Giant Punching Bags in China’s Subway Train Station
In your not-so-common news, Adidas has made a unique marketing campaign for China’s 23 million commuters in the City of Shanghai. Adidas put up giant punching bags wrapped in the posts featuring Chinese text when translated says “Every year you have to wait on the platform for about 1,824 minutes. Don’t waste your time, come and have some punch!”
Now if only they would install some of that in our LRT and MRT stations…
Red Cross 72-hour Survival Kit
Below is a list of important items to have ready in the event of a disaster. Store these in a location that’s easily accessible but safely out of reach for young children. Remember to get the entire family involved in preparation because disaster preparedness is everybody’s business.
This kit is enough to cover a family of 5.
Original content and post courtesy of Philippine Red Cross. Thank you very much to whoever made the time and effort to provide the information.
WATER
✓ 3 bottles of DRINKING WATER (5 gallons/bottle)
FOOD ITEMS
✓ 10 kilos RICE
✓ 10 cans CANNED GOODS (2 cans meatloaf, 2 cans corned beef, 6 cans sardines)
✓ 7 pouches INSTANT NOODLESs
✓ 1 kilo SUGAR
✓ 1/2 kilo SALT
✓ 1 liter VEGETABLE OIL
✓ 1 pack ASSORTED BISCUITS
✓ 1 pack CANDIES or CHOCOLATES
NON-FOOD ITEMS
✓ 2 pieces FLASHLIGHTS with extra batteries
✓ 1 piece AM/FM RADIO TRANSISTOR with extra batteries
✓ 5 pieces WHISTLE (or 1 whistle/person)
✓ 1 piece POCKET KNIFE/MULTI-PURPOSE TOOL with can opener
✓ 1 piece LIGHTER or 1 BOX OF MATCHES
✓ 1 roll PLASTIC OR GARBAGE BAG WITH TIE (medium)
✓ 1 set EXTRA CLOTHING FOR EACH MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
✓ 5 pieces RAIN GEAR
✓ 1 piece WATERPROOF ENVELOPE (containing copies of personal documents, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, etc.)
✓ 1 piece DUCT TAPE
✓ 1 pair SCISSORS
✓ 1 set of GAMES AND ACTIVITIES for children
✓ 5 pieces FAMILY EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION CARD
HYGIENE KIT ITEMS
✓ 2 bars SOAP
✓ 5 pieces TOOTHBRUSHES
✓ 1 tube TOOTHPASTE (225 grams)
✓ 2 pieces SANITARY NAPKIN
✓ 5 pieces PERSONAL TOWEL (14″ x 27″)
✓ 5 sets CLEAN CLOTHES (long-sleeved shirt/long pants/underwear)
✓ 2 rolls TOILET PAPER
✓ 1 pack COTTON BUDS (100 pieces)
✓ 1 bar DETERGENT SOAP
FIRST AID KIT
✓ 20 pieces STERILE GAUZE PADS (4×4)
✓ 4 pieces SANITARY NAPKIN
✓ 6 pieces ROLLER GAUZE BANDAGE (4″)
✓ 6 pieces ROLLER ELASTIC BANDAGE (4″)
✓ 4 pieces TRIANGULAR BANDAGE
✓ 3 pieces PLASTER/ADHESIVE TAPE (1″ width)
✓ 30 pieces BAND-AID ADHESIVE STRIPS (assorted sizes)
✓ 1 piece BANDAGE SCISSOR
✓ 1 piece TWEEZER (plastic)
✓ 3 pairs STERILE GLOVES (medium)
✓ 2 pieces PERSONAL FACE MASKS
✓ 5 pieces TONGUE DEPRESSORS
✓ 10 pieces COTTON APPLICATORS
✓ 1 bottle POVIDONE IODINE (100ml)
✓ 1 bottle HAND SANITIZER (100ml)
✓ 1 bottle CALAMINE LOTION (50ml)
✓ 1 tube BURN OINTMENT (25g)
✓ 1 piece PENLIGHT
✓ 1 piece THERMOMETER
✓ 1 piece CPR ONE-WAY VALVE FACE SHIELD
✓ 1 piece INSTANT COLD COMPRESS
✓ 2 bottles DISTILLED WATER (500ml)
✓ 1 piece EMERGENCY CALL CARD
✓ 1 booklet FIRST AID/EMERGENCY GUIDE
✓ 2 pieces EMERGENCY THERMAL BLANKET
✓ 1 piece CLEAR PLASTIC CONTAINER BOX (Water Proof)
COMMON MEDICATION
✓ 15 tablets PARACETAMOL (500mg)
✓ 15 tablets IBUPROFEN (200mg)
✓ 15 tablets LOPERAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE (2mg)
✓ 15 tablets ANTIHISTAMINE (10mg)
✓ 10 pieces ORESOL PACK
Adidas King of the Road 2010 Run
I was able to participate in Adidas’ King of the Road 2010 Run. I really really wanted to run the 10k but sadly, I was not able to be fit enough to do a 10K with decent time. So I still stayed in the 5K category and will probably remain so until I get rid of this 20-25 lbs of extra weight. (Note to future self: Start focusing on losing weight man! Congrats if you did.)
Anyhow, the run itself was great. Lots of people, great morning rush. The event started late though, initial gun start planned at 5:45 was delayed to 6:15. They had us standing and waiting for a good 30 mins. The finish line was pretty congested as well as with handling out of water bottles. Freebies, raffles, and prizes were not exciting too as they just gave out 2 pcs of bread and hotdog. All the sponsors had long queues for lame freebies like sachets of lotion, a cup of coffee, etc.
Overall, the best thing I got was the singlet (which you actually paid for anyway in the registration fee).
Until next time and other entries. Thanks for reading.
Nature Valley 2010 Run
This upload is a bit late but heck, I just want it Internet documented for myself that I was able to accomplish another run last May 29, 2010 with Nature Valley’s Run. This is part 2 of the Run Rio Trilogy and I am looking forward to completing all 3 races this year.
The event was again well organized. The 5K route was also interesting as it took me to parts of Fort Bonifacio I haven’t previously ran in before. There were again lots of runners with over 6,000+ I believe. I do think however, there should be more stricter rules next time. I saw a woman running with her baby in a trolley. While she probably wants to stand out, it can cause accidents to the baby or other runners.
To race organizers if any does get to read this: The water stations at the end are also put so far back and away from the finish line. While Coach Rio had said that it is to prevent congesting at the finish line, there can be some improvements. The water stations can be put farther back so it doesn’t pile up people at the finish line but they should have separated it from the goodie bag claim. Walking a few more steps to get my water is fine. Waiting in line for 15-20 minutes after running to get water is not so pleasant.
Overall, good event. Now just to choose which should be my next run. I hope to build up enough stamina for a 10K run by end of year or early next year. Need to lose some more weight!!
Does Eating Fats Make Me Fat?
The long and short of it is NO. Eating fats does not make you fat. That doesn’t mean though that you have a free pass to all the fatty things you like. Read on to know more about the practical do’s and don’ts on eating fat.
What makes you gain or lose weight is calories. Its simple math that if you eat more calories than you burn them, you gain weight. If you burn more calories than you eat, you lose weight. However, Fats have a high energy density. This means that on a gram per gram basis, Fats will have more calories than carbs or protein. For example, a teaspoon of butter is the equivalent of 2 cups of broccoli. So if you eat foods that has more fat content, it is very likely it will contain more calories than eating other less fatty foods of the same portion.
There are basically three kinds of fats in general:
There is the Unsaturated Fats (good fats) which are mostly plant and vegetable based fats that does not clog up your arteries and pass through the bloodstream easily. Unsaturated Fats sources are like canola oil and corn oil.
Then there is the Saturated Fats (bad fats) which are mostly animal meat and animal products. These could be from steaks, dairy products like cheese and butter. Alot of baked goods also contain this as they use butter and milk usually at to some point in time. These are not good because they are usually high in cholesterol and can contribute to clogging the arteries and increasing your chances at heart diseases.
Lastly, there is the Trans Fats (bad fats) or Hydrogenated Fats which are man-made. These are created to help extend the shelf-life of processed foods like fries, donuts, cakes, and cookies. Trans Fats are the worst kind because not only do they raise higher cholesterol, they also deplete any good cholesterol (HDL) you may have. So while your body does not need any of these, many manufacturers use this so their products can last on the shelves longer. A key ingredient to watch out or is “hydrogenated oil”. Stay away!
Recent awareness campaigns have already started to take effect and people are now more conscious and food labels are now promoting 0% trans fat in their labels. So next time you choose your products, it pays to read the nutritional label.
Century Superbods 2010 Run -5K Challenge
Haha! I was just able to successfully meet my personal goal of running the 5K at the Century Tuna Superbods Run 2010. I was so out of shape last year that I could only perform the 3K but I was able to work my way up now to 5K. While I am not satisfied with my finishing time of 40 mins (average between 30-45 mins for beginners). I plan to make up better time in future 5K runs. This was my first 5K and my second running event experience. My next goals would be to hit the 5K with a better time and then move on to the 10K.
Last Sunday’s run was indeed a successful event by Century Tuna. It was held in cooperation with alot of sponsors and more notably, it is the 1st leg of the RunRio trilogy. 11,000 people participated in the run making this the largest run of 2010 so far. The youngest runner I heard was 2 years old (poor child) and the oldest was 75 years old. It was great but there had been some room for improvements as the gun started 10 mins early causing mixup of people. The roads were also not closed off well enough that we caused some traffic.
It was also nice to see friends during the event and many thanks to my brother for being supportive. I guess this is my first blog entry that tells you that I am sort of into running. I will be posting useful running articles here in the future as I learn more about the sport. Please check back weekly for updates!
Healthy Benefits of an Apple
Everyone has heard of the doctor’s saying “An apple a day keeps the doctors away”. So if you are wondering truly how good is an apple for you, read on.
The apple is a wonderful fruit. It is a very inexpensive way to get good vitamins to your body. While you certainly need more than an apple to maintain good health, it is definitely a must-have in your diet. Here are some reasons why:
1. Apples are rich in fiber. Apples have both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber helps prevent the buildup of cholesterol thus preventing heart disease. The insoluble fiber helps the digestive system in holding water and cleansing your body. At the same time, fiber makes you feel more full and thus makes your food cravings less– Excellent if you are looking to lose a few pounds.
2. Low in Calories. High in Nutrition. For the amount of calories per apple (approx 80 calories). You get a good return on the nutrients. You have to eat the apple with the skin though as half of the Vitamin C is just below the skin. Here’s an approximated nutritional fact of a medium sized apple.
Calcium 10 mg
Calories 81
Carbohydrate 21 grams
Dietary fiber 4 grams
Folate 4 µg
Insoluble fiber
Iron .25mg
Phosphorus 10 mg
Potassium 159 mg
Sodium 0.00 mg
Soluble Fiber
Vitamin A 73 IU
Vitamin C 8 mg
Apples for Weight Loss
So if you are looking to lose weight, try adding 3 apples to your daily diet for 2-3 months. You should see the difference. While it may not seem like much, the 3 daily apples will up your fiber intake and thus making you eat less since you will feel more full often. It is essentially replacing what you may have eaten otherwise that may have higher calorie content in place of that food that will make you feel full.
It will also help cleanse your body and give you more vitamins and nutrients than that ‘other food’. This will let your body clean out its system and turn you into a healthier you. So next time you’re at the grocer, drop by the fruit section and get an apple.
Getting Healthcare Abroad at National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore
I have recently just came back a few weeks ago from a medical trip to Singapore. It was to accompany my mom to undergo surgery of the surgical spine to take care of a problem she had been enduring for the past 2 years. While I will not discuss more on the medical case for my mom’s privacy, I would like to share my experiences with the trip and hope this can help anyone considering offshore healthcare.
We went to Singapore’s National University Hospital (NUH). They are one of the larger government managed hospitals in Singapore with the other one being Singapore General Hospital. We chose NUH because we already had prior good experiences here. They have well equipped facilities, courteous and properly trained staff, and a clean modern environment.
So how does one avail of healthcare abroad? Here are some of the things you need to do:
1. Get medical diagnosis and tests locally. Do some of your tests here locally. While you may or may not have any procedures done locally, it is always good to be prepared. Think of the foreign medical advice as second opinion. Also, by having some of your tests done before your trip, you can make sure the first consultation with your foreign physician is alot more productive since you can already show him results recently taken before your trip. More often than not, he may ask you to repeat the tests using their facilities for his confirmation and also to eliminate unknown factors for him since he is unfamiliar with the quality of the equipment used to take your first exam. However, think of this as confirmation of results rather than double costs. I would much rather pay for confirmation of data rather than mistreatment.
2. Contact NUH International Patient Liason Center or IPLC as they call it. I would have posted a picture of the office but they disallow photo taking. They have experienced and professional staff that will provide you assistance and hospitality before, during, and after your trip. You can contact them via email or phone and they can help recommend you the right doctor, find you lodging, set appointments, and help you with directions. They can do alot more than that and you can just refer to their website for more information. However, I must warn you that they now have a call center to field some emails and calls. The call center personnel in my opinion is less qualified and have poorer service. Try to talk to the in-house personnel if possible or keep that in mind so you can be more patient when dealing with the call center agent. During our trip, the in-house person that was very helpful was ‘Steve’. He is the best!
3. Buy a Plane Ticket. Once you have worked out with IPLC your doctor’s schedule and have set an appointment, it is now time to book your plane ticket. To save yourself money from hotel expenses, book to arrive a day before your appointment and to book your return flight roughly 5-7 days later depending on how long you think you will need. Just for reference, it is possible to arrive Day 1, consult on Day 2, perform tests on Day 2-3, consult again on Day 4, perform treatment or surgery on Day 5-6. Return Home on Day 7. (or more if your procedure requires you to recover more prior to taking flights).
It is very easy to book and buy your plane tickets as well. Check out the websites of PAL, Cebu Pacific, or Singapore Airlines and you should be on your way to Singapore soon.
4. Reserve your hotel/lodging. Now that you have your dates and length of stay, you can book and reserve your hotel and lodging. There are many hotels around Singapore and it is up to you to book the classiness of your lodging depending to your budget. Remember that you will be out of your room most of the time and at the hospital. Ask IPLC before hand too if the patient may need to be confined so you will not book extra rooms or extra beds unnecessarily. I would suggest you book a hotel that is near an MRT station for convenience. This is because there is no MRT station at the hospital but they have a free shuttle service running every 10 minutes shuttling people to and from a nearby MRT station. At the time of this writing, it is the Dover Station on the East-West (green) line. One recommendation is the many hotels around Chinatown. You can look for Furama City Center, Hotel 81 or some others in that area. They are 2-4 minutes walk to an MRT Station and is not many stops away from Dover where the shuttle bus is waiting.
Don’t bother trying to look for hotels already in Dover. I tried. The nearest ones are not really near the MRT Station where the free shuttle bus is. One side of the Dover MRT station is the Polytechnic University while the other side is forestry.
5. Getting to NUH upon arrival. From the airport, take a taxi or your hotel transfer or any arrangements you may have IPLC setup for you to your place of stay. When you do need to get to NUH, there are several ways. You can find the details on this link: Getting to NUH.
As mentioned before, my suggestion is to stay in Chinatown and use the MRT to get to Dover station and take the free shuttle bus. This is the most cost effective, convenient method. I will show below the map and markings of the stations. I suggested Chinatown because the stations along the green line is mostly residential, offices, and academic. As a visitor, Chinatown offers more shops, hotels, restaurants, banks, money changers, taxi and bus stands, etc. All your needs as a visitor even for a medical trip will be more accessible in Chinatown while still being a few stations away to Dover.
Once you are at NUH, find IPLC and they can take care of you from there. For reference, here is the are map of NUH as of this writing.
There, I think this is quite a long post but I hope this should be able to get you started if you are considering healthcare options in Singapore. I think its a good option to consider especially if the medical condition is like surgery or something. Everything is well organized, all your information and test results are given to you in a CD at the end of your trip, all medicines are properly prescribed and labelled, and the cost is often the same or just a little more expensive. (For our last trip, it actually costs less than what would have costed us in Manila. We were pleasantly surprised).
Feel free to post comments and suggestions as always. Thanks for reading.
Negative Calorie Foods. Fact or Fiction?
It has been a very long debate and different opinions if there are indeed “negative calorie foods“. It simply means food that burns more calories in the effort eating it as well as its thermic effect than the calorie contained in the food itself. Celery and Grapefruit are such examples.
The answer is really yes and no. Technically, all foods contain calories, so the term “Negative Calorie Foods” itself is misleading. So no, there is no foods that has “negative calories” in a manner of speaking but yes it can be however because for 2 reasons: (1) It takes more calories to chew and digest than the calories it contain. (2) The space it fills up and helps gives you a sense of fullness that you makes you eat less of other higher calorie stuff.
So in a nutshell, its just good practice and sense to eat vegetables as they tend to be low in calories. They also have fiber content which can make you more satiated. So if you’re on a diet and looking to reduce in calorie intake, take in some celery. Whether or not its negative calories, it is sure to help you keep your calorie intake down.
Lastly, of course all this talk is considering you don’t take sauces or stuff like that. Eating a few stalks for celery dipped in cream cheese defeats the point. Until then, I hope this little knowledge helps you out next time your shopping for vegetables to eat.
Get Off the Fat Lane –25 Tips for Cutting Fat
Image by walkn
I would like to share the following tips to cutting fat. While there are alot more tips out there, this is a very good starter list to keep in mind. By just being conscious, you can start your way to living a healthier lifestyle. This list is not my own and was actually provided courtesy of linedriver465 from the Muscle and Strength forums. Thanks man!
1. Eat oranges instead of drinking orange juice
2. Leave the skin on fruits when possible
3. Eat raw fruits instead of fruit juices to obtain more nutrients
4. Eat more dark, leafy, green, vegetables
5. Avoid cheese because of the high saturated fat content
6. Drink 100+ ounces of water per day
7. Avoid margarine because of its high trans fat content
8. Choose fat free and low fat milk products whenever possible
9. Avoid white bread and refined pasta
10. Eat whole grain bread and pasta
11. Drink 1-2 large glasses of water before a meal
12. Eat sufficient Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) everyday
13. Eat complex carbohydrates such as oats and sweet potatoes
14. Avoid midnight binging and empty calories snacking
15. Get adequate sleep (7-9 hours per night)
16. Take the steps instead of the elevator
17. Take a brisk walk or jog during lunch
18. Walk and bike instead of driving whenever possible
19. Continue to lift weights to maintain muscles and prevent muscle loss
20. Keep sodium intake at or below 2.5 grams per day
21. Take a multivitamin to make up for missing nutrients
22. Perform low-intensity cardio to burn fat
23. Eat a deficit of 500 calories per day to lose 1 lb per week
24. READ labels and COUNT calories
25. Avoid fast foods, if you have to, order grilled and not fried.
Heart Attack Grill
What would you say to a burger joint that is upfront and honest that it serves nothing good but everything is delicious? An 8,000 calorie burger with lard-ridden fries served by sexy nurses. Hmmm…. Given my recent foray into healthier living, I’d probably pass. Then again, it definitely is worth a look.
Weight Loss Basics
image by thejonoakley
Sometimes, we all want to lose a little weight. Whether its 30 pounds or 5 pounds, most of us may want to lose some weight. It can be to get rid of that holiday weight or just a decision to change your fitness for the better. Whatever, it may be, this short article will tell you the basics.
1. There is no shortcuts. You may hear alot of different diet and exercise plans, beliefs, and urban legends. Truth is? It’s all about calories. Almost everything we consume has calories and everything we do spend calories. Even while you sleep. So, its basic math really. As long as you are eating more calories than your body is exerting, the extra calories will be stored as fat. When you spend more calories than you eat, you burn stored energy.
While fad diets can work, most of them are not really sustainable. Being fit is a lifestyle. Its not a project. Ask yourself this before you try a fad diet next time, can you stay on that diet for the rest of your life? If your answer is no, then its not sustainable.
2. Drink lots of water. Water is nature’s miracle drink. The benefits are plenty, I can go on about how water flushes out your toxins, makes your skin more healthy by being hydrated, etc. But for now, I will just relate how water helps weight loss:
- water helps with your metabolism. Liver is in charge of converting your stored fat to energy. Liver is also in charge of backing up your kidneys if they are not working optimally. Kidneys need water. So if the kidneys are deprived of enough water, the liver is not as efficient. By making sure enough water is taken, the liver is free to work at its best in converting those stored fats.
- drinking water gets rid of excess water weight. What? Drinking water gets rid of water?.. Yes. You see, our body is made up mostly of water, and there is a thing called “survival mode”. This is when our body holds on to as much nutrients (including water). This is how malnourished and starving people get to survive. By drinking more water, we are telling our body that it doesn’t have to worry about a sufficient supply. Thus it expels the water weight it has been storing all these years.
3. Exercise. Remember how I said that its all math in burning more calories than you are consuming? Well, diet alone can make you lose weight. But why not speed up the process by working out as well? Any cardiovascular activity like jogging, running, jump rope, stairs, and anything that elevates your heart rate will help you burn. It has been said that you need to elevate your heart rate to 60%-70% for at least 20 minutes, 3 times per week. Check the chart below for your target heart rate.
image by NuYu. Thanks!
4. Build some muscles. You may ask that why are we building muscles when all you want is to lose some weight? Isn’t it about losing rather than gaining? The thing is, its all about burning more calories again. The more muscles you have, the more calories you burn. Imagine! Burning more calories while you are not working out! What a concept!
You don’t need to be hardcore like the muscle-toned weight builders. But you do need to start lifting. Start small and work your way up. The more muscles you have, the faster your weight loss.
5. You are what you eat. If you eat crap, you will look like crap. All the exercise in the world is not going to help you at all if you do not watch what you eat. Start by being more conscious of what you eat, the quantities you eat, and when you eat. Eat food with less calories and less fat, eat often but eat less each time.
Also, start counting your calories. Find out what your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is and subtract 500 calories from what you should be eating per day. Say your BMR is 2,500 calories per day. Then you should be eating 2,000 calories per day to lose weight. Use a BMR Calculator to figure out your BMR. If you do this consistently, you will lose weight guaranteed even without exercise. Any exercise you do is a bonus. To help you keep track, you can use Calorie Count or Fitday. These are pretty good tools.
That’s it for now. If you like my posts, please share it and help me spread the word.
Hello,
