StitcheS™ | The Blogzine for Everyday People

Get Fit and Healthy With Fruit Vinegars

2010-03-18T17:08:00.016+08:00

Vinegar is customarily used for food preservation and as flavoring or condiment. More recently, vinegars made from various fruits with distinctive sensory appeal have emerged in the marketplace. Aside from acetic acid, fruit vinegars can contain citric, malic, lactic, succinic, fumaric and tartaric acids and may also include some disease-fighting phytochemicals, such as polyphenols.

A number of these polyphenols are naturally present in the fruit itself or produced as a result of the fermentation process. The polyphenols present in the finish products depend on the source material, which will dictate their type, quantity, quality and the corresponding health benefits.

Polyphenols have been demonstrated to exhibit positive effects on certain types of cancers, heart disease and a multitude of inflammatory disorders. While the exact mechanism of these effects is somewhat unknown, the health promoting activities are always attributed to the ability of polyphenols to act as antioxidants.

As mentioned earlier, we have to be aware, though, that the antioxidant activity varies with fruit types and depends on the chemical nature of the polyphenols present, not at all times their amount, as some of them are more potent than other kinds.

“What does this put across then?”

If traditionally, fruit vinegars were only considered as food ingredient or as delicate flavor enhancer, these new findings and information suggest that they can also be regarded as potential functional foods. This further implies that specialty vinegars supply functions beyond basic nutrition and a compelling reason why we see other fruits finding their way into vinegar, as well.

“Can we really get fit and healthy with fruit vinegars?”

“Of course, YES!” All you have to do is proceed reading this article to learn more.

To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist -- the problem is entirely the same in both cases. To know exactly how much oil one must put with one's VINEGAR. ~Oscar Wilde

COMMON FRUIT VINEGARS

Apple. The health benefits of apple cider are infinite. Among the important ones are: skin revitalizer, prevents proliferation of harmful bacteria, good in preventing respiratory infections, sore throats and in the reduction of nasal discharges. It is also used as tonic to improve blood circulation. The large and complex fiber, pectin, in apple has been proven as one of the principal agents in reducing high levels of LDL (bad cholesterol), acting as sequestrant by forming a pectin-cholesterol complex that is subsequently excreted as waste. Malic acid, the major organic acid found in apples relieves painful joint pains due to arthritis by dissolving excessive deposits of uric acid. The various enzymes produced during fermentation process make cider a wonderful agent in speeding up metabolism, which in turn results to keeping the weight under control. The chief polyphenolic substance found in apples or in apple cider is catechin, it is well established as a cyclooxygenase enzyme activity inhibitor. Cyclooxygenase enzyme is responsible for the synthesis of prostaglandin, which produces inflammation, pain and fever and stimulates inflammatory responses in the body. According to various studies in Japan, apple polyphenols also help the body stave off body fats but do not keep away strength and endurance. Scientists who embarked on these undertakings believed that the ability of apple polyphenols to decrease oxidative damage to muscle may have led to the boost in strength. Aside from aiding the digestion and decreasing the levels of LDL in the body, this is perhaps one of the reasons why apple cider is considered as an amazing natural alternative used in weight management programs.

Blueberry. Blueberry vinegar is not only quite pleasing to the eye as well as the taste buds but also packed with health powerhouses. These healthy benefits are attributed to the high level of antioxidants believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits. In fact, what you may not know is that blueberries are recognized as the fruit with the highest level of antioxidants, a finding substantiated in the study conducted by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Antioxidants can also help keep your skin looking young and healthy. You will be able to lose “more” weight, as well, if you regularly consume or add blueberry vinegar in your diet and food preparations, since it does contain high levels of both antioxidants and fiber, which are both often credited for aiding in weight loss. It is, likewise, often times called an immune system booster for the simple reason that it holds a hefty amount of Vitamin C. Even more compelling are the brain protective and memory boosting effects associated with the anthocyanins found in it. Anthocyanin, a natural compound linked with many health benefits, is in the blue pigment found in blueberries.

Grape. Aside from excellent flavor that it gives your salads, meals and soups, grape vinegar helps to protect your health with untocyanine. Untocyanine, especially existing in red grape vinegar, is important in helping the human body fight against infections and also in the over all improvement of the immune system. Resveratrol, another natural active component found in red grape skin and possibly in red grape fruit vinegar, is believed to aid in raking off those unwanted fats. Cholesterol reduction, protecting the body against osteoporosis, gum health and returning body temperature to normal in diseases with fever are among other remarkable uses of grape vinegar. If a tablespoon of honey is mixed with two dessertspoons of grape vinegar and added into mineral water and drunk before breakfast, it accelerates reduction of body fat. Consequently, it provides weight control, just as the other previous fruit vinegar types.

There you have it folks! We have just learned that these three (3) most common fruit vinegars can help us get fit and healthy.

Other fruits are finding their way into vinegar too; apricot, black currant, and cherry are among the newest varieties. Tropical fruits such as pineapple, orange, mango, star fruit, bilimbi, lychee, sapodilla and even tomato are also promising and potential candidates for fruit vinegar making.

OK, let us have this as our take-home message from this article…

Next time you plan to cook with vinegar as one of your ingredients, try replacing your traditional white vinegar with fruit vinegar to obtain some of these notable health benefits from this wonderful cooking agent.

Occasionally, I use fruit vinegar as my cooking vinegar just to let my palate experience the exciting taste of "adobo" done with a twist.

Photo Credits: Fruit Vinegar

Manila Before WW II | A Documentary Video

2009-02-08T16:35:00.012+08:00

I do not have the slightest idea on how Manila, the Philippines' premier capital, looked like sometime more than 70 years ago…but I often wonder how.

Written stories, documented history and images were not enough to quench my thirst for the same.

Finally, I chanced upon a “motion picture” that somehow satisfied my curiosity. It acted as a window and showed me the soul I was yearning to visualize.

See it for yourself and be inspired…

Deciding To Argue Effectively

2009-01-06T15:50:00.020+08:00

Arguments are normal. In fact, they abound almost anywhere and everywhere. Moreover, they even come around the corner when you least expect them. However, whether you are the type who keeps away from war of words or the storm trooper, there are always suitable measures that may help you amplify your convincing powers.

Steve Pavlina, a widely recognized and successful personal development blogger, pointed out in his article How to Win an Argument, “The way to win an argument is to aim for a goal other than being right.”

Well, often times, the goal most people assume is to settle on terms to keep away with the argument. Compromise, if you feel like describing it. However, let me remind you that it does not always end up like this in real situations. Sometimes we act as if we have overcome a recent battle and that none of the two parties is affected, but in reality, we may have ended a good relationship, worse, lost a dear friend or a loved one, just because we overlooked some critical points that may have emotionally disturbed the other end.

The goal Steve is trying to point here is beyond coping with existing disagreement. It can be your goal on how to handle the situation. May also be the aim to understand the real motivation of the other person or party, favorable time to lend a helping hand if needed, or the appropriate occasion at which you are ready to give up, to mention a few.

"OK, assuming that I have a goal now, how can this help me succeed in an argument?"

“Good question.” Let me further help you digest the true meaning of a “successful argument”. Don’t worry we won’t be needing extra enzymes here. Just be ready to chew and assimilate the point.

Succeeding is just a bonus. The key to a successful argument lies in our ability to understand that an argument is not a competition, as opposed to what almost all people might believe. Lee J. Ballard has explained this very interestingly and I suggest that you jump to his site for further reading.

Once you are convinced that argument is not a competition then it is time for you to understand some effective ways to handle arguments.

I summarized here effective approaches I have tried, single or in combination, and collated them for everyone to study and understand. I am not an expert on arguments, but I found these tactics useful in almost every situation, whether in workplace, at home or with loved ones and friends. I hope you will find the guide useful.

Be mature and calm at all times. Being calm goes hand in hand with being mature and is paramount in dealing with arguments. Yelling, for example, during an argument, is a sign of immaturity. People always seem to shout in arguments because of anger. This is unavoidable if they get agitated and become heated during a disagreement. Always bear in mind that anger will lead you nowhere. You will likely harvest anxiety and will not help you win a fight. Stay cool during an argument and it will certainly aid you.

Avoid bad air. If the other person is in a tainted temper, you will not get your message across. Just play as the listener for now.

Put yourself in their shoes. Arguing with your boss or bosses is bound to make them feel their authority is being undermined. So let them speak and understand their intentions. Agree when necessary and let them hear your thoughts only when called for. Instead of stating your views, try asking questions that show genuine interest. You will realize what I am trying to point out here once you become the ruler of the game.

Make a plan if you must. That is if you can, write down your three main points when time permits. In this way, you will not get lost while listening to their arguments.

Never harbor on criticisms. Do not talk because you want to criticize. Keep your mind open to issues and raise your concerns constructively. Avoid resorting to irrational criticisms just to keep others from agreeing with you.

Use sympathetic body language. Cautiously embrace the same bearing as the other person and mimic their gesture. Though you may not say anything, your actions speak louder than words and can leave a lasting impression.

Discover the other person’s real motivation. Sometimes you need to read between the lines. Your friend in the workplace, for example, complains he never sees you, but the real issue could be jealousy of your new job. Try to arrest fictional reason before it finds ways to transform into a "monster". Keep your radars open.

Do not be afraid to give up. Yes, giving up does not mean you are at the losing end. It only shows you are a mature being and ready to submit. With this kind of disposition, you will feel more confident since people around will respect you…but why? Simply because you equally respect them with their opinions. At the end of the encounter, you will feel, sometimes, much better than the so-called winners do.

Arguing effectively is like memorizing a song or a dance step. Yes, it is an art, so to speak. It does take practice and patience to use these types of approaches, but trust me, they work like your favorite charms or amulets.

Next time you are caught in an argument, do not aim to WIN but decide to handle it effectively, instead.

What’s on your mind? Care to share your thoughts? Do you agree on this guide or you have other experiences to share? Feel free to leave your ideas.

Photo Credits: Sports and Marriage

Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion

Can Money Buy You Happiness? | Learn From What Experts Say

2008-12-24T15:29:00.012+08:00

They say "money can't buy you happiness" but researchers have proved otherwise. In fact, this is what the lead researcher from the University of Warwick in England, Professor Andrew Oswald, has to say, "The more you get...the cheerier you'll become. Large sums are better than small sums."

Here are some highlights he found out from his study among 9,000 families in Britain throughout a ten-year period.

A small amount of money is not going to solve a major health problem or solve a major psychological problem, but will somehow improve one’s psychological well-being. This assumption was based on the findings they gathered throughout the decade from a number of people that had windfall of cash. His team used this to measure individuals' psychological health using standard strain indicators to gauge their levels of happiness.

The survey also suggested that women tended to be happier than men and that happiness followed a U-shaped pattern in our lives. From birth, happiness slopes downwards to a lowest point in our 30s, then things start to improve from our forties and continue to recover and increasing steadily up to retirement.

While it was evident in the study that money in a way could provide happiness, Oswald was keen to stress that money was not the only factor affecting good mental health or it was necessarily the easiest route to contentment.

Glenn Firebaugh, a sociological researcher at Pennsylvania State University, found similar findings and elaborated in his work that money through income was important in determining happiness. However, physical health was the best single predictor of happiness, followed by income, education, and marital status. His team also found a relative income effect, and that is, the richer you are relative to your age peers, the happier you will tend to be.

Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project has a different point of view. “The secret to using money to buy happiness,” she declares, “is to spend money in ways that support your happiness goals.” “There are ways to spend money that are likely to help give you enduring happiness,” she explains further.

I know we have been told differently but these views and findings will certainly make us think twice.

I am not trying to say only the rich are happy or you can only be happy if you have tons of money. Many people are happy. But, if you have lots of bucks, it’s likely that you’re going to be even happier. Why? Because money breeds optimistic attitude and optimism is a major factor in happiness.

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Photo Credits: Money

What Piggy Banking Taught Me?

2008-11-17T12:47:00.027+08:00

Do you remember if you were piggy banking while you were young or growing as a kid? Think about it! Most adults have fond memories about their childhood piggy banking adventures. Later in life, these adults would tell children their personal stories on how they were first introduced to saving money using piggy banks to encourage the habit of saving. This practice continues to live on even in this time of modern-day banking, though historians speculate that the concept of a piggy bank started in England during the Middle Ages. It may come in different forms, classical or modern yet the principle remains the same.

Let me tell you my personal story then…

At an early age, I was told that if we want to buy something we have to save for it. At first, I find this a bit obscure since if my parents or relatives want they can anyhow set aside an ample amount of money to buy the things we always desire to have as long as we don’t cross the family’s financial boarders. Little did I know what they were trying to instill in us was money management lessons. Because I was so persistent, I asked them how such a kid like me could possibly save money and buy for the things I like to have. This argument led the way to my early training on piggy banking.

Alkansya is the Filipino term for piggy bank. It may come as the literal pig-shaped jar made from ceramic, porcelain, clay or in various innovative types such as empty containers from evaporated milk, baby powder, coconut shell, wide-mouthed bottles, a portion of bamboo trunk, etc. It has an overside opening to where the coins are inserted. Traditionally, it must be broken open in order to retrieve what has accumulated.

From the meager baon (allowance) I regularly received, I had to save a few cents for my piggy bank religiously. "Make sure you stuffed it up." My aunt Tintin even reminded me one time. Stray coins lying on the road or elsewhere, earnings from different errands and gifts from loving uncles and aunts also went into my piggy bank. Unspent money from my birthday and Christmas gifts likewise found their way into my piggy. It was tough at first but it always thrilled me every time I dropped a coin. In no time, regular dropping became a second nature to me. Days went by, only when the piggy bank got heavy, did I gather up the nerve to shatter it to find out what I have amassed after a long period of sacrifice. Then I spent hours thinking of the best way to make that money last. I wanted to get the most out of it. I forgot that the reason for this exercise was for me to buy everything I want. I was determined because I had a goal to fulfill. But then again, the goal was not to spend but to save. I think that was how I first learnt about the value of money. It is hard to earn money and therefore I just need to be mindful on how I should spend it wisely.

My inclination to save using piggy bank continued until I was ready for something big. Something for the teenagers, so to speak. This time I was introduced to the real world of banking. My aunt Isabel who was an entrepreneur and often went to bank to carry out various transactions guided me to open my first savings account. I was in ecstatic mode while I was telling my father and mother about the experience. They reminded me, however, that while saving brought enjoyable training to me I should also imbibe good spending habits and bring these lessons along until the day I mature. They even pointed out that with this wisdom I could not go wrong with my personal finances.

Today as I look back, I exactly know why managing personal finances have never been a big deal to me, only because piggy banking taught me many lessons I carried on while I was growing.

So if you are trying to teach your kids the importance of money, start with piggy banks then get them a savings account later when they are ready. Let them understand the basics of savings before infusing a more complicated concept. This is a great way of developing in your child an appreciation of the value of money. Create the “money-smart” attitude in your kids and watch them start financial planning at an early age.

Do you have exciting stories to share about piggy banking? Why not share them with us?

By the way, did you know that piggy banking also applies to adults?

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Photo Credits: Piggy Bank

Learning the Fine Art of Haggling

2008-10-19T13:55:00.018+08:00

One of our major objectives whenever we go to market to buy goods we need is to bargain as much as we can. I guess this is human nature in the sense that we always anticipate the reward of gratification after being able to fulfill this goal. But, did you know, there are effective ways to execute haggling in such a way a win-win game is reached between us buyers and the vendor?

At a very young age I was exposed to this activity as my aunt Isabel would always tagged me along to bring the basket for her while she carried on her buying routine. During the process, I vividly remember how she politely persuaded each vendor on the stuff she wanted to buy. And from here I learned my early lessons on how one can effectively bargain without leaving an arrogant impression to the seller. In fact, Tita Isabel would always tell me that in haggling, for as long as you do it right, one can even win respect and that this translates to good business relationship with the seller in the long run. In the local Filipino dialect, this relationship is termed “suki”. It means a regular customer, a frequent buyer or a loyal shopper. She also pointed out that one who does not haggle leaves a rude impression to the vendor. It is a sign of economic arrogance, she added.

From this simple yet remarkable lesson I learned from her, I am sharing with you the tricks she handed on to me.

Never negotiate the price of an item you do not intend to buy. Bear in mind that this is unfair to the seller and to other buyers who are interested on the same item you like.

Be rational and not selfish. In order to stay in business the seller must make profit, so do not make offensive discount demands. It will be easier to work with if the seller believes that your intentions are genuine and not just trying to cheat him or her.

Be calm and polite at all times. Keep in mind that your goal is to get the best possible deal you can. Be cautious enough with your actions so that the seller will be convinced that you really are interested on the item you are negotiating.

Do not forget to say THANK YOU. You are completely aware that not all attempts will be successful. It is very important to thank the merchant even if a desirable negotiation is not triumphantly reached. Most sellers will appreciate this approach more than an abrupt exit. This attitude will create an outstanding impact that a vendor will always seek ways to help you close a good deal the next time you come around.

There you have it folks. I hope this lesson has somehow convinced you that there is really a fine way to haggle.

Best of luck in the future as you practice haggling using these simple tips.

By the way, I have repeatedly used these tricks. Trust me! They do really work.

Happy weakened!

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Photo Credit: Haggling

Turmeric | Meet the "Queen" of Spices

2008-10-05T10:56:00.017+08:00

Turmeric (Curcuma longa), a botanical relative of Ginger, has long been valued in almost all parts of Asia as the “Queen of all Spices” due to its various food and industrial uses as well as for its powerful healing properties.

It has been used for over 4000 years in India, where it was most likely first utilized as a natural coloring for foods and dye for fabrics. Locals and villagers concocted turmeric with other plant pigments and made paint for various folk painting traditions. They also used the paste in painting their doorways to ward off insects.

Turmeric has also wide applicability in cosmetics. Traditionally, Indian women rub turmeric on their cheeks and other parts of their skin to produce a natural golden glow. They do this in many celebrations but most especially as an aesthetic ritual prior to their wedding. Washing in turmeric improves skin complexion and reduces hair growth on body. For this reason, turmeric is considered as a natural depilatory. The oil and extract of turmeric leaf is used as sunscreen while turmeric powder combined with milk is an effective cosmetic combination that acts as pure cleanser for stubborn acne and in restoring or maintaining youth by controlling wrinkle formation.

As spice, turmeric, finds its application in cooking by adding distinctive yellow color and a warm, mild flavor to foods. It is most familiar in Indian and other Asian curries and found in American prepared mustard. The mellow flavor and stunning color that primarily characterize turmeric make it an absolute substitute to the most rare and expensive saffron. Although many discriminating experts maintain that it may not impart the same distinct taste, it is often used as the appropriate alternative to enhance or mask the blunt character of food when the very dear saffron is out of reach.

But, why do I know this? Let me cut the story of the “Queen” for a while and pull in a short tale on how I first learned about turmeric’s utility in cooking.

My first encounter with turmeric was when my late mother introduced to me her famous biringhe (Pampangueño’s version of Spanish paella and sometimes fondly called aroz a la valenciana). It is an “all-in-one” rice recipe made of savory sticky rice cooked with coconut cream, chicken and liver topped with slices of boiled or salted eggs and raisins. According to her, the dish can be made delectable and appetizing even in the absence of the very dear saffron. With turmeric around, she emphasized while I interestingly watched her prepare the popular local delicacy,there is no reason you can’t make the best biringhe in town. I took her word and whenever we have the chance to cook her specialty we don’t panic if saffron would not make it as an ingredient.

OK, back to where we were before I intentionally changed my gear. The story about the “Queen” of the spices, right?

Moving on, we will now discuss the medicinal properties of turmeric.

Turmeric, with the flavonoid curcumin as active component, is an amazing spice. It is well recognized to possess many potential medicinal properties.

Scientific investigations suggest that curcumin is a potent antioxidant that may help prevent breast cancer as well as prostate, lung and colon cancers. Turmeric is likewise useful for all inflammatory disorders and for autoimmune conditions. Some forms of arthritis are caused or exacerbated by inflammation and free radicals, so turmeric may help. This is perhaps the reason why some villagers in Asia are recommending turmeric to help alleviate pain attributed to arthritis. It also may have a role in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. A number of animal studies have shown that curcumin blocked the formation and accumulation of amyloid plaque that characterizes Alzheimer's. Indians appear to have the lowest rate of Alzheimer's in the world, possibly because they eat turmeric with almost every meal.

Recent research has shown that dietary turmeric may combat underlying cause of obesity, help with some complications of diabetes, help lower blood cholesterol levels and has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis.

Although these exciting revelations are starting to surface, we can’t simply discount the many traditional uses of turmeric that were long adored by our forefathers.

Turmeric purifies the blood, aids digestion of protein and promotes proper metabolism. It is used in the treatment of fever, mild stomach upset & ulcers, infection, dysentery, jaundice and other liver & gallbladder problems. Ancient Chinese physicians used turmeric to treat chest congestion, menstrual discomforts, depression and many more ailments. Indians used it as a readily available antiseptic for cuts and burns. For thousands of years, Ayurvedic doctors have recognized turmeric as a key balancing and detoxifying herb. In fact, the Ayurvedic text recommends a daily dose of turmeric to boost the body’s immune system. The inhalation of smoke from burning turmeric is also said to relieve hysterical fits.

Aside from these many healing attributes, turmeric is also very rich and an excellent source of alkaloids, B vitamins, essential minerals (iron, manganese and potassium), dietary fiber and protein.

Overall, turmeric appears to be not only useful in cooking curries and perhaps my mother’s biringhe, as you have learned from these compiled notes. It is collectively a wonder spice more than deserving to be hailed as the “Queen of all Spices”.

What do you think? Do you have other interesting stories to share on turmeric?

Feel free to leave your comments and share this information to your friends and family.

Photo credits: Turmeric

Mushroom: The Mighty Fungus

2008-08-25T14:48:00.022+08:00

Did you know that the “ugly” name associated with mushrooms is not bad at all?

Now, that sounds interesting.

Come, let me walk you through some interesting facts about the mighty fungus.

Mushrooms are known in the scientific community as fungi. And when we hear of fungi we tend to imagine very awkwardly. This is because we are more familiar with the disease causing type, which brings many health troubles.

Let us temporarily depart from this thought and try to converge as we journey towards unearthing the many secrets of this mighty friend of ours.

Well, mushrooms have been used for many years both as food and for medicinal purposes. People across the globe consider them as vegetable (although they don’t have chlorophyll – essential botanical characteristic of vegetables) or herb, but our Chinese neighbors treasure them as health food. Of the 14,000 over identified verities, only about 3, 000 are edible, around 700 have known natural medicinal properties, and less than 1.0% are recognized as poisonous.

Wow! Isn’t that too much for us to understand?

OK, I’ll make it simpler for you.

Mushrooms for Food

Mushrooms have been used for food throughout recorded history.

The Pharaohs considered mushrooms as delicacies and food for royalty while Greeks regarded them as strength-giving food for warriors during battle. Romans served them as “food of the gods” on festive occasions [1] [2] [3].

For these reasons, many believed that mushrooms had properties that could produce super- human strength. Consequently, they were considered as very pricey commodity.

Back in the province where I grew up, various dishes made from mushrooms are some of the favorite delicacies served specially during rainy seasons, when they are abundant. My grandmother and aunts would always advise us young kids to feed on mushrooms while they were plenty. According to them, mushrooms are packed with various types of nutrients known to make humans healthy and strong. It is for this simple reason, they would add, that dwarfs are strong and clever, as well. Delighted with this story, of course, we can’t help but convince ourselves to consume any mushroom preparations served on us.

Well, this is not a fable at all, maybe they were just handing down to us the information they learned from their ancestors in the form of tales to entice and encourage us to submit to their persuasions. Ah, kids are really difficult to win over especially when they think that mushrooms are some type of vegetables.

Today, some types of edible mushrooms are available all year-round through commercial cultivation and are widely used in cooking especially in many notable cuisines around the world. They are used for soups, sauces, garnishes, gravies, stuffing, and raw in salads. They combine well with various types of vegetables and the combination usually comes out very delectable.

Nutritional Value

Mushrooms are a great source of essential and valuable minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and selenium, nutrients often lacking in our highly processed-food diets. In addition, many species are high in dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble, and provide considerable amount of group B vitamins, ascorbic acid and vitamin D. Mushrooms, likewise, contain nearly no fat and zero cholesterol and are naturally low in sodium [4] [5].

Fresh mushrooms have about 13-46 % crude protein from their fruiting bodies [6]. This is less protein than animal sources, but more than most plants. Interestingly, mushrooms proved to be good sources of almost all essential amino acids when compared with common vegetables [7] and even contain amino acids that are scarce in grains [8].

What does this mean?

With this information on hand, we can freely combine mushrooms in our daily meals with much less worries on elevated blood cholesterol, sodium, triglycerides and sugar levels later on.

Medicinal Properties

Like most fruits and vegetables, fungi, specifically mushrooms, are also naturally blessed with potentially bioactive components known to alleviate various types of medical maladies.

I enumerated 10 of the most common edible medicinal mushrooms for your reference.

Here they go...

1. Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)

Collaborative American & Chinese study demonstrated that increased intake of white button mushrooms may promote innate immunity against tumors and viruses through the enhancement of a key component, natural killer (NK) cell activity.

2. Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinus edodes)

Shiitake is one of the best known and well characterized mushrooms used for medicinal purposes. Lentinan, a highly purified polysaccharide fraction extracted from Shiitake mushrooms, is an approved natural anticancer drug in Japan. Shitakes was also found to lower blood pressure and the bad LDL cholesterol.

3. Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)

Proteoglycan fractions from oyster mushrooms were found to exhibit anti-tumor and immunomodulating effects in a research conducted at the Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology. Oyster mushrooms are, likewise, a natural source of statin, a cholesterol depressing drug. Studies have shown that they typically contain 0.4% to 2.7% statins on a dry weight basis.

4. Enoki Mushroom (Flammulina velutipes )

Enoki mushrooms contain a powerful polysaccharide called flammulin. Japanese and Chinese researchers have reported anti-cancer and anti-tumor activity from extracts containing this water-soluble polysaccharide. It is believed that the abnormally low cancer rates in Nagano, Japan (the center of enoki cultivation) are related to the high consumption of enoki in that region. Enoki is also thought to stimulate the immune system and be anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Blood pressure lowering and cholesterol lowering compounds have likewise been found in Enoki. Other research indicates that enoki may be useful in treating lymphoma and prostate cancer.

5. Paddy Straw Mushroom (Volvariella volvacea)

The straw mushroom is one of the common edible mushrooms and is widely cultivated in Southeast Asian countries. It has been reported to produce a hypotensive response in animals including humans. They have been used, as well, as an auxiliary treatment for cancer and diabetes patients.

6. Wood Ear Fungus “Black Mushrooms” (Auricularia auricula )

Wood Ear Fungus is widely used for its medicinal properties for many centuries in China. It is particularly useful in treating hemorrhoids, agina, diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems. Additionally, regular consumption of this type of mushroom in small doses proved to be beneficial in preventing strokes and heart attacks. Other findings from modern medecine suggest that it can also be used to lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides, cure diabetes and cancer, and reverse ageing.

7. White Jelly Fungi (Tremella fuciformis)

Known as the white jelly fungus or silver ear, is one of the most significant of the medicinal mushrooms, with a long tradition of healing in China. The extracted polysaccharides from tremella are proven to enhance cellular and immune function. White jelly fungus is also used in Chinese hospitals in conjunction with chemo and radiation therapy and for the treatment of hepatitis. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), silver ear finds its specific action on the lungs, used for coughs, asthma and bronchitis in a one-month daily use program. It is recommended for anyone smoking tobacco or other herbal products. Clinical research has also shown the fungus to be antidiabetic, antitumor, hepatoprotective, cholesterol reducing, to slow aging and prevent osteoporosis by enhancing calcium absorption.

8. Nameko (Pholiota nameko)

As with all other edible mushrooms, Namekos also have medicinal properties including immune boosting and cancer fighting properties, with up to 30% cancer fighting success rates with full recoveries worldwide. In a separate study, conducted at the Tokyo National Cancer Research Center in Japan, hydrothermal extract of nameko has been shown to suppress tumor proliferation by as much as 86.5%.

9. Monkey Head Fungus (Hericium erinaceus)

Also known as pom pom mushrooms. Hericium erinaceus is best known for its traditional use in treating chronic ailments of the stomach and digestive tract, as well as nervous system disorders. Other reported medical benefits include improving and protecting liver functions, restoring the body's natural strength, reduces cholesterol, lowers blood pressure and inhibits cancers and tumors.

10. Ganodrma - Reishi n Japanese or Ling Chih/Lingzhi in Chinese (Ganoderma lucidum)

Ganoderma is a commonly used Chinese herb and an important ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal formulations for immune dysfunction related illnesses. It has six species in the category of medicinal mushrooms of which have been reported to contain an estimated of more than 200 active elements having specific medicinal properties. Recent study carried out at the Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ehime University in Japan, have revealed that it can help prevent the spread of cancer, especially of the prostate, breast, liver and spleen. Other properties of Ganoderma such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, antidiabetic, anti-hypotensive, and protective of the liver have also been documented. Like the majority of edible medicinal mushrooms, Ganoderma was found to inhibit platelet aggregation, and to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

You see, many mushrooms thought merely as palatable food ingredient have been shown in many studies to have surprising medicinal properties. Yes, the humble mushroom could be a veritable source of natural remedy that can help promote health and longevity.

There you go, folks. I hope the reading time you spent on this rather lengthy article brought some enlightenment on the many nutritional and healthy benefits of this small yet mighty fungus.

What do you think? Are you just like me who needed a good old tale to believe that mushrooms are indeed “giants” sitting in the backyard? Do you despise mushrooms like Voltaire and Alexander Dumas?

“I confess that my stomach does not take to this style of cooking. I cannot accept calves sweetbreads swimming in a salty sauce, nor can I eat mince consisting of turkey, hare, and rabbit, which they try to persuade me comes from a single animal . . . . As for the cooks, I really cannot be expected to put up with this ham essence, nor the excessive quantity of morels and other mushrooms, pepper, and nutmeg with which they disguise perfectly good food.” Voltaire (1694-1778) [Pen name of Francois Marie Arouet]

"I confess, that nothing frightens me more than the appearance of mushrooms on the table, especially in a small provincial town." Alexander Dumas, early 19th century

Think about it!

Don’t be a stranger. Feel free to share your thoughts.

Photo Credits:

Button Mushrooms

Rosemary Chicken & Mushrooms

Growing Gourmet & Medicinal Mushrooms

Why Hobbies Are Good for Us?

2008-08-03T11:39:00.018+08:00

During my high school days, I had the pleasure of collecting and exchanging stamps for a hobby. It was indeed a very rewarding past time for me since I always felt like I was acquiring unique pieces of treasures whenever a new stuff came my way. What excited me most, however, was when the new addition was acquired through “hard labor”, like I had to do some research or assignment for a senior student in order to obtain an allegedly rare stamp that was completely strange and unfamiliar in the group of collectors where I belong. Boy, it was really gratifying. I managed to continue the hobby with more passion and sense until now but still fairly puzzled on what benefits do I get from being a self-proclaimed philatelist, though it is evident to me that I am absolutely enjoying the flair and tricks of the trade.

I realized later, with the help of my researches & readings, that a hobby when enthusiastically enjoyed becomes not only pleasurable but also therapeutic.

Hobbies reduce stress, says Alice Domar, director of the Mind/Body Center for Women's Health at Harvard Medical School. They distract you from everyday worries: If you're focused on the pottery you're making, you can't fret about work, says Domar. And knitting, or anything requiring repetitive motion, elicits the relaxation response, a feeling of overall serenity, marked by lowered blood pressure.

Likewise, hobbies provide a calming sense of control, says Domar, and research suggests this strengthens immunity. You may have little say at work, but when you're woodworking, you're in charge. You get the credit -- and satisfaction -- of a job well done.[1]

We recognize that physical activity extends life, but less active recreations, like cognitive relaxation, are healthy as well. A study published in the The New England Journal of Medicine found that those who engaged in cognitive leisure activities, such as reading books or newspapers, writing for pleasure, doing crossword puzzles, playing board games or cards, participating in organized group discussions, and playing musical instruments, were likely to decrease risks of developing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia in the elderly.

Hobbies like painting and other forms of artistic expressions are likewise demonstrated to have some influence on enhancing our well-being. This was eloquently pointed out in the article The Healing Power of Art written by Christina Grant. It emphasizes that if creative forces or energy inherently present in human body are repressed or held inside they will likely manifest negatively or take other forms such as depression, anxiety, anger, rage, cysts, tumors, and other growths in the body.

These combined evidences clearly suggest that hobbies in whatever form have to be kept or cultivated in order to enjoy good health and life as a whole.

By the way, do not forget, though, that blogging, which is a form of "writing for pleasure", is a cognitive type of hobby and is certainly beneficial to our health.

What do you think? Do you agree with these findings? Do you have a hobby that you think is not worth holding on?

Feel free to share your thoughts.

Related Health & Wellness Articles:

Guava: A Natural Source of Disease-fighting Antioxidants

Go Nuts!

Cinematherapy:Is Watching Movies Beneficial to Your Mental Health?

What Makes Filipinos Happy?

Photo Credits:

Stamp Collecting

People To Have Hobbies

I Need A New Hobby

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Guava: A Natural Source of Disease-fighting Antioxidants

2008-07-19T12:03:00.011+08:00

Recent scientific investigations have shown that guava, compared with other tropical fruits, is packed with high-grade antioxidants such as Vitamin C, lycopene, carotenoids and polyphenols.

Let us recall for a moment what these antioxidants do to our body.

Antioxidants are “superstar” chemicals recognized to help reduce the incidence of degenerative diseases such as arthritis, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, inflammation and brain dysfunction. In addition, antioxidants were also reported to retard ageing.

Of course, we want to know how we can easily get hold of these friendly antioxidants from the “little” fruit we all are very familiar with.

Are you all excited? Here it goes…

To obtain these powerful benefits of antioxidants in Guava (Psidium guajava L.) -- which comes in a variety of shapes (round to oval) and colors (white to red), one should take the fruit when they are about to ripen for polyphenols, ripened for Vitamin C and the yellow to red variety for lycopene and carotenoids.

Hmmm…sounds really simple, ha. However, do we have a clue weather the guava we are taking is the quality that provides all these benefits?

Definitely, there is, my friends.

Good quality guavas should be firm and free of bruises. Ripe guavas should exhibit a fragrant fruity aroma. They will continue to ripen after harvest and should be stored at room temperature unless it is very ripe and should be refrigerated.

As a growing kid, back in the province and during my food biochemistry sessions in college, I am completely aware of the high amounts of Vitamin C in guava, but this additional information is certainly a new welcome to my ever growing functional foods dictionary.

What are you waiting for? Start loading your regular meals with guava to harvest these many health benefits.

And, YES! Don’t forget to leave your comments and reactions if you found this article at all useful.

Praises & Reviews for StitcheS™

2008-07-18T15:36:00.002+08:00

“An excellently laid out blog with tons of valuable information. Very well written articles and a lot to look at.”
- George Tsoukalas, Certified Life Coach and Founder of ithinketh.com (New Jersey, USA)

“A blog that contains tons and tons of information which is very useful to all types of readers. This is basically the description that I have for "StitcheS™: The Blogzine for Everyday People". It contains articles from the personal experience of the author, to some everyday life tips, to informative articles on health, food and much, much more. Well, it is indeed one good blog.”
– David Delano D'Angelo, Accountant, Writer and Blog Reviewer (Bulacan, Philippines)

“It is really a good blog. A rare find indeed.”
- Singaporean Entrepreneurs (Singapore)

“Interesting concept and content is good and well written. Enjoyed reading the content and surfing the site was easy.”
- Margaret Stockley, Teacher of TriYoga & Meditation and Co-Author of All Knowledge Is Within (Massachusetts, USA)

“This is a well balanced blog with loads of info. Articles are well written and thought through; they are informative and really get you thinking.”
- George Serradinho, Programmer, Analyst, Webmaster & Owner/Publisher of Serradinho Blog (Johannesburg, South Africa)

“Your writing is very informative and interesting. I think you have a great teaching style and hope many will read and learn.”
– A New Chapter for Balsam Ponds (South Carolina, USA)

“Very informative site. Great work! I enjoyed reading your posts.”
– All About The Garnaat Family (Delft, The Netherlands)

“I had to bookmark this site being it was so informative. Nice stuff indeed. I am sure you will appreciate.”
– CieAura (California, USA)

“His writing is impeccable and his topic of discourse, while they can range from the mundane to the sublime, is never ever boring. He really makes you think twice about what you do, from the really simple everyday things to the more obscure. It is not just facts sharing or diary journaling either. Nor is it just funny or bizarre lists of everything on the web. We definitely have to say that this is the first “thinking man’s blog” that we have encountered so far.”
– Blog2U (Manila, Philippines)

“I like this! It is a great on-line mag! I appreciate blogs that have a clear-cut purpose. I like that the "articles" are short and relevant...keep up the good work!”
– Insanity & Bliss (USA)

“Very nice site and design and some very interesting articles.”
- Fannox (Romania)

“Very informative magazine, keeps you up to date on everyday issues such as health, lifestyle, finances and dealing with confrontations.”
– Catch The Deals Here | A Movie Store (Arizona, USA)

“Nice site. Lots of info to keep you reading. Good work!”
– Nicole’s Visions, Artist/ Photographer (Washington, USA)

“Great site covering a variety of subjects that are informative and well written.”
- Soul-Sisters (United Kingdom)

“Very realistic site with many subjects.”
- Stuff Could Always Be Worse (Georgia, USA)

“Great on-line magazine! It covers many great topics.”
- The Breathing Post (Minnesota, USA)

Go Nuts!

2008-07-12T20:06:00.006+08:00

No! I am not asking you to go crazy. I am just excited to share what I have confirmed regarding the health benefits of including nuts in your regular diet. Yes! You heard it loud, clear and right. Loading your daily diet with this “hard” fruit can actually help put your health in better shape.

Do you believe that? Come join me and let us learn from this…

Researchers found that people who eat nuts regularly have lower risks of heart disease.

In 1996, the Iowa Women's Healthy Study found that women who ate nuts more than 4 times a week were 40% less likely to die of heart disease [1].

A past Harvard study, reported in the September 2006 issue of Longevity, found that women who ate at least 142g of nuts a week, were 35% less likely to have a heart attack than those who ate less than 28g a month [2].

In the U.S. Physicians Study, Harvard researchers discovered that men who consumed nuts 2 or more times per week were 47% less likely to die from heart attack and had a 30% reduction in risk for heart disease [3].

Surely, nuts are fatty, but these fats are the “good” kind - mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3) which have all been shown to lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

Nuts, likewise, are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are also rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Preliminary studies show they may even help prevent certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes.

So grab a handful as a snack, toss some in your salads or work them into your meals.

Hmmm… Before I forget, eating a broad range of nuts is best as they each have specific health benefits. Try the raw and unsalted ones and be very careful as you might be one of the unlucky folks who are allergic to nuts.

I told you… It is not so crazy to eat nuts after all.

Firefox 3.0 Now On Guinness World Records

2008-07-07T13:46:00.005+08:00

Recently, I wrote an article about the launching of Firefox 3.0 and its coinciding campaign to hit the Guinness World Records for the largest number of Internet downloads in 24 hours. The release event, I must say, was a runaway success, with more than 8 million downloads, including myself, during the specified period. From this overwhelming result, Mozilla declared victory after exceeding its initial goal of fetching at least 5 million downloads.

The official announcement on 2 July 2008 is accessible through the The Mozilla Blog stating that Mozilla today received confirmation from Guinness World Records that it had officially achieved the record for the “largest number of software downloads in 24 hours.” From 18:16 UTC on June 17, 2008 to 18:16 UTC on June 18, 2008, 8,002,530 people downloaded Firefox 3!

On the official Mozilla blog, the company thanks everyone who participated and supported the widespread marketing campaign for the Firefox 3.0. You will remember that they even made Spread Firefox where users can pledge their support for the launch.

If you were one of those who joined the campaign, Mozilla is giving back the favor, as promised, by providing you your personalized certificate so that you can show the world that you helped set a Guinness World Record.

Here goes my share...

How To Set Webmails As Default E-mail Clients Using Firefox 3.0?

2008-06-23T11:21:00.009+08:00

Not everyone who works with computers connected to the internet uses an email client such as Outlook/Outlook Express or Lotus Mail in order to send personal mails, but most internet users now are very comfortable using webmails like Yahoo Mail or Gmail as their personal mail clients.

Webmails are very popular nowadays since they practically provide multitude of advantages over their non-web counterparts. Unlimited storage, built-in virus scanner, accessibility anywhere around the globe, are just among the notable features. Of course, the main advantage is they are completely FREE.

In the past, when you click on an e-mail link in your browser, it had to have an e-mail client to launch. That method does not work if you use a service such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail as your main account.

Recently launched Firefox 3.0 came just in time to the rescue.

Watch this video from CNET TV™ blog for some quick tips and come back here for the detailed written steps on how to do it.

Here goes the step-by-step process…

1. Go to Tools and Options in your Firefox 3.0 browser

2. Choose Applications

3. Type “mailto” in the search bar

4. In the drop-down menu, choose Yahoo Mail and press OK. If you don’t have Yahoo Mail but you have Gmail, instead, proceed to step 5

5. Open your Gmail in Firefox 3.0

6. Cut and paste the string code below in your browser bar and press enter
javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler("mailto","https://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s","GMail")

7. Click the Add Application button located at the upper right hand corner of your Gmail interface. This will add Gmail as an application for mailto links.

8. Go back to steps 1-3. You will now see Gmail as one of the choices in the drop-down menu.

Now when you click an e-mail link or when you want to send interesting stuff via e-mail from your browser, it will ask you which Web mail program you would like to use as shown below.

Don’t forget to select Firefox 3.0 when prompted which browser to use for the chosen webmail client the first time you launch this application.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it proved useful.

Upload And Share Your PDFs with Google Docs

2008-06-21T14:27:00.015+08:00

Been using Google Docs for quite sometime and had been very pleased with the features it has been providing. One thing that I had been hoping, though, is that it would soon support PDF files. This is so since there are so many PDF files that land in my inbox almost every so often, coming from official and personal mails alike. I would normally read PDF attachments, download them in my desktop and store them for future use. Not only that, I convert into PDF every reference I get to download, when I am researching on line, to make the information more electronically portable and handy. You can perhaps imagine how much load I am giving my friendly hard drive with this routine. I could easily save them otherwise by using optical disk or other forms of storage media, but I would rather store them where I have always access to them wherever I go even without my own computer around. That is why I have been waiting for Google Docs to support PDF upload, at least, to enjoy this convenience.

Finally, the long wait is over! Google Docs now officially supports PDF upload.

What a relief!

Wait, there is something more. The extension is not merely for uploading PDF files. It also allows you to view, print, collaborate and share the files just like any other Google Document in your account.

There are some limitations, however. Well, this is expected, I believe, for a new and handsome baby in Google Docs.

You can't download or open PDFs from Gmail directly into Google Docs. What you can do is upload PDFs from your PC or from the Web to Google Docs. You can then open them in Google Docs, and while you can't edit them, you can at least select text to copy and paste. Likewise, you can’t share to users who don’t have Gmail accounts at the moment, but I hope Google is busy brewing something on this.

Also, keep in mind that there are some limitations on allowable size and number of files when uploading your PDFs. You can store up to 10MB per PDF from your computer and 2MB from the web in your Docs list with up to 100 PDFs per account.

What do you think, folks? Will this be useful for you?

Don’t forget to share your thoughts.

Firefox 3.0 is Coming on Tuesday, 17 June 2008

2008-06-15T09:37:00.021+08:00

Mozilla Developer Center made the announcement on 11 June, saying, “After more than 34 months of active development, and with the contributions of thousands, we’re proud to announce that we’re ready. It is our expectation to ship Firefox 3 this upcoming Tuesday, June 17^th”.

Coinciding with this event, Mozilla is also pursuing a campaign to hit Guinness World Record for the most software downloads in 24 hours.

Remember, however, if you want your participation to be counted in the “Download Day" campaign, you must download the complete version of Firefox 3.0. Updating your previous versions from beta or release candidates will not make your action officially counted. Moreover, if you are serious on taking part in this “would be” record event; you can simply hop to Download Day Headquarters. You will also receive a customized certificate by downloading your Firefox 3.0 copy from this site.

But why would I download the new version?

Well, reports revealed the new version has more than 15,000 improvements. Firefox 3.0 is faster, safer and smarter than before. In fact, Firefox 3.0 is already enjoying nearly 1.3M in total pledges from around the world, as of this post, due to these anticipated features.

What do you think?

I guess, this is going to be extremely exciting for Firefox fanatics like us.

Well folks, go ahead, calendar this day and be among the first few recipients of these new and powerful improvements of the web’s best browser.

Oh YES! Do something good. Spread the word and help other people enjoy web surfing to the next level.

NOTE:Time is fixed on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 10:00 AM San Francisco time, i.e. Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 1:00 AM Manila, Philippines time.

Urduja and The First Filipino Full-length Animated Movie

2008-06-09T13:49:00.043+08:00

Urduja (ca. 1350 C.E - 1400 C.E.) is a valiant warrior and woman ruler of Kaylukari city in the land of Tawalisi in Pangasinan (located on the west central area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf) during the 14th century. Tawalisi is believed to be a kingdom with very extensive expanse that included the vast areas up to the fringes of the Benguet mountains and the Cordillera ranges in the east of Luzon.

Her legendary existence, however, remained the subject of argument by historians up to this day in time since the only first-hand documented story given for her through the travelogue of Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan born, Islamic lawyer turned writer, is not well accepted in view of the fact that it does provide only “unverified tales”. Scholars are still in unending search mode trying to discover apparent supplementary archaeological evidence to prove the content and chronicles of the manuscript as reliable and acceptable basis of history.

Whoa, it is a question of accuracy and it sounds very intriguing.

Given that as a premise, though,nobody has discredited Battuta’s texts to the point that any of his work is dismissed as fanciful or fiction. In fact, his work has been hailed in most quarters as a “valuable record” of South East Asia at that time.

Now, rather than giving you my own piece of historical synthesis, which by the way I am not an authority on the subject, as to whether Urduja is a fact or myth, I will refer you instead to some documented citations so as to further enlighten you on the accounts of this important figure in Philippine culture and history.Excerpts from these papers are vividly wrapped around this post while the complete and detailed content are compiled below and linked to their primary or secondary sources, for your guidance.

John Smart wrote the article The Case for Princess Urduja and published it in The Bay, a Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce Newsletter (Dec 2005 - Jan 2006). This was posted also in Pangasinan Blog by kingdom_tawalisi.

In Search of a Princess written by Chit Balmaceda Guiterrez was originally published in Filipinas Magazine’s June l999 issue. Although an on line site is available for the said magazine, this particular article is not available in the archives. It is re-posted at http://www.urduja.com/, with permission, under the inspiration sub-category.

Another interesting blog on this account is found at Igorotblogger. Bill Bilig reviewed Chit Balmaceda Guiterrez’s In Search of a Princess and highlighted Urduja’s “link” to the Ibalois.

The image (original painting details: oil on canvas, 16”x13”, 1956) above is a visualization of Urduja by the Philippines' 1st National Artist in Painting, Fernando Amorsolo. This painting is currently owned by Ms. Dorothy Francy while the digital copy was sourced from cream_529’s Flickr™ photostream.

Sigh! That was more than enough for a background. Let us now proceed to the second segment of this post. I hope I did not bore you with the prelude.

Urduja is coming “alive”, once again, via the first Filipino full-length traditional (hand-drawn) and digital animated movie adaptation of the legendary warrior-princess produced by Tony Tuviera’s APT Entertainment in cooperation with Seventoon and Imaginary Friends Production.

Early reports uncovered the many years of preparing this milestone project in Philippine Cinema. Urduja took 11 years in the making, including the time when it was first conceptualized by Mr. Tuviera. He disclosed in one of his interviews that he originally planned Urduja as a TV series in 1997. The high production cost, however, convinced him to transform his dream project instead into a full-length movie a decade later.

As a full-length animation, Urduja has a running total of 85, 000 drawings shown in almost 2, 000 scenes which is equivalent to 8, 771 reels of film. The work force behind it is composed of around 400 Filipino artists in both digital and traditional animation in studios that spanned from Makati to Palawan [1] [2].

The much talked-about animated film is made more special with some of the biggest stars in Philippine show business lending their voices to the characters. Urduja is voiced over by no less than the Songbird of Asia, Regine Velasquez while her loved one, Limhang, is dubbed in by Caesar Montano. Lakanpati, the patriarch in the story, comes alive through the voice of the FAMAS hall of famer, Eddie Garcia while his favored warrior, Simakwel, is done by Jay Manalo.Other notable characters in Urduja include Wang (Johnny Delgado), Mayumi (Ruby Rodriguez), Daisuke (Epy Quizon), and the talking animals Kukut (Michael V.) and Tarsir (Allan K.).

While the legitimacy of Urduja’s possible existence is clouded with doubts in the scholarly understanding of great historians, this animated film adaptation will allow us all to remember her as the first figure to receive a tribute from technologies never imagined when she was “alive” and reigning as a warrior-princess [2].

Meanwhile, the animators of Urduja would like to strongly convey that they are not rewriting history through this outstanding venture. The storyline is fiction and whatever resemblances to names and places and events formed, created in this film version, are completely coincidental [2].

Excited? Certainly, I am. I guess many Filipinos are equally excited and can’t wait to see Urduja.Here is a sneak preview, for your viewing pleasure.

WOW! I have nothing but praises to the people behind this arduous yet very rewarding endeavor.

So folks, I encourage you to watch Urduja to witness “history” as it unfolds right before our very eyes. The movie is set to grace the big screen this 18 June 2008.

TRIVIA

The name Urduja appears to be Sanskrit in origin, and a variation of the Sanskrit name "Urja," meaning "Breath."

Tuviera said he could have produced three or even four regular live-action movies with “Urduja’s” budget.

The first movie adaptation of Urduja was shot in black and white with Pedro Faustino, Mona Lisa, Fernando Poe, Sonia Reyes, Antonia Santos & Lupe Velasco in the lead roles. It was screened in 1942 with "Princesa Urduja" as the commercial title.

Universal Studios To Rise in Manila (Philippines)

2008-05-18T09:57:00.026+08:00

Cannot help but get excited on this featured article, which I happen to dig from our office broadsheet archives. It got me so engrossed, from the title alone, and had me spending my post luncheon break reading the entire article with unstoppable delight.

The article originally came out in 7 April 2008 issue of The Philippine Star and was written by Zinnia De La Peña

Over the weekend covering week 20, I started browsing the net to find related discussions or posts mentioning the same just to verify how hot the news has become.

It was not a surprise, though, to see fellow Filipinos blogging about it on their sites. Among the few that I came across are enumerated below:

1. Universal Studios Theme Park soon to Rise in RP by Sikat ang Pinoy
2. Universal Studio Philippines from TimogForum
3. Universal Studios Theme Park soon to Rise in RP by Angat ang Pinoy
4. Universal Studios Theme Park Soon to Rise in Manila Bay Philippines by Byahilo
5. Universal Studios Manila by Docgorio
6. Universal Studios by Manila Bay Casinos
7. Universal Studios Theme Park Soon to Be Here in the Philippines by Jessie Simbulan
8. Universal Studios Theme Park in RP? by Mc Dy Happy Meals
9. Universal Studios theme park soon to rise in RP by Living in a BackPack
10.Universal Studios Manila & Manila Eye by Kegler747

Here goes the original article:

Universal Studios Theme Park Soon to Rise in RP
By Zinnia De La Peña
Monday, April 7, 2008

The arrival of a Universal Studios theme park in the Philippines is creating a huge buzz after the Genting Berhad Group secured the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.(Pagcor)’s nod for its proposed project within the Las Vegas-like Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Integrated Tourism City.

Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer Efraim Genuino said the Genting Group has committed to develop 35 hectares of the 90-hectare prime reclaimed land facing Manila Bay into a world-class tourist destination.

Genuino said the Genting Berhad Group is planning to invest $3 billion in the Manila Bay Integrated City, the Philippines’ biggest tourism development project.

The Genting Berhad Group owns the Genting Highlands Resort in Malaysia and holds the exclusive development rights of film giant Universal Studios in Asia. It has teamed up with its subsidiary Star Cruises and Alliance Global Inc., the listed investment holding firm of retail tycoon Andrew Tan, for its proposed project in the $15-20 billion casino resort complex along
Manila Bay.

Genuino said the Genting Berhard Group’s proposal includes the development of leisure and entertainment facilities including a theme park, state-of-the-art theaters, amusement and cultural centers, retail and gaming center and hotels.

Universal Studio’s movie-theme Hollywood park has 13 attractions based on movies including Shrek, Jurassic Park and The Terminator. Excluding its restaurants and theaters, the theme park alone draws about four million visitors a year.

Besides Hollywood, Universal Studios has other parks in Orlando, Barcelona and Osaka, Japan.

Another investor group, Aruze Corp. of Japan is planning to put up an integrated resort featuring a hotel with 2,000 standard rooms and 300 VIP suites; a major oceanarium targeted to be the world’s largest; theaters, a sports arena, a Holy museum and a giant ferris wheel similar to the London Eye to be known as the Manila Eye.

The Aruze Group is likewise infusing $3 billion in capital for the development of 40 hectares of land in the Manila Bay Integrated City.

Genuino said Aruze, a leading gaming machine maker known for its ties with the popular Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas and Macau, may start development of its project in the second quarter this year which may take two years to complete.

Other groups whose project concepts have been approved by Pagcor include Bloomburry Investments Ltd. of Australia which will develop 15 hectares of the reclaimed prime land, and the SM Investments Corp. (SMIC).

Bloomburry plans to build a hotel, sports arena and other tourist attractions.

Genuino said SMIC has yet to hatch a plan for the Manila Bay Integrated City but said this would be a unique concept.

Tessie Sy, SMIC vice-chair, said that aside from developments within the Mall of Asia complex along Roxas Boulevard, the company may work on something in the future to further promote the tourism estate.

SMIC, together with international hotel firms Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific and Accor will develop and manage a 350-room hotel in SM Bay City, which will be located near the SMX Convention Center.

Meantime, two administration congressmen supported yesterday the Integrated Tourism City, saying the nation should rake in billions in potential income from the project instead of growing grass on reclaimed land.

“We also need jobs. We have 430,000 new college graduates a year, but not all can be absorbed by existing companies,” Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez, House trade and industry committee chairman, said in the midst of reports that Catholic bishops are opposing the plan.

Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing said he would prefer “that we grow money instead of grass on reclaimed land in Manila Bay.”

Alvarez said the Pagcor project would put the country in a position to catch a portion of China’s increasing spending on gambling.

“Due to China’s growing affluence, its 1.3 billion people are spending $70 billion in gambling bets a year, according to one estimate,” he said.

He said the gambling revenues of Macau, a Chinese territory, increased by 47 percent to $10.34 billion last year and have exceeded those of Las Vegas.

He said the Pagcor project could also prevent rich Filipinos from going to Macau or Las Vegas and would allow them to “just spend their money here.” - With Jess Diaz

Above all this agitated press release, I simply hope the plans will materialize immediately and be transformed to the desired outputs, just like the Manila Ocean Park (MOP).

Side Trips: If this will materialize, it can no longer be said that Universal Studios Singapore , which is expecting completion by 2010, is “one-of-its-kind theme park in Asia” as Universal Studios has promised that this will be the only park it would have in Southeast Asia for the next 30 years.

Universal Studios South Korea The park would become the sixth Universal Studios theme park in the world, and the fourth in Asia, after Universal Studios Japan and the future Universal Studios Dubai and Universal Studios Singapore. It is projected to open in 2012.

Photo credits:http://www.ramada-idrive.com/theme_parks

Untimely Demise of Spotplex

2008-05-11T14:33:00.018+08:00

Few days ago, while browsing my blog,
I noticed that one of my installed widgets was missing. GRRR! You can just imagine what my initial reaction was. But wait, can you guess which I am referring about?

It was Spotplex widget for Most Popular Post which suddenly disappeared. It saddened me since I just had it up and running for quite a while. If my memory serves me right, I had it installed only early part of April 2008. Still hopeful, however, I headed over to the site and inspected what happened.

Surprisingly, this is what I untiringly got from the site

Dear Spotplex users,

We regret to inform you that Spotplex is going offline. This was a very hard decision for us and we are sure you will miss the service as much as we do.

If you are interested in our assets or in knowing more on the shutdown of Spotplex, you can reach us at support@spotplex.com

Thanks for your support.

The Spotplex Team

Condolences

Note: If you have embedded a Spotplex tracking code on your site, please remove it. You might get an error message if you still have it beyond 5/9.

Too bad, there is nothing much I can do but to rest my case.

It was unfortunate, though, since I have not made any review yet concerning this tool. It is always my routine to test first the corresponding functions of any tool that I get to add on my site before making any recommendations or review. Sad to say so, I will not have that opportunity any longer.

My sincerest condolences to Spotplex for the untimely demise of Most Popular Post widget.

April 23 Is World Book Day

2008-04-27T09:38:00.012+08:00

I am 100% clueless that 23 April is globally celebrated as the World Book and Copyright Day until I chanced upon Scott Main’s site while dropping an EntreCard. It is also known as International Day of the Book or World Book Day.

According to the World Book Day website for the UK and Ireland, the celebration, which is nearly two decades, has become firmly established as the biggest annual event promoting the enjoyment of books and reading.

Since I just discovered it now, I wish to share the information to you. Yeah, It is a bit late to blog it but for record purposes sake, now that I know it does exist, I am jotting it down.

You can hop to Wikipedia for details and history of connection between 23 April and books.

I hope my bibliophile and bookworm friends would find this information very useful.

Enjoy and keep on reading…

Free Blogger Widgets Directory

2008-04-06T10:10:00.039+08:00

By this time, you would have chosen the appropriate template for your blog, at least, from the list I provided in my previous post on Blogger Template Directory. The next step after installing your chosen template is to compliment it with adornment such as web widgets to make your blogsite more attractive to your readers and visitors. Remember, aside from useful and unique content, your blog should be, more than anything else, remarkably appealing to the eyes so that readers would find enjoyment in every visit they make in your site.

Yes, an ensemble of applicable, useful and finely crafted widgets wrapped around your site will further add delicious quality in the appearance of your blog and thus would make it more attractive and entice your readers and visitors to keep on visiting it repeatedly. With repeated visits, you are super charging your site. In effect, you will increase your blog popularity.

So, what are you waiting for?

Grab a suitable widget from the list provided below and quickly garnish your blogsite.

Recent Comment/Post - Jackbook, Beta Blogger for Dummies & Widget-Based

Tag/Label Cloud - Phydeaux3, Frivolousmotion & Wilkinsons

Archive Calendar - Phydeaux3, Ecmanaut & Romkas

Web Counter - Sitemeter, Statcounter & Digits

Social Bookmark - Beautiful Beta, Elamb & All About Adsense

Photo Slider/Sharing - Flicker, Picasa & Rockyou

Search Box - Widgetbox, Technojuice & Yahoo

Popular Post - Webweaversworld, Affiliatebrand & Spotplex

Top Commentators - Gosublogger, D' Technology Weblog & Onewebsite

Poll - Tips for New Bloggers, Quimble & PollDaddy

Of course, I am not saying that these are the best widgets you can have. The list is just a guide that you can refer to start the ball rolling.

Now, if you still feel this list is not complete, you can also head to Blogger In Draft to avail of the latest gadgets that are 100% compatible with our very own blogspot.

Wait, you can also try a host of other cool widgets from Widgets Lab.

Again, my friends, if you like you can subscribe to my RSS feeds to receive Stitches™ updates at your convenience in your mailbox.

Want to Say Something?

2008-03-15T21:20:00.001+08:00

About StitcheS™ and The Author

2008-02-25T17:42:00.021+08:00

Mabuhay!

Welcome to StitcheS™ - The Blogzine for Everyday People.

Perhaps you are wondering why I used this term to represent my presence in the blogging community.

So, to satisfy your curiosity, I am revealing to you the “mystery” behind this site name.

As a blog title, StitcheS™ is rather figurative or symbolic than literal in nature. The contents are neither about sewing, knitting, weaving nor regarding the popular experimental music group in Australia or a U.S. punk rock band. It has nothing to do with comedy or is associated with the Canadian medical humor magazine. Moreover, it is not, in any way, a review of the 1985 comedy film that depicted the misadventures of three medical students.

StitcheS™ is a metaphor. It is more often about my personal experiences, thoughts, opinions and views concerning a variety of subjects. It is StitcheS™ because the entries are like yarns weaved together to come up with a very interesting fabric. The fabric being the article or the post and the colorful threads are the narratives and facts, relating to it, combined together.

I do not thrive on yarn or fabric but I sustained three stitches on my upper right cheek when I was much younger, which is probably one of the compelling reasons why I chose the word. I would say, I am using it to my advantage.

I like gathering information and sharing them to those who I believe are equally passionate in learning new things. Instead of keeping this collected knowledge to myself, I always see to it that other people will also profit, in one way or another, from it. What makes the information contextually different, however, is I infuse some of my notable experiences in life so that visitors and patrons alike will find their reading adventures more engaging and enriching. Blogging through StitcheS™ is my very medium to accomplish this, although undeniably e-mailing in the past was the best and easiest route for me. With blogging, I do not only share the message of each post to my friends, colleagues and relatives but to the rest of the world. This is one of the major goals of this blog; to share to as many interested readers as possible.

StitcheS™ is a mixed bag blog that covers various topics about health and wellness, nutrition, lifestyle, money and personal finance, culture and history, self-improvement, books, hobbies, local cuisines, travel, family, arts, films, alternative and traditional medicine, etc. Occasionally, when time permits, the blog is also spiced with opinions on current trends in internet, science and technology. It is a nice, well I hope it is, mix of articles, photos, illustrations, clips and relevant quotes. Hence, the tagline The Blogzine for Everyday People is used to easily and quickly describe it. It is a magazine, in a blog form, desired to be somehow useful to its readers and followers.

If you like any of the topics mentioned above, I bet you will find value in this blog.

It is really nice to meet you. After all, we have a whole lot in common.

Who is Darwin?

Darwin is the principal architect of this blog. He is a Filipino, born and raised in The Melting Pot of Luzon, Tarlac City and currently residing in Manila, The Philippines' premier capital.

Aside from English, Darwin speaks Tagalog and Pampango fluently.

He completed his high school from Tarlac State University and pursued a degree in Chemistry from Far Eastern University. He was fortunate enough to continue higher studies while working and took his masters in Analytical Sciences from University of Santo Tomas.

He has worked with the local FDA for six years and took the responsibility of developing analytical procedures for determining active principals in natural products, traditional herbs and medicine, functional foods, and nutritional supplements using state-of-the-art technologies.

After his stint at the Bureau of Food and Drugs, Darwin joined a New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed company, PerkinElmer – a multinational entity dedicated in improving human and environmental health – as product line leader supporting customers through training, consultancy, assistance in development of analytical methods, lectures and tutorials on data analysis using current analytical data systems. The job has allowed him to travel across Asia, which gave him an ample amount of experience on various cultures in the region.

In addition to these tasks, Darwin also manages content management system (CMS), customer relations management system (CRM) and e-marketing database for the company’s local operation.

Fun times for Darwin are reading self-help books (on personal finance, investments, marketing, motivation and health & wellness), playing badminton, going out for a swim and honing his skills on photography. He also likes to cook, collect stamps, watch movies, chitchat with friends over an irresistible cup of brewed coffee, crawl the web and, of course, blog for StitcheS™.

StitcheS™ is the other side of Darwin and this is where he finds solitude and personal gratification outside his taxing corporate routines and demanding family responsibilities.

New Year, New Template, New Home, & A Whole New Life

2008-01-05T18:16:00.001+08:00

Making changes to a blogsite theme is rather challenging and a laborious mission, at least for an unknowledgeable site designer and a neophyte blogger like me. I consider the undertaking very similar to moving towards a new house or completing desirable renovations, where you need to contemplate and plan effectively the objectives or modifications you need to embark on. This will include, for example, color blending, images and widgets that have been perfectly implemented in the previous design. These are just among the few major items you need to keep in mind when deciding to alter your blog theme, whether you want these stuff retained or completely replace them with new ones is going to be a key assessment for you. Believe me, there are a lot more of bits and pieces you need to guard around along the process. You see, the route is rather tricky and tough.

During the period I was researching for ways on how to make the shift painless, I chanced upon an article from Beta Blogger for Dummies appropriately dubbed as Keep Widgets and Change Layout Template. You can decide to follow the instructions here or you can opt to execute the “hard way” as briefly mentioned above, that is if you think the former is fairly complicated to accomplish.

Since it is New Year, I decided to migrate to a new theme in order to give my site a new flavor and taste. I would say that one of the reasons also is because I have posted previously a directory of free blogger templates where one can choose a theme to use in a Blogger blogsite. I just felt I needed to spearhead the recommendations I made and present my site as one of the working examples of the templates available from those I enumerated.

I stumbled upon this gorgeous Minyx template from B-Themes. It is one of the first Web 2.0 layouts for Word Press that caught my attention. As you can see, it is now wonderfully re-crafted and made available for Blogger. Probably you are wondering why this site was not included in the list I gave. Well, based on my parting tone in that post, I would update the list in the event that I would uncover new and interesting sites and once friends & visitors would discover other potential pages providing the same services of which they can recommend or let me know. That is, in fact, what I would do as soon as I have collected “enough” number of references to include in the list. Yes! You need to monitor the regular update, for that matter. For now, it is going to be number one in my additional references.

In other words, New Year, new template, new home, and a whole “new life” for my blogsite!

There you go. I hope you do like the template I am using now for my blogsite.

Happy New Year!

Free Blogger Template Directory

2007-12-27T20:16:00.000+08:00

For those who are new (like me) to blogging and for those who are unhappy with the current design of their site layout, I have compiled a list of reference where you can find various Blogger templates to choose from. This list will help you decide which of the various selections of templates is most appropriate for your blog. It may not represent a complete list of available sites offering free themes but it merits a visit for those who easily get tired hunting for the perfect blog template for Blogger.

Here goes the list…

1. Blogger Template Directory. The blog author has personally tested all the templates provided in this site. The directory has about 29 categories to choose from and offers screenshot preview for each one. According to him, he only selects and presents those blogger templates that he considers to be the best free templates for blogging. You will also find in this page the designers and what are the featured templates plus you can contribute your own design if you happen to be a Blogger template designer.

2. Blogger Templates. This site has a collection of cool templates from the classic HTML format to the modern XML platform. Oh, Yes! You will also find free complimentary widgets for your template from this source.

3. Gecko and Fly. It has a nice list of well designed Blogger templates. Most are designs imported in from Word Press. The designs are primarily for HTML Blogger platform but the site owner entertains contribution from designers using the new XML Blogger format.

4. Suckmylolly. There are about 40 (as of this post) selections available for download. The entries are categorized either by themes or colors. The themes are very lively and interesting than the traditional or generic types. If you don’t find the one you desire, however, you can freely request for a customized theme according to your specifications for a reasonable fee.

5. Free Templates. Some of the cool three and two column templates are accessible on this site. Nyoba, which is one of the most popular templates, has 3 variants as of today.

6. Cool Template. Aside from the many bubbly templates available in the archive, this site also provides various instructions on how to start your own template design.

7. Blogspot Templates. This reference offers different looking templates. If you are into something more thematic, this is very appropriate for you. The templates follow themes like Yoga, Harry Potter, Desperate Housewives, Tour De France, Pink Flowers, Cityscapes taken from various places, and a lot more. You need to have a Photobucket account to host the photos as per recommendation of the author/designer.

8. Jackbook. Has a gallery dedicated primarily for Blogger templates. Some are modified templates from the classic Blogger while the rests are extracted from Word Press and recoded to work for Blogger. The author is very friendly and spends time understanding the problem of those who patronize his work. And, YES!, don't forget to say TGIF because new template day on Jackbook is Friday.

9. Blogger Templates by Caz. For those who are interested on highly graphical and photo art templates, this is the best site for you. Be aware, though, that all the templates here only work with classic Blogger interface.

10. Template Panic. This is another very nice source for three column templates. Some standard two column Blogger templates are converted and made available for three column format.

11. Pannasmontata Templates. Provides a collection of different kinds of blogger templates. All templates are created using notepad for HTML and CSS codes, Photoshop and Expression for graphics. They are tested on Internet Explorer 6/7, Mozilla Firefox 1.x, Safari and Opera and are best optimized with 800 x 600 minimum resolution or higher

12. Noipo. The source features a collection for both text-based and graphical templates enthusiasts.

13. Giselejaquenod. This is the best spot for “girly” and journal oriented templates.

14. Bloggertemplates. You can choose from the 35 template selections available to date. The themes range from technology, office, celebrity, movie, recipe, floral and a lot more.

15. Final Sense. Hosts a collection of high quality templates for Blogger. I strongly recommend that you visit the popular themes category to get a glimpse of what are the most likable across all categories available in the site.

There you have it folks…

I hope you have found the appropriate template for your blog from the list above.

If you know any other link offering free blogger templates, I will be very happy if you can advise me. I may update this list or make a new post for the second version of the directory.

What do you think?

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