Magical Minerals

How's your mineral IQ? This may not be a perfect-cocktail party conversational warm-up material, but bear in mind, you need you minerals! These body regulators play a big role in keeping balance. Minerals have been proven to prevent every major form of disease, including cancer. So if your mineral IQ needs a boost, now is the time to do it.

Many of us neglect our minerals because they don't directly contribute to our energy needs. In this fast moving world of this 21st century, energy is seen as the key to practically everything. But what about sustaining the conditions that make your energy possible? Bottom line: minerals are vital substances.

Off hand, how many minerals do you know? If your know the most important ones like calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chlorine, iodine, sulfur, fluorine, and manganese, that is a good start.

The next step is to make sure you are getting your RDA's worth. The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) was established in 1943 by the National Academy of Sciences. It indicates the amount of minerals you need daily in order to be, or to stay healthy.

Below, a checklist of some important minerals and their sources:

1. Calcium

Calcium gives you healthy bones and teeth. In fact, 99% of all calcium you take in goes to the bones and teeth. The rest helps the nerve, and aid in muscle contraction and blood clotting. Some megavitamin nutritionists claim that giving your child a good amount of calcium daily will help to make you less temperamental.

Children who are deficient in calcium are in danger of contracting rickets, while adults with a calcium deficiency may contract "osteomalacia" which is ricket's adult equivalent.

One main source of calcium is milk, one pint of which should give you almost three-fourths of an adult's daily calcium requirement. Other good sources are Cheddar cheese and green leafy vegetables such as mustard greens, broccoli, fish (especially sardines and pilchards, whose bones are eaten), sesame seeds, almonds, fortified cereals, and white flour.

2. Iron

Iron helps to form haemoglobin, the oxygen factor in your blood. The good news is, you need small amounts of it. But if serious blood loss occurs, you'll to take in a comparatively larger quantity in order to form new red blood cells.

A deficiency in iron can result in anemia, and in extreme cases it can affect your immune system. You can get iron from red meat, kidney, liver, oysters, cocoa, nuts, breakfast cereals, eggs and beans.

3. Phosphorus

Phosphorus is found in every cell in your body. It aids a large variety of blood processes including the metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Almost all the chemical reactions that occur in your body make use of phosphorus.

A deficiency in phosphorus can cause a loss of appetite, weakness, bone pain, stiff joints, central nervous disorders, and respiratory failure. You can find phosphorus in nearly all foods, especially those that are high in protein such as meat, nuts, shellfish, and chicken.

4. Magnesium

Magnesium helps you to have healthy bones and teeth, and helps in the proper functioning of your muscles, nerves, metabolic enzymes, and vitamins B1 and B2. A deficiency of magnesium can cause anxiety, muscle cramps, insomnia, and an irregular heartbeat. Some food sources for magnesium are wholemeal flour, cereals, milk, eggs, shellfish, chicken and nuts.

So know the four, and there's more. Be healthy!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rosalinda_Flores-Martinez

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6100430

image from
Vitamins and Minerals in Food Items | Medindia

www.medindia.net

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Meals For Kids

A regular meal is essential to life. It provides the basic needs of the body and the mind. As essential to growth, it is essential to a kids' well-being. Simple meals need not be expensive, as long as they are nutritious and clean. Meals must contain proper protein and carbohydrates, enough vitamins and minerals. A kid's enjoyment is in simply cooked wholesome meals in the right combinations.

Here are some tips.

Get your child one set of spoon, fork, plate, saucer, cup, glass, placemat and a towel. Make sure they are safe, with no sharp edges. Always wash the meal set after use. Store carefully.

Your child will always need three meals (breakfast, lunch, supper) and some snacks as necessary. Concentrate on eating fresh foods. As much as possible, they must be free from chemicals.

Get various fruits and vegetables in season. These fruits and vegetables in season are fresh, cheap and abundant. They will provide various vitamins and minerals to your kid's meal.

Remember what grandmothers say, "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away! Eat bananas, they are good for kids! Especially when bananas are ripe, they are good for the body. Fruits in season are best to eat!"

Porridge is good for kids. They are easy to cook. You can add small amount of cubed or shredded pork, beef or chicken in the porridge. You can also add bits of carrots or bits of green leafy vegetables.

Pumpkin soup is awesome! Boil some squash or pumpkin. Mash it after boiling. In a casserole, add some water and Knorr or Campbell mushroom soup, if you like. Mix mashed squash or pumpkin into the casserole and mushroom mix. Add some evaporated milk as desired. Add one cup of "malunggay" leaves. Your kids will surely love it! And grown-ups, too!

Cubed snacks like some sausage, rolls or cookies and crackers dipped in milk will supply them more energy for the day.

Boiled potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, carrots can be mashed and eaten as snacks, too.

You can also give cereals. Add milk and fruits.

In preparing meals, mother and nanny have to be creative. Use your imagination to whet the kid's appetite and let them enjoy eating! Know that in schools, children have one lunch and two snack breaks. You can do this schedule at home. It is important to make a good schedule for your kids to introduce them discipline at an early age.

Eat the meals slowly in relaxed surroundings. Let the kids enjoy every meal and good nutrition. Happy eating!

Grace Before Meals

Bless us, O Lord and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Grace After Meals

We give thee thanks Almighty God, for all thy gifts from thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen.


/rosalinda flores martinez. ezine articles.com
ishalleatandcook

Herbal Supplements

Folklore would not be complete without its many traditional, and oftentimes herbal medications, remedies, and healing methods. In fact, different countries have methods and treatments that are unique. The healing power of herbs - whether culled from the people of yore or learned in a 21st century lab - has effects that cannot be denied.

Among the world's earliest civilizations, food and medicine were inextricably linked, and many plants were eaten for their health-giving properties. For example, armies of slave workers who laboured to build the Egyptian pyramids survived on a meal which included a daily ration of garlic in order to ward off pestilence and fever.

Consider too, the dark age of Europe, into the medieval period, when herbs were painstakingly grown in monasteries. Each monastery had its own "Physics" garden, abounding in herbs that were used to treat the ailments of both the monks and the local folks who dwelled in the surrounding areas.

From indigenous local fruits and vegetables that are organically grown come combination of extracts for healing, stamina, and as body supplements. The mode of extraction follows a traditional method, like the fruit fermentation process, among others.

I. For treatment requiring the use of plants, take the following guides

1.Use only one plant medicine at a time.
2. Use only stainless or earthen cooking utensils (Aluminum reacts chemically with medicinal elements in plants.
3.Don't cover cooking utensil when boiling (to release toxins).
4.Take decoction either hot or cold. Strain before taking it.
5. Wash thoroughly leaves, barks, flowers, roots.
6. Individual with allergic reactions to with some plants are not encouraged to use herbal medications.

II. Herbal medication for constipation

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Have a regular time to sit down on the toilet bowl. Have a regular exercise. Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits.

Papaya/Carica Papaya (ripe fruit). Eat one big slice every morning for breakfast.

Yellow Bell. Boil 5 leaves in 2 glasses of water for 10 minutes. Drink at least 2 glasses a day.

Malunggay leaves/Horse Radish tree. Eat one cup boiled leaves with meals.

Take this caution: Remember that healing wonders of herbs are not substitutes for the doctor's prescription. Consult a doctor if necessary.

III. Check out samples of healing herbs

Healing Herb/Plant - Scientific Name

1. Sweet Basil - Ocimum basilicum L.
2. Garlic - Allium sativum Linn
3. Guava - Psidium guajava L.
4. Betel-nut Palm - Areca catechu L.
5. Betel Leaf Pepper - Piper beetle L.
6. Cocoa plant - Theobrama cacao L.
7. Black Plum, Java Plum - Syszygium jambulanum
8. China Rose, Hibiscus - Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn.
9. Ginger Lily - Hedychium coronarium
10. Carrots - Daucus carota Linn.
11. Horse Radish tree - Moringa oleifera Lam.
12. Papaya - Carica Papaya




Rose Flores Martinez

Meals For Kids

A regular meal is essential to life. It provides the basic needs of the body and the mind. As essential to growth, it is essential to a kids' well-being. Simple meals need not be expensive, as long as they are nutritious and clean. Meals must contain proper protein and carbohydrates, enough vitamins and minerals. A kid's enjoyment is in simply cooked wholesome meals in the right combinations.

Here are some tips.

Get your child one set of spoon, fork, plate, saucer, cup, glass, placemat and a towel. Make sure they are safe, with no sharp edges. Always wash the meal set after use. Store carefully.

Your child will always need three meals (breakfast, lunch, supper) and some snacks as necessary. Concentrate on eating fresh foods. As much as possible, they must be free from chemicals.

Get various fruits and vegetables in season. These fruits and vegetables in season are fresh, cheap and abundant. They will provide various vitamins and minerals to your kid's meal.

Remember what grandmothers say, "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away! Eat bananas, they are good for kids! Especially when bananas are ripe, they are good for the body. Fruits in season are best to eat!"

Porridge is good for kids. They are easy to cook. You can add small amount of cubed or shredded pork, beef or chicken in the porridge. You can also add bits of carrots or bits of green leafy vegetables.

Pumpkin soup is awesome! Boil some squash or pumpkin. Mash it after boiling. In a casserole, add some water and Knorr or Campbell mushroom soup, if you like. Mix mashed squash or pumpkin into the casserole and mushroom mix. Add some evaporated milk as desired. Add one cup of "malunggay" leaves. Your kids will surely love it! And grown-ups, too!

Cubed snacks like some sausage, rolls or cookies and crackers dipped in milk will supply them more energy for the day.

Boiled potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, carrots can be mashed and eaten as snacks, too.

You can also give cereals. Add milk and fruits.

In preparing meals, mother and nanny have to be creative. Use your imagination to whet the kid's appetite and let them enjoy eating! Know that in schools, children have one lunch and two snack breaks. You can do this schedule at home. It is important to make a good schedule for your kids to introduce them discipline at an early age.

Eat the meals slowly in relaxed surroundings. Let the kids enjoy every meal and good nutrition. Happy eating!

Grace Before Meals

Bless us, O Lord and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Grace After Meals

We give thee thanks Almighty God, for all thy gifts from thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen.

/rosalinda flores martinez

Mama Mary In A Storm. Mama Mary, pray for us.

My Two Cups of Coffee. St. Hannibal and Me (An Imagined Meal) Smile!

TEA.HONEY.LEMON

My Storm-Day Cooking. This is not pakbet (with bagoong paste); this is sauteed vegetable only, with soy sauce and calamansi. rosevoc

1 pack mixed vegebles from the market at P15.00

Some tuna

Calamansi (Philippine lemon)

Soy sauce

Procedure

Wash vegetables thoroughly.

Saute veggies and tuna in oil.

Add some calamansi and soysauce.  Serve!

My Storm-Day Cooking. Grandmother's Champorado (Porridge with Cocoa / Chocolate)

Boil one cup glutinous/sticky rice and 1 cup of ordinary rice in a casserole (water must be 2/3 over mixture). Stir mixture in low fire.  Add water as desired.  Put 6 big balls of Batangas chocolate (tabliya) or any cocoa powder as desired.   Add brown sugar as desired, but not too sweet. Carefully stir mixture till rice is cooked. When cooked, add evaporated milk or powdered milk. Say Grace before meals!

My Storm-Day Cooking. Vegetable Pesto

1/2 k spaghetti malunggay noodles

1  pack assorted vegetables mix (chopsuey) from the market at P15.00

1 can tuna (hot and spicy)

dash of pesto /basil

dash of salt

olive oil or vegetable oil

3 hotdogs (optional)

2 longganisa ( optional)


Procedure

Boil noodles.  Set aside when cooked.

Saute tuna, veggies, and other ingredients.  Sprinkle with pesto.

Mix noodles and sauteed vegetables.

Crispy Pata

Noodles

Fries. French Fries

Donuts

PIZZA

The Yummiest Cake in the World!

Meal. Thank you dear God for the food You nourish us. Amen.

I piece of bread /big size ( cream bread or pandesal)

1 jumbo hotdog, fried

Some veggies

Glaze bread with mayo, then hotdog, then pickles.  Squeeze in sandwich mustard and catsup.  Put some salt as desired.

Boil cubed/sliced chayote (2 pcs), carrot (1/2 or 1 pc.).  Veggies must just be half-cooked.  Then add whole corn kernel (1 can).  Put 2 or 3 table spoon margarine. Mix and simmer quickly.

glasses/pitcher of water

Thank you Lord for the food.  Amen.

July 2013. A Small Prayer

Dear Jesus,

You have been answering me in all the things I ask, I love you.

The people around us, next to us, those you give us, I thank you.


You have been waiting every minute that we seek you.

Your mercy, grace and love abounds us,  we need you.


In all the days of our lives, we love and praise you!

Come Holy Spirit, dear Sacred Heart, we trust you!

/rosevoc2 on roseprayers

/photography by wenzi

The Boy Who Carried The Sack of Rice

HOME

::

Self Improvement:Personal Growth

The Boy Who Carried The Sack Of Rice

By Rosalinda Flores-Martinez

What do you carry?

Books, food, or extra pair of shoes are inside your bag, and many other things.
We all carry a lot. Thank God for the stuff we carry.

This morning though, I saw a boy around 17 or 18 years old. He was carrying a sack of rice on his back.

Perhaps he was working. I assumed he was a boy to deliver rice to people and households, who were ordering from nearby villages. He had no bike, no van ride, no cart. He was just walking. Poor boy!

For awhile he stood there at the corner, and maybe he was waiting for someone. Maybe he was resting. My reporters instinct prodded me to ask him questions, but I didn't attempt because I felt I would be disturbing him at work. Instead, what I did was to stare at him from head down to his slippers. I couldn't avoid touching his arm, and said

"Can you carry it?

And he answered "Yes."

Then I distanced myself. The boy might be wondering. "Who is this woman? Why would she ask me?"

Until now, the boy's figure could not be deleted in my head. He was a picture of a boy working so hard to earn something. That boy gave me a thought about other young boys who worked well. I just feel sorry for them because they have got no parents, nor relatives to help them go to school. Maybe. There really are teenagers who should be in school right now but because of poverty they opted to work.

These problems bug many of us. Though many of us are not rich and couldn't do big things, we desire to help. But don't worry because little acts of kindness will do. Little acts of prayers will do. Little acts of help and inspiration will do. Inspiring others can be steps for them to face their own struggles in life. Kindness and inspiration can serve as light so others bereft of love or short of material property. These would move them farther, let them make their own goals, and let them live everyday with meaning.

The boy was wearing an ordinary green shirt, and for me he was a promising young man. I just can't memorize how he looked, but I could remember how he worked. For a few minutes, he carried that load of rice on his back to make our world turn. He was a true superman! He was an angel!

Dear God see the desires of every young heart, especially those who are poor.
Bless them and all those who would share little and big things to them.
Bless us in the roads we would pass.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rosalinda_Flores-Martinez

May 20, 2013. FOOD Updates

TRY
Suncrest's new special Cheez Cake with Cheezy Syrup...

You'll love it!

/Suncrest Foods Incorporated

Food: Customer Complaint

An FYI to the public -


Please try to buzz manufacturers/ stores / supermarkets especially of food (  like medicines, etc.) freshness and safety to ensure individuals /public of good health and good food all the time!


Truly, food as a basic need is essential to life so proper handling and processing must be well-cared for.


Whenever, I buy bread at bakeries along streets, I tell sales assistants or owners to let out the buzzing flies in display glass storage.  The children must eat clean bread.  We, as parents, must get our money's worth.


Perhaps, all of us have got various sad food experiences.  And while we don't want to be bothered by this - we as family builders must not let bad habits pass.  True, there could be mistakes, but once not given attention, mistakes cannot easily be corrected nor wrong habits improved.

Take note of the following:

mosquitoes inside plastics of 1 kilo or 1/2 kilo (packed) sugar

insects inside packed rice

discoloration of margarine in plastic containers

moldy cheese

breads tasting like medicine or detergent, especially those individually wrapped (  which I bought from the supermarket)

thread in cheesecake

cold  and unfresh mixed veggies (side dish) in restaurants

wrong labels and ads in sealed boxes of candies or cereals etc.

 PLEASE read expiry labels


Thank you.

/posted by rosevoc2 ishalleatandcook.may 16, 2013

Birthdays. petj

Fruits in Season. May 2013

Mother's Papaya

Mangoes

Fruit Basket by Teacher Juvy. "Sineguelas"

Fruit Basket. photo by Teacher Juvy

And Jelly Beans For All

Strawberry Shake for Summer

Strawberry Farm, Benguet

Drink Water For A Healthy Lifestyle

Our bodies need water more than ever. The recommended daily amount is 64 ounces. Most tall drinking glasses are sized about 12 ounces and individual plastic bottles are about 20 ounces. It is known that 75 percent of people are chronically dehydrated. And watch out! Dehydration is serious. Lack of water is the number one trigger for daytime fatigue. Even mild dehydration will slow down ones metabolism by as much as 3 percent. A mere 2 percent drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty facing the computer screen.

It is vital that we drink water before we even feel thirsty because thirst is already and indication that we are dehydrated. A lot of people even mistake their thirst for hunger, and about 37 percent of us do this constantly. A glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100 percent of dieters who participated in a study.

Moreover, preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of the sufferers. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45 percent, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79percent, and one is 50percent less likely to develop bladder cancer. Water clears the skin and flushes our impurities better than any other cosmetic. There are no negative side effects drinking too much water.

For some people, water is just too plain. A few lemon slices can go a long way. Nowadays, some beverage companies, have gone a step further - and flavored water, with different colors, and attractive bottles.

While plain water is always the best choice for health, flavored waters can count glass-for-glass towards the daily requirement, says a spokesperson from a beverage outfit. There are many brands of flavored water available today and vitamin filled, too. Some of bottles of it, can even be substituted for a bottle of dextrose.

So to drink or not to drink? Drink. Drink lots of water, for a healthy lifestyle.

/rosealinda flores martinez

Love

THE HOLY BIBLE:  ON LOVE 

1Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. 

Love does not demand in its own way. 

It is not irritable or touchy. 

It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.

It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. 

If your love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost.  You will always believe in him, and always stand your ground in defending him.

All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end, but love goes on forever.  

HOW TO COOK FRIED RICE

Fried rice is a variant in cooking rice. Rice which is the staff of life is the main ingredient in the different recipes of fried rice with eggs, meat, or shrimp with vegetables and scallions, among others.

Try this simple Fried Rice Recipes:

1. Traditional ( with Garlic)

Saute minced garlic in oil. Mix in cooked rice. Sprinkle salt. Turn, scoop, and blend the rice in the frying pan well.

Tip: Use a small amount of oil, but more garlic. Rice must be cooked and fried well, so as not to taste rice is just being heated.

2. Chinese

In a pan, sauté garlic, some meat or sausage, and rice (newly boiled rice or clean left over rice). Turn rice from time to time and blend well. Put some green peas and bits of carrots. When fried rice is almost cooked, add some salt, chopped beaten eggs, and bits of spring onions. Serve.

3. Thai

In oil, mix onions, garlic and some salty fish called "bagoong." Set aside.

Beat 2 eggs, then fry in low fire. Cut into strips. Set aside.

Get a green mango. Peel and slice in strips. Set aside.

In another pan, saute with garlic boiled rice. Mix the rice well. Add sautéed salty fish "bagoong." Again, blend well. Set aside.

In a serving plate scoop the fried rice, top it with eggs (strips) and put green mangoes on the side. Serve.

Cooking fried rice is fun. It is just frying rice in many ways and styles. It is easy cooking and with lots of variations to create. In supermarket shelves, ready packs of cooking mixes and herbs are available. You can even find the ready mixes and simply pour it to the rice in pan, and you've got a ready fried rice.

Tip: Don't make cooking, too oily. Butter and 1 teaspoon oil will do.

Rice Trivia:

Some old folks say that rice probably originated from wild species of grass that grew along the shores of lakes in Africa, India and Southeastern Asia.

There was also a legend that rice first came to China during a famine: Once, a young girl went fishing, and caught the king of frogs. The king told the girl to hold out her net to the sun while he croaked a magic song. The girl did what she was told. And slowly, golden light fell through the meshes of the net and there sprouted golden grains.

Rose Flores Martinez
Ishalleatandcook

Traditional Filipino Food Art And Delicacies

Traditional Filipino Food Art and Delicacies

By Rosalinda Flores-Martinez

The artistry that goes with how you package and present food affects how others will receive it. What is pleasant to the eye tends to see the palate. In one small town in the Philippines, where people are known for their sweets and fruit jam, care is taken in wrapping their sweet delicacies.

Raymond Castelo and Luz Ocampo, in Bulacan shared their traditional art. Luz has been known as the "Master in Fruit Carving and Candy Wrapper Making."

According to Raymond and Luz, "Deliciously sweet!" adequately describes the town's jam specialties made of pomelo, lime, wax gourd, breadfruit, pineapple, jackfruit, native oranges, and soursop, among others. They are preserved in light transparent syrup, and then stored in glass jars.

The artistry that goes with preparing and packaging them is breathtaking. First, the fruits are made or carved with flowers, leaves, rosettes and varied patterns. They are bottled with the design facing outwards. Imagine a store-shelf, full of jam delicacies. They look to be inviting you in a most fetching manner to crave for such delicacies.

Below, their instruction on how to prepare your own jam and candy.

1. Lime or pineapple jam
Prepare the materials and ingredients. (Lime, pomelo, sugar, fruit caver, jar, kettle, and a medium basin)
Embroider or carve the fruit with your desired design.
Wash the fruit with warm water.
Peel the fruit carefully, and slowly remove the seeds.
Soak in water for one day and one night.
Pour in syrup made from sugar to preserve the fruit.
Store in sterilized jars.

2. Milk candies made from milk and sugar. The candies are not only famous for their taste, but for their colourful, cherry wrappers, as well.
They are wrapped with Japanese paper, which are cut into stars, leaves, flowers or holiday greetings pattern producing a veritable showcase of design and color. The milk candies, which are usually just a little more than an inch long, can be shaped as desired (but commonly the familiar rectangle shape will do). Then they are wrapped in the plain portion of the paper. The long, specially designed, cut patterns are used as the outer covering. The candies can be later displayed on "fiesta" or party tables.

Candy Wrapping Tips from Ramon and Luz:

Prepare the materials needed: Japanese paper, scissors, cutter, pencil

Cut 1/4 and 1/8 sizes of Japanese paper (the 1/4 size the outer wrapper and the 1/8 size the inside wrapper).
Fold the 1/4 size wrapper into four parts, putting aside the 1/8 size.
Draw sketch of your unique design.
Cut the created design carefully.
Arrange and store the stripped designed pieces, that are now ready for use in wrapping the candies/sweets.
Indeed, fruit carving and candy wrapper making are traditionally precious Filipino food art. This old craft has successfully been passed down from one generation to the next, the next, and the next.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rosalinda_Flores-Martinez

HUNGRY AND FULL, WHATEVER

"You are what you eat," dietitians tell you repeatedly. "Okay," you say to yourself, "I'll cut down on high cholesterol food, skip the saturated fats and stay clear of sugar. Instead, I will take lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean meat." That solves the problem, right?

Or maybe you promised not to eat dinner and have a snack instead of chocolate cake, ice-cream, barbecue, just for once - because you feel hungry. And hungry as you feel, you eat almost everything inside the fridge. Then, you'll swear by the heavens "I will not eat supper tonight!" There goes the cycle.

Whatever the case, a low-fat, low-calorie diet is probably one of the best ways to stay healthy to make you really feel good about your body benefiting from all the right food. But apart from the vitamins, minerals and proteins your body is soaking up, you may be getting more than you want of chemicals and bacteria that could be in the food you eat - without you knowing it. It may surprise you to know that almost all the foods you eat contain pesticides, the long-term effects of which are not well understood.

Probably the most frightening thing about pesticides is that you cannot determine the risk they present - you simply cannot see, taste or smell these chemicals in your food, which means that nobody knows how much pesticides was in your dinner last night or breakfast this morning. There might have been none or there might been content levels considered hazardous to your health.

Another worry is the method of measuring the amount of potential danger of a substance, which is usually tabulated according to the intake of the "average person." But where eating patterns are concerned, there is no "average." Eating habits are as diverse as people, so as some of us may consume none, others may eat well above the accepted quota of toxicity-laden foods. That pesticides have boomed as big business for international corporations is no help, either.

Perhaps worst of all is the fact that children face the biggest risk of developing diseases from the ingestion of these chemicals. Having lesser body mass and density and quicker metabolism mean hampered immunity against these chemicals.

The most obvious and extreme alternative to these circumstances would be to eat organic food - that is, food grown without pesticide. The problem is with organic farming, and owing to the absence of drugs which speed up growth and guard crop against pests, yields are not too high and food is highly perishable since it is preservative-free. Hence, the less ample supply and higher cost of organically-grown vegetables and plants.

Still as hungry as before the diet? Or sticking to it like glue? Whatever the case, you'll still be eating - sooner or later, in larger or smaller quantities - foods that have been touched by chemicals. The key to everything is moderation - and in this inescapable scenario, I guess that covers the pesticides, too.

DINNER

Dinner

(Supper Time)

You are my  light,  come close –

In Trinity, we boast!

And though we are afar

We pray for peace not war.

And everyday,  we’re missin’

You and me, heaven kissin’

White host and wine,  be food

Glory to God, let all be good!

/rosevoc2.Jan. 22.2013

/ishalleatandcook.blogspot

LUNCH

LUNCH

Two candles, oh three, one candle near the kitchen.  Lights off, the candle lighting the vast space.  Silence again with coffee, ramen and banana.  Last night’s left over to garnish ramen.  Without you, a quiet lunch on a Sunday.

Those splinters of God’s light, those times our bodies, nothing came in between but thin air and shafts of light.  You were so close like my own arms.  We felt each other.  We rolled the stairs kissing mad, you and me.  Hot soup for lunch and a warm bed to sleep, I awoke, alone, hugging my pillows. 

Afternoons are like Golgotha, like hiking a mountain in a hot summer, like watching an arid field.  It is like waiting for a day to end, and a night to come, or passing time, and no one’s coming home.  Afternoons are like those times, Dad had just died, those times, I awake in my sleep, sobbing, “Dad is never coming back, but he is truly Home.”

“Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and the whole world.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and the whole world.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and the whole world.

Jesus, King of Mercy, we trust in You.” 

Rosevoc2.ishalleatandcook

BREAKFAST

January 20, 2013

BREAKFAST

Coffee boils in a cup for one and four biscuits.  I wonder what happened to the victims of fire outside the village. Wailing, fire trucks and smoke, last night;  crying and thieving, too.  The morning is silent again, and the walls, mute.  It is another day to write. 

Red and green, your vestments, the Sto. Nino, smiling inside the glass, like Infant Jesus of Prague , a morning bliss of calm and joy to a street of dark splintered memories of last night’s burning.  Why? 

‘I’m here now,” says the angel of my letters.  Those barren days of nothingness and blank pages, no thoughts, no zeal; that winkle cracked! That sadness that gripped in the afternoon of a new year, culled me turning rhythmic.  Read me again.

Don’t be friable like the biscuits in the coffee.  Smile like a child! 

O Holy Child, hear the pleas of our hearts.  Let us be like you in all the troubles of our days, serene, asking the Father and believing the hope of our faith.  Let us come to you in joy, in sorrow, in all the mornings of our hearts, light us with your smile, strengthen us with your spirit.  Wipe away all our tears.

Most Holy Child, today, we come to your in prayer. 

/rosalinda flores martinez