A Glass of Water, Please?

Definitely, the above-captioned subject with a big question mark does not emanate from some of us who have access to and can afford to pay for an adequate supply of potable drinking water and who have the luxury to splurge in the use of other related daily water requirements. Rather, the said plea comes from those who are facing water scarcity or even the lack of it in their homes, in their communities, or in other parts of the globe.

With the current high water tariffs, the water-borne related deaths and problems worldwide affecting our environment and personal health, we can't just sit down and ignore, but instead do something about it as water is such a very important commodity from the time it was linked to health issues. I said commodity because it's no longer free of charge, it's being traded for mankind's consumption. Gone are the days when our forefathers were privileged to have plenty of free water as long as they want. Once again, gone are the days when our forefathers can save water from the pouring rain, safely drink and use it for their day to day needs. Nowadays, we can't use anymore rain water as it may be acidic and could be harmful to us and the environment. In order to get safe water these days, we have to go out of our way, have our homes installed with legally authorized water meters monitored by public or private water distribution companies, only for us to receive a bill at the end of the day! While water, in itself, would be forever a natural resource, it would no longer be served on our tables for free anymore. We have to pay for it to have better health and for survival. We can't go on living without water, it's a very basic essential human need. We will all expire if we don't drink water, if we don't take a bath, if we don't have water to clean our surroundings and the like. But, not everyone of us could have access to water, which is a basic vital need and helps sustain life, much more if it's clean and inexpensive. It is for this reason that the said plea to spare a glass of water for those in dire need is something worth pushing for.

UN-MDG Goal 7.c. envisions that by 2015 the proportion of the population without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation would be reduced by half. UN fact sheet currently shows that there are 884 million people who lack access to clean water and nearly thrice of which (2.6 billion people comprising 39% of the world's total population), don't have appropriate lavatories and toilets. ADB (Asian Development Bank) data indicates that approximately 580 million people have no access to safe water supply in Asia, while AfDB (African Development Bank) data estimates that 300 million Africans have no access to safe drinking water. Assuming the UN figures are accurate, it can be deduced that almost all of the 884 million people who have no access to safe drinking water are accounted for by Asians and Africans. With the UN MDGs target by 2015, and with positive thinking and strategic action plans in tow, hopefully an additional 442 million people will be given the opportunity to avail of clean water to safely quench their thirst! Not bad, right?

The above statistics are no longer new to us. As mentioned in myusefultips earlier blog articles, the residents in developing and underdeveloped countries are those facing hard times coping up with the current water crisis. You are a little bit fortunate if you happen to live in urban areas of the said countries as improvements in water infrastructures have already been introduced. But what about those in far flung areas where simple water wells are not even erected? Yes, these could probably be the places where the water related deaths came from. As mentioned by the experts in water.org, one of the non profit organizations advocating access to safe water and sanitation, more than 3.5 million people die each year from water-related diseases, of which 84% are children and that 98% happen in developing nations. Yes also, these are the very same people who live below the poverty line (having $1 or $2 daily income benchmark) who are much affected with the said discomforts in life.

The water crisis is felt not only in developing economies but also in advanced nations but only from a different angle. The United States, for instance is one of the best examples where water related infra and technology have been experimented and become successful. New York City is an example which has good quality in drinking water. As a matter of fact, it is one of the large cities in the US which is no longer required to filter its water, based on the US Environmental Protection Agency standards. However, there is a catch to this. The residents pay for the good quality. For 2011, a typical New York single family home will have to pay about $800 per year for water and sewer bills while an average multi-family unit pays for about $500/year/dwelling unit. Said water rates have been increasing time and again in all U.S. states and the reasons are varied: either due to operational expense, construction and maintenance of water utilities. But even with the state of the art technologies, some of its residents especially those in the lower bracket are likewise feeling the hit of the problem, so to speak. There are times that water supply are being cut off due to unpaid bills. Just as I said, water is no longer free for all, especially for the poor!

In the recent drought being experienced in the horn of African country, one of which is Somalia, the United Nations through its Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, appealed from all concerned groups for funding to assist the famine stricken areas with about 12 million affected people. We have seen so many photos and videos of what's happening in said areas. I have seen myself via telecast a woman carrying her child, suffering from severe malnourishment, and feeding him with water placed in a cellophane. That photo shown thru a local tv network was too excruciating to see that I told myself to be more sensitive in the use of water. The picture below which I temporarily used is equally agonizing on their part , even if the mother utilized a glass or mug to feed her malnourished child.

Sometimes, we ask ourselves. How come all these things are happening in poorer areas? Some say, it's due to climate change, some say it's political and armed conflicts, while others say it's purely the economic situation in said regions. But regardless of the reasons behind it, our concern should be more on what help could we offer There are times, we ignore these calls for help as we seem to have been “immuned” to various forms of disasters everywhere. But not this time. So, how can we help them avail this right to drink water? How can we spare a glass of water to these children?

Oh, there are various ways and means to assist those in authority. You know what I mean. It's not easy but surely you can. Please?

Tips And Thoughts To Ponder On Life And Its Challenges

Hey guys, I would like to share with you excerpts of the Valedictory Address authored by someone very close to me. I thought what he prepared was something worth sharing and could serve as inspiration for those facing difficult challenges in their lives, to the young and old , to people from all walks of life. The said address is entitled, “The Value of Everything” primarily to wake up and eventually make up our minds that material things are not essential to achieving lifelong peace and happiness.

The following are excerpts from the said draft speech:

"The Value of Everything"

…………..

“In behalf of the graduating students, I would like to take this opportunity to thank …. for providing us with excellent education and genuine support.

The most memorable experience that I had …….was the opportunity to meet a lot of other students – foreign and local – each of whom had his or her own aspiration in life. Although we belonged to different cultures we shared the same vision and conviction to make this world a better place to live in. During our spare time or on our way home, we would engage in discussing our assignments, our teachers, our lives, the current economic crisis, and our careers after graduation. Some of them were quite pessimistic about the job scenario that was unfolding because of the economic crisis, yet some of us would insist that there's more to life than finding a job after graduation — not that they would not find a job but that they could do better than that.

Today, we graduates should feel proud for we have surpassed a challenging path in our lives, and we should take this occasion to thank those who have supported us in reaching this far: our family, our friends, our teachers, and our God. We also have to thank ourselves for enduring those trying times.

…………..

But this graduation is a mere gateway to further challenges. There's a lot more to do.

I therefore would like to delve briefly on what we value in life and how a clearer understanding of it can shape not just our lives but also the society in which we live. I would beg you to listen to the thoughts that my mind whispers whenever the meaning of life strikes my curiosity. I am not going to say new things. I would just remind each of us of what we learned during our freshman year of what we can do to make our society better.

A thing becomes worthless or valuable depending on its state. A bottle of mineral water is practically worthless until somebody drinks it. A piece of bread given to a needy is mightier than a bar of gold exchanged for illegal drugs. A special minute spent with a loved one is more valuable than an hour spent on a flimsy film. A split second was what Michael Phelps needed to complete a new world record.

For many, success is measured by money. The more money you have, the more successful you are. But money is just a thing, and its value is relative. A beggar who spends his $10 to feed his family is richer than a man who saves money for the sake of saving money. Money is worthless until you spend it the right way. You become rich not because you have a lot of money, you become rich because you use your money the right way.

My fellow graduates. Let's fight to find that high-paying job. Let's fight to become rich and famous. But let's remember that true success is not just about money nor fame. True success lies beneath the value that we make out of the things that we have.

My fellow graduates, let's discover our true values. Let's be worthy. Let's blaze a trail for ourselves, for our family, for the needy, for the hungry, for the society. We will succeed. We have to…for the society needs us.

Congratulations to all of us!”

_____________

Incidentally, the author of this draft Valedictory Address was also named as the Alumnus of the Year and was confered the Special Achievement/Academic Excellence Award in his field!

Almighty God, Thank you so much!

P3s: What Does It Mean To The Poor-A Quick Glimpse- Tips and Thoughts

Now the buzzword in the blogosphere for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), P3s have re-emerged as a result of the global economic crisis and as one of the fiscal reforms adopted by certain Governments throughout the globe, primarily to expand needed infrastructures and generate revenues for priority expenditures, among other objectives.

I came to know P3s when I used to head an office on an ad-hoc basis which serves as a technical staff to the Chairman of a cabinet-level policy making body overseeing privatization related matters. It was during this time when the non-performing assets under the first wave of privatization have been bailed out and almost been disposed of. The Government, in consultation with multilateral agencies, was exploring other possible options on how to attract foreign investors to manage and operate its existing public utilities which were in dire need of fresh funds to expand and enhance its operations. Additionally, these corporations posed as major factors for the persistently large budget deficit purportedly due to mismanagement and bad policies, which turned out to be a major problem not only to the Government but to the entire economy as well.

P3s are simply one of the privatization strategies under the third wave of privatization. In the 90’s, P3s would normally involve large scale transactions and initiatives meant for big-ticket public utilities in the water, power, transport, airports and the like. It could be undertaken via joint venture arrangements, build-operate-transfer schemes and its variants, including financing through the private sector or individuals (e.g. bonds). It differs from privatization, in its strictest sense, as the latter primarily involves a full or partial transfer of ownership, management or operation of state-owned assets or shares of stocks to the private sector with the view that the latter can effectively and efficiently handle and operate said assets and companies. Just like in the fashion industry, privatization has latest trends and innovations and in this case, P3s are considered as the avant-garde and arty ways of allowing the private sector to build, manage and operate the needed infrastructures or to engage in social services (health and educations sectors) in collaboration with Governments for economic development, so to speak. Through the years, P3s have evolved and these days, they are also being employed for other non-public utility, small and medium scale transactions (i.e. providing cheaper medicines, encouraging people to plant more, etc. ) which could likewise assist developing economies in meeting their MDGs.

So, how would P3s be part of the cause of the UN under its MDG? Briefly, MDG Goal No. 8, Target 8f, calls for global partnership for development in cooperation with the private sector, specifically in information and communications. This is especially true and imperative in least developed countries where information technology and telephone systems are lacking but are essential to effectively address key humanitarian challenges such as health, education and other social services. The US Government and other more affluent nations like the European Union, in partnership with the UN and other private foundations have started and continued to encourage initiatives that supported the MDGs by reducing child mortality through immunization, improving maternal health, preventing malaria deaths, launching state-of-the-art information and communications technology, promoting opportunities for adolescent girls in the developing world, and helping the poorer nations to have access to clean energy. However, despite these aids from rich donor countries and private foundations and agencies, the developing countries are still struggling to overcome global challenges and meet the MDG targets. Hence, the need for developing economies and its Governments at all levels to strive to attain the MDG via P3s for the people’s well being.

While socio-economic development is the primary responsibility of the Government, the private sector and likewise the citizenry can also make the first move to complement the efforts of the Government, specifically on areas of healthcare, education, pension funds and other socio-economic services. On the other hand, there were instances wherein even if the Government and the private partners are willing and able to institute and implement changes but if the majority or the affected people cry no, consequently the purpose is defeated. There will always be skeptics and oppositions along the way and as such, it is always best to gain public support and acceptance for such complicated and large scale financing arrangements especially in the provision of social services. Thus, I believe that all stakeholders should be involved in this undertaking coupled with appropriate policies, transparency and disclosures and right directions to make P3s-related activities successful.

Public-private partnerships in industrialized countries like the US have been proven to be advantageous and essential in helping the poorer nations. As a matter of fact, NYC area alone has thousands of large and small non-profit organizations and foundations which help or even initiate various socio-economic projects in least developed economies. The UN Foundation itself have had successful partnerships in the past embarking on P3s, making both the public and the private sectors work together through them. One of its recently launched project is the Girl Up Campaign which basically helps adolescent girls in developing nations in certain areas such as health care and life skills education to keep them from violence. The Girl Up Campaign has adopted a unique way of partnering with the private sector, not under the traditional “corporate partnership” but thru other means. Under its existing set up, American girls are given the opportunity to interact with their counterparts in the other side of the globe who are not as fortunate as they are. This is just one example of a PPP activity undertaken by a large organization, like the UN Foundation. However, it is also equally worth noting that there are small non government organizations here in NYC which have been actively helping families in poorer countries even before the formulation of the MDG. One case in point is the advocacy of Orphans International which, for the past years, has partnered with corporate or individual donors to provide monthly stipends for the financial, health and educational support of certain poor families of the orphaned child in a developing country. Orphans International has been able to send orphaned kids to school, including after school tutoring and has provided decent shelter to them. It also exposed the kids to information technology from around the globe via the internet. This is also one excellent way of achieving certain goals of the MDG.

While providing aid and delivering the needed social services to poor countries are laudable, it may be necessary to monitor the progress of said donations, particularly on how it helps the marginalized groups. Otherwise, the benefits of P3s may not be received and felt by the lowly and the disadvantaged, especially if “chunks” of foreign assistance are being wasted or diverted to few people’s pockets.

In my involvement on privatization for the past decade, the private sector investment have had contributions to economic growth in a developing country, including, among others, deepening the capital market, generating revenues, broadening ownership base, attracting foreign investors, which leads to generation or increase in employment . In the same manner, private sector participation related activities especially in the water and the power sector have provided enhancements, although there were some hitches and perceived anomalous transactions found down the road ( I refrain to elaborate on this, in the next succeeding blogs perhaps). While water and electricity were serviced to the poorest sector of the urban community, the impact on their lifestyle was minimal as the provision of said services was limited. On the part of the Government, there were financial and related risks (e.g. market risks, foreign exchange risks, and other negative shocks) associated to said P3s, leaving the Government shouldering the bills and the public consumers paying more, especially if government guarantees have been provided!

The benefits of P3s could have fruitful impact on and could be meaningful to the lives of the poorer sector of the society if the proivision of social services is done propery, as earlier mentioned. The payback of P3s are evident and clear to the poor if: a) they will have access to communications technology so they can easily be in touch with health services; b) they will have access to energy that will make them productive and that the poor children can study their lessons and do their assignments at night; c) they will have access to farm- to-market roads so farmers can deliver their produce on time and sell the same fresh to consumers, thereby earning more; d) they will have access to clean water and sanitation so as to prevent them from acquiring diseases and so on and so forth.

As previously indicated, while the Government is accountable for delivering public services and infrastructure, the private industry has a crucial role to play in helping the Government steer the economy, much more in alleviating poverty thru designing and building the needed infrastructures and in the provision of social services sans guarantees from the Government.

With this, I say “kudos” to the private sector who has the genuine “heart and soul” to sincerely help the Government of poorer nations, ESPECIALLY to those with no hidden dubious agenda!

Please let me know your thoughts about this article. Thank you!

Easter Sunday – MyUsefulTips Joyful Reflection!

In non-tropical countries, Easter season occurs during springtime and springtime comes immediately after winter. It is during this season of the year, when cold days are fading and sun starts shining brightly, rivers coming back to life, animals are roaming again freely from hibernation, lifeless brown trunks starting to put on leaves and flowers blooming once again. What a sight to behold!

One of the memorable events I recall about Easter time happened during my childhood days. People were looking forward for Easter season to witness the re-enactment of the meeting of Jesus and Mary after His Resurrection. I remember I have to go with my mother during the wee hours (4 a.m.) of the morning to watch a liturgical play wherein one of the highlights is the meeting ("salubong") of Virgin Mary and the Resurrected Jesus. Coming from opposite direction, the statue of Mary which is covered with a black cloth and Jesus, are scheduled to meet at a designated place. Throngs of people would accompany Jesus’ group while others would accompany that of Mary’s. Thereafter an angel (a little girl chosen among the select few to portray the character) suspended up above would be assigned to take off the black veil from Mary and then people would sing and rejoice. Innocent child as I was, this particular event amazed me, brought goose bumps and joy into my heart, primarily due to the festive atmosphere and with the belief that Jesus has indeed truly risen from the dead during that particular hour and time of day!

As I grew up, this event unfolded to include other rituals such as the blessing of the oil and water outside the church and the candle lighting ceremony where candles held by the people in the church are lit by the holy flame or the so-called Paschal candle.

While the said ceremonies are considered sacred, these are merely symbolic as far as I know. The true meaning of Easter is that this is the time where all of us, as one priest said, should start to be the rays of hope to the downtrodden and the hopeless, the lighted candles in the middle of darkness, and the helping hands to show compassion to the poor and the abandoned. That is the essence of Easter , the glory of Jesus Resurrection, and for this we have the valid reason to be glad and rejoice!

As we marked this great feast, let us recall the many wondrous deeds and favors God has granted in our lives. How many miracles did we receive so far from Him, regardless of the magnitude? What favors and prayer requests have been answered by Him? When were the times that He healed us? I have not been so vocal about God’s responses to the said hows, whats and the whens, but I would like to tell you all that He has provided me many wonderful things in all aspects of my life. I am sure God has acknowledged the gratefulness of my heart despite my weaknesses and I am so deeply touched by it. I know in my heart that God will have answers to my other petitions in the long run, in His time.

And so today is the appropriate time for us to start returning the favors to our Creator and Savior. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, let us offer our praise, honor and glory that He so deserves by giving and sharing to those in need the light, hope and love provided us by God and at the same time renewing our own lives to the fullest for Christ’s sake.

Having said this and with the resolve to do even better, for sure God will be very glad!

Allow me to greet you all: A Joyful and Blessed Easter season!

Practical Useful Tips To Stay Young, Live Longer, and Age Happily!

Let’s face it, majority of us women start to be mindful of our physical looks, regardless of our status in life , as we reach the age of 30’s or even earlier. Not only that, the adolescent girls of today in fact are much even image obsessed and stressed to hell, if they don’t approve of what they see of themselves in the mirror. My take on this is that this outlook may be normal and could be attributed to our human nature – that preferably we would want as much as possible to look good , stay young and live forever happily. This is quite true! I myself would want to have this gift from our Creator if only it is possible. However, we are faced with the dreadful truth that we are mortals, that human beings go through a life course process , i.e. from childhood to adulthood. Adulthood is the stage where we tend to be more conscious of ourselves not only mentally and spiritually but also physically, and that we have to go through a maturation period. While we can not control the meter of life course process from running, various studies conducted depict that we can actually turn back the clock of aging if we desire to stay young. How can this be possible? Is this too good to be true? You can’t blame me for being a skeptic at times! But I do fairly believe that a healthy lifestyle and a positive outlook in life are the best natural therapies for staying young and prolonging one’s life. Note that I use the conjunction “and” as opposed to “or” . It is better to have these two than just one of them.

I remember one time one of my sisters told us that when she accompanied our Mom to her doctor for a physical check up, the doctor was amazed and exclaimed to her how my mother’s skin can relatively look so young at her age of 80 years old! I am sure our Mom was flattered at that time – trying to hide her frugal smiles! We should know her, she’s our Mom. That I think can be attributed to her self strategies on how to cope stresses and hardships and her strong spiritual beliefs.

We have also heard in the news about oldest people ever lived on earth. I understand the current oldest person in the world is Kama Chinen of Japan at age 114 years, 301 days and another one an American , Neva Morries of Iowa, at age 114 years, 216 days. And guess what, another woman (Mary Josephine Ray) who just died two days ago was also 114 yrs, 294 days. Incidentally, the oldest person who died just last year was Gertrude Baines at the age of 115. My biggest and loudest clap to these people! Notice that they are 114 yrs. old and some days older! Is this a coincidence? Is it all right to conclude that people born somewhere in 1895 to 1896 were more or less endowed with the gift of longevity and the privilege to witness the major world events that happened more than a century ago? Quite strange, isn’t it? But I would say, let’s leave it at that since it would require an in-depth analysis to come up with a literature on why these people born in those years lived longer!

Let me give you first the definition of aging (or ageing under the British dictionary), as defined in the web: – “growing old or giving the appearance of advancing age”-“process of growing old or maturing”-“process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environmentally modulated”.These are pretty straightforward definitions, with no qualifications.

I am not a medical practitioner, neither a plastic surgeon nor a dermalatologist, to claim that “this and that” would provide answers to retard aging. What I would like to put emphasis here are the helpful and sensible tips on how to stay young and live happily, based on personal experience and research from various studies conducted, particularly on food and lifestyle that would boost our morale to stay fit, feel and look young, live longer and be happy.

There are various ways and means on how to do it as espoused by other researchers . Several factors could be considered: physical, emotional, spiritual, medical and so on and so forth. As I am not an expert on anti aging vitamins (pills, etc.) , products (creams, etc.) and services (injections, surgical procedures, etc.) proliferating in the market today, I would limit my discussion on the following three aspects:

Physical

1. Water – This is my first in the list. As mentioned in my other blog, we have to drink at least 8 glasses of water everyday and we already know the significance of this. Once again, soda and alcohol are not considered as water under this category. Green tea or black tea is one very good option because it contains antioxidants which were proven to have healthy benefits for our body .

2. Cereals – Oatmeals, rice (brown variety as much as possible), and barley – Based on research, these are foods high in fiber which lowers bad cholesterol and consequently other related diseases.

3. Vegetables – Leafy green and cruciferous veggies are likewise very essential to our body. Examples of leafy greens are spinach, kale and collard greens. Perhaps the green leafy vegetables that grow in tropical places may serve as an alternative. Cruciferous veggies include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and radish. I remember one funny poem by R. Pottle about veggies, here’s the excerpt: “I haven’t lost faith in my veggies, they do make you healthy and bright , their powers are truly amazing , but they cant make your brother polite”! Want to know why, just read the poem “My Brother Will Not Eat His Veggies”.

4. Fish – While there are not much enough choices of fresh fish in the supermarkets, we need to find them as it is recommended by reputable institutions such as the American Heart Association. It is said that adults eat two servings of fish a week for the omega-3 fatty acids that is good for the heart and brain. Examples are salmon and sardines.

5. Fruits – Scientists proved that certain fruits contain a healthy amount of antioxidants, carotenoids, beta carotene, monounsaturated fatty acids, phytochemicals and lycopene, which protects our body from diseases. Examples o f these are apples, avocados, berries (esp. black and blue) , black grapes, carrots, tomatoes, oranges, olives, watermelon and the like. Note that avocadoes are a good source of Vitamin E and can help to maintain healthy skin.

6. Low fat Dairy Products or Fortified Soy Milk – These are good source of calcium and Vitamin D.

7. Spices such as Ginger, Garlic – These spices are useful for the body.

8. Nuts – Examples are walnuts and brazil nuts. It has been found out that most of these are good sources of minerals.

Apart from these foods, there are other things to do in order to maintain a healthy body and a younger looking skin. These are:

1. Adequate sleep – at least 8 hours a day

2. Embrace Exercise – at least 45 minutes

3. Quit Smoking

4. Quit Drinking Alcohol

5. Avoid Too Much Exposure to Sunlight – these last three can damage your health, especially the skin.

Emotional

Typically, we encounter stresses in our lives, be it short (e.g. not so good events that we face everyday) or long term (family problems, sick, death, etc.). These stresses can have adverse effects on our bodily health, our lifestyle and are considered as one of the major factors why people age quickly. In order to slow down aging due to stress, we need to know how to manage it. There are professionals and therapists who can help, especially for serious stress related cases. However, there are practical ways to handle stress in healthy ways.

1. Relax for a while (e.g. listening to music)

2. Take three deep breaths

3. Talk to, help or make friends

4. Get a hobby

5. Go out and have a short walk

Spiritual

This is the most soothing and cheapest therapy to forget worries and problems. Talking to your God through prayers or meditation and lifting up all your burdens and sorrows in life can have calming effect in your body. It takes a ton of faith –simply learn to reach out and believe in yourself that you can overcome whatever miseries may have come your way with the aid of a Divine intervention. Didn’t He say to us, “Come to me and I will give you rest”? Surrender everything to Him and for sure everything will turn out right! Haven’t you notice that after praying or meditating, you have this unexplainable peace within you? That is precisely the benefits that you get from praying – you get refreshed, energized and well.

With all these things in mind, I hope I was able to help in the humblest way I can. Remember, “life is not at all that bad my friend”! ENJOY, STAY YOUNG AND LIVE LONGER!

Effective, Tested, Real and Useful Diet Tips

What? You’re on a diet! As unthinkable as it sounds, it is to some people who are not food conscious and who do not wish to think about the word "diet" at all!

So, what is a diet? In relation to food, the web defines it as follows:

1. What person eats, the food that a person usually consumes;

2. Controlled intake of food and drink designed for weight loss, for health or religious reasons , or to control or improve a medical condition; and

3. Regular intake of something .

Among the three descriptions cited above, let’s focus on #2. The said meaning suggests that there are various schools of thoughts why people opt to go "on diet", it’s either for healthy, athletic and aesthetic purposes. Either way, would- be "dieters" need to pay closer attention to their eating and exercise habits. Some people play sports and want to be in excellent physical condition while others would think that they will look and feel better if they lost a few pounds. However, there are some of us who feel pressured to lose weight and try different types of diets . It’s unfortunate though that improving your eating habits (i.e. dieting) is not just the sole reason for losing weight. If you’re dieting and weight loss is your target , it will take you much easier if you diet plus exercise. Now, it makes more than an extreme challenge especially for people who have drastically chosen to change their lifestyle for the better. According to experts, going on a diet and losing weight is a lifetime commitment. You have to go into it 150%! I know it is hard to resist the sumptuous meal with all kinds of desserts served on the table, particularly during parties and holiday seasons . Here in the U.S., it may be hard for most of the people, to be slim as food is cheap relative to the earning capacity of the people. This is why obesity epidemic continues to rise in the U.S. compared to other countries.

Still, it is not too late or impossible to "hit the mark". You just have to have the determination, patience and perseverance to gradually undertake the steps and ultimately reach your goal. It’s a long term process – it’s not just for a week, a month or so , otherwise, you will just be gaining back the pounds you’ve lost for a while, thus defeating the whole exercise! Ouch! I am beginning myself to feel guilty!

The Diet Tips

Enjoy three meals and grab one snack each day and eat on schedule – It appears we are still on track, right? But wait, there is a collatilla to this – as much as possible you have to get away from salty and sugary foods. Salty eats promote bloating. Cutting, reducing or not adding sugar to your food intake will save you from considerable calories. As mentioned in my previous blog article about morning routine tips, having breakfast in the morning is a good habit. Based on research, people who eat breakfast do better in school or in the workplace, tend to eat less and are less likely to be overweight.

Drink lots of water (at least 4 to 6 8-ounce glasses) throughout the day, including water alternatives. Other liquid options are tea or coffee (with 1% or skim milk only), sparkling water, and water with lemon/lime/orange wedges. For alcohol and soda drinkers, you will have to fast from these drinks. Alcohol and soda are a no-no in a healthy balanced diet. Based on research, alcohol adds a lot of empty calories to your diet while a can of soda has 150 calories of sugar and no other nutrients at all.

Start lunch (that is if you had a light breakfast) /dinner with a healthy appetizer such as fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are perfect diet foods –loaded with fiber to help you feel full and packed with vitamins and nutrients to help prevent disease. Example would be a tossed salad with a veggie soup or any plain vegetable (e.g. cucumber, beans, etc.). Unfortunately, potato chips don’t count as veggies!

Engage in 30 t0 60 minutes of exercise everyday – Exercise is a must! Look for a sport you like, walk to school/office or subway and bus stops, or ride a bike or go for a swim a few times per week. For parents, it is important that your children learn the importance of being and staying healthy. The more physical activity can be for children, the better. Not all children who get home have the option to got outside and play. If they have Physical Education, at least they are guaranteed with a minimum amount of exercise.

Consult the experts – As I said, it would still be advisable to coordinate with your doctor, nutritionist, registered dietician, or a personal trainer to help you figure out what’s best for you. If you have a bit of reservations about consulting the experts due to budgetary constraints, you might wish to check with students who are studying nutrition-related courses at your local college/universities and for sure they will be available to assist you on this.

With all these in mind, I trust you will now have the option of whether or not to keep your weight under control and enjoy life at the same time. Remember the key words in any diet, "Eat in Moderation" and "Embrace Exercise". Adopting a healthy balanced diet coupled with an exercise and a positive attitude will leave you feeling refreshed, energized and slim! Come on, YOU CAN DO IT!

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