AIDS Report

Dear readers,

You might want to read this alarming artcile on the rise of HIV/AIDS in our country:

Government warns versus HIV danger in MSM sector

Be Active, Be Fit

Practical tips for men for staying fit and active.

I don't need to say this over and over, but men who find themselves with huge beer bellies and in poor shape have no one else to blame but themselves. It is important to be physically active especially for men to maintain good health. Being busy at work is just a worn-out old excuse for not getting into shape. Look your best now.

Derma 101

Last week I had the opportunity to try diamond peel at one of the popular skin clinics in a mall. The cost? P500. I just want to experience the "feel" of it and I've been quite curious about this thing for some time. As the name suggests, diamond peel peels off the outermost layer of your skin called the epidermis in order to generate formation of new skin cells and to exfoliate dead skin. I just tried it once but they say you need to undergo many sessions for you to achieve a "smooth" complexion. Unfortunately, that sounds like a lot of money too - all in the name of vanity.

During my derma visit, the dermatologist gave me a diagnosis I was not aware of for many years. I mean I know it's there but I don't know what it is called and I've never visited a dermatologist's clinic until now. She told me I have syringoma. I quickly surfed the net to get more information about this skin disease. In a nutshell, syringoma is a benign lesion commonly found around the eyes (periorbital) that is due to hyperactive secretions of sebaceous glands. It is not painful nor is it particularly bothersome, but it can be aesthetically unappealing. I asked the dermatologist what is the best treatment for this skin lesion and she told me that what they can offer is to electrocauterize the lesions (sounds painful). And the cost? estimates run at around 8K more or less. (whaaat?) All that money without any guarantee of nonrecurrence or less scar formation thereafter. Actually, that electrocautery thing literally electrocutes the lesion - whether it's a wart, nevus, etc., at one application but there is the problem of scar formation post treatment and so I'm on the lookout for better alternatives.

After hours of searching the net and thinking about my predicament, I came across a website about a "noninvasive, nonsurgical, no-fuss, and painless" way to remove unwanted skin lesions. Guess what I'm talking about? It's called a cashew cream. Have you heard of RCC Amazing Touch? I'm sure you have seen this in SM Malls. This cashew cream was a product of the creative imagination of a former barber turned Pinoy inventor by the name of Rolando dela Cruz. This guy's cashew cream formulation has already reaped many awards and recognitions both here and abroad. This is your best option if you hate to go "under the knife" and so I made up my mind to try this. I went to SM San Lazaro and inquired. Oh by the way this is not a skin clinic where you can buy the product and apply it to yourself. The application of this product must be supervised by a trained skin therapist and the procedure is done inside their clinics. The moment of truth - the procedure will cost me around 5K including aftercare products and all. It's relatively cheaper than the electrocautery procedure but still quite expensive for me. The thing here is if you need a repeat application of procedure, that will cost you around 4K more or less. Ouch.

Until one day, my angel whispered to my ear that there is a similar less commercialized skin clinic offering the same service and I wasted no time to check it out. The name of this obscure skin clinic is called Herbal Solutions with branches in Farmer's Plaza in Cubao, Araneta Square in Caloocan, and one branch somewhere in Alabang. True enough it is way cheaper - only around P3K all inclusive of three follow-up sessions and aftercare products! That's a huge savings for me and so I wasted no time and grabbed the opportunity. The procedure took around 30 to 45 minutes. It is true. The procedure is "noninvasive, nonsurgical, and no-fuss" but it was painful! I was in terrible excruciating pain all those time, but I was able to keep myself composed though (grace under pain). It's like being stung by bees, hornets, and wasps, but that's a sure sign that the product is working. Apparently, cashew contains a very powerful ingredient that is capable of providing natural cauterization without the scar after. Yes, there will be scabbing in those areas of the skin treated, but this will fall off naturally after several days without leaving any trace. All that pain is worth it. Right now I have scabs under my eyes, but I can see that something has changed in the texture of my skin around my eyes. It's working little by little and I have no regrets whatsoever.

If you are considering or thinking about having a mole or wart removed from your body, try the nonsurgical noninvasive approach using topical applications of cashew cream. This is both practical and economical. After I complete the healing process I am actually planning to have two moles on my face removed using this procedure and this time it will be much less painful because the lesion is not scattered.

Go natural.

Sugar Free

I got this advice from a men's mag: Eat less sugar. For the diabetics and the overweight this should be obvious. No soda, juice, sweetened teas and coffees, sugary cereals and candy. For the rest of us it is wise to follow this advice. I for one have been quite picky when it comes to eating sweets lately although I must admit that resisting the "sweet temptation" is not as easy as you might think - especially when you're hungry. Here comes the tricky part actually. Did you know that sugar hides behind such names as:

1. Barley malt
2. Brown-rice syrup
3. Corn syrup
4. Dextrose
5. Evaporated cane-juice invert syrup
6. Fructose
7. Fruit juice
8. Galactose
9. Glucose
10. High fructose corn syrup
11. Honey
12. Lactose
13. Maltodextrin.
14. Maple syrup.
15. Molasses
16. Organic cane juice
17. Sorghum
18. Sucrose
19. Turbinado

Whew! That's a long list to watch out for. Experts suggest that we substitute high-protein snacks such as cheese or eggs in preference to starchy ones like bagels, chiffons, cakes, etc. Also, consuming fruits may also satisfy your sweet tooth cravings minus the guilt. Next time you go and buy something from the grocery be sure to check the sugar content using the above checklist.

Sunshine Vitamin

Here's another great reason to wake up early and stretch your body. According to recent studies, there is more to vitamin D than just giving you adequate bone protection - it's a potent anti-cancer vitamin too. Read this article for full details. The good thing about this is you and I can get our free dose of vitamin D daily from the sun (except during rainy days) and get protection from a host of life-threatening diseases especially cancer. I guess that will be enough motivation for me to stick to my daily briskwalking/jogging/push-ups regimen. The best time to get sun exposure I think is around 6 a.m. for 10 to 15 minutes when you don't feel burned. If you're a vampire/night shift worker who do not like the idea of being exposed to early morning sun, you may want to consider taking in vitamin D supplements either from food or pills.

Jog Your Way to Good Health

I am so blessed to have a place to jog every morning near my place. The place is beside Manila Bay (think of Baywalk) and very spacious. There is a place for aero buffs which are mostly comprised of women of all ages and a few guys too. While it is still dark, I would wake up at the sound of the alarm around 5 a.m. I tell you this is sometimes more difficult for me than the jogging itself! There were days that I have to force myself to get up and don my jogging suit. There was even a time I kept postponing the pesky cellphone alarm only to wake up at 7 in the morning. Fine. Why punish myself in the first place? Well, for a number of reasons.

1. I want to stay healthy and fit. Jogging is the easiest and cheapest way for me to be in shape. I just need a pair of comfortable shoes and shirt (and shorts too) and off I go. Metabolism tends to slow down as we age and although I do not consider myself old at 29, I still want to be fit and healthy for all that it is worth. There are many benefits you can get from jogging. It increases your energy level, tones your muscles especially the legs, relieves stress, and it makes you sweat (definitely) and therefore helps get rid of your body toxins.

2. I want to develop self-discipline. As I have mentioned above, getting up so early in the morning is hard for me especially if I slept late the night before. The self-discipline aspect of jogging not only entails that I jog for 45 to 60 minutes, it also means I have to discipline myself to get enough sleep the night before. It is hard really. Lately, I have been missing my jogging because I do not feel like jogging at all. I know I must resume my routine again and keep going (run, run, run!).

3. I have a sedentary lifestyle. I sit in front of the computer all day long. It has even become longer now that I'm blogging. My only physical exercise is to go to the bathroom everytime nature calls or go down to eat some merienda. Studies prove that a sedentary lifestyle is a MAJOR (take note) risk factor for a host of diseases like cardiovascular problems, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, etc. Scary. I may not be feeling it right now because I am young but if I keep myself like that for a little more time, then it is going to be payback time! Noooooo! (Okay, keep calm. It's not good for your health either).

4. I want to release sexual tension. Being sober for a week without masturbating, I feel a certain kind of tension building up inside my body. I don't know what it is. It's got to be the unreleased semen having a roller coaster ride inside my testicles looking for a way out! (those rats!) I believe that by engaging in any physical activity, it helps me in some way to control the tension buildup. I don't have any solid proof but I feel it is helping me in some way, and so this should be a great reason for me all the more to stay with my jogging routine.

But before anyone of you hit the jogging lane, please take this little piece of advice from me: If you are not sure about your health, consult a doctor first. And please, on your first jogging day, don't do what I did - I jogged for an hour nonstop as if some hungry cheetah was chasing me at full speed, and I ended up being so sore I could hardly walk up or down the stairs without feeling the "ouch". As a result, I was not able to jog for the next five days or so! Remember to warm up and do light stretching a little bit.

Here is a bonus: You get a free dose of the sunshine vitamin every morning. I just love looking at each sunrise. It makes me feel warm inside and it feels so good.

More bonus: You might accidentally find a cute jogging mate (hahaha!) - just kidding. Hey, mind your own business okay? Always have a bottle of water and towel handy.