31. Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV.
32. Use vegetable oils over solid fats.
33. More carrots, less cake.
34. Fetch the newspaper yourself.
35. Sit up straight at work.
36. Wash the car by hand.
37. Don't skip meals.
38. Eat more celery sticks.
39. Run when running errands.
40. Pace the sidelines at kids' athletic games.
41. Take wheels off luggage.
42. Choose an activity that fits into your daily life.
43. Try your burger with just lettuce, tomato, and onion.
44. Ask a friend to exercise with you.
45. Make time in your day for physical activity.
46. Exercise with a video if the weather is bad.
47. Bike to the barbershop or beauty salon instead of driving.
48. Keep to a regular eating schedule.
49. If you find it difficult to be active after work, try it before work.
50. Take a walk or do desk exercises instead of a cigarette or coffee break.
51. Perform gardening or home repair activities.
52. Avoid laborsaving devices.
53. Take small trips on foot to get your body moving.
54. Play with your kids 30 minutes a day.
55. Dance to music.
56. Keep a pair of comfortable walking or running shoes in your car and office.
57. Make a Saturday morning walk a group habit.
58. Walk briskly in the mall.
59. Choose activities you enjoy & you'll be more likely to stick with them.
60. Stretch before bed to give you more energy when you wake.
61. Take the long way to the water cooler.
62. Explore new physical activities.
63. Vary your activities, for interest and to broaden the range of benefits.
64. Reward and acknowledge your efforts.
65. Choose fruit for dessert.
66. Consume alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all.
67. Take stairs instead of the escalator.
68. Conduct an inventory of your meal/snack and physical activity patterns.
69. Share an entree with a friend.
70. Grill fruits or vegetables.
71. Eat before grocery shopping.
72. Choose a checkout line without a candy display.
73. Make a grocery list before you shop.
74. Buy 100% fruit juices over soda and sugary drinks.
75. Stay active in winter. Play with your kids.
76. Flavor foods with herbs, spices, and other low fat seasonings.
77. Remove skin from poultry before cooking to lower fat content.
78. Eat before you get too hungry.
79. Don't skip breakfast.
80. Stop eating when you are full.
81. Snack on fruits and vegetables.
82. Top your favorite cereal with apples or bananas.
83. Try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.
84. Include several servings of whole grain food daily.
85. When eating out, choose a small or medium portion.
86. If main dishes are too big, choose an appetizer or a side dish instead.
87. Ask for salad dressing "on the side".
88. Don't take seconds.
89. Park farther from destination and walk.
90. Try a green salad instead of fries.
91. Bake or broil fish.
92. Walk instead of sitting around.
93. Eat sweet foods in small amounts.
94. Take your dog on longer walks.
95. Drink lots of water.
96. Cut back on added fats or oils in cooking or spreads.
97. Walk the beach instead of sunbathing.
98. Walk to a co-worker's desk instead of emailing or calling them.
99. Carry your groceries instead of pushing a cart.
100. Use a snow shovel instead of a snow blower.
101. Cut high-calorie foods like cheese and chocolate into smaller pieces and only eat a few pieces.
102. Use nonfat or low-fat sour cream, mayo, sauces, dressings, and other condiments.
103. Replace sugar sweetened beverages with water and add a twist of lemon or lime.
104. Replace high-saturated fat/high calorie seasonings with herbs grown in a small herb garden in your kitchen window.
105. Refrigerate prepared soups before you eat them. As the soup cools, the fat will rise to the top. Skim it off the surface for reduced fat content.
106. When eating out, ask your server to put half your entrée in a to-go bag.
107. Substitute vegetables for other ingredients in your sandwich.
108. Every time you eat a meal, sit down, chew slowly, and pay attention to flavors and textures.
109. Try a new fruit or vegetable (ever had jicama, plantain, bok choy, starfruit or papaya?)
110. Make up a batch of brownies with applesauce instead of oil or shortening.
111. Instead of eating out, bring a healthy, low calorie lunch to work.
112. Ask your sweetie to bring you fruit or flowers instead of chocolate.
113. Speak up for the salad bar when your coworkers are picking a restaurant for lunch, and remember calories count, so pay attention to how much and what you eat.
114. When walking, go up the hills instead of around them.
115. Walk briskly through the mall and shop 'til you drop ... pounds.
116. Clean your closet and donate clothes that are too big.
117. Take your body measurements to gauge progress.
118. Buy a set of hand weights and play a round of Simon Says with your kids - you do it with the weights, they do without.
119. Swim with your kids.

Saudi hiring of Filipino female nurses declining--DFA

Hiring of female Filipino nurses in Saudi Arabia is declining while demand for male nurses is on the rise, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday as reported on the www.inq7.net.

In his report to the DFA home office in Manila, Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla of the Philippine embassy in Riyadh said visas issued to female nurses in 2003 numbered 1,395. This rose to 2,288 last year, but dropped by 28 percent this year to 1,641.

On the other hand, visas issued to male nurses in 2003 numbered only 13. This climbed by more than 800 percent with 100 visas issued in 2004, and 52 percent with 152 visas released this year.

Guinomla’s report also indicated that the demand for male technicians is rising with 27 visas given in 2003, 124 last year, and 188 in 2005. For female technicians, 267 working visas were issued in 2003, 642 in 2004, and 540 this year.

It is estimated that 70 percent of the country’s two to three million overseas Filipino workers are women.

This is the mini tornado that swept across central Bahrain yesterday afternoon.

The Gulf Daily News reported that the rare phenomenon called mesoscale feature was caused by a long spell of humid weather and higher-than-normal temperatures for the time of year.

The mini tornado was seen on open ground between A'ali and Zayed Town and threw up dust and other objects lying in its path.

Ridiculous are the many people who opted to go out of their cars and took pictures of the tornado. Posterity was more important than safety. That was not the case last week when it took us more than an hour to drive to Isa Town from Seef Mall after a thick fog enveloped Bahrain. What could have been the difference in the attitude of people? I guess the tornado occurred in day time. Duh! 

"Events have proven me right. She is corrupt and ruthless and will do everything to stay in power." - Faeldon

"Events have proven me right. She is corrupt and ruthless and will do everything to stay in power." So, Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon emphatically said. I agree with him. Corrupt. Ruthless. Will do everything to stay in power.

Jaime Laude of the Philippine Star wrote on December 15 that Magdalo member Faeldon escaped from his ISAFP escort after he paid his P200,000 bail bond before the Makati City regional trial court where he is facing charges of coup d’état along with six other Magdalo officials but the AFP ordered his continued detention.

It was a dramtic move to make a strong point.

Jawad Hayat briefing the audience on the rules and procedures of the Table Topics Contest. He prepared a number of questions and picked "You can tell a man's character through his friends." or something similar to that. 

Filipino Club Toastmasters 3029-79 Table Topics Contest winners, judges and hosts. From left: 3rd placer Hamza Ali; judge Mohammed Illyas; judge Najeeb Razak; judge Ahmed Shukri; Chief Judge Clement Vinayak; 1st placer Nomel I. Gilongos (me! Ahem!); 2nd placer Albert Gayo; judge Salman Ali Salman; judge Elpie Quitevis and Contest Chair Jawad Hayat Fateel. Smile! Look, one's not smiling...  

A Reluctant Winner

I blackmailed Filipino Club Toastmasters VP Education Vicky Cacayan to join the Club's Table Topics Contest if she wanted me to join. However, I was not able to pick up my speaking order number when Chief Judge Clement Vinayak, immediate past Area 3 Governor, went around as I was taking picture. Anyway, I ended up as contestant number 11 but Clement was not able to announce my name although Jawad managed to correct that before the start of the contest. To cut the long story short, I was the last speaker and I do not have the luxury of listening to any other contestants. It was a tough field. The likes of Hasanain, Ali Shahbaz, Nestor, Hamza, Vicky and Albert are competing. Even the four newer members like Noril, Abbas, Hani and Ramon can spring suprises. That is why it was called Table Topics. Besides, I am not interested in competing, more specifically, joining contests.

Unfortunate for me, I never went beyond time. I miscalculated. What I thought to be a lousy Table Topics speech apparently appealed to the judges. Hamza was third. Albert was second. And poor me will have to start worrying what to wear in the Area 3 Table Topics Contest. :(

Am getting on the yuletide mode despite the...  Anyway, this will make a great Christmas treat for everyone!

Toasted Pecan Toffee

You need a candy thermometer for this recipe.

1 cup butter, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
2 cups well-chopped pecans, toasted (divided)
1/2 pound (8 ounces) chocolate, cut into chunks - milk, semi, or bittersweet (your choice)

Cover a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.

In a medium, thick-bottomed saucepan over medium/med-low heat add the butter. Wait a minute or two until the butter really starts to soften and melt. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook, stirring regularly until the mixture is bubbling (lava-style) and the candy thermometer hits 300. Remove from the heat and stir in one cup of the pecans.

Pour the hot toffee out onto the prepared baking sheet. Depending on hot thick you like your toffee, spread it out into a round 10-12-inches wide. Set it aside to cool.

While the toffee is cooling go ahead and melt half the chocolate - Heather uses a microwave in 20-second bursts or you can use a double boiler. Be sure the toffee has set up a bit before you spread the melted chocolate over the top. Immediately sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the remaining pecans.

Wait 20 minutes, or until the chocolate has firmed up. Carefully flip the toffee over. Melt the remaining chocolate and spread on the second side - sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans. Let cool.

I've seen people break brittle or toffee into big shards by smacking the baking pan on the counter. If this doesn't work for you, break the toffee into pieces by (carefully) using a knife or ice pick to break of pieces.

Makes a big plate of toffee.

What the Thais meant

Philippine Inquirer reader Ana Marie Balayon wrote:

THE THAIS’ SKEPTICISM about the medals that Filipinos won in the Southeast Asian Games is but an indicator of how little credibility we have as a people. Rather than vindicate us, the fact that some of the competitions such as swimming, fencing and running cannot be rigged (without the collusion of non-Filipino players) actually serves to highlight this lack of trust in the Filipinos’ ability to act honestly.

For sure, the Thais’ accusation is extremely offensive. It was made worse by the fact that the statement came from a normally mild-mannered people. Moreover, their prime minister defied diplomatic niceties and added his own negative comments.

Our standing in the world community has reached an all-time low.

However, given that Macapagal-Arroyo considers her conversations with “a Comelec official” as a mere “lapse in judgement,” and she is now admonishing us to just “move on,” can we blame the Thais?

A Tale of Online and SMS Voting.

Today, two contrasting news about how Filipinos received/lost recognition through online and SMS voting.

Several months ago, I help by forwarding to all my acquaintance an appeal to vote for a Filipino invention in the World Challenge, a global competition sponsored by BBC World, Newsweek and Shell in the United Kingdom. The Philippine entry, "Coconets", is invented by agricultural engineer Justino Arboleda who formed Juboken Enterprise, to market "coconets" which are made from coconut husks to control erosion and landslides. "Coconets" was adjudged overall winner.

On the other hand, favorite Miss World candidate, Carlene Aguilar of the Philippines failed to land in the magic 15 of the Miss World grand finals in Sanya, China inspite of online and SMS voting.

What happened to the vaunted Filipino online and SMS vote?

Voting for "coconets" was free. You only need to visit the World Challenge website and vote while in the Miss World pageant, you pay a dollar for every vote.

Implications? Filipinos, even those who are working abroad, are reeling from the economic anf financial crunch in the Philippines. I wondered by Jose Pidal did not help this time?

What is Love?

Buzzle.com is an interesting website. Its tagline is "Intelligent Life on the Web". It is almost similar to About.com but offers free email. I came across one of the most profound questions on Buzzle.com - what is love? - written by Brady Holzhauer.