Bell Pepper, My Favorite Vegetable

“Sili” in Filipino or chili in Mexican or Spanish is an herb or vegetables that Filipinos associate with one having a “hot” taste. The “siling labuyo” or bird’s eye chili pepper is very hot and leaves a momentary burning sensation in the mouth with just a bite of a single and small ripened fruit. It is used as ingredient of local dishes to make them pungent and spicy.  One variety of the capsicum family that I like most is the bell pepper.

The bell pepper is distinct from other pepper variety since it does not have a hot taste which is common to other peppers. It is also the largest of all the peppers. The reason for this is that bell pepper does not produce the chemical capsaicin that gives the other pepper variety a burning taste when people bite or chew it. Rather than hot its taste is somehow sweet and its flesh and skin is tender. For me, it’s one of the most delicious vegetables that I have eaten.

The bell pepper is botanically a fruit since it grows out of a flower and contains seeds, but culinarily it is used and consumed as a vegetable. In the local market, the bell pepper comes in three different colors- red, yellow and green, with the red as the most delicious of all.

For culinary purpose, the bell pepper is used as toppings of pizza. It is also used in combination with other vegetables to make stews or addition to meats such as beef and pork. Bell pepper is also ideal as one of components of green or vegetable salad. I like it as salad because of its pleasant taste and soft texture. I prepare it slightly boiled rather than raw to prevent bacteria contamination with mayonnaise or commercially sold green salad dressings to add flavor. Sometimes I simply dip it in vinegar with salt.

The bell-shaped fruit or vegetable is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, riboflavin, folate, Vitamin E and fiber making it an ideal food for one who wants a balanced diet for a good health.

In the local market, bell pepper is one of the most expensive vegetables making it not budget friendly vegetable either for personal or commercial consumption.

 

Controlling My Type 2 Diabetes as a Senior Citizen

 

Time was when I could eat almost any food without worrying about its effect on my health. But as I grow older my diet, my lifestyle and my state of mind have an impact on my health and wellbeing. My body’s immune system is not as strong as it used to be when I was young.  

 Several years back I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. To deal with it, I have to follow my doctors’ advice on medications and matters related to the disease. Knowing that I had the disease was bad news for me because diabetes is not curable, and if left untreated and uncontrolled can lead to serious health complications such as going blind, being amputated in the legs, having a heart disease and stroke, having a kidney problem and having a nerve damage.

 I have been to several doctors for consultations and medicine prescriptions. I have also made researches in the internet about the disease and the doctors’ guidance and my research have helped me a great deal to manage the disease. The following paragraphs are my layman’s action in dealing with my illness.

 Diet

 The cause of type 2 diabetes is the excess sugar in the blood stream because the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin. Therefore, decreasing sugar level in the blood is a key to bring the blood glucose back to the normal level.

-       Eliminate or minimize my sugar consumption. I get rid of table sugar and shun the consumption of commercial food products with added sugar in them such as three-in-one coffee, ice creams, cakes and pastries, candies, sweetened chocolates and drinks such as coke, canned fruit juices, sports drinks and other sugary drinks.

-       Minimize my carbohydrate intakes. Carbohydrates are essential food nutrients that provide energy for the body to function, but too much of it is not good for a person with diabetes since the body will convert excess carbs into sugar thus spiking his blood glucose level. As a Filipino my main source of carb is rice and consumption of it must be controlled since rice has too much carb. At present I have reduced my rice consumption to just about 1/3 of what I used to eat when I was still a non-diabetic.

-       Eat lots of vegetables. My veggies include carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, okra, ampalaya, eggplant, tomatoes, bell pepper and green leafy ones such as cabbages, camote tops and saluyot. I also eat fruits such as apples, oranges, mangoes, bananas, avocadoes and local seasonal fruits. 

-       Eat mainly fish and eggs as my main sources of protein. Eating fish is healthier than eating red meats such as beef, pork, and eggs are cheap source of protein. I also consume red meat to include chicken in limited amount.

-       Choosing healthy edible oil. I avoid vegetable oils specially in frying because they can cause inflammation in the body which can exacerbate diabetes. For cooking, I only use coconut oil which is said to be a healthy oil as well as extra virgin olive oil (EVOO}which is rich in omega 3 fatty acid. The latter is said to be the best and the healthiest edible oil there is, but it is expensive in the Philippines. EVOO goes along with my bread as a dipping, my other bread fillings are cheddar cheese and peanut butter.

-       Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking. I am fortunate that as a person I don’t consume alcoholic drinks or smoke cigarettes, the habits that can worsen various illnesses such as diabetes.

Care of the pancreas

The pancreas is an organ of the body which produces enzyme to digest food especially protein, and makes the hormone insulin which help control blood sugar. It is therefore imperative to make it healthy to maintain my good health. But as a person ages, his pancreas will not be as efficient as he was in his younger years.

-       Having light meals for my breakfast, lunch and supper. Large meals are not good for a person with diabetes because they will put much stress to the pancreas.

-       Having multiple but light meals. In my research, it is suggested that it is more desirable to have four or six light meals including snacks than having 3 large meals. But for me, I opt for just three light meals each day. 

Healthy routines 

Having desirable routines to follow every day is good for my health. One of them is to be physically active always. Similarly, having adequate rest is needed by the body to reinvigorate itself. Sedentary lifestyle can lead to boredom, weight gain and the acquisition or worsening of illnesses.

-       Having a regular exercise. I used to jog regularly to be physically fit. At my older age I want to maintain that routine, but my rheumatic knee won’t allow it anymore. In lieu of jogging I do a lot of walking either near my house or in the malls. I am also doing body stretching, high intensity exercises such as pushups and mountain climbers, and light dumbbell exercises to minimize degradation of my bones and muscle mass because of aging. I do these in an almost everyday basis except Sunday. My exercise session last for about an hour. I alternate the days when I do high intensity exercise and body stretching.

-       Having enough sleep. The quality of sleep can have impact with people having health issue such as diabetes. A person should have at least a 7-hour sleep a day to be healthy. I am always trying to achieve that amount of time when I sleep. However, for me, the quality of sleep that I will have, is also affected by my state of mind and the mood that I am in on a particular evening. It is my habit to sleep early so that I can wake up and get up early in the morning to monitor my blood sugar and to exercise.

-       Blood sugar level monitoring. Constant checkup of my blood sugar level is a necessary measure in managing my illness. Without it I wouldn’t be able to know when my blood sugar is rising and what actions should I take to bring it back to normal. A glucometer is a small investment for that purpose. In my house I always do a fasting blood sugar glucometer test early in the morning to monitor my blood sugar level.

-       Bi-annual blood chemistry test. Twice every year, my blood chemistry test also includes HbA1c which is a measure of my average blood sugar level for the past two or three months.

Positive state of mind

Having a healthy diet and having desirable routines are not complete healing process without dealing with the psychological aspect of the health issue. Chronic mental stress can also spike blood sugar level and worsen one’s health. Controlling the mind to be always on the optimistic state is easier said than done. Demise of love ones, bankruptcy of a company where one works with, financial difficulties, break up of romantic relationship, behavior of people around us, are happenings which are mostly beyond one’s control. And they can give him stress or depression.                   

-       Managing negative emotions or feelings. Anger, jealousy, envy, hate, anxiety are some examples of negative feelings that are stress makers. Negativities can make my stress hormone called cortisol high for a prolonged period which can also raise my blood sugar level. Getting along with others is a simple way to be in a good state of mind.

-       Avoid focusing or thinking on stressful things that are beyond my personal control. Matters beyond my control should be better left ignored as they are because too much thinking on them can give me stress.

-       Thinking positive always. Positive outlook in life brings about desirable feelings and emotions. It will enable a person to be successful in most of his endeavors that can make him happy. Happiness brings about a good state of mind which is also conducive to a person’s good physical health.

With my own effort and with the help of my doctor for her prescribed medicines and guidance, I have been able to bring my blood sugar to a normal level for quite some time; thus, preventing the occurrence of serious health complications caused by diabetes. However, I still continue to take my medicines because, as health experts say: diabetes is an incurable disease. And I will take their words for it. Despite my disease, I feel that I am in good health. I am living a normal life as if I don’t have the disease at all, and that I am as physically strong as other healthy persons who are my contemporaries.

 

 

 

Amazing Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecies on the Execution and Death of Jesus Christ

 

Christians' Bible is divided between the Old and the New Testament. The Old 

Testament deals with books written by Moses, history of Ancient Israel, poems and prophecies of the future. The New Testament deals mainly on the life, ministry and teaching of Jesus who Christians believe as God's promised Messiah. Prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Jesus Christ was one of the Old Testament prophets. He prophesied on the coming of God's Messiah among other things. Among them was the manner of how the Messiah would die. Below are selected chapters and verses of the Old Testament in the Book of Psalms and Isaiah which are related to the life of Jesus.

From The Book of Psalms, Chapter 22

1 My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art though so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shout out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him,

14 I am poured like a water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have compassed me; the assemble of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

18. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 53

4 Surely he had born our griefs, and carried out our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, het he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and a sheep before his shearer is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment; and shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul and offering of sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Christians believe that above prophecies are fulfilled according the accounts in the New Testament . during Jesus lifetime. Jesus activities and his claim to be the Son of God caused grave concerns among the Jewish religious leaders so that they plotted against him. He was tried by the Jewish and Roman authorities (Psalm 22: 16). During those trials he did not make rebuttals of the accusations against him (Isaiah 53:7). Consequently, he was sentence to be executed through crucifixion (Isaiah 53:8, Psalm 22:16). Before the execution he went through severe forms of punishments and beatings (Psalms 22:14-15). Nailed on the cross, Jesus uttered these words: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1). As Jesus agonized on the Cross some people mocked him saying, "If he is indeed the Son of God, why shouldn't he ask God to help him!" (Psalm 22:7-8). Roman soldiers took off Jesus garment and divided it and cast lot to decide what each should take (Psalm 22:18). Jesus was crucified together with two criminals, and entered in the tomb of a rich person named Joseph of Arimathea (Isaiah 53:9). Jesus went through pain and death because of our iniquities and transgressions (Isaiah 53:4-6). What Jesus went through was the will of God (Isaiah 53:10). 

Young Green Coconut Water and Meat (Buko)

Young green coconut which is called buko in Tagalog or butong in Cebuano is a fruit popular among health enthusiasts and to those who love the taste of its water and meat. It is mostly sold in makeshift stalls in areas that are frequented by people.  Available coconuts are cut off portion of its husk for the insertion of a drinking straw. And with the fruit opened, the tender meat can be scooped off with an improvised husk spoon. Customers can select a whole unopened coconut, or with the water and the meat removed from the fruit and contained in a plastic cup, or with the coconut water mixed with the meat and other fruits in addition to sugar and ice.     

Coconut water is appealing because it is refreshing, rehydrating and invigorating. It has already found its way in commercial markets and is available in cans, bottles and packages. But the fresh coconut water is still the best because it has not undergone any industrial processes where chemicals or preservatives may be added to prolong its shelf life. The fruits comes from a tropical palm tree that can grow even with no pesticide applications hence it is an all natural food.

Benefits of green coconut water:

Green coconut water is alkaline and is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial, and helps detoxify the body by providing hydration antioxidants. It can also balance the ratio of good to bad bacteria in the body's digestive tract thus improving digestion and gut health.

It is suitable drink for diabetics because of its low sugar contents.

It has natural electrolytes in potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus and is free of cholesterol and fat. Because it is rich in potassium it is good for the heart and for the regulation of blood pressure.

                      

It is good for kidney and urinary bladder problems. Drinking coconut water 2 to 3 times a week may reduce the size of kidney stones in short period of time. 

Compared to sport drink coconut water is low in calories and sugar and high in electrolytes making it suitable for drink after exercise. In addition it is free of preservatives that sport drinks may have.

   

                                           

The meat of green coconut is delicious and nutritious too. It is rich in potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus and calcium and also contains fiber, protein, Vitamin C and without cholesterol. It is an ingredient in dessert foods relished by Filipinos such as buko pie, buko salad and halo-halo.

Like almost all foods green coconut water and meat should be consumed in moderation or with the guidance of health care professionals especially when a person has health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure and other illnesses. Over consumption of coconut water may worsen the condition of a person with kidney problem and that in persons with heart problems it may lower their blood pressure too much. 

Cagayan de Oro River Boulevard

A major component of flood risk management project for Cagayan de Oro River which is called river boulevard is now completed. The local government of Cagayan de Oro has now allowed people to enter the newly finished infrastructure although it is still off limits to vehicles. The project is funded by loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) under the foreign ministry of Japan.     

The features of the finished project consist of a 2.3 kilometers two-lane concrete road that covers the distance from J.R Borja to Kauswagan Bridges or vice versa and traversing the Marcos Bridge in between. At the eastern side of the road is a walkway with railings on both sides. And at the western side of the road facing the river bank is a promenade with adobe-like floorings and lamp posts, and along its course are lines of rectangular shaped garden plots with grasses which may also be planted with decorative plants or trees in the future. On the edge of the promenade facing the river is short concrete fence or wall with steel railings on top. That  wall is actually the upper portion of the flood wall that runs the entire length of the boulevard.

For now, people visit the boulevard for strolling, jogging, biking, exercising or taking pictures or video. The best time to visit the boulevard during a good weather for said purposes is in the early morning or in the late afternoon when the heat of the sun is no longer too hot or harsh to the skin or even in the evening since the boulevard is illuminated with street lights.

With the way it attracts people, the boulevard can become one of the tourist destinations of the city. And when opened for the vehicles, its two-lane road can somehow help ease decongest the traffic in the city's downtown area.

The Unfiltered, All Natural Probiotic Coconut Sap (Sukang Tuba) Vinegar

Fresh tuba sold in public market. Fermentation is taking place with yeasts breaking down sugar with carbon dioxides as waste products as manifested by bubbles on the surface of the liquid.

The production of a vinegar is not the primary purpose of gathering sap from the cut blossom of a coconut tree, but for having tuba, a type of local Filipino drink. A freshly harvested sap has natural sugar and taste sweet. It can be drunk as it is or as preferred by some people with added powdered or crushed bark of a type of mangrove tree. However, this will change the color of the liquid from milky white to reddish orange or pale red. Although the drink is sweet and nutritious some people shun it because of the resulting bad smell in the mouth when it is drunk. Only an small amount of tuba is wasted even if it not consumed or sold out because an stored tuba can become a vinegar after some time. The vinegar is just a by product of tuba, so to speak.

From the moment after the sap is gathered from the tree, one can notice the natural fermentation process of the liquid taking shape. The natural yeast start to break down the sugar from the sap. The resulting waste products of that process are carbon dioxide and ethanol alcohol. The carbon dioxide is manifested on the surface of liquid by the bubbles. The fresher the sap the more bubbles are created. The chemical process that takes place results in gases escaping from the liquid so that a bottle or any container cannot be closed airtight because the lid will burst open  because of the pressure of the gases.

In two to three days the action of the yeasts converts the sugar into ethanol alcohol, and this time fewer bubbles can be seen in the liquid, and the sap is less sweet and its taste similar to a red wine. The tuba at this stage is called bahal in the Visayan dialect which is more preferable to drinkers than the fresh and sweet one. Exposed to oxygen in the air, the sap undergoes another stage of fermentation. This time the ethanol is oxidized by acetic acid bacteria and results to the production of acetic acid that will make the sap taste sour and less alcoholic thus a vinegar is made, and the aerobic fermentation process is done in 3 to 4 weeks. If the stored sap vinegar is left untouched for several months, murky gelatinous substances develop or settle at the bottom of a bottle or container. They are called mother vinegar. although unappealing to look at, they are harmless and contains beneficial probiotic bacteria. A vinegar with the "mother" indicates that it is unpasteurized, unfiltered and all natural.

A fully fermented coconut sap vinegar with the "mother" in the bottom of the bottle.

In the Philippines sukang tuba has been used by Filipinos for generation to prepare or cook their foods. In Northern Mindanao region the coconut sap vinegar or sukang tuba is used to prepare or cook such foods as kinilaw, paksiw, adobo among other dishes. Coconut sap vinegar combined with salt, siling labuyo, onion or other spices is used as a dip for broiled pork, fish and others to enhance their flavor and to boost one's appetite. Mixed with oil, spices and vegetables it is also used as salad dressing or condiment.

The long fermenting process results to the production of vinegar that has probiotics properties. The probiotics in sukang tuba along with the mother vinegar is excellent for our gut's health. not all vinegar are probiotics but sukang tuba or maybe apple cider vinegar are exceptions. Probiotics are bacteria that destroys harmful ones in our gut's microbiome thereby improving our body's efficiency in digesting foods and absorbing nutrients and most importantly in boosting our immune system. Probiotics are living microorganism and exposing them to extreme high temperature will kill them. When coconut sap vinegar is used in cooking its probiotics benefits are lost. 

Apple Cider Vinegar with the "Mother"

Coconut sap vinegar contains polyphenols and is rich in amino acids which is the building block of life and protein. And it is claimed that it has even a higher level of amino acid, vitamins and minerals than the popular apple cider vinegar (ACV). It also tastes better and less acidic and costs much cheaper than the ACV so that for Filipinos sukang tuba might even be a better alternative to apple cider vinegar. 

 

Sukang tuba also aids in weight loss, fights type 2 diabetes because of its less sugar content, and helps reduce blood pressure. It has also antimicrobial and antifungal properties which can help the body fight against common illnesses.

In the Philippines coconut sap vinegar is mostly homemade. The research of its beneficial uses and large scale commercial production has not yet reached its full potential.

The Benefits of Coconut Oil

 

What are good oils? Those that are rich in mono unsaturated and saturated fats which are released easily from their source. This is the claim of some health experts regarding what oils are safe and healthy to use and consume.

Coconut oil is one of the most popular edible oils of choice by people the world over because it is considered to be one of the healthiest edible oils. However, a group such as the American Health Association (AHA) claims that coconut oil is mostly composed of saturated fat which can raise LDL or bad cholesterol level hence its consumption should be moderated.

One of the arguments raised in favor of coconut oil is that it comes from an organic food whose oil is easily released from it. The oil is natural because there is less or no need of added chemicals or preservatives to extract it. Other crops sourced for oil such as canola, flax, soy, corn and others need fertilizers and insecticides to cultivate and grow them. The oil is sourced from their seeds. They need intensive processing and use chemical such as hexane to release their oils. Although the raw oil content of said foods are mostly mono unsaturated fat which is considered healthy, the method of processing to release the oil has significantly reduced the quality of the oil so that some groups or people are even saying to avoid those oil products.

Coconut oil contains stearic acid and is mainly composed of saturated fat. It also contains about 60% medium-chain triglyceride (MCT). Due to its shorter length, the MCT is digested faster without the need of other enzymes unlike long-chain triglycerides. MCT is a substance that let the body directly consume coconut oil without storing it in the liver. In other words theses process will lead to reduction of body weight because less fat is stored in the body. In this condition when the body has less glucose to burn for energy it will source its energy from fat stored in the lever resulting to the production of ketones which the body can use for energy. MCT is found naturally in foods such as coconuts and dairy products. In summary the benefits of MCT is that it increases fat loss, energy, brain function and athletic performance.

Coconut oil also contains about 47% lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that is also present in a mother's breast milk. While lauric acid has shown to increase LDL or bad cholesterol level, it also raises the level of HDL or good cholesterol level indicating that lauric acid is good for the heart. Lauric acid has anti bacterial and anti viral properties which are effective in the treatment of infections like influenza, common cold, fever, blisters, cold sores and genital herpes caused by herpes simplex virus and even HIV/AIDS virus. Lauric acid is also good for digestion because it maintains healthy micro biome in the gut by promoting good bacteria and reducing bad bacteria.

Coconut oil may treat Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Ketones are produced in the body during conversion of fat into energy which is needed to prevent neuron degeneration. Coconut oil helps improve memory by supporting the health of neurons in the brain.

Coconut oil boosts production of collagen. Because of it, this oil helps improve bone health. Coconut oil with its collagen boosting property can help delay the aging process of the skin by reducing wrinkles and making the skin look glowing and younger. It can also heal wound faster together with an aloe vera gel.

Coconut is ideal for cooking. It is highly resistant to oxidation at high heat which makes it suitable for frying or deep frying since the heated oil is usable for up to 8 hours of continuous heating. It is very stable when heated and does not change in substance during the heating process and does not create toxic byproducts. Coconut oil has a smoke point of 350 degree Fahrenheit which is within the ideal temperature range of 325 to 375 degree Fahrenheit.