Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Close....Forever

The teenage years are a crucial time where it's difficult for a parent to straddle the line between being friend and parent. Trust is something that is built over the years. You start when your chidren are young so that when they hit the critical adlescent years, they know that you are someone whom they can run to, someone whom they can share their deepest fears and secrets with.
Trust is a two-way street; you get it if you give it. For example, if you want your child to trust you with the truth about what is going on in their lives, and you want a relationship built on trust, you have to trust in the other person as much as you do in yourself.

Here are some ways that you can earn your teener's trust:

1. Set clear boundaries and define what trust means to each of you.
2. Practice the art of active listening
3. Anything that is discussed with you must be kept in the strictest of confidence.
4. Talk to them as adults while remembering that they are still kids.
5. Ask the right questions without making it seem like they are being grilled.
6. Try as much as possible not to be judgmental.
7. Treat your teenager with the same respect you would have them treat you.
8. Don't shut your teenager out to show your disapproval and do not use emotional blackmail.
9. "Hang Out" with your child and find teachable moments.


The best way to become a better parent is to allow your inner child out to play once in a while especially when you are with your children. Though they know their boundaries and are cognizant of when they toe the line, they also know that you are not just a parent but a friend as well whom they can trust and run to on happy days and days when the going gets rough.

Be Fit 'n Hip

To be fit has become an obsession nowadays, yet quite a few tend to fail n their attempt to follow a healthy lifestyle. They simply lack enough will power to say no to delicious foods that are generally high in fat, sugar, sodium and calorie content. The first priority should be to learn the skill o choosing the right kind of food. Here are a few simple tips to start you off on a healthier life.

-Eat a variety of foods daily. Start your meal with a generous helping of fruits and vegetables. Make nutritious choices from among whole grains, lean meat, fish or chicken and low-fat dairy products.

-Take a lot of high-fiber foods as they initiate a strong feeling of fullness and satiety. The body requires a balance of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber found in oats, barley, beans, legumes and most fruits and vegetables can lower blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The insoluble fiber found in vegetables, fruits and whole grains helps maintain a healthy bowel function.

-Make a conscious effort to avoid foods high in fat. Use cooking methods like steaming, grilling and baking ,more often.

-Lessen consumption of processed foods. Their sodium content is so high thaty they trigger craving of sweets to balance off the taste. High intake of sodium makes a person retain water, hence, causing added weight to the body.

-Learn to swap when you overindulge in high calorie foods. Exercise more and lan ahead to eat low calorie food before and after you indulgence. Eat fruit or drink milk before going to parties; you can resist temptation to eat more when you are full.

-Eat three meals and two to three snacks per day. Grazing can help maintain a healthy weight by controlling your appetite and and increasing metabolism.

-Lastly, no skipping of breakfast as it is ineffective way to reduce your energy intake because your metabolism slows down and you are most likely to consume and crave for more food later in the day.

Halo Halo

There's more than one way to savor this queen of refreshments

It is probably the refreshment for all seasons. It towers above all other cold concoctions. Its layers of multicolored ingredients dazzlingly beckon. Like a rainbow shaft descendingregally on te table, the halo halo promises eager eaters a pot of delectable gold once your long stemmed spoon reaches its creamy belly and scoops up a mound of sweet, milk-drenched fruits.

There is no denying our love affair wit this iced dessert. At the mere mention of having halo halo for merienda,eyes twinkle with glee and widen with anticipation.

Our penchant for it is likewise evident in the way halo halo finds itself perennially present in dessert buffets and restaurant menus. One merienda hangout that fills us with delighful childhood memories is Goldilocks. It continues to churn out our favorite Pinoy treats. Including their own version of special halo halo that never fails to elicit blissful sighs of content.

Enterprising people, in turn, set up instant halo halo stands al fresco during hot summer days while posh hotels and malls make it available all year for people who crave for its cold rush at any time of the day. Even those who abhor milk refuse to turn away from such enticement, as some gladly embrace its presence only in halo halo and only if it's evaporated milk. Others personally enjoy eating their halo halo without milk, professing to appreciate the creaminess of each ingredient even more.

Becoming STRESS "Busters"

Knowing what triggers your stress is the first step

There's are two kinds of stress, good stress and bad stress. Good stress makes us feel challenged and helps push us towards achievement or success. Bad stress is the kind we encounter when we are frightened, threatened, or irritated. Constant exposure to negative stress could lead to an assortment of health problems from simple headaches to lingering depression or anxiety - and the best way of fighting stress and the problems it brings is to know what triggers it. Here are some ways of dealing with stress, which has been tagged as the modern world's #1 health menace.

How can I deal with stress in the workplace?
Don't stage a dramatic exit or storm out of the office.Walk away. Just leave your desk, even for just a few minutes. Turn off your cellphone and put it in a locked drawer, then find a spot where you can be alone. Take a deep breath. It sounds so simple, but it will really help if you take time to breathe slowly and deeply. Don't make stress a day-long habit.Set aside an hour or to for "unexpected and urgent stuff". since we all know what it's like to get strange requests or orders out of the blue, it's best to set aside time to deal with such things. If there are no unexpected surprise that day, you can always go on with your regular workload.

Is alcohol a good stress-reducer?
A little alcohol doesn't hurt if you only drink it to help you unwind. But it's not healthy if you use it as a crutch to deal with stress. It can function as an "artificial stress reducer", meaning it merely masks a symptoms and often makes symptoms worse.

I love coffee and I take it to keep me alert. Could it be a stress inducer?
Monitor your coffee intake. As with all things, moderation is the key. If you feel agitated, try drinking cold water (which is healthier and helps your body flush out toxins) or tea sing blends that invigorate instead of soothe.Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine (found in some sodas) and don't take coffee late in the day as it may make sleeping difficult. When you want to settle down at the end of the day, treat yourself to a relaxing cup of chamomile tea. It's great for frazzled nerves.

Sometimes, I feel stressed because of what's happening at home! How can I avoid this?
Set a schedule for your household chores so you don't get overwhelmed by them. Delegate whenever possible and reward yourself when a chore is done.You might think about getting a pet. Stroking a pet has been shown to lower blood pressure.If you live in a place that doesn't allow pets, why not try your hand at gardening? Even potted plants will do. Being interested in other things takes the focus off your own worries. As a bonus, giving a bit of yourself to a growing, living entity can also make you a more caring person.

Friday, March 27, 2009

L-O-V-E

Let love be your greatest aim. - Bible

Love means to love that which is unlovable,
or it is no virtue at all; forgiving means to pardon
that which is unforgivable, or it is no virtue at
all - and to hope means hoping when things
are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. - GK Chesterton

Love without criticism brings stagnation,
and criticism without love brings destruction. - Selected

Love is a short word, but it contains everything. - Guy de Maupassant

Love looks forward, hate looks back, anxiety
has eyes all over its head - Mignon Mclaughlin

Love blinds us to faults, hatred to virtues - Moshe ibin Ezra

When love and skill work together expect a masterpiece. - Ruskin

A man falls in love through his eyes, a woman
through her ears. Woodrow Wyatt

When two people love each other, they don't look
at each other; they look in the same direction. - Ginger Rogers

We are born to love. It is the principle of
existence, and its only end. - Benjamin Disraeli

If you judge people, you will have no time
to love them. - Mother Teresa