Exercising of getting fit is a commitment. And prevention is always better than getting a cure, which means, staying in shape is always better than getting overweight or underweight and later on work it out back to your/one's normal or fit body level. I learned these facts while I was working with my previous organization (or employer) and we were given the chance to join various activities organized by colleagues for either a very discounted fee or for free.

The company/organization actually supports its employees as well in this endeavor as it contains everything inside its compound to further these leisure needs for employeees: tennis court, multi purpose gymnasium that can be transformed into basketball court, inddor tennis court, football field, etc, etc,. There was also various rooms for exercises and other activities like yoga. The fitness room was with the latest equipments ever.

Enough of promoting what the Company has inside as the list is so long. When the fitness instructor, who is also the physical therapist of the organization discussed with us fitness program participants how do we go fit, we touched the topic of dieting. It seems that having a diet program when one is not in the correct shape is not very advisable. Why? It's the yo-yo effect that is very disturbing. Well, from personal opinion, I could sensne what a yoyo effect is.

What is the yoyo effect then. I know what is the yoyo and I presume it's one's weight that goes high and low or goes up and down just like a Yoyo. Consider someone who is fat and wishes to get in fitness level again: that person would exercise much, eat so less and then he or she would achive her goal of lesser weight and fitness level desired. However, since that person is kind of deprived with food and comfort level for a few weeks or days or months, he or she, right after getting fit, would eat much again and sleep much. These activities would make that person again gain weight and he or she would repeat the exercise and diet process again to lose weight.

Do you like that? Fat-thin-fat-thin-fat you? For me, that is not a good idea. Staying fit all through out is the answer. Moderation of food intake, moderation of exercise schedule and level always do great for me. How about you? Have you had a fitness yo-yo?

Again, blame it to the media publicity why I thought that broccoli was not a good vege. I have always seen on TV, especially where the kids where involved, that they have always resisted eating this vegetable. I then assumed that it was really bad until I came out of the country at 23, I never tasted broccoli. And when I did, I was surprised how good tasting it was (at least for me)!

The good news then followed. I have read from the Health Page of CNN that when this vege is boiled, it has more vitamin C than orange and has as much calcium as a glass of milk. It is also rich in fiber and vitamin A aside from the basic nutrients. And as stated, the real handsome point for this vegetable is its potent cancer-fighting components.

Broccoli (also cauliflower) has rich isothiocyanates substance -- chemicals shown to stimulate the body's production of its own cancer-fighting substances, called "phase two enzymes" that in turn neutralize potential cancer-causing substances before they have a chance to damage the DNA of healthy cells. To those who do not like Broccoli, you better practice liking it or have the cauliflower as an alternative, unless you want to regret later on. Go Brocco!

Living in Gelderland (Netherlands-Germany birder) is warmer than living in the Hague. It’s been almost a month since I was here and my running for three days each week has been consistent. When I ran today, I noticed that people that were also running were with running shorts and racer back running shirts. I was still with sweater and running pants. I realized then that the weather is hotter compared to the previous weeks and when I went home, I also changed to shorts and went out again to work in my garden.

The sun was really hot and I liked it. Living in the Hague did not permit a lot of going out but now that the garden is here, the sun is shining, it would be great to lay down it and be brown again, as brown is my natural color. I feel so pale being in cold every time and always wearing clothes that cover each inch of the skin. I missed my sleeveless and short shorts back in the Philippines.

I was curious what the mighty sun could offer. Thus, I searched around. I understood, from elementary studies that sun offers Vitamin D. However, things might have changed considering a different environment these days: more pollution, more global warming issues, more ozone layer burning, etcetera, etcetera. And indeed I found it! Not only the good stuff but actually more on the negative side of staying under the sun.

I was even surprised to read that even in cloudy day sun can cause damage to us if we are situated in certain locations of this earth. I have not searched yet for Netherlands but for some, the mighty sun can cause cancer of the skin, eye injuries and other illnesses caused by heat. This is of course obvious if we stay a lot under the sun.

What I do is, I run early when the sun is still young and not burning like hell. Then I also have my sun glasses with me all the time. No matter what bad the sun can offer, I still believe that the overall benefit outweigh the negative effects the sun causes. It also feels great when I sweat out with the help of the sun. Personally, I feel more healthy than sweating without it.

What do we do then? Do not stay so long under, moderation is the answer.

For my twenty-two years of life in the Philippines, I have learned how the eggplants were cooked. The best that I like is the "tortang talong" or the eggplant grilled and peeled then soaked in egg after which, it is fried. This is the one I like so much. The other menu includes talong with other vegetables like the squash/pumpkin and eggplant in the "Pinakbet" (a Filipino delicious vegetable mix). Other ways to have it cooked it is in "adobo"-similar style of cooking, sauted eggplant or eggplant salad (my second fave). I once tasted one menu of eggplant as an appetizer at Buto't Balat Restaurant in Iloilo City (Philippines) and I liked it too. It was (seemed to me) a grated eggplant, formed and baked with oil... or so it seemed.





Why I tell eggplanty things now? Because I have discovered a new way to make it and i tell you that it's really delicious. Of course per my palate! Do you know lasagna? This eggplant menu I'm telling you is purely Italian, prepared like how one prepares lasagna. Now you have a little clue.





When I saw how it was prepared, it seemed weired to me. But after I ate this "Parmiggiana" (this is how it is calle) it suddenly became one of my favorites. It is a layer of grilled eggplants sprinkled with formaggio (an Italian cheese) and thickened with "scamorza" (another Italian cheese but just a little harder than mozzarella). It is then mixed with boiled tomato sauce and then placed in the oven to let it ready. I'll just share with you how it was prepared and you may experiment on it if you get interested. But for me, it is really healthy and delicious. Why? Because it's all vegetable and so much calcium from cheese. Good for those who watch their cholesterol from fats and for those diet conscious. Of course it's good for vegetarians as well.

See realted posting on How Good Cheese/Milkand TomatoesAre.

See the rest of the descriptive images below:

Honestly, i don't have any prob;em with this stuff called caffeine. This is because caffe has bad effects on me if I take it. In what way? I palpitate and sometimes shiver, especially if its a very good espresso. Honestly, where I stay at the moment has this perfect espresso as what we may call it. Italians love it and I am here in a purely Italian house and surroundings.

However, after my posting on softdrinks, one that commented about caffeine. Just like anything in this world, there is the two sides for everything. Caffeine may be good and asked by the body for others and may be bad for others lie mewhose body cannot take it. Some levels of being bad of this substance can be also in the long run. It's up to us to balance our health and cravings.

For you to decide if caffeine is bad or good or good for us but we have to keep in mind that we eat or takes for food makes us live and added energy for our systems in the body.

In one part, caffeine can be considered good for the following reasons:

1. This subtance increases alertness and short-term memory, and even alters your mood. The caffeine in a cup of coffee stimulates the central nervous system as it simultaneously lowers the blood sugar and increases the brain's demand for sugar giving the drinker a temporary lift. Thus, it is good for those who feel sleepy but need to be awake and if you are a little pissed off, just take a sip of coffee!

2. Research in the Journal of Sports Medicine showed how caffeine taken two hours before exercise enhanced the performance of athletes in marathon running so if you are an athlete and can tolerate a caffeine intake, it is not too bad for the purpose of your victory.

3. A study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Associated reported that men who consume caffeine a day had a 40% lower risk of developing gallstones than non caffeine consumers. I cannot explain how but maybe it dissolves the possible/potential stone-forming substances in the gall.

4. Studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis have up to 80% lower risks of developing Parkinson's disease, have up to 25% lower risk of colon cancer, and have up to 80% drop in the risk of liver cirrhosis.

5. Some researchers believe another compound called "trigonelline" - which gives coffee its bitter taste and its aroma - may be responsible for giving coffee both anti-adhesive and antibacterial properties which help prevent dental cavities from forming. But if it's a very good espresso like here in Italy, the foam stays at the teeth and colors it and you can imagine if you are a regular drinker: This means tootbrush every espresso drink!


For some reasons, caffeine may not be too good for humans for the reasons you read below:
1. Caffeine consumption may lead to insomnia. Now this is the opposite of the good reason number one above. This one you want to sleep but you cannot.

2. Drinking coffee with meals in known to inhibit the absorption of iron and calcium from food.

3.Caffeine also has a diuretic effect and just one cup before exercise will trigger unwanted fluid loss.

3. Within half an hour of drinking one or two cups, the flow of the blood to the brain is reduced by 10% to 20%. Combine that with the low blood sugar, in those who haven't eaten for a while, and you can start having pulpitations, feelings of anxiety or blurred vision. To be honest, these are the symptoms that I feel but even I took coffee just after meal.

4.Withdrawal symptoms can occur after regular consumption of just one-to-two cups a day. Caffeinism, as it is sometimes called, shows up as migraine headaches and sickness.

5. Drinking several cups of coffee a day increase one's susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis. Scientists found a stong link between coffee and a biochemical marker for the disease and showed that people who drink four cups are twice as likely to test positive for arthritis.

6. In excessive amounts, meaning more than whatever an individual's body can tolerate, coffee can cause nervousness, jitters, and rapid heartbeat. So I guess what I can tolerate is just a little amount. But even the instant coffee, which has been diluted with water made me shiver and pulpitate. Maybe I just have strong caffeine intolerance.

Now that you have seen how caffeine can affect you, you may shift your habit. See the good that it can do to you and balance it with the potential bad effects. As we all know, moderation is a good thing for too much or too less of something is not also good. Moreover, you are the master of your body and for this you know what is best for you. The things above are simple information that may be valuable for your caffeine decision.

My readings and bases are found in this page.

Fit body, healthy mind, sickness free, healthy lifestyle and habit and healthy food intake make a person contented and have nothing much to ask for. Except to have more sex (to thos who can validly/legally do so)! See below for the BIG WHY and HOW in your mind. While the impact of sexual activity on health is not a major topic of research, common sense and a handful of studies suggest that sex can be good for the health. So consider these potential bonuses and fringe benefits the next time the opportunity for (safe) sex arises:

Sex is a great erotic exercise. Even though sex probably involves less energy exertion than most aerobic exercise, it can give you a workout, depending upon how vigorous it is. After all, sex, and particularly orgasm, involves the contraction of muscles in the arms, legs and abdomen. Also, the heart and breathing rates rise when one is sexually aroused just as when one exerts energy on the playing field or at the gym. Another bonus is that one will likely to drift off into a deep, luxurious sleep after he/she tires himself/herself out. Since sex requires some stamina, it appears that people who are physically fit may be more likely to have satisfying sex than people who simply shift from their office chair to their couch. Regular exercise can make sex better because it improves muscle tone, cardiovascular fitness and mental health.



Making love results to a happy healthy heart. British researchers who looked at about 900 middle-aged men found that men who had sex twice or more a week had a lower risk of heart attack over the course of 10 years than men who had sex less often. The study was published in 2002 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The cardiovascular boost may be from the sex itself, or may be because men who are in better physical condition have regular sex, so their heart attack risk is already lower.

Women are highly benefited by the love making. One study suggests that sexual activity might prevent endometriosis, a common gynecological condition that occurs when the tissue lining the inside of a a woman's uterus grows in other places, such as on the ovaries or fallopian tubes. This growth can cause pelvic pain and sometimes infertility. The study, published in 2002 in the journal Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation, found that women who were sexually active during menstruation were 1.5 times less likely to develop endometriosis than women who didn't have sex during their periods. The researchers also found that orgasm during menstruation lowered risk.

According to study author Harvey J. Kliman, MD, PhD, a research scientist at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, anything that contributes to menstrual debris going backwards into pelvis might increase risk for endometriosis. The contractions of the uterus that occur during sex, and specifically orgasm, may help push the menstrual debris out of the uterus, Dr. Kliman explains.


Not only women are benefited but both parties, yes, also the men. While sexual activity has been thought to increase risk of prostate cancer, newer research, including a study published April 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), indicates that frequent ejaculation might help protect the prostate from cancer. This study supports a smaller Australian study from 2003 that found that that men in their 20s who ejaculated more than five times a week were one-third less likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer than men who ejaculated four to seven times a month. Ejaculating regularly might lower risk because cancer-causing substances get flushed out of the body in the seminal fluid, instead of staying in the prostate.

Why not relieve your stress by making love? Satisfying sexual activity can, of course, be an exhilarating mood lifter. If you're in a relationship, says Carol Rinkleib Ellison, PhD, a San Francisco-based psychologist and author of Women's Sexualities, sex can "bring the relationship into harmony and make you and your partner feel closer, so you feel less stressed and more relaxed." And whether you are having sex with a partner or masturbating, orgasm itself can also help release tension. The surge of a hormone called oxytocin that occurs during orgasm may account for the both the stronger emotional connection and the tension relief. Oxytocin appears to regulate blood pressure and temperature and even relieve pain and promote the healing of wounds. Dr. Ellison compares orgasm to "re-booting" your body and mind just as you would re-start a computer. But she notes that focusing on orgasm too much can be stressful and sometimes self-defeating. Instead, people should think about successful sex as "mutual erotic pleasure in whatever form it takes."

This post is made in reference to the World Health.