Food and Nutritional Value of Kulitis, Amaranth, Alugbati, and Talinum in 5 Articles

 Food and Nutritional Value of Kulitis, Amaranth, Alugbati, and Talinum  in 4 Articles

Kulitis, Amaranth, Alugbati

Part 1 - Kulitis: A super food!

Part 2 - Chinese Spinach and Spiny Spinach

Part 3 - 14 Health Benefits of Alugbati Leaves

Part 4 - Popeye spinach

Part 5 - Talinum

 Researched and Posted by Dr Abe V Rotor in response to queries on wild food vegetables to augment people's food and nutritional requirements, particularly the young generation.

Part 1 - Kulitis: A super food!

Acknowledgement with gratitude - avr

Kulitis as we locals call it or the Amaranth, is an edible plant that is easy to grow, grows everywhere and can be found especially in a tropical country like the Philippines. It is an upright annual plant that belongs to the amaranth family and can go as tall as 2.5 meters. According to the Wikipedia, Amaranths as what it is collectively known is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants also known as Amaranthus. Some of its species are grown as ornamental plants, pseudocereals, and leaf vegetables.

Kulitis is mostly grown for its leaves, it is widely used as a component in our dishes. You can be creative in making a dish out of its leaves.

The benefits of this Super Food!It rich in minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, copper, and calcium.

• It has an Antioxidant
• Low in Calories
• High in Dietary Fiber
• Rich in Vitamins A, C, K,
• Rich in B Vitamins
• Gluten Free
• Rich in Protein
• Rich in Lysine
• Reduces Bad cholesterol

Better grow your own pot or bed of Kulitis to have a ready supply of ingredients to include it on your dishes, then ingest and have all of these nutrients for our health and wellness. Also, growing your own pot of Kulitis ensures you of consuming organic produce and free of commercial pesticides that can do harm to our health.

With all of these benefits that came from this super vegetable you just can’t resist including this staple food on your daily diet.  AA I Floricel N. Denopol, RND

Part 2 - Chinese Spinach and Spiny Spinach

Amaranthus dubius and Amaranthus spinosus

 

LEFT PHOTO, Amaranthus dubius, the red spinach, Chinese spinach, spleen amaranth, hon-toi-moi, yin choy, hsien tsai, or Arai keerai belongs to the economically important family Amaranthaceae, native to South America, Mexico, and the West Indies, however; it is widely introduced throughout the world. The species occurs locally in France and Germany and is naturalized or invasive in tropical and subtropical regions of the United States (Florida and Hawaii), Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific. Usually it grows to a size of 80–120 centimeters (31–47 in). It has both green and red varieties, as well as some with mixed colors. The green variety is practically indistinguishable from Amaranthus viridis. Amaranthus dubius is very close genetically to Amaranthus spinosus (RIGHT PHOTO) and other Amaranthus species. This species is valued as a leafy vegetable throughout South and Southeast Asia and also in Africa. It is commonly cooked with onions, tomatoes and peanut sauce. 

NOTE: Amaranthus spinosus is gathered in the field as vegetable in its seedling stage, before the spines develop and become tough.

Part 3
14 Health Benefits of Alugbati Leaves 

– Philippine Super Food
rachelleignacio (Internet)
Acknowledgement with gratitude - avr
Alugbati leaves are also known as Malabar Spinach. It is named after the place where it is found. Malabar is a place in Philippine. Although people call it spinach, it is actually not spinach at all.

Nutritional information of alugbati leaves
Just like the other green vegetable, this leaves also have high level of iron. However, it also has ample of nutrition which is beneficial for health. To make it detail, the nutritional information of each 100 grams of alugbati leaves are listed as follow.

Calories 19Carbohydrate 3.4 grFat 0.3 grProtein 1.8 grVitamin A 160%Magnesium 16%Vitamin C 170%Iron 6%Vitamin B6 10%Sodium 24 mgPotassium 510 mgCalcium 10%

Health benefits of alugbati leaves
So, let’s just call it alugbati leaves. This is heart shaped leaves which grow along in the purple stem. Alugbati is a succulent plant. It can be found in tropical Asia and Africa countries.

#1. Control blood pressure
How can this vine be so powerful? Well, it contains minerals. Therefore it is also powerful to control your blood pressure. The high potassium and manganese will be very beneficial for blood pressure and heart rate. Therefore, it can prevent heart disease. It is able to relieve headache related to the high blood pressure. Besides vegetables, health benefits of Magnetic Bracelet can also control the blood pressure.

#2. Prevent constipation
The fleshy leaves are very smooth for digestive system. It also facilitates good bowel movement, so that we can prevent constipation and the other digestive problems. The other option to avoid constipation is by health benefits Drinking 4 Glasses of Water in the Morning

#3. Relieve ulcer
The leaves smoothness is also able to relieve stomach ulcer. It is safe and healthy for any digestive problems. Of course, we still have to consider about how we cook this leaves.

#4. Prevent cancer
Just like the other kinds of vegetable, alugbati is rich with antioxidant. Antioxidant is very important to fight free radical. Free radical is the main culprit of some cancer. Study proves that green vegetables are very good to prevent the growth of cancer cell in lung and oral cavity.

#5. Prevent anemia
This leaves is also called spinach for some reasons. Despite the appearance, the nutrient contained in this leave is similar with spinach’s. Just like spinach, this leaves is also rich with iron. The iron contain in every 100 grams of fresh leaves is able to fulfill 15% daily need of iron. With the regular consumption, the iron intake will keep us from getting anemia. This is very beneficial, especially for women.

#6. Lose weight
It is very good to include this vegetable into your diet. In every single serving contain many nutrients such as vitamin, mineral, and natural fiber. Yet, it is very low in calorie. Isn’t it a best deal for your weight loss diet? The dietary fiber is also good to improve your digestive organs. The improved digestion will also affect the good metabolism system. As we know, good metabolism is the key for losing your weight.

#7. Release toxins
The excretion system is important to release toxins out of the body. As the ability of alugbati to improve bowel movement, it is enable the body to release toxin from the feces. In addition, the leaves are also known as diuretic. Therefore, it will enable the body to release toxins by urine. Indeed. that’s the health benefits of alugbati leaves.

#8. Improve eyesight
Alugbati or basella is rich with vitamin A. Not only are the leaves, the stem also the source of vitamin A. We know that vitamin A is significant for eyes’ health. Therefore, consuming alugbati leaves is able to improve our eyesight.

#9. Boost immunity
A study found that vitamin C in alugbati is high. The study compared alugbati leaves with the other kinds of green vegetables such as spinach. The high vitamin C is very good to improve the immune system. It is because vitamin C is resistance against infectious agents.

#10. Soften skin
For soft skin, we can apply this leaves onto your skin and use it as a facial mask. It is able to re-hydrate and cool down your skin. Therefore, besides eating the leaves, we can also get the benefit from directly applying the leaves onto skin. Besides vegetables, fruits are also significant for skin . Here are the List of Fruits for Healthy Skin.

#11. Anti aging property
Not only cancer, free radical will also stimulates premature aging. To prevent, we need to supply our skin with antioxidant. With the antioxidant in it, basella will give your skin some benefits. This pinoy leaves will slow down your aging process by protecting your skin. It is able to make your skin look younger.

#12. Reduce swelling
The ability of the leaves to cool down skin can also be applied for swelling. Beside the water, vitamins are able to block inflammation and reduce swelling.

#13. Good for pregnancy
Experts suggest pregnant mother fulfilling the folate intake. It is because folate is essential for the baby’s nervous system. When most people think that folate can be obtained from fish, we can also get folate from vegetable. One of vegetables which provide folate is alugbati or basella leaves. Therefore, pregnant mother is advised to include this leaves into their daily menu. the other vegetable which is good for prgenancy is Brazilian Spinach.

#14. Help you sleep
Sometimes you feel so tired but you can’t even close your eyes. Do you know that alugbati can also solve this problem? Besides maintaining the health of the internal organ and skin, alugbati leaves is also able to help you relax. The minerals, especially magnesium and zinc of alugbati leaves will help you to close your eyes and relax your whole body. Magnesium and zinc can also recharge your energy quickly. 

Recommendation in consuming alugbati leaves
People in some Asia countries commonly use this leaves as vegetable to any kind of cuisine. However, the selection is also important step before we cook the leaves. To choose the perfect leaves, make sure to choose the fresh leaves with shiny leaves and firm stems. Avoid sunken, dry and discolored leaves.

In preparing the leaves, don’t forget to wash the leaves in cold running water to get health benefits of alugbati leaves. We can include some soft stem of it. Just like health benefits of Water Spinach , alugbati leaves produce some water when it is cooked. In addition, it produces thick glue like consistency to the cooking. Therefore, it is good to include this tender leaves into soup, stew, or stir fry vegetable.
image source
#colorchallenge#life#nature#philippines
5 years ago in #food by rachelleignacio (60)

Part 4 - Popeye spinach

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

alugbati 
Spinach as a superfood: It worked for Popeye…or did it?
by Baylor Scott & White Health 
Acknowledgement with gratitude - avr

Spinach has been on the table for over 1700 years, with the first spinach meal likely served up in ancient Persia (now Iran). History books suggest that the King of Nepal introduced spinach to China in the 7th century and spinach was on the plate in Europe by the 11th century. Catherine de Medici of Florence, Italy, brought her cooks to France when she married the King Henry II of France, because her cooks could prepare the delicate spinach greens to her liking. Since that time, any dish presented on a bed of spinach is “a la Florentine.”

Older Americans remember a cartoon figure named Popeye that gained incredible strength by eating canned spinach. The cartoon character came to life in 1929, soon after demand for canned vegetables skyrocketed after WWI, so it was only fitting that Popeye would promote a safe and inexpensive health food However, the cartoon strip published by Segar on July 3, 1932, attributed Popeye’s strength to the Vitamin A content in spinach and not iron. Segar’s intention was to increase the health of children by increasing vitamin intake, not iron intake, from spinach. ~

Part 5 - Talinum

 

Talinum planted on compost bag at the Living with Nature Center, 

San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd., popularly known as waterleaf, is a fleshy-leaved perennial herb grown widely in the humid tropical countries as a leaf vegetable (Swarna and Ravindhran, 2013).
Laxative effects: Waterleaf is packed with essential antioxidants and soluble fibres that act as mild laxatives. It is, therefore, recommended for use when constipation is an issue. Regulates blood sugar Level: Joshua et al. (2012) reported that Talinum triangulare is essential for managing diabetes mellitus

References: Internet, Living with Folk Wisdom, AV Rotor (UST}, Living with Nature, AVRotor (UST), Living with Nature in Our Times, AVRotor (UST), former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School on Air) DZRB

Natural Food and Natural Farming

 Natural Food and Natural Farming  

"Natural farming is the key in the pursuit of this global trend. It is important in sustaining economic production, above all, the integrity of our ecosystems." - avr

 Home Gardening, author's residence QC

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog [avrotor.blogspot.com]

Good health and good food go together, doctors all over the world tell us. Even our children quite often explain to us the importance of proper nutrition, balanced diet, fortification with vitamins and minerals. They tell us to take high protein food, or ask us if we are taking adequate calories. Lately such terms, beta-carotene and good cholesterol have come into the picture.

Now I hear a new term, probiotics. The way I under-stand these substances is that they keep our body always on the alert to fend off stress as a result of overwork and diseases. They are front liners and act as defense shield, Now if probiotics and antibiotics (substances that directly kill germs) work together, can we then say we can have better health and longer life?

Apparently yes, confirmed a balikbayan United Nations official who is working on a new food source from cyanobacterla or blue green algae. Again, this is a revolution in food and agriculture by the fact itself that we are now taking unconventional food such as Spirulina, an ancient organism probably the first kind of living thing that appeared on earth.

Going back to the main topic, I would like to see the other side of the fence. There are many reported ailments and abnormalities, which are traced to the food we take, and it is not only for the lack of intake. Cancer for instance, is often related to food. So with high uric acid which leads to kidney trouble. High blood pressure, high choles­terol, high sugar level.  Aftatoxin causes cirrhosis of the liver. Ulcers are food related. So with many allergies.

Given these premises, I would like to discuss a new frontier of agriculture which I believe4 is also the concern of other sectors of the food industry. It is not only that we must produce enough food. We must be able to produce quality food, which ensures good health, reduces risks to diseases and ailments, and prolongs life. This is the topic that I would like to take up with you in this special occasion, the 25th year or silver anniversary of NFA that I was once a part. I am going to talk about food, which should contribute to good health, long life, enjoyment, and peace of mind.

Here then are seven postulates to address this challenge to present day agriculture. We reckon the Green Revolution in the sixties which ushered production gains from improved varieties and techniques, followed by another wave in the seventies and eighties which was responsible in opening the fields of mariculture (farming the sea), and conversion of wastelands into farmlands.  We soon realized that there is need  “to go back to basics". Thus ecological farming was born. It is also farming with a moral cause: the enhancement of quality life, good health and long life on one hand, and the maintenance of an ecologically balance environment.

1.   IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO EAT FOOD GROWN UNDER NATURAL CONDITION THAN FOOD GROWN WITH CHEMICALS. This statement can be captured with one term "natural food". All over the world this is a label is found on food grown without chemicals. People are afraid of becoming sick because of the chemicals introduced into food. They know that chemical fertilizers and pesticides go with the crops and are passed on to the body destroying our organs and systems.

 No artificial additives, please. Additives such as food colorings and fillers are looked upon with suspicion.

2.   PEOPLE ARE AVOIDING HARMFUL RESIDUES AND ARTIFICIAL ADDITIVES IN FOOD. A trace of certain farm chemicals is enough to condemn a whole shipment under the rules of the US Food and Drug Administration. One kind of residue that people are avoiding is antibiotics. Poultry and hog farms maintain high antibiotic levels to safeguard the animals from diseases. In so doing the antibiotics is passed on to the consumers. In the first place our body does not need antibiotics. But every time we eat eggs, chicken, pork chop, steak, and the like, we are taking in cumulatively antibiotics. This makes our immune system idle. This punishes certain organs like the kidney and liver. To others, antibiotics cause allergy.

Another culprit is radiation. Traces of radiation can be hazardous. Many countries immediately took drastic action to avoid contamination following the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident ten years ago. Then we have toxic metals emitted from manufacturing and from vehicles. These are mercury, cadmium, and lead, to name the most common pollutants in our waters today.

3.   PEOPLE ARE BECOMING MORE CONSCIOUS OF THE NUTRITION VALUE OF FOOD RATHER THAN ITS PACKAGING AND PRESENTATION. Many people now reject junk foods, even if their packaging is attractive. Softdrinks have taken the backseat, courtesy of fruit juices and mineral water. People have even learned that plant varieties have different levels of food value even if they belong to the same species. To a lesser extent this is also true among the different breeds of an animal species.

4.   FRESHNESS IS THE FIRST CHOICE CRITERION FOR PERISHABLE FOOD. Indeed there is no substitute to fresh-ness, a function of handling and marketing. The farmer has the first and direct hand in enhancing this quality. If he keeps his plant; healthy, their products will 'have longer shelf life. Products free from pest and diseases stay fresh longer.

5. FOOD PROCESSING MUST BE APPROPRIATE AND SAFE.

Processing such as drying, milling and manufacturing, is key to higher profit. The profit that is generated from it is referred to as value-added to production. Economists tell us that there is money in postproduction and marketing.

6.   FOOD MUST BE FREE FROM PEST AND DISEASES.

It is shocking to find certain pest in food. So with the possibility that food is a carrier of disease organisms. Reports about infested NFA rice needs serious attention. Poor rice is an insult to the Filipino whatever is his economic status.

There has been news of food poisoning too, as a result of food deterioration, or contamination. Remember the Seven Eleven Store mass food poisoning? For a reputable establishment, such an accident deserves something to look deeper. What is the truth behind image building and advertisement?

7. FOOD PRESERVATION MUST ENSURE QUALITY, AND ABOVE ALL, SAFETY. Be aware of the fish that is stiff yet looks fresh. Be keen with formalin odor. Salitre is harmful, so with vetsin. Too much salt is not good to the body. I saw a puto maker use lye or sodium hydroxide to help in the coagulation of the starch. Sampaloc or tamarind candies are made bright red with shoe dye. So with ube to look life real ube.

Now I am going to discuss in details each postulate as it applies to the farmer, and the condition of his farm. I will try to relate the issue with actual practices so that we can draw up innovations to improve them, as we explore technologies that would settle certain issues.

8. AVOID AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOOD FROM GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS OR GMO.  There is an increasing awareness worldwide on the potential harmful effects of taking GMO products as food.  Bt corn for example carries a gene of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis,  golden rice carries the yellow gene of the daffodil, milk contains recombinant bovine growth hormone.  Other GMO food include soybeans, papaya, squash and zucchini, which carry "foreign" genetic material.  Here is a list of countries that have banned both GMO imports and GMO cultivation: Algeria, Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan, Madagascar, Peru, Russia, Venezuela, Zimbabwe.  EU members are selective in banning GMO. Most countries require labeling of GMO products, and are strict in their quarantine laws, and land use policy against GMO. 

NATURAL FARMING

CThe other name of natural farming as we all know is organic farming, that is the use of organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizer such as urea and NPK or complete fertilizer. In the US and Europe, people go for organically grown food. Lately in malls and big groceries, we find rice in package or bag labeled "organically grown rice". Let me point out that the use of organic fertilizer must be complemented by other factors.

                                                   Community gardening, QC 

First, the organic fertilizer must be free from pathogen that causes diseases. 

Second, it must not carry toxic waste or metal as this kind of fertilizer is manufactured from waste materials.

And third, It must go hand in hand with no spraying, or if it can not be helped, at least the spray used is biodegradable, such as substances that are of botanical derivatives like derris, neem and chrysanthemum.

Let me give you scenarios of natural farming.

1.    Payatak method (Samar) - This is a local version of zero tillage. No plowing, no harrowing. A herd of carabaos trample of the soil until it turns puddle, then the one-month old seedlings are transplanted. No spray, no fertilizer. This is natural farming in the marginal sense, a carryover of traditional farming.

2.   Mixed orchard (Zambales) - A mixture of several kinds of trees, orchard, firewood trees, forest trees grow together without any apparent planning. Yet these trees follow a natural pattern of arrangement. They have no common pest, they need soil fertility differentially, they have their own space niche, they make up several storeys. Management is very little. Nature takes care of everything.

 3. Multiple cropping model (Sta. Maria. Bulacan) -  Here the farmer engages in the production of three commodities. For Narciso Santiago, national outstanding farmer,  his 2.5-ha farm produces frults, vegetables and rice. He has several heads of carabao and cattle grown on homelot, pastured between the orchard trees. A pond supplies irrigation, as it produces tilapia and mudfish. Why three commodities? It is because they are closely integrated. This is the key to natural farming where there are a number of products to be desired. First the animals produce, other than meat and milk, manure for the plants, the plants produce food for the family and market, and they together with their residues give feeds to the animals. The pond is source of irrigation for the plants, principally rice and vegetables. It is a waterhole for wildlife for biological control. Because of its integrated structure and management. the farm itself becomes a balanced system. This is the key to sustainable production. This is ecological. farming.

4.  Sloping agricultural land technology or SALT (Bohol) Call this natural farming even if the farm is a logged area. Precisely the idea is for the farmer to return the land to its natural state as much as possible. How does he do it? If one sees the model, the land has a grade of 20 to 40 degrees. The steeper the grade the more difficult it is to apply the system. Over and above 45 degrees the model may not work at all.) Here the contour of the slope is marked and outlined so that the sole of the plow, so to speak, will be level at all times. The contours are spaced uniformly, and the rows which follow the contour are planted at interval of annual and permanent crops.

                          Mushroom growing: Auricularia, Pleurotus,

5.   The idea is for the permanent crops like fruit trees and firewood trees to sandwich the annual crops like peanut, rice, corn vegetable. The herbage of, say ipil-ipil, is used as organic fertilizer. Neem tree is used for pesticide. Lantana is a natural pest repellant, so with Eucalyptus. Legume intercropping and crop rotation replenish the soil of Nitrogen.

6.   Modified models (rice and corn areas).  Rice farming can be modified to suit the conditions of natural farming. There are farms today that rely entirely on homemade or commercial organic fertilizers. These are contracted farms to supply organically grown rice. 

An equally important aspect of successful farming is cleanliness.  This means no weeds, trimmed waterways, properly disposed farm wastes, efficient drainage, well arranged rows, properly scheduled farming activities, and the like.  All this requires but low technology that is also affordable, and contributes to good health to both producer and consumer, and the whole community.  

Genetically resistant varieties are chosen. Proper time of planting and harvesting is needed. We should know that clean farms, healthy plants and good management, are basic. What we are saying is that the use of chemicals is dispensable. To a single farmer, this is easier said than done. There is a need for collective and community effort, in which case farming , especially if it intends to shift to organic, likewise becomes more efficient as cost of production can be brought down.

Coconut farms (Southern Tagalog and Bicol). Seldom do we hear of coconut cultivation that follows the agronomic practices of other major crops like sugar cane or corn. 

Perhaps there is no plant more resistant than coconut. It is because it perfectly fits our soil, climate and latitude. It is indigenous to us. In fact it evolved with our islands and our culture. Evolutionarily and historically what I am saying is that natural farming is not new. And more importantly, it is a product of long years of development. It is not just acclimatization. It is co-evolution.

The message is that let us explore the richness of our biodiversity and our culture as a people to be able to understand the working of nature. Nature shows us the way. Nature, the way our ancestors knew then, is the nature we know today, except that we have embraced many changes in farming as well as in life style. Many of these changes had not passed the test of time.

In Laguna and Quezon, coconut is the dominant species of an ecosystem. The presence of man in the ecosystem has modified it to suit to his needs. For example, he has chosen only the trees and plants that grow between the coconut trees. Unknowingly he raises animals, which reduce the richness of plant species diversity.

We still see around well-established, stable coconut areas where man's intervention is kept low, but my fear is the current practice of logging old coconut trees for lumber.

Natural farming then is important as a way of farming.  It is also important in sustaining economic production, and above all, the continuity of our ecosystems that we have placed in our hands. Given these premises the farmer today faces a new challenge worthy of the title, "the backbone of the nation." ~

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LESSON on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM, [www.pbs.gov.ph] 8-9 evening class Monday to Friday

Quaintness of Philippine Culture is Enriched by Superstition

Quaintness of Philippine Culture

is Enriched by Superstition

Living with superstition builds character 

(100 Popular Superstitious Beliefs) - A Self-evaluation

People are generally superstitious, especially those of the older generation. We relate many events to supernatural causes. We act according to beliefs we inherited from our ancestors. Superstition may not rule our lives but it serves to sharpen our consciousness, build our character, and help preserve our culture. Mythology is important in every culture and it influences other cultures as well. Greek mythology is the leading example.

                                                                 Dr Abe V Rotor

1. After the wedding the man must exit first from the church so that he will not become a henpeck husband.

2. Don’t clean the house at night, more so, if you sweep the dirt out of the door. You drive good luck away, (Lalabas ang suwerte.)

Image of a white lady taken by a CCTV camera

3. If you get lost in the wilderness, reverse your shirt, so that you will be able find your way back.


4. Three persons in a picture means the one at the middle will die.

5. A mole (taling) on the sole indicates the person is a wanderer (gala’).

6. A mole (taling) located along the path of tears means the person is going to be widowed.

7. Tikbalang (Filipino version of a centaur) comes out when it is raining while the sun is out.

8. Bride must never try her bridal gown before the wedding; the ceremony might not push through.

9. Don’t hang on the window; you court bad luck.

10. Itchy palm means you are going to have money.

11. Keep your fingers close together and if light seeps through between them, it means you are not frugal.

12. Singing while cooking means you are going to remain a bachelor or spinster – or marry someone much older than you.

13. A victim of maternal impression (paglilihi) loses pep (sigla) and may even get sick.

14. If a pregnant woman is in labor, never sit at the center of the stair.

15. A comet in the sky means war is coming.

16. Eat raw eggs to enhance easy delivery of your baby.

17. A pregnant mother should not eat eggplant, else her baby will have dark complexion.

18. One who cries every time she cuts onions means she does not love her father- and mother-in-law (biyanan).

19. Taking a bath immediately after ironing clothes will make you sick of leprosy.

20. If a pregnant woman eats eggs, her child will be born blind.

21. Full moon causes abnormal behavior. People who are affected by this belief are called lunatics.

22. Beware of Friday the 13th, you might meet an accident.

Kapre, a hairy black monster, lives in this old balete tree.

UPLB Mt Makiling, Laguna on the way to the Mud Spring.

There is a report that the tree bleeds with blood-like sap!

23. No two siblings should marry within the same year, otherwise their marriages will not be successful.

24. When someone gives you a footwear as a gift, be sure to pay him any amount in order to break the omen that you will be “kicked” or pushed around.

25. When the pregnant wife skips or walks over (laktawan) her husband, the husband will bear the burden of paglilihi (maternal impression).

26. If you want a person to be sad and to cry often, give him or her a handkerchief as a gift.

27. One who is about to be wed must remain at home to avoid accident.

28. Avoid having your feet pointed at the door while sleeping.

29. Prepare rice cake like suman and tikoy on New Year so that good luck will stick around.

30. When planting be sure your stomach is full, so that you will get good harvest.

31. If you accidentally break a glass or china, get a similar one and break it, otherwise bad luck will haunt you.

32. Breaking a mirror means “seven years itch.”

33. If you dream you lost a tooth, it means is bad luck. To break the omen, silently go to a tree and tell your dream so that it will be the tree that will suffer.

34.  Forego your trip if a black cat crosses your path – it is bad luck.

35. A birthday celebrant must take extra precaution against accident, so with a new graduate.

36. The bride should not look behind while marching the aisle, otherwise the wedding will not be disrupted.

37. The number of steps of a stair is based on the alternate oro (gold)-plata (silver) formula. Aim for oro in the last or highest step.

38. Wearing bright clothes, especially red, on your birthday makes the day happy.

39. Needle bought in the afternoon is likely to rust.

40. Don’t give your loved one a necklace, otherwise your relationship will not last.

41. Don’t allow your friend to remove your ring, otherwise you will quarrel.

42. Kill a chicken for a new born baby as an offering.

43. Sweeping or cleaning the house while a dead relative is in wake will lead to the death of another member of the family.

44. Eating jackfruit during menstruation is prohibited otherwise the woman will get sick and even die.

45. When planting sitao (string bean), place a comb on your hair to induce the production of abundant long fruits.

46. Eating chicken cooked with squash will cause leprosy.

47. A woman on her menstrual period should not visit a garden or orchard otherwise the plants will become sick or die.

48. To know if it is true jade, it remains cool even if the body is warm.

49. Beware of the werewolf. Man can turn into a wolf, and vice versa.

50. Eight (8) is a lucky number; 8 is infinity. It means money will circulate.

51. Four (4) means in Chinese C or death. Every time you reach an age with the number 9 or 4, take precaution; you are prone to accident.

52. Don’t cut fingernails at night; it’s bad luck.

53. In Chinese marriage, the woman walks backward led by a relative to be delivered to the bridegroom.

54. If a child keeps spitting, it will rain.

55. If you point at the moon you will suffer a cut.

56. Babies smile at angels we don’t see.

57. Fixed marriage at birth is good luck.

58. Chinese calendar is late by two months – New Year is in February.
Chinese age starts one year at birth.

59. Palm lines of our hand may change, so with our lives.

60. Blessed palm leaves on Easter Sunday is hang at the door for good luck.

61. First cut hair and fingernails of a baby must be kept in a book so that he will be intelligent.

62. Wearing black is symbol of mourning; to the Chinese it is wearing all white.

63. Among the Chinese, miniaturized house, car and the like, go with the departed to assure him of a happy afterlife.

64. In a Chinese temple, you offer food to the gods, and then eat it after. This is not the case in Filipino custom; just leave the food offering (atang).

65. To the Chinese, paper money goes with the dead; it will be converted into real money in afterlife.

Indeed there's really a white carabao, and it glows at night in flickering light.

66. Light candles outside of the house during All Saints Day in deference to of the souls of the dead and the unseen.

67. When you happen to encounter a funeral entourage, throw some coins in respect of the dead.

68. Don’t stand in front of a gate if you are pregnant.

69. If by mistake it’s the bride that hands over the arras to the bridegroom, expect that she will be the breadwinner.

70. Diamond studded wedding rings do not make a perfect relationship.

71. When blessing a new vehicle, sprinkler fresh blood of chicken in tires and engine to bad omen of accident.

72. Place some coins in the foundation of buildings and other structures during ground breaking ceremony to make them strong and withstand time.

73. Children are sacrificed in making bridges and other infrastructure.

74. Bury placenta with rosary and pencil so that the child will be both intelligent and God-fearing.

75. Palms with crisscross lines (rapas Ilk) means the person is cruel.

76. Palms with netted lines means the person has an unorganized life (magulong buhay).

77. Shake (pagpagin) the items such as clothes after a customer had left without buying any, to break bad luck.

78. Place money in a bed pan (arinola), so that it becomes plentiful.

79. Babies that fall from their cradle do not suffer injury, thanks to their guardian angels.

80. When you give a wallet as gift be sure you put a coin or a money bill in it so that the wallet won’t run out of money.

81. When transferring to a new house carry with you 24 oranges, salt, water, and rice.

82. Jade stones around the wrist of a baby indicate his condition. If they turn light in color the baby is not well.

83. When transferring a dead person into the house, be sure it is head first; when taking him out, it is feet first.

84.Bed must not face the door, otherwise the sleeping person will become a victim of bangongot.

85.Don’t bump the coffin while carrying it; it is bad luck.

86. Pour water at the doorway once the coffin has been taken out.

87. Wash face and hands after the dead has been laid to rest.

90. When coming from a wake have a stopover somewhere and do not directly go home, otherwise the spirit of the dead will follow you.

91. The wishbone of a chicken* (PHOTO) makes a wholesome game for two. Wish comes true to the one who gets   the common stem of the Y-shape bone.

92. One can determine the sex of the baby by the poise and shape of the pregnant woman. If rotund, it’s going to be a girl; if pointed, it’s going to be a boy.

93. During labor, if the pain is bearable and continuous, it’s going to be a girl; if labor pain is intermittent and intense, it’s going to be a boy.

94. When leaving the dining table ahead, those who are still eating must rotate their plates, otherwise they will remain bachelors or spinsters. (The belief is silent on the fate of the married ones.)

95. Couple to be married the following day must not see each other the night before.

96. When Friday comes don’t talk about the supernatural, such as kapre, dwende, and the like.

97. Never buy a cat; it will not be a good mouse catcher.

98. If a cat sneezes it’s going to rain. But if it sneezes three times, everyone in the family will catch cold.

99. A cat that has its back towards the fire means a typhoon in coming.

100. Unfortunate events usually happen on full moon. ~

* Wishbone: Ancient Romans were the first to see the wishbone as a symbol of luck, which eventually turned into the tradition of actually breaking it apart. A chicken wishbone would be snapped apart by two people while they were each making a wish. The person holding the longer piece was said to have good fortune or a wish granted. If the bone cracked evenly in half, both people would have their wishes come true.

Light your Lamp and Keep it Bright

 Light your Lamp and Keep it Bright 

Dr Abe V Rotor

Former Professor in Communication Arts, UST

Living with Nature [avrotor.blogspot.com]

This article explores and guides journalists, writers, broadcasters, authors, filmmakers  and the like, in effectively using Mass Communication for Mass Education. "Media for Teaching," "Media for Change," "Media for Values" - more than the motive of entertainment and profit - are today's challenge posed to the media-world, institutions of government, church, school, and the family.   

After reading this article, write down your advocacy in 10 principal areas or concerns. Use regular bond, handwritten. 

Teaching is an art. It is an art of the masters - Aristotle, Plato, Christ, and many great teachers of the Renaissance that brought the world out of the Dark Ages. While we have developed modern techniques in teaching, it is important to look back into the past. 

Socrates, father of Philosophy, on his deathbed. He was condemned to die by drinking hemlock, a  poison, for corrupting the minds of the youth. 

It is looking back at the lamp that enabled our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, to write his last masterpiece, the lamp Florence Nightingale held over her patients at the warfront, the lamp that made Scheherazade’s “one thousand and one nights” stories, the lamp a Greek philosopher held high at daylight “searching for an honest man.” Or the lamp fireflies make and glow with the spirit of joy and adventure to a child. 

But why do we look back and ponder on a tiny light when the world basks in the sunshine of progress and development, of huge networks of learning, of high technologies in practically all fields of endeavor? I’ll tell you why – and why we teachers must.

But first let me tell a story of a computer enthusiast, who like the modern student today relies greatly on this electronic gadget, doing his school work so conveniently like downloading data for his assignment. So one day he worked on his assigned topic – love. 

He printed the word and set the computer to define for him L-O-V-E. Pronto the computer came up with a hundred definitions and in different languages. Remembering his teacher’s instruction to ask, “How does it feel to be in love?” again he set the computer to respond. And you know what?

After several attempts, the computer printed on its screen in big letters, “I can not feel.”

Where is that main ingredient of human relations – feeling – today?

• Where is the true feeling between teacher and student?
• Where is the feeling of joy at the end of a teaching day, in spite of how hard the day had been?
• Where is that tingling feeling of the student for having recited well in class? 
• Where is that feeling in singing the National Anthem, the school hymn?
• Where is that feeling Rizal felt when a moth circled the lamp in his prison cell while he wrote, Mi Ultimo Adios? 
• Where is that burning desire that drove Michelangelo to finish single-handedly the huge murals of the Sistine Chapel?
• That drove Vincent Van Gogh to madness – madness the world learned a new movement in the art – expressionism - years after?
• That kept Florence Nightingale, the founder of the nursing profession, make her rounds in the hospital in the wee hours of the morning?
• The lamp that strengthened Plato’s resolve to change the way people should think in the light of truth and justice.

Feeling. There is a song Feelin, and the lyrics ask a lot of questions about human nature changing with the times. I do not think human nature has changed. It is as stable as Nature herself and the natural laws that govern the universe.

What we are saying is that our ways are changing. The conformity of our actions is more with the rules we set rather than the philosophies on which they are founded. It is our quest for want above our needs that has blinded us and benumbed our feelings, that has taken us to the so-called fast lane so that we no longer see objects as they are, but abstracts, that has made us half-humans in the sense that we spend half of our lives dealing with machines – who have no feelings. 

What then is modern man? I am afraid we have to review some of our references on the Janus-like character of man, like - 

• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• The Prince and the Pauper
• The Princess and the Frog
• The movies - Mask, Superman, Batman, Spiderman 
• Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter
• Cartoons and animated movies 

The doubling of characters in man has led him away from permanence. Today, the biggest crisis in man is his impermanence. Impermanence in his domicile, nay, his nationality, political party. Affiliation in business and social organizations, and most disturbingly, with his marriage and family.

“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”- John Cotton Dana 

When was the last time we said to ourselves – or experienced - the following. 

• It’s a weekday for my family and nothing else.
• How I wish I can help my child of his math assignment.
• I’ll teach only this year and will find a more rewarding job after.
• I think it’s time to settle down.
• I want to go to a concert and enjoy the fine art of music.
• Can’t I put all my ideas in a book?
• It’s always meeting – can’t we just talk?
• This dizziness, it must be the pressure of my work.
• Maybe I can concentrate on my thesis this time.
• I have not finished reading “Da Vinci Code”. 
• This summer I’ll be with my parents.

Here are ways by which we can brighten up our lamp amidst the factors that test our dedication of our profession as teachers.

1. Be yourself. Be natural. 
2. Keep on learning 
3. Be a model of your family and community
4. Relax
5. Use your faculties fully and wisely 

Be Natural

Naturalness is a key to teaching. I saw a film, Natural with then young award-winning Robert Redford as the principal actor. It is a story of a baseball player who became famous. The central theme of his success is his naturalness. Naturalness in pitching, batting - in the sport itself, above all, in his relationship with his team and fans. 

Our students can easily sense our sincerity. They shun from us if we are not. They cannot fully express themselves, unless we show our genuine love and care for them. Develop that aura that attracts them, that keeps relationship easy to adapt or adjust.

Be a Model

A teacher must have more time for himself and for his family. Teaching is an extension of family life. And this is the primordial stimulus that makes your family a model family and you as a model teacher – because you cause the light of the lamp to radiate to others. And it is not only the school that you bring in the light. It is the community because you are also lighting the lamp of others, including the tiny glow in your young students. When they get home, when they interact with their community in whatever capacity they can, even only among their playmates, relatives and neighbors, they are in effect sharing that light which is also the light of understanding and unity. 

Florence Nightingale  Lady with the Lamp 

- founder of the nursing profession 

Relax

Great achievements are usually products of relaxed minds. Relaxation allows the incubation of thoughts and ideas. Churchill found time to paint during the Second World War. In his relaxed mind he made great decisions that saved Great Britain and countless lives. Or take Einstein for instance. His formula which explains the relationship of energy and matter in E=mc2 was drawn out from casually observing moving objects - train, heavenly bodies, marbles. Galileo watched a huge chandelier in a church sway with the breeze and later came up with the principles of pendulum movement. 

Darwin studied biology around the world as if he were on a leisure cruise, and summed up his findings that founded the most controversial Theory of Evolution by means of Natural Selection. An apple fell on Newton’s head when everything was still. Examine closely the parables of Christ. How relaxed the Great Teacher was in telling these stories to the faithful. The lamp shines the brightest when there is no wind. When held high with steady hands and given time to examine things around, views become clearer, and the more certain we are along our way. 

Use Your Faculties Fully and Wisely

Our brain is made up of the left hemisphere, the thinking and reasoning part, and the right hemisphere, the seat of creativity and imagination. Together they reveal an enormous capacity of intelligence, which are pictured in eight realms. These are 

1. Logic 

2. Languages

3. Music 

4. Spatial

5. Interpersonal

6. Intrapersonal 

7. Kinesthetics 

8. Naturalism 

From these realms the teacher draws out his best qualities. He explores, decides, adapts, entertains, leads, and stands courageously to lead the young. 

Here he sows the seed of knowledge. And in the young the seed grows, and grows, which the educator Henry Adams expresses in this line.

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” ~