THIS YEAR’S GOOD RIDDANCE
by Mary Jane O. Velasquez
“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” Colossians 2:9
This is officially the month that we can reflect to a year of living with the fear of the pandemic and series of calamities that happened almost every month. Even if a year has already passed, we can still feel the effects of nature’s wrath to our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual aspect, and as we still browse the internet for “COVID-19” updates, we don’t see any sign that it will be over soon. A year of new normal has been in a melancholic monotone and we were abruptly shifted to this state. Being in this state has created an atmosphere of “pandemic fatigue” to our mentality and we just happen to ignore it as time passed by.
But in this special Yuletide season, we Filipinos still plant beautiful smiles on our faces to share off to the world. We still began celebrating Christmas three months earlier. We placed the Christmas trees, lights, and other decorations to release a welcoming warmth to our visitors and other people that passed by our houses. We still think of giving the best Christmas gifts to our loved ones and continue to inspire others through outreach programs just to lift up the spirit of love that we are one in this crisis together. This creates a unique bond to our souls and enjoy the real essence of Christmas.
Now that it is December and we are a few days away from the New Year, the holiday season should focus on spending quality time with our families and cherishing the moments with people close to our hearts. We create more memories with them by either shopping at the grocery store or supermarket for items on sale and the needs for Noche Buena, watching a movie together, or by visiting a favorite hanging out spot.
As part of the tradition, we prepare foods for family dinner and the Noche Buena. Some dishes include platters of spaghetti, chicken, barbecue, lumpia, etc. and completed by delightful desserts such as macaroni or fruit salad, leche flan and mango graham cake. These really are presumptuous even in text but we should take the necessary precautions. The ingredients used in these foods can harm our body. “Preservatives are substances considered as not drastically harmful to healthy people but they may be harmful to pregnant women, babies, children, elderly or those suffering from a chronic disease,” according to Dr. Renato U. Paragas on his online article entitled “COVID-19: A HIGH PRICE TO PAY FOR DISOBEDIENCE”. Instead of using instant seasonings, we recommend only natural ingredients to give wholesome flavors such as salt and pepper or IONIQUE® Mineral Drops itself (add 5 to 10 drops on a big serving before cooking).
When there is food on the table, there is also a beverage to be opened. Soft drinks, powdered and canned juices, chocolate drinks, milk, alcoholic beverages, tea, and energy drinks are always included in the list of groceries during special occasions. The consumption of the said beverages was tackled by Dr. Paragas in another online article entitled “WILL THERE BE A COVID-19 SECOND WAVE?”. He observed that people mostly choose other beverages rather than water. “Today, most individuals prefer the various commercial beverages over the healthier water that comprises majority of the human body. Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj in his book, Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, stated that most of the problem of bad health today is founded on the misconception that any fluid containing water does the job to quench thirst. He emphasized that water is the only prescribed beverage for the human body and nothing substitutes for water.”
Coffee, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, chocolate drinks, energy drinks and tea has caffeine. “Caffeine tolerance varies between individuals, but for most people, a dose of over 400 mg per day may produce some initial symptoms: restlessness, increased heartbeat, and insomnia. Higher dosages can lead to increased blood pressure; heart palpitation; anxiety and panic attacks; gastrointestinal disturbance; increased urination; dizziness, irritability, nausea, nervousness and jitters; allergic reaction can include rash, hives, itching, breathing difficulty, tightness of the chest, swelling of the mouth, face, lips or tongue, diarrhea, shakiness, sleeping disturbance, vomiting; headaches and severe fatigue.” Caffeine is also a diuretic. It forces the kidneys to eliminate more urine than normal. One loses three cups of water for every cup of coffee one drinks. So, to compensate for the water loss, one has to drink nine cups of water for every three cups of coffee he takes during the day’s work. Failure to compensate for this water loss will cause the shrinkage of various organs leading to various diseases such as migraine headache, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, goiter, arthritis, kidney failure, myoma, cataract, various cancers and many more. Even mild dehydration affects brain function causing poor focus, short attention span, poor memory and comprehension and many more.” According to Health line, alcohol consumption affects the following parts of the body when consumed in a prolonged period of time: digestive and endocrine glands, liver, pancreas, central nervous system, digestive system, circulatory system, sexual and reproductive health, skeletal and muscle systems and the immune system. Some of the diseases include: pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, diabetes, diarrhea, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, heart failure, erectile dysfunction, infertility, premature delivery, miscarriage, atrophy and pneumonia.
From his book entitled “The #1 Reason Why You’re Sick”, Dr. Paragas added, “As far as the body’s chemistry is concerned, water and other beverages are two different things. Commercial beverages contain chemicals that alter the body’s chemistry. Even milk is not the same as water. Milk is a liquid food and must be treated as food. Coffee, tea, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, sports drinks, energy drinks and juices are not the same as water. The body needs water only and nothing can substitute for it.”
Water is the only acceptable beverage that God created for mankind. The vital functions of water in the body are: (1) works to keep body cells toned; (2) assists in weight loss; (3) transports nutrients and oxygen throughout the body; (4) eliminates acidic metabolic wastes and toxins out of the body; and (5) regulates body temperature. Since water is 70% of our body, when one of these is compromised, there is an opportunity for disease to occur.
Since Christmas season is the time that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Earth, it is also the time to treat our body, the temple of God, with utmost care and cleansing it by eating the right kind of food—which should contain all the essential nutrients namely carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and water; drinking the only acceptable beverage to mankind and withdrawing from the intake of man-made foods and beverages that are “instant” and “processed”. In this way, we are re-aligning our body in accordance to how He has made us: from His goodness and likeness.
Let us celebrate the Spirit of Christmas prioritizing our health so that we can share the goodness of the gift of life and the birth of Jesus happily with our loved ones and our neighbors.
“If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” Exodus 15:26
THIS YEAR’S GOOD RIDDANCE
B- Believes in the nature’s food and water for human consumption;
A- Abolishes the pressure of ingesting processed goods;
D- Devotes one’s time to proper hydration;
L- Loves to keep their health in great condition;
I- Inspires other people to prioritize their health;
F- Fulfills the six essential nutrients needed by the cells;
E-Exhibits a role model for wholesome health;
S- Seeks the importance of nutrition to combat diseases;
T- Teaches the value of the concept “Tubig at Mga Mineral” to every age group;
Y- Yearns for a world that values the avoidance of toxins and the essence of water and minerals;
L- Listens and reads the Word of the Lord as food for the spirit;
E- Enlightens the mind and body by maintaining their healthy lifestyle and feeds their soul with prayers daily.
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