Breakthroughs Today

WHEN my first article came out in FIT in mid-2005, my expectation for the scope of writing was limited to physical health. But then years taught me that illness comes to our body through many avenues—the body, the mind, and the soul. A sick mind eventually breaks down the harmony of bodily processes. A soul in darkness slowly destroys the mind, and eventually manifests itself in physical symptoms. In short, we cannot take care of our physical health unless we, too, nourish our mental and spiritual well-being. American gynecologist Jeff Miller ( Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics , 1931) said: “Body and soul cannot be separated for purposes of treatment, for they are one and indivisible. Sick minds must be healed as well as sick bodies.” In the last five years in Breakthroughs... [ Read more .] This article appears in SunStar Cebu newspaper on 26 January 2011.

GERMAN philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “I teach you the Superman. Man is something that should be overcome.” For centuries, man has searched for ways to obtain power beyond the mortal limits. That impulse for the ultimate however is not exclusively humans. Bugs too have it. Last month, I hinted on the appearance of more serious drug-resistant strains of microorganisms. These are the multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. These groups of bacteria, which scientists call the “superbugs,” pose much greater risk to public health because they have developed resistance to many antibiotics. And admittedly, according to Karthikeyan Kumarasamy of the University of Madras (UM), Department of Microbiology (Chennai, India), “there are fewer new and developmental antibiotics active against Gram-negative bacteria.” Because of that, drug development programs cannot provide us with therapeutic cover in the next 10 to 20 years. Kumarasamy and a team of 20 other physicians from the univers

THIS WEEK we will cover reviews that may not have reached you: cancer-causing substances that can have you exposed as you have your hair done either by a hairdresser or a barber, or even from your personal use of hair dyes. The Lyons, France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) facilitated a meeting between 17 scientists from seven countries in February 2008 in order to address new studies on compounds, scientifically referred to as “aromatics,” a name given because of their pleasant scents. Ortho-toluidine (OTD) is a biological stain used in the production of dyes and pigments. Exposure to this compound happens mainly through skin contact. So check your skin and hair coloring products if you have this in the label. Heightened risks toward developing bladder cancer continue with regular exposure to OTD. The longer the exposure, the higher the risk. IARC classified OTD as “carcinogenic to humans.” 4-Chloro-ortho-toluidine (COTD), a known metabolic byproduct of ch

WITH the holidays behind, and the new year on, it will be a healthy year to go forward when you start it with good trim in your body fat, the natural way, or least a program geared to it. Here’s how: Be more housework involved.  The Banwell study in 2009 found that obesity related closely with little housework and gardening as well as spending more than... [ Read more .] This article appears in SunStar Cebu newspaper on 5 January 2011.

THE irony of abortion had been captured by the often funny late US president Ronald Reagan who said: “Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.” What he did not explicitly say was that those who have not been born will never advocate abortion. But here in the Philippines, despite the criminal ban, women can get away with it in droves. The New York-based human rights group, Center for Reproductive Rights, noted that an estimated 560,000 of induced abortions took place in 2008 alone. And from this mothers who chose to intentionally terminate pregnancy, 90,000 (or 16 percent) sought treatment for complications; while a thousand women died. Despite its proponents’ assertion that abortion is relatively safe when performed in clinics, once the criminal ban is lifted, it remains foolish to presume that it is. Not only because scientific trials that back up the drugs used in abortion can only assure a probability for safety, it is common sense that... [ Read more.

YOU might find it weird to talk about fasting during the Yuletide Season. But there is such a thing as the Nativity Fast. Fasting is common in the Old Testament times. But when Jesus came to establish the ancient Christian Church, he insisted on having the right intentions with fasting. Not for appearances, but for private spiritual discipline (Matthew 6:16). In this Christian tradition, fasting is required from ages 18 to 59 on certain days. Food intake was reduced to [ Read more. ] This article appears in SunStar Cebu newspaper on 22 December 2010.

NOT ALL things written must be understood literally. Many times meanings between the lines can be more fruitful than literalism. That, too, is true with red tide. A natural phenomenon known as “harmful algal bloom” (HAB), red tide does not necessarily show redness, or even any discoloration, in the affected seawater. Red tide results from... [ Read more. ]  This article appears in SunStar Cebu on 15 December 2010.