HAPPY, HEALTHY KIDS, NATURALLY

Another Natural Remedy for the Entire Family

2012-01-22T06:11:00.000-08:00

I discovered last year a natural remedy that can ease body pains, alleviate sinus problems, and even cure the flu. They call it the nuero-muscular therapy at the AANI Herbal Center at the Quezon City Circle. It is a form of massage that uses the fingers, with the therapists going through the entire stretch of your body with their gentle, yet firm, strumming of their fingers. These therapists are not the same masseuses you get in spas. They have ample knowledge of the different muscles in your body and they can tell by the mere touch whether it is an ailing muscle.

My bouts with the flu last year were cured through this therapy, and a host of other herbs like oregano, Lagutangi, and salabat (ginger tea). I knew immediately that the therapy worked because right after my massage, I sweated profusely replacing the chills I were experiencing prior to the therapy. I have also seen it worked for my children. I have brought Isabelle once when she had a slight fever and colds. I was expecting her fever to rise the next day but was surprised that not only it did not but her colds and the stuffiness in her nose were completely gone. I have since been bringing my children regularly for therapy. Even Mio has had this therapy but considering that he's barely 2 years old, I would hold him in my lap in a sitting position so the therapist can strumm away at his back. Andrew tries to get a massage from them every chance he gets.

Don't expect first-class accommodations for this therapy. The place is small and only holds 4 beds. A fan is used whenever it is hot. There is no divider since there is no need to undress, which means that the bed beside you can be occupied by someone of the opposite sex. They have a clean restroom for those moments. But, if you can prepare yourself and do what has to be done in the house or somewhere else, the better it would be since there is no flowing water in the toilet. They charge Php300.00 for an hour of massage but I can assure you that you'll be blown away, just as I was and the rest of my brood, by the kind of strumming they will do on you.

I consider this discovery a blessing, as I have with the other natural cures I have found. I just pray that I will remain open to the infinite possibilities that our universe offers and that I will be able to discern those that are best for my children.

We've Gone Raw

2011-11-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

[oldredbarnco.com]

It has been a while. The last post I had was in December 2009. So many things have happened since then. I became emboldened to write again because just before going to bed this evening, Isabelle asked me to write again. She complained of reading my old posts again and again.

While I might have stopped writing here, I have continued exploring ways and means to improve the health and well-being of my children. One of the recent changes I have made in the diet of my children is to give them raw milk instead of pasteurized milk.

Although I have already known of the benefits of taking raw milk, the other end of the pole which enumerates the undesirable consequences of taking raw milk have made me hesitant to take that dive until a few months ago when I came across a gem of a book entitled “Raw Vegetable Jucies” by N.W. Walker, with a copyright date of 1970.

The author expounded on the ill effects of taking cow’s milk which he said is probably the most mucus-forming food used by human beings resulting in colds, running noses, tonsil, adenoid, and bronchial troubles. He said that when milk is needed, there is one kind of milk that is compatible with human digestion, and that is Raw Goat’s Milk.

Even Kevin Trudeau, author of Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You To Know About recommends ingesting only raw, unpasteurized and unhomogenized milk, cheese, and dairy products. While he didn’t limit his choice of milk to only goat’s milk, I would stick to raw goat’s milk because I have seen for myself the effect of cow’s milk in my children – bloated tummies, rhinitis, and a host of other allergic reactions.

Before I met Jackie, who supplies our raw goat’s milk, I was giving my children pasteurized goat’s milk from Milk Star. When I got hold of the book by Dr. Walker who recommended keeping 2 or 3 milk goats for ones daily raw milk consumption, I seriously thought about getting goats to keep in the backyard and even broached the idea to Andrew. However, considering the difficulty of keeping and even raising goats, I found it truly a blessing to have met Jackie one Sunday morning while we were going through organically-raised fish being sold at the Centris Market.

A Grateful Heart

2009-12-31T19:25:00.000-08:00

My heart is filled with gratitude for the year that was, the year that gave me sorrow dampened by unexpected joys, tears uncovered with smiles, and despair amidst hope. It was indeed a year of miracles and I start 2010 with a list of five of the things, people, and events I am thankful for.

2009 started with me all giddy with excitement at the thought of having another baby to hold and care for but finding that dream cut short in a couple of weeks. It was a painful time. However, just as I was wiping my tears dry, I find myself rejoicing again by middle of 2009. He is now almost 7 months old and is healthily growing in me. Isabelle and Ilysse, and, of course, Andrew, can't wait to meet him. I give Him thanks from whom all blessings flow!

I am thankful for the turmeric, a rootcrop which belongs to the ginger family. In the Philippines, it is locally known as the luyang dilaw. After four long and excruciating years, Isabelle's eczema has finally cleared. With all the concoctions I tried, only this truly worked in such a short span of time. I just chopped the rhizomes and spread it on her arms and legs.

I am thankful for the oregano, the herb which remains the trusted medicine for my family's cough, colds and flu. It is the one medicine that has made my family antibiotic free for the past 4 years! Unbelievable, but true!

I am thankful for the gift of finding the memoirs of my grandfather that my father entrusted to me, and which, I thought I have lost. He was one of the most influential people in my life and his work is one of my prized possessions.

Finally, I am thankful for people who have made a difference in the lives of countless Filipinos, Filipinos who have brought hope, honor and dignity back to our beleaguered nation-Efren Penaflorida, Cory Aquino, Noynoy Aquino, Tony Meloto, Grace Padaca, Muelmar Magallanes, and a host of others. I have almost given up on this country but their unparalleled devotion to our people led me back to the right but difficult path.

June 18, 2001 and June 18, 2009: A Destiny Fulfilled

2009-06-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

I have always believed in destiny and how it strings together lives that are once separated and even broken. That was what happened in June 18, 2001. I got married to my destiny.

Fast forward to an afternoon in June 18, 2009. I was anxiously hurrying to get to church at the EDSA Shrine because I wanted to complete my nine-day novena mass to our Sacred Heart of Jesus. As I entered the church, I saw a couple kneeling in front of the altar. Only a handful were there. It was only as I was taking my seat that I realized that a wedding was taking place. I was enthralled by what was transpiring before me. The bride was beautiful, even radiant. If happiness can be seen, I saw it so clearly that moment. Then, after a few minutes admiring the couple did it dawned on me that on the very same day and time, 8 years ago, I was myself that bride, and Andrew, the groom.

It was a sign, an omen, that afternoon in June 18, 2009, for us and, probably, for the other couple, as well. But, as to what it exactly conveys, I do not know. I remembered that day 8 years ago with an assortment of emotions, pure, unadulterated bliss, unexplained anxiety, even sorrow. As I tried to rationalize those feelings, I recalled the blessing the priest gave us after the ceremony as he recited:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Although I may never see or even meet the couple from June 18, 2009, I give them back the same blessing.

Aspartame in Sipahh Milk Flavoring Straws? Believe It!

2009-06-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

Here comes another product in the market fraudulently claiming to be healthy and good for kids. The advertisements shown around Metro Manila pictures a caucasian kid sipping milk with Sipahh, a milk flavoring straw that comes in four flavors, chocolate, strawberry, banana, and cookies and cream.

Sipahh is supposed to encourage and promote drinking milk in kids but a closer look at its ingredients would show that it is not for kids because aside from a host of chemical-sounding components, it has the very controversial aspartame, the sweetener sold under the brand names of Equal and Nutra-Sweet, and usually found in diet sodas.

The safety of aspartame has been questioned for years but it was only recently that those doubts were confirmed by a study conducted by Dr. Morando Soffrite, a cancer researcher in Bologna, Italy. After a 7-year study on aspartame, his team found that the sweetener was associated with unusually high rates of lymphomas, leukemias, and other cancers in rats that have been given doses of it starting at what would be equivalent to four to five 20-ounce bottles of diet soda a day for a 150-pound person. The study, which involved 1,900 laboratory rats and cost $1 million, was conducted at the European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences, a nonprofit organization that studies cancer-causing substances; Dr. Soffritti is its scientific director.(Warner, Melanie. Feb. 12, 2006. The Lowdown on Sweet. The New York Times.Retrieved June 3, 2009 from NYTimes.com)

The study, obviously, is being strongly opposed by the producers of aspartame which if confirmed by the US Food and Drugs Authority would mean a loss of earnings of around US$570 million annually.

Last year, i admit guilt in buying a pack for my kids. It was a good thing when i got home, i checked the ingredients and i saw the word "aspartame" jumping right at me. That really irked me as it again showed the deceit employed by manufacturing companies. How can a product intended for kids contain aspartame? If we allow our kids to use Sipahh, it is as if we allow our children to drink diet sodas. The website of Sipahh claims it is healthy and has no preservatives. What do they think of aspartame? The fraud and deceit the manufacturer of Sipahh employs at the expense of our children is something i can no longer fathom. This company has traded their values for a worthless piece of straw that does nothing than make milk taste like medicine.

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate

2009-04-30T08:07:00.001-07:00

In light of the worldwide fear created by the emergence of the swine flu, the efficacy, safety, and benefit of vaccines to counter such disease, or any other disease,for that matter, are again subject of much debate.

Closer to home, the safety of vaccines has been hot topic in our household ever since we had Isabelle and Ilysse. Prior to my so-called "enlightenment", Isabelle had the complete set of vaccinations, from DTP to MMR to Chickenpox to Hepatitis B, to all its booster shots. Even though Andrew was strongly against it, I even had Isabelle vaccinated against the flu at age 3. I totally regret what I did since shortly after her flu shot, her allergies to everything around her started to appear. We partly attribute Isabelle's allergies and eczema to these vaccinations and our theory has been supported by growing research and data on the detrimental effects of vaccination (particularly, the chemicals, like mercury, that go with the vaccines) on children. A very informative site on the ill effects of vaccination can be found at Generation Rescue (www.generationrescue.org) which was put up by Jenny McCarthy whose son was diagnosed with autism shortly after he was vaccinated.

With Ilysse, I knew better. I was more confident in not having Ilysse vaccinated because I breastfed her for 3 1/2 years. She had vaccinations only for DTP and she does not have allergies and rarely gets sick.

Thankfully, Andrew never got tired of reminding me of the dangers of vaccination at such an early age. He would even assuage my fears of not having our children vaccinated by correctly pointing out that our generation never had those vaccinations, but here we are, still alive and kicking. We got our share of measles, chickenpox, mumps, even hepatitis A, but, as far as we were concerned, they were simply childhood irritants.

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate obviously remains to be every parent's decision but I encourage parents to research and continue reading up on the latest on these vaccines. Do not make it routinary simply because everybody else is doing it. If you really want to have your children vaccinated, delay it until they are bigger and stronger to take on not only the germ that will be introduced in their system but also the multitude of toxic chemicals that come with the vaccine.

The Amazing Cure

2009-03-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

Isabelle's eczema took a turn for the worse after Christmas. I am attributing it to the sudden cold,cold weather around January (which is the exact opposite to the very, very hot summer weather in the Philippines right now). The eczema that was limited to her arms, at the back of her elbows particularly, now spread to her face, her neck, the back of her news, even her stomach and legs.

My daughter was in pain and we could not doing anything about it. The scratching never stopped, at home, in school, at daytime, and even at nighttime. I would fetch her in school and see her face and arms all red, swollen, and bloodied with all the scratching. There were nights that Andrew and I tried not to sleep because that was the only way to stop her from scratching. I would wrap her arms with layers of cloth and put socks on top but these would all be gone in the morning.

We have tried several dermalogists, even pediatric ones, but all their topical steroids proved to be ineffective. I tried putting those steroids on Isabelle twice but that was the most I could allow my daughter to be administered such medication.(Isabelle's condition started when she was around 4.) I have tried homeopathy, too, which I usually and normally adhere to when it comes to my children's health and well-being but even this proved futile. We have tried so many things, explored all kinds of alternative methods but again Isabelle's condition did not improve; if it did, it was not substantial.

I was mad at myself, mad for being a naive mother, mad for not doing more research, mad for letting Isabelle drink formula during the first few weeks of her life. The nurses, Filipino nurses at that, insisted on giving formula, claiming that my milk was not enough since Isabelle was diagnosed with newborn jaundice. I can't exactly remember who gave the free set of bottles of enfamil but I vividly remember the nurses giving them. I was mad at myself for breastfeeding Isabelle for only a year and a half.

It was at the height of my frustration that we packed our bags one Sunday in February and brought Isabelle and Ilysse to Laiya, Batangas, to try the supposed therapeutic benefits of seawater. I have read a lot about these benefits. In fact, Andrew's friend, Diday, swore by the efficacy of seawater on her skin condition when I talked to her in 2007.

The moment Isabelle dipped in the sea, the cure was almost instant. The redness went away. She stopped itching. At the start, there was a little discomfort on Isabelle since she said the water stings. But, this did not even last for 10 minutes. It was simply amazing to even think that we only stayed for a couple of hours at Balai Laiya. Since then, we have returned 2 more times, stayed overnight, with Isabelle and Ilysse soaking in seawater for hours. I regretted not heeding Diday's word as early as 2007.

Isabelle's skin is almost back to normal. Her face is clear, the rashes at the back of her knees are totally gone, her stomach is smooth again. Hopefully, we probably would just need one or two more visits to the beach this summer to completely remove the stubborn rashes in Isabelle's arms and neck.

I thank God for those months no matter how frustrating and painful it was for Isabelle because again He showed His immeasurable love and mercy to my daughter.

A Prayer to Start My Children's Day

2009-01-30T09:25:00.000-08:00

I want to share a short but very beautiful prayer that I got from Joel Osteen's book, Your Best Life Now, which I pray out loud to Isabelle and Ilysse, every single day before they go to school or before they start their day.

"Father, You promised us in Psalm 91 that you will give your angels charge over us and that no evil would come near our household. So, I thank you that my children, Isabelle and Ilysse, are supernaturally protected and You are guiding them and watching after them. Father, You said that we're the head and not the tail and that you will surround us with favor. So, I thank you that my children, Isabelle and Ilysse, are blessed and that they will excel at whatever they put their hands to do. Amen."

I love how the prayer invokes and confirms God's ever-powerful and supernatural presence in the lives of our children. Whenever I say this prayer, I get a sense of stillness that is not of this world and I feel eternally grateful that we have a God who will always be there for my children.

Boosting Your Child's Brain

2009-01-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

A favorite author of mine, Patrick Holford, is a leading authority on nutrition and mental health. Among the more than twenty health books he has authored, I have his Six Weeks to Super Health, Food is Better Medicine Than Drugs, and Optimum Nutrition for your Child's Brain. Undoubtedly, the last book is the one that I treasure the most. It is packed with relevant and useful information as it teaches parents how to develop their child's concentration and focus, boost IQ and creative thinking, improve reading and writing, enhance memory, and improve mood and behavior. It is definitely a must-read for all parents who want to maximize their child's potential.

You can easily gather from this book that the most important nutrient that a child should have, aside from an optimum diet and a daily intake of multivitamins are the essential fats, the so-called omega-3 and omega-6 essential fats. These essential fats help children stay physically healthy, reducing the risk of allergies, asthma, eczema, and infections. The most important omega-3 fats are DHA and EPA, which are now being marketed by milk companies as brain boosters. The most important omega-6 fat is GLA, the richest source being borage. Mr. Holford recommends supplementing kids with these nutrients considering their poor diet and the not-so-common sources of these fats. He listed down the sources as follows:

Omega-3-flaxseeds, hempseed, pumpkin seeds
Omega-6 corn, safflower, sunflower
EPA and DHA- salmon, preferably wild and not farmed so as to limit mercury poisoning, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, tuna steak, eggs (of flaxseed-fed hen)
GLA-evening primrose oil, borage oil, black currant seed.

I have given Isabelle and Ilysse Flaxseed Oil before but considering the taste, I had a hard time coaxing them in taking it. I usually add it to their milk which, however, they can still detect because of its strong and distinct taste. Luckily, I found Yummi Bears, Omega-3,6,9. I alternate this with Lil Critters' Omega-3 Gummy Fish. I have been giving them these supplements for over a year now and I am happy to report that they are simply working wonders on my children.

New Year, New Post, and Hopefully, More in the Coming Days and Months

2009-01-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

AP Photo/Aaron Favila

When I created this blog. I rediscovered my passion for writing, especially about people and things I am passionate about. But, due to unavoidable circumstances, I had to put this on hold until I just could not find the momentum anymore. From week one of not being able to update this blog, my daughters were the ones pestering me to continue writing. This new year, Isabelle, after explaining what new year's resolutions are and extracting from her and Ilysse, their own, reminded me that one of my new year's resolutions should be to update my blog. Thus, here I am, fulfilling my daughters' simple request and once again, realizing the immense joy I get from writing.

I have been meaning to write about Isabelle's bout with a serious viral infection in November 2008 that made her temperature spiral to 40 degrees Celsius for more than two days and cough like a mad dog. As always, there was a fear that it could be dengue or a bacterial infection. Notwithstanding my doubts and fears that I was not giving my child the proper medication, I continued giving her oregano for the coughs and the Apis/Belladonna drops (a homeopathic medicine) for the fever. When these medication did not seem to work anymore, I had to get in touch with Dr. Cricket Chen, a pediatrician practicing homeopathy, whom I have recommended in my earlier posts. She advised me to continue giving the Apis/Belladonna and to just continue giving oregano when I disclosed that I have been giving Isabelle the said herb. She also prescribed Mercurius Virus Powder, the equivalent of an antibiotic in conventional medicine, but without the harsh and harmful effects, and Pulsatilla drops for her sinus congestion. She did not find Isabelle to have any bacterial infection and after a blood test done, my daughter was also cleared of the highly-feared dengue fever. After only 2 days since we saw Dr. Chen, Isabelle appeared like she did not endure a week of high fever and coughs.

That incident confirmed again my belief in alternative, homeopathic and/or herbal medicine, although I am not exactly closing my doors on traditional medicine since I, myself, have gone through traditional medical procedures. As a way to start the new year, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to people like Dr. Chen, and all the others around the world who tread the unconventional path to wellness. They have been ridiculed, even sabotaged, but they remain steadfast in their science and principles.

Teaching Children Honesty In These Dishonest Times

2008-10-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday, Ilysse overheard me and my mom talk about the Php 6.9 million caught by the Russian government from a retired comptroller of the Philippine National Police, Eliseo De La Paz and our acerbic remarks on the incident. I think she became interested in our conversation when she heard the word 'caught', and relentlessly pursued the topic by asking questions like "Who was caught?", "Why was he caught?", and "What did he do wrong?". I had to explain the matter to her in as simple as I can thinking the topic is something a child at 4 would have difficulty to understand.

I told her that the man was caught with lots of money which he did not report, and so he was being dishonest by keeping the money and not telling where it came from and who gave it to him. Ilysse retorted by saying that what the man did was stealing. I had to explain to her that it is possible that the money could have been given to him so that could not be stealing. I had to contend with the next trickier question, "So, why then was he caught if he did not steal anything?" I had to explain to her again that the wrong he did was not telling the truth of why he had the money with him. Ilysse quickly replied, "I know what he did wrong, Mommy. He lied. Mommy, you always tell us that if we tell the truth about something bad we did, you will not get mad at us. He should just have told the truth so he would not be caught."

That has been a remark of a 4-year old child who is still learning to read, who is unaware of the reality that is slowly destroying our values as a people. But, what about the millions of Filipino children around the country who are older, more aware of what is happening around them, those know how to read, those who watch and hear the daily news, those who know the Hello Garci scandal, the ZTE-NBN deal, the Court of Appeals fiasco, and an endless string of other indignations. What do all these illustrations of dishonesty that this government has blatantly displayed and paraded for the last 4 years teach our children? That it is ok to lie as long as you are in power, as long as you are rich or simply, that there is nothing wrong in lying and at the other end of the spectrum, if you lie, you will get richer; if you lie, you will be more powerful.

What can we do to protect our children from this distorted sense of values? We cannot, obviously, shelter them perpetually from the evils of society and government. But, we can arm them with a good sense of what is true, noble and just not only by example by also by actually teaching them these values. However, teaching children the values of honesty, courage, self-discipline and moderation, justice and mercy, among others, is not an easy job as these are abstract concepts. Fortunately, we have parents, like Linda and Richard Eyre, who have shared their wisdom in parenting and child-rearing to the world. Their book, "Teaching Your Children Values", is one book that I will surely cherish for years to come. The book is divided into values such as those I mentioned above and there are activities for pre-schoolers, elementary school age, and adolescents pertaining to each of the values. I got this book in 2007 from Books for Less and it continues to teach me and my kids the values that our government has seemed to have completely forgotten.

Cow's Milk - Is it really safe for human consumption?

2008-10-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

Isabelle's chronic eczema was a result of her ingesting cow's milk, either fresh or powdered since she weaned from me. Ilysse recently started having rashes which we believe was due to her daily intake of a glass or two of powdered cow's milk. Since I stopped breastfeeding Ilysse only about 7 months ago, I have since been giving her powdered milk. What is it then in cow's milk, whether fresh or powdered, that causes this condition? Are my daugthers simply allergic to cow's milk? Or, is it because of something else in the cow's milk?

I finally got my answer from the controversial but truly informative book, Diet for a New America, by John Robbins. This book was written in 1987 but his writings still echo true to this day. This book has been repeatedly recommended to me by Nona Andaya-Castillo, a lactation consultant and one of the forerunners in promoting breastfeeding in the country. She mentioned the book to me the first time I met her in 2003 but it was only a month ago that I finally got hold of it.

If you are brave enough to find out what diet is fed to the cow that gives us milk and meat, I quote below a portion of the book:

"Some of the larger feedlots have as many as 100,000 "units". Here the animals are fed a diet designed for one purpose only - to fatten them up as cheaply as possible. This may include such delicacies as sawdust laced with ammonia and feathers, shredded newpaper (complete with all the colors of toxic ink from the Sunday comics and advertising circulars), "plastic hay," processed sewage, inedible tallow and grease, poultry litter, cement dust, and cardboard scraps, not to mention the insecticides, antibiotics, and hormones. Artificial flavors and aromas are added to trick the animals into eating the stuff."

The reality of all this is one that even a cattleman, Mr. Herb Silverman, cannot take. His reply to Mr. Robbins' question about how he felt about the high levels of drugs fed to today's cattle is this:

"It's not good. Instead of improving husbandry practices, which would make the animals healthier, we just shoot 'em up with drugs. It's cheaper that way, and because this is a competitive business, I've got to do it, too. Bu in the meantime the general public is catching on, and getting afraid of residues in the meat. And I'll tell you something. I don't blame them."

Our Philippine Bureau of Food and Drugs have recently been kept busy testing milk and milk products for the chemical melamine as an aftermath of the scandal that rocked China. But, in the interest of public health, especially those of the children, they should not only test for melamine but for all other chemicals as well.

The only alternative to consider if you would still like to give your children cow's milk is to give them organic milk from cows fed natural food and/or allowed to graze. In the Philippines, Rizal Dairy Farms offers organic fresh cow's milk. They have a stall at the Market!Market! in Taguig and the Salcedo's Weekend Market on Saturdays. I also have also given my kids Baby's Only Organic Dairy Formula which unfortunately is not available in the Philippines.

Another option available for children who insist on drinking dairy milk is to give them goat's milk. I recently introduced my kids to fresh goat's milk from Milk Star. Not only do they love it, but, it seems that they are not allergic to it as I even see a big improvement in Isabelle's skin condition since she started drinking it. The goat's milk can bought from the Picky Moms' stall at the Tiendesitas and Market!Market!

Aside from cow's or goat's milk, there are other dairy-free milk to consider like rice milk, soy milk, or almond milk which are all available in Healthy Options. Isabelle and Ilysse have been taking either rice or almond milk since we discovered that they are allergic to cow's milk.

Children, Visualization, and the Chihuahua

2008-10-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

I recently bought my daugthers, Isabelle and Ilysse, the book, "More Nigthlights, Stories for You to Read to Your Child To Encourage Calm, Confidence and Creativity" by Anne Civardi, Joyce Dunbar, Kate Petty, and Karen Wallace with an introduction from David Fontana. The book's appeal hinges not only on its captivating drawings but the novelty of the topic it seeks to promote, meditation and visualization in children. I have been perpetually amazed by the workings of a child's brain and its almost unfathomable capacity to store and assimilate information. I just could imagine what more it can do if the child learns how to meditate and visualize.

My children love the stories in the book but they love doing the visualizations more. Since I got the book a week ago, we have been reading the stories, and doing the breathing and visualization exercises daily before they go to bed at night. I have yet to see the benefits of this daily regimen on my daughters. But, for now, I am glad that they have warmly received this new experience.

When Isabelle asked me what visualization is, I simply told her that it is picturing something in your mind with your eyes closed and seeing it as if it is real. She told me that she already knows how to do it because she always pictures in her mind the chihuahua that she has been wanting for so long. And, when she asked me if she visualizes everyday, will she be getting the chihuahua of her dreams, I had no choice but to say a firm, resounding, "Of course."

Where Have All the Parks Gone?

2008-10-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

I mourn the the loss of a childhood filled with memories of the scorching heat of the sun, the glorious gust of wind, the prickly touch of the June beetle, popularly known as the salagubang in the Philippines, the hundreds of dragonflies caught and set free, the smell of sweet grass just after the rain, the laughter, even the fleeting whinings, of children having the time of their lives under the great, vast sky. I remember our backyard as my Central Park. I remember the beauty of the Parks and Wildlife and the La Mesa Dam in Quezon City and the Luneta Park and the Manila Zoo in Manila. I remember those memories so clearly that they give me a different kind of calm.

Yes, we still do have the same parks, but government and business have decided to pool all their efforts and finances to create a city, filling it with numerous buildings and edifices, without souls, with nary a concern in propagating greenery, and in the process, forget that we have parks where children play, where families renew their ties, where people seek refuge and rest. The Metro Manila I knew and I grew up in has turned into a money-making venture where malls can be seen at every corner to lure people from parting with their money in exchange for things material and superficial. Realty companies claim to promote the environment in their developments but are only truly serving their own interests and a few privileged ones.

Our children are the ones who suffer from this change of priorities and principles. Susan Usha Dermond in her book, Calm and Compassionate Children:A Handbook, explained how the lack of green landscape affects children, citing several sources:

"In the study published in Environement and Behavior, Nancy Wells and her colleague, Gary Evans, found that a relative abundance of green landscape bolsters "children's resilience against stress or adversity." Andrew Faber Taylor and Frances Kuo, researchers at the Human Environmenty Research Lab sponsored by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, found "that spending time in ordinary 'green' settings-such as parks, farms or grassy backyards-reduces symptoms of ADHD [Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder] when compared to time spent at indoor playgrounds and man-made recreation areas of concrete and asphalt." Taylor and Kuo's studies showed this to be true "regardless of the child's age, gender, family income, geographic region or severity of diagnosis," as reported in Psychology Today. My guess is that results would be exactly the same for children who have not been diagnosed with ADHD-every child's ability to focus is improved by being in nature."

In the last twenty years, malls and commercial buildings have tripled in Metro Manila, even quadrupled, but the number of parks and forests remain unchanged. It would have brought wonder and pure, unadulterated happiness to children and adults alike to be able to see breathtakingly beautiful parks at every corner of the city without the need to go to far-flung provinces, or even other countries, to experience the gift of nature. Metro Manila had built multi-billion pesos worth of malls and commercial establishments, thus, I do not see any reason why it cannot create the same number of parks and forests as a gift to every Filipino child.

A Passion for Reading

2008-10-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

Notwithstanding contrary views on early reading in children, I have personally seen the positive effects of reading early in my children, Isabelle and Ilysse. Isabelle started reading at 3 1/2. I also started Ilysee on the same track at the same age. I do not attribute their reading readiness to a gifted mind but to a set of books my Aunt Sally gave me, the Phonics Ready Readers by Scholastic. This comes in 6 boxes with 12 short books each. The books are arranged according to the complexity of words and sentences and are short and interesting enough to keep a child's attention.

I only devote ten minutes a day for this activity. I would usually bring one or two books in the car for Isabelle and Ilysse to practice and read while on our way to school. While Isabelle has finished the set before she turned 4, it is Ilysse' turn to finish the set of 72 books. We are halfway done and I can say she is enjoying every minute of it. She gets the thrill when she gets to read books having simple stories and would brag to Isabelle that she can now read.

Isabelle is turning 6 in December and since she started reading at 3 1/2, she had devoured every children book in the house and elsewhere. Last year, she started reading chapter books and had recently finished reading Blizzard of the Blue Moon by Mary Pope Osborne of the Magic Tree House series by herself. She never fails to amaze us with her vast knowledge of animals which she gets to read in Grolier's I Wonder Why books and Time Life' A Child's First Library of Learning. When we were studying about animal's habitats for a school assignment, I asked her what the habitat of a hippotamus is. She replied water and land while I said that its habitat is just land. She countered back by telling me, "But, Mommy, hippos give birth in the water." I was flabbergasted. She was right. There was also one time when she asked me if there were any fish that could live on land. I told her that there were none. She again replied with confidence oozing that there was such a fish, a mudskipper. Since I did not believe her, she showed me a volume of the Time Life books and correctly pointed out to me what she was talking about.

Reading has brought wonders to my children, brought them places they have never been to, widened their knowledge of the world around them, and on my part, it has brought me great satisfaction that I were able to share my passion with them.

Fever:Friend or Foe

2008-09-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

The one thing that makes every parent overly worried when their children get ill is when they get the fever, especially when the body temperature reaches 39 degrees Celsius or 102 degrees Farenheit. At the onset of fever, parents usually grab the available fever medicine, either the paracetamol, acetaminophen or ibuprofen and give this with dispatch to their sick child. I, myself, previously did the same thing whenever my children get the fever.

This practice which more often than not is made with the clearance of the child's pediatrician has been questioned by Lucy Burney, a noted Nutrition Consultant and children's health specialist from London who authored the book "Boost Your Child's Immune System" and whom I have repeatedly cited in my previous post. She explained that fever is an indication that your child is trying to burn off something which is not meant to be there. The fever produced to fight off the "intruders" is beneficial since high body temperature stimulates the immune system to produce more white blood cells. It also increases the heart rate so that white blood cells get delivered to the sites of infection more rapidly and their secretions increased. In fact, she encouraged parents to think twice before reaching for the Calpol since such medicines not only reduce the temperature and therefore, the child's immune activity, but also mask the symptoms so that the child temporarily feels better.

She cautioned, however, to differentiate a raised temperature from a temperature spiralling out of control, noting that fever has also its beneficial limit, espcially when it is accompanied by other symptoms such as rashes, difficulty in breathing or unnatural floppiness.

Heeding Ms. Burne's advice, I tried to avoid giving my children fever medicine and instead gave them homeopathic medicine to control the fever. At first, I was skeptical if homeopathy really works which relies on the principle of "like curing like" or the law of similars. Its founder, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, started experimenting in 1790 with an extremely wide range of natural remedies, which were derived from animal, plant, mineral and biological raw material. The law of similars in homeopathy simply means that taking small quantities of a substance, which in far larger doses would produce the symptoms from which the person is suffering, can cure them. (Home Remedies, A guide to symptoms and cures, Dr. Caroline Shreve, 2003).

I have given my children Belladonna, a Homeopathic cure derived from a plant, which proved very effective in controlling my children's fevers. The Belladonna which I give my children is in powder form (Isabelle and Ilysse call it their salty medicine which they simply love) and like any medicine is given every 4 hours for fevers less than 38 degrees Celsius. But, if the fever becomes higher, doctors prescribe that it be given every hour. Administering this medicine, obviously, requires more time and attention, especially if it needs to be given every hour. But, at least, I am assured that it is safe and carries no side effects.

I started dabbling in homeopathy 3 years ago and was surprised to find out that we have medical doctors in the Philippines engaged in such practice. The first doctor I went to was Dr. Liberty Santos of Intercare. Intercare has branches in Makati, Greenhills and Alabang. There is also Dr. Divina Hey-Gonzales, another Filipino homeopathic doctor, who holds clinic at 24 Mahusay St., UP Village, Quezon City and can be reached at (632) 928 5386. If you live in the Makati area, the best homeopathic doctor to see is Dr. Cricket Palanca-Chen who holds clinic at the Medical Plaza (beside Makati Medical Center). She can be reached at (632) 844 9185.

I have to admit that I still get the jitters whenever my children get the fever. Who wouldn't, especially in this time when we see new kinds of diseases sprouting all over? I guess, as parents, we just have to rely on our own intuition on what is best for our children, whether this be through administering them homeopathic medicine or the ever reliable fever medicine.

Mothers Are Great

2008-09-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

Last July, inspite of feeling that my days would never end with endless work, errands, and responsibilities, I decided to go out of my comfort zone and sign up for Jim Paredes' "Tapping the Creative Universe Workshop". So, for one week from 7 to 9 pm, I was out of the house and rediscovering my passions, unearthing my creativity, and interacting with people who were similarly searching for the same things.

I atrribute my being able to put up this blog to this workshop and Jim's mentoring. I cannot exactly put into words how the workshop had changed me but it definitely made me yearn to write, to create more. The workshop did not only give me time to rediscover my creative side but also time to reflect on my most important task of being a mother.

One of Jim's assignment in the workshop was to write something about the topic, "Why I Am Great?". It took me some time to decide on what to write since I have never really thought of myself as great, either as a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, or even a lawyer. However, in the course of reflecting on who I really am, I have discovered that I am, in my own simple way, great, notwithstanding my quirks, my faults, my omissions, and my shortcomings.

I am reprinting below what I have written as a tribute to all mothers who love fiercely and unconditionally without expecting anything in return:

Why I Am Great

I am great simply because I am a child of God. I was not created through random acts of the Creator and put on earth to live mindlessly and senselessly. I was created for a purpose and this makes me great. In my years of existence, I have come to realize my greatness, in every facet of my entire being, the manifestations of which have always caught me by surprise, delight, and even disbelief.

I have a great brain. I have foresight and intuition. I can sense things and events that have not yet happened. I can bring to fruition things I have just visualized in my mind. I listen to people's opinions and know that they are up to no good. I can come up and find solutions to the most intricate problems.

I have a great heart. Apart from my love for my family and children, I have a heart huge enough to share the same love for the underprivileged and unwanted. I have a heart capable of breaking when bombarded with pain and suffering but, at the same time, I have a heart capable of healing on its own after all the scars.

I have great arms and hands. They help ease the pain of another person or being. They can carry loads of goods desperately needed by the wounded and sick. They can create inspiring words for those in despair. They can bring warmth and protection to the vulnerable.

I have great legs and feet. These can traverse miles of dust and mud to reach the uninformed and uneducated. These can bring me to far-flung places to bring joy and comfort. The same feet and legs helped me to overcome my greatest fear.

I have a great smile. This is the smile which brought me down the aisle to marry the man I love. This is the smile that broke barriers of indifference. This is the same smile which resulted in more smiles that seemed to lighten up an entire darkened room.

These are all the embodiments of my greatness. Although in my being human, I have experienced weakness in one form or another, these sparks of greatness within me have always been my salvation.

Foods that Children Have to Avoid

2008-09-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

I am strict about the food that my children ingest because I know that no matter how edible they are, it can still do them harm. Hot dogs, hams, instant noodles, and any processed food ladened with preservatives, monosodium glutamate (MSG), nitrates, candies, chocolates, refined sugars are some of the food that I completely and absolutely prohibit my children to eat. People generally know that these foods are not good for the body, and even harmful to children. But, they remain popular and can be seen in all grocery aisles. These foods' popularity boils down to this simple explanation: marketing and deception on the part of the foods' manufacturers. Let us take a look at some of these more popular children's foods in the Philippines and elsewhere and the lowdowns on these products which manufacturers do not reveal. I have culled these information from the very helpful and enlightening books, "Winning the Food Fight" by Dr. Joey Shulman, a chiropractor and registered holistic nutritionist, specializing in pediatric nutirtion, from Toronto, and "Boost Your Child's Immune System" by Lucy Burney, a highly regarded Nutrition Consultant and children's health specialist in London and Oxford.

1. Processed hot dogs, bacons, hams, and sausages. These products claim that they are good for children. Manufacturers, in fact, use children in their advertisements to promote their products. If your read their labels, they indicate the use of sodium nitrate. However, they do not disclose the more important information regarding this chemical. Dr. Shulan has an extensive discussion on the effects of this chemical. Nitrates are used in these products to keep its red, pinkish color. Without the nitrates, the meat would turn gray. When nitrates combine with gastric juices in the stomach, a dangerous compound called nitrosamine is formed. Nitrosamine has been found to be carcinogenic (cancer causing) when tested on laboratory animals. High levels of nitrates have also been shown to cause the "blue baby syndrome", a condition in which an infant turns blue due to lack of oxygen in the system. More importantly, it has been found that children who ate hot dogs once a week doubled their chances of brain tumors; those who ate them twice tripled it. Due to this known toxic effect, nitrates are banned from baby foods. I agree with the question posed by Dr. Shulman in her book on this matter, "If it is unsafe for infant food, shouldn't it be unsafe for all humans to consume?"

In the Philippines, there are available healthier alternatives as there are food shops that sell similar products without using nitrates. Earles's Delicatessen, for one, offer cured meat products like hot dogs, bacon, and ham without nitrates or MSG. There is another shop that I regularly go to in the Salcedo Saturday Market and the Lung Center Market on Sundays that sell similar products without the nitrates. (The name of the stall just slipped my mind but will jot it down here once I remember it.)

2. Instant noodles and chips. Manufacturers of instant noodles and even chips, the so-called junk foods, always have children as their promoters. They even claim their food as the ideal food that contains the necessary vitamins a child needs. But, again they do not disclose the real story behind the other ingredients in the food. These foods contain monosodium glutamate ("MSG") which is commonly found in Chinese food. If you have experienced headaches, migraines, panic attacks, or heart palpitations after eating in a Chinese restaurant, then you can be sure that they used MSG in their food.

Dr. Shulman explained in her book that MSG is of great concern because it crosses a safety net, called the blood-brain barrier, which separates the brain from the rest of the body. MSG tricks the brain in thinking that the food you are eating tastes good, causing you to consume more and more of the product. Serious signs and symptoms associated with MSG are neurological disorders that can mimic Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, amyotropic lateral sclerosis, and fibromyalgia, and in children, behavioral problems and difficulty focusing.

There are instant noodles that do not have MSG like the ones by "Thai Kitchen" and "A Taste of Thai". These can be found in Healthy Options in the Philippines. Although admittedly, they are not as tasty as the ones usually sold in grocery stores which contain MSG, this variety will do. My children love it when I add organic egg to the noodles to make a creamier soup.

3. Candies, chocolates, and other sweet stuff. We, parents, know that too much of these sweet stuff is not good for our kids. But, do we know exactly how the sugars in these products affect our children's health and disposition? Dr. Shulman, in her book, explained that although sugar is derived from a natural source, the sugar beet or the sugar cane, it is the process of producing refined sugars that strips away 90 percent of thier fibrous material. Sugar derived from the sugar cane or beets, is processed into sucrose (table sugar) and appears on our tables as refined, white crystals. With the fiber removed, sugar crystals enter the bloodstream far too quickly, resulting in a heightened insulin response, and high levels of insulin and the fluctuations of a child's blood sugar can lead to symptoms such as mood swings, weight gain, headaches and low energy.

But more significant than the above immediate effects of sugar is its detrimental effect on a child's immunity as revealed by Ms. Burney in her book. She discussed that as little as 100 g. (3 1/2 oz.) of sugar can suppress your child's immune system by up to 50 per cent. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published research as early as 1973 that showed that these effects start within half an hour of consuming sugar and can last up to five hours.

Ms. Burney suggests using, instead of refined sugar, natural sugars from fruits, barley malt syrup, raw honey (which should be give only to children above 1), tea tree honey, and molasses.

Isabelle and Ilysse get their needed sugars from the fruits they eat daily. I give them either 3 or 4 servings of fruits everyday and I serve them as snacks. On some days, they will have a piece of banana and atis for their morning snack and organic applesauce and cantaloupe for their afternoon snack. I also occasionally give my children, especially Isabelle, organic molasses, since she just takes Rice Milk ,which is low in calcium and iron. Molasses is highly recommended by Ms. Burne as this by-product of sugar refining - which contains all the minerals stripped out of sugar - is a good source of calcium and iron.

With the foregoing information provided us, let us be vigilant in making sure that our children eat healthy. It is not an easy job. Why prepare an elaborate egg and mushroom omelette when your children could have instant noodles in 3 minutes? Why prepare fish porridge from scratch when you could have hot dog in no time? It is, in fact, a tedious and tiring process which I would also avoid if I could. But, I do not have a choice - the health and well-being of my children entirely depend on me.

Kid Imposed No-TV Rule

2008-09-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

My kids do not watch television on a regular, daily basis. In fact, they watch only once every three months or even less and only for a short period, the longest at one hour. I did not impose this no-TV rule. It started as a demand from my eldest, Isabelle, who at 1, developed this unreasonable fear of the TV. I recall this started when she saw the villains in the cartoon-movie, Barbie of Swan Lake. Since then, she refused to watch any shows on TV. The only shows she watches are the kiddie cartoons on Nick, Jr. and only if my youngest, Ilysse, requests that they watch TV. Other than Ilysse' seldom craving for the TV, I am thankful that my kids do not have an addiction to the idiot box.

You may wonder what Isabelle and Ilysse' schedule would be like without this ever-present gadget in their lives. During school days, their afternoons are filled with studying, playing, biking, drawing, writing, art and craft activities, and weekly piano lessons, without a minute of TV viewing. Their weekends are all about music and gymnastic classes, reading, visiting grandparents, playing with their cousins, swimming, going to the bookstore, limited computer time, occasional children's parties, or simply having fun with the family, again, without the need of turning on the TV. Andrew could not even watch his favorite shows on TV on a weekend since the kids would be the first to object. "No TV, Daddy," or "TV is not good for you, Daddy," they would often say.

What do I get from this unusual situation in our household? Aside from lower electric bills, my girls' full attention and a daily dose of pleasant surprises which I would definitely not have experienced if they were glued to the TV.

Natural Eczema Cure

2008-09-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

Isabelle has had eczema in her arms, just behind the elbows, for over a year now. We already have brought her to different dermatologists in the hope that they may prescribe medication that is safe and natural but all of them have consistently prescribed steroids, topical and even oral, to cure and manage her skin condition. I refused to give her steroids knowing the side effects that come with the said medication.

In my search for the natural cure, I have stumbled upon a video of a caucasian man in YouTube who was eagerly telling his discovery of a natural cure for his son's eczema. He related his frustrating and unsuccesful efforts to help his son whom he has brought to different doctors who prescribed all kinds of medication, even steroids. The natural cure that he discovered turned out to be blackened rice which was recommended to him by a Filipina acquaintance. I cannot remember exactly how he is related to the Filipina. I tried searching for that video but it no longer appears in YouTube. I regret not trying to get this man's contact details before as I wanted to thank him for his kindness and generosity in sharing this cure.

Isabelle's eczema is not entirely gone but the blackened rice, which we call at home as 'The Black Rice", has eradicated the redness and the rashes by as much as 80%. In fact, I still use it on Isabelle at night to ease the redness when her eczema acts up.

I also discovered that this Black Rice together with the Calendula Cream of California Baby has worked wonders on my daugther. It is just too bad that I already ran out of this calendula cream and still have to order them from the States. So, in the meantime, I have to make do with the Black Rice.

For anyone interested in trying this concoction out, what you do is just fry the rice until it blackens. I prefer using organic rice to make sure that it is 100% free of chemicals and synthetic materials. When the rice is already burnt and blackened, you add water and stir it until it reaches a pasty consistency. This paste is what you put on areas affected by the eczema. But, if you have the calendula cream, you may put this first over the affected areas and then cover this with the black rice.

Breastmilk-The Only Nourishment An Infant Needs

2008-09-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

At top of the news this week is the China milk scandal where a considerable number of infants were found to have kidney problems as a result of ingesting infant formula contaminated with the chemical melamine. This is not the first scandal to have rocked the multi-billion dollar infant formula industry and I doubt if it will be the last unless and until mothers worldwide take the initiative to exclusively nourish their children with their own breastmilk for at least a year.

I have personally seen the hideous faces of these milk companies operating in the guise of medical doctors and registered nurses. When I was pregnant with Ilysse, I was forced to see another obstetrician (who is even touted one of the best in the country) since my regular obstetrician, Dr. Lilibeth Genuino, was then unavailable. This obstetrician I went to had the gall to say that I was no longer giving any nourishment to my baby when I disclosed that I was still breastfeefding Isabelle at 1 1/2 years. I had similar experiences with the attending nurses when I gave birth to Isabelle and Ilysse. Even if these nurses personally knew that I wanted to exclusively breastfeed my babies, they deliberately, willfully, and calculatingly gave them infant formula, explaining that since I was sleeping, they did not want to disturb me. What do these doctors and nurses get in turn for these diabolical deeds? A trip to the Bahamas? A brand new car of their choice? Or even a suitcase full of wad? The dire consequences of these deeds - an estimated yearly 1.5 million infant deaths around the world because they were not breastfed. This is not a figure taken out of thin air but gathered and confirmed by the World Helath Organization ("WHO") and the United Nations Children's Fund ("UNICEF").

After that demeaning remark from that doctor, I came back with a vengeance and breastfed Ilysse for 3 1/2 years. I wanted to breastfeed Isabelle longer but she chose to wean early. It might be because I was already then pregnant with Ilysse. I would be repeating what everyone knows but refuse to heed that breastmilk is the only nourishment an infant needs - not infant formula, no matter how expensive. As I begin to see all the benefits of breastfeeding in my daughters, I am perpetually grateful for the wisdom in choosing the right path, a path that I hope all mothers and mothers-to-be will take.

Only Recourse

2008-09-12T02:47:00.000-07:00

I was born a worrywart. I worry about a lot of things. At the age of seven, I remember always saying my litany of prayers when my dad would come home late from work. I became more of a worrywart when I had Isabelle and Ilysse. In fact, I must admit my worries sometimes bordered on absurdity. When they were babies and at the stage when they would put everything in their mouths, I had all their toys disinfected every single day. Now that they both go to school, I worry about their safety and health, about them being bullied, about them being unhappy, and a host of other mundane things.

Although I have come to realize long before that 99% of the time, my worries have remained to be simply worries, I still could not help but worry, especially for the welfare of my daughters. It has only been recently that I have started deconstructing this mindset when I began reading Stormie Omartian's The Power of a Praying Parent. I found refuge in the book's conviction that by simply praying and trusting the word of God, my children will be protected and guided for life. I just have to pray and let go.

What I like about this prayer book is that it covers all aspects of a child's life. Although I pray daily for my children and I know God knows what I truly desire for them, I had difficulty choosing the right words to convey how I truly feel. This book amazingly fills in the gaps. I particularly like the prayers on securing protection from harm, feeling loved and accepted, enjoying a life of health and healing, instilling the desire to learn, identifying God-given gifts and talent, enjoying freedom from fear, and receiving a sound mind. This is one prayer book that any parent should have.

Oregano-Our Reliable Medicine for Coughs and the Common Cold

2008-09-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing that I can say as heaven-sent is my discovery of the benefits of the herb oregano, particularly its leaf. It has been over three years now that I have stopped going to the doctor for the treatment of my children's coughs and colds. To alleviate my doubts on the effectivity and safety of this herb, I had to do my own research and satisfy myself that I would not be endangering the lives of my children if I administer the herb to them.

Aside from scouring articles on the oregano on the internet, I was able to get my hand on several books on oregano. One book, "The Cure is in the Cupboard" by Dr. Cass Ingram (2001), is, in fact, all about oregano and its numerous health benefits. The Condensed Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. (2006), lists oregano as one of the healing herbs and spices. Both books discussed the two anti-microbial (or antibiotic) agents in oregano, thymol and carvacrol. The US Department of Agriculture even discovered, in one study, that the oregano scored the highest in antioxidant activity than fruits and vegetables known to be high in antioxidants. They found oregano to have forty-two times as much antioxidant activity as apples, thirty times as potatoes, twelve times as much as oranges, and four times as much as blueberries (p. 538, Michael Murray, N.D. Jospeh Pizzorno, N.D., and Laura Pizzorno, The Condensed Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, 2006).

It was also a surprise to me when I found out that Filipinos, especially in the provinces, have been using the oregano to cure coughs for ages. All these information made me decide to try the herb out. Since then, my children have not used even an ounce of antibiotics to treat their coughs and colds. There was one particular incident that stands out in my mind at the time when I was just starting to use the herb. Isabelle was not feeling well and was complaining of pain but since she was just about two years old then, she could not really tell us what was ailing her. My husband, Andrew, and I brought her to a doctor who prescribed antibiotics since the doctor noted her swollen throat. The doctor even advised us to give the antibiotic immediately since he expects Isabelle to become febrile. Not wanting to give any antibiotics, I gave Isabelle oregano instead. In a span of twenty-four hours, Isabelle was cured. She did not have the fever the doctor was warning us about. Andrew and I were simply amazed.

In case anyone is interested in trying the herb out, I just blanch the leaves with boiling water and squeeze the juice out. I give one to two tablespoons of the juice to my children three times a day. When my husband and I feel an itchy throat, we do the same thing but we would usually take three or four tablespoons of it. In fact, my mother-in-law would microwave the leaves and eat them straight.

The photo shown above is the oregano taken from our backyard. Especially during the flu season, I have had to continually replace the old ones that have lost their leaves. I get my supply of oregano pots from Mang Roger who oversees the Herbal Garden at the Quezon City Circle.

My Credo

2008-09-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

In this day and age of synthetic drugs and genetially modified organisms, one can only surmise that all these advancement and technology will eventually backfire on us or have they? Scientists and technocrats always argue that they are pushing all these for the common good, particularly to feed a hungry and growing world and to save the people from annihilation. But, have these people really made the world a healthier place for us and especially the children?

Some doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat children's cold and viral infections at the drop of a hat. We see a proliferation of bovines and meat products treated with antibiotics, fruits and vegetables laced with pesticides. Common sense would easily tell you that our bodies created and born in its natural state without the intervention of any chemical substance can only take so much of these before it reacts and counteracts in the form of more virulent diseases.

Before I had my daugthers, Isabelle and Ilysse, my knowledge of a healthy lifestyle was limited to eating the right food and doing your daily exercises. But, when my father succumbed to colon cancer (who was never a drinker and a smoker and rarely ate red meat) before he could see his first grandchild, there was no more turning back for me on looking for alternatives to a healthier lifestyle that would benefit my family and my daughters. I scoured the bookshelves and searched the world wide web on healthy, organic eating. I bought only organic vegetables and tried to get my hands on organic fruits. I looked for homeopathic doctors who cured the disease and not only the symptoms. I splurged my hard-earned money on anything organic. I did tremendous research on issues that have affected and continued to affect the health and well-being of my family. Since my crusade began six years ago on giving my children the best care I could get, I was met with criticism and even self-doubt. But, looking back, I am thankful for that opportunity of exploration and empowerment as it made me realize that I need not always accept authorities' words as final and good.

I created this blog primarily for my children so I can impart to them the importance of research, reading, and study, the value of an analytical and open mind, and to let them know that this a product of my devotion to them. I do not claim that my method of raising my children is the best, or even the only correct way. I, in the course of my writings, would necessarily have to relate my distressing experiences with conventional doctors. Nonetheless, I know from my own experience that there are still medical doctors out there who are not only competent and upright but are truly concerned with the welfare and health of their patients. Finally, this blog aims to empower parents, especially mothers, that the care and welfare of their children need not be wholly and fully dependent on the one who wears white and the one who dispenses chemicals.