Photo by House of Sims
I love tea. In fact, I love it so much that my debut article on WellWire was my personal ode to tea. It just beats coffee in so many different levels! Tea – the drink of the gods – but you need not search high and low nor spend a fortune for it. You can buy boxes of nicely packed tea bags or teapot-ready loose tea at the nearest grocery store for a cheap price, and it’ll last you for weeks since you can reuse one tea bag in several water refills.
I just recently took on the challenge of making my own tea from scratch, in my own kitchen. Well, I guess technically I can’t say that I’m always making ‘tea’, in the strictest sense of the word, since I don’t usually get to use tea leaves. I usually do blends, like ginger and lemon, jasmine and mint, cherry and cinnamon, etc. Make an inventory of the fragrant condiments in my cupboard and backyard edibles, they’ve probably already been tossed and brewed in a pot.
Although I love my tea fresh out of the pot, I want to carry it around a portable mug too, especially when I’m off to school or glued to my desk working. That’s when the magic of tea bags comes in – they’re portable and reusable, but obviously, you can’t use just one tea bag for the rest of the week. If you’re a big tea drinker like me, just imagine the amount of wasted, completely used up tea bags you toss out each week. Sure, most of them are biodegradable, but you can save so much more energy by using tea bags you could use over and over again, not just for 3-4 water refills.
Three words: cloth tea bags. You can find these anywhere, and they don’t cost much either. But where’s the fun in that when you can make one yourself?
The common cloth tea bag is made with muslin, which is a common, very thin type of cotton that is excellent for filtering solutions. If you don’t have muslin, any finely-woven fabric will do; just make sure it’s unbleached. Cut up a piece of the fabric that can accommodate at least a tablespoon of loose tea leaves or dried blends. Tie it up with unbleached, biodegradable cooking string, steep in hot water, and enjoy. Cleaning up is simple – hand wash and air dry the tea bag. That’s it.
Photo by thebittenword.com
Again, make sure your blends are dry and loose before you put them in your tea bags – compared to a boiling pot, hot mugs won’t be able to capture as much flavor when you throw in freshly cut ingredients. For instance, if you wish to add mint to your loose tea leaves and you only have fresh mint on your counter, line the mint leaves onto a cookie sheet, pop it in a 180 degree oven and bake for 2-4 hours. Dried blends must easily be crushed with your fingers. Store leftovers in a tight lid glass jar.
Enjoy your portable, economical and environment friendly tea cups! 
I was born Roman Catholic but do not strictly subscribe to the religion. I have this belief system that may or may not fit Catholicism, but I do attend Sunday mass as often as I can, primarily because I find the rituals and most of our parish priest’s homilies rather fascinating. There is one Catholic tradition though, in which I genuinely enjoy participating and also find meaningful. It is the period that comes immediately before Christmas, which Catholics and Lutherans call Advent.
The Latin word adventus, which means “coming”, is the period that is supposed to prepare followers of the faith for the arrival of the Messiah, or the birth of Christ. In most churches and homes, an advent wreath is used, with each candle representing the four Sundays of Advent that eventually lead to a fifth, usually white candle, which will be lit on Christmas day. Each prayer, which is said daily, contains two Bible readings and a reflection. I personally love these daily prayers, because each Bible verse for the day is like an introduction to the Bible verse for the next day, like a bunch of movies with their sequels, all with one running theme: anticipation.
I mentioned before that finding a reason to wake up each morning, whether it be a person, job, advocacy, etc., may help you live a healthy, balanced and – based on what the Okinawans have been experiencing while practicing ikigai – a long and prosperous life. This kind of motivation increases one’s energy levels, stimulates the brain, and maximizes overall pleasure. Well, advent is something that really makes me super energetic especially during this holiday season. You go through the exact same Bible readings each year, but I always learn something new each day. This year, I’m learning about redemption.
In Theology, redemption primarily means deliverance from sin, but like I said, I don’t strictly follow the faith, because most of it I cannot fully grasp or relate to. I’ve mentioned in my previous post how difficult it was for me to go through this year. Death in the family, a failed engagement, terminated friendships, financial struggles, sickness… it was like the entire world shat on 2009 and I can’t wait for it to end in a few weeks so I could start clean, fresh and new!
In today’s reflection (and pardon me for sounding theological; it’s a good story though!), it says that the royal line of Israel was so messed up, you wouldn’t believe that out of it came this unlikely blue blood whom people would eventually call their “savior.” For instance, Saul, the first king, had died insane. King David committed adultery, and his line, which started with great promise, ended in tragedy. The reflection reads:
But the Messiah wasn’t going to come to that; the Messiah was going to come out of that.
Is it any wonder why even though 2009 was so shitty, I can’t help but be thankful for all that grime and muck either? Eastern tradition also has the same analogy, illustrated by the lotus flower. Its pure beauty springs out from pure mud, a symbol of great spiritual promise.
There is so much to be excited about this holiday season, but you don’t have to throw away and forget the ugliness of the past to experience the joy of anticipation. Practice gratitude today, and brace yourselves for a great new year ahead! Happy holidays!
This entry was originally published as a guest post for Integrative Approach to Healing. Thanks, Chrissy!
2009 was a challenging year for me, and quite frankly, I can’t wait for this year to end. It was a year of more downs than ups in my life, and it made me lose my sense of physical, intellectual, and spiritual balance that I try my best to achieve each day. It was a year of gains, but also of losses, smiles, but more so tears. But guess what? I’m still thankful.
I’m thankful for getting hurt, and I know that sounds weird, but without getting hurt, I wouldn’t have discovered the kind of strength I never thought I had; the strength that gives each person the ability to heal oneself after getting wounded. I’m thankful for losing, because without losing, I wouldn’t have realized all these things that I already had. I’m thankful for getting sick, because it gave me the opportunity to recognize my limits as a vulnerable human being, and respect the power of the earth I walk on each day.
So perhaps I haven’t lost balance after all, and that I was just allowing myself to swing from one side to the other, just like a see-saw. In practicing gratitude, you don’t choose what you want to be grateful for; you just are, for everything. So thank you for everything, 2009.
In Part 1, Sami talked about what most of us aren’t even aware of when it comes to resistance training, particularly how this kind of training repairs the body in so many ways. Resistance training has so many great benefits, but how can you truly make the most out of it? What steps should you need to follow? What kind of weights should you use? How much time and money does it take to receive resistance training at its best?
Here’s what he has to say:
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Big benefits does not mean big time investments
Rep = A single cycle of lifting and lowering a weight
Set = A number of consecutive reps without rest
Photo by d_vdm
There are multiple different ways to approach resistance training. Most bodybuilders I know will devote separate days to practice different muscle groups, and a common pattern is to do three sets of each exercise with around 10-12 reps. This, however, takes quite a lot of time especially for someone who just wants to be fit and get the benefits of HGH without having to obsess about going to the gym five times a week.
I am using the slow one-set-to-failure approach, which lets me do a full-body workout once or twice a week and I end up spending about 45-50 minutes at the gym each time, including warming up before and cooling down after the actual strength training. The time I spend doing strenuous exercise is about 30-35 minutes.
To maximize the release of HGH, you should focus on multi-joint exercises that strain large muscle groups, such as squat, bench press, leg press, shoulder press, deadlift, dip, bent over row etc. Rest at least 2.5 minutes between each exercise and keep the total amount of intensive training between 20 and 40 minutes each time you go to the gym (including the time spent resting).
In slow one-set-to-failure, each set is performed only once but with a 5/5 second cadence, meaning that the exercises are done slow enough that reaching full muscle contraction takes 5 seconds, and the release likewise takes another 5 seconds. This is to ensure constant strain, reduce the momentum and take advantage of eccentric motion.
It can be a bit difficult at first to count the seconds while doing the exercises and also counting the number of reps. One thing I’ve found helpful is to say the number of the rep instead of number 5 when counting in my head, so the first rep would go like 1, 2, 3, 4, 1 followed by 1, 2, 3, 4, 2 etc. If that doesn’t seem to work, just try to lift slowly and with good form, and count the seconds only when lowering the weight.
You should aim to reach 8-12 reps before failure (meaning that you can’t perform a single more rep using good form). Depending on the exercise, try to finish the last rep as slow as possible to maximize the strain on your muscles. If you follow the 5/5 second rule, this would mean a constant strain of 80-120 seconds. If you can’t reach 8 reps, use less weight and if you reach 12 or more, increase the amount of weight next time. Some exercises (e.g. leg press) have such a short range of motion that I’ve found them rather difficult to perform this slow. In these cases you should try to reach a minimum of 12 reps.
You should aim to do 4-7 different exercises each time you go to the gym, and make sure all large muscle groups get their share.
Extra tips
Photo by spaceamoeba
One of the best and most motivating things to do when starting resistance training is to keep a journal. I always take a small notebook with me to the gym. I record my time spent exercising, which exercises I do and in which order, and most importantly how many reps of each exercise I manage and the amount of weight I use. I also write down ideas for improving or adjusting my exercise regimen. It is very heartening to browse the earlier entries in the journal and see how much you have progressed.
The amount of time your muscles need to recover is often overlooked, so take at least 4 days between resistance training sessions, or try to dedicate one day a week for it. I remember reading that it is possible to exercise a muscle group even only once a month and still gain results, so don’t worry if you take a two-week holiday. You’ll probably do surprisingly well when coming back home and hitting the gym again.
If you are not used to strain your muscles it’s a good idea to hit the gym at least three times with no more than one day of rest in between at first. Take this time to experiment with different exercises and find out how much weight you can start with. This will also prevent muscle soreness when you start straining the muscles proper.
Women shouldn’t hesitate to start resistance training in fear of getting beefed up and looking like The Hulk. Obtaining that kind of muscle growth would require not just lifting weights, but also a drastic increase in protein intake. It is not uncommon for serious bodybuilders to consume 5000-6000 kcals a day, whereas a normal person eats around 2000 kcals. So what else can I say; go to the gym, get familiar with weight training, beat the aging effects and get a body the men will die for.
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To learn more about the author, visit him at www.samipaju.com, or read his mini biography here.
Before I decided to go back to school, I worked in the corporate setting for four years. I thought that since I was finally out of school, I no longer had to deal with horrible cafeteria food, and that I would finally have the resources to actually order something fancier, not to mention healthier and better tasting. Boy, was I wrong.
I was a late bloomer and experienced Freshman 15 during my first year as a ‘working girl.’ Food served in the office wasn’t any more appealing than what I had in the college cafeteria, so I had to resort to nearby food places which were mainly fast food. There were those fancier, healthier choices around, of course, but since I had other more important bills to pay, i.e., rent and transportation, food had to be the least of my concerns, whether I liked it or not.
When I started unhealthily gaining weight and getting sick, I told myself that I’d start cooking my own food. I lasted three days, I just didn’t have enough time to do that!
Addressing all these concerns seems impossible to pull off, because what food business person in their right mind would invest on spoiling clients like a celebrity chef would, while keeping it affordable to the regular office employee?
Have you ever heard of office food vendors serving grilled salmon and pastel de lengua (ox tongue pie)?
Impossible, you’d most likely say. Or if they do serve this kind of menu, you might as well order the same thing from a specialty restaurant and get the same tab. Well, I was lucky enough to encounter a real office food vendor during my last corporate stint that did not only pull it off, but they exceeded my expectations as well.
Almost Gourmet (or ALGO for short), is a Manila-based food service that serves a variety of freshly cooked meals that are delicious, nutritious and budget friendly. Their main clients include office workers and private residents who appreciate, or, like me back then, pined away for good food at affordable prices.
Each week, ALGO founder Joyce Romualdez, who was actually my boss, would send out the following week’s menu to the entire office via e-mail, and each employee would respond back with their orders. They are carefully encoded into the ALGO database. All orders are then freshly prepared and labeled each day by ALGO power cook, Dora.
Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Paella
Not only was it incredibly convenient since you need not leave the office to buy food, but I always felt as if I had my own personal chef, who would prepare what I wanted the way I wanted it for the day. For instance, when I wanted a meat dish without the meat, I would simply e-mail my preferences and Dora would substitute the meat with, say, more filling veggies or tofu, all for the same price and tastiness. Or if I wanted something grilled rather than fried, ALGO’s always happy to respond to each special request.
Vegetable Curry with Steamed Rice
The weekly menu consists of international flavors that suit every craving – Italian, Japanese, Chinese, American, Indian, Filipino, and sometimes, even a fusion of two or more of these great cuisines.
Shrimp and Olive-Pesto Dressed Tomatoes and Steamed Rice
Everything is fresh, healthy and homemade. Of course, don’t expect your ‘almost gourmet’ lunch packs served in china or porcelain chopsticks. All meals are quaintly served in lunch-on-the-go containers.
Teriyaki Mushroom Salad
But since ALGO also believes that you eat with your eyes first, orders are always nicely garnished and neatly prepared.
Fusilli with Spinach and Cheese
Joyce writes, “The food is superb and comparable with the dishes served in your favorite chic restos. And of course, it’s called Almost Gourmet because the cook wears a hairnet instead of a chef’s hat!”
Me with ALGO founder, Joyce
What’s great about ALGO is that they not only serve individual orders – they have the greatest party packs as well, if you want to feed by the bulk! Apart from lunch packs, ALGO also provides party trays for family and office gatherings. They’re perfect for birthday parties, corporate functions and family get togethers. Visit www.almostgourmet.com.ph to download their Party Menu.
It’s the holidays, so what better way to satisfy your guests than serving them gourmet meals at a non-gourmet price? Nobody has to know.
For inquiries about ALGO’s lunch packs and/or party menus, call (0917) 810-0110 or (0917) 823-0153, or email almostgourmet@gmail.com.
Hi folks!!! Wow, it’s been ages since I last posted anything here on Tenderfoot, let alone actually log on to, er, delete spam comments. Ha! I’ve been crazy busy with so many different things, from school to random online projects to traveling, the latter, I have to admit, I didn’t mind at all! I had the best time in New York and I can’t wait to move there soon.
But enough about me – let’s talk about my next Tenderfoot Guest feature, a long delayed post, as a matter of fact, and much awaited as well. I’ve been wanting to feature something related to keeping fit by staying active, especially now that I just started running again (and now that I’m actually logging my progress on strands.com!) My good friend, Sami – of www.samipaju.com – came up with a fantastic article on resistance training. There are so many exercise fads right now, and resistance training is something that a lot of us have forgotten or sacrificed in place of a “hipper” form of workout. Sami illustrates how much health benefits one can actually reap through resistance training. His thoughts are perfect for Tenderfoot, because resistance training is something that absolutely anyone can do.
Here’s what he has to say:
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Photo by Greg Westfall
I wrote an article about how to lose weight efficiently and mentioned, that despite the hype, exercise will have a very small impact on how fast you can lose those extra kilos (or pounds, for the metrically challenged). There are, however, numerous health benefits in exercising, and I’m going to focus now on those that can be achieved by doing resistance training. To my understanding women tend to shun lifting weights, but I’ll try to explain why you shouldn’t. I’m also listening to Pink while writing this. Just to get to the proper state of mind.
The fountain of youth
To understand the importance of resistance training, we need to first take a tour inside the Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Children have plenty of it when they are growing, but as we reach adult age our bodies switch the production of HGH to almost non-existent levels. This is a real shame, as HGH turns out to be probably the best, most accessible way to prevent our bodies from aging so fast:
- HGH causes muscle growth, mobilizes fat stores and shifts metabolism to burn fat, which results in an increase in lean body mass and decrease in body fat.
- It repairs tissue, which among other benefits also makes your skin look better and more youthful.
- It strengthens the immune system.
- It strengthens joints.
- It increases bone density, which significantly decreases the risk of osteoporosis.
Photo by mikebaird
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In Part 2, Sami will illustrate how you can incorporate resistance training in your daily life, and most importantly, how you can religiously do it even with a busy schedule. He says, “Big benefits does not mean big time investments.” Sounds intriguing, right? Stay tuned for Part 2 to find out how to do it, plus extra cool tips!
About the Author:
Sami Paju is a 25-year old student, consultant, blogger and photographer from Helsinki, Finland. He is studying for a MsC in Entrepreneurship at the Helsinki School of Economics, while working for a global consulting company as a SAP user rights management and security expert. Blogging and photography are his biggest hobbies.
Nutrition and health has become a large part of Sami’s life since he started reading and learning about the ways of human metabolism, and in the process, he was able to solve his own weight problems. He also has a huge interest in business management, entrepreneurship, personal development, psychology and philosophy. He says, “So call me a commercially oriented geek. Needless to say, I wear eyeglasses.” Visit him at www.samipaju.com or follow him on Twitter.
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It has been almost exactly a month since I joined the WellWire team as a writer, and so far, it’s been awesome. Aside from the fact that I get to write about my biggest passion, I’ve met the most amazing people who are not just super topnotch in their field, but they’re probably the most fun physicians and health care practitioners I’ve ever encountered in the wonderful world of Health 2.0. For instance, if ever you catch us in what Dr. Nishant lovingly calls Virtual Coffee, which are basically our conference calls via Skype to discuss projects and updates, it’s just like hanging out with your friends in a coffee shop, with the added bonus of being productive in the process.
WellWire is largely known for its daily articles and health-inspired Twitter updates, but this week, we’ve decided to rock the wonderful world of Facebook and connect more closely to our followers. So far, it’s been really fun, and I often find myself glued to the computer, waiting for the next update. We had just started using the Discussions tab on our Facebook page, and the feedback has been wonderful. Here’s a little teaser, if you haven’t checked it out yet, or if you haven’t joined – which you must do after reading this post, by the way. Deal? Alright!
Experiences With Food Allergies
Inspired by this article, WellWire Facebook fans have been discussing personal experiences and success with having their children (or themselves) properly diagnosed for food allergies. Different methods for testing, such as the MRT and comprehensive blood testing, are also discussed. Pretty informative, if you ask me.
Breast Cancer Awareness Tips
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we’ve been talking about this article by Dr. Carrie on how to properly feel for those lumps (or non-lumps). What I love about the discussion on Facebook right now is that they mentioned getting your boyfriends and husbands in the mix of breast self-examination. Intriguing, right? Join the discussion and find out what that’s all about.
Staying Healthy This Cold and Flu Season
Forget Over-the-Counter sneeze quenchers or flu symptom relievers. Have you heard of wei qi? It’s what the Chinese consider the energy system that protects our body from disease. Read this article to learn more about your protective qi. This discussion on Facebook has got to be my favorite one so far, since it’s very timely and informative. I really encourage everyone to check this out.
Another super fun addition to the WellWire Facebook page is the Day In The Life photo series of WellWire authors.
This week, we are featuring co-founder Dr. Igor Schwartzman. Here, he hangs out with his dogs, and beautiful daughter Selene. Click on the image to check out more Day In The Life photos.
Well, what are you waiting for? Come join us!
Photo credit linked
Aside from maintaining a garden and a highly raw, seafood diet, Okinawans also practice ikigai, making them the longest lived culture on earth. Read more about it here.
What is an ikigai and how does it promote long life? Ikigai is the Japanese equivalent for the French raison d’etre, or reason for being. It is upholding a certain purpose in life on a daily basis. It is having an enduring passion for something that one considers important. The Japanese believe that finding your ikigai brings satisfaction and meaning in life.
But this all sounds pretty subjective, right? What is it about having an ikigai that makes a person live a long and prosperous life? Let me illustrate a few possible reasons.
An ikigai gives you a great reason to wake up each morning. My mom hates waking up early, but she says that the moment she steps out of the shower and starts brewing her coffee, she can’t wait to get to school and be with her kids. Teaching is her life’s passion, and no matter how annoying it is to hear the alarm clock go off, the kind of buzz she feels after the shower and coffee makes all that trouble worth it. When you know your ikigai, every day becomes a fresh start.
An ikigai keeps you motivated. What is it about being driven and motivated anyway? What does it do to your body and wellbeing? Motivation is a response that both humans and animals naturally possess. It is used during situations wherein there’s an encounter with pain or danger, and it triggers that ancient concept called the survival instinct. Motivation increases a person’s energy levels and stimulates the brain, thus maximizing pleasure. When you are constantly aware of your ikigai, you are also constantly driven, excited and ready to take on any challenge… that is, on top of feeling absolutely good about yourself, too!
An ikigai gives you direction. Not too long ago, I was probably considered one of the biggest scatterbrains ever. I didn’t bother finding out what I was really supposed to do with my life, and decided to just go where the wind of change takes me. Although being carefree and spontaneous could be great ways to live your life, the absence of something that keeps you grounded and focused can potentially lead you towards the wrong direction. An ikigai gives you a constant, and just like in physics, your constant will keep you rooted in reality.
Hmm, but “rooted in reality” sounds awfully detrimental to personal growth, don’t you think? Maybe. But on the flip side, an ikigai also opens the door to infinite possibilities. When you are passionate about something or when you firmly believe in something that 1) gives you a great reason to wake up each morning; 2) keeps you motivated; and 3) gives you direction, every encounter — whether rewarding or questionable — becomes an opportunity worth grabbing. You walk the world brave and with your head held high. Every situation becomes a favorable circumstance, and in William Bell’s words, you can only “imagine the impossibilities.”
Have you found your ikigai? If you have, well, get ready to possibly end up becoming a centurion… plus another ten more years, maybe?
This picture was taken via a space shuttle. Where we stand, sit, eat, laugh, cry, and basically, live, is just a fraction of that. A dot within a dot within a dot within a dot. And even smaller than that, is your pain. It’s nothing compared to the beauty that makes up your world, and yourself. So dry your tears and smile that wonderful smile. Life’s too short for such mediocrities.
Those rubber rafts may have kept my fellow Filipinos safe during the flooding,
but what was it, really, that kept them afloat?
Check out WellWire’s blissful little tribute to the Philippine victims of Typhoon Ketsana to find out: A True Story of Buoyancy and Bliss
