JOGGING DO'S AND DONT'S

Your body needs exercise. And you can exercise through jogging. Many people want to jog but many also quit after a few tries. How do you decide on making jogging a part of your lifestyle? How do you keep track on your desire to do this?

First, take an honest inventory of your fitness level. Based on your fitness level, make realistic goals. Remember, you can't go from sitting on the couch to jogging five miles in just one try. It will take time and a lot of resolve to keep on jogging happily.

In the beginning, set up a distance as your starting point. Should you get tired, you can always walk to catch your breath. Then, jog again when you get your breath back. In time, you will be jogging the entire distance! After you've reached this, increase the distance in small increments each week. Remember, the key is not in finishing the distance in less time but in getting more distance covered.

Also, it is of utmost importance to stretch before and after jogging. If you don't do this, your muscles will feel tight and painful, thus making you stop jogging for a couple of days. Proper stretching will also prevent injuries to your legs and feet while jogging. If and when you do get sore, alternate with walking for a few days until you feel better. This way, you still get to exercise regularly.

Another tip is to jog at your own pace and not at someone else's. Remember, your goals are based on your fitness level. So don't get intimidated when other people jog longer or faster than you do. Compete only with yourself. And never forget to do the following: compliment your efforts, focus on what you have accomplished, and celebrate reaching the milestones and goals that you have set.

A routine route can also be boring. Choose various routes for you to enjoy the view. This will certianly motivate you to continue jogging. But do get a pedometer so you can keep track of the distance that you've covered.

Lastly, dress in layers so you won't get too hot or cold. You can always tie a light jacket around your waist.

Happy jogging, everyone!

Get Rid of Toxins the Natural Way

Today was dubbed as one of the the hottest days of the year. Just playing with our new puppy made me sweat a lot. I just wanted to stay under the shower or inside Nanay's room where the aircondition is. But then, I thought that sweating has its benefits also.

Our bodies contain toxins. These toxins come from the food we eat, stress, and environmental pollution. And when toxins start accumulating in our bodies, our detoxifying organs start working harder. These organs are the kidneys, lungs, intestines, liver, lymphatic and immune systems. Did you know that our skin is also one of these detoxifying organs?

The skin, known as the largest organ in the body, can help in the detoxification process by sweating (or perspiring)! Sweating is not merely for regulating our body temperature.

Because whenever we sweat, toxins also come out of our bodies. Most of us know that sweat contains water. But aside from water, it also contains minerals like urea, sodium, lactate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and others. When the concentrations of these minerals become higher than normal, our body must secrete them. For instance, urea is a waste product that our body secretes through the urine. Naturally, our kidneys will work harder to get rid of the excess urea in our body. But, as we age, making the kidneys work doubly hard can result in kidney diseases. Thus, instead of just waiting for our kidneys to do the job, we can help by secreting urea through our skin.

Getting rid of toxins through sweat has been used since the Stone Age. And most cultures around the world have their own versions of the sweat bath: Thermae or Balnea in Rome, Onsen in Japan, Banya in Russia, Hamam in Turkey, Sauna in Finland, and many others. This means that people have acknowledged the benefits of sweat baths starting from the Stone Age!

Today, saunas are gaining popularity mainly because more and more people are realizing its health benefits. But not everyone has the time or the money to visit the spa for a sauna. So instead of leaving your house or spending your cash for a sauna, you can still gain the benefits of one right at your own home without spending extra cash! How? Simply by sweating!

Remember, we don't have to go to saunas or spas to detoxify. Start sweating by exercising, dancing, gardening, or doing some household chores. So what are you waiting for? Sweat out those toxins!

Kudos to the Destroyer!

Manny Pacquiao made the entire country proud once more when he defeated Ricky Hatton within 5 minutes and 59 seconds. Kudos to the Destroyer!
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It was a very short fight, I must say. But not knowing much about boxing, all I know is that as a Filipino, I am proud of what he has achieved. I am neither a fan of Manny Pacquiao nor of boxing. But one thing stands out in my memory when talking about the fights of Manny. Years ago, I couldn't remember whom he defeated that day, I used to live in a condo unit in Makati. One afternoon, I set out to clean my room and the living room. While scrubbing the floor of the living room, I heard lots of people collectively shout. Imagine my shock when these shouts pierced the silence of the afternoon. Mind you, I was 12 storeys from the ground. And the shouts were really ear-piercing! Then I thought, what must be happening? And it dawned on me... Manny Pacquiao won again. After that incident, I set out to watching his fights. Eventhough I didn't know any of the technicalities and terminologies in boxing.

Last Sunday was no exception. As Daddylove and I were on our way home from Laguna, we marveled at how easy it was to drive home on a day that Manny Pacquiao had a fight. There were very few cars in sight. And we were home in an hour. A trip that usually takes us at least 2 hours.

Even if ABS-CBN already flashed that Pacquiao won, we were still waiting for the channel 7 coverage to begin with Manny's fight. And it was really mind-blowing! 5 minutes and 59 seconds was all it took! Goodness, it seemed too easy!

After realizing what had happened, it dawned on me how easy it was for Manny to win the crown. At first I thought, "saglit lang daming milyon na naman ang pera nya." But much thought made me realize that it wasn't just minutes. It was months of training. And for Manny to get to where he is know, he put in most of his life into training to be the best boxer that he can be. Looking at his life, he is showing us some keys to success: faith (I always see him praying in a corner of the ring before a fight and his mother prays for him a lot), hardwork and perseverance. It wasn't easy to get to where he is now. It is not easy to achieve success. But if you put your heart into winning, God will do the rest.

BAKING SODA TIPS part 3

More baking soda tips!!!

Hubby doesn't go to the gym anymore but I know that gym bags can have stale odors. Especially if you don't put your sweat-drenched shirt inside a plastic bag before dumping it into inside your bag. What you can do to deodorize is put a box of baking soda inside (like the one that you did in the refrigerator). Or you can use the sock filled with baking soda (like your sneakers).

As a deodorizer, you can also use baking soda in your garbage cans and wastebaskets. Just sprinkle some of it on your garbage in order to absorb the smell. If your sink drain has a foul smell, sprinkle baking soda and wash with warm water.

Clean your microwave with baking soda solution. Then leave a box as odor absorber. Use the solution for your pots, pans, silverware, and stove top. If there's too much grease, you can add in vinegar to make it more effective.

This one I haven't tried also but I have read it in an article. You can use baking soda as a laundry detergent booster. Simply add 1/2 cup of baking soda in your laundry.

Now friends, I am hoping that you can make more use of baking soda instead of soap, detergent, and bleaches. This way, you are helping the environment, saving on expenses, and no worries about chemical residue!

What can you do during Earth Hour?

I am inviting all of you to take part in the Earth Hour tomorrow. Please turn off your lights from 8:30-9:30 in the evening and help us save the environment.

When I shared with my husband that we will be taking part in the Earth Hour tomorrow, his first question was, "What are we going to do if we turn off the lights, the computer, and the television?" Well, there can be a lot of things to do. Here are some of my suggestions:

1. Reflect on life. You canm do this alone but I would prefer that you do this with your family as well. Reflect about your life in the previous year. What was the most significant learning that you had? And what are your dreams for this year and the years to come. And lift these all up to God who has the best plans for us. :)

2. Play and have fun. Bond with your loved-ones by playing games and having fun. When was the last time that you spent quality time with them? You can play board games. What is your favorite? I remember when I was still young we loved playing Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders, Games of the Generals and Scrabble. Or you can play cards, funny bones, hide-and-seek, charades, etc. I bet it will be a lot of fun!!

3. Sleep early. When was the last time you had enough sleep? Remember that every person must have at least 8 hours of sleep. So why not take this chance to catch up on your much-needed rest?

4. Reminisce. Browse through your photo albums and scrapbooks. Have fun laughing at old pictures with the weird hair do's and outfits. :)

5. Make love (for husbands and wives). No need to elaborate on this one. :)

6. Treat your spouse with a massage -- feet, hand, or the entire body. Express your love to your spouse with a well-deserved massage.

7. Have a candlelit dinner date. Trade your usual well-lit dinners with a romantic candlelit one.

Have more ideas on how to spend tomorrow night with your loved-ones? Share them here at the comments section. :)

GOING GREEN: MORE USES OF BAKING SODA

Baking soda was the "star" in my first tip. And like I mentioned, I shall be trying out more of its uses based on what I've read about it. I even browsed some of my fave websites like rachael ray's and found out that they also use baking soda in cleaning and deodorizing! So far, I have used baking soda in the following:
1. Refrigerator: Use baking soda paste if it needs some scrubbing to remove stains. Or if only wiping will do, use a cloth dampened with the baking soda solution.
Leave a box of baking soda to absorb any odor inside the refrigerator. (To make sure that your ref won't smell, always cover left-over foods that you store in it.) Replace this every 30 days. (For me to remember, I wrote the date on the box.)

2. Tiles and sink: Use baking soda paste with a toothbrush. No need to worry because the fine granules won't scratch your tiles and sink.

3. Closets: Just like the refrigerator, closets can collect stale odor. Leave a box of baking soda to absorb odor.

4. Furniture and walls: Use a cloth dampened with baking soda solution. This will definitely remove marks (even crayons!).

5. Sneakers/shoes: deodorize sneakers and shoes by putting baking soda inside when not in use. Just shake the baking soda out before putting your shoes on! Or if you don't want to sprinkle the baking soda, you can put a cup inside old socks. Seal the end with a rubber band or ribbon. Then put this inside your shoes.

More tips coming up in my next blog.

GOING GREEN: HOUSEKEEPING TIP #1

I have decided to look for housekeeping products that are non-toxic. It helps the environment. And I won't be worrying about the grave effects of accidental ingestion of the toxic products that we are currently using in cleaning the floors, sinks, etc. I have scanned some supermarkets about environment-friendly cleaning products. I found some but the products were too expensive. Good thing that I was able to scan the book which I mentioned in my previous blog. Thus, I was introduced to the wonders of BAKING SODA! Before, I only thought of baking soda as an ingredient for cookies (that Nanay bakes) and toothpaste. I never thought that it is one of the best cleaners and deodorizers. It is environment-friendly, non-toxic, cheap and can be found in most supermarkets.

Thus, a few days ago, I set out to find out if baking soda is really an effective cleaner and deodorizer. I decided to defrost our refrigerator and use baking soda in cleaning it. Sorry I have no before and after pictures to compare. Nahiya naman ako kasi medyo madumi talaga yung refrigerator, hehehe.

But you have to take my word for it. Baking soda was very effective! It was easy to remove the stains! I made use of a solution composed of 3 parts water and 1 part baking soda. I soaked a clean cloth in the solution and started wiping away. For hard-to-reach spaces, I used a toothbrush. Everything was a breeze! And I finished with a really big smile on my face because I found an all-around cleaner. As deodorizer, I put a box of baking soda in the refrigerator. This must be replaced every three months.

I even asked Jean to try it on our sink tiles. And she said that it was indeed effective. At least I won't be worrying that our food and utensils might get contaminated with detergent just in case the sink was not rinsed well. The same solution was used. Except that it was left a few minutes longer in between tiles to clean the grout thoroughly. Or you can use it without water to make it more abrasive. And yet, this won't scratch your tiles and appliances.

These are just two ways that I actually made use of baking soda. But it still has more uses which I will discuss in my next blog. See you next time!

GOING GREEN...

...not with envy or jealousy though. I have decided to go green in order to do my part in saving the environment. Some blogs back, I posted about the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" and how it impacted my life. After that, I always made sure that we unplug appliances that are not in use. We have changed all our incandescent bulbs into CFLs. Well, these are baby steps into going green but I know they could help.

Good enough that while browsing at Powerbooks in Makati (one of the things I miss about living in Makati), I chanced upon a very interesting book by David Bach. "GO GREEN, LIVE RICH"

At first I thought does this have to do with selling products for recycling? It piqued my curiosity because I do want to go green and to get rich (well, who doesn't?). So there I sat for hours on end pouring over the book. As I turned each page onto the next, I thought to myself, it may be difficult but definitely doable. And the sacrifices will be well-worth it knowing that I am lending a hand in making the Earth clean and more liveable...for my children and apos.

How do we get rich by going green? Through the savings that will result from each action that we make. I listed some pointers and websites. I will be visiting each of the websites and trying out some of the pointers. And I will definitely blog about them. Better yet, grab a copy of the book, too! And I hope that in one way or the other, I can influence you also in going green... Let's go green to save Mother Earth for a better and cleaner future for all of us!

THANKS TO DADDYLOVE!!!

Received a text message a few hours after I wrote my thank-you blog. It read: "Di ako kasama sa thank mo sa blog mo?" And it came from my Daddylove. How can I forget him? I wanted an entire blog dedicated to him that's why he wasn't included in the previous one. Before I go on, I would like to quote some song lyrics.

Thank you for teaching me how to love
Showing me what the world means
What i've been dreamin' of
And now I know, there is nothing that I could not do
Thanks to you

For teaching me how to feel
Showing me my emotions
Letting me know what's real
From what is not
What i've got is more that i'd ever hoped for
And a lot of what I hope for is
Thanks to you

For teaching me how to live
Putting things in perspective
Teaching me how to give
And how to take

Thanks Daddylove for:

Putting a smile in my heart -- no matter how difficult my day was or how sungit I could sometimes get, thank you for knowing how to make me smile, for always being your funny and happy self, for not losing your optimism and humor. And for teaching me how to be positive about life as well.

Having a giving spirit -- not just to me but to your friends and family as well. For always sharing your time and effort in helping others.

Being my inspiration -- to learn and try out new things and for being supportive with positive criticism as well. For always happily trying out the food that I prepared for you -- masarap man o hindi, hehehe.

Loving me just as I am -- and for patiently understanding my topaks.

Changing for the better -- I know you've changed some of your bad habits in order to love me more.

Love you very much, Daddylove! And thanks for your gift of LOVE!

Am rather late...

Nope, am not talking about being pregnant. Although someday, I do hope to write about the joys of pregnancy here. What I am talking about is my new year greetings. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! I know it's rather late. I have been way too busy spending my holidays with my family. We had a three-week vacation in very beautiful parts of the Philippines (that I can't wait to get to visit again soon. There's just a lot of places more that we missed to see). I would be sharing about that in my other blog.

As I bid goodbye to 2008, many people come to mind... People who have made the past year more memorable. That's why I would like to thank them. Thank you to:

My families -- Salas and Saludares -- for the support, love and care. Last year was a challenging year for us. And as Daddylove and I reaped each victory and pondered on each loss, we thank you for being there for us always. Thanks for always lending us an ear, a hand, a hug, a word of comfort or advice, even money (hehehe!). Thank you so much Wowodad, Mimi, Kuya, Mama Jovel and Coy, Tay, Nan, Noy and Sam, Bok, Myh and Chloe, Cheeks, Nanay, Ate, and Kuya Ian.

Our beloved ninongs and ninangs for your prayers, kind words, support and love. Thank you very much Ninong Romy and Ninang Emily, Ninong P and Ninang B, Ninang Ms. World, Ninang Rampa Queen, Ninong Tito and Ninang Lanie.

Our friends who are also family to us -- Jologs, LOJ Couples Mandaluyong Chapter, Marikina, EMCI. Thanks for the memories, for sharing your lives with us, and for teaching us with your experiences.

My new friends -- my SPI co-trainees -- Ping, Riza, Let and Angela. I know we only spent a couple of weeks together. But those gruelling weeks were easier because of your humor and support. May our freelancing stints be successful!!!

My mentors -- Connie Veneracion and Bo Sanchez. Although I don't have a personal relationship with you, your blogs have always inspired me to learn more, to love more, to laugh more and to live more.

And most of all, a huge THANK YOU to my Creator for the gift of life, love and friendships.

Love u all!