What's a Face Shield Really For?

What are face shields for now that the pandemic has been more the a year with us? Face masks and social distancing are enough health protocols to keep us all safe--and spare us the added expense of buying face shields every now and then because they don't last long. That's what some people say today. Face shields are not relevant anymore health-wise. 

. Photo above by Lawrence Aritao on Unsplash.

And sure enough, I see lots of people outside either without face shields or wearing them over their heads. Indeed, if you'd wear it just to protect the top of your head, you better not. Because the Covid virus does not intend to enter through your head top. The virus enters through your nose, mouth, or eyes. And the shield is meant to prevent an optic entry. See?

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Droplets

Remember, Covid is transferred through microscopic droplets (I call them vapors) which are emitted not just through sneezing or coughing but through ordinary conversation. We release infinitesimal, minuscule, droplets of saliva even if we just whisper, what more talk or shout. This is why I hate it when people laugh aloud or shout in closed, public places. 

At least, if your face is shielded and masked (double masks), there's lesser chance of this floating droplets from finding your eyes and enter them, says experts. Yeah, they float around for some 15 minutes or so, and float to as far as 5 meters, if I remember right. They stay around longer in mid air in closed spaces or those fully air-con. Your nose and mouth may be protected with a face masks but your naked eyes are sitting ducks without shields.

And imagine if you're in a crowded public jeep. Yup, they very seldom practice social distancing in there. And people in public jeeps, seated close to each other, have their face shields protecting the top of their heads (their eyes fully exposed), and sometimes their face masks are down protecting their chin. Again, the virus has no plan of entering through your chin. Where on earth did they get the idea?

Now, on top of that, public jeep passengers often talk aloud on their phones or laugh out loud to each other as they converse all they want--masks, shields and all totally out of place. And if you don't have a shield on and do not wear your mask properly, you're a candidate to tomorrow's new cases along with the other passengers--especially if you haven't been vaccinated.

And yeah, talking of vaccination--the jab is good, but we still need to wear masks and shields properly. Why? Because vaccines cannot prevent viral transfer. You may be vac-protected but you never know if you're a carrier. At least, releasing the virus by sneezing or coughing or even plain talking can be blocked by your double masks and shield.

Zero Touch

With face shields, there's less tendency for people to touch their faces. I've proven this personally. When you're out, all types of itchiness occur on your face for some reason. I don't know why. And especially itchiness in your nose, of all places. If you're wearing a shield, you're prevented from touching and reminded how it's a definite no-no. 

Never touch your face when you're outside. Why? Your fingers may be carriers, and if you touch your face (especially rub your nose or eyes) you help the virus more easily get through you. I see people mindlessly touching their faces or scratching their cheeks, foreheads or rubbing their eyes. If we want the number of cases to go rapidly down we have to take these things seriously. There should be zero touch. Wear your masks and shields properly. 

Then we all live healthier and really well ever after. 

Shield Refresher

Now and then I let my face shield "refresh" and "rejuvenate," so to say. I take them off in a safe place (uncrowded and air freely flows) and spray some alcohol on it inside and out. I also bring along tissue paper for wiping. Never use tissue paper you get from eateries or restaurants. They've been handled by other hands, and we don't know if those hands were Covid-free. 

I also bring along extra masks so I can replace the ones I wore in the morning. After lunch (if you're out the whole day) you should be wearing fresh masks and shield. And yup, always make it double masks. Don't say that you find it hard to breathe with two masks because once Covid hits you, it'll be far worse. So, what do you prefer?

Disposal

When you get home, spray alcohol on your hands and arms first, and then on your used masks (in and out), including the strings, before you dispose of them in the trash. And spray lavishly on your shield, too (in and out) before you hang it to dry. Spray on the soles of your shoes, too. 

Rest for 15 minutes and then take a bath.

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Safe and "Immune" During GCQ

Picture from this site.

Now we're under General Community Quarantine or GCQ and some people think it's the end of the world. I'm not for GCQ either but I see how we'd be doomed if we remain locked down in our homes with no means of livelihood. Ayuda and SAP cannot go on forever. The economy has got to start rolling again. 

But there are risks, of course. Covid is still out there and it's no respecter of persons. So what we should do is stay "quarantined" while we go out--if we need to go out. We need a mindset and lifestyle that keeps us safe and "immune" during GCQ. I'd say, even "vaccinated."

Immune and Vaccinated

Even I see my need to go outdoors now and then for urgent reasons, like buying food and transacting my business. But I've got to stay immune and even "vaccinated." Is there a vaccine already? Nope. What I mean is supernaturally vaccinated by God. That's the first step to stay safe and immune during GCQ. 

Jesus said everything is possible to him who believes [Mark 9.23]. Secondly, he also said that if we believe what we say will happen, it will [Mark 11.23]. I love how he said it. And we know that Jesus never lied. All his words and promises are perfectly reliable.

"...and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them."

So ask God to "vaccinate" you through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Believe it and it will happen. But this doesn't mean you can go out anytime you want and be careless about it all because anyway God has vaccinated you. Nope, you maintain a mindset and lifestyle that makes you safe and immune during GCQ. Even Jesus avoided danger.

Prayer

This is the time to get doubly serious about prayer. I don't mean praying long, poetic and dramatic prayers. I mean getting serious with prayer--like Jesus did. He looked up to heaven and merely said thanks and bread and fish were multiplied supernaturally. He didn't even pray when he rebuked the wind and waves (and they obeyed him) because prayer to him was how he naturally and casually talked with his Father. Natural and casual but doubly serious. 

Immunity

Another thing on being immune. Natural health supplements are more important today than ever. Take them seriously every day. Invest on your health. I take sodium ascorbate Vitamin C, MX3, and now OrganiC which is a delicious but super healthy fruit and herbs drink sweetened with stevia alone and beefs up your immune system. All natural. It's best for digestive health (cleans the colon and gets rid of bloating and constipation) detox, and pumping you up with nutrients. If you're interested, tell me.

A Filipino medical scientist I know always says that strong immunity is really the best protection from Covid 19 while there is no medicine or vaccine for it. 

And I workout daily to also boost immune health. I do aerobics and resistance workouts, with minimum use of weights--aside from my regular martial arts training.

Street Protocols

Then I strictly adhere to my street protocols. As though I were paranoid or a spy with an extremely top secret, classified mission or clandestine operation. After much research, study and observation, I have formulated my own protocol when outdoors.

1. Pray before going out. In fact, pray everyday whether outdoors or indoors. God is your best protection and it's through prayer that this becomes possible. I don't mean religious prayer. No drama, please. I mean naturally talking with God with a pure heart.

2. Wear surgical and cloth masks. Take a small, handy spray bottle of 70 % alcohol. If you need a break from your mask and breathe in fresh air, do so in an isolated area. Don't catch someone's sneeze or cough 20 or 30 feet away. Even 50 feet away. Don't give the virus a chance.

3. NEVER touch your face outdoors. Keep your hands off your face at all times. Wearing face shields is best for this. But even with a shield on, never touch your face still. Don't get the bad habit. I practice not touching my face even at home. Be disciplined to tolerate facial or nose itches--it's just so weird that they happen as soon as you're outdoors. Don't be tempted.

3. Social distancing (and extra strictly at that!). Avoid people and crowds. Stay as isolated as possible. If you see someone approaching you or getting too close, get out of their range. Maintain 6 to 10 feet gap as often as possible. Never get 3 feet away from anyone.

4. Don't talk with anyone. Avoid conversations when outdoors as much as possible. You can say "Hello!" or "Thank you!" with hand gestures or your eye movements. It's possible with Filipino culture. Allow yourself conversation when extremely needed. Never stop to chat with a friend or when meeting or trying to be nice to strangers. So what if you're not too nice?

5. As much as possible, don't touch anything. Take along tissue paper to touch or hold things with, like using ATM touch keypads, elevator buttons, or door knobs. Use tissue paper and get rid of it properly.

6. Wear different slippers when outdoors and disinfect them (especially the soles) when you get home. Put it outside in the garage or somewhere else but inside your house. Disinfect you shoes (especially the soles) and never take them inside your house.  Take off your clothes and pants before entering your house and soak them immediately in laundry soap and water along with your cloth mask. Then go straight to the bathroom for a bath.

7. Throw away your surgical mask properly.

8. Always wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds. Always. Be paranoid with this. So what?

9. As much as possible, don't eat out. If you need to, buy safely wrapped food from a convenience store and eat it outside in an isolated place. Enclosed, air-conditioned places are best for viruses. Warm, open and wide areas with air freely flowing is best for you.

10. WALK as much as you can and choose safe paths where people are present but not crowded. Walking alone is very safe, but take an umbrella and small bottled water to prevent heat stroke. 

But don't get me wrong. I won't go out unless it's urgent. Even if they lift GCQ and say it's now perfectly safe to go out. No way Jose. I won't go to malls or anywhere else just to window shop or idle or look around. I prefer home anytime. 

Make these protocols your lifestyle--daily. Your new normal. It entails strict, military discipline (like a CIA operative) which opens up a lot of good things for you, actually. Discipline is what we badly need in this country. Here's our chance.

When Fishballs Were Called Bola-Bola And How It Relates to Life

It was summer vacation of 1974 and I just graduated from grade 7 when I had my first encounter with it. I spent a week's vacation in La Loma, Quezon City with my cousins in Malaya Street for our scheduled circumcision with Kap, the old guy who lived inside the Manila North Cemetery where he also held his makeshift or make-do herbal circumcision. He just cut the foreskin with his crude blade while he made you chew on fresh guava leaves which he made you spit on the wound after the circumcision. That was it.

Photo by hitesh choudhary: pexels.com

I Couldn't Believe It

Anyway, one afternoon while on vacation there, I spotted this small wooden streetfood cart pushed by a vendor passing in front of my cousin's house. It had a mini gas stove (pump type) and a large, bowl-like frying pan on top with a stainless cover. The sight tickled my imagination and gave me images of some delicious streetfood being cooked but I didn't know what exactly it was since the term "streetfood" was not yet in use then. More so "fishballs." Banana and camote cues, peanuts, balot and cheap local ice cream sold in the streets then were called "dirty foods."

The wooden streetfood cart made rounds each afternoon on the street and stopped some 50 yards away (in front of the fire station), and people in the neighborhood would excitedly come out and crowd around it, each holding a stick. They were piercing something with it. "What's that?" I asked my cousin that afternoon. "Fishballs,"he said. "Want to try some?" We made our way there and joined the crowd. There I saw small white, puffy delicious-looking shiny balls floating on cooking oil in the bowl deep fryer. 

Bruce Lee Dim Sum

My appetite started getting active. I was sure it tasted something like Chinese dim sum. The stuff looked just like what Bruce Lee ate in the movie, "Way of the Dragon," prepared for him by Nora Miao. So I figured it must be rich in protein because Bruce was lean and muscular. The neighborhood folks punctured 4 to 5 balls with one stick and dipped them in three sauce selections--one was a mix of vinegar and soy with spices, another with thick sweet sour, and the last was sweet and sour. Some of them chose one sauce but several dipped their fishballs in all sauces. That looked more inviting.

Back then, everybody dipped their fishballs in common sauce containers. It was unhealthy, especially when some folks re-dipped their sticks in them more than once, later the concoction becoming a mix of saliva in addition to the original sauces. But it didn't seem to bother anybody then because we just enjoyed dipping our fishballs. Thank God cases of hepatitis were unheard of at the time until the 80s. But it was not until around year 2000 when street vendors decided to strictly enforce a plastic-cup policy where each customer was given a plastic cup for his own sauce to dip in.

It was a healthy idea but it spoiled the fun in using common sauce jars.

My First Bite

When my cousin noted my wide-eyed excitement in fishballs, he asked: "You mean you haven't eaten fishballs before? It's a common afternoon snack here. You want more?" So he bought me more--costing P0.25 a piece then---and he taught me where to dip them. To enhance the experience he told me to dip them first in hot and spicy vinegar and then in sweet and sour sauce. It tasted great! You could actually eat them with rice and have it as a meal, I thought. So I bought some more and tried them with rice. I was right.

Fishballs, or bola-bola in the vernacular (literally "ball-like"), is dried fish finely shredded until in powder form and mixed with spiced up flour and some water. They're mashed and formed into balls and deep-fried in boiling oil. So in a way it has protein and carbohydrates. The only downside is its oiliness. It's cooked either well done for a crispy, crunchy option tasting like fish skin fried brown, or medium rare for a soft, puffy, chewy and marshmallow-like option tasting like fish fillet. I love both.

The flavor was doubly enhanced if the sauces were made perfectly right.

First Time in Town

So how come we didn't have it in Project 8? I asked myself. When I went back home from vacation, I told about it to my neighbor-friend, Arturo, and he liked the idea--especially the possibility of looking like Bruce Lee. "Yeah, I can imagine how delicious it is!" he said. And then one day, that same vacation, one vendor (miraculously) ventured on selling it in Project 8. I was delighted to see it available in our area! He was an angel sent from heaven! I was elated to see a bola-bola cart in the vicinity of our community plaza and basketball court and I dragged Arturo to it immediately. "That's what I've been talking about!" His eyes shone.

We had a fine bola-bola snack then, and the vendor couldn't be happier.

Each afternoon we waited for the bola-bola cart to pass by. And then one time, I tried it with rice again. I bought some and took them home to eat later. But I was disappointed. I found that you had to eat bola-bola as soon as you bought them fresh from the pan. If you have to walk home and eat them later, the fun and flavor would have evaporated and the bola-bola shrunk to a pressed, smaller size like used cotton balls.

Well, you can still eat them and enjoy some of the flavor somewhat, but it wouldn't be as fun as when you eat them right at the bola-bola cart. You'd also get some of the undesirable fishy taste if you'd eat them later. Bola-bola is delicious as long as it's eaten fresh from deep-frying. Dipping it in sauce reduces the heat from cooking and saves your tongue from searing. So the mobile cart is a big factor in enjoying fishballs.

How It relates to Life

I pondered and saw how opportunity was like streetfood---once it knocks you better grab it while it's "hot." If you dilly-dally and act on it later, you may still get something from the opportunity but it would get a "fishy" taste---not as fun as when it was fresh and hot.

And when it was yet called "bola-bola," there was a touch of native appeal, a local flavor that reminds you of how Filipino ancient food dish culture is mixed with some shades of Chinese culinary influence and sometimes that takes me back to yesteryear when life was simple and people were kind and the air was fresh and sweet and a large bowl of taho (soy gelatin) with fresh cow's milk cost less than 1 cent, according to my grandma. Today, the term "fishballs" gives you nothing but a mental picture of junky streetfood.

Anyway, back to how eating fishballs hot and fresh is like rare life opportunities. So, the next time you plan on having a bola-bola meal, bring rice with you and eat the thing right at the cart. That is, if you really like streetfood that much.

Where Good Health Really Starts. You'd Be Surprised to Know

Pexels. Meo.

Where good health really starts. Lots of folks say good health starts with the right diet. Some say exercise. Several others who know about wellness say it's in the gut---the digestive system---which is right. But Choy's Cut says it all begins in the mind. And it's not just about the mind knowing what health is. It's about the mind being a "creator."

In a sense, what you need for good health is already put inside you, something like a built-in system when you were born. It comes with the package. All you need to do is believe and apply. Use it. You need healing? Self-confidence? Good memory? Slimmer body? Natural physical therapy? Eerie, isn't it? But don't be afraid. It's safe to harness the power of the mind.




When you realize how your mind is a "creator," you see the incredible potentials you have in you. I believe it's often all in the mind. God put a different mind in us, different from what he put in animals. Animals have minds so they can analyze things a bit, decide, accept or reject---but only in small degrees. The mind God put in us is creative. And you'd understand this more if you read about the mind of Christ in the bible.

In a sense, we can create. That's why we have the humanities, arts, science and other branches of study possible only with human imagination and creativity. But animals don't. In fact, believers in Jesus have the mind of Christ in their heads. Imagine that creative power. We can start being healthy, strong, get well and "create" all that into reality. We can create our reality and the atmosphere around us. We create our aura. We can create the energy we release around us and to others. Sounds like what cults and weird religious sects also say, but the bible was first to come up with the idea. God is the original. Others merely copied.

(If anyone) does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. [Mark 11]

You see that power?

We don't have to surrender our will to what's happening to us or around us. Peter surrendered himself to the circumstances he saw while walking on water. He was able to walk on water for a while but he let himself be overwhelmed by his surroundings. Jesus was disappointed. Lots of times we do the same. We let viruses, bacteria, our medical conditions, etc. take charge of us and we just surrender without a fight.

Create your reality in your mind. That's where good health really starts. Of course, you support that by making it real biologically as well--eat healthy food, live a healthy lifestyle, think healthy and be happy. They say walk the talk. I say walk the thought. Believe. Jesus says nothing is impossible for him who believes. So start creating your reality with backing from Jesus' words. Choy's Cut has proven this to be true a lot of times.

To create your reality, you should start thinking of what should be and then believe it. Build your life around it. 

You should also ADMIT your real condition (don't deny or tell a lie about it). Do not claim anything false. Admit your present condition---whatever it is---but do not surrender to it. Do not allow it to rule. In Christ (if you believe him), you rule and reign! You dictate what happens to you, not medical findings or what people or even experts say. Consult doctors and professionals and listen to them, but the last word belongs to God and what he tells you and puts in your mind. With that, create your reality. That's where good health really starts.

Then the rest follows. Your body will start responding to your mind. That's how God designed it. Jesus released the Word when he healed people. The Word released registered in the minds of the people being healed and created their reality. Their minds and hearts believed it. Then the body started responding. Words create and words condition the mind. So be careful with your words.

You need to lose weight? Workouts and diets are good. You also need discipline. But you should understand that it all starts in the mind. Create your reality. Start thinking and believing that fats are being burned each time you sleep---and declare it. 

Release the word God puts in you. God released the Word and things got created in Genesis. He's given us the clue there. We're created in God's image---man has not yet explored this truth fully and most people are afraid to. They're afraid of the unknown.

But you should believe it. Your mind---it's where good health really starts.

Can Tiredness Improve Sleep?

Tiredness improves sleep? Many people experience better sleep after getting too tired. So they think it's exhaustion that improves sleep. Not true. Sleeping after too much exhaustion sometimes leads to heart attacks as some have observed, like nightmares that trigger heart failure--which is really an inflammation of the pancreas, some doctors say. So, can tiredness improve sleep?

Like dogs. Dogs happy with their owners sleep well compared to abandoned dogs, or those caged in shelters, or those that are left in the streets to fend for themselves. The same goes for humans. Feelings of insecurity destroys sleep quality because they tire you. Anything that bothers your subconscious or any guilt feelings wreck your sleep, and you won't even know they're exhausting you emotionally and mentally.

Photo above by Mazzinga, Stockvault.

 
More than exhaustion, it's really your ability to have almost zero-worry or a carefree attitude about negative thoughts when too tired that triggers good sleep. You're just too tired physically to worry about anything. Often, bodily exhaustion brings you to a "surrendered" or passive state when you just let your mind drift along empty thoughts and relax, trashing all negative thoughts or feelings. That "peaceful" state right before falling asleep is what causes good and deep sleep that refreshes you almost miraculously on waking, not pure exhaustion. 

Click image above for more details.

I know some folks who are often dead tired at the end of the day and yet finds sleep elusive because the stress they had during the day clings to them even in bed. They cannot surrender their worries and urgent concerns and fill their conscious and subconscious mind with them (what you fill your consciousness automatically fills your subconscious eventually). Not all tiredness improves sleep.

Genuine relaxation leads to good sleep. If you want to quickly fall asleep and have a good one, it's about living a relaxed lifestyle that leads to a "sleep-quick sleepstyle" and good rest during sleep that effectively repairs the body's stress-inflicted wear and tear and refreshes the mind. It's possible after a time of re-programming the brain with relaxing inner thoughts that enhance sleep during sleeping time (doesn't make you sleepy during the day, though). 

I'm sharing this type of good sleep from experience. So I'm using a lot of my own terminology. I can talk about this a great deal because I talk from experience. I easily fall asleep and sleep good. And even if I sleep just 5 hours in a day (which very seldom happens. My average is 7) I find myself refreshed and in good spirits the following morning. But this is a topic for another blog article.

It will be paradise if you master getting natural sleep solutions that eliminate the need for sleeping pills or anything like that---even if you're in the midst of stress or if you have little time for sleeping---like what some people I know have discovered. Like my late dad. He never had problems going to sleep even though he had work pressures and stresses as editor-in-chief of a major daily and consultant of the Bureau of National and Foreign Information in Martial Law times.

Ever heard of a "sleep zombie"? A state when you crave for sleeping any time of the day? The bad thing is, it affects your moods. Too much stress can lead to sleep zombification, some experts say, and makes you kind of cranky when awake. Mastering a relaxed sleepstyle is the key to kick off the bad habit.

How? It's simply avoiding too much stress and exhaustion to get into you. Simpler put, don't take things so seriously, as though anything on earth mattered for you to get to heaven. Avoid getting stuck with all non-essentials in life. There are a lot of so-called "priorities" that should get the least of our attention--but for some reason we major on them. 

Get rid of anything that stresses you out needlessly. It's mere junk, believe me. You think it's important but it just ruins your sleeping habit. And ruined sleep habit means ruined health and ruined life and character eventually. That's a serious Choy's Cut tip for you. And anyway, you can always tone down stress while at work. You always have the controls. It's all up to you.

Here' another tip: Anything you can do without and not die is a non-priority, a non-essential.

And a word of caution here--don't make it a habit to tire yourself first so you can enjoy a good night sleep later. Some people still attribute good sleep to exhaustion so they make it a point to tire themselves to the max to get this result. Remember, it's not the physical exhaustion but the mental and emotional peace prerequisite which has been laid as a solid foundation for good sleep that does it. If you just relax and be at peace with God and yourself, you'll be at peace with everything, and your sound sleep will be a given. I know this also from experience.

In fact, just a few seconds after sitting in bed to prepare for sleep at night I immediately fall sleep. What more when I lie down? I can even sleep while standing in a crowded bus. No kidding. I've done it. Because it's my lifestyle to relax and be at peace even amid problems and work. That's peace from God that surpasses understanding. 

I take things seriously and yet not seriously. You learn this supernatural relaxation principle, which to me is an "art and science," when you're deep in Christ who never stops inviting us to, "Come all of you who are tired---I will give you rest." That includes good sleep. 😄

A System to Get a Flat Belly in 21 Days

You want to know about the Flat Belly Fix? How does it give results in just 21 days? Is it that effective? Are there any testimonies? Well, just watch the free video now.

Click Here!

Wait. Here's more!

It's how I like it actually---just a flat belly. I'm not after a 6-pack or 8-pack. Good if it comes to that, but I'm not so particular about it. I'm not in a fitness competition or don't aspire to be sexy fitness model. I just want to be healthy and fit. My aim is simply wellness and a well life.

But the condition of your belly says a lot about your health. Bulging bellies can be a sign of:

1. Heart ailment
2. Diabetes
3. Digestive ailments
4. Liver problems
5. Intestinal worms

So, a flat belly may actually involve more than just working it out to have a six pack. It definitely needs going to a medical doctor to find out. Fat in the tummy or "central obesity" is a sign of abnormal fat distribution in the body, among other things. Doctors say, definitely, you need to lose fat there---and lose weight. Even if you're slim but if you have a protruding belly (or belly overhang), you're still "overweight." You need to do something to have a flat belly.

Fat in the belly is really dangerous compared to fat in your hips or arms or elsewhere in the body. Dr. dawn Harper, a consultant GP and Gloucestershire GP at Heatlhspan, said: "Carrying extra fat on your belly is more damaging in terms of your health than fat carried on your hips or elsewhere on your body because it is known to increase the risk of heart disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and some types of cancer.” (Quote taken from Express.Co.Uk). 

And to find out if you're really at risk, she had this tip to share:

“Measure with a tape measure at a point midway between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips.

“Men with a waist measurement of 94cm (37in) or more and women with a waist measurement of 80cm (31.5in) need to lose weight and NHS Direct recommend that men with a waist measurement of 102cm (40in) and women with a waist of 88cm(34in) should contact their GP for professional advice.”

I'm glad mine is 36 inches. 😂 But I guess I got to workout more before it turns 37. If you're a candidate after taking your belly measurement, then the system to get a flat belly in 21 days is perhaps worth giving a try---with your medical doctor's approval, of course. Anything you do on health and fitness should have your doctor's go signal first. That's what I do. Don't experiment.

I know a flat belly in 21 days sounds too good. But what if it takes 22 days or even 100 days? As long as it works you out and does something to improve your belly condition.

To enjoy more of Choy's Cut articles and make sure you get them regularly, just LIKE US on Facebook (Less Busy Personaligy). Email me at choysblog@gmail.com for other wellness tips.

Why It's Sometimes Useless to Watch What You Eat and Better to Just Eat Anything

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We've been told a  lot of times by health experts---watch what you eat. You are what you eat. OK, I watch what I eat. And then what? Often, that's all that happens---I watch the tons of food I eat. And most times they are unhealthy food, and I can't do anything about it. It's either I eat them or starve.

You know what I mean?

If you're in the lower middle income group in Manila (and most of us are), or if you have no time to cook and just buy cooked food most times, you have this experience everyday. You eat anything affordable and often you eat unhealthy food. Yup, even the vegetables you eat are either totally unhealthy or have zero nutrition (except fibers). So, you can no longer brag about being vegetarian or vegan because the vegetables you eat are unhealthy---except if you planted and cooked them yourself and used everything organic. But then again, how sure are you that the soil in your backyard is not acidic?

Vegetables and Fruits You Buy are No Longer the Answer

I used to watch what I ate and most times I ate only vegetables. I thought I was getting healthier. But I noticed that I easily got sick, and I couldn't figure it out. How could meals of vegetables and fruits still make me easily get sick with cold and cough and the flu? Then I discovered that most vegetables and fruits you buy today have almost zero nutrition. All you get are fibers, but even that gets spoiled by chemicals they put in food.

Yup, the "fresh" vegetables you bought at the supermarket or wet market were bombarded with chemicals before harvest, both fertilizers and pesticides, to keep them looking good. And vegetables and fruits raised up using chemicals get less and less nutritious. That's a fact. Then consider handling and transport when a lot more nutrition evaporate. And then add to that how most farm animals today for butchering are mostly injected with antibiotics and steroids, plus the fact that most foods offered in canteens, carinderias and restaurants are cooked with chemical ingredients as well.

Chemicals in Everything, Everywhere

Watch what you eat? And then what? Can you rid your food of all the chemicals it was exposed to or bombarded with? And anyway, food kept in supermarkets too long lose their nutrition. How do you know if the food you bought hasn't been kept there for weeks or months? Chemical preservatives can make them miraculously look fresh despite their long exposure. But you get mostly only chemicals from them.

So I often just eat what's available. I eat anything, but I make sure I eat balanced. If I eat all meat at lunch, I eat raw camote tops at night. Or I eat lots of fruits (for the fibers) and take my apple cider vinegar (for good bacteria)---and of course my other supplements, like powerful  (but safe and all-natural) Veron supplements my wife has been selling.

The Real Answers

Yup, the answer today is really supplementing, NOT watching what you eat---unless you have the means to harvest really fresh and organic vegetables right from your own backyard garden and slaughter animals from your backyard farm as well---animals fed with natural food without synthetic feeds. And this you eat 24/7. I sell an organic liquid fertilizer, Rapha Humus, for soil and plants so I and my family can enjoy zero-chemical vegetables. I also sell organically fertilized soil compost. If you want to start your own home organic vegetable garden (and you live in Quezon City), you may buy these soil and plant supplements from me. Just use the Contact Form or email me at choysblog@gmail.com.

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You can start your containerized organic vegetable garden even if you have limited space at home. We will help you get ideas on this and we even have seminars in the near future to tackle on the technology of raising vegetables in small containers at home and how to grow your plants in them organically. So email me now if interested to join our organic home gardening cause.

But if you have no time for organic home gardening, then you need to supplement. You need to protect yourself from chemical-bombarded food on a daily basis, plus protection against stress, pollution and viruses. Take natural Vitamin C, the non-acidic type. What I and my wife take is Vital-C capsules. It's non-acidic sodium ascorbate. Also, watch this video for health and fitness.

So the thing is to supplement. Wellness supplements are no longer optional. They are a must if you want to save yourself from deadly illnesses caused by our chemicalized environment and chemicalized food industries.